Very interesting. In order to not over complicate things with the skill tree, you should have to take an existing suit to customize.
You would then get max socket, max capacity, and max eHP based on the model used.

Example: (Scout G-1)
PG = 30 and CPU = 125 so the "Max capacity" would be 155 and would be used to adjust the CPU/PG as you please.

Shield =70 and Armor = 130 so the "Max eHP" would be 200.
1 grenad, high, side arm, and light and 2 lows so the "Max Sockets" would be 7 with the obvious limitations of no more then 5 highs/lows, 4 weapons (includes grenades), and 4 equipment.

Because you are a mercenary with no true alliegence with any of the 4 nations you don't have to stick with the layout that the individual races use (Caldari have high shields but weak armor). You could then take a sentinel suit and give it 0 shield and 810 armor (STD) or flip that and give it 810 shield and 0 armor (you actually have 1 hp after your armor hits 0) if you so choose.

This would cost a butt-load of ISK to design (using higher tier suits would cost even more) as it will be a Blue Print. You would then also have to pay to make BPCs for self use or to sell OR you could use AUR to create a BPO. YOU CANNOT GET A BPO OF ADV OR PROTO GEAR.

Due to the high cost it could actually be restricted to corporations. Now, like the 4 major corps, your corp can have there own unique style of armor. To kick it up a notch, throw in a corp warehouse to share with your corp members and, for a little extra ISK, allow the creator to give it a custom paint job. Keep the role colors but change the rest. For proto gear, you could only place your corps' emblem on the shoulders (and anywhere on the torso).

[Note] to use the suit in the example after it's customized and purchased, you would need at least one point in "Gallente Scout Dropsuits". Bonuses given are only half effective for custom suites.

Well that's what popped into my head after reading your poste. Either way I love the idea of personalization and customization so +1.

[EDIT] lol imagine a sentinel with 4 equip slots

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`Sigh. Just another fun game of DUST.

That's what I meant, existing suits. Like if you could make BPC's, you could take an existing one and make it better. Or make them advance one tier. So adv. suits would become equal to protos, etc.

And the only way you could make BPO's is by having enough SP and leveled up fully in the creation skills. Even then, you could only take say, a Raven C-1, and move it to Adv. level. However, you could do it differently with different effects, maybe for instance carrying more items, more armor, etc. so each suit could be semi-unique, and you could customize the colors/designs, and even name it yourself.

Exactly. But I say let the creators set their own price on the marketplace. If they intend to keep it, make them spend, as you said, a ton of ISK.

As for BPO, I could handle seeing Adv. BPO gear, and I think we will eventually anyway. To balance it, make the creator spend AUR instead of ISK to boost it up. That way, real money is being used for a suit that costs real money. I think that's fair. If you use ISK to build up a BPO suit, it loses BPO status. And make the AUR gear more limited.

Also, make all the suits have levels like existing suits. Like if a guy buys a BPO Raven customized, he has to have the skill to use it, and that's advanced Caldari, not the basic req. to run the Raven.

I feel, for the most part, we are on the same page here lol.

The ability to sell it was the whole reason why I said to make the Blue print very expensive.
I don't use AUR and yet I really like this lol.

Will be interesting to be in a fight and see someone on the enemy team sporting something you made. Just makes you really want to kill them because they would lose there suit and have to come back to you to buy more ROFL.

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`Sigh. Just another fun game of DUST.