Scryer
01-22-2010, 12:07 PM
Alright, I think it's about time we discuss skill trees, or skill pans as I prefer them.
Skill trees are branches of skills that the developer uses to force the player down a specific path. While this does help the developer know how to balance the game at a given level. Is this the best way to customize your character, and is being creative really a bad thing for the player?
Skill pans are essentially the same thing as a skill tree except they do not force the player to "choose their path." Skill pans let the player choose their skills and only blocks lower skills until the upper tier has a certain number of points in it. Skill pans are therefore more free-wielding and customization friendly.
If every skill "tree" was converted into a skill "pan" how many skills could the developers merge or wipe from that list? How many skills would remain?
The point of asking those questions is to inquire into what the player actually needs, or wants. Should a player be forced down a branching tree or should the player be free to discover multiple variations of skills and abilities?
Which one is easier for the developer? well, if you're talking about time, a skill pan saves the developer a lot of time! Why? because you do not need millions of skills and abilities cluttering up the skill pan. Skills that are similar get merged, skills that are different get to stay. Each of these skills the player can combine, and re-combine however the player pleases, using skill re-specialization.
So, it might seem that skill pans are far superior for skill customization then a branching tree would ever be. In a game where every skill can be used to the very hardest of modes this is very important indeed!
- So lets do a quick re-cap. Skill pans allow the developers to make skills that are not similar and that can be of better variety for the player. Skill pans also "might" reduce development time because you do not need to place "bloat" into the skill "tree" to have skills with similar effects. Skill trees cause the player to loose that extra bit of customization and force them down a path they may not entirely want to go.
True customization is the ability to pick any skill and use those skills in your battles. Bloat is the similarities between more then 1 skill that do not need to be there. A game with 30+ skills per character is probably more then the player will ever max out.
Also, never leave the player "hanging" once they get to max level, you should be able to max out at least 8 skills and 4 passives (200 levels is a lot! but keep the # you can max out relatively small, without making them feel too tedious to level up.) Again all skills should scale and be usable at any point in the game even in hard modes.
I know this is one of my shorter posts, however I would like to think it has some merits and some pretty decent feedback.
Please read more about skills at this post.
http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143
Skill trees are branches of skills that the developer uses to force the player down a specific path. While this does help the developer know how to balance the game at a given level. Is this the best way to customize your character, and is being creative really a bad thing for the player?
Skill pans are essentially the same thing as a skill tree except they do not force the player to "choose their path." Skill pans let the player choose their skills and only blocks lower skills until the upper tier has a certain number of points in it. Skill pans are therefore more free-wielding and customization friendly.
If every skill "tree" was converted into a skill "pan" how many skills could the developers merge or wipe from that list? How many skills would remain?
The point of asking those questions is to inquire into what the player actually needs, or wants. Should a player be forced down a branching tree or should the player be free to discover multiple variations of skills and abilities?
Which one is easier for the developer? well, if you're talking about time, a skill pan saves the developer a lot of time! Why? because you do not need millions of skills and abilities cluttering up the skill pan. Skills that are similar get merged, skills that are different get to stay. Each of these skills the player can combine, and re-combine however the player pleases, using skill re-specialization.
So, it might seem that skill pans are far superior for skill customization then a branching tree would ever be. In a game where every skill can be used to the very hardest of modes this is very important indeed!
- So lets do a quick re-cap. Skill pans allow the developers to make skills that are not similar and that can be of better variety for the player. Skill pans also "might" reduce development time because you do not need to place "bloat" into the skill "tree" to have skills with similar effects. Skill trees cause the player to loose that extra bit of customization and force them down a path they may not entirely want to go.
True customization is the ability to pick any skill and use those skills in your battles. Bloat is the similarities between more then 1 skill that do not need to be there. A game with 30+ skills per character is probably more then the player will ever max out.
Also, never leave the player "hanging" once they get to max level, you should be able to max out at least 8 skills and 4 passives (200 levels is a lot! but keep the # you can max out relatively small, without making them feel too tedious to level up.) Again all skills should scale and be usable at any point in the game even in hard modes.
I know this is one of my shorter posts, however I would like to think it has some merits and some pretty decent feedback.
Please read more about skills at this post.
http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showthread.php?t=143