01-16-2017, 07:53 PM
Frankly, I can't see a move that ignored physical defenses getting past the approval process. The perceived energy attacks bias in the phasing power is a highly specific thing, and trying to extrapolate from it into move creation, which is highly regulated, seems like hyperbole to me. The checks and balances we have make this a single point of contention, not a slippery slope.
The whole balanced effects thing, if I'm reading Alex's posts correctly, is about what moves do, regardless of their mechanism, and what characters can (or in this case, really can't) ignore just all on their own, without use of powers. Phasing is a Power, with its own up-sides and downsides that are independent of the balancing criteria for moves.
Does something which is otherwise fluff influence how the power behaves? Yes. Is this is the only example of that I've been able to find on the site? Yes. Does that matter? I don't think it does.
Let's look at the lightsaber example. Both characters have 3 speed, so phasing is useless in combat anyway, because it takes several seconds to activate. If both character's had ten speed, it would still be slower than just dodging, and it would tire the phaser out faster. The entire power-description needs to be considered before condemning it for one thing, which grants a perceived advantage which, even if it did come into play will not be a deciding factor in the fight.
Both of my characters use energy-attacks. However, I nearly chose the Hulk for an alt. And if I had gone for the Hulk? I never would have spent OM to try and get around phasing. I could do it - gamma radiation infused attacks, or some-such - but I wouldn't.
Could King Ghidorah just blast a phaser who managed to activate it in combat? Yes. But could HULK SMASH PUNY GHOST-MAN!? Yes he could, as soon as they un-phased. And if they kept phasing, they would fall over. Different and unfair are not the same thing. This isn't a game-breaking flaw.
This whole argument seems to come down to a semantic disagreement about what 'balanced', 'equal', and 'fair' mean, and a different understanding of the context of the Omniverse's overall balancing system. I think people are getting upset about it, and that's making it seem bigger than it is.
Let's relax, maybe read back over the mod-responses and the power description, and remember that we're all here to have fun.
The whole balanced effects thing, if I'm reading Alex's posts correctly, is about what moves do, regardless of their mechanism, and what characters can (or in this case, really can't) ignore just all on their own, without use of powers. Phasing is a Power, with its own up-sides and downsides that are independent of the balancing criteria for moves.
Does something which is otherwise fluff influence how the power behaves? Yes. Is this is the only example of that I've been able to find on the site? Yes. Does that matter? I don't think it does.
Let's look at the lightsaber example. Both characters have 3 speed, so phasing is useless in combat anyway, because it takes several seconds to activate. If both character's had ten speed, it would still be slower than just dodging, and it would tire the phaser out faster. The entire power-description needs to be considered before condemning it for one thing, which grants a perceived advantage which, even if it did come into play will not be a deciding factor in the fight.
Both of my characters use energy-attacks. However, I nearly chose the Hulk for an alt. And if I had gone for the Hulk? I never would have spent OM to try and get around phasing. I could do it - gamma radiation infused attacks, or some-such - but I wouldn't.
Could King Ghidorah just blast a phaser who managed to activate it in combat? Yes. But could HULK SMASH PUNY GHOST-MAN!? Yes he could, as soon as they un-phased. And if they kept phasing, they would fall over. Different and unfair are not the same thing. This isn't a game-breaking flaw.
This whole argument seems to come down to a semantic disagreement about what 'balanced', 'equal', and 'fair' mean, and a different understanding of the context of the Omniverse's overall balancing system. I think people are getting upset about it, and that's making it seem bigger than it is.
Let's relax, maybe read back over the mod-responses and the power description, and remember that we're all here to have fun.