Since damage, action economy, CON as a main stat and true elemental blasts are being thoroughly discussed elsewere, I think there is some room to talk about utility stuff as well. I personally think the combat stuff will end up being OK in the end, but I'm a bit concerned that utility ends up not being discussed enough, and thus not tuned as well as it could, do to the glaring weaknesses that the playtest version has.
So, which utility feats do you think justify their level, action cost and effect? Which ones do you think are overpowered or underpowered and can't compete with direct combat powers? Which ones do you think need to be revised, better explained or maybe reworked a bit? Let's discuss.
If I don't talk about a feat, either I don't have anything to share about it or I just think it is OK as it is:
Air
Air Cushion seems really, really good. Maybe even a bit too good for a level 1 feat. No overflow, just Feather flow as a reusable feat. Even has an upside level 8 onwards.
I'm in love with Flinging Updraft, But the 5 target version should definitely have Overflow (In general I think a lot of abilities should have an overflow and a non-overflow version). For 2 actions moving your whole team 30 ft, you included, ignoring most difficult terrain seems a bit absurd. It can even be used offensively on a group of enemies.
Soothing Breaze has a 10 min CD, Why does it cost 3 actions + overflow and heal that little? As it is, it should cost 2 actions and probably even then heal a bit more. It is just bad as it is.
I don't have much to say about Clear as Air more that it is fantastic, that i love it so much and that I hope it stays as it is in the final version.
Wings of Air seems like an incredibly strong ability. It needs some sort of cooldown when you get it, as it is permanent and better Fly at level 8. It is also called the same as the Sylph feat, which can cause some confusions.
Wiles on the Wind makes no sense as a level 12 ability.
I would probably make Body of Air a tad bit lower in level and either get rid of the sustain (and give it a low duration instead) or make it 1 action, but it works fine as an ability.
Earth
Geologic Attunement Is fine, but instead of making it work or not depending on your movement, I would make it so it goes from imprecise to vague when you move, or from Precise to imprecise later on. The range is really small, so being as limited as it is seems a bit too much.
Stepping Stones needs to allow the Kineticist to make an stride action as part of it with the condition that they only stride over the stones they just made (If you use them for yourself, it is functionally 1 action instead of 2).
Restoring Mud seems like a really good ability until you see the tiny amount of hit points it actually gives (If it gave twice the Temp HP I think it would be perfect). Again, it has a 10 min CD and there is no other healing ability in Earth, no reason to be that stingy with it.
I like Igneogenesis a lot (Free cover, ), but I just find these upgrades every 3 levels weird, honestly. Also, I think it would be best if only the original cube needed to be adjacent to you (so at later levels you can create a proper small wall) and that the ability specified how much cover a 5 foot square does give.
I think it would be best if Rock Rampart had Overflow and no sustain, but i don't have strong feelings for this.
I don't know if Assume Earth Mantle can classify as utility, but i will talk about it anyway. This ability is a mess. 3 actions overflow buff is unusable (your whole first turn and the first action of the next one, then you can start doing stuff). The large + Apex bonus is a great combo, but the armor stuff, besides needing some rewriting so it actually gives you AC and has a STR requirement, needs to be a way lower level feat. This can be a feat tree even. At level 1, you get passively (I don't get why any of this are passive effects, honestly, not all elemental tied abilities need to be actions or reactions) a stone armor with medium armor stats, that later on gets upgraded to heavy armor stats (that can just be regularly be enchanted with runes). Then at 14 you put this, costing 1-2 actions, giving you large, apex and climb speed. Done.
Stone guardian should specify what kind of actions it can actually take. Can it open doors or just make strikes?
Fire
I think Burning Jet needs to be rebalanced so it just takes 1 action. Don't know how, but 2 actions seems just to taxing for what it seems like the bread and butter movement tool of the element.
Furnace form Needs to last more than 1 action and a turn when you get it. Either that or just move it directly to level 16 and make it a bit better.
(In general I think fire utility, while low, is the better tuned one all around)
Water
I would prefer it if Water Dance used on yourself costed 1 action instead of 2 instead of moving you twice, but that might be a bit too strong.
Return to Sea needs a higher level version with a longer duration, if anything, because casting this over and over and needing to track it seems like a real pain when going for an underwater adventure.
Lowland Fog is just too convoluted for no reason.
Torrent in the Blood seems like a decent healing ability, but I'm not sure if it is supposed to target the user as well (I think it should, you should be able to shoot a cone to yourself :p)
Why is Barrier of Boreal Frost 3 actions? it should be either 2 actions or like Rock Rampart or 3 actions but no sustain.
Usurp the lunar veins seems to be just undewhelming. It also shares the issue control water has of not having a duration for the raising water effect nor an explanation to what happens when that water has no walls to support it.
In general I think this part of the class is looking pretty good. It is interesting, seems powerful enough most of the time and most of all, fills the niche of at will utility the game has had since its release.
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You hide that blasphemy about changing Wings of Air right now!
** spoiler omitted **