Building Better Skill Trees

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Skill trees, upgrade systems, ability trees - call them what you want, they have become an integral part of modern day game design. So let’s look at how these things work, where they fall down, and what we can do to build better skill trees.
Games shown in this episode (in order of appearance)
Assassin's Creed: Odyssey (Ubisoft Quebec, 2018)
Shadow of the Tomb Raider (Eidos Montreal, 2018)
Watch Dogs 2 (Ubisoft Montreal, 2016)
Marvel’s Spider-Man (Insomniac Games, 2018)
DOOM (id Software, 2016)
Yakuza 0 (Sega, 2015)
Far Cry 5 (Ubisoft Montreal, 2018)
Batman: Arkham Knight (Rocksteady Studios, 2015)
God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2018)
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (Retro Studios, 2004)
Dishonored 2 (Arkane Studios, 2016)
Rise of the Tomb Raider (Crystal Dynamics, 2015)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Wildlands (Ubisoft Paris, 2017)
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor (Monolith Productions, 2014)
Assassin's Creed: Origins (Ubisoft Montreal, 2017)
Deus Ex: Human Revolution (Eidos Montreal, 2011)
Prey (Arkane Studios, 2017)
Guacamelee 2 (Drinkbox Studios, 2018)
Mad Max (Avalanche Studios, 2015)
Super Metroid (Nintendo, 1994)
Far Cry 3 (Ubisoft Montreal, 2012)
Horizon Zero Dawn (Guerrilla Games, 2017)
Uncharted 4: A Thief's End (Naughty Dog, 2016)
Mirror's Edge Catalyst (EA DICE, 2016)
Mirror's Edge (EA DICE, 2008)
Ori and the Blind Forest (Moon Studios, 2015)
Path of Exile (Grinding Gear Games, 2013)
Salt and Sanctuary (Ska Studios, 2016)
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo, 2017)
The Evil Within (Tango Gameworks, 2014)
Devil May Cry 4 (Capcom, 2008)
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim (Bethesda Game Studios, 2011)
Nioh (Team Ninja, 2017)
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (CD Projekt, 2015)
Downwell (Moppin, 2015)
Red Dead Redemption 2 (Rockstar Studios, 2018)
Ryse: Son of Rome (Crytek, 2013)
Final Fantasy X (Square, 2001)
Music used in this episode
Special Spotlight, Kevin Macleod
Runaway, animeistrash
k. Part 2 - 06 untitled 5.5, animeistrash
Runaway, animeistrash
Special Spotlight, Kevin Macleod
Kevin Macleod - incompetech.com
Contribute translated subtitles - amara.org/v/C3BEZ/

[@stephenahern]

Should've been called "Growing Better Skill Trees"

[@randomguy6679]

Right?

[@mentalaren8841]

Absolutely!

[@VIixIXine]

Brilliant.

[@6ch6ris6]

what a missed opportunity :o

[@rohitaug]

What if there was a game where skills would sprout as fruits on an actual tree which you had to water every now and again? You could have different trees for different play styles which each have different fertilizers that are more effective!

[@MrJjrob97]

Watching this made me realize how a lot of UIs look exactly the same

[@yt-sh]

not much innovation right

[@gr8b8m85]

A lot of studios outsource to the same people. Also, UI principles have consolidated in recent years so it's only going to get worse. Few people will try anything new and creative if it's not optimal according to what they learned.

[@yt-sh]

@AlCeeProd.V2 yeah but then again most still suck anyway

[@thedemonnoof4383]

@@gr8b8m85 Most game engines utilize the same blueprints and unless a game studio is using an in house engine then their UIs are going to be the same if not fairly similar.

[@florbengorben7651]

One thing that's good about this is that the consolidation of UI contributes to game literacy. If the same sorts of patterns show up across wildly different games, it becomes much easier to navigate new games.

[@thatpalkesz3667]

What I found interesting, when playing the first Assassin's Creed is that there is no skill tree. But skills are gradually obtained by playing the game, as if there were one, when Al Mualim gives back Altair pieces of his equipment.

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

Its an attempt at organically tutorializing, and saving some time by omitting more complex design from earlier segments of the game.

[@arielmatiauda5110]

Then i just play the side missions with basic gear, to the point where only the main story is left, and couldn't use those skills either way, unless, progressing to the story

[@nani6885]

OG BRO REAL OG

[@mobslayer211]

Fallen order had that while also having a skill tree

[@RobertEdwinHouse9]

The problem with ac1 is that you unlock abilities you sbould already have

[@DolphinTillTheEnd]

I love games that let you sell skills to get the skill points back so that you can experiment with different types of game play without having to commit 100% every time you make a decision

[@cullenlatham2366]

the effectiveness of that mechanic often lives and dies by the combination of skill tree complexity and currency (which is required) to unlock nodes. have 10 party members in a game with a max party of 4, each with their own skill trees and a currency not directly tied with leveling up? sure, you need refunds to be effective. System where the points are given out for every level up and are exclusive to the character that can level up? well, then the value of the currency goes down. Mix with a tree that will let you max a single branch by the end of normal gameplay? spend those points wisely, getting them back would make them worthless. (you shoulndt be able to specialize your characters to deal with every conflict before the conflict happens. if they are a master of diplomacy, they should not become a war god instantly before a required fight.)

[@3antrm3nter70]

Is there any game that had done that?

[@cullenlatham2366]

@@3antrm3nter70 you need to be more specific as to what you are referring to. Refund skill points? well one example is Dragon Quest XI, in which (after reaching a certain point), you can pay to reset skill tree branches and get refunded the skill points. Diplomacy master into War god? that is mostly hyperbole to emphasis the point. the most comparable system i know about is D&D (and their clones), which give the freedom to make characters focused on skills outside combat.

[@3antrm3nter70]

Yea i meant skill points I will try those games ... Thanks alot

[@bledastrasak6380]

@@3antrm3nter70 Payday 2. Check it out.

[@juhis-dev]

Despite the grinding aspect, I loved Skyrim's skill progression as it felt natural: you do action X and you become better at doing action X. So instead of me artificially choosing what kind of a character I'm gonna be, the game improved my character based on the way I was already playing. Brilliant.

[@MurDocInc]

The problem with Skyrim, you can become a master painter by drawing a stick man over and over, a simple decrease in XP over repetition would make more real and immersive.

[@FabriSlv]

The biggest problem with that is that it doesn't work well for everything. It's great for warrior builds and stealth builds, as you get better and better every time you perform an action *that you should perform anyway* in a certain way, but as the video says it becomes mere grinding when you're doing something that doesn't actually help the game in any other way, like smiting, enchanting, alchemy and speech, all stuff that is completely optional and that you need to do loads of before it gets actually useful. Hell, I don't even it fully works on magic, in which the spells are still locked behind invisible level checks on whether you're high enough to even learn it...

[@scalpingsnake]

It was on the right track sure but it was very easily taken advantage of. There could have been more refined ways to improve a characters skill especially later on such as requiring you to create higher tiered weapons for smithing or learning from a master for restoration for example. That being said I also like Skyrim's quite a bit because I personally don't take advantage of the quirks. I won't spam daggers if I want smithing up.

[@onehtw1974]

I agree. Swinging one handed makes you better at one handed. But crafting 20 dragers is a grind that is not enjoyable. It could have been crafting 5 different types of weapons, before you can craft a higher class. Forces you to try different kinds, before specialising.

[@RuneKatashima]

@@MurDocInc Except repetition is how you get good at real life things. No, you need diminishing returns, which Skyrim kind of does, actually.

[@Balomis]

7:40 in defense of Skyrim's logic, if you crafted a thousand iron daggers in real life, I'd hope you'd get better at smithing!

[@leonardo9259]

It's the equivalent of doing a thousand multiplications and suddenly being able to pull off a Laplace transform lol

[@adams3627]

You'd get better at working with iron, sure. But all that experience wouldn't really transfer to working with DRAGON BONES

[@AB-vp9mi]

Doing something wrong better doesn't make it right.

[@drago6568]

But it wouldn't be very fun

[@thehappynurgling3965]

The system also does not encourage crafting thousands of iron daggers, the xp you get from crafting depends on the value of the item, so it's much more efficient to craft thousands of gold rings

[@brycerosenwald2915]

8:48 "Skills where you can only equip a handful at a time" - Hollow Knight's charm system immediately comes to mind. It isn't a traditional skill tree with experience points and a menu; instead, you find charms around the world and can equip them to a limited number of charm notches. The charms have a huge variety of different gameplay effects. Some just tweak the numbers in your favor, some are useful utility-type things, and others change your movement or give you unique attacks. The coolest part is that different charms work really well together and you can tailor your character to your play style, then swap out the charms and try something different.

[@samanthaamburgey4128]

Funny, the Navi Customizer from the Megaman Battle Network games is what came to mind for me. Like Breath of the Wild, many of the upgrades can be found out in the game world, but a few can also be purchased. And using upgrades worked much like solving a puzzle. You were even allowed to break the rules of the puzzle, resulting in "glitches" that would create even more effects when in combat.

[@josephabrams8529]

I kinda wish the new God of War ditched the leveling up for a more robust charm system like Hollow Knight has. It feels like that might have meshed with the gameplay better.

[@jp9707]

Witcher 3 is another one that makes you pick which upgrades you'll equip, I think (I've only played 10 hours, wasn't my thing, please don't get mad...)

[@eeveelution8035]

Paper Mario's Badge system was a brilliant early implementation of this, by far one of my favourite parts of the games!

[@RadiantSharaShaymin]

I never thought of the Charms as a skill tree, but... yeah, I guess they're really close. That's very interesting. There are even Charm Interactions.

[@Jamato-sUn]

Transistor's unorthodox skill system was MAD COOOOL. You could combine all abilities with all other abilities.

[@shalimarlake7852]

Could you choose which order to unlock things? I forget

[@captaincrash9002]

@@shalimarlake7852 no, you unlock things over time I believe, it's not even a real skill tree, it's just customizable abilities

[@RL-cy5mg]

Another great idea in Transistor was that using the skills in active, passive, and augmenting ways unlocked more lore. It was a great way to encourage experimentation and tie up gameplay with story

[@Sirrunalot24]

Losing your life bar in that game was a really cool way of making you try other combinations too. Hell, it served another purpose of prompting weaker players to switch builds in hopes of a stronger one.

[@Sirrunalot24]

@@shalimarlake7852 Also IIRC, you select one of three abilities per level.

[@pauldelaporte7081]

Thing is, having an interesting upgrade system with meaningful skills requires a lot of balance. You have to build the game around them but you also have to think about the player who *doesn't* have them. Arkane are great at this, I mean, you can play Dishonored without Blink. That possibility alone must have been so much work

[@hewhoisme4343]

Not only that, but in Dishonored 2 you can play _without any powers._ Arkane is insane

[@scepta101]

That’s a good point, and I’m sure it’s part of why most skill trees are so lazy

[@vizthex]

@@hewhoisme4343 lol you can do that in the first game (as the original comment said). Just don't use Blink. but having it be an actual choice in the second one is pretty wack though.

