I was just about to post my video when I read a post complaining about energy transfer/mobility enhance/stealth enhance being overpowered
http://www.gamesas.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=23203

This is the video, showing how easy it is to do well if you have mobility enhance, stealth enhance and energy transfer fully upgraded.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f62OKjeQA7M

However, I do not believe that it is the combo that is unbalanced, it's just that it is unfair for players that have no upgraded modules yet and can not compete. I assume that once you fully upgrade cloak tracker, it would be a viable counter to stealth enhance and energy transfer. However people who are new to the game have no chance against someone who has the 3 modules fully upgraded. My k/d jumped from 1.5 to 1.9 since the upgrade in the 3 modules I mentioned above. I think that matchmaking needs a tuning; the game should do more to keep low level players with low level players.

It's not unfair at all. The upgraded mods are not such potent advantages that they outweight the basic skill of managing the nanosuit. I'm confident that with no modules at all, most players over level 25 or so would be capable of remaining competitive with just the basic armour, power and cloak modes.

Plus, they already have a game type for low level players, and it works well; giving you enough experience that you could probably have at least Stealth enhance II by te time you hit lv11

If you look at other FPS you'll see that new players get an equal chance of competing against more experienced weapons. If you take cod for instance, you get some of the best weapons and stopping power straight away. Homefront also gives new players almost anything they need to compete with high ranked players.
Crysis 2 on the other hand makes it impossible for a lower level player to compete fairly. Surely, the very good players will do considerably better, but I can't see how a level 10 for instance can compete against someone who has mobility enhance, stealth enhance, energy transfer maxed out.
Weapons also take ages to upgrade as well. The iron sights are quite obstructive on most weapons, without extended mags it's impossible to play, given how long it takes to kill one person and having 3 attachements (including a silencer for instance) is something like 250 kills (unless I'm mistaken)
Also the game mode for new players ends at level 8, if I remember correctly? That's 2-3 hours maximum. After that and up to level 30 it is unfair. At least I think so, and I'm saying that because I noticed how much my k\d improved after the upgrade. It was around 1.5 up to level 25 and now at level 36 it is around 1.9

Nope, the game mode for new players stops at lv 11. It's for lv10 and under.

Also, new players DO get the most versatile weapon in the game straight away - the SCAR.

Personally, I think you're overrating the upgraded modules. Sure, stealth enhance is useful, but at max upgrade your stealth stil drains faster than basic armour. Mobility enhance is also an advantage, but doesn't win gunfights for you, it only gets you places with more energy left.

The way the modules have been arranged, nobody at higher levels has more health or can do more damage than lower level players (beyond what simply comes with better gameplay). Everything else is simply a bonus that you get for putting in the hours.

EDIT: and how much energy enhance benefits you is entirely down to your playstyle and what game type you play. I run and gun, but rarely put myself in positions where I can't escape after a kill; so the energy regen is of little consequence to me. However, if you often shoot out of cloak or attack multiple enemies at once I can see the benefit; as well as if you play alot of instant action, in which case I also use energy enhance.

I agree on most parts with what you're saying. I feel however that having the SCAR at an early level is irrelevant because this game is more about managing your energy, than what weapon you use. It doesn't matter what weapon you use, if you're out of energy you're dead.

The point I am trying to make is that if you can run while cloaked longer than your opponents, this means that you are visible for a shorter period of time during a game (huge advantage), while expending less energy. So, when you do come across an opponent it's most likely that you are cloaked and they are not, or that you have more energy than they do, making the assumption that both of you move around the map the same way. In any case you have an unfair advantage, unless they have upgraded perks as well.

Managing your energy is the most important thing, and the combination of the 3 ugraded perks makes it easier to do so. That's what the video demonstrates. I get more than half the team kills and I loose one gunfight where I got outplayed and one more where the guy is behind me and I never saw him. In every other encounter I had a huge advantage.

The weapon is relevant though. At range, where energy means less and accuracy means more, the SCAR is a great weapon for beginners. Couple this with aim enhance (avalable from the start) and the assault scope (after 20 kills) and all of a sudden you have a death ray.

The thing I've noticed is that to be successful straight after you leave new recruit games, it helps to play more 'defensively'; by which I mean, planning stop points to recharge and not sprinting too much. Basically, rely on movement and the cover of the terrain. As you unlock more, you can play more aggressively without running out of energy. Of course, that isn't to say cloak is mandatory to succeed. On my brother's PS3 I played whole games on his account (he hadn't unlocked anything) without playing in the >lv10 group, and without using cloak, and still had K/Ds of 2.0 in all but on f the games. Cloak is less important the better your situational awareness gets, and armour is incredibly important for winning head to head firefights.

..The modules most definitely are not a necessity to remain competitive.

I guess it all comes down to play style. For instance my k/d while using stealth is higher than that of using armor. So for me armor is not essential to win gunfights. I rely on the element of surprise. If you watch the video, you'll see that I initiate most gunfights without being in armor. I just de-cloak and start shooting. I do that because I know the opponent is not in armor, so if i get in the first shots, I'll win the gun fight. So I guess it all depends what you like to do. If you are cautious and play a slower paced game, then the upgraded modules are not that important. If however you like to run around like I do, then the upgraded modules are a must.

That's what I'm saying. It's up to you to change your playstyle to suit the tools you have. If you can't succeed without the upgrades (not you personally), then it's a matter of adaptability and not imbalance. As you unlock more benefits you can make use of a more aggressive playstyle.

Just FYI, I don't run around in armour, but I transition from cloak straight to armour to shoot. This is time established as a good habit; as the target may not see you, but one of his cloaked team mates might.

I know it's best to shoot while in armor, it's just that the controls don't suit me. I ADS, so the left finger is on the aim trigger, I exit from cloak which is the right bumber and I shoot straight away. If you want to shoot from armour it means that first you go into armor mode, and then you ADS which I find costs me more than it saves me. And some times it bugs out on me and I can't ADS for a second or so. Has anyone had that problem/glitch?

Aim Enhance fully upgraded allows players to move full speed while aiming down the sights, this, coupled with Armor Enhance, makes for a rather tough opponent to kill.

well to me if your a beginner your gonna want to learn the map a bit and find any vantage points,ambush spots,mounted guns etc.

I know it's best to shoot while in armor, it's just that the controls don't suit me. I ADS, so the left finger is on the aim trigger, I exit from cloak which is the right bumber and I shoot straight away. If you want to shoot from armour it means that first you go into armor mode, and then you ADS which I find costs me more than it saves me. And some times it bugs out on me and I can't ADS for a second or so. Has anyone had that problem/glitch?

Wut? Do you only have one finger on your left hand?