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[Flet]

One other thing I'd like to consider is separate skill pools:
- personal
- fleet-wide combat
- fleet-wide logistics
- colony (which may or may not be available to player character, cores and admins do good enough job there)
- free (may be put into any of available categories)

This we won't have the officer-envy issue when player goes for 'optimal' (in some way) non-combat build and can't do anything in combat.

This would be best really. I was just thinking that currently there would not even be a reason to go full industrialist in the game since its not like colonies amount to anything but a support structure for your own player activities which are all combat in nature (even exploration is just exploring to find things to fight or to help you fight - hell even colonies themselves create pressure for combat-content so everything is combat in the end).

Since colonies are a support system however, some possible colony-modifying things for the player within the fleet-logistics tree makes sense, as its just another form of fleet logistics. Player-goverened colonies should probably be out though, you are commanding a fleet not sitting on a planet. Player-faction wide perks are one thing but each individual colony should have an administrator you put in charge of it.

[Davy Crockett]

Completely agree with OP's assessment. Here are a few points that stand out to me.

- If I want both T5 Combat skills, at T4 I will have to pick two skills that have mutually exclusive uses (especially bad considering this was addressed in the old system by having them wrapped into the same skill). Piloting a phase ship, the T1 skill that only affects fighters from your flagship is useless as well
- It's impossible to have all colony management skills at the same time
- If I want any colony management skill at all, I will need to spend at least 4 points on things that have nothing to do with colonies
- The T4 Industry skills kill each other
- Skill bonuses shrinking the bigger your fleet feels really bad. Running a phase fleet, I'm practically wasting points by picking Phase Corps. The 30% bonus is already reduced to 26% if the only phase ship in my fleet is a Doom

To sum up, I just don't understand the benefit of having to pick skills in a fixed order. The "wrapping around" thing doesn't make sense, and the fact that some choices contradict each other reinforces this. I feel like having 15 points to spend on a selection of 40 skills is limiting enough on its own.

[Chaos Blade]

One other thing I'd like to consider is separate skill pools:
- personal
- fleet-wide combat
- fleet-wide logistics
- colony (which may or may not be available to player character, cores and admins do good enough job there)
- free (may be put into any of available categories)

This way we won't have the officer-envy issue when player goes for 'optimal' (in some way) non-combat build and can't do anything in combat.

Honestly I am not sure, it is better than current, but where would you put trade or salvage related skills? I feel they shouldn't be on free, they totally should have an impact on colony but don't feel like they are colony skills (Trade should affect accessibility or market access or market share, salvage should be more limited to tech mining, but should totally have an impact on the game beyond simply salvaging, maybe access to salvage teams that use your colony as springboard and offer you slim picks in return?)

[TaLaR]

Honestly I am not sure, it is better than current, but where would you put trade or salvage related skills?

Fleet-wide logistics (stuff that affects fleet, but not directly in combat). Navigation/sensors, supply/fuel efficiency, salvage, etc go here.

[Serenitis]

It literally doesn't matter how you arrange the skills.
If there are still 'gates', skills locked behind other skills there will always be someone who has been prevented from doing what they want in a game where the tagline is "seek fortune and glory however you choose".

And furthermore, I consider that Carthage must be destroyed.

[isyourmojofly]

Can't say I've considered things as much as some on this thread, but I really like the new tree. Feels like the skills are impactful and interesting.

Though the wrap-around mechanic seems like I'd end up taking some skills I just don't care about.

[Chaos Blade]

It literally doesn't matter how you arrange the skills.
If there are still 'gates', skills locked behind other skills there will always be someone who has been prevented from doing what they want in a game where the tagline is "seek fortune and glory however you choose".

And furthermore, I consider that Carthage must be destroyed.

I mean, I understand but I think two sets of skill levels (basic skills and advanced) the latter which become unlocked by level could sorta work, alternatively there is the idea of further developed skills, that is to say a variant on the older skill tier system, those could offer gate systems that aren't that obtrusive or are even logical.

the Carthague line is an alusion to Derelict Contingent? because if so, I am fully on board

[rude_strudel]

I was very shocked by the skill system changes but also excited. It was very obvious to me (having put over 1,000 hours in this game over its history) that the previous skill tree for replays was 99% meta-locked. No matter how many times and methods I replayed the game, I always picked the same sets of skills or if I didn't I felt like I just shot myself in the foot for enjoyment. I'm not even talking about combat skills just general QoL.  The new skill tree just outright gifted away such big benefits that it was hard to see which was the best option (a decision which I loved).

Now, at about 70 hours into my current playthrough, I still feel the new skill system is fantastic. The player is able to jump right into any playstyle and quickly change their own course at any time with the story points. I had such an abundance of story points throughout my game that I could reset anytime I like while still exploiting their campaign power. 

I don't really want to talk about balance so much as roleplay atmosphere. Your past (and present) with the Galataia academy creates a persona of a character who has wisdom beyond necessity (IMO which is why plot asks you to take on...SPOILER) . The skill tree forces you into a more immersive position where you not only gain the proficiency that you seek but also acquire wisdom in skills that you do not know how or when they will help you (but they will if you allow them). I am having such a great time with this playthrough that I expect about another 50-100 hours before a remake playthrough.

 The skill system IMO is very good, it is a cunning balance between satisfaction and temptation. The best part, with patience you CAN have it all.

[Demetrious]

I feel like having 15 points to spend on a selection of 40 skills is limiting enough on its own.

This is my feeling as well. The game is sufficiently in-depth that starting another character to play in another style isn't really viable; at least to me. And we're given free storage bases to use so changing fleet compositions regularly is entirely possible - but the current skill system forces you to commit to, at best, one or two styles of play.

I think the idea was that we would respec fairly regularly with the 1 SP cost there to disincentive doing it all the time, but not make it prohibitively expensive to do so, but in practice it just feels like a pain in the rear end. I think this system could work well, more or less, because it does ask you to prioritize things while still gaining levels, and to meaningfully fill out the skill trees you'll be looking at something like level 25 or so, which does take some time to reach. It also gives you goals to achieve after you've maxed out your "first choices."

And after you've filled the entire skill tree out, well, there's still max level bounties and other insanely difficult [REDACTED] to tangle with and XP still gives you story points so you still get something out of taking and winning fights past battle salvage.