We put basics on the backburner, I want to see what we can do for them properly.

I would love to give the basic frames some bonus which makes them very versatile, like +CPU/+PG or a general fitting reduction per skill level. The bonus should make the basic suites attractive to skill up to proto (something which I think nobody is doing now), while still giving the specialised suites the edge in their respective area.

It should be a choice between "all round" suite or "specialist". To become a specialist (Assault, Logi etc) you need to make some sacrifices in other areas to grant you the race specific bonuses.

To lower the price on the suites are just a easy way out, which I don't think we should do.

Someone here wants to protostomp in a cheap medium frame ;)

basic frames actually cost more than the specialised versions.

basics should have a reason to maybe want to skill it past level 3.

it gives incentive to use the one with bonuses

you might as well remove them, i agree with blackstar. the system is so screwed up they dont serve any purpose.

basics are supposed to have 2 level bonuses. like the current assaults, scouts, logis, etc.

and the specialized tech 2 suits the assaults, scouts, logis, etc. are supposed to have 4 level based bonuses and a role bonus.
we' all know were missing modular customizable tech 3 suits so i dont feel the need to address it.

in eve we have 4 basic cruisers that each have a role and then the specialized roles which branch out andrequire more training, and much more money. here we have 1 basic suit that doesnt serve any purpose and it branches out into 2 cheaper suits that require very little training to vastly outperform the basic suit.

if theyre arent going to be a launching point for branching out into assault, logi, and the other missing cruiser/medium suits
they do nothing and serve no purpose and dont need to exist. its role is currently being performed by the assault suit which is also incorrectly labeled. the assault suit is supposed to be the heavy assault cruiser of the medium suits. yet its been treated as a versatile do anything suit which is just blatantly wrong lore wise.

i think we all agree theres not going to be a massive restructuring of suits and introduction of eve parity with 3 new basic medium suits for each race and the proper tech 2 roles that will ever occur in dust because the games essentially dead. since
the proper course of action isnt an option we can at least put the suits out of their misery.
only thing anyone would miss is the prototype paintscheme. maybe make that the advanced assault suit skin for fun because of how stupid assault suits look with the white and black non racial paint scheme.

thats a valid concern, but when you think about it for a while its even more of a reason of why basic suits need level bonuses. you need to get level 3 already to go assault or logi. thats a potential 15% bonus to help them fight against the high sp players in fancy gear. if basic suits offered a small bonus and were cheaper it would help new players.

say a basic suit got 2 5% bonuses per level of medium skill, and an assault skill got the same or similar or maybe different bonuses locked to that suit for each medium suit level. then two additional assault themed bonuses for each level of the assault suit skill and obviously the assault suit skill.

now the basic player has 2 bonuses that can compete with or negate the assault suits first 2 bonuses which it currently cant because it has none. it would offer more variety between the 4 races by increasing the number of viable suits by 50% and they wouldnt have to pay more money. it would give high level players an incentive to use the basic suits which means less logis and assaults and gives new players and even easier time. id use the basic prototype suit for the black/orange gallente paint scheme alone if it was more viable in combat and not ridiculously expensive.

theres literally no viable argument against it apart from laziness.
player retention is an issue because of multiple causes and this isnt an idea that would make it worse. it would just offer them more effective, more affordable alternatives. eve has lots of variety that dust is lacking and eve offers a clear formula that has been refined for 10 years and choosing to ignore it in dust has given us the problems we have now.

we need eve parity as much as we need racial parity and we have neither at the moment. clearly my idea wont happen because theyre only doing client side changes now but if were going to be honest and address the proper fix for basics. this is it. in eve online no one complains about a tech 1 maller costing more than a tech 2 sacrilege or heretic or the sacrilege not having any redeeming qualities. these arent issues in eve, only dust. the solution is eve.

again, i know its not going to happen because dust is down to a skeleton crew but if were going to talk about a proper fix, well here it is lol.

Quick thought, what if the basic suit skill applied a cost reduction per level instead as a skill?
The cost reduction would be for only the basic frame of course but may give them a place as an isk grinding suit?