Yes, plenty of people do not want the game to be pay to win.

Getting ISK is what the game is about (we are Mercenaries) not SP. If you are in it for SP, you are doing it wrong.

Noobs should still be able to compete against vets, but it should not be easy. What you are suggesting would make it utterly impossible. We want new players to join, and stay with DUST 514, not to be driven away by some mouth breather behind a computer desk with a chip on his shoulder since Jr. High School.

Tiers allow you to be slightly better, not all powerful gods of the battlefield.

I still use standard gear in most matches I play, not because I need to save ISK, but I don't need Proto Gear to be successful in most matches.

A while ago IWS said proto tanks are a bad idea because the max amount slots per high/low is 5 each, and every race would basically have the same tank. Not to mention the tanks would suck balls, not getting their primary tanking improved. I agree, for those reasons. Instead of relying on slots, we can give them other bonuses and still make them balanced for a proto tank.

In chromosome, we were given advanced tanks called the Sagaris (Caldari) and the Surya (Gallente). They were faster, had more fitting (CPU/PG), slightly more base HP and had an additional slot on the opposite tanking gender (i.e, Caldari gains an additional low slot, vice versa). It was simple stat boosts that made the Sagaris and Surya worth using and still balanced. Yes, a single person with proto AV would still smack them around but they couldent be soloed in a single clip of anything, they were able to escape a single person preforming the proto AV and die miserably to 2 proto AV users, as they should. Proto should always annihilate standard, and even still best ADV, just not as hardcore. Chromosome tanking was a perfect balance of this.

A proto tank can be scaled in the same manner, just give it more base stats. At the time, the base HP of the tanking gender of the (standard) gunnlogi/madrugar was 2000 HP and the (adv) sagaris/surya had 3200. Perhaps proto can have 4500-5000 base HP per tank gender? (Per scale with 1.6 changes). The natural shield regen was also increased, so do the same for the proto tanks. From there, increase the speed from the ADV tank to make it fit for proto. The additional slots can be given or held, it doesent really matter much.

Skills (numbers used are place holders, they can be changed)
The Sagaris/Surya were called Marauder tanks, and there was a marauder skill. At the time, it gave a 5% bonus to missile/blaster damage per level. The bonus does different things per race, obviously, but it could do more than simply buff damage. They could increase base speed 10% per level (minmitar), 33% increase to natural shield regen per level natural shield regen (caldari), 10% increase to base HP per level (gallentee) or give a host of small bonuses like 5% increase speed + 15% increase to natural shield regen +5 increase base to HP (all per level) for Ammar tanks. Perhaps these listed bonues combined with other bonuses per level? This way, the skills for a proto tank are unique for each race and usefull, but still balanced.
^^
these skills would have to be applied to all 3 levels of the tanks (std, adv, proto) just like they are for dropsuits, so the proto tank is actually a proto tank and not say a marauder or enforcer tank. Proto marauder? proto enforcer? Proto logi tank? They do different things. so it would be like standard gunlogi/madrugar, adv gunlogi 2/madrugar 2, proto gunlogi 3/madrugar 3. Exactly like dropsuits, these are the "basic suits" of tanks.

So basically, dont rely on slots to make a proto tank. Give each tank tier bonuses to make them better than the tier below it and keep these bonuses race specific to make all the tanks unique and non copyable or cloned by the other races.

Specialty tanks
-A logi Lav/dropship has built in resist and built in damage output reduction with more HP. Can be done the same way for tanks.
-The enforcer is supposed to be long range and weak. The skills can better reflect on this, give a 25% increase to weapon range and zoom per level and reduce its slot count and base HP, not fitting. That way it is unique, non copyable, it is a specific kind of tank. Oh, and 5% to rendering range per level?
-Again, placeholders
-Increase their stats as they go through the stand/adv/proto teirs, do not rely on slots, slots are too easily copied per race.

What you guys think?

Sounds very good

Put back the PG/CPU increase
Put back the 25% increase to shields or amor skills
Passive resists based on their designated race
Slot increase is a must :)

did you read the OP? going to at least give reasoning?

Yea read the OP.


Slot increase will be consistent with CCP's idea to make the power be on the modules and skill points rather than in the raw vehicle, which allows them to be vulnerable during cooldown. Obviously not increasing the opposite type of tanking slots, instead of an advanced armor tank having 3/5 make it 2/6

Passive resist is important at least by a small % more per level, because of damage mods and natural additional damage

The % increase to EHP would not be as op as an increase in the base ehp

I'm lazy :(

PERFECT!!!! :O

This is one of the few times were its safe to say HTFU new players, get some SP and continuing using tactics so you can catch up to those using tactics+protogear. Its how the game works, teirs make you waaaay better than those with a lower teir than you. Yeah like you said you will always have the ability to win with a lower tier but tiers have always offered a massive advantage in dust. Tanks should not be any different, a noob in a standard tank should be crushed by a proto tank without any fighting chance in hell if he doesent use tactics and teamwork to take him down. Its how tiers work. Also, proto AV exist, proto tanks need to be strong enough to require the powerful proto AV to counter them. I do not say they need to be stronger than the AV, it needs to require its use to be countered properly