Theres also synergy with permanents that sacrifice themselves - you can sacrifice a permanent after this spell resolves to exile it
If damage is prevented, reduced to zero, or otherwise doesn't happen, you won't gain any life
It also won't gain the names of noncreature cards that have become creatures, such as a Wandering Fumarole that has become a creature
It even gives its name to the Storm Scale, which is an (unofficial) numbered scale assigned to each mechanic based on how likely it is that said mechanic might be reprinted in a Standard set
We can still build around Dragons and payoffs like the damage wrath wincon of Wrathful Red Dragon but use Chainer staples like Doomed Necromancer and Archpriest of Shadows to cheat out our high-mana beasties way ahead of curve and arguably more efficiently than a Rivaz deck
Larger ongoing issues would be brought to cardcrafting meetings (a weekly meeting with all of design and development, along with representatives from other sections of Magic R&D) as topics to be discussed