I'm sure someone has already pointed this out but, just to make it more clear, med basic and assault frames would need a buff to CPU/PG inorder to make this increased slot layout plan viable. Besides that I feel like it is a decent solution.

Personally, I think you're just looking for trouble when adding more modules to the assault/Basic class.

Well its what they did to scouts, and now they're usurping the role of the assault. My proposal doesn't increase the upper limit of the module slot count at proto (only by one for most assaults), so they won't be able to usurp the role of heavies any more than a logi at proto currently can. I don't think its too radical.

Assaults need a bonus to reduced fitting cost of tanking mods as well.

Shield extender/recharger/regulator fitting cost reduction for minmatar and caldari.
Armor plate/repper fitting cost reduction for amarr and gallente.

Assaults need a bonus to reduced fitting cost of tanking mods as well.

Shield extender/recharger/regulator fitting cost reduction for minmatar and caldari.
Armor plate/repper fitting cost reduction for amarr and gallente.

The 6 at STD, 7 at ADV, 8 at PRO mod slot plan would make mediums competitive, & slayer brick-tanked scouts won't be able to out-tank and outperform medium frames at their own jobs. There is no need to nerf scouts, simply raise mod slot count on medium suits and the brick-tanked scouts won't be an issue. This thread was created before the brick-tanked scout problem, but I strongly believe my proposed slot layout solution for mediums will solve the issue. Read on, I will explain.

[...]

You do know the Devs are going to update all the medium suits, at some future point in time, right?

I haven't skilled back into medium frame suits because they have not announced what the changes are. They got the basic racial changes finished and pushed the mediums out with the rest.

Your basic ideas are well thought out, except for shorting the Minmatar Logi, and it will be interesting to compare the Devs plan with your proposal. Of course we can't, theirs is super secret.

Scouts have "2" equipment slots. I think the Logi class should receive 1 extra equipment slot as compensation.

We are the class that specializes in equipment, no? This would make us really stand out.

In my plan all logis would start at 3 equipment slots, and have 4 at prototype; all except for the Amarr one since it doesn't lose a sidearm like the others. I think balance issues would arise if the maximum equipment limit was pushed even further. Scouts may have 2 equipment slots, but the logis have equipment bonuses that make them preferable for the job.

I know they're going to update them, but I don't know exactly how. They could somehow make things worse, so I think having my feedback out there is important so I don't feel like I did nothing to try to steer them in the right direction if their solutions aren't ideal.
As for the Minmatar logi, it has the same number of module slots as all the other logis, I don't see how I am shorting it. Care to explain? Your feedback is welcomed.

I really wish that you were joking about them making it worse, but with their track record I wouldn't bet on anything else. Oh well, I will keep my SP for the heavy and medium until they announce release the changes for both suits.

The Minmatar Logi always had an advantage for two things that I cared about. First was my lamented hacking bonus and that it had an extra equip slot one level earlier than the other logistic suits. Their STD had 3 equip, etc. but stopping 4/4/4 at PRO. Although 4/5/4 would be sweet I seriously doubt if I could fill the sucker up. Of course, I might be out of step as I have quit looking at them, knowing they are going to change so there is no need to get exited only to get Nerf Hammered after I spent the SP.

Here is hoping your cooler thinking will show the Devs that yanking the tiller back and forth is not the best way to cross the river.

I agree that the non-specialized suits are not in a good place and I think it has to do with how suit bonuses are applied. There is no bonus on a non-specialized suit and I think there should be. I made this progression picture to show how I feel the suits should be tiered and the names reflect how the suit is bonused. The bonus should be defined by the suit and applied with the level of the skill needed to use the suit.


Lets just use the medium frames because this is what this thread is about.

Standard

Entrencher - One defensive bonus applied per level of assault.
Assault - One offensive bonus applied per level of assault.
Field Medic - One logi bonus applied per level of logi.

Advanced

Weapons Specialist - Two bonuses per level of assault, one for weapon DPS and the other for racial defensive tank.
Close Support - Two bonuses per level of assault and both would be for the racial defensive tank.
Engineer - Two bonuses per level of logi, one for the equipment used by the race and the other for a racial defensive tank.

Prototype

Anti-Vehicle - Three bonuses, one static racial and two per level bonuses geared toward anti-vehicle. The static would be racial defensive tank, one per level to DPS and one per level to racial tank.
Alpha Strike - Three bonuses, one static racial and two per level bonuses geared toward DPS. The static would be a racial DPS, one per level would be to range and one to DPS
Ranged support-Three bonuses, one static racial and two per level bonuses geared toward range. The static would be a range bonus, one per level would be to speed and one per level to DPS.
Medical Support - One static and two to per level bonuses geared towards providing team HP support. The static would be an equipment bonus, one per level of equipment effectiveness and one per level to racial defensive tank.
Logistical Support - One static and two per level bonuses geared towards providing team logistical support. The static would be to racial defensive tank, one per level to racial equipment effectiveness and one to racial equipment fitting.
Anti-Vehicle - Three bonuses, one static racial and two per level bonuses geared toward anti-vehicle. The static would be to racial DPS, one per level would be to AV effectiveness and one per level would be geared towards racial DPS.

I understand that not all of these suits would fit into the racial lore of each race, that is something for CCP to figure out and I don't know what bonus should be applied to what area. These suits would also have different slot layouts from one another and between the tiers. Each suit slot layout would compliment the bonuses the suit has.

The lower tier suits may have more slots but they would have fewer bonuses that improved the modules equipped and weapons used. As the merc moved up through the tiers the suits would lose slots here and there but the loss of a slot would be made up by the bonus received by the suit. The idea would be to make the suit better by having more bonuses that buff the modules used better as the merc levels the skills up. Stats would also change, no suit would have the same HP, speed, regen, CPU/PG resources and this would make each suit unique and give all suits a role to play.

The way suits are now upper tier suits are just the same thing with more resources and it doesn't make any sense to use a lower tier suit because they are clearly inferior to the upper tiers. In the progression I propose the suits are better as you move up through the tier but they are clearly different and do not just have more slots. In fact the upper tier will have less because they are specialized and highly bonused instead of generic and lightly bonused. This just my Idea but it think it would encourage the use of lower tier suits more often because the higher tiers would be expensive and highly specialized and not do as well in every situation as a lower tier suit would.

I like the general idea, you may want to go support Zeylon Rho's idea.

Any objections?

Then you can out tank and out strafe heavies making them I've again on the bottom of the food chain. Assaults ate dinner with their hp right now. But they need a bonus to their suit that fits their role.

What you're suggesting is that assaults be the end all to scouts, the speed demons of the game. So you want to maintain your mobility, but increase your tank. No good. Leaves heavies obsolete.

You would balance this by increasing the base hp of the heavy to be on par with the update. And then scouts are useless for their frailty.

Assaults aren't meant to be slayers as I understand it. You use assaults for suppressive fire so sounds can go in abd flank, and give the heavies time to push up the front line. You hold up or flank so our logis won't get chewed up by flanking fire. This isn't Call of Dust, Future Warfare. This is dust. Your role is not to flank or go in to an enemy infested building. Yours is to establish a beach head abd keep them from leaving. This is assault. You're more mobile than a heavy abd have more zeroing damage potential than scouts. Scouts are working as intended: hit and run. Pick you off one by one.

In eve an assault class is a Jack off all trades and a master of none. That's what makes the assault suit so great is its ability to adapt with its weapon selection and equipment slot.