SKILL TREES pros and cons

BVMP

>pros: straightforward
>cons: too straightforward
what.

>ivory power design
what.

skills trees are good. they give players options to customize their characters.

>>52808520
Ivory TOWER design. Fucking autocorrect.
>>what
Too much of a good thing, can happen.
We generaly agree.

>>52807757

Entirely depends on the context it's used in and the nature of progression down the tree.

Is it that as you go down the tree skills get more specialised, a larger bonus to a more narrow scope?

Or is it a direct increase in power, the further you go the stronger things get?

Or some mix of the two?

Or just a somewhat arbitrary method of linking together various things?

Tree progression structures have a place, but how they're being used is necessary to really evaluate them.

>>52808601
the only problem that arrises from skill trees is when the branches aren't balanced enough or different enough. each nodule on a skill tree needs to feel fun and worthwhile.

lots of games have really boring skill nodules which you must get to access other fun skill nodules. this feels bad.

>>52808629
>Is it that as you go down the tree skills get more specialised, a larger bonus to a more narrow scope?
If I were to design a game with skill trees I'd do it like this honestly: I'd have some very generic "Root" skills that give You the bases of What You want to do, some dependable "trunk" skills that give You the bread and butter and then various "branches" separating from them giving you specific things you want to do.
It would also partially correlate with power, in that the more specific the skill is the more direct in It's approach (and the higher It's bonus).

What systems actually do this? I know that GURPS has it to an extent, especially with magic, but I am not sure about others.

>>52809140
Good question.
I guess 4e, various WH40K rpgs etc could be said to get pretty near that.

>>52809166

4e doesn't really have skill trees? None of your choices are really directly linked to others beyond a few prereqs.

Exalted uses Charm Trees which are kinda like this, while the recently previewed Infinity RPG uses talent trees.

>>52809278
You're absolutely right. I just forgot exalted and went for the closest fits.