So I have a suggestion that might end up being a little controversial. I believe that it would be a good idea to restrict the use if certain items in different levels of gameplay. To put it simply, I don't think that prototype equipment should be usable in pub matches, meaning the basic Ambush, Skirmish and Domination game modes listed first on the battle finder.

So before everyone gets super up in arms about my suggestion, let me say just a few things and defend my point. I can fit a proto suit with most of the proto goodies that can be put on it. I don't say this because I can't run proto suits in pub matches - I can. I have the ability to, and the general funds to do so. So read the rest of this and then you can start getting mad at me for suggesting this.

1) First off, it sucks for new players. I understand, this is New Eden. I play EVE - I know the virtual world we live in. So I get the mentality of throwing the new players right in and hope they do well enough. But as far as I can see, there isn't really any big or useful continuing influx of new players. Something's not working. Few people will want to continue playing this games if the first game they're thrown into (after the academy, of course) they get completely destroyed by a team running proto suits, which they have little-to-no hope of being able to kill. It's the nature of the beast, and it works for EVE. But from my perspective, people who play First Person Shooters aren't as patient or forgiving. And if we can all agree that the game isn't dying, but it also isn't growing, I think taking proto-tier items out of thise pub matches would help keep those newer players, creating a newer growth. If everyone is on a more level playing field, so to speak, then the game introduces more success in regards to having skill, which is what a lot of people that play FPS games pride themselves on. And there wouldn't be anymore insane beat downs - at least not due to proto tier items.

2) I also think that if the game were structured a little like EVE, it might work out well. EVE has high-, low-, and null-security space. As you go down the security ladder, more items are available to your use. For example, stealth bombers can't bomb in high-sec. Bombs aren't allowed. So why don't we make pub matches high-sec space, factional warfare low-sec space, and PC null-sec space. Items up through the advanced tier can be used in pub matches, leaving players on a more even field from beginner to veteran. Saves the new player frustration, the frustration people who can't afford proto all the time, as well as people being saved from the wrath of their corpmates when they lose a proto suit or vehicle in a pub match and it "wasn't their fault." Also, if you save proto-tier for PC, there's an incentive for more players, corporations and alliances to try and get into PC. People like to use the better stuff, so if they want to use it, give them a big incentive to participate in PC. Doing that would result in an increase in PC activity, and would probably bring new players to the table to try and test their luck at it. I understand, though, that a lot of the owned districts are constantly locked, and richer corporations are better able to defend, etc., so there are obviously some PC mechanics that need to be fixed as well. But I think this would be a good thing.

I'm sure that there will be people who support this idea, as well as those who will want to tear my head from my shoulders for suggesting this. But I really think this would be a good idea. There are no cons to this change, only pros. New players won't be turned away (at least as quickly - can't help if they don't like the game), there would be a more level playing field requiring skill at the game to become a more important tool rather than only better equipment, and there would be an incentive to participate in PC, hopefully increasing PC activity and revitalizing the excitement that people had for it in the past. If there's something to work toward, people will work for it. Make it something special that people want to be a part of.

Alright, I'm done. Commence the raging.

git gud nub

Didn't read.

git gud nub

But seriously, this has been suggested about 1000 times over, with no sign of CCP notice. :/

So I have a suggestion that might end up being a little controversial. I believe that it would be a good idea to restrict the use if certain items in different levels of gameplay. To put it simply, I don't think that prototype equipment should be usable in pub matches, meaning the basic Ambush, Skirmish and Domination game modes listed first on the battle finder.

So before everyone gets super up in arms about my suggestion, let me say just a few things and defend my point. I can fit a proto suit with most of the proto goodies that can be put on it. I don't say this because I can't run proto suits in pub matches - I can. I have the ability to, and the general funds to do so. So read the rest of this and then you can start getting mad at me for suggesting this.

1) First off, it sucks for new players. I understand, this is New Eden. I play EVE - I know the virtual world we live in. So I get the mentality of throwing the new players right in and hope they do well enough. But as far as I can see, there isn't really any big or useful continuing influx of new players. Something's not working. Few people will want to continue playing this games if the first game they're thrown into (after the academy, of course) they get completely destroyed by a team running proto suits, which they have little-to-no hope of being able to kill. It's the nature of the beast, and it works for EVE. But from my perspective, people who play First Person Shooters aren't as patient or forgiving. And if we can all agree that the game isn't dying, but it also isn't growing, I think taking proto-tier items out of thise pub matches would help keep those newer players, creating a newer growth. If everyone is on a more level playing field, so to speak, then the game introduces more success in regards to having skill, which is what a lot of people that play FPS games pride themselves on. And there wouldn't be anymore insane beat downs - at least not due to proto tier items.