[@hewhoisme4343]

@@vizthex I meant the second game is more accommodating for no powers play-throughs, I've played Dishonored 1 both without powers and without powers but still allowing enhancements like agility. I like that the second game gave you a choice to outright refuse the outsiders mark. (Also I meant you can play the game without powers other than blink too, not just blink)

[@jasdanvm3845]

One day I'm gonna make a Skill tree, which is literally going to represented as a tree, And mark my words, it's gonna even grow like one.

[@mikeysaurlol]

marked :)

[@nanowasabi4421]

Does that mean the skills available to the player won’t be predetermined, but will adapt to the player? Maybe you buy “stealth” fertilizer, and the tree grows stealth skills or something.

[@mikeysaurlol]

@@nanowasabi4421 you could look at the gameplay of the player instead, if they're doing a lot of takedowns grow stealth and if they're dying alot grow health upgrades, etc

[@cromanticheer]

@@mikeysaurlol I personally like the idea of player choice. A little interface comes up each time you come back to your skill tree with fertilizer, and you can choose which branch for the tree to grow. Maybe it even drops a little fruit for you to eat for the skill upgrade. I also like the idea of skill trees as part of the landscape and dotted all over the map like the goddess statues in BotW, and they'd all grow simultaneously whenever you upgraded one of the trees. Of course, given that you usually only pick a branch or two in skill trees, it could probably lead to a lot of hilariously lopsided trees hanging over every town. XD

[@WallJumpGames]

@@cromanticheer you people are aware the is a joke

[@cyan_8716]

For everyone commenting about PoE... I think he meant more that other games , in general, shouldn’t go for quantity over quality. He used it to say “do not try doing this”( in my opinion), not because it can’t work(it does in PoE), but because in most games that go for big filler skill trees fail. Basically, I think he just used PoE to illustrate his point about big skill trees, not about bad skill trees. He evens says “its OFTEN the best solution”.

[@asgerrbergkristensen7410]

I think he didn't mean it as just taking a dump on poe's skill the. He just said it in the dumbest way possible

[@hosseinnaseri5884]

He could have mentioned Borderlands1 for this matter.

[@guywithknife]

Cyan_ I took it as “slight stat upgrades make for boring skill trees” and PoE’s tree is super complex and confusing (to him). I agree that most action adventure style games should avoid minor stat upgrade skill 7nlocks because they’re boring, however, PoE is designed around highly customised builds where adding allthe little stat ipgrades becomes interesting, so its system works really well. Also, the “interesting” ability unlocks are not dine through that system, only character stats are, so you still get the interesting unlocks by finding items. I think that strikes a great balance.

[@stefanfyhn4668]

​@Marc T If you don't think the skill tree gives you interesting choices or interaction with skill choice and gear choice, you haven't understood the game. Putting points into the passive skill tree is a fine balance between offensive and defensive traits, boosting defensive layers on top of a main HP pool, which can be specialized in different ways. Energy shield on top of life? Or instead of life? How about energy shield instead of mana. Or mana is a defensive layer for your health pool. Or life leech is now energy shield leech. How about converting 50% of all damage to fire, but deal only fire damage? Or your minions explode when they reach low life. Maybe you forfeit your own chance to dodge in order to never miss any attacks yourself? MANY choices in path of exile are double edged swords; it will make one part of your character weaker, but will introduce a new way of building your character. These are called Keystone Passives. When you stack defense and offensive clusters with Keystones, your Ascendancy (class specialization), gear and skill gem choice and setup, you will by the end have a build unique to you. The game will have you thinking about completing a build with many aspects and layers, problems to solve while you are leveling and figuring out exactly what you want from your build. But you need knowledge and skill to build properly. There is a lot of depth, enough to scare away many players. But without this depth, it would be "just another skill tree". Freedom is scary, but then knowledge is power.

[@lingwisyer88]

@@stefanfyhn4668 That is the one issue I find with PoE. It's not very beginner friendly. I enjoy playing it, but I can see a lot of people being intimidated by the skill tree. I still don't create my own builds but follow and adapt other peoples. Maybe if they added a "discover a build" function in game for new players, rather than me telling my friend to look up some starter builds and see what looks interesting, it would be a just that tad bit less intimidating.

[@FranciscoMota_CS]

FFX's sphere grid (yes, I heard you calling me out pre-emptively) was really fun to use. In the beginning, every character is essentially on a fixed skill path, gaining stat boosts and abilities as they gain experience (like any JRPG). Because each character is on a different path, they tend to be quite different in combat, and the combat system is designed to let you take advantage of each character's unique traits, e.g. Wakka is good against flyers (because you need high accuracy), Tidus is good against fast (high agility), Lulu is good against flan types, etc. The comabt lets you switch out party members during combat, so you don't have to worry about making all your characters good in the same way -- it really leans in to the uniqueness of each party member. Then as the game progresses, you start unlocking paths that interconnect different character's paths. And there are items that let one party member learn a skill that another already has, or teleport between locations on the sphere grid... You get the point, there is a lot of flexibility as you progress in the game. I would say most players don't bother with this until they actually exhaust one of the paths, for example, when Yuna reaches the end of her path. It's then easy to have her take up Lulu's path, so you end up with a second character able to do powerful black magic. (And Yuna's Magic stat is usually higher, so she's a really good black mage.) Then, towards mid/late game you discover the whole sphere grid is rewritable. You can actually erase stat upgrades on the grid, and overwrite them with new stat ones, using items. If you're one of the crazy people like me who tried to do a max stats run, you can use this to erase a bunch of low stat boost positions and replace them with some high stat boost ones ... like replace a bunch of Agility+1 or Magic+1 spots with Strength+4. It opens up a lot of possibilities for completionist grinders... But it's pretty cool in general, like letting a player design their own skill tree within the game. It's not easy to do this -- the items you need are not so common or easy to obtain -- but it's definitely rewarding experience. And that's the story of how I got 150+ hours on my main FFX save, back in the day...

[@renatocorvaro6924]

Pfft. My brother logged 150+ hours on FFX, and that was just playing Blitzball. Not for the rewards even, he just really loved Blitzball.

[@remem95]

So. Reading that in this condensed form, I realized the sphere board is basically a metaphor for the games story and overall progression design. You start on a fixed path, discover that there might be other ways to go and if you really want to you can go out of your way to learn about everything the world has to offer...crazy stuff

[@manywoundz4682]

Yeah I don't know why everyone dogs on the SphereGrid or Grinding. Ff10 is one of my favorites and I still play old school Runescape and all the old RPGs involve tons of grinding. Game makers toolkit always has great with in depth analysis and thoroughly thought out presentations but I feel like most channels like these that go for the "professional oppinion perspective". I believe often side too much with this grandiose idea of what makes a game top tier or triple A level. I feel like this "is" the problem in the first place and why most games fall on their own sword. The man power now to develop this super realistic constantly trying to innovate games end up missing the point of game. Which is to have fun. Go outside and play some tag and with some friends. Don't break a hip and tell what did you learn..? You don't need the best graphics, skill trees, or specialty crafted dungeons. All you need is a clear objective, a challenge, an obstacle, and someone to play with. This is the key to having a lot of fun. I did when I was kid and didnt need a controller and screen to do it. So how can video games convey this idea with it's own medium in it's purest form and that's how you make successful or legendary games.

[@Nirual86]

at least it actually gave you choices, unlike FF13 which is all smoke and mirrors with just one main path you have to go through with a couple of optional side branches (which you'll be filling out anyway because how far you can go on the main path is also tied to story progression)

[@beardlessdragon]

I loved the sphere grid too. Nice new approach to classic level ups in RPGs where your stats just go up and you'll get new attacks at set levels. With the sphere grid, you even get to choose which stats you'd like to increase next

[@scrustle]

Being able to get everything on a skill tree isn't always a bad thing. It depends what kind of game you're making. If it's in a game that's mostly an action game, where unlocking skills is more about gradually adding complexity, as per the example in the video, it wouldn't really make sense to not let you unlock everything. You would simply be missing out on big parts of the game's mechanics. Specialisation doesn't make sense there. While it does in an RPG. In fact, I think that's a pretty big factor in what defines an RPG. There's always lots of talk these days about how "RPG" is meaningless because every genre uses the same mechanics and techniques, but I think forcing you to specialise is one of the big things that skill gives the genre meaning.

[@TheFinagle]

If the tree radically affects how you play based on how you fill it in then sure, if the game play is always basically similar and 'playing against your build' isnt penalized then the whole tree is pointless to the game. You could dish out abilities at the end of a level or mission line Viewtiful Joe did, or give players a popup to pick their choice of skill like super mario RPG without all the bother of a skill tree.

[@domskillet5744]

*Fallout New Vegas has entered the chat

[@FlameUser64]

I mean, the big point of a skill tree should _be_ specialization and replayability. You can take health boosts and specialize in defensive abilities and new ways to engage in melee and tank your way through one playthrough, then play the game again and focus on acrobatic movement and ranged weaponry. You could do those things anyway in a game without a skill tree, but a skill tree serves the dual purpose of having the game tailor itself to the way you want to play it, and tricking the player into playing different ways by making the "optimal" approach different depending on the skills they've chosen. Since many players will choose the optimal solution naturally even to the detriment of their own fun, this can be a good way to rescue players from themselves.

[@manuj2868]

But hear me out, how about being able to maxx another skill tree branch in new game+? And each time you do NG+ you unlock extra branches until you have all from the base game? That way players won’t receive everything initially, but serious fans who love replaying the story are also rewarded

[@onemoreweirdo207]

@@FlameUser64 I prefer being able to complete my skill trees rather than having to choose. I most likely wouldn't replay the game anyways, so for me it would be just annoying, as my goal of making a complete character would be impossible. Not saying it can't work when done right, but generaly it sucks when you have to take choices like that rather than being able to enjoy the game.

[@spragon6940]

5:38 "a tightly pruned bush with a handful of truly interesting upgrades is often the best solution" the thing is,the Path of Exile skill tree is meant to be (mostly) for stat upgrades, all the abilities and the "truly interesting upgrades" are from the game's gem system.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

"Often" the best solution. As in, "Not every game's Exile, so don't assume that Exile is the best possible example for a non-Exile game that you may make."

[@spragon6940]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 Alright

[@samwallaceart288]

But Mark Brown implied that Path of Exile was wrong for doing its own thing, which entirely ignores the niche it caters to.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

How exactly is it he implied that?

[@amorgan310]

That is not true either. Keystones allow for all sorts of builds that are impossible otherwise. Chaos Innoculation, Resolute Technique, Elemental Overload, Vaal Pact, Ancestral Call and many many more. Even forgetting about what ascendancies allow for and the builds they enable in conjunction with the tree, items and gem system.

[@captaincrash9002]

I think Skill-trees should stay in RPGs. It fits with the theme of a selfmade character. But in a game like Mad Max it wasn't necessary.

[@thedemonnoof4383]

I favor the use of building up unique skill tree sets instead of a character being class locked.

[@ajeje1996]

I agree. Maybe I'm just nostalgic, but two of my favorite games from my childhood were Jak 2 and Sonic Adventure, and in both those games upgrades, abilities, etc. were gained either through exploration or progressing through the story line. I much prefer it that way, it feels more earned than by grinding. Also learning abilities through skill points like I'm shopping really breaks my immersion, as if my character learned a completely new ability in an instant rather than being introduced to it organically. I also liked the way metroidvanias approached the problem, because unlocking new abilities allows you to access new areas, encouraging exploration.

