Let me start by saying I've had DUST for a total of approx. 2 weeks. I'm not a newcomer to shooters, and my background stems mostly from FPS in several systems. Delta Force: BHD/TS, HALO, Original COD(Not the recent trash), BF2/BF2142, ARMA Series, etc. I consider myself to be a fairly average and on good days above average FPS gamer. When I originally heard of DUST over a year ago I was damn excited because I'd always loved the concept of EVE but couldn't get into it at the time. Now that I've got myself a PS3 I rushed to grab up DUST.

My first reaction was this, okay not much in the way of a tutorial, but just takes some light reading and you've got the jist of it. Unforunately I was an IDIOT and spread my SP all over the place which lead to needing to make a new character. Second reaction was, okay woo I'm in Battle Academy and we're good to go. Get some kills, take some objectives, doing pretty darn well. Then, all of a sudden after 2 matches in Academy, those kills are nonexistent and every time I try to take an objective I'm getting sniped by a rail rifle toting heavy from halfway across the map behind a corner. Rinse, repeat, respawn.

After running into this stonewall that is proto/aurum weapon toting enemies, I'm starting to lose that initial excitement. I originally read that Academy was supposed to last until 10k WP or 1 mil SP, but come to find out it's only 1200 wp now. Anyone that plays half decent will have it in 1-3 matches of IBA. My question is, where is there, if any, incentive for a new player to continue on? Getting steam rolled by people who have been playing, or paying, more than you are really isn't my idea of fun. There's literally a 3/10 shot for me to successfully cap an objective now, and I am emptying almost a full clip into people only to have their shields shrug off the damage and drop me in 3 seconds, if that.

I realize most players who have been here a while will respond with HTFU, but I really don't care about those opinions. Majority of people I have seen yelling HTFU are people who are already 10 mil+ SP & Proto geared, spouting this garble at new players. My question is whether there's going to be any sort of easier transition for the newbie player who might need just a few more inches of help before they step off the MCC into a warzone where you're equipped with the equivalent of a BB gun against a howitzer.