VBScript deprecation: Timelines and next steps

Just came across this discussion and have the feeling that I am a quite "basic/ordinary" user of VBS. I mainly create VBS scripts and HTA panels and use them either via simple double-click or SendTo. There are one- or two-liners as well as huge and complicated scripts, most likely a 3-digit number of them. They are used ervery day – explicitly and implicitly, and if they would go away it would really hurt even if there would be a (theoretical) option to convert them (which is probably not given in all cases).

There are 4 main reason to use VBS:

1. It is easy.
2. It is very similar to VBA, so I can easily re-use code in both directions with less effort of adaption.
3. I can distribute the scripts to any users and can be sure that they will work.
4. I can create HTAs in order to overcome the limited dialog capabilities of VBS.

This implies the following risks:

1. PowerShell is much too complicated. I really don´t like it for that reason. And its documentation is poor compared to the "good old" VBS help files. Things you do with a one-liner in VBS are partly not even possibkle in PS. Example: MsgBox and InputBox with all the button stuff. This is essential!
2. I haven´t tried to incorporate PS into VBA yet but think that this would be a challenge. Apart from that you need to learn 2 languages.
3. One main reason why I often did not go for PS was that a regular user is not able to just double-click a PS script. Yes, at the first glance it might be security topic. But on the other hand it´s just annoying because you have to teach every snigle user how to do it (if it´s possible at all as a non-admin). And at the end you will change the PS policy setting and the security is gone completely.
4. I don´t see how HTA could be simply replaced. Or will there be a <script language="Powershell"> in future? JavaScript is not possible because it does not have access to the file system and stuff.

I just write that in detail in order to highlight that not only professional admins and programmers are affected but probably many many regular users who depend on the ability to perform daily tasks which are based on VBS and who might not even know that.