[@Serlock4869]

In game like DmC and God of war it works to incrementally introduce the skill sets to player. The alternatives have downsides: * Unlocked all move from beginning: player will spend half an hour just to try skill sets and combo, use the best one (opinionated) then get bored mid game due to no new mechanism unlocked * New skills are unlocked from orbs or stage clear: it prevent less competitive players to gather more strength in case some area is too hard for them or they choose wrong skillsets. Otherwise if the area is beatable with any skill sets no matter how bad it is, it means the area is too easy that skill sets are irrelevant. * New skills from hidden orbs (additional): it makes missing orbs from unexplored area very hurting to the current gameplay And as the video has explained, it gives player expectation / hope / hype for the upcoming skill, and usually the teasers are good to keep player engaged.

[@lorenzo_br5803]

In Mad Max, it was simply there to buff you as time went on. I find it perfect for what it is, it is not the focus of the game, so it receives less detailing. Not every game needs complicated trees. In Mad Max, the complicated upgrades came from upgrades to your car, new moves, from upgrading Max in the same screen as you customize him and improve his armour, etc. I found it fit the game perfectly.

[@gettingshotsomeonesgonnapa8635]

Also in assasins creed, it wasnt a rpg originally, they just put assasins creed to the title to get more hype.

[@ReverendTed]

I felt like Doom's Weapon Upgrade and Rune systems prompted a moment of "why can't I do that already" frustration to see what abilities were locked, but in retrospect they were also designed in a way that modulated my playstyle and encouraged trying different weapons and tactics. The Praetor Suit upgrades did that to a lesser degree, but in a way that DID make me feel more powerful or capable as the game progressed.

[@hewhoisme4343]

I did like the praetor upgrades, they kinda just sprinkled in minor improvements or augmentations into the game.

[@18120polls]

The Path of Exile skill "Forest" is a different kind of interesting. The hard choice isn't "which skills should I get" but "how do I get what I want." The distance you can sprawl out is finite, so going one way limits how far you can go in another. Do you want to get Resolute Techniques? Well, you cant really go get Chaos Inoculation then unless you're ready to make some pretty huge sacrifices. BUT, those sacrifices can be made! You can stay close and bunched up to be as efficient as possible with the finite skill points you get, or you can sprawl out to get many different abilities. I understand that opening up that skill tree is oppressive the first few times. However, figuring it out is satisfying in a way that other character progression systems simply cannot be.

[@DreadKyller]

Very much agreed. Path of Exile makes you seriously plan ahead and sacrifice many opportunities, to make a good character in PoE you really need to know exactly what you want and it extends outside the skill tree too to your equipment and skills. Some people will even suffer through a much harder beginning in order to build their skill tree up for an item or several items later in the game. And others create godlike characters out of items you can find in the first 20 minutes. It's all about intent.

[@Sarahmint]

You can go Chaos Inoculation, but then you die all the time bc you dont understand the mechanics well enough yet. Path of Exile's own learning curve is a game in itself as the tree is so complex and extreme nodes like Chaos Inoculation are very close to the starting point you don't know why such a bad node is there until you see a level 90+ character with 8k+ energy sheild and protection from cursed blood to know that only then can you safely select Chaos Inoculation for it to be a good node of protection.

[@18120polls]

@@Sarahmint Understanding what a skill does or how it should be used ins't really what I was talking about. I used two key-stones that were relatively far away simply as an example. The raw distance from each other simply means that if you wanted both, a non-trivial amount of your finite skill points would be devoted simply to traveling there. i did bring up the oppressiveness of the learning-curve though. However Chaos Inoculation is the perfect example of an extremely interesting ability. It offers a game changing upside with an equally game changing downside. "Your Maximum Life becomes 1" is a great line of text. I would argue that even a new player understands the gravity of those words...and furthermore it sparks the question in a new player "How exactly am I supposed to survive with 1 hp?" Those kind of questions help new players think outside of the box. A new player asking that question may give the Energy Shield mechanic a second though simply because that skill exists on the tree....even if they never select it.

[@psinjo]

My biggest issue with the poe skill tree is that... pick one skill, and suddenly about 80-90% of the tree no longer matters to you. Of course there are always edge cases, but it's pretty much mandatory for any endgame content that you either get HP + 1-2 stats of your choice that support your main damage type (str + fire damage for example) or nothing but int, ES and elemental damage if you're going CI. Yes you can interchange hp and ES... kinda. But pretty much, because of the nature of min maxing, a very... very large portion of the skill tree is functionally pointless unless you're running some backasswards skill that won't work in endgame or trying some really backwards, dumb combo that probably wont' work. And this is coming from the guy who likes those builds... A very large portion of the tree is honestly almost completely useless just because there are better major nodes or the nodes are completely useless otherwise

[@amorgan310]

@@psinjo but everything more or less works if you know how to build for it. Stats arent all that necessary besides enabling your gems or for specific stat based builds (BLS/Howa). There are plenty of ways to scale your survivability outside of life or ES nodes. My Heiro has 10k ES and 12k mana on a lowlife build. Ive used probably 90% of the tree in builds that are endgame viable. There are some bad nodes, but some people have used them for their specific purpose and, the fact is, bad nodes are entirely relative. And when the tree is so massive you wont be able to use 80% of it anyways with the points you get. Every build has priorities and the way the tree is set up is to make you invest in your priorities. Im not sure if youve made it to endgame enough to judge what works or what doesnt. Ive made countless home made builds that can do all the content or race through high level content efficiently. You just have to learn the game to be able to do so. First time I did shaper I had 4500 hp and no instant leech. Then I did it with all MF gear. Because much of the high level fights are skill based along with their DPS checks.

[@GreatKazooka]

My favorite skill tree is in Mario + Rabbids, where you can reset your skills at every match. In the late game, you're choosing skills from your tree that suit the geography, positions, and goals of the next encounter. I've never had to be so thoughtful about my characters' abilities, and it really added a complex layer of strategy, as I was thinking many turns ahead before the match even started.

[@Afrohawk512]

Agreed! I remember so many times where I reset to get more mobility or healing or damage or utility. There was a lot of flexibility in that idea and I'd love to see more skill trees that allow resetting at some point to allow more experimentation as opposed to a rigid "this is your choice you're stuck with it" style. It wouldn't fit every game but I'd kill to see more in a similar style.

[@stratoge]

gahh already wanted to buy Mario+Rabbids as an XCOM fan, but now y'all just added another reason why I should buy the game (after buying a switch first).

[@GreatKazooka]

@@stratoge I think M+R makes a lot of 'right' design decisions. Mark talks in a different video about how M+R wisely chooses to reward players that complete missions under certain conditions/within turn limits, rather than scoring or penalizing for suboptimal play. The different characters allow for some really cool playing styles too, like the heavy hitting Rabbid Mario who can obliterate large numbers of enemies standing in a close group, or Luigi, who can clear huge distances to gain strategic field advantage and pick off troublesome opponents from across the map. Their abilities and weapons really inform their playing style, and naturally incline you to use them the way that's intended. Really, combining the great game design of Mario developers and Rayman developers, it shouldn't be surprising that game was as solid as it was.

[@stratoge]

@@GreatKazooka thank you for the delightful reply!

[@CricketStyleJ]

I enjoyed the strategic aspects of M+R's skill tree, but I was annoyed at the amount of time I had to spend on respecs. In particular, I wish you could save a certain build and then go back to it later instead of having to do every ability one at a time.

[@jamesorendorff2284]

“...and microtransactions” *BURN!*

[@zigurat10]

Climbing towers got me even more. Very stereotypical.

[@robbieaulia6462]

@@zigurat10 although it is very stereotypical I do get the premise that, exploring the map is easier with a high vantage point.

[@zigurat10]

@@robbieaulia6462 I agree it makes sense. I think it is the overusage of this trope that makes it so undesirable for players. The meta-level of this is that seeing this dev choice being used over and over simply gets annoying even though in singular occasion it absolutely makes sense.

[@Metalgearpro]

Off the top of my head, one of the more interesting skill trees I've encountered was from Darkwood. It was a very simple, singular tree that worked in tiers. The player would be able to get two of three abilities in each tier, but access to a new tier would also force the player to select a negative ability. This makes it so not obtaining new skills is actually a decent option as you'd gain none of the weaknesses, but lack the more helpful abilities like an unlimited sprint for a short amount of time. Also how you'd obtain "experience" was through searching the environment for these mushrooms that would make loud, audible squishing noises, playing into the game's audio centric presentation.

[@felipepepe]

Final Fantasy X's Sphere grid is the same as Path of Exile's and Salt & Sanctuary's trees.... they are all about combining different upgrades to create a unique "build". That's why they are, and MUST be, so huge. That's the biggest thing this video is missing: recognizing that each game and genre has different needs and goals, so there is no such thing as a "short trees are better" rule.

[@TheWeis]

BUT in FFX every character shares the same tree, but they start out in different parts of the giant grid. And there are "locks" on the grid for optional side paths/splitting off into another character's area early, which can be opened with consumable "keys" you find in the world. However, there are more locks than keys that you'll find in a normal playthrough. So you have to choose which characters to use them for.

[@loreer123]

@@TheWeis In Path of exile every class also starts in a different part of the same giant tree

[@TheWeis]

@@loreer123 yes they copied ffx I know

[@hector-m-carrillo]

@@TheWeis then why use "but" as if you're creating creating a counter-argument

[@uguuthemonk8659]

@@HolyDeviant Don't forget that Path of Exile has the Ascendancy system where you can unlock one of three subclasses for each class. Each subclass has its own unique passive skill tree, which is generally more powerful and build-defining than the normal skilltree. Honestly the character building in this game is probably the best I've ever seen. No two characters are alike.

[@Stereotypical_Cat]

I mean the skill tree in transistor is both "in-game", offers interesting choices and is just all around a great experience :D

[@Gorfinhofin]

Yes, Transistor's progression system is brilliant. Pyre also has neat skill trees. They're more conventional, but extremely limited. Each character has eight perks, but you can only pick four of them, and most of them are really good, leading to some tough decisions.

[@jakehowry939]

I’d forgot how much I love transistors skill tree. I should replay that soon.

[@tubebrocoli]

@@Gorfinhofin I actually like Pyre's better. The unlocked skills change the game even more than Transistor's did already. Also, you're forced to change strategies and used skills constantly, unlike Transistor.

[@isaacm.9476]

I feel like Supergiant has this down pretty well, honestly. Even Bastion, with weapon-specific "skill trees" that are a series of independent binary choices, and also the liquor cabinet, means you have *access* to all these cool skills by the end of the the game, but you still have to limit yourself to a particular set of them for any given excursion, so it's both interesting choices and optional respec on the reg, not totally unlike Transistor, if rather less impactful and involved.

[@Stereotypical_Cat]

@@isaacm.9476 Bastion is made by supergiant too? Yeah, I too like the game. All the different weapons have distinct strengths and weaknesses, and upgrades to the different weapons are scattered, so one weapon might be stronger and more fit for one situation than all the other weapons.

