They need to stay expensive in order to prevent spam.

Case and point, tanks.

No sh!t bro. Every dropship I bring onto the field I expect to loose, I learned that a long time ago. Its probably the only thing that has kept me sane. The difference between a prototype suit and a prototype dropship is this, a basic suit can still be effective with a basic weapon. A python requires atleast adv level equipment just to survive, and you have to survive if you want to make isk, because if you loose one dropship a game you will go bankrupt by the end of the week. My 15 pythons must last me a minimum of 30 games for me to break even and that's if me and my crew are top of the boards every game.

They don't have to be as cheap as tanks, but they shouldn't cost so much more. Have you ever tried being a gunner on a python? I fit prototype turrets because when we come in on a run we have little time to get kills and get out, I need as much fire as I can so I'm not sitting in one place for a rail or forge. The gunners I have flown with for months can predict the motion of my dropship and place the shots they need to for us to get out. Blueberry gunners can barley kill 2 guys in the time my gunner's would kill or suppress 5. Adv turrets are still good but for those who are dedicated dropship pilots, that couple percentages make the difference between life and sudden death.

From what I have learned, I fly the best dropship I can so there is a better chance of it coming back, even if the chance is very low. If I just fit my pythons with std and adv mods and turrets it would still cost me 400k or up, only it would be shot down a lot easier by av. If one or two of my proto fit pythons come back then they might survive two and then I have paid it off. The better equipment allows me to stay in the fight for 10 more seconds before I have to leave, that's a potential 3 kills, no man left behind, or distraction for my team, potentially more isk which I sorely need. If I'm not in the fight, or doing something useful then I'm making scraps, prototype gear is the only ones that are really effective for dropships. That is if your a dedicated pilot and your dropship is how you make money. Most of my sp is in dropships 7 or 8 mil. So my dropship is my money maker, but its also my isk sink. If it wasn't so much of a sink then I might have one or two dropships extra and can restock my suits without dipping into the money for dropships.

And that's cool man, but like EVERYONE ELSE if you want to run proto in pubs expect to lose money. I'm sorry that advanced is not good enough for you, take it up with CCP. But don't whine about cost effectiveness in pubs while running a pro to fit out.

What level is your forge at? Because I've never had a dropship take one shot from me and stay anywhere near me...and live.

And as far as this "don't use what you can't afford to use" goes. You actually have to be able to use something. Call in a dropship with rails on the field. Feel the glorious power for the entire 3 seconds you're in the air. That's if it even makes off the RDV before it's railed to death.

Show me on the clone where the assault dropship touched you.

A freshly bought unmodified assault dropship costs about as much as a decently fitted tank (certainly more than a very effective 70k tank). There is no reason why it should be so costly.

Basic dropship 45k
Assault dropship 323k (costs much more when fully well fitted)

I believe that specializations for vehicles and dropsuits should be more expensive than their basic counterparts, but it should be like a 20% increase. Right now an assault dropship has over a 7x increase in price compared to a basic dropship.

An assault dropship with only a small turret for the pilot should not be cheaper or cost more than a tank with substantially more HP and firepower capable of ruing the lives of infantry. It is no way ok that being an assault dropship pilot should mean living in poverty.

Assault dropship prices need to be severely cut.