Yes, roughly. Some specific applications require either additional powers or feats, such as using fire shaping to attack someone requires the elemental strikepoweer and weather shaping is an additional power that requires you have wind and water shaping powers.
Yes. Attack and Defence are now comparable in progression. In True 20 you can choose to parry or dodge. Parry allows you to use your strength and wear heavy armour. However, it only works on melee attacks.
Toughness never increases over levels except through some feats. However, Conviction (hero points) do increase with level and can save a high level PC's bacon.
As a result, a high level True 20 PC will be hurt by an arrow as much as a low level one. However, the high level one is harder to hit and avoid the injury due to the drama. The feel is very much like the Lord of the Rings movies.
