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Apologies for the delay in this episode’s release. We were set to record last Wednesday until I got sick. We were able to work around Halloween shenanigans just so we could deliver unto you this delightful episode filled with gripes. Truly we are curmudgeons of the highest order.

In truth, I actually think this might be our best episode in a while, allowing us an opportunity to sit in our amateur game design chairs to not only critique but suggest. Skill trees are not an inherently bad feature to have in a game, we are just frustrated with how prevalent they are in games that don’t necessarily need them. I never like to call the inclusion of something “lazy”, but I do believe the purpose of some features in popular games are not thoroughly thought out. It’s possible the system itself is, but not whether that system is right for the game it is being dropped into.

I also need to make a correction. When I spoke of the tree-assassination ability in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, I misremembered its basic functionality. Lara strings a foe up in order to kill them sneakily, but then immediately drops the corpse onto the ground before she herself drops from the tree. The end result is no different than Lara merely leaping from the tree to stab her foe in the face, only the animation takes up more time. It’s not until the first upgrade that the body stays in the tree to be hidden. While it is not ideal for Lara herself to drop to the ground, it at least serves a purpose that the other assassination method does not. If the ability had at least started with this functionality, allowing Lara’s remaining in the tree to be the sole upgrade to this ability, it would begin with real purpose. Instead, they strip it of all purpose in order to justify their skill tree.

An illusion of progression and reward.

What are your thoughts on skill trees? Please comment on the Facebook page or e-mail ramblepak64 at gmail dot com with your thoughts, and maybe we’ll read them on the show.

Opening theme music by my buddy Brandon, a.k.a. Fallen Prophecy.