Re: Level 20 skills?
I actually like this change a lot. One thing that really bothered me in D2 was that I had the game beat (norm of course) before I even reached level 30. now if 20 is the new high I am all for it however, that level 20 means you need 20 points in that tree so it would only be level 20 if you put every last point into the one tree and skipped the other trees completely, and this is something I doubt will happen(also assuming there are no quest for skill points before level 20).
This information is dated. This is the last news Bashiok gave us:
[BLUE="(http://www.blizzblues.com/us/skill-trees-16903518463.html)"]"So, the system we have now... you'll have to just picture it without any visual representation, sorry. They're not radically different visually except that the trees are all viewable at the same time. Taking the barbarian trees for instance (berserker, battlemaster, juggernaut) they're not tabbed now, but instead all viewable at the same time. Side by side.
This is important due to how they are now a unified tier progression. Instead of spending 5 points in the berserker tree to then begin spending points in the second tier of the berserker tree, the new design allows you to spend wherever you like. As long as your points in the first tier of skills adds up to five, the next tier for all trees is unlocked.
...Currently we're envisioning the majority of skills to be capped at 5 points, to begin with. As a form of progression we're planning for players to be able to increase the point caps of skills. More than likely to a maximum of 15. It's a system that's still under heavy design, but the fact of choosing and increasing key skills beyond their initial cap is important to this new unified tier system."[/BLUE]
It sounds like there will be two dynamics: 1) earning skill points; 2) earning skill cap points. Who knows how this will work, but you can guess it will require more than earning skill points - maybe equipment, maybe dough, maybe experience, etc. I can also guess that this probably means a level-5 skill won't do too much later on just by itself: you will either have to raise the cap or have another passive skill boost it or both.
In response to the OP, new skills were not the only thing that made me look forward to progression; things such as completing my perfect build with all the right skill point allotments and equipment and seeing my character become a consistent one-hit-one-killer or godlike general (necro) was just as cool. And all the more so given that once you play for a while, you already know what skills are coming - it was the power, not the skill itself that drove me.
To this regard, the early game, where you got new skills was awesome and then the step by step addition of your final equipment was also awesome - Level such and such you put on 9 + to skill grand charms, level so and so you put on your harlequin crest... annihilus... enigma... and so on and so on.
When you add that to the new skill runes, which, at high levels, will essentially metamorphose your regular skills into something similar, but new and far more powerful, I think the intrigue of progression will remain quite high (for me at least).
Lastly, given your ability to respec, you will be able to move through the game - though, not necessarily level - much quicker, being godlike for the level you are at because you aren't banking skill points for later use. You could max out a bunch of tier 1 and 2 skills to get through your early char levels, respec for the mid levels with a limited repertoire of skills in tiers 1,2,3,4 and/or five and then respec once again for the high/final levels giving yourself 7-8 active, powerful skills from all tiers and trees. This will allow you to look forward to a whole new play type at least a few times in your character progression, the last play type being the build that can handle any situation, i.e. godlike again.
