What’s up with the Skyrim skill tree???

Maybe I will never understand the Skyrim skill tree.

The first time I opened it up, I thought “wow, that looks so complicated!“ And ever since then, every time I open up, I think “wow, that looks so complicated!“

One problem is, even by the time I finished most of the quests, I still do not seem to have enough points to upgrade in most skills, even the skills I use the most. I know there are “tricks“ and even “cheats“ to build up your level quickly, but a lot of these look more like chores than actual fun. But forget that.

It would be easier to level up if I understood how the thing works, but then we get to the complexity thing again.

For example, I go into the skill tree and look up:

Locksmith

Perks to increase: 18

"Pick starts close to the lock opening position."

Lock picking 98 Requires 80

I can't select that one.

OK, I don’t get that. It says my current lock picking level is 98 and it only requires 80? Then why can’t I level up in that? Or maybe it means I need 80 more points in addition to the 98 I already have?

But then I look at:

Archery

Overdraw (1/5)

"Next rank: Bows do 40% more damage."

Archery 100 Requires 20

I CAN choose that one! But why?? By the logic of the locksmith skill, I require 20 more points than the 100 I already have, and yet, while I can’t choose the locksmith skill I CAN choose the archery skill?

I just give up.

Simple, really. You need to unlock all perks that "lead" to the perk you want; follow the "paths" in the constellations. The stars in the constellations indicate which perks have been picked, which perks can be picked, and which perks cannot be picked.

Overdraw is the base Archery perk, which means it can be picked right off the bat.
The Lockpicking perk you described is way higher up in its tree, which is why you cannot pick it right away no matter how high your Lockpicking skill is.

You need to climb up the skill trees. Essentially you are mastering skills over time. While working your heavy used combat skills is nice, working up that smith or alchemy tree on the side adds a nice extra dimension to your character.