My two cents on the changes to SKILLS and FEATS...

[Saurstalk]

I read through the chapters on skills and feats and can offer perhaps more generalized and streamlined commentary. In so doing, as least for skills, I welcome people to look at my Proposed House Rules for condensing skills at Mediafire: Lost in Translation.

1. SKILLS.

a. Skill ranks v. Skill training. I'm indifferent. I like the versatility of ranks and I like the simplicity of training. Training perhaps makes more sense with a condensed skill list than ranks.

b. Condensed Skills. Paizo has a good start, but not good enough. (See my .pdf above.) There are a great many skills that can be folded together to streamline the game. Acrobatics [balance, escape artist, fly, tumble], Athletics [climb, jump, swim], Disable Device [disable device, open lock], Deception [deception, disguise], Handle Animal [handle animal, ride], Knowledge (arcana) [knowledge (arcana), use magic device)], and Persuasion [diplomacy, intimidate] come to mind.

c. Fly. Why have it? My recommendation would be to incorporate Fly, when applicable, under Acrobatics.

d. Linguistics. Me like.

2. FEATS.

a. Acrobatic-type feats v. Skill Focus. Frankly, if Paizo were to condense more of its skills, it'd make those feats that catered to 2 different skills generally obsolete. Then a player could simply focus on Skill Focus for skill boosts.

b. Combat Feats. I like this. It's not really that different from 3.5, except in name. But it's still nice.

c. Total List of Feats. I read the disclaimer that not all feats were included in the alpha .pdf. Will they (and spells, etc.) be in the final product. I hope so. I'd much rather have one book than multiple books.

[Pneumonica]

One of the reasons I like the subheading of "combat feats", even if it's not mechanically any different, is that it means not having to have a discrete "fighter" list. No more having to note "can be taken by fighters", etc. Fighters get combat feats. Period. End of story.

One other thing - Streamlining isn't the specific intent of the skill splats. It's done to equalize skill values against each other. I don't 100% agree either with intent or with outcome, but in some cases I can see the point. I personally am in the "ditch Use Rope" camp myself, and I also never liked the notion of having to take two different skills in order to be sneaky (Move Silently and Hide).

I like having the Fly skill. It exists for the same reason as Swim and Climb. For those people who disagree with having a skill that not every character can use, I bring you Spellcraft.