Adam and Steve
OSG Planetary Operations
Covert Intervention
1
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Posted - 2013.05.07 02:25:00 -
[1] - Quote
This post is concerning an imbalance in skill points required to tech to a roughly equivalent level of gear for Logistics players, and does not concern gunplay balancing (strictly speaking, at least). This thread is an expansion of a post I made in the Rookie Training Grounds here.
If I am wrong about anything, please let me know, and I will edit this post post haste.
First, the basics:
Scout suits are a specialization of Light suits.
Assault suits are a specialization of Medium suits.
Sentinel suits are a specialization of Heavy suits.
Logistics suits are also a specialization of Medium suits.
In order to skill into a specialized suit, a player first has to skill up the basic racial suit to level 5.
Second, the comparison:
Scout suits of the same race and level are roughly equivalent to Basic Light suits.
Assault suits of the same race and level are roughly equivalent to Basic Medium suits.
Sentinel suits of the same race and level are roughly equivalent to Basic Heavy suits.
Logistics suits of the same race and level are not roughly equivalent to Basic Medium suits.
It has been established that Scout, Assault, Sentinel (Heavy), and Logistics suits all serve distinct roles from each other. However, the first threeGÇÖs functions and statistics are easily replicated by the Basic suits, while the LogisticsGÇÖ functions are not.
Third, the skill point disadvantage:
Since Scout, Assault, and Sentinel roles are replicated by the Basic suits, a player does not need to skill into those specializations to fill the desired role. Logistics suits, however, do not have an equivalent basic suit, and therefore have to skill the Medium Basic frame to level 5 before being able to unlock the logistics suits to fill their desired role. This results in a roughly 1.8 million skill point barrier to fill the logistics role, that the other roles do not encounter. It also results in logistics players having to forfeit an additional 3 million skill points to obtain prototype gear, compared to the other roles.
An additional side effect that I mentioned in the Rookie Training Grounds is that this skill point disadvantage also excludes new characters from being able to try out the logistics role.
EXAMPLE:
Let's compare the Amarr Medium Basic frame suit and the Amarr Assault suit.
Medium Amarr Frame ak.0: Assault ak.0:
70 PG 70 PG
350 CPU 350 CPU
180 Shield 180 Shield
180 Armor 180 Armor
1 Small Capacity Grenade 1 Small Capacity Grenade
3 High Powered Module 3 High Powered Module
1 Equipment 1 Equipment
3 Low Powered Module 3 Low Powered Module
1 Sidearm 1 Sidearm
1 Light Weapon 1 Light Weapon
And the same stats for everything else from Shield Recharge to Scan Radius.
Aside from the skill points required, the only difference between the suits in this example is a marginal cost in ISK, and that the assault suit can take advantage of the (expensive) racial assault skill bonuses. The role that the assault suit fills will (with only marginally decreased efficiency) be able to be filled by the Basic Medium frame. For contrast, the logistics role requires a complete investment in the medium frame, and skill points in the more expensive logistics specialization before reaching a similar level of effectiveness in its particular role.
I'm not sure if this unique skill point barrier for the logistics role was intended, but I was personally looking forward to respeccing into Logistics in Uprising, and am saddened that I won't be able to. I am further saddened that any friends I might convince to play will similarly be unable to fulfill the logistics roll before months of play. |