Great post, and dead on.

I will add this:

I think that in a game like Dust, you're actually better off investing in core skills FIRST rather than the weapon. The thinking is the incremental increase in weapon is less valuable than the increase in your core skills (and survivability). In addition, core skill investment will allow you to fit more things (including better weapons), rather than be hamstrung by a weak PG/CPU/loadout.

That's not to say you should ignore investing in weapon skills, but rather take a long hard look at increasing core skills first.

Key core skills: Core upgrades, Engineering, electronics, shield, armor .... then weapon.

I understand the principle and it is sound advice later down the road, but for the early early days... the thing is, if you can fit the best modules/weapon you have skills for onto the best suit you have, training up fitting skills does absolutely nothing for you until you have better modules/weapons. It is a long term thing, but I find that gaining higher-level gear FIRST is preferable, and then work on whatever fitting skill you need later. Some will need Electronics IV but only Engineering I... and if they automatically go to III in both it just takes longer to fit the suit they like, if you get what I'm saying?

There is also diminishing returns to consider. Getting Shield Upgrades from IV to V is a huge SP sink for <10 total HP gained. Getting Assault Rifle from I to III costs less in terms of SP, but improves base stats of all ARs as well as a 5% DPS increase which over the course of a battle is going to result in ~5% more damage done to the enemy if a Gek is used.

Generally early on you should be focusing on getting lots of core+weapon+suit skills to II-III to give you the most bang for your buck. It is the decision to take something from III-IV or V where I usually see people regretting things dome impulsively. If it is a core skill though, that decision should never be regretted.

It's a delicate balance.

I don't get it - it sounds like trying to say proto are so awesome that...never mind bringing the most expensive gear to public matches to fight people just out of the academy.

Maybe if folk couldn't farm a better K/D ratio (to compensate for their PC or other battle deaths) by taking proto to public matches, it'd be better.

Because that's what your doing.

Hell, if you could get into academy with your proto suits on, you would.

Not because of any special complex meaning. There's no depth to it.

I don't get it - it sounds like trying to say proto are so awesome that...never mind bringing the most expensive gear to public matches to fight people just out of the academy.

Maybe if folk couldn't farm a better K/D ratio (to compensate for their PC or other battle deaths) by taking proto to public matches, it'd be better.

Because that's what your doing.

Hell, if you could get into academy with your proto suits on, you would.

Not because of any special complex meaning. There's no depth to it.

what community are you from where the vets handicap themselves pre game for sake of some noobs who havent yet "unlocked" scopes, grips, attachments, perks and what not?

there is no FPS community out there that does this they just laugh at the noobs who demand it. so stop expecting ours to be the first.

I'm informing rookies that building your character should be a bigger priority than getting than using better gear.

Hey, in a running race between a four year old and yourself an adult, why would you handicap yourself?

But hey, bring in the 'don't do that' strawman to beat up on, in order to avoid the 'well, its a bit sad winning against a four year old, isn't it?' point.