Re: Skill Tree
If you look at the design of the talent tree, it is easy to see why they have made the change.
Despite your concerns it does make sense why they have made the change; every other MMO has effectively done the same thing.
It becomes unrealistic to expect any gaming developer to foresee exactly how players will use such a diverse system as what was previously the norm, and experience has shown that turds like me made it an endless cycle of having to rethink and redevelop core game/class mechanics and such because that system allowed for such an expansive range of use.
Examples would be the time I argued openly with everyone that my Marauder made healers redundant; after extensive debate we ran a Nightmare mode run without any healers and 2 marauders geared/spec'd a specific way; No one died!
Not to mention "Flashbang Sorcs", "God Mode Juggs", "1-2 Shot Opertives", "Instant Cast Sorcs".. the list goes on.... but the Healing Marauder was one of my favorite. (*it did so well that 1 Marauder (Mine) was able to out-heal 4 dedicated healers collectively almost 3 fold).
Every class has at some time been open to a left field idea that has made 'balancing' a constant issue.
All the new system has done is made things easier for everyone concerned, players included to play the game/class as conceptually perceived and intended.
Nothing was taken away from the players of any great concern as things were hardwired into the classes, in many cases there is still room to move to adjust to player style.
"Nuts n Bolts" of it all... less time on game balancing and more time on player content should always = a win.
