It Would Be Cool If... (hacking)

[leaf]

True enough, atrius.

[Rolina]

No, I was saying they didn't make enough use of Burst/Blast. With Blast being so readily available in your hack, the game should train players into just blowing up anything and everything they can.

It DOES.  The players have to go find someone to get rid of the blocked entrance to a cave they have to get through.  The nearby village sends Nina to help them.  Then they find out that Nina, whom seemed sweet, is the Blast-happy ubermage, whom forces herself into their party because SHE'S BORED.  And if they disagree?  Did I mention she likes to blow stuff up?  And her ubermage status?  There's also this gem of dialogue I came up with:

Just to set you up:  Freya and Clyde do NOT like each other.  Of course, this leads to many many arguments between Freya and Clyde before Nina shows up.  Possibly in every cutscene.  This scene is the LAST scene that they bicker at each other in.  The actual text I'm unsure of, I'll know when I get there.

<Freya and Clyde bickering>
Nina: 
<Freya and Clyde bickering some more>
Nina: 
<Freya and Clyde bickering some more>
Nina:  THAT'S IT!  YOU TWO, SHUT UP!
Freya: Eh?
Clyde:  What?
Nina:  YOU!  GET ON THAT SIDE OF THE BOAT AND LOOK OUT THAT WAY!
Freya: Ah...
Nina:  AND YOU!  GET TO THE OTHERSIDE AND DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT GLANCING AWAY FROM THE OCEAN!
Clyde:  Now just why shoul---
Nina:  DON'T MAKE ME PULL THIS BOAT OVER, BECAUSE I WILL, AND WHEN I DO, YOU'LL HAVE VERY INTIMATE KNOWLEDGE ON WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE BLOWN UP INTO A MILLION TINY PIECES!
Clyde: Y-yessum!
Sai:  Whoa, Nina... remind me never to get on your bad side...
Nina:  Eh?  What do you mean?
Clyde:  Whoa, calm again, just like that!
Nina:  
Clyde:  Er... Shutting up...
<end scene>

It's my hack's version of the Pier's age scene.  Only, instead of being zoomed out, you're looking on the ship's deck... I think... again, I'll know when we find out.

Although, uh... wouldn't it be kinda strange to need to use bolt to activate stuff in places that are supposed to be populated? Generally, when you need to reactivate something electrical it's due to it having been abandoned...

Well, Atrius' answer has some merit, but that's not the only thing.  Not everyone's a genius, some people can't understand such puzzles, especially the more complex ones I want to incorporate.  It's far more likely that the set of skills you need in order to get past the puzzle and into the area that you're trying to invade/rob/whatever aren't often seen with each other.  It's the combination that keeps people from entering.  In other words, bolt devices aren't going to be the only pieces of the puzzle.  Just one of many parts to it.  The only time you'll see a simple bolt puzzle (or simple puzzle, PERIOD) is when the field psynergy is undergoing it's 'tutorial' phase.  You know, like how each time you get a new field psynergy, there's something you need it for REALLY soon.  That's the tutorial puzzle.

You will NOT find any tutorial puzzles in major dungeons, except maybe when leaving the rocks.  Most tutorial puzzles happen right after you reach the place, or maybe simply the first time you encounter said puzzle type.  But in the next room, don't expect it to be as easy as the last one.  Now that you know how to use it, it's time to actually THINK.

Not everyone's just going to be leaving their treasure unguarded, either.  Sometimes, get the puzzle wrong, and... well, let's hope you weren't working on an LLG.  Because then you'd be screwed.  I mean... area boss-level strength, but with no item drops (they're guarding the item, after all).  "Treasure Bosses", if you will.  You don't have to fight them if you solve the puzzle properly, but mess up, and they'll be VERY happy to do their job...

So, you could be having a complex Bolt/Diffuse puzzle, where you have to charge certain barriers and diffuse others until you clear the path ahead.  But I can't speak for your safety if you clear the WRONG path.

After all, I can't think of any real reason why the ancient places had puzzles other than for things like this - to keep people who aren't meant to be there out.

[Rolina]

Know what would be cool?  If certain EPAs used Agility as their basis.  For example, the skills Rapid Smash and Quick Strike might qualify.  It's just a thought, dunno how well it'd work, though.

[Aile~♥]

In fact, as for blowing everything up, I would even go so far as to hide rare items or money in random bits of cracked rock/other objects that you don't need to blow up.

And why should Clyde shut up when he's not bickering?

XD

[Rolina]

Clyde believes women should stay in the kitchen.  Freya believes that they belong on the battlefield.  The two do NOT see eye to eye.  When Nina forces her way into the group, she decides that this bickering between them is getting really old, really fast.  Why should Clyde shut up? Because Nina will BLOW HIM UP if he doesn't! XD

The first thing she does after she forces her way in?  Well, that cave they needed in, thinking it lead to the other side of mountain range, has no exit.  It DOES have a cracked wall.  Nina makes a door.  The wall NO LONGER EXISTS.  To a trigger-happy ubermage, you do NOT argue against them.  It's bad for your health.  The dood may look down upon it, but he's not stupid enough to say something that'll get him killed.

Edit:  I should probably also mention that it's implied that there's quite a bit more rock left, so that digging would be a waste of time.

Also, another difference between Blast and Mine:

Blast - your standard explosion in the style that would make the Mythbusters proud
Mine - a controlled explosion designed specifically for things like excavation.  The glyphs are already set, and the psynergy acts as the blasting cap.  Or detonation cord.  Or something.  I'm sure you get the gist.