[@DayOfCasual]

Path of Exile's tree gains a lot the more you play the game; It's just another huge customization for your character and increases the ways you can build your character. It's pretty great.

[@Legnica148]

I know this is 2y old but whatever... I agree completely. It's miles better than a skill tree like in GoW. It's just customization with pre-planning. In GoW you have meaningless choices. PoE makes the "add X% damage" actually work as well, given there are so many nodes, and it's great.

[@eleven0624]

I don't agree with this. In every instance I've seen with builds there is always "this is the path you take to get this banging skill because even though it's not good stats it's shorter so you can go further toward another cool skill somewhere in the tree". Basically all of the nodes that aren't Notable or Key Passive are weak and underwhelming compared to gear rolls. The incentive isn't to take nodes that might help your build but just to get to the shiny gold bordered nodes because they actually matter.

[@FluffyFractalshard]

poe's skilltree is one of the best parts of the game. you can spend hours figuring out the best way to go about your build, the the level of tinkering i love in my games!

[@fabioprovencher5682]

My favorite "skill tree" is from Nier Automata, where you have a limited number of slots for you to unlock upgrades an need to manage skills, favoring some over others. You can even sacrifice UI stuff over bonuses. Although its not presented as a tree and more as a box you fill so I'm not sure it would count as "skill tree". Great vid!

[@MomockDamock]

Well, no it's not a skill tree. That's why it's not shit.

[@HEHEHEIAMASUPAHSTARSAGA]

A similar system is present in the original Paper Mario.

[@yvesgomes]

Not a tree, bruh.

[@threat645]

Fabio Provencher It was still lit tho!

[@JunkbombZX]

I totally agree. While it's not exactly a tree in form but it's pretty much same in function. Getting a random drop of high level chip or saving up to buy one feel like "sequence breaking" the tree. Feels great.

[@aurelienlambert8488]

I actually loved Path of Exile skilled tree, because it solved a problem in most RPG: choosing how your character evolves without failing your build. In PoE, in order to unlock real abilities, you have to unlock stats (magic, strength, ...) that will fit the ability, so your character is always balanced. It's all about choosing which path in the skill tree will be the shortest, or will pass through abilities you're interested in. Plus you can eventually explore the skills to all the other classes, while gaining the stats that will fit them. I also loved the simple skill tree of XCOMs, you choose only between two abilities, but those abilities will impact so much your possibilities and your previous abilities that those choices matter more than most skill trees.

[@yvesgomes]

Inquisition has a similar logic. The biggest benefit I see isn't necessariy about guiding the players towards good stats, but in removing obvious choices that usually plague the RPGs of the genre that's more tactical and less about the action. In FFXIV, for instance, you choose where you put the points as you level up, but the choices are extremely obvious and streamlined. Better not have the choice at all, if it's gonna be like that.

[@n0ccca]

"If you ask me, a tightly pruned bush [...] is often the best" teehee

[@donkeykong8389]

"With a handful of interesting *upgrades*" if you know what I mean.

[@ericm1839]

one of the problems with the "putting the skill points in the physical world for players to find" is that psychopaths like me will spend way too much time doing side challenges that we arent actually ready for until we get the skill points, then be overleveled to fight the 3rd boss because we have meticulously found every available skill point. it's a delicate balance between "well we gave the player too many skill points because we wanted the boss fight to be possible to someone who didnt scan every nook and cranny" and "we didnt put enough skillpoints on the main path so now a casual player has no hope of beating this boss fight"

[@cromanticheer]

Hahaha, I'm one of those completionist psychopaths too. Got caught up in exploration of BotW and was probably massively overgeared for most content. I do think Metroidvanias remedy the major issue of being able to "overlevel" and screw up the difficulty curve. For instance, when playing the Metroid Prime games, I only really started seeking out every last health container and ammo expansion when I was about to face the final boss or when an earlier boss kept kicking my ass. The gating of the world with various "upgrade walls" kept me from grabbing EVERYTHING early on. So, that's a method, and Metroidvanias are near and dear to my heart, but it does kinda feel like a step backwards when we do have wide open sandbox games that feature very little gating and/or gating that can be bypassed by multiple means. So, I dunno.

[@cullenlatham2366]

@@cromanticheer he sort of covers the issue in his boss keys on hollow knight. When a metroidvania requires an item to progress, but there are multiple places to use said items to progress, it generally works better. Players cant get stumped by failing to find a single critical lock (upgrade wall), but they still need the item to pass the lock before they can get the upgrades in the new area. It maintains the difficulty curve while allowing players to choose the path they want to follow.

[@asmosisyup2557]

Did that in Cyberpunk, by the time i had finished with the sidequests i was 20 levels above the main story, rendering it braindead easy. stopped playing till they pull in the difficulty scalar from Witcher3

[@liamf2300]

it works amazingly well in prey, its an immersive sim and it doesnt have stuff like boss fights

[@slametbagaskoro6328]

@@asmosisyup2557 witcher 3 enemy upscaling is very useful. Without it, i can one hit any main story bosees due to overgear and overlevel. I think RPG games should have the same mechanics

[@theworion]

Adding a call for a new series: Skill Trees (a companion to Boss Keys) - Character design for progression and development This topic is way to complex for one episode, and deserves a full on conversation.

[@TheSquareOnes]

Yes please.

[@subprogram32]

I already mentioned this on the Discord, but a recent top-down shooter game, Bytepath, has a frankly fasinating skill tree. On the one hand, it's a monstrous path of exile-style forest of a tree, and many of the 'small' nodes are minor stat ups, but there are also plenty of big nodes with sometimes far more complex effects attached to them (including ones with drawbacks for taking them!). In addition, you only ever can have up to 80 Nodes in the tree at once, when the tree has a *lot* more than 80 nodes availible, meaning that utilising the skill tree requires you to basically map and remap your upgrade path for whatever build you want to acheive your goals, and that even the minor upgrades you pick are a little more important because you only have access to so many nodes. Obviously none of this matters if you don't like the gameplay it has, but the skill tree I find fasinating just as a thing that exists.

[@littlebigphil]

The path of exile tree also has variance in the value of nodes and more possible nodes than you can take.

[@protofan419]

Thanks for introducing me to this, literally installing this as I type in this comment.

[@subprogram32]

This is the main reason I posted it here as well as something similar in the discord. Glad I was right to do so hopefully! :3

[@wylie2835]

This is an example of complexity taking AWAY from a games depth. 80 nodes at once? No player is comprehending that. This removes any deliberate decision making for skills. There is a reason every piece in chess isn't unique. There is a reason each chess piece only does one thing. Depth comes from choices, BUT ALSO understanding EXACTLY what those choices mean, for the moment, and the future.

[@subprogram32]

The entire game is about theory crafting various builds to break the game in your favour. Like I said, a lot of those 80 nodes will be minor stat ups that you take to map your path to the more significant nodes you actually want, so it's rather more comprehendible than you are making it sound.

[@BucklingSwashes]

I really liked how Rise Of The Tomb Raider had certain skills that you learned by finding tomes or glyphs in tombs or other locations off of the beaten path.

[@darkskullxiii]

I really love borderlands 2 skill trees, you can't pick all of them/ pick them willynilly and they're actually useful

[@ebonfortress]

On their own they are boring af, most of them just give you slightly more shields, slightly more damage etc. The only good thing about them is that by combining stuff from different skill trees and items you can turn your character into unstoppable force of destruction. BL3 did way better, but still lots of boring stuff there. All the skill trees I've seen in PC action games that didn't trace their lineage from PnP RPGs were boring as fuck. I really like the RPG approach better - by leveling up you get both the boring stuff (HP, damage, armor, mana, whatever) and non-boring stuff (new skills, spells, etc)

[@rocketlanterns]

@@ebonfortress Insert something here about playing as Gaige/Mechromancer, speccing down into Best Friends Forever far enough to get Close Enough, and then combining that with the Anarchy branch for mad high damage

[@Kmn483]

Yeah bl2's was great. I love the themes they have and the synergy between themselves and other skills. Even basic things like bigger shields feels rewarding when you know that you get special effects with bigger shields.

[@Poki3]

The worst skill is the one that makes you get more experience. It's not really a choice, just an early game tax.

[@TheEloheim]

I agree with you on this. I always feel kinda compelled to get it early because otherwise I'm wasting possible level-ups, but usually early game there are other upgrades you want too. Maybe that's a good thing (making you choose between the two options) but to me the 'extra exp' option doesn't feel FUN at all. The worst game I've played for this is Grand Kingdom, where every single time you level a character you can put points into 'faster exp gain' which ended up making me fret more than I'd like to admit. Just leave everyone at the same level of exp gain and it will be fine, like you said, there's no need for an early game tax.

[@TheSquareOnes]

Yeah, "gain X faster over the course of the entire game" abilities are rarely a good idea, at least in skill trees. I think they can be done well in other systems, for example in Streets of Rogue you get to choose one of a few options at each level up and sometimes may be offered "Studious" which makes you gain experience faster and thus level up more often before the end of the game but taking it means passing up on the other options and given the massive amount of traits in the game now you may never see the others again. So if Studious is offered alongside something particularly powerful or just a bit too late in the run to matter you'll often want to skip it, since even if it means missing out on 2-5 levels you don't know if those levels are actually going to offer meaningful upgrades. But again that isn't a skill tree, just an example of how that skill type itself could be reasonably implemented in another type of system. Although if you wanted to design a skill tree that included something like that you could probably learn from it by making it similarly costly or risky in the context of the tree and system you're designing. For example maybe skills are colored you're only allowed to take a certain number of each color, so taking the XP gain option means permanently giving up at least one of the other skills that shares a color with it. In game design it should rarely be "X is bad" but rather "how do we make X fun and interesting"? Sometimes you can't and often this mechanic is lazily implemented and thus bad, but I think there is still hope for making this a worthwhile inclusion in some games.

[@madeofdots]

i just finished playing transistor and their invisible skill tree system works like downwell’s, where after reaching a new level you are given a few different options to choose from for a new function, limiter, and a space to unlock. i thought it worked really well with the other systems in the game, like losing a function and having to find a couple new access points to restore it when you lose all of your health, to take the time until reaching the next level to play with the new features you’ve earned. plus using the features in different ways opened up new information about the person the function came from which helped to open up the world and story. and considering the story is an important aspect of the game i thought it all tied really nicely together!

[@samk3141]

"Gives the UI team something to do" brutal, My mate felt attacked haha, he does it for a living :D

[@TapeLeg]

I dunno if it's just me, but I loooove spending way too much time plotting my way through FFXII's license board. There's something really satisfying about saying "I'm just gonna buy all the health upgrades" and just using them as a sponge for punches.

[@DisKorruptd]

yeah, and being able to chain specific enemies for higher LP values encourages, not just grinding, but SELECTIVE grinding, it encourages the player to actively look at what enemies are around, not to just kill it because they see it, as that resets your combo, 12 on PS2 is my favorite Final Fantasy, I absolutely adore the Gambit system

[@kuchenjaeger2164]

The MegaMan Battle Network series has a system where upgrades are given to you in the shape of coloured tetris-like blocks, and you only have a limited amount of "upgrade space" in which you can fit them. There are also some extra rules like how upgrades of the same colour aren't allowed to be next to eachother. So the idea is to be as efficient as possible when putting the blocks in the limited space. Google "megaman battle network navi customizer" to see what I mean. It's been a while since I played those games though, so you might want to read up on it yourself.

