Go make an alt and grab some matches that way. Yea, you won't be up against any good players, but you'll get non-proto games and make some Isk in the process.

And making proto suits cost more won't stop the proto stompers, just the odd blueberry that tries to field proto to stop the stomp. Billions of Isk doesn't flinch at the loss of a few suits.

I just want to play a fun game. Everyone keeps using proto. Maybe we need to make proto suits cost more isk.

I'm glad the skilled players bring their best gear. I've never played a video game on easy mode, and I'm sure as hell not going to start with this one.

I just want to play a fun game. Everyone keeps using proto. Maybe we need to make proto suits cost more isk.

Union, your thinking is quite sensible, and is ALREADY part of the game's design. It's just not as costly as it used to be.
Back when the game was first released, players were COMPLAINING about how costly the gear was. NO ONE except the truly gutsy ever took their proto-stuff out to the battleground---it was too easy to lose 800,000 ISK in one vehicle destruction+death.


Tal-Murak's comment is one I admire. Dust 514 has got to be the PINNACLE of high-difficulty shooter games. And there IS a really great satisfaction you get from learning how to succeed in a really tough game.

The biggest challenge you are facing is NOT the proto-player----it's the idea that you need to get the gold-gun to be invincible like the proto-player who killed you.

it's your actions against the proto player that need to change.
If you're a Newberry (newberry is not a insult term in this game, hold your head up and wear the name proudly---many Vets in Dust are glad to have newberrys working with them)GǪ if you're a Newberry, DON'T keep trying to use hand-weapons to deal with proto-players. I know it's our impulse to find a cool weapon and go out to face the next enemy player one-on-one in a fair fight, because that's the way we've been conditioned to play our other fps games---fair-n-equal shootouts (so the players with the better guns and gear nearly always win).
In Dust (an EVE game), the devs hope you are learning how to fight opponents UNFAIRLY---never in a fair fight if you can avoid it. Dust deliberately makes EVERYONE vulnerable to an unfair fight.

On my way to an objective, if I spot an enemy in a suit better than mine, I'll skirt AROUND him, and continue to my destination. He's looking for people to shoot--I'm looking to outwit him and hack my objective.

If we WANT to kill a proto or HMG-fattie, the players I'm with will make sure 3 of us are shooting him at the same time--a GANG shoot that may cost one of us to die, but guarantees the proto's death.

NEVER a fair fight.

(Dust is the only game I know, where UNFAIR fights kill proto-carriers so quickly, that players complained about the cost of their proto suits.)

Give yourself some time and practice, Union. It takes a while to shake off those old fps habits, and learn that combat in Dust (like EVE) is about not relying on proto guns, and not fearing them.
Those players who just unlocked proto gear in Dust without learning that fact, will eventually be easy for you to beat.

well, if you can't beat 'em (obviously), join 'em

run proto

Nobody wants to play with me. T.T

I just want to play a fun game. Everyone keeps using proto. Maybe we need to make proto suits cost more isk.

Making proto cost more will only increase the gap of new and old players. Proto runners will still be able to run proto and newish players won't. Be I'm guessing your just trolling as I've seen you running with a proto squad boyo. Meta level lockout is the answer.

Yes its true my squad runs proto but I dont. Its very very rare when I do.

So you you are OK with making the game worse by increasing the gap? You know that's what it would cause right? Why are you actively trying to make the game worse? But I'm sure you tell you're squadmates that they shouldn't be running proto in pubs correct? A pox upon you you hipocritical trashcan of a human.

The issue with players taking their prototype gear, and deliberately spending triple-digit hours fighting in the Public Skirmish matches (arguably because Pub Skirms have the most loose-moving players who haven't yet learned the Dust way of cohesively assisting each other yet---loose individual players are the easier to slaughter than players in the higher matches)GǪ has always been an issue in most shooter games.

Dust TRIES to address that by protecting new players in that "Battle Academy" beginning phase---but you can't completely eliminate "stomping habits". Players from other games are used to "enjoying the rewards" (not really what I would call it--but) of preying on lesser opponents once they've unlocked their juicy top-guns. But Dust's Battle Academy DOES help minimize the habit.

The problem is, Dust is also that weird game that's supposed to be teaching players how to use non-gun techniques (like assisting fellow players, protecting and covering others, doing lots of assist-kills, assist-hacks, attack-as-a-gang) to defeat the gun-happy opponents. And it's almost impossible to learn those techniques if they expose you to protostomping too soon.

That's why many veteran players plead with CCP to lengthen the Battle Academy phase, so that Newberry's have more time to accumulate better gear, and learn some Dust fighting techniques BEFORE they graduate into the arenas where better players will try to prey on them. It would be more barrier-free than breaking the entire gameplay population into ability-rated or meta-restricted school-grade matches (3rd-graders only, HS grads only, Elite-masters only).

Getting the Battle Academy phase to become a REAL learning environment is still a big issue. But I think it would help players WAY more than raising the cost of gear. Don't get me wrong, I'm one of the players who LIKED the time when the proto-gear was high-priced and players felt it in their wallets--but it really gave you nervous-ulcers stepping into each match, and players just threw a riot of complaints.

ERM. Idk what to tell you bruh.

Simple solution:

Meta level lockout in pubs!!!

Simple solution:

Meta level lockout in pubs!!!