your forgetting that the tanker needs some skills for foot soldering, also some skills are shared.

plus you only get 0 marks... you didnt show your working out.

The tank is x12 skill, when BO HAVs drop back into play it requires lvl5 which is like an extra 3-4mil of SP where as suits are only x8

Most weapons are also a x2 skill, for tanks you need small turrets to x4 in just 1 class then you need larget turrets which are like a x3 or 2 i cant remember then the prof is x5 like other weapons

Plus some skills are shared like the armor/shield skills maybe except adapation which is used for hardners, plus turret skills/upgrades are for tankers, CPU/PG effect both to an extent

Plus tankers do need some SP into ground pounding so they can take a rest and shoot ppl or just do it anyways to save up some isk

Tanks will always be a bigger SP sink as it is and the more types of turrets which are added (autocannons/arty/laser) then its more SP plus we have yet to get Amarr and Minmatar HAVs

I don't get what you are trying to prove...

So tanks take less SP to max? Who cares? Tanks are easily countered, but are still well worth their ISK cost. This game isn't about everything being 1v1 balanced. It's about risk. What are you willing to spend to ensure victory?

Link doesnt work

So until i see the working out and maths then no tanks as a base will always require more SP than a suit

That my dear boy is why damage mods are broken. And av nades :)

what your trying to argue is a maxed out infantry costs more than a maxed tank, well its fundamentally flawed.
you took into account ALL skills to max the infantry but not all to max the tanker afterall the tanker is a soldier inside a tank.

as a result the tanker needs identical skills aswell as additional skills for tank operation and components and the turrets affecting small turrets would also be shared.

no matter your math tanking will always be a SP and ISK drain as its a very expensive role and as specialist as it is it demand generalised (foot soldier) skills as a backup.

most of skills in your calculations are core skills with just AR, grenadier, SMG and nanocircuitary (to an extent) bein skills of a specialist role whereas most vehicle skills are specialist

You can't factor in handheld upgrade skills and proficiency skills when there is no HAV equivalent to those skills. You're just saying that Dropsuit Skills require more SP because there are more of them, which is super redundant.

QFT

--snipped for space--

This is my logic for saying that the math is redundant. There are more skills in Infantry that don't apply to tanks than tank skills that don't apply to infantry, a lot more. So you can't rightly say that Dropsuits are cheaper if you were to use skills only applicable to both (have equivalents on both sides)

thats exactly what its about SPECIALISATION... not GENERALISATION.
the bulk of the skills are generalised and therefore affect all specialisations.

therefore tanking is as expensive if not more expensive than other specialisations.


and under the current state of avrg player SP no1 has maxed general skills and wont for sometime as it is bulk of all skills, only small amount are actually specialist making all calculations invalid

Still doesnt explain why you missed out PG/CPU upgrades and Mauaruder skill which is a x12 last i remember

As for Caldari HAV at least skilling to lvl1 gives the driver an option of a shield tank, missiles another option yet you come out with some BS about it being fair and balanced when you added every skill for the SMG even tho they would not use it half as much as the main weapon and the SMG is a main weapon in its own right and can be easily used as such

Not too mention that is just for the tank, the tank driver at least has to have some skills in infantry combat when he is not in the tank or cannot use the tank ie saving up ISK where as infantry does not have this problem yet you do not even add in the basics

Your SP calcualtions are flawed and biased towards infantry since you miss out so much and pick and choose various skills to suit your outcome

Verdict - Your full of ****

& the problem u propose is look at the future. Well untill the future you speak of occurs we can only discuss what we currently have. Before u think im a tanker with what i said, im one of some who actually earned their proto suits & not using the neo ones.

So yes, if they make armor worthwhile maybe it will chance things, but as is, i listed what is more or less deemed the worthwhile skills that people have used the last 9 months

Hmm but to be fair to other side, the max infantry base gives you a lot more playability flexibilty. If your tank keeps getting smashed, you can't switch to a level 1 mass driver and do artillary on the masses, or to shotgun and meet people around the hallways or sniper rifle... Need I go on.

Not saying I think tanks are balanced in the current situations available, but CCP obviously thought the numbers out, in the long term the tank drivers have pigeon holed themselves more if some patch makes them make a career change decision.

Also would like to point out,

It takes tanks more sp to even become decent fit let alone effective,

While infantry it takes less to be decent fit or effective.

it's funny to see all the tankers QQing in here. Your tanks are easy mode, just accept it. They are easier to skill into, easier to use, easier to win with, cheap, more effective... just plain old easy mode on every single level. There is no argument to be had, and arguing otherwise just makes you look even sillier than you already look.