Ah, I see. It would definitely help to choose what skills get upgrades as I progressed, but I don't find it too big of a deal. I've actually had wild animals help me subdue enemies out in the map, but it does seem like once you're in a base, the animals don't come in. I'm still not really interested in checking out the full game, and I'm sure by the end of this one I'll be more than satisfied with my experience.