Why must every power be absolutely balanced to some mathematical formula that an observer makes up on the spot? Toss in conditions and ongoing damage. How do you value prone? Stunned? Weakened? Does it depend on the role? Do you give them point values? What is the valuation?
And what about damage types, does that change the numbers?
And if it does, what are you doing to make sure theme-builds aren't uniform in their abilities? If you're a thunder-sorcerer, does that mean every attack you have should be Close blast X with damage y+z and push w?
The more I examine the system, the more I think that they use similiar design for class powers as they do for Magic cards, in terms of target demographics. You have powers that exist to do pure damage and enable further damage (fireball), you then might have a power that's strategic but simple (thunderwave), followed by a power that creates a minigame that people can play around (stinking cloud), and lastly by a power for people who want random stuff to happen (prismatic ray).
But how do you balance those things when the powers are geared towards different purposes? I don't even mean different -tactical- purposes, but rather are each designed to hit different fun-buttons for each player type?
Try to figure out what player a power is designed for, or what purpose it serves before simply saying 'It's AoE, it should do so and so damage.'
So, comparing the two original powers....
Both are Thunder Attacks. If you're a Stormer, you're possibly taking both. It doesn't matter if one is more powerful than the other... taking the level 29 power makes you more powerful than not doing so. You don't have 'no choice.' You have four choices, minimum. You'll take neither power, both powers, only the 25, or only the 29. But because the choices aren't mutually exclusive, comparing them is pointless, because you're not -choosing between them.-
If you're in Fire-magic tho, the level 29 power is better, because fire powers reduce resistance. Chances are you're exploiting that anyways. Irrisistable flame + your Spell Source will mean that you'll be ignoring 35 points of resistance from this if you're in Fire.
If you're in Acid, you're not taking the level 29 power anyways. It isn't what you're after.
And if you're not doing a theme build, but a damage maximizing build, you're not taking -either- power. You're going into attacks that deal dice of damage on a miss, or that have even larger dice, or single-target attacks that put these bursts to shame for concentrated damage, or your going into a Spellfury build to milk your at-wills.
There IS no 'only one choice' here. If it seems so, it's because you made your choices before looking at the powers -anyways- and simply applying your own biases and preconcieved notions as to what powers you want.
