1: The idea that powers should have a "standard" look is pretty silly. "fire" "ball" pretty much sums it up. Any more fluff than that should be up to the player.
2: This is a player issue, not a game issue.
Robust flavor text replaces imagination, it does not enhance it. It's like the difference between reading a book and watching a TV. Flavor text needs to be vague enough to allow the player room for creativity.
To that end, there's really no need at all for flavor text as long as the spell/power/exploit name is explicit. "fireball", "trip", "charge", yeah, don't need a whole lot more there. Anything extra, if necessary at all, can be made up by the player. I'm not saying there should be no flavor text, but that's ALL it is, flavor.
If my players want their powers to have a specific look to their powers, they'll create one, if they don't, they wont. Imagination is the prerogative of the player, not the books.
That really does sound like an Excel spreadsheet!
Let's just say that's no way to see sell me an RPG. If it's like that, I think I can confidently say I'll be checking out of the D&D brand.
I hope, hope, hope that I get my way and you don't get yours!