Hmm that's a very interesting concept about shields ... I stand to gain more from level 4 drop suit shields then tanking in extenders to 5 , so now I have no incentive to max out dropsuit shields to 5 . This is a big game play shift from the last skills tree of beta. It also seems counter productive . It also seems that no matter how you spec it's gonna come down to how you use it. I'd love for CCP to address these issues .

The shield and armor boni always used to apply only to your base HP, it was no different during the beta. I don't see anything wrong with it, though. As a shield tanker, you benefit greatly from unlocking complex extenders at shield extending lvl 5. The drop suit shields skill is more appealing because its bonus is independent from the modules you use, so it's also useful for armor tankers in a way. Eventually, you'll be maxing out both skills anyway. In the mean time, you'll have to make a decision, but that's the fun of it, isn't it?