Things like range of manipulation and some of the more important technicalities are more than enough detail most of the time.

There's thinking outside the box in combat, and then there's having a character who can manipulate fire as their only ability then saying they can set the air around your character on fire from fifty feet away by clicking their fingers, instantly incinerating you. If all I say is 'Fire manipulation' what's stopping me from doing that exactly? Seems like it falls under that general sphere to me. That's why you have to be specific, because otherwise there's nothing regulating your magic at all, and half of all magic has the capacity to kill people instantly. Water manipulation with no restrictions - tear someone apart, control their body, burst every blood vessel, all possible.

Fire, burn the air in their lungs, air, suck the air out of their lungs, earth, break their bones apart or open a hole directly underneath them breaking them to pieces. All of this fits under general terms for elemental manipulation.

It's not thinking outside the box if you just have powers that kill people instantly.