Question: How do you make new players lives easier?
Answer: Increase the rate of passive and active SP gain until a new player reaches 4 million SP.

New players, regardless of their actual skill (gun game) are not able to compete with vet players due to the effect of the RPG elements of the game (more effective gear from skills, and better gear from ISK). Additionally, they lack any reasonable options rapidly increase their SP to compete on an even footing.

As it stands it takes a new player over 2 months to gain enough SP to use an advanced fit-out (~4 million SP, for racial dropsuit, fittings and weapons), and over 6 months to be able to use a proto fit-out (~10 million SP). ThatGÇÖs a long time for someone to stick around if all they have to look forward to is being beaten by players who arenGÇÖt necessarily better than them, but still win because their gear is more effective.

The lucky thing is this is reasonably easy to fix, and all it takes is one minor change and the gifting of two in game items by CCP. If done right, it should not only assist with retention of new player, but will potentially drive further AUR transactions for CCP at the same time.

The first component of this change is fairly simple: double starter SP and ISK (to 1 million SP and 500k ISK).
That way new playerGÇÖs start with enough SP to be able to train for a standard (racial) fit, and are able to afford the skill books to get it.

The second component implements existing in-game items: all new players start with 30 day passive and active SP booster modules equipped (so they canGÇÖt be traded).
The effect of the boosters is threefold:

1. The passive booster means new players see significant SP gains each time they logon, and are able to quickly progress through skill tiers (especially considering the first couple of tiers of skills tend to be quite cheap SP wise). This gives them a feeling of progression and will keep them excited about the new unlocks, regardless of how well they are faring on the battle field.

2. The active booster gives them a reason to play matches and to attempt to cap out each week, to maximise their gains. This creates a pattern of behaviour which will keep them logging in longer term, and foster better play to max WP gain.

3. Once the boosters finish the players will have invested enough time and energy into the characters that they will be likely to continue playing, while the loss of the boosted SP will mean they may consider purchasing AUR to continue gaining SP at an accelerated rate.

In combination, the changes mean a new player could reach 4 million SP in 5 weeks, instead of the 8 to 9 weeks it currently takes. This is a far more reasonable timeframe to becoming partially effective against vet players, but doesnGÇÖt significantly cheapen the journey to proto, which requires a further 3 months on top (un-boosted).

The only additional suggestion I would make is that CCP would need to make it explicit that the boosters are a gift at the time they player starts, so itGÇÖs obvious that their SP gain is not the normal and that they need to play to get the most benefit out of it. Otherwise you may end up with some very disappointed players once the boosters run out

Give every newbie a Million SP to dole out at the start or hoard.

Double their SP achieved for the first million or two SP.

Give them a 5% bonus damage on Light weapons for the first 1 or 2 million SP earned. Or 5% for the first million and then 3% for the 2nd million. Maybe also give them a 5% bonus on Shields or 10% Shield Regeneration bonus again until 1 or 2 million.

They could double the SP until 20-25-30 levels are purchased. Going to 3 in Assault Rifle is 6 (1+2+3) levels in this scenario.

Or give them 10 or 15 million ISK, so they can use their best gear virtually all the time. Or every week give them 1-2 million ISK.
May the Haters and the Trolls at least try to be reasonable. Who am I kidding, they are by definition reactionary.

They could double the SP until 20-25-30 levels are purchased. Going to 3 in Assault Rifle is 6 (1+2+3) levels in this scenario.

Just like in pro sports , players get paid a lot of money to perform but the one's that stand out are the one's that can look beyond all the glitz and glamor and use the love of and for what they do to perform above and beyond the mediocre and I apologize because I'm not trying to insult you or those who would love to " open the flood gates " but doing too much would kill the competition and make this game mediocre where some can argue but I believe , right now barring bugs and exploits ... it's truly not .

I once met a newb that maxed out dropsuit command.

I think we have a little ambiguity with what is meant by "competition". I for one dont think that competition is a factor in the game as it is, and that is exactly why it IS mediocre. I must explain a bit more what I mean.

Ever heard of Boxing and Wrestling? There are "weight classes" in Sport, for exactly one reason and one reason only: Balancing. A guy who weighs 100 pounds has a chance against a guy wheighing 200 pounds in wrestling right? No, he has not (except by using forbidden techniques = cheating)! So yes there is competition in Dust as it is, but is it not FAIR competition. It is crappy one sided BS competition, and slight adjustments wont fix anything about it.

I frankly think the form of competition you advocate is misguided in terms of games or sports. It is just a means of defending an easy mode of instant gratification from the perspective of a big player in the painfully small pond. If you are a masochist, you may love the rouge-like character Dust has at the moment. But it isnt fair game, it isnt competetive. If we cant agree on that we will not agree on anything regarding Dust.

Why bother? CCP has never shown any mercy to the new player in any game. Why would they start now? To do so now, at the end of dust, it just doesn't compute. Their motto is not about fluffy kittens and puppies. Its about telling their victims not to qq and thanks for the cash.

Any newbies are to be pitied.

I once met a newb that maxed out dropsuit command.