HappyApathy Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 (edited) Due to information revealed in the latest Dev Stream I am going to have to reconsider how I approach this, when more information is made available I will try, if possible, to rework the concepts here to be compatible within the existing lore, if you have any suggestions on how to do so I would gladly consider it. ------FOR YOU TL;DR FOLK------ I've created an art oriented/summary thread called Red Veil Rising in the fan art section, if you like what you see there consider coming back here and up-voting/reading this concept. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -----FEATURED ON PRIME TIME #42------ Featured on Prime Time #42! It's great to know that DE has looked at this thread and will hopefully consider some of the concepts here, thank you to everyone who has helped it get this far, lets keep at it and one day we may see it actually happen in game! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The idea behind this concept is to generate potential allies for the Tenno to appear in future scenarios in order to provide new game play opportunities while developing the lore and 'human element' of the game. I intend to focus heavily on expanding the role of the Red Veil but also am suggesting other possible groups that could be possibly added to Warframe in the future. The concept will also look into ways of implementing the use of ally factions in terms of both game play and NPC interaction in situations outside of combat such as their use in Friendly Hubs/Nodes as a sort of 'free roam' zone. At best this could spawn a whole world of parallel sagas that intertwine with that of the Tenno which I honestly think would add a depth and soul to the game that is missing at the moment, at worst its an exercise in the imagination, somewhere wedged in between is been fan-fic fodder :P NEWEST ART ADDITION (find more artwork by looking through this post): Callistean Gauss/Railgun weapon concepts. Been a highly advance technological society like the Corpus, the idea was to give the Free Colony of Callisto a niche set of weapons that set them apart from the Corpus (who use energy weapons) and the Grineer (who use crude projectile firearms) by giving them highly sophisticated physical projectile weaponry. By EVAtemplar117, (Posted Here) Early concept for a rework of Cantis. The current character of Cantis is rather flat and undefined, one aim of this concept is turn her into a true well defined character with an expanded role in the Warframe universe. The rework would potentially make her into one of the leaders of the Red Veil with her driving motivation been a burning hatred towards the Grineer. She would be given a severe and cold personality and would likely be one of the darker characters of Warframe. If you are interested in finding out more, or have feedback/suggestions for her appearance or character, please check this post here. By Panzer_the_Tank (Posted Here): Vandal/Rebel Serro Crewmen: Essentially a bigger badder Prodman, Serro wielders would be dressed up similar to Crewman with a slightly different color scheme, they might even wear makeshift 'non-regulation' body armor to allow them get up close to hack apart enemies. By WEREsandrock (Posted Here): Lyza Tal, the right hand of Zhon (leader of the Vandals), once a girl of privilege and Corpus high society, Lyza's former life was destroyed by political intrigue and back stabbing and she has since become a full time rebel against the system and the representative of the "youth in rebellion" element of the Vandals. While been a capable fighter, Lyza is also a talented hacker and has deep insight into the inner workings of Corpus politics due to her background, she also has a knack for promoting and publicizing the Vandal cause. Missions involving her would be more oriented towards propaganda and publicly exposing the Corpus for their crimes. By SUMA (Posted Here): Cropped Version: Possible Game play Implementation Standard Invasion Basically a standard invasion type scenario where instead of fighting for the Grineer or Corpus you would fight on the side of the ally faction, when the invasion is completed the node would revert back to its original owner (ally factions can't actually ever take over a node) and you would be rewarded for your participation. Rescue: Prisoner Variations I'm actually personally bothered by how all prisoners are the same, I would love to see the appearance and behavior of rescue targets vary depending on the mission. If the mission description describes having to rescue a refugee or a politician you would expect them to spend most of their time cowering and taking cover while been hopeless with a firearm. Meanwhile if you were rescuing a captured soldier or rebel, when you open the door they would say something to the effect of "It's about time" before grabbing a gun and kicking @$$ alongside you (they would also have much higher health then the current pitiful one hostages have). Guardian A variation of Defense where instead of protecting one single objective the goal is to keep alive a number of friendly NPCs spread out in groups across the map. Lets say there are 12 friendly NPCs, with 4 groups of 3 clustered around certain defensive points, likely the same points that are used in Interception