Thanks for posting @stukapooka ! Glad to see other folks hanging around and bringing stuff to talk about up!
I love alternate abilities in GW and GW2. Some need balancing still (multi-shuck is possibly the worst one right now, but others could use some love too), but I love having choices like this.
Some I use all the time like Multi-rocket and Long Bomb (I've gotten some hilarious vanquishes in GW1 lately with Long Bomb), others I hardly ever use because they aren't that great (multi-shuck and the peashooter leap for examples). I wish they all were competitive and valid choices.
I love the different drones, and lament that we never got the Engineer versions in GW2. The Bling alternates never really thrilled me even if I use them. Cacti have 4 drones to choose from in GW2, and while dark garlic is my favorite, it's nice to have choices.
I used to use Energy Warp a lot as you could set off potato mines and spikeweeds with it, and be at no risk. It is OP in Wall-Nut Hills though. They should address that issue when this map is brought back in a new game. They essentially gave it to Electric Slide in BfN, but then also gave her the ability to heal in that mode with upgrades, I get the idea but in practice it's seriously OP and annoying.
Some abilities like Chomp Cannon are fun to slip into once in awhile, while others like mega-heal ball are my go toos (I generally play a heal focused Scientist). I definitely want alternate abilities back in a new game, although many need to be balanced better.
I vastly prefer the heal flower to sunny side up, and as it can be shot, it means zombies can deal with it if they want to, and it hands out more healing if left alive. The heal thingy of the Scientist being instant is too good, even if the mega heal ball heals a lot, I've been vanquished many times as it goes off just a little too late.
50 health is a big burst of healing, even for an All-Star that's a quarter of their health, and for an Imp it's 2/3 and 50% of a Scientist's so it's a nice heal but you have to be near it when it detonates so it requires awareness of where it is and when it's going to go off which makes it useful but you have to pay attention which I like. Wish it worked on bots and mechs though. It was very handy for the Spooky Squash Boss Hunt as an anchor for the Torchwood boss there, that's for sure.
I've mentioned changing Slide's kit before, I'll eventually get around to her in my class discussion posts, but starting with older characters first.
