Cold AAR:
Lightning AAR:
Looks nothing like cold, I’d recommend doing something like Conflagration, but white-ish.
yeah torchlight 2 did it better
Never played that game. Once installed it and uninstalled right away. Don’t remember why.
I was actually hyped to play cold AAR, but told myself to first check how it looks, and yeah, not gonna play cold AAR, because I’ll be always confused why are there no lightnings appearing and then remind me that it’s cold but looks like lightning and I’ll get bored of that character.
I’ve finished MC with my Mage Hunter using a Cold AAR build. I think the FX is good enough to fit with other cold abilities (I used TSS and Blizzard).
My only issue with Cold AAR is the lack of item with +skill point support, but that’s another topic.
I think it’s more of a lightning AAR PFX rather than cold. Doesn’t resemble anything about cold. It’s not only too dark, but also the lightning makes it look like… lightning. No matter if it’ll look white or a palette of blue, it’ll resemble a lightning for most of people.
I thought about something similar to:
or
Or eventually without any blue stuff in it. Please don’t hate my exquisit skills in using Gimp.
Didn’t look into it myself so thanks for sharing this.
I agree that the Cold Template should be changed to the conflagration one, as for the texture (I hope I am using the right word), I’d personally go with Olexra’s Flash Freeze Textures or Blizzard’s textures (talking about the devotion proc and not the devil).
Basically “snow whitish touch” (i mean the color and not the brunette) to make it look like an Ice Ray. (The posters above me phrased it better)
You did a good thing bringing this to my attention. 
I’m glad that we have a cold AAR, and the current effect is basically “good enough”, but I do have to agree that it’s too similar to the lightning one. Either making it more of a whitish blue or giving it a more jagged/crystalline effect would be a good move.