missions, these NPCs are 'tethered' to their particular area and do not wander outside of it and do not follow the Tenno around. These NPC will themselves be armed giving them some capacity to hold their own and will come with an unusually high amount of health each. The number of friendly NPCs still alive will displayed on the HUD. Like in Defense players would face successive waves of increasingly stronger enemies who they would have to kill while also protecting the friendlies (friendly NPC health/damage would not scale/increase with each wave, adding another element of increasing difficulty), at the end of each wave the surviving friendlies would have their health regenerated and at the end of each 5 waves a few extra NPCs (lets say 3) are spawned to replace those that were killed. Convoy/Escort A blend of Hijack and the previously described Guardian, players would be tasked with defending a group of friendly NPCs as they make their way across the map. The NPCs would move at a constant pace along a predetermined path while been assaulted by hostile forces along the way. Depending on the scenario the friendlies could be armed (like helping a group of rebels reach a key point) or unarmed (like evacuating a group of civilians). If the group comes under heavy fire they will either take cover or return fire, either way the group will cease to move forward until they stop taking damage for a brief period of time. The mission is completed once a friendly NPC reaches the end point, if all friendlies are killed before reaching the end the mission ends in failure. Battle Set on a small map with a few large rooms or a single huge one similar to the ODD map, the mission will require a friendly faction and the Tenno to kill a number of hostile enemies (lets say 200) before the hostiles kill a certain number of friendlies (for example 50). Enemies killed both by the Tenno and allies are added to the kill counter. Spawning on opposite ends of the map, both sides will attempt to make their way to the opposite side of the map, stopping to fight any opposition they encounter, when an NPC is killed a new one will be spawned at the starting point to replace them. Enemy NPCs will spawn in greater numbers then friendly NPCs. The mission is considered completed when the number of required enemies are killed at which point enemies will stop spawning and the player will be required to finish off the remaining enemies, at which point the mission ends or extraction is made available. If the enemy reach their required kills first the mission ends in failure. Siege - Suggested by Ezuru Perhaps a game mode called "Siege"? Help an assorted crew of NPCs defend various locations such as a large ship, or a fortified settlement. The first objective would be something like defend the Hull Breach (Ship) or Outer Wall (Settlement) Enemies spawn in waves similar to defense, but perhaps in larger quantities and with more firepower. If the first objective is taken, the NPCs and your team retreat to a secondary objective Living Quarters (Ship) Market (Settlement) The defenses here are poorer and you must work harder to keep them out. If the enemies take this location, everyone backs up one last time to the Bridge (Ship) or Bunker (Settlement). Here, reinforcements and conditions are poor. It is advised to leave as soon as you can at this point. Rewards will be given out every 5 waves according to wave number and how far back you've been pushed. If it's wave 40 and you're still at the first objective, you will receive better rewards. If you can manage to wade into battle, you can re-take a taken point, but you must eliminate all of the enemies in that defense point and keep it cleared for a LONG time. At a certain point, your forces can move forward again. I was thinking more like an interception style defense point. If the enemy outnumbers your team and allies within a certain radius for a certain time, the point is lost. When a point is lost, allied units stop spawning there, and enemy units are able to spawn. Random/Triggered Appearances Similar to invasion mission or Stalker 'death marks', doing a number of missions on behalf of a friendly faction could result in a player getting a 'assistance mark' that gives a chance of the assisted friendly faction making an appearance on behalf of the player. Whether this means having friendly units start spawning and shifting the mission into a more invasion like scenario, the appearance of limited number of non-respawning friendlies, or the appearance of a single particularly powerful friendly NPC (or a combination of the mentioned) is something I will leave undecided here. Similarly to death marks, 'assistance marked' players could group together to increase the likely hood of an appearance which could possibly be beneficial in missions like survival or defense where the extra help would make the most impact. Also like 'death marks', the appearance of a friendly faction could give the chance for the player to earn a special BP or part that is relevant to the assisting faction, unlike 'death marks' however players would simply have to complete the mission and they would automatically be granted the BP/part (versus 'death marks' where you are required to defeat the hunter that appears). Quest Scenarios The best possible use of friendly factions would be to