I see no problem with APEX suits having slightly better fitting capacity than STD suits. There'd be no distinction whatsoever between BPO and APEX otherwise.

They're not the same game, why would they actualize concepts the same way?

We have officer weapons, EVE has implants. They're both an attempt at giving some weight to death beyond ISK. (Each has its own shortcomings in accomplishing this goal, mind.)

I'm sorry but I disagree with you. You seem to be implying that this is purely an exercise in game-world ideals. In a perfect world I might agree with you. The purist gamers would win out and the concept of purity you're endorsing would have merit. However, that still implies that your method of playing the game is the only one that is valid.

Unfortunately this isn't a perfect world and this game is also a business. Businesses have to make money. No game survives on the purist, hardcore players. Casual players don't come into that kind of game as a new player because it's not in any way enjoyable to just get stomped time after time after time. In a game with something to lose, the majority of those players will just migrate away to a game that is less punishing and eventually Dust will just die its death because the hardcore "this is the only proper way to do it, clawing up from nothing until you stand on the top of a pile of your enemies corpses" players just aren't enough. Sure, that's one way to play, but damn is it a slog. Some people get their kicks from that kind of adversity. Many people are completely put off.

CCP's model created a way that a casual player could invest cash to be have better gear than the minimum standard and significantly worse than the top standard. I can see it from your side, but I can also see the guy who works two jobs and takes care of his disabled kids getting a couple of hours a week in of a game he wants to enjoy but can't because he just can't invest the time required to get that kind of gear.

If the reply to that is that this game isn't for him, then I am severely disappointed in the whole community for being exclusive and elitist. I get that the guy that's worked hard for his proto gear feels that an unlimited supply of suits is a bit harsh, but quite frankly, they're better than the free stuff, but much much worse than top tier by design so I really don't see the problem. So by all means condemn CCP for daring to have a clever way of making money that doesn't render the game pay-to-win, as the suits are still far from top-tier; but to me you're just condemning the people who actually pay the money that keeps the game running, as well as displaying elitism.

Businesses need to have constant and new streams of revenue. Businesses that no longer generate new revenue streams die. Pure and simple, it's why there's a new Fifa game or COD game or iPhone every couple of years. If they don't do it then they stagnate. As a result it's not a fallacy, it's an absolute necessity. They cannot just rely on Boosters etc. and the suits apply to a different audience. I couldn't give a flying fig about SKINS or Boosters, they just get me there a little faster. I'll pay some money for a BPO so I don't have to spend hours of my time grinding for gear as I'm just not that good a player and I'll freely admit it. That's what it takes away, the grind and I see no problem with that.

In Order:
Because you may not want to spend real cash to get the militia BPO.
Because you may only have a certain amount of cash to spend.
See above. These three things cater to three different levels of casual/veteran player and therefore all have merit depending on who you are and how you want to play the game. Someone keeps going on about people play the game how they want to play it.

I don't disagree, but part of what makes the game what it is is the fitting and actually having differences. I wouldn't want to see the game reduced to a Halo-clone, but nor do I think the massive disparities that exist between proto and std should exist either. If tiericide gets there then that's fine, but then something else needs to be thought of for people who've put not insignificant sums of money into it.

I couldn't disagree more, I think it's the best reason to destroy what you are referring to as the "core design philosophy" because if that is what the result of that philosophy was, then the philosophy was wrong to begin with. If you can't see that, then we'll have to agree to disagree.

Again, in order as quote limit:

Rattati is on this forum thread stating they should be above STD but below ADV in overall power. If they aren't then they need tweaking, but as intended, they are way behind top-tier. Whether they are or not in actuality is another matter, and maybe they need adjustment, but as intended, I see no problems. Certainly not the problems you are claiming.

No, it's not pay to win, because those suits are not top tier, or even close to them. Pay to win would be if they were absolutely top of the line and nothing could top them. They are a in between the bottom and middle tier by intent so not even close to pay to win. Again, if you're seriously going to try and argue that, then we may just have to agree to disagree.

Ran solidly positive with both fits. Within decimel points of KD rating of each other.

So bluntly anyone saying that APEX makes STD pointless or that STD BPOS have no place have THOROUGHLY lost their damn marbles.