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Rogatien Merc
Ill Omens
EoN.
33
   |
Posted - 2013.05.13 14:35:00 -
[1] - Quote
REVIEW - Starter Suits
With the release of Uprising, we have been introduced to starter suits that are based on race rather than a chosen starter class. Each race is given four familiar suits, the "Assault - Anti-Armor", "Assault - Frontline", "Assault - Medic", and "Assault - Sniper". These suits are obviously based on the racial militia assault suit with the addition of permanent 'yellow' modules that give a beginner a completely usable 100% free suit. All 'yellow' gear on the suits is Militia grade, so I will not continuously state "Militia" when discussing slots.
But... well... which to choose??? 
Below are observations on each of the races' starter suits in no particular order (what I logged into first is on top). Questions and commentary welcome but this is mostly for fun and curiosity born of boredom and for the benefit of newer players. So while I know this is not the most effective way to present this information, you get the rough draft because you're not paying me and no I will not be improving the layout. And yes I ramble.
GALLENTE:
All of the Gallente starter suits have the same slot layout - 0x High, 3x Low, 1x Equipment, a light weapon and a sidearm slot, and are fit similarly. All four suits are given militia locus grenades along with two reps and a plate in the low slots, giving a decent 4hp/s base armor repair rate on 250hp of armor under a 120hp shield buffer. The lack of any high slots makes these fits unsuitable for any sort of sniper work which would rely on damage mods, making the Assault - Sniper variant a bit subpar; this is exacerbated by the slow base speed of 4.85/6.79 due to the default plate in the lows. Anti-armor and sniper variants are identical with the exception of primary weapon - Swarms and a Sniper Rifle, respectively. A Scrambler pistol comes standard except on the medic which is given a submachine gun. The medic's nanite injector is the only yellow equipment among the variants, with the other suits running an empty slot. Ultimately unless you prefer the scrambler pistol to the submachine gun, the Frontline falls flat when compared to the Medic due to the latter's useful yellow equipment slot on top of identical stats. This goes out the window, however, if one wishes to build on these starter suits with improved modules in which case the CPU use of the non-unequipable nanite injector may be a liability.
Feedback for CCP: A militia nanohive would be beneficial on all of the Anti-armor suits to give their utility a bit more longevity. At least empty the grenade slot to allow new players to fit their own nanohive if desired.
CALDARI:
Based on the legacy starter fits, the Caldari Militia Assault-based starters are perhaps the most flexible due to a slot layout of 2x High, 1x Low, a light weapon, sidearm, grenade, and equipment slot. However, the legacy fittings come with some baggage which makes these starters the most inconsistent from a yellow-fitting point of view, and overall heavy modding by the user will be required. When modded these fits can be relatively decent and overcome poor yellow-module choices. Locus grenades are standard on all fits, as well as empty equipment slots save for the medic which includes an empty high slot for a nanite injector.
The Frontline trades tank (only 210hp shield / 120hp armor) for gank and comes with dual light weapon damage modifiers in the highs. The shield regulator in the low slot is a thoughtful nod to the tank a frontline fighter needs, but it would be better paired with dual shield extenders, as the limited shield buffer will leave this Frontline fighter in un-repped armor very quickly, despite its 6% increase to assault rifle damage. Better yet, fit an armor repair module which is standard on nearly every player-made fitting in the game.
The Anti-Armor and Sniper variants come with high slot confusion as well. The Anti-Armor's split damage modifiers - 1x light and 1x sidearmor - limit its effectiveness. It would be better to include 2x modifiers for the swarm launcher which would make this the strongest Anti-Armor starter fit of the bunch. However, the armor plate, while slightly limiting its mobility is a decent addition and gives it a bit more staying power for those times you need to get a lock to put swarms on target at all costs while under fire. The debate between Scrambler Pistol and SMG enthusiasts continues, but given the (admittedly undesirable) sidearm damage modifier indicating this fit is meant to jump into the fray following vehicle destruction, an SMG would give it more staying power; ultimately the lack of shield tank mods or an armor rep though makes this a throwaway fit. The Sniper on the other hand, is given too much in the form of tank modules. Two shield recharger modules in the high slots, honestly, do not make much sense for this fitting. Either shield extenders to provide a buffer against counter-sniper fire or light weapon damage modifiers to enable increased alpha damage would be a worthy choice. The rechargers do little for this fit. The cardiac regulator in the low is acceptable as a mobility module to get the sniper where it needs to go, but should be replaced by an armor repair module when fitting allows to enable recovery following unexpected engagements. The SMG is welcome on this fit, though it may be replaced with a scram pistol to ease CPU depending on modified module choice.
Finally, the medic is one of the better options for the Caldari and for once an armor repair unit provides backup for a shield extender. The empty high slot hurts this fit, and CPU constraints limit the user until standard modules are unlocked (and it would be preferable to have an empty grenade slot instead), but the utility gained by the nanite injector and the SMG backing the standard assault rifle should make this the go-to squad play fit for anyone using Caldari starters. |
Rogatien Merc
Ill Omens
EoN.
33
|
Posted - 2013.05.13 14:35:00 -
[2] - Quote
Feedback for CCP: Replace the Frontline shield regulator with an armor repair module; Replace the Sidearm Damage modifier on the Anti-Armor with a second Light Weapon damage modifier; replace the shield rechargers on the Sniper with extenders or damage mods.
