We are going to have highsec matchmaking system in place.

I played for only 2 weekends.The MERC pack gives people what they need (if Smart).To keep you from totally getting your a$$ kicked.Once the NDA is lifted there will be plenty of people on the web telling people how to start out right.Im sure some clans will also share information amongst themselves giving those players an edge....trust me if the game is good and it is.There is source information and these forums.If a player use's them to educate themselves to ask questions.If a player starts out in a NPC Merc corp those forums will have tips for them to use.If they just spent all there SP on tank skills they will quicly find out that outside the tank they suck but inside they do not.Will soon get the jist.Your not giving people enough credit.

Anyone getting on to this game from the beginning seeing how complicated it is with the skills and jumping in with both feet thinking they're gonna do things without reading descriptions checking for prereqs is just asking to learn the hard way.

This game will be more than just an FPS.

The problem is with that is a lot of people don't like to read things...

Some people are having some problems.

I know someone that got 0 kills and was unable to get any objectives but they managed to get killed 12 times......

They asked me why they didn't get any SP. It's pretty simple you don't cap you don't kill you don't get any SP.

That could be changed to give some SP to people that aren't doing to well. A set amount for being in the game for 10 min - then 20 min. depending on how long the match lasts. Also for every death someone could get a SMALL amount of SP. Leaving the not so great players with a little less of a bad taste in there mouth.

Obviously deaths would not be as rewarding as a kill in terms of SP but would be something that players that are on the bottom would appreciate.

This would also help balance the game and keep not so great players interested.

EDIT - Guessing no one read this. TL;DR version:
There should equipment restrictions based on security level, this will make the game tolerable for newbs as well as people without that much time on their hands to play; this would help them play the game without being constantantly massacred by those with superior weapons and equipment. Highsec should restrict advanced and prototype gear, lowsec show only restrict prototype gear, and nullsec should only restrict nothing.
Dust 514 and EVE Online are already built around the idea of different areas of space have different security levels which affect what you can do there.



Many people feel that new players don't really have a chance against veteran players who have superior weapons, dropsuits, and other equipment. This is a major barrier to enjoyment for new players, and can really impede the growth of the game's playerbase; joining a battle with basic gear, and being steamrolled by experienced players with the added advantage of superior equipment can really turn someone away from a game.
Players that don't have much time to play will also feel punished since they make enough skill points to be able to use the mre powerful equipment, and thus be at a severe disadvantage.
Some would say that it is skill, and not expensive equipment that wins battles, but consider these scenarios:

Two teams are overall equal in skill, and tactics, but one team has prototype gear while the other uses militia. Which team do you think will win? Obviously the one with the prototype gear.

The same two teams again, but the team using militia equipment is slightly more skilled than the ones using prototype gear. Who do you think will win? It is more than conceivable that the team with prototype gear could still win despite being slightly less skilled than their militia-equipped counterparts; this is because the difference in skill might be less than the difference in quality of equipment.

This game however is an MMO, so it does make sense that you would get greatly superior equipment as they progress, that is how MMO's work generally. The answer to the problem of equipment disparity is NOT to nerf the higher grade equipment since nerfing would make leveling up skills and spending extra money no longer worth it, and equipment does need to get better as you progress because of the MMO nature of the game.

So what is the solution? Equipment restrictions based on security level. As many of you may know, EVE Online and Dust 514 are built to have different security levels reflecting how hardcore and risky certain areas of space are. The way security levels work can be altered a bit to limit what kind grades of dropsuits, guns, and other equiment can be used in each security level such that the lower levels become more friendly to newbs, and also to those who don't have much time to play. Example:

High security battles should only allow militia and standard equipment.

Low security battles should allow up to advanced equipment.

Null security battles should have NO restrictions on what kind of gear you're allowed to use.

This would make the game actually enjoyable for those who are just starting, or don't have much time to play by allowing them to play in more regulated battle environments in which they aren't going against players with massive equipment advantages. Players who want to use advanced and prototype gear can go fight in lower security levels with other hardcore pros like themselves.

CCP has made it know through countless interviews that they want this game to be accessible. They want this game to be something you can jump in and play for a quick battle without having to get deep into its MMO element. Nothing is accessible about joining a game with only militia items, and fighting a team with half their mercs using CreoDron Breach assault rifles, no one will want to just jump in and play. The more people this game manages to retain, then the more people will buy AUR to support CCP. You may not want your gear restricted, but you can always just go to nullsec and conquer planets and take contracts from EVE players without any gear restrictions, or you could go to lowsec with minimal restrictions.

This thread is a response to two threads I saw that raised the valid issues brought by equipment difference.
https://forums.dust514.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=26486&find=unread
https://forums.dust514.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=26548&find=unread

I don't think there's any griefing like EVE griefing. Spawn camping noobs doesn't begin to compare with what gets done to new players in EVE. An exhaustive list of EVE griefing strategies takes up pages.

My point is CCP have dealt with world-class griefers day-in and day-out for 9 years. To imagine that they can't think their way around fps spawn-campers and noob-stompers is ludicrous.

I'm surprised there is going to be a matchmaking system, it feels uncomfortably alien to New Eden, tbqh. I'm suspending judgement until we get the details, and it will be only highsec, fine, but I have this niggling fear that the space-black heart of New Eden may be stained with grey.

This means that the hard core in New Eden will always be the pod pilots. It's sad that the mercs will never get a chance to toughen up like the pod pilots do - it's those first few brutal months in EVE that we all remember and cherish. A trial by fire survived, brutal adversity overcome, is transformative.

These measures undoubtedly will be good for the size of the player base, but they relegate Dust mercenaries to the role of second class citizens, never given the opportunity to truly prove themselves in the real New Eden.