[@OldmanJables]

Battle Network for all of it's flaws as a series is awesome and I'm glad to see someone brought up the Navi Cust. It's a really fabulous character customization system!

[@ScolPL]

Battle Network was my favourite Mega Man series. Sometime near Mega Man 11 announcemnt capcom said something like "we're aware fans want something new for MMBN and Mega Man Legends" so maybe we'll get another entry to the series (probably spinoff with different characters as MMBN6 had epilogue mentioning Lan's future).

[@codetaku]

@@ScolPL Given how tone-deaf Capcom is, they'll probably make another Star Force game instead of another MMBN game.

[@HGRezende]

I only have to disagree on the last point, I LOVE navigating the menus and skill trees, please don't make them quick and automatic, but this is probably because I heavily play ARPGs, JRPGs and the like, half the fun is choosing which skill I want and see that lovely UI filling up

[@AFnord]

I think what he was going for was not "make all of them automatic", but rather "make a system that fits the game". For some games, menu navigation can really take you out of the experience, and for some it's not a big deal. Red Dead is (probably, I've not actually played it) a game where you want to avoid menu navigation, as it takes you out of the game, while in a game like Diablo 2, building your character is an integral part of the game, and choosing the right skills offers a lot of interesting choices. And it's a game with a lot of menu navigation by its very design (one could argue that comparing items is part of the menu navigation, and finding better loot is a core part of what makes Diablo into what it is)

[@vinx.9099]

his views on perks and skills seems to be very focused on linear games with a clear end.

[@tipsheda]

It is kind of peaceful when doing it in the Souls games because it acts as a break from the otherwise oppressive and hostile environment.

[@rmsgrey]

@@vinx.9099 Considering that one of his main points is that every major game has a skill tree rather than it being restricted to games and genres where that kind of progression is a core element, and that he's talking about how games do things wrong more than he is about games that get things right, it makes sense that he's more focused on the types of game where an RPG-style skill tree is a poor fit...

[@HGRezende]

@@AFnord I agree that certain games are not exactly made for a skill tree, but if there is one I'd say the "form" is just as important as the "function". Seeing the progress of the tree as more skills build up is part of the satisfaction on having a tree. So even if the game doesn't exactly need it but it has a skill tree, having an intricate design is way more appealing than just leaving it boring, simple and quick.

[@julesduteyrat4100]

I like path of exile skill tree, it gives access to a lot of choices and is fitting for a hack and slash game

[@wesley.3250]

Jesus, people really like path of exile, don't they?

[@guillegarcia7146]

@Ragnarok probably just diablo 3. Diablo 2 is amazing

[@DeyvsonMoutinhoCaliman]

One of the best games I ever played, for a good six months I was obsessed with that skill grid.

[@pgtd]

@Sapphire Spire no, PoE is indeed good

[@hosseinnaseri5884]

Anything that is said by this channel isn't an absolute fact and sometimes (like in this case) it means he just didn't understand it due to not giving it enough time. Like someone's first opinion about Dark souls or eating olive or caviar! Path of exile skill tree is uniquely brilliant and works perfectly for the other aspects of PoE. But definitely it isn't the best approach for every game.

[@Bretinator92]

I never understood how anyone could enjoy a game which lacks automatic stat comparison between your equipped item and a inventory item you're currently looking at...

[@5ManaAndADream]

dozens of daggers? try hundreds, thousands. favourite skill tree: POE :P second favourite: dishonored

[@dddmemaybe]

My favorite I think is the skill tree from Kotor II, aka: Dungeons and Dragons 3rd edition: Star Wars edition lol. It's the 'same' in Kotor I, except the balance wasn't as good there. In Kotor 1, your ranged dex character just becomes soft-locked at c-tier halfway through the story when you get lightsabers unlocked ('wasted' feats as sith/jedi enemies deflect your projectiles and you can't apply dex for damage on melee weapon, only str is damage there). When a strength character was about as good up till now but is just S+ tier after half-way. Punishes player for not having meta-game knowledge. Not to mention Wisdom stat was useless for the first half in Kotor I. Kotor II fixes everything though. From skillpoints to allies( and when/who/what abilities are available for you at each moment), from feats to force powers, from mathing to roleplay, everything is god-tier.

[@Scio_]

PoE is my favorite too, specifically because the forest isn't even the skill tree.

[@somerandomchannel382]

@@Scio_ FFX. or FF12. No Doubt

[@Scio_]

@@sonnyankau9239 It takes a particularly special kind of idiot to not only not get the subtext but also not realize PoE doesn't have a skill that at all. It has a skill crafting system that had nothing to do with the tree they feel intimidated by.

[@afroarchitect2446]

I could be wrong but in prey the turrets only attack if you stock up on typhon abilities it doesn't occur while using human ones. At least that was my experience with the game.

[@afroarchitect2446]

Still enjoyed the video by the way just noticed that small error.

[@quantumedbox4341]

@@afroarchitect2446 it's still upgrades, he didn't mention what exactly but, yes, it's right. like two different brunches with some flavs and disadvantages for each

[@afroarchitect2446]

@@quantumedbox4341 Yeah I agree but for people who never played it. It can be misleading because he didn't preface it with " this happens while getting to many typhon abilities"

[@Roxfox]

@@afroarchitect2446 I haven't played it, I don't know what a typhon is or what typhon abilities are, or if that's a skill tree or if there's multiple skill trees and if that's just one option, or if it's a separate thing altogether, or whatever. What I got out of the video is "there are skills you can unlock in Prey that makes turrets attack you." Which, based on your description, is 100% accurate and exactly as specific as it needed to be to get the point across.

[@afroarchitect2446]

@@Roxfox that's fair, but it isn't that simple. Even in your reply it shows that you are missing on something because he skipped over it quickly. You said that there are some abilities that make turrets attack you this isn't true it's collecting enough of them that sets it off. You have to unlock several of a certain type of abilities in order for this to happen. It's not as simple as because you unlocked ability y turrets now attack its a lot more than that. My whole goal was not to attack you, Mark or anyone with what I said it was just that he said something that is misleading to those who haven't played the game and can be viewed as wrong by those who have. Thanks for the replies I hope I made my case, and I really don't mean to attack or offend anyone. I just want for videos to not accidentally mislead anyone.

[@spleenhook4288]

One overlooked component of Skyrim is the shout system. It encourages you to explore the map for the shouts you want and fighting dragons for souls forces you to pick which shouts best fit your gameplay interests. I also always loved how you have to put in a lot of time dealing with the challenges of pursuing some skills to be rewarded with finally unlocking the final tiers rather than being able to play any way early on and still get to experience the amazing late game of more difficult paths.

[@Yerardt]

I came here to watch some interesting references and advices to improve UI & UX of our game. I got what I was looking for about skills trees, thank you bro. Excelent video!

[@thephilipetti4840]

I think Transistor handled the question perfectly. By linking the skills to the narrative, you would want to unlock them to learn more about the NPCs. Forcing you learn new skills when you died and creating secret combination between skills also made you play differently to adapt to the fights when your favorite power wasn't available. Great video as always !

[@Karma_x0]

Can you make a video about traversal of terrain and good alternatives to Fast Travel? I personally think that Fast Travel is something that game designers use to avoid making a means of transportation that is interesting and fun, in the new Spiderman game I was amazed that they included a Fast Travel system when it is fun to get around, but that is one of very few games that is fun to travel considerable distances.

[@chunkymonkey7983]

Breath of the Wild is a lot of fun. :D

[@Otis-Spunks]

I prefer player skill systems, instead of the game giving skill based on time played. The less time I have to spend in a menu the better, and if I can maintain a meaningful sense of progression without ever stepping foot into a progression menu then its a perfect game imo. I like the idea of skill being developed by the player through the power of emergent gameplay.

[@AdamBartholomew]

I know this is an old comment, but do you have any examples? Im interested to know more.

[@Kathkere]

In games like Dishonored and Deus Ex: Human Revolution, I find myself drowning in the currency/points you need to unlock skills because I prefer to play sneaky and non-lethal. The worst part about the latter game is that the game gives you more points for not killing stuff, but the things you can unlock are primarily used to kill stuff... A skill-tree I did like the concept of (although I did not play around with it long enough to get a proper understanding of it long-term) is the skill tree in The Elder Scrolls Online. I loved using an ability until you could morph it. The fact that you could only slot 5 abilities at a time made you think of cool combinations you could do and levelling up your abilities was probably the most enjoyable thing of that game. Sadly, it lacked in many other areas... but the skill tree was really cool. It was an MMO however and in MMOs cookie cutter specs rule, and that often kills the fun of skill trees. In a single player game I care more about fun and cool factors than I do about playing optimally, but if I'm competing against other players I want to be the best I can be.

[@ahillamon]

In Elder Scrolls Online, you unlock a second weapon slot and ability bar at level 15, after which you can swap between them mid-combat, essentially giving you 10 ability slots (plus two Ultimates). Swapping between the bars and weaving attacks and abilities together is a big part of the combat system. :)

[@vinx.9099]

dishonored 2 did really well with giving you powers both for murder and non lethal. dishonored 1 did have that problem where once you had agility and darkvision (or whatever it was called) you where basically done with getting upgrades. the elderscolls thing is kind of cool how powers could change, but the options where generally too limited to feel all that unique.

[@Grim_Pinata]

Kathkere I'm playing Human Revolution right now, the skills you unlock aren't primarily used for a lethal playstyle. They aren't even used for non-lethal playing. Pretty much every upgrade either improves stealth, navigation or hacking. The only one that seems geared toward killing bitches is the Typhoon aug. The other actives just make you either more quiet, invisible or give you x-ray vision. So no skill really pushes you toward lethal or non-lethal, just to stealth. You're right about Dishonored, though. Half of the powers are useless for non-lethal play. I still love the gameplay, but low chaos runs are kind of dull compared to high chaos.

[@Kathkere]

@@Grim_Pinata Hm. Might be misremembering it, then. Haven't played the game since ~2012. I just remember not wanting to spend my points because it didn't fit my playstyle.

[@AdmiralTails]

@@Grim_Pinata There were definitely more that were far more geared toward lethal playthroughs. Turret and Robot domination were far more useful for those willing to kill their targets than those who weren't, since it let you turn them against the enemy. There were also augments for reducing recoil and stabilizing aim while moving, health regeneration, damage reduction, and one that made you immune to flash grenades, all of which are useless to the stealthy, non-lethal player (outside of the infamous anti-stealth boss battles, which still required at least turret domination to do).

[@TheNobleBean]

I disagree with the implication that PoE's skill tree being large is a negative. PoE's skill tree is large by design, as in its largeness is part of the point of its existence. It exists in a large form to facilitate exploration of itself by the players, if it were small there would be little need for the play to explore and experiment with paths to certain nodes ect because the number of possibilities would be far lower. PoE has a large skill tree as an end in and of itself, all the other games you showed in this video have used skill trees as a means to the end of engaging gameplay. Interacting with PoE's large skill tree is engaging gameplay.

