So I have a pretty massive idea on how I think powers should be handled in this game, this will be a long post so bear with me. In my idea there will be archetypes, the purpose of the archetypes will be what their power base modifiers will be for various power types and what mechanics will be open for them. The reason I say it like that is because I want to open the game in a much more broad term. To turn the powers into a point buy system that you can fully customize as you the players see fit. But that's not saying give everyone everything, far from it. Falling back to the certain archetypes having certain powers, melee types will initially have access to the broadest spectrum of melee capabilities, ranged damage types will have a large variety of ranged damage choices, etc.

Also as I said before archetypes will have varying modifiers to their effects so while a melee type taking a buff skill could be useful a buff type archetype taking a buff skill would be more effective. Archetypes will initially also be gated to certain mechanics and abilities early on to make sure overly odd builds or over powered builds aren't made, but not totally restricted. Melee types will be enthused to pick up melee skills but given an option to take a ranged attack/mez/buff but not as wide of a variety as the other archetypes.

In keeping with a standard leveling system players will receive powers at certain levels and on off levels they will receive points to invest into these powers. The points can be invested into damage, cool down time, range, etc. I did consider aoe area, activation time and a few others but those sound like coding nightmares. There of course will be diminishing returns for an over investment into certain aspects of a power, we don't want people going silly. My idea of equipment would be equipping an item to a power which would provide predetermined points into certain aspects of the power thus being able to push the points a bit higher (and yes I have an idea for equipment sets to further boost yourself). To further add onto this idea you will have the option to flaw a power, add extra points into a power by weaning it. Give it a extra long cool time so you can further invest into damage, longer range at the costs of more endurance/mana/whatever.

Also I think a simplifying of damage types would be another way to make the game more streamlined. I believe damage types should be simplified into physical or elemental (maybe even some third type that would hold negative/light/psychic?). Most of the special elemental effects you see on most powers (slows, extra dot, etc.) you can apply using my point buy system to purchase an additional effect for your power as a proc and you can further enhance the proc by spending points on it. Or maybe even add a procs onto your powers via equipment. This would simplify the coding on defensive powers, but on the same note defensive powers will need to be very carefully balanced, we don't want one defensive ability handling all damage types easily.