Yes, they very much stay within the current system. That isn't what I like about them. I like the ability to boost abilities. I was thinking that a way to keep powers but change them would be to have spell points and stamina points. The spell points system would look similar to psionics but instead of having individual spells you would have "Spell Forms", or something, and within each form there are several spells. Example, Fire Form has a lvl 0 Flame Touch (1d4 ranged touch), Burning Hands, Scorching Ray, and Fireball. At 1st level the wizard gets Fire Form but can cast all of the spell in the Fire Form until they get higher level. The Fighter would have similar Combat Forms. They would look similar to feat trees. Example Mighty Swing Form, Power Attack, and Cleave and something. The Fighter could expend 1 Stamina Point to use Power Attack for a round or use 2 points to use Cleave and maybe get the benefits of PA for free.

I don't know. I like the idea of the Powers system but I don't like the at will, encounter, daily, utility categories. I would rather see resource management come in different forms.