advance the story and add depth and immersion to the game, while the Lotus might initially send you on the mission I love the idea of the directives and mission updates been given to you by some other character (like a rebel leader, or enemy turncoat) once your on the ground, adding more faces and characters to the universe of Warframe that we as players can relate and interact with. The Friendly Hub A special node that appears on certain planets, they are unlocked by completion of the adjoining node or through completion of quests. When entered players will appear on a special map that blends Dojo and Personal Ship elements, the map will be friendly zone where through interacting with certain NPCs players will be able to do various activities: - access/buy special missions/quests - buy/obtain exclusive resources, components, BPs, etc - buy certain rare resources (ex. a certain dealer will sometimes offer you a onetime deal to buy a single Orokin Cell for 20,000 credits) - chat with NPCs to gain more insight into the story behind Warframe (been a silent protagonist it would be a rather one sided conversation though) In order to encourage revisits, what is available for sale, NPCs who are present that can be talked with, and possibly quests and missions will change and cycle everyday (ex. the dealer selling the single Orokin Cell will only appear occasionally, so you would have to check in to see if he is there). NPC Interaction Mechanics: The way I viewed NPC interaction would be something like this: 1. Approach character, press X to interact 2a. If it's a less important NPC like a random civilian or soldier, you would you just get a brief dialogue or comment of relatively little importance 2b. If its an important NPC a small menu would open up giving you a choice between a few options like: TALK QUESTS/MISSIONS PURCHASE (PURCHASE would be for characters like dealers (i.e. Darvo) who you could buy materials, BPs, etc from) The system I'm imagining would be most a kin to something like from Diablo II where your character is a silent protagonist for the most part. Each hub would be different and reflective of the friendly faction controlling it, I intend to describe each one in their separate descriptions. Due to the way Warframe works these would likely have to be visited solo, or at best in a squad, making it open like the a public Dojo would be hard if not impossible to implement. About The Red Veil The thing I fear about the Red Veil is DE simply boiling them down into a bunch of guys in red jumpsuits with Wraith themed gear fighting the Grineer and Corpus, making them into a blanket resistance movement that is so generalized they might as well be another Lotus robotic-ally handing us out ambiguous assignments with little personality that we can really become attached to or relate with. To just be used as another way to give us some new game mechanics and nothing more that would really add to the overall standard, “hack, shoot, kill stuff” experience that Warframe mainly already is. I see the Red Veil (and other similar groups) as an opportunity to bring the much needed (and requested/suggested) “human element” into Warframe, to act as a sort of proxy for the Tenno as the human face that brings a deeper and more meaningful sense to the game cause, to be frank, the Tenno are incredibly detached from the universe around them, flying around in their little stealthy space ships, living in their secret dojo hideouts, and while they might see a lot of combat you never really get any sense of what it must be like to be living during what is suppose to be a really REALLY crappy time to be alive, the Red Veil could perfectly fill that role and be our window into a greater universe for Warframe, providing us with their dramas, tragedy, and triumphs to supplement the rather blank personalities that the Tenno have. I hope DE doesn't just pass them over as another gimmicky way to just introduce some new game mechanics when they could be used to provide the game with the soul and depth it so desperately needs. One of the contributing artists to this thread, Goatasty, summed up my feelings about this whole concept quite well: I'm a bit confused by all the recent criticism this thread has had to endure lately. Maybe that is due to some not-so-legible text that is being thrown around. I do think that any good idea that challenges the current format of gameplay will come under fire from serious fans of the existing game. But I think this idea is genius. Gamers all over this forum are asking for more. More game mechanics, more bullets, more blades. But I think what every player really wants from this game is more meaning. I believe this is true for most games, but especially this type of game because you are spending a lot of time grinding down enemies. Personally I find some aspects of this game boring because they are repetitive. I would love to see some more meaning and depth to the reasons why you are killing so many things. And some better mechanics when it comes to capture and rescue missions. I'm all for this stuff here. I understand that not all of it will make it into the game in the end. But I think the core of it it necessary as it will satisfy everyone's desires. We need more meaning to the missions. We need a story to do that and we need more engaging characters to