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Message: <blockquote data-quote="JohnSnow" data-source="post: 5265087" data-attributes="member: 32164">Well, I guess this is a matter of opinion, but I disagree.Tying the power to the movement prevents you from having to weigh the difference between movement powers and movement actions. Also, changing the emphasis to movement puts the focus of the new player on MOVEMENT. So effectively, you teach him that movement is important to a rogue by giving him powers that key off of movement. Do that move, and you can make this attack. Pick this other move, and you'll be able to do this kind of attack.There's a concept called "decision theory." Essentially, the theory works like this: the more things they have to pick from at any given time, the more complex the decision is. The fewer you have to pick from, the simpler it is.A series of 3 binary decisions can produce as many options as a single choice between 8 options. For example:Step 1: A or BStep 2: C or DStep 3: E or FProduce the 8-branch decision tree of "ACE, ACF, ADE, ADF, BCE, BCF, BDE, BDF."To get that many options out of a single choice, you need 8 up-front options. Weighing 8 options can get to be awfully difficult on the fly, leading to the phenomenon known as "decision paralysis." With 3-option choices, it gets worse. Three 3-way choices (still doable) yields 27 combos. Give someone 27 powers to pick from and they'd probably collapse in a gibbering mess (or just default to "the easy one"). "Reducing complexity" means that each choice can be made intuitively based on knowledge someone is likely to possess at the time. Our hypothetical thief player who takes (for example) "Ambush Strike" and "Tumbling Strike" has a pretty simple choice: "Do I move 5 squares and set up combat advantage against an isolated opponent close by? Or do I tumble 3 squares (probably setting up CA as well) and get to drop a small bit of damage on a secondary opponent? Secondarily, is the primary target one worth using backstab on or isn't he?To me, those are a couple of very easy and intuitive choices. Most of the hard complexity is dealt with when you pick your tricks in the first place (at which point, you have plenty of time to weigh options as you decide what kind of character you want to play). After that it's "Does A or B put me in the best attack/have the best movement mode for this situation? Do I need to do extra damage or don't I? Assuming I have feats that modify basic attacks (swapping damage for conditions), do I make use of one, or not?"The upside of separating the decisions in this way is that you don't have to use up my "switch places with your ally" power (King's Castle) in order to get the extra damage it does. Because the extra damage isn't tied to a single attack type or movement mode.Does the thief have "more points of decision." Yes, clearly. Can they produce the same number of options? Yes, it seems so. Is it more complex? I would argue no.Make sense?P.S. - fyi, the inclusion of power strike in the write-up is a formatting glitch, so that choice isn't there. Mearls clarified that in one of his responses last night.</blockquote>

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