Yes the values are different, but the set are actually quite different also. Kinetic Shield and Power Shield are less, but Brutes get Enery Cloak which is 3.75% Def to all. Added together that is 16.55% total and the stealth doesn't suppress. Stalkers don't have that so the numbers work out just fine. In pretty much all cases Brute, Scrapper, and Stalker defense numbers are the same, but you have to look at the whole set since they had to make room for hide in all the Satlker sets.
Stalkers don't get Energy Cloak or Dampening Field.
Oh, right, I kinda forgot about Energy Cloak. Whoops. Thanks for reminding me.
Even so, though, Stalkers get more defense. 3.75 + 12.75 = 16.50%, yes, but Hide's defense bonus is still going even when suppressed. It's got 3.75% when still Hidden (which I'll admit goes away in combat), and 1.88% when not Hidden. 16.50% + 1.88 = 18.38%, which is still higher than the Brutes.
...not much higher, but still higher.
DOOOOOOOOM, I SAY.
Dampening Field is something that Stalkers don't get, yes, but by itself, 7% resistance really isn't going to do much. It's a much higher number than 1.88%! But the 1.88% has an already existing number to stack on to, to make it even more awesome. Like Viagra.
I'm not knocking Dampening Field--I have it, I love it, I picked up Tough to add to it, and I'm pining for the Gladiator's Shield +Res bonus for MOAR RES. But for it to have a noticeable effect, you should grab all that additional stuff and give it extra slots to really experience the resistance.
So I'm not sure it's a good thing to compare to Repulse, more active mitigation. Fire it up, enemies on their back, you can run away and re-hide or whatever.
Brutes also have a lot more HP, and once I got my EA Brute capped to all but Psi(i have 20% there) he is real tough to kill. I have never played Stalker EA...id repulse that good and how many people take it?
So, I was doing a little bit of number lookin', and I found out that the Brute Kinetic Shield provides about 12.75% of defense. Okay, fair enough, I guess--Deflection gives 11.25%, and Focused Fighting gives 13.88%.
I thought this was strange, since my EA Brute only had 19% defense, with Kinetic Shield slotted, and my SR Scrapper and my Shield Scrapper both waaaay outsurvived him.
Then I got bored and decided to look on the Stalker version.
Stalkers' Kinetic Shields, base, get 16.50% defense. They get that amount on Power Shield, too, while Brutes get 15%.
What.
It's not a question of differing mods, since I compared it on both a Brute and a Stalker.
Check for yourself, if you want, and enter these in-game:
[Stalker_defense.Energy Aura.Kinetic Shield] [Brute_defense.Energy Aura.Kinetic Shield]
I'm not trying to propogate a nerf for our sneaky buddies, I love them and a half--but isn't this...backwards? Shouldn't Brutes be getting the higher defense? Brutes are about charging right in, always seeking out the next combat, while Stalkers sneak around and have several additional mitigation tools.
Heck, even if not switched, shouldn't they at least be made equal?
Is this a known issue, or is it just a numbers mistake someone made, or is it A CONSPIRACY TO KEEP THE GLOWING SMASHERS DOWN?!