[@tomhowell8398]

Fair, but not all of its size is particularly engaging. Sometimes there are multi-level paths that give you no choices at all, and your only real alternative to taking them is to take another, basically identical path. Also a lot of the skills are very bland, even when you ignore the basic stat boosts. It absolutely achieves what you say, but if we could find a way of condensing it without losing that, or a way of making more of the skills interesting, it could be even better.

[@Aetherpon]

Absolutely agree with this. I really like PoE's skill tree. It's precisely because it's big that you have to spend skill points wisely. With how the nodes are connected, I always ask myself 'How am I going to connect the nodes to get the stats I want while not wasting any skill points?' It's really fun to figure that out and it might change depending on what gear you have on.

[@ElmntFire]

I think this also speaks to the core of FF X's sphere grid in contrast to the chrystarium found in FF XIII. The sphere grid oozed choice and gave each character a playground of their own while allowing you to also make hybrid characters based on unlocking other party member's areas. FF XIII, however, took the act of progression and made it linear to the point where each character couldn't truly branch out much from their intended roles. You COULD choose any of the 6 roles, but each character REALLY only wanted to use a few of them.

[@norahporter4075]

i really wouldn't want them to condense it at all. part of the appeal is the pathing in the tree. i've spent hours in path of building optimizing my builds, where it comes down to taking an alternative path to a keystone or something because the alternate path ISN'T identical, as it provides opportunities to access different parts of the tree. i genuinely enjoy the travel nodes of just base str/dex/int because of this pathing idea. not a single node on the tree is bland because of its implications for how you further your build, and because each one adds to the power level of your character in a way that you desire. it's like painting a picture. sure, if i had a few stamps that i could combine to make a complete picture, that'd be so much quicker with a similar end goal. but i want to use my paint brushes and have that fine control of exactly how i combine things. and it's way more fun to paint a picture with a paintbrush than with a couple large stamps, or just using a paint roller to cover the canvas and say you've painted something. if poe were to replace their passive tree with one similar to WoW, where it's just "big" talents (that aren't all that interesting), then i would have to imagine people would leave the game in droves. the passive tree is what sets poe truly apart from similar games, alongside its gem system for skills.

[@josephhawkins7974]

I can see the points that all of you are making about how PoE's tree is interesting and engaging gameplay. I'd like to state that while I respect the possibilities it lends, I can't bring myself to even try the game because the skill tree is daunting and there are far too many choices for me to try and learn about, partially because I have a more limited time to game nowadays and I don't feel like dedicating the time to learn these things.

[@Laeshen]

I really like the skyrim skill tree style allowing a few very full trees to be unlocked so you have personalization but a good variety

[@personallpeters]

One thing you said about forcing difficult choices spoke to me. I guess I've been trapped into going for the easy option for a long time not only when it comes to games, and only now I've been finding real pleasure from the difficulty of things. It does make games a lot more interesting and fun, from what I've felt :)

[@AshenVictor]

I don't think it's fair to dismiss Path of Exile's passives forest on the basis of "is big". It's as big as it is because all the character archetypes share it, and because each character can be built in very different ways depending on the skill gems you choose (active skills aren't on it, they're a whole other system) characters will often need access to the areas branching off of each other (plus the Scion is intended to be able to go in any direction from the middle). It also gives you reasonable tools for finding the sort of things in it you want. There's a built in search function that highlights nodes based on keywords so you don't have to trawl through the whole thing looking for the bits you need. This, of course, is in the context of a game where you're kind of expected to get your first few goes at a character wrong and try again next league (Leagues are like the season resets in Diablo but with more new mechanics per league).

[@VanOri]

Bloody thank you!

[@Mathignihilcehk]

GloatingSwine I found much of the video to be subjective and meaningless. Skill trees that encourage grinding, for example, aren’t necessarily bad at all. I really enjoyed Skyrim’s skill tree system. It’s just something to keep an eye on. Likewise, skill trees with “boring” options like extra health aren’t boring at all... especially extra health. They fundamentally change how the game works. How many hits you can take, how many enemies you can face, etc. They aren’t as flashy as ability unlocks, but they are often worth more. My problem with skill trees is that they often present unequal options that become a number crunch rather than a choice of playstyle. When one or a few unlocks are the only viable choices you get to make, the rest of the false complexity is a game of the player making bad choices thinking they were given a fair choice when they weren’t. To find the right upgrades you have to analyze the mechanics and calculate which bonus has a greater benefit to you.

[@gkuoni]

Don't forget the fact that the skill tree, while it could potentially have some more interesting notables along the way, sort of like a weaker ascendancy, it still fits into the kind of game Path of Exile is. The game is all about min-maxing and finding that right build path; choosing to stretch long distances in the tree to be able to grab a specific build enhancing upgrade or to just grab more of the closer ones. The big flaw I find with PoE's skill tree is that the game itself almost always forces you to pick very specific nodes if you want to be able to do any of the harder content. (such as the huge health cluster)

[@AshenVictor]

​@@gkuoni Yeah, there are quite a few "always food" nodes which sort of feels bad, but learning the balance between offensive and defensive nodes and not just searching for the right damage type and picking it forever is one of the ways you develop as you learn the game. The fat life block in the middle is an artifact of the way the scion's part of the tree is built, you couldn't easily split it up and parcel it around among other nodes without disadvantaging warrior path Scion for +life early on.

[@Skarjak36]

Yup, Mark was wrong to dismiss it so quickly. That tree is intimidating by design. It"s meant to appeal to a niche and it does it very well. How could anyone call this bad design? Not every game is trying to be accessible.

[@ArtemGordin]

Interesting how skill trees work with classes - in RPGs builds/specs are basically subclasses in many cases, but in other games those are the fluid classes which determine the way you play. Also how different games allow you to "respec" to get fresh experience with your advanced character, but in other ones it's interwoven with the story progression and can't be taken back. Maybe some day you'll make another video on the whole "many games in one" concept of classes/characters/builds.

[@seacliff217]

It's what I like about Classic WRPGs. Skill trees available for multiple party members open a ton of options for team building. In an action game, a skill tree is about finding a playstyle you find fun. But in a more strategic game, finding the optimal role for each character and having them play well off each other can be a large part of the stragety itself.

[@leislingvoss1547]

I find the borderlands games (2 and presequel, at least, I havent played the others yet) have really nice skill trees. At least for the classes i gravitate towards. Only being able to completely purchase a single skill tree definitely forced me to pick and choose which playstyle I wanted for that run. And i find Maya and Gaige's skill trees were the most fun, due to all the elemental boosts you could get, or the special add-ons for your action skill

[@SupahAwsum123]

I wonder what you think about skill trees that expand organically based on the way that you play the game. For example, in the new Wolfenstein games your character gains new abilities and skills based on your personal playstyle. If you elect to more stealthy approaches, the game will grant you stealth skills, and if you pursue a much louder and rambunctious path, the game rewards you with skills to better facilitate that.

[@Laezar1]

I actually totally disagree with having skill tree unlocked by side mission instead of "playing the game normally". I hate when a game forces me to do side stuff and reward me with power. That means either if I do the side stuff I'll be overpowered for the main path. Or if I miss the side stuff I'll struggle through the main path. It also usually forces some kind of gameplay which means you are not free to experiment and figure out for yourself what you like doing the most. Like in deus ex : human revolution (didn't play the last one) where you get more experience from non-lethal stealth where the game basically tells you "you can play however you want. But fuck you if you do something I don't like even if it's efficient". Of course sometimes it make sense like undertale actively making you weaker if you don't kill your ennemies, but the whole game revolve around that and the power difference between low and high level isn't that high but I digress. gaining new ability only by advancing through the story actually gives you freedom to tackle the situations in any way you wish making your choice in the skill tree actually relevant. It also lets the game have a better balance. So yeah... I really disagree with games not giving you progress through normal play.

[@Angel_Kittichik]

How about alternatively, some skill points can be earned through the main story while the extra points can be earned in side missions?

[@Arcananine77]

@@Angel_Kittichik *Batman: Arkham Origins* has a system like that: most skills/perks can be unlocked with levelling up while other required completing a certain number of in-game challenges.

[@youtubeuniversity3638]

He meant less side missions as only way and more "use skill points as incentive for players to try literally anything other than what they normally default to." I.E., variety encouragement. And, obviously, this is meant as general advice. Some games benefit from keeping a player down a narrow path with no side stuff to even see. Whatever works for what you're making, it's just something to consider if there's ever some things you find players need more incentivized to try.

[@Laezar1]

@@youtubeuniversity3638 If your side missions aren't worth playing by themselves and require you to make the game unplayable or less fun if you don't do them for players to check them out... then maybe they shouldn't be in the game to begin with? And if your varied playstyles aren't different,useful or interesting enough to be experimented by the player without rewards, then maybe that's a problem.

[@tomstonemale]

That's why I disliked about BOTW, even more than low weapon durability. By the end you are so overpowered that the only fun I have was when I reached the Island that strip me of all my gear and I thought "yeah the game was more fun when I wasn't a poor man's Thor with all the champions powers and the Master Sword."

[@BreakGlassForMemes]

How about an endless roguelike that grants skills based on the direction you choose to go from your current room?

[@TheRighteousDawn]

Deadcells?

[@Maddmike]

Mark, I am really envious of how strong your video editing skills are. Ever plan on doing a 'video maker's toolkit' series? Cheers

[@woofspider330]

Dead Space's power cells were fun to find, and you could even purchase 1 at each store (also nice that they limit that). But it sucked to finally get one, and have to use it on a blank node. The skill maze for it was pretty cool, but I hated getting nothing for my hard earned powerup.

[@andivon8886]

I think Gothic 1 and 2's skill tree was cleverly integrated with interacting with specific trainers. You couldn't just be out in the wild, killing monsters and improving your sword technique by attributing skill points. You had to go back to people who had the skills to train you in order to improve with the sword or the bow or what have you.

[@ninjadodovideos]

That was a really interesting and elegant system that I wish more games would borrow... seeking out teachers to learn actual new skills (not just giving you +2 damage or whatever). It wouldn't just improve stats it would actually expand your moveset and improve your stance and stuff.

[@violetsweet1660]

i don't think path of exile's skill tree is a good example here--most games would be nightmares with that complex a skill tree, true, but path is really unique in how it uses it and in how it relates to the traditional rpg idea of "class." classes in path of exile are (almost) exclusively defined by how they relate to the skill tree, specifically, where they start on it (and which ascendancies they have access to, which are essentially secondary skill trees) path of exile wouldn't work without it imo, or at least it would be a far less interesting and singular game if it were closer to the average skill tree.

[@aeon_zero]

You make that sound extremely special, in fact FFX did exactly that ages ago.

[@kothemagica]

@@aeon_zero Not really, in PoE you can make use of the skill tree and different combination of equipment and skill gems to create a whole build/playstyle while in FFX there is not really such thing.

[@arcanealchemist3190]

the main problem is that while this is a cool idea, it is very poorly explained in game, and implemented in such a way where by the time you have the opportunity to (noticeably) benefit from your choices, youve already played a massive amount of time. the tree is still huge and confusing, and anyone who doesnt go look up a few youtube videos online will take a few looks at it and then go "never mind"

[@mitigamespro8757]

@@arcanealchemist3190 I'm sorry but the tree was never confusing, if you actually played the game for more than an hour it becomes super easy. I'm not a hardcore veteran Poe player but the skill tree is what made me download it.

