I read enough to get the general gist of this thread but not all of it, so if I'm restating ideas, I apologize in advance.
Since I'm to lazy to restate it, I'm just going to quote what I wrote on the Kurita board topic of this kind.
Michael Rosario, on 01 April 2012 - 09:01 PM, said:
I'm sorry, but this idea seems to heavily slant towards penalizing someone for wanting to jump strait into the game.
So you managed to make it through the tutorial... how does that equate to you having a right to get more c-bills/exp/ranking points than someone who already knows how to play the game and gets into it. Unless this "academy" takes ages to finish and the enhancements are a temporary thing to allow those who actually spent the time to catch up to those who jumped strait in.
That being said, here's how I think that a training regimen should work:
Stage 1 - Mech Control Tutorial
A basic overview of how to pilot your mech. Introduces new players to how to move, aim, and shoot. Includes jump jets.
Stage 2 - Weapon Tutorial
A basic overview of how each of the weapons work, and how to manage them. Introduces concepts of ammo, heat, and the use of different types of weapons to get different results.
Stage 3 - Control and Weapons Overview
A sort of "test" where the mechwarrior is sent through an obstacle course and must shoot targets (both stationary and moving), doing so under a certain (albeit easy to achieve) time. Doing so will complete the "mandatory" part of the training. You must complete this to have access to any of the later stages.
Stage 4a - Mech Types Tutorial
A basic overview of the four weight classes of mechs. Gives the players 5 - 10 minutes in a mech of each weight class, allowing them to get a feel for each type of mech and what it does. Doesn't introduce any new concepts.
Stage 4b - Covert Ops. Tutorial
A basic overview on how to stay "under the radar". Introduces concepts of evasive maneuvers, utilizing cover, and electronics warfare.
Stage 4c - Team-based Tactics Turorial
A basic overview on how to work together as a team. Randomly pairs players, each in a different role, into groups of 4 to complete an objective. Introduces concepts of communications, teamwork, and role warfare.
Stage 5 - Officer Training
An advanced look at combat strategies, resource utilization, and mech piloting. This course is only available if you have completed all of the other courses. This course will conclude with a test at the end, which will be a live fire test in a currently-occuring combat mission. If (and only if) you pass (read: gain enough experience in the mission) the test, you gain a small temporary boost to c-bills and personal & faction exp, which would only be enough to allow you to catch up to those who started the game at the same time as you, but jumped into battle and started earning exp right away.
As for how you start the game, I'm going to have to go with c-bills. Personally, though, I think you should start with at least enough to be able to afford an assault and a light mech. That way if you accidentally buy a mech you, for whatever reason, can't use, you'll still have enough to afford another of a different type. And if you want to spend it all on a bunch of light mechs and weapons, well... everyone starts the same, so no one can accuse you of cheating or of the game of being unfair, no matter what you buy.
Of course, that being said, I also support the idea of a "stable" of mechs that your faction/merc outfit has. That way, even if you horribly squander your money and can't afford repairs, or lose your mech in a card game, or even just find you can't pilot what you've got for whatever reason, you still have a choice of things you can pilot. Just remember that you'll be getting the stock version of the mechs, and in my personal opinion, part (or all) of the stable mech repair bills should come out of your paycheck.