show us the story. There's my rant. I'll just get back to painting now. Cept I wanna paint something new. I will come back to the Ghosts but I want to get into more of this story. The more I thought about it the more strongly I believed the Red Veil should be split into two branches as those who face the Corpus would have different motives, armament, and tactics then those who face the Grineer. Those who face the Corpus are revolutionaries, while those against the Grineer are survivalists. While both groups would work separately at times they would occasionally launch joint operations that benefit both parties, such as preventing a shipment of Corpus technology from been traded with the Grineer, this could set up for some rather epic 3 vs 2 clashes (Ghosts, Vandals, and Tenno vs. Grineer and Corpus) which would be incredibly chaotic and totally awesome. Corpus Rebels (Red Veil Anti-Corpus branch)(“The Vandals”) “Death as a man, before life as a number” - Rebel Slogan From disaffected youths to disillusioned crewman, those who oppose the Corpus are all united by a desire to bring down or change the oppressive and corrupt merchant guild and create a better future, or die trying. The efforts of the Tenno have begun to fracture the iron grip of the Corpus guild on the worlds they hold, both by directly weakening its forces and disrupting its operations, but also by showing that the Corpus can be beaten and there is a group out there willing to fight against them besides the Grineer. The Name: The Vandals “Forgive my imprudence but I must disagree with The Boards dismissing of these... 'Vandals', as nothing more then a 'minor nuisance', and 'childish upstarts', though most of their actions so far have been limited to destruction and defacing of minor company property, the severe reprisals we leveled against those that were caught has done little to dissuade further defiance, in fact the recent attempted bombing of Grineer bound shipments shows that they are ready and willing to escalate their agenda, I fear what the future holds for the Guild when they go beyond mere iconoclast” - Corpus Overseer's Report on rebel activity Vandalism example: Seeing as Wraith gear is likely to be associated with the Red Veil, the idea here is to have Vandal gear also tied into them as well, which would make more sense then attributing it to the Corpus proper due to the Lotus symbols on them. I also love the title “The Vandals” to describe a group that started as a youth movement that attacked Corpus icons as a display of defiance that has matured and developed into a full blown resistance movement that is attempting to bring down or change the world as they know it, considering how much of the resistance would be made up of young radicals it would be a very appropriate name to describe the rebellious nature of the group. Rationale for Existence The existence of the Red Veil shows that there is organized resistance against the Corpus, also the codex entry for the Serro explicitly mentions its use by rebels against the Corpus, also while non-cannon many Warframe fanfics involve the existence of some rebel group against the Corpus. Organization and Behavior The rebels would be comprised of two separate types of characters, one been the rebellious youths, made up of revolutionaries, radicals, intellectuals, and idealists, they would be the ones driving forth the philosophy and spirit of the cause, for them anti-Corpus art, music and writing would be just as potent tools of defiance as guns and bombs. The other part of the resistance would be the older generation made up of former crewmen (and women?) who have become disillusioned with the greedy and exploitative nature of the Corpus guild. They would inject a sobering sense of realism into the resistance, many of them would be extreme cynics having turned their back on everything they once believed in. While been a minority compared to the youths the rebel crewman would be in charge of tactics and strategy, using their knowledge of the system to fight their former masters. The driving theme for the Vandals is revolution. Lore and Insights: Corpus Society Through speaking with the Rebels players would be able to learn about how the Corpus Guild works, and why the rebels have such grievances against them. I imagine their motivation for fighting would be a desire for greater individuality, liberties, and to change a system based on greed and exploitation. In-Game Units Currently I would imagine the Rebels armament to be made up of the Dera, Spectra, Serro, Quanta (tools turned weapons), and Vandal variants of Corpus weaponry. For the most part they would behave essentially as a Corpus re-skin with identical behavior in battle. All units would have personal shielding like regular Corpus. One thing I would like is if they spoke Corpus to each during battle, unlike Corpus Crewmen their voices would be undistorted. If we ever get to see their faces unmasked they would have face tattooing like other Corpus characters we have seen so far. Revolutionary A young rebel armed with either a Dera, Spectra, Quanta, or Vandal variant weapon, they would behave like Corpus Crewmen in terms of AI. Problem for coming up with an appearance is that there is no basis to go off of as we've never really seen a Corpus civilian except for Darvo. The best I can think