The game descriptions states (and thus, someone at CCP states) that "the Commando is the ultimate suppression fighter." However, aside from the two light weapons and reload bonus, nothing about the commando encourages suppression. So why not fix that? You can do so through two steps.

1. Suppression fighter implies that you are fighting within large crowds (after all, if you're suppressing then other people need to be killing). Within large crowds, the key to survival is regeneration tanking, as opposed to brick tanking which is the key for one-on-one situations. However, currently the Commando has the weakest regenerative abilities of all dropsuits in the game (what blasphemy!). A dismal 10 hp/s shield recharge rate, and no low slots for armor repping at standard and only 1 low slot at advanced and prototype. This must be changed. I'm not sure what the new values should be, that is for CCP to decide, but the shield recharge rate should be one of the better ones among dropsuits and there should either be more low slots for armor repairing or simply give the Commando a nice inherent armor repair rate. In order to do this, you would likely have to reduce the Commando's overall eHP, which would be an acceptable exchange. Now the Commando can survive as a suppression fighter.

2. As much as I like the sound of Commando's getting extra damage to specific type of weaponry, this is not in line with being the ultimate suppression fighter. Instead, give the Commando a set of racial bonuses that increase your total ammo capacity. Make it large, so at prototype you have double or even triple the normal ammo capacity (that is, 20% ammo capacity of specific weapons per level or 40% ammo capacity of specific weapons per level). I know this sounds extreme compared to the normal ammo capacity skills of 5% per level, but keep in mind those skills are for all players to give them a little more staying power, while this Commando bonus will be exclusive to the Commando and aimed at giving him suppression power. Now the Commando can actually provide suppression instead of trying to conserve their ammo for shots that hit on target because of how little ammo you get. And in actuality, this should probably be the Role Bonus for Commandos and apply to all weaponry, while the reload speed bonus should be the set of racial bonuses and only apply to specific weapons.



Now the Commando has a clearly defined role on the battlefield and stats that back it up.


TL;DR
1) More regen ability, less brick tanking
2) Swap damage bonus for generous ammo capacity bonus

While your proposed bonus of increased ammo reserves seems nice (it would free up an equipment slot for something other than a nanohive while solo) and fits the role, I can't help but feel that clip size increase also fits the idea of suppression (better in my mind). But the reload speed bonus would make the clip increase almost redundant...

Part of me would like an increase to ammo capacity to all weapons as the role bonus, and a clip bonus to the weapons/damage types of their respective commandos as the racial bonus ( or something similar)... But I hear that the reload bonus can be quite nice once you are Level 5 (when stacked with rapid reload).

Either way, with the TTK as it is, increased damage seems both a bad idea, and somewhat useless. The bonus seems like it would not add much mileage to the commando role. Decently tanked suits can already die in a second or two, afterall.

I really like the suggested changes that CCP made for the commando. (dmg bonus to certain weapons)
I like the commando as a brick tanker and would love it to have that dmg bonus to certain weapons.

However I do like those other suggested ideas some of you made (lower base HP and lower melee damage but better regeneration abilities and higher total ammo capacity) and would really like them to be implemented as a Commando Type-II suit.

So a damage oriented brick tanking one-on-one Commando, and a suppression oriented regen tanking crowd-support Commando?

I could get behind that to a degree, however the former sounds a lot like the Assault class while the latter is something that Dust does not currently have but could really use.

i think the suppression comes from the damage bonus. your damage hits so hard that they cant/dont come out for fear of being shredded. the damage also is indirectly increasing your capacity as you dont require as many rounds to make the same kill. you end up dealing more damage per clip than any other class of suit while also reloading faster than any other suit class.

i think we're all just used to the traditional suppression role which is usually carry tons of ammo and spam as many bullets as possible at the enemy. this new commando is the same thing just done in a way we're not used to

Or make it a scout suit....

Not really, because no one is going to play like that. You get increased damage you're not going to try to suppress the enemy, you're going to try and kill the enemy. Giving the suit more ammo capacity is the only true way to make it a suppression suit.

so you want a true suppression unit then?... in my experience, the amount of time needed to effectively suppress an enemy or group even, is usually more than enough time to get sniped in the face. all that shooting and muzzle flash and noise is a big fat shoot me sign. you might as well just grab an enemy scanner and scan yourself for them at that point. however youre correct that we dont have the role as you imagine it

I disagree with the idea that the Commando should be specialized for suppression. That role should belong to the Sentinel with its machine guns (but as I said before, CCP doesn't know what suppression is). I also am not interested in hearing people moan about how the Sentinel is "point defense", because the suppression and point defense aren't mutually exclusive, they're mutually inclusive.

The Commando should be like the Assault, but with extra durability rather than mobility.

The better regen would be awesome, and who could say no to more ammo.

Agreed, +1

The game descriptions states (and thus, someone at CCP states) that "the Commando is the ultimate suppression fighter." However, aside from the two light weapons and reload bonus, nothing about the commando encourages suppression. So why not fix that? You can do so through two steps.

1. Suppression fighter implies that you are fighting within large crowds (after all, if you're suppressing then other people need to be killing). Within large crowds, the key to survival is regeneration tanking, as opposed to brick tanking which is the key for one-on-one situations. However, currently the Commando has the weakest regenerative abilities of all dropsuits in the game (what blasphemy!). A dismal 10 hp/s shield recharge rate, and no low slots for armor repping at standard and only 1 low slot at advanced and prototype. This must be changed. I'm not sure what the new values should be, that is for CCP to decide, but the shield recharge rate should be one of the better ones among dropsuits and there should either be more low slots for armor repairing or simply give the Commando a nice inherent armor repair rate. In order to do this, you would likely have to reduce the Commando's overall eHP, which would be an acceptable exchange. Now the Commando can survive as a suppression fighter.

2. As much as I like the sound of Commando's getting extra damage to specific type of weaponry, this is not in line with being the ultimate suppression fighter. Instead, give the Commando a set of racial bonuses that increase your total ammo capacity. Make it large, so at prototype you have double or even triple the normal ammo capacity (that is, 20% ammo capacity of specific weapons per level or 40% ammo capacity of specific weapons per level). I know this sounds extreme compared to the normal ammo capacity skills of 5% per level, but keep in mind those skills are for all players to give them a little more staying power, while this Commando bonus will be exclusive to the Commando and aimed at giving him suppression power. Now the Commando can actually provide suppression instead of trying to conserve their ammo for shots that hit on target because of how little ammo you get. And in actuality, this should probably be the Role Bonus for Commandos and apply to all weaponry, while the reload speed bonus should be the set of racial bonuses and only apply to specific weapons.



Now the Commando has a clearly defined role on the battlefield and stats that back it up.


TL;DR
1) More regen ability, less brick tanking
2) Swap damage bonus for generous ammo capacity bonus

Not really, because no one is going to play like that. You get increased damage you're not going to try to suppress the enemy, you're going to try and kill the enemy. Giving the suit more ammo capacity is the only true way to make it a suppression suit.

Getting rid of the damage bonus?!?! You so crazy. Now swapping the reload for an ammo bonus? Me likey!

I still stand by that giving one class of infantry a straight up bonus to weapon damage is not the best idea. While of course I love how it made the commando suit viable, at the same time it made other suits like the assault obsolete.

I still stand by that giving one class of infantry a straight up bonus to weapon damage is not the best idea. While of course I love how it made the commando suit viable, at the same time it made other suits like the assault obsolete.