Much like in Eve Online, races should provide noticeable bonuses with their preferred racial weapon system. For example, in Eve the Gallente receive bonuses with drone weapon systems. Other races can use drones, but not nearly as effect as the Gallente. Other races can fit the ScR and LR, but the Amarr should receive racial bonuses to make those weapons really shine.

I agree but we're not balancing EVE here. It's a bit different balancing a Submarine Simulator versus an FPS.

I'm very keen on this kind of thing - having assaults regenerate at a very high rate so they can constantly be the aggressors.

Thinking about numbers doesn't equate to putting them into practice. I can think about numbers very carefully as well. It doesn't mean it's right.

Some of the ones like Gallente don't need that much Shield Regen, for example. The armor makes sense. The Caldari is probably a bit too intense as well. I think, if anything, Minmatarr should be like 40 and Caldari 60. That would still be really damn good.

Another thing to note is that these shouldn't strictly be the only numbers changed. You have to think about the bigger picture. The other things that Assaults really need is some buffs to their CPU/PG capacity and a better base Assault bonus. It makes no sense why Assaults instead of Commandos got the one they did. Commandos are fitting 2x Light Weapons which take up way more CPU/PG than Light/Sidearm would and so would be much more useful.

The bonuses altogether I think should be scrapped and redone. The ScR and LR on the other hand should just be rebalanced to reduce heat build-up to allow any suit to use them effectively. I know the Amarr Assaults love their bonus but it honestly would be a buff to the Amarr to reduce Laser weapons heat build-up overall to make it so any any Amarr suit could make use of them just as effectively. This would also pave the way for making these weapons more viable to other races as well. The Amarr Scout is still Amarr and would theoretically use Laser weaponry so I see no reason why they'd be any less effective with them than an Assault, Logi, Commando, etc as far as heat goes.

The Amarr and Minmatarr need more definitive defensive / offensive role bonuses as well as stat bonuses. To me these two races sit in these weird place where they're not really getting much in terms of stats and bonuses for the sacrifices they make in other departments.

Overall, though, the design philosophy behind suit bonuses needs to be equalized. I've said this many times before but it's not fair that Scouts and Sentintels get bonuses that don't require any module/equipment use. Commandos have bonuses that at least are calculable in terms of battle effectiveness: I do x% more damage to my targets using these weapons. It'd be cool if Assaults maybe got a complementary offensive / defensive bonus like current Scouts and Sentintels do with theirs.

For example,

Caldari Assault: +5% to shield recharge rate per level and +3% to damage to shields with hybrid - rail weaponry per level.
Gallente Assault: +1 HP/s armor repair rate per level and +3% to damage to armor with hybrid - plasma weaponry per level.
Minmatarr Assault: -10% to shield recharge delays per level and +3% to damage to shields with projectile weaponry per level.
Amarr Assault: -10% to armor plate speed penalty per level and +3% to damage to armor with laser weaponry per level.

No way, I think that would make assaults way too OP. Now, this is coming from a Minmatar suit user so everything feels slightly OP to me, but I have to admit that seems a bit overkill.

Personally, I think Commandos were given bonuses the assaults should have received. I'd like to see the Commando damage bonuses to racial weaponry transferred to assault suits. The assault suits would also all receive the Minmatar bonus to clip size of racial weaponry.

The commandos would retain their reload bonus and receive a bonus to max ammo (say 30-40%) for equipped racial weaponry.

Thoughts?

No way, I think that would make assaults way too OP. Now, this is coming from a Minmatar suit user so everything feels slightly OP to me, but I have to admit that seems a bit overkill.

Personally, I think Commandos were given bonuses the assaults should have received. I'd like to see the Commando damage bonuses to racial weaponry transferred to assault suits. The assault suits would also all receive the Minmatar bonus to clip size of racial weaponry.

The commandos would retain their reload bonus and receive a bonus to max ammo (say 30-40%) for equipped racial weaponry.

Thoughts?

Explain to me, why would I use an assault suit with the regen rates you suggested?
Why not just use a scout, that has near equal regen, sacrifices very little HP for a second equipment, much more speed, and complete EWAR domination?

Assaults need a role, something that gives them the ability to do something that a Scout, Logi, or Sentinel couldn't already do.

If someone says jump jets I'm going to punch an infant.

There are two equipment items on the top of our list that we want to get in to the game as soon as we can. The first is a Shield Generator. Ever wished for some cover where there isnGÇÖt any? Wish no more, with the shield generator youGÇÖll be able to deploy your own personal static shield bubble. Pretty handy when a ship is dropping bombs on your head from orbit or youGÇÖve been caught in the open by an enemy trying to melt you with a laser rifle.

The second item is a Cloaking Field.

[...]

