... use my ADV LR ...

I know guys who went this route. They complain NONSTOP about not being able to kill and/or getting killed too much.

It's literally the worst thing you can do in this game if you ever want to be good at it.

Don't be fooled into it, most weapons at ADV are good enough. Additionally, when you are running a squad of six, that extra damage you might get from speccing is only a drop in the bucket. The only two weapons I consider beneficial to spec into with the current meta are swarm launchers and grenades. All the SP you save by not going proto can go into your core and tanking skills, easily putting your suits in the 700-900 hp range. That +4% -> +15% dmg you get for the proto gun or an additional 300% hp?

Most dropsuits at adv are good enough too, and with the sp you save you could get both specialties to adv on the side! You would become the generalist Monster. Adaptable to anything. Nerf Proof. Well balanced and knowledgeable in all weapons and fittings, allowing you to think up counters to specialists that they couldn't dream of due to their limited experience with other weapons.

Are you a generalist?

If you are running solo, then by all means spec proto, you absolutely need to be able to take all the damage you can to survive, but if you are running in a squad, proto or adv, it doesn't really matter.

As a 'specialist' I have to say... I enjoy mowing down generalists in pubs when I play. Not sure what this 'lie' is.

Don't be fooled into it, most weapons at ADV are good enough. Additionally, when you are running a squad of six, that extra damage you might get from speccing is only a drop in the bucket. The only two weapons I consider beneficial to spec into with the current meta are swarm launchers and grenades. All the SP you save by not going proto can go into your core and tanking skills, easily putting your suits in the 700-900 hp range. That +4% -> +15% dmg you get for the proto gun or an additional 300% hp?

Most dropsuits at adv are good enough too, and with the sp you save you could get both specialties to adv on the side! You would become the generalist Monster. Adaptable to anything. Nerf Proof. Well balanced and knowledgeable in all weapons and fittings, allowing you to think up counters to specialists that they couldn't dream of due to their limited experience with other weapons.

Are you a generalist?

You're looking at the wrong things.

Observe Shield Extenders. Their growth is 22/33/66 with a passive boost from the skill itself. Proto performs to triple the standard of basic, double that of enhanced.

Grenades get both splash radius increase and a large damage boost.

Protosuits get more fittings and slots to make use of the aforementioned Extenders.

...wait, you even mentioned not pooling it all in weapons in favour of tanking now that I reread it. What you advocate there -is- a specialisation, just one that pays off to a ridiculous degree as opposed to one with a more moderate payoff.

Point undermined in your own post, then?

If you are running solo, then by all means spec proto, you absolutely need to be able to take all the damage you can to survive, but if you are running in a squad, proto or adv, it doesn't really matter.

thanks for the advice, I'll keep it in mind.

Solo generalists not equal to a squad of generalists. They get mowed down, swap to their next suit choice (which usually counters whatever killed them) and then turn the tides. Specialists have to rely on their specialty in all situations. CqC ARs killing you? Bring a squad of cqc mass drivers/ hmgs / shot-guns (lol, jk).

Snipers got you down? A squad of tacs should put an end to that.

vehicles everywhere? Forge-guns / swarms'll put an end to that.

They can not only do it all, they can do it all well They may not be +15% better than someone with the same weapon, but they can certainly come back with the weapon that drastically counters whatever is hitting them.

You're looking at the wrong things.

Observe Shield Extenders. Their growth is 22/33/66 with a passive boost from the skill itself. Proto performs to triple the standard of basic, double that of enhanced.

Grenades get both splash radius increase and a large damage boost.

Protosuits get more fittings and slots to make use of the aforementioned Extenders.

...wait, you even mentioned not pooling it all in weapons in favour of tanking now that I reread it. What you advocate there -is- a specialisation, just one that pays off to a ridiculous degree as opposed to one with a more moderate payoff.

Point undermined in your own post, then?

Solo generalists not equal to a squad of generalists. They get mowed down, swap to their next suit choice (which usually counters whatever killed them) and then turn the tides. Specialists have to rely on their specialty in all situations. CqC ARs killing you? Bring a squad of cqc mass drivers/ hmgs / shot-guns (lol, jk).

Snipers got you down? A squad of tacs should put an end to that.

vehicles everywhere? Forge-guns / swarms'll put an end to that.

They can not only do it all, they can do it all well They may not be +15% better than someone with the same weapon, but they can certainly come back with the weapon that drastically counters whatever is hitting them.

Correct in a way, mind you. I am speaking of weapon specialization, or suit specialization. Training core-skills isn't a specialization as those modules and bonuses apply to all suits.

Omni-soldiering is a specialization in flexibility.

This is correct, vehicles are also included in an Omni-soldiers tool-bag.

i agree, but wouldn't recommend being too serious about vehicle skills at the start... there is a lot to invest into vehicles till they start to pay off outside of single use a to b transport....unless you murder taxi *angry cat hissssssssss....evil glare*