[quote=@Rain]
So what would the level of infantry personal protection be? I mean, even a super advanced empire would have various degrees of investment in different fields. Did ground combat infantry/marine infantry advancement stagnate as a result of being no longer relevent? ARE we super cutting edge and take advantage of this against more mechanically technologically reliant foes? (i.e. boarding actions, shock troops, special forces [i]divisions[/i])

I ask because I intend on being the Infantry Officer/Marine Commander.

[@Thinslayer]
[/quote]

Oops, I don't think I answered your question. With the advent of Seed, combat options have expanded tremendously. Seed is an artificial nanoparticle designed to respond to mental commands and powered by ambient energy (or soul energy, if you have a transformer of some kind). It effectively has one foot in the spiritual realm and one in the physical realm. You may think of it as a sort of hi-tech "fairy dust." Whatever you can imagine, it can do. These days, it's dirt cheap and easy to mass produce, and can be found in every aspect of society. While only Immortals are capable of controlling it directly, computer systems that are able to manipulate it are fairly simple to program. Some applications include:
* Direct weaponization. Immortals can literally tear their opponents apart at a molecular level with it.
* Indirect weaponization. Particle guns fire Seed particles programmed for various destructive effects. There are gravity wave disrupters that fire Seed that creates quantum singularities. There are positron blasters that fire Seed that analyzes the target material, transforms into its corresponding antiparticle, and annihilates it. And there are Soul Blades that directly channel spiritual energies through a particle field of Seed.
* Direct protection. Seed particles can be quite durable and make for powerful particle shields if properly managed.
* Indirect protection. They can repair or harden any material they are imbued in.
* Physical enhancement. Many Immortals (and soldiers too) like to inject Seed into their bodies for various functions, such as breathing alien atmospheres, enduring extreme temperatures, boosting physical prowess, and more.
* Adaptability. With a few blueprints downloaded to your computer, you can keep a supply of Seed to engineer battlefield equipment as needed. Need a jetpack? Tear some material from that building over there and make one. Diving underwater? Tear apart your jetpack and make a pressure suit. With enough blueprints downloaded, you can adapt to nearly any situation. And don't worry, Seed can alchemize any element into any other as needed.

So really, you don't need to worry too much about how your battlesuit works or what it looks like. You can look like whatever you want and still kick serious butt.