2) I also think that if the game were structured a little like EVE, it might work out well. EVE has high-, low-, and null-security space. As you go down the security ladder, more items are available to your use. For example, stealth bombers can't bomb in high-sec. Bombs aren't allowed. So why don't we make pub matches high-sec space, factional warfare low-sec space, and PC null-sec space. Items up through the advanced tier can be used in pub matches, leaving players on a more even field from beginner to veteran. Saves the new player frustration, the frustration people who can't afford proto all the time, as well as people being saved from the wrath of their corpmates when they lose a proto suit or vehicle in a pub match and it "wasn't their fault." Also, if you save proto-tier for PC, there's an incentive for more players, corporations and alliances to try and get into PC. People like to use the better stuff, so if they want to use it, give them a big incentive to participate in PC. Doing that would result in an increase in PC activity, and would probably bring new players to the table to try and test their luck at it. I understand, though, that a lot of the owned districts are constantly locked, and richer corporations are better able to defend, etc., so there are obviously some PC mechanics that need to be fixed as well. But I think this would be a good thing.

I'm sure that there will be people who support this idea, as well as those who will want to tear my head from my shoulders for suggesting this. But I really think this would be a good idea. There are no cons to this change, only pros. New players won't be turned away (at least as quickly - can't help if they don't like the game), there would be a more level playing field requiring skill at the game to become a more important tool rather than only better equipment, and there would be an incentive to participate in PC, hopefully increasing PC activity and revitalizing the excitement that people had for it in the past. If there's something to work toward, people will work for it. Make it something special that people want to be a part of.

Alright, I'm done. Commence the raging.

I see this post every now and then. But one thing always comes to mind. How do you define "proto"?

Is it just the weapons and suits you're looking to remove from pub matches? Or is it any item that takes level V in a skill? Could I still put a complex damage mod on a standard weapon or would that still be too powerful?

Then when you factor in actually enforcing the rule it comes to a convoluted clusterfuck of code that needs to get added to the game.

It won't really help too much either. You'd still have some people grinding out their SP in advanced gear with prof v and maxxed core skills dominating anyway. I stress 'some' because if this went through you'd have many people saying "**** this, I'm not grinding out SP in bad gear" and then just quit. This wouldn't force more people to PC, it would just force them out of the game.

Everything said and done adding gear restrictions to matches can't be just as simple as flipping a switch and CCP is too busy so I'd say there is about 0 chance of this happening.

So spend months and months, collecting enough SP to run a good Proto suit, earning enough ISK to fund them, finding a corp full of other crutch players who share your need to always have proto. Then find out you're no longer allowed to use your suits in public matches.
Using Proto in FW is expensive, the payouts from winning a match don't cover 1 full FW proto suit.
Planetary Conquest; Is ****, flat out ka ka poo poo doo doo ****, dominated by those who give the most reach around to those who win and hold districts through known methods of lagging the opposition. Locked into tmers that basically destroy your night, having to listen to some self righteous **** below out orders over the comms and listen to some of the most annoying people in the world acting bad ass...
There is no reason to run PC, not for the average Dust player, FW is great but you do not earn ISK, that leaves pub matches, where I personally will use what ever the **** I want, earlier I was using full proto scrub suits with officers AR coupled with an Officers SMG, when the oppostion got some high ground I ran to the supply depot grabbed my officers sniper rfle and cleaned up. My gear my game.

CCP already tried to control gear level through cost/benefit. If you watch the videos from last Fanfest concerning the economy you can see what they were going for. Unfortunately they didn't really understand their own model.

In order to do things properly we shouldn't just lock things out. Instead, when you deploy in a suit that suit should be lost. Once you spawn even if you go x/0 you lose whatever you were wearing. Want to swap suits at a supply depo? It's going to cost you the value of what you're wearing. Combine this with a better contract system where a minimum match payout is established beforehand and you've got a much better system. Add a mechanic where I can select what level of payout I'm interested in and spawn contracts with varying payouts and you'll have better player controlled matchmaking.