of is too have them wear some futuristic style balaclava with goggles, this one is really open ended right now. I do insist there be a male and female version though. (ART) Revolutionary Concepts: Awesome Vandal concepts drawn by Artwarren: Generic rebel in light outfit, wearing hard hat, cloth mask, sidearm, comm/hacking tool (think sth like a modified portable computer with holographic interface): Heavier soldier, the muscle of the rebellion so to say, mostly people with military experience, former law enforcement or those with fitting physique and access to proper combat gear: Face plate can have various decals, for example: Amazing Vandal concepts drawn by arch111, based on the concept of modified hoverboard gear, similar to modern day motorcycle suits: Vandal in the process of defacing property (or blow shizz up you decide ;) ): (Old Concept) Possible Vandal (Female) holding a badly drawn Spectra, note the 'borrowed' Crewman boots (Old Concept) Possible Vandal (Male), I think that's a Dera he's holding its hard to tell Former/Vandal Crewman Equipped with a Dera, Detron, Flux Rifle, Lanka, Supra, or their Vandal variant, these ex-Crewman would perform slightly better then the Revolutionaries. They would still wear Crewman suits, however because they are no longer able to get new fresh suits the ones they wear will appear worn and heavily used, possibly even missing parts and having portions patched up. They will also retain the box-style helmet, however it will be redone with a Vandal theme. (ART) Vandal Poster Concept by arch111: Vandal/Rebel Serro Crewman Essentially a bigger badder Prodman, Serro wielders would be dressed up similar to Crewman with a slightly different color scheme, they might even wear makeshift 'non-regulation' body armor to allow them get up close to hack apart enemies. (ART) Serro Crewman Concept, by WEREsandrock Note: emaralez87 brought up the point the Serro is actually used by rebels on Sedna which would actually make it a weapon used against the Grineer (Sedna is held by the Grineer), so it might be manufactured and sold by the Corpus to the Grineer and not actually used by anti-Corpus rebels. Shield Bearer Imagine a Shield Ospery, now imagine its wings have been shot off and what is left of it has been reprogrammed and jury rigged to be strapped onto someones back and to be carried around like a very very ugly baby, making it basically a Revolutionary with a makeshift portable shield charger. (ART) Shield Bearer Concept Art by Artwarren: This makeshift exoskeleton made from MOA parts and scrap metal utilizes osprey's fuel cells as energy source. The osprey itself is still operational, it recharges and reinforces shields of nearby allies while also alerting the "host" to threats from behind. With added physical power, the user can wield heavy weapons like Supra. Due to rarity and relatively low mobility, only used in large open engagements: Frankenstein/Patchwork MOA A MOA cobbled together and reprogrammed from pieces of destroyed and junked MOAs, while it would basically behave like a regular MOA it might run around with an awkward gait with legs that are disproportionately sized to each other and would have a mix of colors for its parts. It would actually be hilarious if parts of it were held together by what ever the future equivalent of duck tape is. (ART) Patchwork MOA Concepts by Artarrwen: Left: Kamikaze MOA, basically a Shockwave MOA with explosives strapped to its back and all expensive inner components (including the shock wave generators) stripped for cheap production. Right: Stun MOA. Armed with a variant of Amprex (reverse-engineered or just straight up toned down on hardware level) powerful just enough to keep a group of Corpus units incapacitated, they usually accompany a group of kamikazes to help them get closer to the enemy and deal maximum damage. Otherwise they are used to neutralize hostiles without lethal force. Hacker (based on unit suggestions by IceDragonofAmber and Daniel_Kevlar) A lightly armed Vandal tech expert, capable of seizing control of Corpus proxies and Grineer Rollers, crippling more mechanical Grineer humanoids (i.e Heavy Gunners), and able to instantly fry cameras, turrets, sensor bars, and arc traps it gets close too. Can instantly disable alarms or door locks when they reach a control panel. Dissident An unarmed anti-Corpus or Tenno sympathizing civilian, the dissident would wear civilian garb and would appear in missions either needing rescue or protection. (ART) Drawn by arch111, Corpus civilian concept: Characters Former Crewman Zhon “You know, I once beat some great big monster to death with nothin' but my Prova here, beat the thing to a bloody pulp, probably saved the entire colony that day, you know what the higher ups did? They deducted my pay for 'unnecessary damage to a prime study specimen', heh, the bastards, it was all a pointless effort anyways, they later liquidated the entire colony 'to reduce the chance of future outbreaks', can't believe I stuck around so long.” - The reminiscing of Zhon (ART) Possible concepts for Zhon (Click for larger image), by Goatasty I was trying to imagine who could be the leader figure for the Vandals and the first person that came to mind was Johnny Corpus of Prodman fame, if you read through the thread John/Johnny Corpus is the name that keeps