AMARR:
Based on the Amarr militia assault suit, the Amarr starter fits are the least mobile across the board due to a base speed of 4.80/6.92 and a huge gap in utility is the the complete lack of a low slot The slot layout is 2x high plus sidearm, light weapon, grenade and equipment slot. The higher base hitpoints (189/189 on all suits) is the tradeoff for the slotcount, but the lack of an option to run an armor repair unit will nudge most people out of this entire line of suits as fast as possible. The Anti-armor fit is identical to its Caldari cousin, minus obviously the armor plate which is made up for by the higher base EHP. The same, flawed, split damage modifiers in the high slots reduces the AV effectiveness as previously discussed.
The Frontline doubles up on light damage modifiers which works better here than on the Caldari version due to the higher base HP. The Medic though is still the better option for the Amarr due to dual shield extenders providing greater padding over un-repped armor with 233hp shield / 189hp armor granting the highest EPH of any starter suit, a necessity due to the lack of mobility. The SMG provides decent backup for the AR, and the added utility of the nanite injector makes this the best option for squad play when paired with logistics.
Finally, despite lack of mobility modules and low base speed, the Amarr have one of the better Sniper fits. A shield extender plus recharger pairing on top of high base HP results in 211 / 189 hp and a 23hp/s recharge rate which allows this fit to perform decently as a close-support sniper if necessary, and ample CPU allows the user to modify the fit with damage amplifiers for a more traditional alpha sniper fit.
Feedback for CCP: Lack of low slots is absolutely painful, but we understand where you were going here with higher EHP and reliance on logistics. Fix the Anti-armor's split damage modifier.
MINMATAR:
The Minmatar starter fits inherit the Amarr's lack of a low slot, but overcome the limitation a bit more elegantly (Minmatar?! Elegant? I know right?!) through higher base speed (5.3 compared to 4.8) and an extra high slot. Slot count is 3x high, light wep, sidearm, grenade, and equipment. The base armor of 169 is a bit lower than Amarr's 189, but higher than Caldari's 120 - though Caldari can rep that armor.
The Minmatar Anti-Armor fit is arguably the best among starters due to its higher mobility, and pleasantly two shield extenders provide survivability (236sh / 169ar for total 405ehp) on top of 1x damage modifier for the swarms, avoiding the split damage modifier problem of other races; users wishing more punch can replace an extender for a second damage mod and still have enough EHP to get the job done in the face of marginal fire.
The frontline fit is also good, and displays Minmatar's versatility at its best. A shield extender and shield recharger give the suit staying power, while a light damage mod will help this suit mow down the enemy. The increased mobility makes this suit a bit more flexible than the Amarr, but the lack of an armor rep will still severely frustrate users and limits the comeback power of what would be a great hit-and-run fit. As opposed to other races where the Medic outshines the Frontline, the Minmatar are faced with a consusing Medic at best. A largely-useless Myofibril Stimulant replaces the Frontline's damage modifier, presumably due to the fitting required to get the nanite injector onto the suit. Unfortunately this drops the suit's overall effectiveness to that of a faster amarr medic with less EHP.
Finally, the Minmatar Sniper is interesting with two shield rechargers on top of a shield extender. The user can clearly see CCP's intent - on top of the suit's mobility the increased shield recharge appears to make this a great option for a squad close quarters support sniper. Ultimately though the double shield recharge modules are too much of a not-good-enough thing and are better replaced with damage modifiers.
Feedback for CCP: Lack of low slots is absolutely painful, again, but easier to deal with on a faster suit. Get rid of the grenades and myofibril on the Medic and throw on another shield extender.
CONCLUSION:
As the only race with both high and low slots on starter fits, the Caldari starter fits provide the greatest flexibility at the expense of some base HP; if you plan to mod these fittings this is the way to go. The Gallente's dual rep + buffer staying power seems to overshadow Amarr's potential for higher damage. The Gallente Medic is probably the best choice for anyone wishing to fail-stack passive armor skills on top of a pure free suit for an extended period. The Minmatar provide arguably the best options for snipers and anti-armor due to mobility and the ability to stack damage modifiers. The Minmatar and Amarr cannot be recommended as primary front-line roles due to the lack of a lowslot for an armor rep. |
Tac Com
Sand Mercenary Corps Inc.
51
|
Posted - 2013.05.13 15:15:00 -
[3] - Quote
Very well thought out and comprehencive post. Hopefully this will help some people find out where they want to go for thier freebie suits and also give a better idea on how the races play. |
Rogatien Merc
Ill Omens
EoN.
35
|
Posted - 2013.05.13 15:35:00 -
[4] - Quote
Tac Com wrote:Very well thought out and comprehencive post. Hopefully this will help some people find out where they want to go for thier freebie suits and also give a better idea on how the races play.
Thanks... and I actually learned a couple things doing this.
Logis, please rep your Amarr militia guys. Cuz they are hozed. lol |
hydraSlav's
Pink Fluffy Bounty Hunterz
Noir. Mercenary Group
107
|
Posted - 2013.05.13 15:41:00 -
[5] - Quote
Good review |
Rogatien Merc
Ill Omens
EoN.
35
|
Posted - 2013.05.13 15:46:00 -
[6] - Quote
https://forums.dust514.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=76291&find=unread
For a complete list of suit stats and other insights. Looks like I forgot the 1hp/s base armor repair rate on the Minmatar suits so it actually looks more viable on the front lines. |
Rogatien Merc
Ill Omens
EoN.
39
|
Posted - 2013.05.13 22:31:00 -
[7] - Quote
Bumping for PM EST crew and then will never bump again. |
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