This thread has nothing to do with the HMG or Forge Gun being overpowered or not. It has nothing to do with the extreme price tag on the vk.1 heavy dropsuit (although that has to be lowered anyway). This thread is only a request to make changes to the prototype (and advanced) heavy dropsuit itself.

The prototype heavy dropsuit needs a buff. You might disagree with me, but I'll try to tell you why. Currently I believe there's a great balance between a standard heavy and an equally skilled and fitted standard assault/logi/scout. However, a proto heavy is heavily underpowered compared to an equally skilled proto assault/logi/scout.

The reason for this is easy to find, it lays with the number of slots and PG/CPU the proto heavy gets over the standard heavy, compared to a proto over a standard of any of the other three classes. Lets list the numbers:

A proto scout has 2 more high slots, 1 more low slot, 1 more equipment slot and exactly 100% more PG/CPU over the standard scout.
A proto assault has 1 more high slot, 2 more low slots, 1 more equipment slot and exactly 100% more PG/CPU over the standard assault.
A proto logi has 2 more high slots, 2 more low slots,1 more equipment slot and exactly 100% more PG/CPU over the standard logi.

Or in other words, all three get 4 or 5 more slots in total and exactly the double amount of PG/CPU than the standard suit.

A proto heavy has 1 more high slot, 1 more low slot, 0 more equipment slots and exactly 50% more PG/CPU over the standard heavy.

So the proto heavy only gets 2 more slots, and nowhere near the double amount of PG/CPU than the standard suit.

Do you see now how that's not even close to balanced?

To me it's obivous that the proto heavy should get 2 more high slots, 2 more low slots, still 0 more equipment slots and exactly 100% more PG/CPU over the standard suit.

For the shield variant heavy at least. I can see the idea for the armor variant to have more low slots and less high slots.

i think it's that way because the biggest evolution in heavy suits was supposed to be the growth of base HP. Thus, not raising the amount of slot so much. And it probably hasnt been looked into since then.

Maybe heavies should be the only suits to keep growing in HP every tier. But this only if they get their REAL lower turn and movement speed. As atm, it's not obvious.

Now, i fear that a heavy with too many slots and PG\CPU could reach an insane survivability. But honestly, i dont know enough about heavies fitting to tell. Would need some proper study.

Thanks for the reply.

Yes, more base health is an option worth considering. I could have included that in the OP as well, but I chose not to because personally I think more slots is the better option.

With simply more base health you aren't paying anything to get that extra HP, and you limit the heavy to only be a tank fit. I think there should be room for more crazy fits than just that, and more slots instead of more base health would give just that. If or when the vk.1 gets a price drop (I'm thinking it should cost somewhere around 130k maybe), as it should, you still have to pay a lot to get that extra stuff on your fit.

I agree with Cazaderon.
Heavies are the only suit class that should grow in HP and not slots. That's their main advantage in battle.

Scouts - Fast and agile.
Assault - Rounded balanced suits for all roles basically but not as good at each role as a specialised suit.
Logi - Equipment carrier and support suit.
Heavy - Battlefield wall that can take punishment.

The first 3 can grow their roles with slots. The heavy must grow in HP instead.
As I see it, that's the best way to balance the heavies.

Well, lets take it further.
Scout should have a dramatic increase in speed and a decrease in scan profile
Assault should have a small increase all around, HP, Speed and other small tiny things.
Logi - I really don't know, maybe the same as Assault
Heavy - Massive HP boost

It's got that insane armor/sheilds

I agree with Cazaderon.
Heavies are the only suit class that should grow in HP and not slots. That's their main advantage in battle.

Scouts - Fast and agile.
Assault - Rounded balanced suits for all roles basically but not as good at each role as a specialised suit.
Logi - Equipment carrier and support suit.
Heavy - Battlefield wall that can take punishment.

The first 3 can grow their roles with slots. The heavy must grow in HP instead.
As I see it, that's the best way to balance the heavies.

Proto heavy have the same armor and shield as the standard.

+1 for moar slots!

Bendtner92 nice analysis. I don't agree with adding 2 slots though.

One thing about heavy suits and does not need to be considered on other suits is their ability to use forges. Any change in heavy's slots can dramatically alter how much forge damage they can output, which is already high.

For this reason I would prefer the bonus EHP suggestion to help with balance between meta levels, but only on heavies and not other suits.

Bendtner92 nice analysis. I don't agree with adding 2 slots though.

One thing about heavy suits and does not need to be considered on other suits is their ability to use forges. Any change in heavy's slots can dramatically alter how much forge damage they can output, which is already high.

For this reason I would prefer the bonus EHP suggestion to help with balance between meta levels, but only on heavies and not other suits.

More low slots = more plates and reps for maximum tankness if youre averse to highslot adds. make the protos really hard to pop by adding the slots as lows.

I'm all for lowering the price, and revising the suit structure in general. The blasted thing just isn't worth skilling into because of all that effort for little to no gain.

Agreed but heavy suits need heavy only armor plates that add more HP.
60 or so hp is ok on a scout or assault or logi but lolsterskates on a 800 hp heavy since each plate adds ten percent penalty to movement speed on a sloooow heavy.
The armour plates are pointless on a slow moving heavy.
A ten percent penalty on movement speed then lets make it a worthwhile armor plate for a heavy ONLY thatr adds 200 hp or about four or five ar bullets.

Agreed.
I am running basic heavy and shakeing my head at my invested SP in the heavy suits.

I'd love to have some mods that are restricted to certain suits.

the heavy could have specialized armor plating (decreased headshot damage or just a general increase in resistance to damage), Logis would have equipment boosters (10% bonus to repair rate, etc), scouts could have some sort of stealth mod and assault could have special shield mod.


I also agree with some other posters about the heavy needing more low slots, at least one more at proto level.

Though preferably I'd like to see a armor tanking mod that fits into a high slot. being able to have plates, a repair mod and a resistance mod going at the same time would be awesome

CCP has been talking about adding more specialized suits pretty soon. We might see some special heavy suits along with the other ones. In the skills for dropsuits, level 5 is required for "specialized" suits. I hope they are worth it and not ballooned in price like the proto heavy shield variant. I actually laughed when I saw that in the market then compared it to the other proto suits.

Great post Ben!

First of all you have to stop killing me all the time haha:) Seriously speaking I was gonna post something similar before I saw this thread. The situation you described is total BS and everyone can see there is something wrong with the system just by looking at it. In my mind the simples solution is to find a good balance for all the different standard suits and have them get the same amount of slots and CP/PG with levels. It's not rocket science CCP! Not trying to be a **** or anything and I know balancing online games can be hard BUT this issue is so obvious and it really frustrates me. Please fix this:)

I totally agree.
I would live with something like 1 more slot on one of the side and an item slot too I guess.

2 slot on each side is a bit too much.

I vote for a base HP increase and 1-2 more slots. This and an intelligent price on the VK.1. Maybe an item slot too, can't figure out why I cant have a nanite/uplink in my big pockets.

just remove all suits but heavy problem solved

I totally agree.
I would live with something like 1 more slot on one of the side and an item slot too I guess.

2 slot on each side is a bit too much.

I vote for a base HP increase and 1-2 more slots. This and an intelligent price on the VK.1. Maybe an item slot too, can't figure out why I cant have a nanite/uplink in my big pockets.

A) +1 high, +1 low, and side arm becomes light

I think that heavies shouldn't have sidearms to begin with a heavy and light weapon.