You can make the argument that it'll work out well. In high-sec, most will opt for cheap or free suits. Very little at stake.
In null-sec, people are fighting for huge contracts, or attacking/defending sov territory. The stakes are high, so even though the proto gear doesn't give a huge advantage, people will use it because there's a lot on the line and they'll want ANY advantage they can get.... regardless of cost.

Makes sense to me. Maybe I'm just nuts.

You can make the argument that it'll work out well. In high-sec, most will opt for cheap or free suits. Very little at stake.
In null-sec, people are fighting for huge contracts, or attacking/defending sov territory. The stakes are high, so even though the proto gear doesn't give a huge advantage, people will use it because there's a lot on the line and they'll want ANY advantage they can get.... regardless of cost.

Makes sense to me. Maybe I'm just nuts.

But there wouldn't be an advantage if everyone is using adv and proto gear.

someone is thinking. +1
When someone is paying u big bucks to secure a planet for them ur gonna roll in ur best gear anyway
so what if X corp best gear is only Adv lvl should they be automatically curb stomped because the difference in gear gives proto 300 more shields than adv? thats gear winning ur fights for u not ur skill

As a FPS player thats a big ass crutch and NO srs competitive clan will come to this game and stick around for such an inbalance

And guess what? when the proto corp in that scenario wins easily they will continue to get richer and richer and the poorer corps find it almost impossible to make any dent when trying to take their planets because of gear which results in actually LESS competition happening because then only the few top corps who been winning non stop can keep funding more and more proto gear and that puts the top corps with little to no risk at losing unless someone can match their funds 1st and foremost then gotta worry about matching their skill

But you both are talking about "corp" battles. That's means as a "random" player, i can't enjoy the game 100% because some things are thinking just for corp battles. Thanks for forcing me to join in a corp. (Sarcasm)

This applies to highsec pubs as well. If I'm new to game, I'll roll in a free suit I have a chance against some guy rolling in a 120-140k isk proto fit. They will STILL have an advantage, but I have a chance against them... if I'm a better player. This will keep me wanting to play and progress, so that I can eventually kill the guys that are of equal skill to me. (which I wouldn't be able to kill at the start, because the small advantage that proto gives, is enough to keep them killing me)

I don't like this discussion just because there is no good way to answer it.
If you want gear to become exponentially better with each tier, then there is zero chance for people that use lower tier to win, in RPGs this makes sense, in FPSs, it is completely counter-intuitive, and here lies the problem.

The big question is: Is Dust 514 a RPG foremost, or an FPS foremost?

If you have Proto gear, it's because you play and you have some skills, with those skills (bad or good), you can use advance or standar weapons and make the same gameplay because in this game, at least you're a good Heavy, you can't go against 3 or 4 guys, because 1 clip of a standar weapon can kill you, so you need to play carrefully and don't get a lot of shoots, and that's ok, but if i don't feel diference between playing an advance/standar gear or a proto gear, why do i need to feel the diference when i die? ISK difference doesn't compensate the advantages of a Proto gear, that's why it's not atractive spend a lot of SP and ISK.

Like i said, it's more atractive the black color.

@mikegunnz


You don't need to spend SP to unblock a skill to learn how to drive a cheap car and then spend x10 to learn how to drive a Ferrari, you just need more ISK.

With your example, give me the option to buy standar and proto gear at the same level, just make it with ISK difference

then ur not fitting ur suits properly

someone is thinking. +1
When someone is paying u big bucks to secure a planet for them ur gonna roll in ur best gear anyway
so what if X corp best gear is only Adv lvl should they be automatically curb stomped because the difference in gear gives proto 300 more shields than adv? thats gear winning ur fights for u not ur skill

As a FPS player thats a big ass crutch and NO srs competitive clan will come to this game and stick around for such an inbalance

And guess what? when the proto corp in that scenario wins easily they will continue to get richer and richer and the poorer corps find it almost impossible to make any dent when trying to take their planets because of gear which results in actually LESS competition happening because then only the few top corps who been winning non stop can keep funding more and more proto gear and that puts the top corps with little to no risk at losing unless someone can match their funds 1st and foremost then gotta worry about matching their skill

+1

If it's a FPS foremost. The SP/ISK difference between standar, advance and proto is too high just to get the same results based in your skills

This attitude is bad for the game.

I'll explain on irc if you want.

This game should not be about endless hisec matches and unfortunately that is what this game is being balanced for as people cry for proto nerfs etc.

This game should be about newer players and casuals running low ISK matches in standard fits in hisec.

Proto fits in lowsec/FW. Better clans and players.

Officer fits in nullsec. Most dangerous clans and players.

The crying on the forums is ruining the game before it begins.

So should standard suits be competitive in nullsec then? Because that's where this game is currently going....