coming up, also many people who suggested seeing him in game wanted to see him more often as an ally rather then a foe, this would be a great chance to turn what was originally a forum-phenomenon into an actual in-game entity, much like Derf Anyo. I changed the name from John to Zhon (pronouned Zh-hon, Z is kinda silent) to make it more Corpus like, appearance wise he would be a rather badass looking former crewman wearing an old worn out Crewman suit, he would not be wearing a helmet when outside of combat, the helmet he would wear in combat would have Vandal styling like other former crewmen units, though done in a manner to make him more distinguishable (like an eximus leader). His role would be the leader of the Vandal movement and a prominent member of the Red Veil, a sort of anti-Corpus counterpart to Cantis, he would be the one you would receive Vandal related quests and would also likely be the one giving you mission directives and updates while you are running them. It would also be fun to possibly see him actually in combat as a near-invincible (or outright invincible) Prodman running around one-hit killing enemies with a Prova Vandal. While he is meant to be a serious leader figure, at the same time he could also be a fun character too, occasionally making witty remarks and cracking a joke every so often, being able to bring some levity to a fight would actually make him seem more human then if he was a total badass the whole time. Voice actor/basis (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): Troy Baker (Booker Dewitt from Bioshock Infinite, Joel from The Last of Us). Zhon's back story would be gradually revealed through the use of a codex entry for him and through conversations and quests done involving him. Back story: The Tale of Zhon (Written by HappyApathy, Edited by AlphaHorseman) "People deserve better then the Guild, I deserve better... she deserved better..." - Conversation with Zhon A former veteran soldier of the Corpus, Zhon enlisted as a crewman the day he turned of age. Zhon spent over a century as part of a crack division of the Corpus military, being rapidly shuttled from one hotspot to the next. Zhon’s division arrived to the fight and departed as soon as the battle was over; beating back Grineer invasions, exterminating Infestations, and putting down rebellions. Often Zhon was only armed with his prized possession, a custom Prova he had modified and personalized for himself. Zhon spent so much time on the battlefield that he hardly remembered his life before enlistment, all in the name of the Corpus Guild. When the Corpus received word that an Infestation had broken out on one of their mining asteroids, Zhon’s division was ordered to the scene. Yet, he was furious when he discovered that, likely due to a major bureaucratic mix-up, his elite division was assigned to the rear to police and keep order in a large asteroid colony while a division made up of greenhorn troops was sent to the front to deal with the recent outbreak. Grudgingly accepting his orders, Zhon took up his post overseeing the colonists, all the while listening to increasingly worse news from the front against the Infestation. The bleakness of the transmissions was everything Zhon had feared to happen. The newly indoctrinated troops had never faced the Infested before, and went in guns blazing without regard, and now they were paying the price. The death toll kept growing as the bodies were being ravaged by the Infested, and slowly being turned. Throughout this Zhon’s anger towards the Board began to boil, and the naïve decision would cost the guild greatly. Zhon was brought out of his angered haze when he noticed a child and his mother playing outside of the compound. Zhon had spent his life at the front lines and had never had a chance to see life on the colonial home front. In that moment of revelation, even as the Infested were destroying their troops and it seemed that the Board would lose a new division, Zhon noted how the innocence and love of this family were not tainted by the darkness around them. He had noted that, even with the meager living conditions of the asteroid, these people found happiness in one another. The Board themselves were taking in huge profits from this asteroid alone, and Zhon began to wonder how these people could live such humble lives when the Board enjoyed many luxuries. His time with the colonists brought upon many revelations about the difficulties faced by those living under the guild. Unreasonable mining quotas, high taxation of the workers, unionization of any sort being a capital punishment, and other policies that made life hard and difficult for those who lived in the colony, all by Corpus decree. Zhon also learned that the asteroid itself was nearing depletion, and with the damage to the mines caused by the Infestation, the inhabitants of the colony feared being relocated by the Corpus Guild. Entire families would have to move, leaving behind their homes, businesses, and the community they had grown to love. No one knew where they were to be relocated, and if, for that matter, they would ever see one another again. All this unrest because the Corpus Board might consider repairing the damage to the mines to be ‘unprofitable’. Of the many colonists there, Zhon came to know a woman named Cena. With his daily