Well, here's the main issues that we face on both the HAV drivers and the AV side of Dust 514:

As HAV, you want to be able to become a viable asset to the field, decimating all buildings and installations, and becoming a visible threat to those who are in your path.

As AV, you want to be able to do considerable damage to vehicles in bursts, thus "shaving" their integrity with each blow.

I offer some "food-for-thought". What about some sort of compromise, in which vehicles hp are constant or adjusted, but instead, all vehicles in Dust 514 come with some sort dynamic damage dampener (where the ship can reinforce specific spots of the ship's shields or armor), with the balance in mind that only one vector of reinforcement can be projected (thus, everywhere else remains equal or maybe, just maybe, lowered a little, for future balance reasons, if need be.

Now, the point you all have been waiting for!

This balance helps vehicles of all sizes (dropships, tanks, and lav's if needed, which can be strategically positioned with the other rest of the vehicles to take advantage of this game mechanic). The way it does it, is so; The vehicle would not be in danger of getting OHKO'ed (one shot killed) from a pesky redline-railgun fitted tank (no offense to railguns, I understand why you guys do it, but this balance helps put you in the mix of the battlefield just like everyone else) or even destroyed by a Forge-gunner and his buddies with swarms.

The balance with infantry in mind, is that even though the shield acts hardened in one cone of area (in front) of the ship for reinforcement, it has diminishing returns, thus if attacked heavily enough, it will concede to some damage (but at a reduced reinforced rate, unless the vehicle gets damage from another side, which will do full or bonus damage). This gives both AV users some sort of advantage, and vehicles with pilots smart enough to avoid putting their vehicle in the middle of a firefight a way to give some sort of frontal assault advantage.

This game mechanic seems pretty realistic of a sci-fi setting, and doesn't require super amounts of power, but it could be used to make a game mechanic that rewards vehicles that restrict damage to only come from one direction, thus giving us a reason to take flight or drive on the battlefield, all without getting owned by only one guy in particular.

What do you guys think?

Feel free to critic honestly.