Suggestion:

Pick a game mode, then pick the maximum meta level of gear used in the match. This would avoid the current state of protostomping and it would balance a match. If you want to go proto, you would face players who also picked proto. And viceversa. Obviously rewards would be scaled according to gear. And from Varjac Theobroma Montenegro comes this great idea of establishing something similar to how sec space works on Eve, albeit diferent from what i propose, it would also be something good at matching games by gear.

Example:

Pick Domination----> Pick Any you wanted gear and below. (example Domination--> Basic gear or Domination-->Advanced gear)


Pick Skirmish----> Pick Any gear and below.


Pick Ambush----> Any Gear and below.


We all know that proto gear is hindering the balance of matches, even worse when a squad fields it entirely. I myself used proto in matches and honestly felt bad when we overpowered the enemy team. But matchmaking as it stands doesnt work, and whatever you say or contradict this with the normal arguments of "oh if i can field it, i can use it!" or "HTFU", you know that deep down, if we had balance in gear, the matches would be more intense, fair, exciting and wouldnt almost expell new players or corps who didnt had the luxury of exploiting PC and thus ensuring you had isk for protostomping public matches.

Thank you for your time reading this.