This is a brilliant idea but execution leaves a lot to be desired. I get that there's a lot of judgement calls going on here but I really wish this would become a popular project with lots of subject experts to weigh in.
Looking at the PCB design skill tree, it just doesn't look very realistic. "Use an Autorouting tool," for example, is second after "Learn PCB Software" when it should be in the top half of the tree (if not in the top few rows).
"Design an SMD PCB" is on the same horizontal line as "Hand solder SMD Parts", as is "Learn to Read a Schematic" and "Learn PCB Software"(?!) Learning the PCB design software is a process that must run in parallel with most of the skill tree.
"Use a reflow oven to solder a PCB" is two who levels above "Use a pick & place machine" and so on. I get that a lot of this is path dependent on experience but "Use SMD tweezers" should probably go alongside "Solder SMD parts"...
Given the sheer breadths of topics (many non-tech), it'd be hard to to get expters to help cater every list. and of course, these kinds of skill workflows will always be opiionated. I can vouch in for game dev on a few odd sticklers:
- There's definietely a lot of fluff in the beginning and a few odd side roads. Fluff is definitely fine in the beginning (yes, you ideally should play games, and especially bad ones), but some seem a bit useless without more direction. like following a dev stream or learning about accessibility features (which I think is great, but this is so far into the future unless your audience is someone who needs it. Accessibility is polish beyond polish).
- There's an odd focus on tech that implies "more tools good". Make a game in Renpy, then make one in godot later on, then learn a 2d and 3d engine? as a nitpick I also find it funny that "make a game in Unreal Engine" either requires a game in Unity, a VR game, or this scenic route of level design and user research. What's your goal and game motivation? I go with the Bruce Lee mentality here. Pick a direction, pick a tool, then get really good at that tool. devs make games, not tools.
- similar story with game features and ieas. AI (game AI not llm), procedural generation, voice acting, puzzles, modding, etc? Some people could go their entire careers and not need to use these for their games. It's a general purpose list but I guess this is where roadmaps could help. you definitely need different steps to work on a puzzle game compared to VN, compared to a procgen'd rougelite.
- "fail to submit a game jam game before the deadline"... well, I didn't ask for a personal attack :(
Looking at the PCB design skill tree, it just doesn't look very realistic. "Use an Autorouting tool," for example, is second after "Learn PCB Software" when it should be in the top half of the tree (if not in the top few rows).
"Design an SMD PCB" is on the same horizontal line as "Hand solder SMD Parts", as is "Learn to Read a Schematic" and "Learn PCB Software"(?!) Learning the PCB design software is a process that must run in parallel with most of the skill tree.
"Use a reflow oven to solder a PCB" is two who levels above "Use a pick & place machine" and so on. I get that a lot of this is path dependent on experience but "Use SMD tweezers" should probably go alongside "Solder SMD parts"...