Ten Ton Hammer - The Dilemma of Level vs Skill - How Old Became New Again.
Among all the developers, it seems like allowing for player choice is an important aspect to their development philosophies, although the importance of those player decisions seems to be something that varies from studio to studio. Those that give players the option to choose their own skills rather than simply setting them on a level-based appear to have the belief that giving players the options to determine their own future - for better or worse - is the correct course to take.