Viking Bastard
Adventurer
Good point. I didnt think spell lists and power cards were that different, but after 3 years of playing 4e I notice people spending more time deciphering power cards than they did 3e spells. I'm at a loss for * why * that is, I just observe it for our group.
I know what you mean, but I don't think it's the cards, nor the powers themselves, as such. I think 4e's biggest flaw is in it's presentation of things. The rules are so very precise and exact, which makes for a great robust system, but it also makes things so definite and final. "This power does this."
When my 4e group first started playing, we used some power cards I found online (no DDI for us). They weren't good enough, though, so I made my own, but I couldn't possibly be bothered to type in all that precise lawyerly jargon (or try to make it look pretty) so I wrote them down in shorter, more vague terms. This had a noticeable effect on gameplay. It was just easier and quicker to read, and they immediately started being more creative about their use.
I didn't actually change any of the rules. I just reworded them. It did result in the misuse of powers a few times, but who cares?