[@wumi2419]

@Marc T have you even played PoE? Shadow has more crit nodes nearby, but it's far from being only viable character. For last few leagues summoners were meta, legion was a cyclone league. Shadow also has limited survivability, evasion and dodge do nothing to stop oneshots.

[@Bretinator92]

No one mentions Grim Dawn? Combinations of two classes, which still yield more than one way to play for each combination, plus the giant devotion skilltree for passive and triggered abilities. Damn I love this game.

[@vampfury200]

I am glad that I see so many people reacting to the negative implication on PoE skill tree. It is part of what got me interested in the game in the first place. Were it worse designed or implemented then I would agree, but it is quite a good tree and as people already mentioned it fits the game well.

[@jglasshalfpool4640]

Woah woah woah. Searching out 120 shrines that only give you more health or more stamina is NOT a skill tree. Taking an extra hit before I die is not a new skill.

[@aidanharper3784]

He's more talking about the content involved in skill trees and how sometimes it can be about the work that goes into getting that upgrade (synonymous with skill in this context), that makes it actually worth getting, in some games you just straight up pick an upgrade/skill slot that says "Take One Additional Hit Before You Die" and boom there you go, that is part of what is being referred to as a skill tree, and it's a mild stretch but it's still not too inaccurate to say that exploring the world for specific things is akin to earning points on a skill tree towards a specific goal.

[@lpsp442]

Mmm, I'm about to make my own comment on that. The single biggest area that Breath of the Wild dropped the ball on gameplay-wise is level progression, with the narrowness of uses for Spirit Orbs being just one example. It's stuff like this that makes it all the more crucial for Nintendo to get over their gimmick sequel obsession and just release a more polished and extended version of the previous game for a change.

[@Joel-qo6gt]

@@lpsp442 Oh boy. Nintendo is not obsessed with 'gimmick sequels'. That is my short answer. The long answer is this; Nintendo does not want to just refine their formula and do the same thing 50 times in a row. It makes them to niche and focused on one aspect of their audience. The goal of Nintendo is to apply to all ages, and all groups. If you dissect Breath of the Wild, you find components from action, adventure, RPG, and puzzle games. Every time Nintendo releases a sequel, they are testing out a new way to play the game. They cannot stand releasing the same thing with a different paint job. They have to be new, fresh ideas. For example, F Zero stopped with sequels because it reached its full potential with F Zero GX. When questioned, Nintendo asked what else the people wanted from the game. Nintendo HATES repeating themselves, so they continuously try new concepts. They aren't milking the cash cow for all its worth, they milk it for fresh milk.

[@lpsp442]

Spiritual marketing in action, ladies and gentlemen.

[@Joel-qo6gt]

@@lpsp442 Explain?

[@emilekroth100]

The charm system in hollow knight is kinda a skill three, and it's pretty good!

[@JayMarBu]

Emil Ekroth I was thinking the exact same, and was almost disappointed when I saw that nobody was talking about it.

[@Sagaan42]

It's not a skill tree in the way that It doesn't have branches, junctions and requirements, and the upgrades are not permanent. Not saying that a skill tree needs to fulfill all these characteristics, but rather than a mechanic that doesn't include any of them is most likely not to be considered a skill tree. Especially considering the structure of the charm system, which has nothing to do with a tree's. It's closer to a gear/equipment system.

[@mikeryan1043]

Yeah, it works like a charm. Pretty sure he will bring it up in his World design of Hollow Knight video. Fingers crossed

[@meditalisoo7]

Just wanted to write the same comment.

[@hubblebublumbubwub5215]

It’s based on Paper Mario’s badge system. There’s an even better version in Kid Icarus Uprising in which the upgrades are tetris blocks that fit in a square like a puzzle.

[@michaelfoley6482]

Destiny 1 had skill trees built into each weapon itself, which was interesting because you had to grind a lot of experience just to unlock all of the functionality of 1 gun. You also had to do a lot of grinding to unlock the full subclass for each character, which took a long time. I find it interesting that in Destiny 2, each gun still has a simple “skill tree,” but it comes completely unlocked, as well as each subclass, which also comes completely unlocked. The UI for the destiny 2 subclasses is by far my favorite UI when it comes to skill trees.

[@Bricksalive]

Nice video. Very helpful for me as an amateur indie game dev. Please do an episode on crafting systems as I feel many games have very shallow/generic crafting systems. Keep up the great work

[@TheBlackCloakedMan]

Have you ever played Vampyr? I loved how it put the difficulty of the game in the player's hands, and tied it into moral choices, through its use of its skill trees.

[@yvesgomes]

I usually don't like that kind of stuff, but I admit Vampyr did it very well. The game is extremely smart in general, even though it's not flashy.

[@pie-ninetyever7328]

I think Nier automata did agreat job with this, it doesn't look like an ordinary skilltree, but its purpose is the same. You can select from a wide variety of skills/upgrades (called chips), the better they are, the more space they occupy in the limited 'memory slot' What's cool is that other game elements, such as minimap and damage numbers, also occupy some space, meaning you have to choose between lets say having a minimap, or a better upgrade

[@grodon909]

That's not a tree. You're picking freely from a set of options, not going down a set of pre-requisites to get to another upgrade.

[@pie-ninetyever7328]

@@grodon909 that's kinda my point, it's nice to see another approach to it than just the same old tree format

[@shevek5185]

Yeah I also liked the system in Nier. This kind of "mod system" is also used by Warframe. The core idea is similar, you have some points, upgrades and slots. I really like it.

[@oofshoof4891]

nice video, but here’s food for thought that I just came up with (maybe). Imagine a game that has a literal skill tree that grows as you get skills and you could summon it for platforming and the more skills you have the taller the tree and it could be more changeable like you could upgrade a specific “branch” and it would grow out giving you extra length and distance to walk on. Just food for thought though

[@aetherian_wolf]

okay, I had an idea where the dificulty was the size of the skill tree, and not the power/ai of the eemies. you my friend, have come up with the perfect idea to use it with. on higher dificulty, the skills are more passive with ability 'nodes' farther apart and an initial debuff to your character, it could also decrease the effect each node has on the literal skill tree. easier dificulties initially buff your character and have far fewer passive nodes, and the affect on the literal skill tree is far more noticable. I really want this to be made into a game.

[@NeverEverFaceTheDark]

Transistor. Brilliantly reshuffles your abilities in an organic way that doesn't feel like a punishment

[@8lacKhawKtheRIPPER]

To be fair, Salt&Sanctuary's "skilltree" is not actually a skilltree and rather just a way for players to increase stats and unlock weapon classes. All actual "skills" are acquired by making progress throughout the game, akin to other metroidvania-esque titles. It's pretty much the same as getting new stuff in Metroid, which was mentioned as a good example~

[@Heli483]

Then why make a skilltree, when you can lvl up like in dark souls

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@Heli483 yeah, it was a strange decision since in everything else salt and sanctuary is 2d dark souls. Also, i find the tree itself to be uninteresting and worse,of the kind you really need to study and plan ahed otherwise you are kind of screwed. It should have been simpefied. Other problem is that the game uses the nodes of the tree to offer players some lore and its not a great way to do so.

[@pooyashirazi1991]

Path of Exile's skill tree is actually why the game has been relevant for so long. I'd say its so different than our preception of a skill tree that we couldn't possibly compare it to normal skill trees. It allows players to create new builds, which would be a different class altogether. Its like creating a MOBA character through skill trees but with far more abilities and more freedom to riff on that build.

[@aeon_zero]

Again, FFX (a game I actually despise) did that many years before, and I have a feeling other games did it too. Not sure why everyone in these comments is so excited about this idea, sounds interesting on paper but in the end it's actually a bit useless.

[@jacknoseworthy3556]

I like skill trees like the witcher 3s for example where u can only use a few skills at once. There are only 12 skill slots for 100 or so skills which force you to chose exactly what kind of play style you want (combat, alchemy, or signs). Choosing a mix of the three won’t work and you will be too weak late game. Additionally you gain access to those 12 skill slots over time encouraging you to improve the skills you already have instead of acquiring new ones, pairing skills of the same type with mutagens gives u stat boosts, and you won’t gain enough skill points (unless u do ng+) to unlock even a quarter of the abilities. This all works to encourage players to adapt one play style instead of just choosing the coolest abilities. But at the same time, u can buy an item for 1000 crowns (roughly 3 monster contracts worth of work) to reset the skill tree, so u can try out different playstyles without starting a new game.

[@z24hourgamer2]

2:50 *Looks at Borderlands 2 character skill trees*

[@MrTerrorFace]

Divinity Original Sin 2 doesn't have a skill tree per se, but they do skillsets extremely. The game forces you to choose a specific playstyle while having other characters fulfill another role. Things like stats, special abilities, and passives are separate and you can put points into different skills depending on how you play, each with advantages. You gain points by leveling up, but leveling up is a slow process and you gain xp through completing quests, finding new areas and winning combat. Divinity Original Sin 2 has quite possibly one of the best leveling systems I've ever seen in a game.

[@rayflyers]

The skill tree points in Mario + Rabbids had to be found by solving optional puzzles in the overworld, encouraging exploration in an otherwise linear game. That was a really good idea.

[@Meese12]

It didn't need those puzzles, but it benefited from them. You get the upgrade orbs passively from completing chapters as well as side challenges, which seems to be my and many other's preferred method of getting points: having them be unlocked through main gameplay and enhanced by side activities.

[@ChopTheViking]

The “jobs” system from Final Fantasy Tactics (which was inspired by Final Fantasy 5) was always one of my favorites. You definitely needed to plan and experiment to build up the perfect party.

[@ludwig9286]

My favorite Skill Trees are the ones from Grim Dawn and Titan Quest. The main aspect is that there are multiple skill trees that focus on different playstyles but you can combine them in every possible way to make your truly unique character. Most of the skills are very interesting, so you have a lot of customization options without it getting too overwhelming like PoE.

[@vinx.9099]

unlocking all the skills isn't a bad thing, it just depends on the game. the question here for me comes down to is it your character and what level of power fantasy are you going for and how wide the options are? a serious power fantasy like doom should end with you being the best at everything. a game in which combat can easily get you killed and you have to think about how you do stuff should also reflect that in meta choices (like in dishonored). is it really your character or just the character you are controlling? it makes perfect sense to me that kratos will get all the powers that kratos would get, but my character in skyrim really is mine and so it make sense that he/she reflexts my decisions. in skyrim you also (generally) specialise in certain skills while not investing into others. it makes perfect sense that you archer doesn't know how to swing a warhammer or how to summon demons from hell. but the doom guy just gets better and better and better at murdering everything.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

if the game gives you a character( like kratos) we are simply watching his/her journey to max level, to his full potential. if a game lets you make a character than you are making choices since the begining and you should not be able to have all the skills.

[@vinx.9099]

@@goncaloferreira6429 you worded it so much better then me.

