Skill Tree UI and Bosses

User Interface is probably the thing I like least about game design.  But we managed to put something together that currently represents our idea for player progression in the game.  The skill tree is divided up into 4 sections "Offense", "Defense", "Force" and "Salvo".  The player must put points into the base of the tree in order to unlock specific skills within the tree, much like Titan Quest and Grim Dawn.

Putting points into the specific upgrades in the trees don't unlock any special abilities, but they do enhance what they upgrade.  So if you put points into DAMAGE, then your damage will increase across the board.  If you put points into CRIT DAMAGE, then your critical damage will increase when using a weapon that incorporates critical strikes (not all weapons do).  If you put points into AOE LIFE then the duration of Area of Effect fields will be increased for those weapons that have AOE effects.

It's designed to support your playstyle.  Find weapons you like, then pump skill points into the skill tree to enhance them.

Other things we have added to the gameplay are boss encounters, where the level progression will stop until the boss is destroyed.  These bosses are bigger, have more health and shoot more bullets.  They will also be the main source of random weapon drops and good sources of experience points.