I've been contemplating playing Diablo 2 Resurrected lately. I don't want to revisit it after 20+ years unless I try a unique build. Luckily there are a wealth of skill planners online, which has caused me to remember why D2's skill system, and those like it, irk me. There are a wealth of problems and they show up most prominently in caster characters will large amounts of active skills.
Originally, mastery skills were something that provided passive bonuses to other skills. In forgoing an active ability, the player could enhance a whole class of abilities or styles on their character. In Patch v1.10, Diablo 2 attempted to solve the skill tax, sunk cost, obsolescence, and skill point hoarding problems by giving skills synergy bonuses. Every skill now attained niche mastery qualities. The results are uneven. Some classes benefit more than others. Some builds no longer have skill hoarding problems. New issues were created though.
By shifting the difficulty equilibrium to account for the optimization power synergies could bring, synergies became a mandatory part of character building. This further reduces build styles, as it commits the player to skills they may not have desired to use. The logical consistency of some bonuses also creates redundancy on characters. The Sorceress is a prime example. Whereas Firebolt was an speed-bump on the way to Fireball, it is now necessary to the Fireball's full development. It solves the skill point hoarding issue, but obligates the character to a skill that will never against get used after Level 11. Other examples of these abound. While skills similar to each other granting synergies is logical, it produce undesirable results.
Proposed Solutions
To fix skill trees like Diablo 2's, I have a few ideas:
- Costs: Sunk & Taxed
The player has to commit to a skill in order for it to be worthwhile. The player either has to suffer near term by delaying character developing and hoarding points for the skills they intend to develop, or by permanently hamstringing their character by developing skills they don't want while they level up to unlock the tree. These sunk costs are also a major mismatch with skill obsolescence that occurs. Furthermore, patching rebalances can even destroy certain builds. - Skill Obsolescence
Early selections in many trees are not viable long-term and have no practical use even in normal difficulty once the player reaches Act 3. This is far more pronounced for caster classes, but can encumber martial classes too. For example, the Barbarian Masteries which allows the player to specialize in a class of weapon. For a game build around random loot drops, this is terrible design. - Discourages Experimentation
These lead to the player needing significant meta-knowledge or "burner characters" where they discover what works and what they enjoy. Any skill which is does not precede a skill they do want becomes strongly discouraged against. That many skills don't advance on a percentage basis will also punish players for valuing versatility, as they will be eclectic weaklings. While each class does have a few "one point wonders", the necessity to optimize for greater difficulties will shoe-horn players into fully investing into only a few skills.
Originally, mastery skills were something that provided passive bonuses to other skills. In forgoing an active ability, the player could enhance a whole class of abilities or styles on their character. In Patch v1.10, Diablo 2 attempted to solve the skill tax, sunk cost, obsolescence, and skill point hoarding problems by giving skills synergy bonuses. Every skill now attained niche mastery qualities. The results are uneven. Some classes benefit more than others. Some builds no longer have skill hoarding problems. New issues were created though.
By shifting the difficulty equilibrium to account for the optimization power synergies could bring, synergies became a mandatory part of character building. This further reduces build styles, as it commits the player to skills they may not have desired to use. The logical consistency of some bonuses also creates redundancy on characters. The Sorceress is a prime example. Whereas Firebolt was an speed-bump on the way to Fireball, it is now necessary to the Fireball's full development. It solves the skill point hoarding issue, but obligates the character to a skill that will never against get used after Level 11. Other examples of these abound. While skills similar to each other granting synergies is logical, it produce undesirable results.
Proposed Solutions
To fix skill trees like Diablo 2's, I have a few ideas:
- Fundamentally similar skills are consolidated, but evolve into the higher order skill after additional investment. For example, The Sorceress's Firebolt would become Fireball. The Amazon's Cold Arrow would become Freezing Arrow, then Ice Arrow. Etcetera.
- Mastery skills and individual synergies are eliminated. Instead, each tree gets a global passive bonus for each skill point invested in that tree. For example, every 5 skill points in the Paladin's Offensive Auras gives a +1 skill point equivalent bonus to all unlocked skills in that tree.
- Base potency is not based primarily on skill investment, but tied to the character's attributes. In Diablo 2, the best derivative for this is probably character level.
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