Caldari Assault: +5% to shield recharge rate per level and +3% to damage to shields with hybrid - rail weaponry per level.
Gallente Assault: +1 HP/s armor repair rate per level and +3% to damage to armor with hybrid - plasma weaponry per level.
Minmatarr Assault: -10% to shield recharge delays per level and +3% to damage to shields with projectile weaponry per level.
Amarr Assault: -10% to armor plate speed penalty per level and +3% to damage to armor with laser weaponry per level.

Let's see if my prophetic visions (read: doing research) will come to pass.

No, that would be silly for Commando Users they already have a nice role and we should not look to change other suits in hopes to buff the Assault suit.

Regeneration is much more valuable than sheer damage, in fact; sheer damage increase would make the suits way more OP. Your suggestion for the Commando Bonus isnt very good either, not worth skilling into. If you want more ammo have your Caldari Logi drop you some top notch nanohives, teamwork is key.

By giving the Assaults a regenerative feature this would allow them to constantly maintain a frontline or a hot zone allowing Field Commanders to place different roles and pieces at different places on the chess board; Heavies can be either placed at a defensive position or to spear head a frontline push allowing the scouts to perform flanking maneuvers to either stealth hack an objective while fighting goes on or flank and take out stragglers and other scouts, all the while a team of commandos are on a highground raining down MD rounds and Laser beams.

The idea of the Assault is to maintain an assault not decimate anything and everything, you do this by giving them regeneration abilities while Heavies have Tank, Scouts have Mobility and Stealth, Logis have Utility and Commandos have Firepower.

Regeneration is still a better feature than a flat damage increase, let alone taking the bonus of another suit

I'm on board with this, though I think there should be 1 or 2 armor hp/s on the Cal- while they shouldn't have much armor, I see no reason to give them zero regen on it, as any shield tanker will inevitably end up dipping slightly into their armor HP.

I see no other way to give Assaults a real role without the addition of new content, i.e. jetpacks, which best-case are many months away.

Assaults need to be the suit that never lets back, keeping the enemy on it's toes.
That would require very very fast regen rate, faster than any suit can achieve without gimping itself, just like trying to EWAR with an assault is gimping yourself.

I would suggest:
Caldari: 100hp/s on shields | 0hp/s on armor
Minmatar: 80hp/s on shields | 4hp/s on armor
Amarr: 60hp/s on shields | 12hp/s on armor
Gallente: 60hp/s on shields | 15hp/s on armor

While I would absolutely love to have something like this 15 hp/s rep on armor on gallente and 12 on amarr are ridiculous. I can just see someone stacking armor reppers on top on them then standing on a rep hive and being unkillable by infantry. The repper madruger of infantry.

I think the assaults role is general infantry. Some better regen and a second grenade slot with the machanics to switch between the 2 would be nice. Maybe slight EHP buff or same slots as logi with some more PG/CPU to compliment.

While I would absolutely love to have something like this 15 hp/s rep on armor on gallente and 12 on amarr are ridiculous. I can just see someone stacking armor reppers on top on them then standing on a rep hive and being unkillable by infantry. The repper madruger of infantry.

The repper madrugar works because it can repair faster than incoming damage.
Literally any weapon in Dust can put out 10x the damage required to break even a quad-rep Gallassault with this - and a quad-rep Galassault wouldn't have any buffer.

My proposal would be to make the pilot suit an assault. Give it bonus' to vehicle oriented things (including anti-vehicle) and leave the other suits alone.

Greetings ,

Next week I will be making the journey to FanFest. One of my priorities, other than sight seeing and absurd drinking, will be the attempt to have a solid heart to heart discussion about the Assault suit/ role. Focusing on: Defining the Assault Role, The current problems that plague the class, and The Solutions that will better define the role on the battlefield

Therefore, I have made this thread to scramble as much feedback, tips, and suggestions as possible. If you feel you have possible solution to current assault state then please post them in this thread, and I will do my very best to voice them at FanFest.

Lastly, feel free to nick and pick at each others suggestion. Get the discussion going because I want the best of the best

Thank you for your time,

Assaults need to be the suit that never lets back, keeping the enemy on it's toes.
That would require very very fast regen rate, faster than any suit can achieve without gimping itself, just like trying to EWAR with an assault is gimping yourself.

I would suggest:
Caldari: 100hp/s on shields | 0hp/s on armor
Minmatar: 80hp/s on shields | 4hp/s on armor
Amarr: 60hp/s on shields | 12hp/s on armor
Gallente: 60hp/s on shields | 15hp/s on armor

Assaults need to be the suit that never lets back, keeping the enemy on it's toes.
That would require very very fast regen rate, faster than any suit can achieve without gimping itself, just like trying to EWAR with an assault is gimping yourself.

I would suggest:
Caldari: 100hp/s on shields | 0hp/s on armor
Minmatar: 80hp/s on shields | 4hp/s on armor
Amarr: 60hp/s on shields | 12hp/s on armor
Gallente: 60hp/s on shields | 15hp/s on armor

Assaults are underpowered; I say we nerf scouts and logis so my officer plasma rifle remains relevant.