You should gutt +skills on items for 0.4 to see how it works out

Part of me hopes that +lvls has been implemented to be a primary method of scaling just to simplify things across the board while they work on adding new skills/weapons/content into the game in the first place, with a side effect of making gearing a bit obtuse for us in the interim.

A bit like keeping simple base stock in the soup while you work on peeling and adding the carrots, onions, potatoes, meat, etc. to optimize the flavour-impact of each individual ingredient. It also really only makes it appropriate to shake things up with spices, adjustments, or enhancements once you've finished putting everything into the pot and have given it a little time to stew a little.

I am suddenly very hungry.