Hi all.

I just thought of a simple solution to keep some people from being protostomped without having to change the whole mechanic of the game.
Protostomping and redlining is not enjoyable or fun. We all know that. Newer players suffer the most and are probably chased away from Dust. Forever.
It's legit in a way, since we build up our SP and earn access to better gear and are able to chose whatever fits or tiers we own at any time in any match. That's cool.

Thus, the following idea is not about eradicating protostomping, but about offering an alternative for those who don't want to expose themselves to the possibility of being smashed and thus have an awful time.

The Idea:

A new section in the Battle Finder, with any name you want, where you can queue for random game modes (skirmish, domination, ambush) but where you can only deploy starter fits, MLT dropsuits and MLT vehicles. Maybe you can fit up to proto or complex weapons/modules as long as it's your starter fit or MLT suit/vehicle. This will limit you in order to keep some balance. The lack of specialized roles like Scouts or Logis, Assault Dropships, etc, will mantain everyone's interest in Pubs or FW matches. The ISK payout will be low as well.

It will be like a permanent academy where you can go to relax, have fun and always have a fair match. And most importantly, definitely will help making new players stay---->bigger player base-----> new future game modes and who knows what more!!

Tell me what you think.

The idea has been put into effect before in Beta DUST.

They had varying modes / gear level allowances. It was removed because it caused huge matchmaking issues in a small playerbase. Generally the fragmentation of the playerbase at this point is ill-advised as we have a relatively small one. This idea should be reconsidered as we get higher player counts.

But just not yet.

I think an extra "academy" wouldn't be so problematic. I'm not saying we should divide the playerbase by tiers in all matches, it's just one extra contract type with these limitations. Game modes won't be eligible there, only random, so it will be one only queue. Matchmaking should prioritize other contracts at first if the playerbase isn't solid, so it might take a while before finding a battle maybe, but I insist that this could even help the game to retain a lot of players.