Originally Posted by Grokalibre

I usually don't like skill trees because in way too many cases they force me to put points in skills/talents I just don't want.
Yes i understand that, but weither you buy skills and learn them or not in DOS you've wasted points to get to the requirement of your wanted skill.

Originally Posted by Grokalibre

Also most of the time the "early spells" become obsolete once you unlock the following tiers. Some games do it right imho by giving these early spells utility that late big nukes won't have but unfortunately they're a minority.
Yes this utility of the minor spells can be achieved with high level talents that can augment basic spells. What you describe is what i would call the best design there is.

The problem is, before you didn't already find the book "Ice Blast" you don't know that it exists and after you find it, you probably have the wrong skills skilled for it.

Concerning pre-requirements and skill trees, i think it depends on how the skill system is designed. DOS doesn't have to use trees. Larian can think up whatever they want as long as its visual and helps me understand what's going on it's ok imho. I think we both agree on that.

By forcing players to put a lot of points into the same attribute which both is required for higher level spells and at the same time boosts the strength of this class spells is not optimal imho. Basically if i put all my skills in a single magic school i will do extrem damage which is either imba or worthless (when encountering an entity immune to that magic school or has magic shield against it). Binary choices aren't good.