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If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Alpha Two Phase III testing has begun! During this phase, our realms will be open every day, and we'll only have downtime for updates and maintenance. We'll keep everyone up-to-date about downtimes in Discord.
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
Class Skill Tree - Lack Choice
Mory
Member, Alpha Two
Ashes of Creation’s skill trees feel exciting at first, but the excitement doesn’t last. By the time you reach level 25, you’ve already unlocked almost every ability, leaving only a couple of choices untouched. That sense of “What will I unlock next?” fades away fast.
The issue is simple: there aren’t enough impactful choices. When you can unlock nearly everything, you’re not really building a character — you’re just filling in a checklist. And yes, I know people will say, “Secondary classes will fix that.” But even with dual-classing, the same problem happens: by level 50, you’ll still have almost everything unlocked.
The Core Problem we currently face:
By max level, players of the same archetype end up with nearly identical builds.
Unlocking almost everything removes sacrifice and identity.
Without scarcity, choices don’t feel impactful — and secondary classes risk becoming cookie-cutter.
The Mage Example
Let’s start with Mage. At endgame, every Mage looks the same because they all have access to the same abilities and rotations. Instead, the tree should push players to specialize more deeply:
Fire Mage – AoE burn damage, damage-over-time, explosive finishers.
Lightning Mage – burst damage, crits, mobility-based spellcasting.
Frost Mage – crowd control, slows, survivability.
This way, each Mage feels unique. You’re not “just a Mage,” you’re your own Mage with strengths, weaknesses, and a playstyle that fits your choices.
Secondary Classes Need the Same Treatment
Now imagine layering this deeper specialization system onto secondary classes. A Mage/Rogue combination should feel completely different depending on which path you commit to on both trees.
Here’s how it could look:
🔥 Fire Mage + Rogue = Pyro Shadow Walker
Fire-focused Mage tree + Stealth-heavy Rogue tree.
Playstyle: Strike from the shadows with flaming daggers and explosive finishers. High burst with fire-themed assassinations.
❄️ Frost Mage + Rogue = Glacial Trickster
Frost-focused Mage tree + Mobility-focused Rogue tree.
Playstyle: Slippery and hard to pin down. Uses slows, roots, and icy traps while darting around with evasive rogue skills.
⚡ Lightning Mage + Rogue = Storm Assassin
Lightning-focused Mage tree + Poison/DoT-focused Rogue tree.
Playstyle: Fast-paced assassin who shocks enemies with electricity, then watches poison finish them off. High-risk, high-reward gameplay.
The Fix
Add More Abilities/Passives Than Points Available
Players should never be able to unlock everything.
Gate Deeper skills/passives Behind Specialization
To unlock advanced Fire spells, you must commit heavily to Fire, meaning you’ll sacrifice access to top-tier Frost/Lightning.
Fuse Primary and Secondary Identities
Let specializations define how your secondary interacts. A Frost Mage Rogue should play very differently from a Fire Mage Rogue.
Introduce Endgame Masteries
At cap, offer unique titles/abilities (e.g., Archmage of Fire, Cryomancer, Stormcaller) that finalize your build identity.
Final Thoughts
Skill trees should be about meaningful choices — the sacrifices you make and the strengths you lean into. Expanding trees and forcing deeper specialization would ensure that builds remain unique and exciting not just while leveling, but all the way into endgame.
That’s what will keep Ashes’ classes truly fresh: not just being a Mage/Rogue, but being your version of a Mage/Rogue — a Pyro Shadow Walker, a Storm Assassin, or a Glacial Trickster.
The issue is simple: there aren’t enough impactful choices. When you can unlock nearly everything, you’re not really building a character — you’re just filling in a checklist. And yes, I know people will say, “Secondary classes will fix that.” But even with dual-classing, the same problem happens: by level 50, you’ll still have almost everything unlocked.
The Core Problem we currently face:
By max level, players of the same archetype end up with nearly identical builds.
Unlocking almost everything removes sacrifice and identity.
Without scarcity, choices don’t feel impactful — and secondary classes risk becoming cookie-cutter.
The Mage Example
Let’s start with Mage. At endgame, every Mage looks the same because they all have access to the same abilities and rotations. Instead, the tree should push players to specialize more deeply:
Fire Mage – AoE burn damage, damage-over-time, explosive finishers.
Lightning Mage – burst damage, crits, mobility-based spellcasting.
Frost Mage – crowd control, slows, survivability.
This way, each Mage feels unique. You’re not “just a Mage,” you’re your own Mage with strengths, weaknesses, and a playstyle that fits your choices.
Secondary Classes Need the Same Treatment
Now imagine layering this deeper specialization system onto secondary classes. A Mage/Rogue combination should feel completely different depending on which path you commit to on both trees.
Here’s how it could look:
🔥 Fire Mage + Rogue = Pyro Shadow Walker
Fire-focused Mage tree + Stealth-heavy Rogue tree.
Playstyle: Strike from the shadows with flaming daggers and explosive finishers. High burst with fire-themed assassinations.
❄️ Frost Mage + Rogue = Glacial Trickster
Frost-focused Mage tree + Mobility-focused Rogue tree.
Playstyle: Slippery and hard to pin down. Uses slows, roots, and icy traps while darting around with evasive rogue skills.
⚡ Lightning Mage + Rogue = Storm Assassin
Lightning-focused Mage tree + Poison/DoT-focused Rogue tree.
Playstyle: Fast-paced assassin who shocks enemies with electricity, then watches poison finish them off. High-risk, high-reward gameplay.
The Fix
Add More Abilities/Passives Than Points Available
Players should never be able to unlock everything.
Gate Deeper skills/passives Behind Specialization
To unlock advanced Fire spells, you must commit heavily to Fire, meaning you’ll sacrifice access to top-tier Frost/Lightning.
Fuse Primary and Secondary Identities
Let specializations define how your secondary interacts. A Frost Mage Rogue should play very differently from a Fire Mage Rogue.
Introduce Endgame Masteries
At cap, offer unique titles/abilities (e.g., Archmage of Fire, Cryomancer, Stormcaller) that finalize your build identity.
Final Thoughts
Skill trees should be about meaningful choices — the sacrifices you make and the strengths you lean into. Expanding trees and forcing deeper specialization would ensure that builds remain unique and exciting not just while leveling, but all the way into endgame.
That’s what will keep Ashes’ classes truly fresh: not just being a Mage/Rogue, but being your version of a Mage/Rogue — a Pyro Shadow Walker, a Storm Assassin, or a Glacial Trickster.
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