[@therealsausage98]

My favourite skill trees is from the sims 4 vampire, you have to take one weakness to learn new power, stuff like vomit when eat human food or uncontrollable hissing

[@mannymanny1567]

PoE is not a good example (it's a passive tree, skills/ability are in gems)

[@TheFourthHorde]

One of my favorite skill systems is in Elder Scrolls Online with skill morphs. You get skill points to purchase abilities as you level up, but as you use the abilities you purchased, they level as well. And once these abilities reach level 4, you can choose to either get a new ability or morph the ones you have, changing their effects, whether they cost Magicka or Stamina, or how to use them. This can not only spice up a play style, but since you can only have 6 abilities at a time (on console), it forces you to try new systems and morphs to get the most out of your abilities.

[@Crazelord91]

I love your videos Mark and appreciate your opinion but I have to disagree with most of your points. I personally hate when all skills aren't possible in your playthrough; I don't find it immersive I find it limiting. And I don't like needing to do side missions to unlock essential movesets; bc side missions are hit and miss at times. I think overall Spider-Man did it pretty well comparitively to other recent games, with your basic movesets being expanded by the tree. A lot of great stuff was in side missions, with those upgrades feeling like cool add ons rather than expanding Spidey's base abilities. But health and swinging speed were upgraded automatically outside of the skill tree with new levels and the skill points were given at each level to use at your discretion. But all the moves you need to enjoy the game are given at the start but the unlocked skills are almost all really useful. I respect your opinion as always, but I do feel this situation is a bit more biased towards your personal tastes than your usual general inprovement ideas

[@alexanderjohansson4194]

Crazelord91 i agree with you on this one. Both that I respect and appreciate Marks content in these videos, but also that I disagree with him in most points in this video. For me skill trees has little to do with limiting the experience and Making hard choices. It has more to do with progressing in power to take on more difficult foes. I want a game to always be hard. In the beginning but also in the end when you understand the control of the game mechanics the best. I don’t ever want to be overpowered. But you will be when you go back and fight the first enemies in the game. I want stronger and smarter foes as I progress in the game and a smart skill tree is a way to make you fel that. I think horizon is doing this pretty good.

[@Crazelord91]

@@alexanderjohansson4194 That's a good point as well. The enemies should match the increase in skills and become more difficult to put your new skills to use. I think Spiderman did that pretty well also. While I don't know if the game made the enemies scaled to your level, once the thugs were replaced by demons they started kicking my ass but my skills got me to a point where they were still always a challenge but just easier to beat

[@MyLittleWalrus]

Love the videos, Mark! Still think you should make a video about how developers can make a game with speedrunning in mind (in-game timer, interesting speed mechanics, etc.) :P

[@josephabrams8529]

1:39 Funny that Metroid shows up here. I was thinking during the earlier parts “well, Metroid trickles out different power-ups and gives you incentive to use them without a skill tree. It just bakes these improvements into the course of the campaign rather than doing it through EXP.”

[@ColinRoxs]

i really like how borderlands does skill trees, you don't have enough points at max level to max out every skill but so you have to weigh what skills will help you play and help you weapons feel more effective. and almost every skill interacts with each other ranging from deliberate (like adding a stacking system with one skill and having those stacks give new effect later in the tree) to less obvious (as simple as bonus gun damage making getting kill skills proc'd easier) and even wild synergies where skill on different parts of the tree work together in a way other games avoid. and having guns and other items work with these skills in ways that mean there is even more options and reasons to get each skill over another. this ultimately makes me continue to play those games because even with the same character there are so many different ways i can move the points around to get a slightly different or vastly different effect than before.

[@BismuthBorealis]

Scrolling down through the comments, I've not seen anyone mention Crosscode, which has a wonderful skill tree, where you unlock whole new sections at different parts of the game-- and of course, each node is a wonderful mix of sometimes stat boosts, but also different small abilities (but not that many abilities-- You missed the point that not every game is the sort where you unlock 50 different abilities and can have 20 or so active at any one time)

[@ineednochannelyoutube5384]

I really feel like the different specials, as well as combat health regen should have been part of your base toolset.

[@jamesmason3734]

Wow, I didn't realize it but they really do have 3 different skill trees in like every game now a days huh?

[@nikidino8]

or more and that's why I like path of exile, one big with many options to make your character better and the skill system is also completly separate from the passive tree.

[@Klayperson]

"you don't want to encourage grinding" *laughs in runescape*

[@deathtoll2001]

Laughs in literally any MMO

[@tjm3378]

Borderlands 2 and the pre-sequel had really fun skill trees. The first point unlocked your main skill (which most of the time was very cool) and the last point in the tree unlocked another like super skill, also very cool. The rest of the skills were of varying degrees, but always fun to put a point in one of them. Each character had 3 trees and I remember working to see what all of the final skills were. Later this month we will get to see what those skills are like in VR :). Just sucks the dlc characters are not included they were my favorite ones.

[@sanshuri]

Seriously, the DLC for every game was great. although Aurelia was game-breakingly strong, Jack's clone was the most fun I had in any of the borderlands. Krieg is probably second, and it's awesome how they're able to flesh out entire characters with nothing but a few voice lines and a skill tree.

[@scizzer12]

I hate when I boot up a new game and see the skill tree and go "alright. these all look pretty decent" and now I know all the skills I could possibly get. I want a surprise skill tree. You pick up some old relic and the skill tree grows another branch or something. I don't play enough games to know any that do this, but it would help preserve the sense of mystery while still being able to think about the cool things I have to work towards already.

[@bazzy5644]

I mean.. in a way the mentioned Typhon abilities in prey and also the "hidden upgrades" in the last deus ex game, mankind divided are along the lines of what you want. They just pop up way to early and only once, so its not much of a surprise if you inform yourself about those games at all. But the more i think about the idea the cooler i think this could be in a huge rpg, that would also mean locking skills to certain stats, imo. But i really think this could be done with careful planning on the devs and players end. Thanks for bringing this idea up and reminding me about the possibilities this could have.

[@samwallaceart288]

It would be fun to have a game that starts with a very simplistic skilltree and you're like "ok so this was an afterthought but fair enough." And then a 3rd into the game your character gets killed and resurrected by a magic bear and when you come back you have a third eye and your skilltree is suddenly 20 times bigger.

[@genshinsage]

God of War has exactly what you described. A surprise skill tree.

[@scoob1551]

Prey is such a good game.

[@bovinleephann6210]

Easily one of the most underrated games ever. I don't get the hate beyond "it's not Prey 2"

[@quantumedbox4341]

@@bovinleephann6210 it's great but, sadly, just too lazy and boring in the second half of the game

[@mikeryan1043]

@@bovinleephann6210 especially since it's better than the original Prey. Just played the old one the other day and while I think it's still a good game, it can't hold up against the new one.

[@scoob1551]

@@bovinleephann6210 Totally agree.

[@OtakuUnderground92]

Jump Smash Underrated for sure

[@bartleby116]

There was an old trait system in Guild Wars 2 that I really, really liked. Basically, you had specific traits locked behind different quests and public events. They told you what the trait was, where it was, what to do to get it. So there was a really fun loop of planning out my build, and then going and adventuring in order to get the traits I needed for it. My favorite example was I had to open a chest in a cave guarded by a massive slime that I couldn't defeat on my own. I was playing a mesmer, sort of an illusion mage. So I lured the slime out, and then used invisibility skills to get around the slime and to the chest unharmed. I got the contents of the chest and the trait I was after. It felt really clever and like I had done something only my class was capable of. It's one of my favorite experiences from that game.

[@haydenshack]

Wow, these videos are amazing and very inspiring. I can't stop watching them, they're showing me so much about something i love and raising my curiosity to want to attempt to make games. So let me cut to the chase i was wanting to ask if you know any easy learning starting game making tools like software. Thanks for the great videos!

[@carterchadwick5138]

I like Wolfensteins ll skill tree because it rewards your way of playing when you play that way. Such as if I play guns blazing I'll get better at blazing my guns and if I play real quiet my stealth will get better.

[@mattmorehouse9685]

Always make sure your guns are blazeable. You never want to be caught with boring non fire spewing guns!

[@Rialgar42]

On Skyrim: While I know that many players think that everything besides the combat is just flavour, I actually want to play it as a ROLE playing game. And if I want to play the role of a blacksmith, I have to craft a lot of daggers/armor/swords/whatever. I LIKED the grind as part of the gameplay, because it is a ROLE playing game, not a hack & slash. On the Final Fantasy Sphere Grid: It uses 'buffers' to make sure you have to walk a path through it, not simply pick a couple of skills. They slow down the progression so that the game can deal out steps more often without letting you boost through it. I am not sure if I like that, but that's what I think why it is so emormously big. (Well, that and the fact that it is meant for all of the characters simultaniously, not just one, so you build your party there, not an individual character, so 'forrest' is a pretty accurate term). This video mostly assumed that only combat and traversal/world exploration are valid gameplay, but I disagree. Exploring the Skill Grids can be gameplay, grinding can be gameplay, carefully planning your build can be gameplay. Sure, it requires more active participation of the player and more intrinsic motivation, but I feel that (AAA) games lately lack opportunity for intrinsic motivation, they are just big skinner boxes, dressed up in fancy graphics and hidden behind false 'choices'.

[@Rialgar42]

@BronzeGod What constitutes a good role playing game in your opinion? And where is Skyrim lacking? I find that I have to do a lot of the characterization in my imagination, since the game does not offer a lot of venues to do it. On the other hand I CAN do it in my imagination, and am not forced into "space hero horny for everyone Shepard" just by choosing the nice dialog options. I'd agree that e.g. Fallout New Vegas has a much better role play, but I still liked Skyrim in this regard.

[@racefrazier7998]

I really like Salt and Sanctuary. It's one of my favorite games. I like that daunting skill tree because it immediately tells the player you will not unlock it all.

[@BorrisChan]

I’ve always loved the the Elder Scroll take on leveling up certain abilities. You level them up by doing them. Sneaking. Lockpicking. Dialoguing. It’s the most realistic leveling up I know of. Just as in real life, if you want to run faster, you don’t go help someone with their groceries to unlock a currency. You run.

[@keen96]

Now wait a second here, Path of Exile's tree is perfectly reasonable for the type of game it is. If that was the tree for a single-player story driven game then yeah, it's dumb, but it's for a game where the basic purpose is to play with as many characters and builds as possible, and the tree is instrumental in facilitating that. Pretty disingenuous bit there if you ask me.

[@Nazareadain]

How does that even contradict what he said? If one build picks chaos inoculation and another does not, fair difference. If one has 10 more intelligence while another has 10 more strength which is fair to call a less meaningful difference, I'd say calling him disingenuous is pretty disingenuous.

[@psinjo]

I disagree.. in part, the skill tree in Poe does have enough content to support having so many different skills in the game, but to any one player, over 90% of the skill tree might as not be there. As well, if it's not a major node/keystone, it's not even worth mentioning. Even comparing between major nodes, there are plenty that are mathematically and objectively better choices than others, such as the Scion health wheel. A vast amount of the tree ends up having no purpose besides being s trap for new players to think the nodes are good. A vast amount of any advanced players skill tree just runs around grabbing a few important nodes and the rest is mostly health with a few super efficient damage nodes en route