patrol ending at her doorstep, he got to talking with her one day and since made it a routine to end his shifts conversing with her. Cena was a technician who maintained the software that ran the mining equipment, which was to say she was currently unemployed as the mines had been overrun by the Infestation. Zhon, who normally spent his downtime at the firing range or on the training grounds, began instead to spend it with her and getting to know the colonists and the colony. Zhon found in Cena a soul that was wise, youthful, and cared much for the place in which she lived. No matter the person that came to her door, Cena would engage them in conversations, offer them food and a seat, and enjoyed to joke and share stories. Often when children would come to her door she would offer them what little candies or snacks she had; laughing with them and sharing fairytales of long ago times and the adventures of past heroes. When Zhon came to her, the only difference was that, as everyone else would leave, she and Zhon would talk into the night, either until Zhon had to return to the compound, or Cena fell asleep on her porch and Zhon would take her in. Cena’s home was not as grand as a Corpus diplomat, but it had the touch of ‘home’ in it that made it feel more than just a house. The Board cared more for efficiency than comfort, and it showed through as her living room doubled as a dining area, with the kitchen tacked on to the side. A petite hallway led to the only bathroom and bedroom within the house. Cena made it work, as even inside the cramped area, Zhon felt no sense of claustrophobia, and felt comfortable in a way he never felt before. The feelings mixing in his heart were still to be deciphered, but in that place, the sense of ‘belonging’ and ‘home’ rung strongest within him. Finally, with the Infestation knocking on the doors of the main colony, the higher ups admitted to their mistake and released Zhon's division to the front, along with hiring a number of Tenno to turn the tide against the Infested horde. While Zhon knew he was unable to do anything to change the harsh conditions the colonists lived under, he could at least do his best to save them from the Infested. With elite Corpus troops and Tenno at the front, the Infestation was rapidly pushed back, the battle climaxing in Zhon's epic take down of (a?) Phorid using nothing but his Prova. Beating the monster to a fried and bloodied pulp, Zhon hardly recognized the enormity of what he had accomplished as he pushed past the awestruck Tenno to look for more infested to clear out. Returning to base covered in more Infested ooze and flesh then anyone had ever seen, Zhon was immediately placed under quarantine, with those who examined him being amazed he wasn't already sprouting tentacles. Cena stayed with Zhon during his time in quarantine, speaking to him through a close circuit connection. She had called him “reckless and stupid for doing something so crazy”, but Zhon could hear the underlying concern and relief in her voice. Through her he learned that his actions during the battle had made him a hero both among his own division of Crewman and to the local colonists (and unbeknownst to him, the Tenno themselves). Those higher up on the corporate ladder felt otherwise however, and had Zhon's pay deducted for causing “unnecessary damage to a prime study specimen” as there wasn't much left of (the?) Phorid for study after Zhon had been through with it. Zhon cared little for the impact on his paycheck, and was more satisfied knowing that the colony was now safe. After being released from quarantine Zhon spent as much time as he could with Cena and quickly became a recognized figure in the colony. With the spaceport having been damaged during the battle, his redeployment was delayed while it was under repair, leaving Zhon with ample time to build an intimate relationship with Cena and the colony. When the time finally came for his redeployment Zhon was sent off with a fond farewell by the colonists. He had never felt so much regret from having to move on before. Zhon maintained a long distance relationship with Cena while in transit to the next battle. Things weren't going well at the colony, with the mine already nearing depletion it was unlikely the Corpus Guild would foot the bill to have it repaired, and with much of the spaceport still unusable relocating the colonists would likely be a long and expensive process. People were beginning to fear that the Corpus might simply seize their mining equipment and leave them on the rock to rot, already some were planning protests if it came to that. Zhon reassured Cena that everything would be fine and that the Guild would make the right choice, what he didn't say was that he had already planned to hand in his resignation to the Guild and go wherever she ended up if she got relocated. Zhon had paid his dues in blood and sweat many times over to the Guild and could have retired long ago but never had reason to, now the man who had become so versed in the ways of death was for the first time considering life beyond the battlefield. Marriage, children, the simple colonial life, Zhon's many battles had earned him a considerable amount of savings and he would easily be able to support himself and Cena, whatever her situation may be. Zhon had felt the anticipation, fear, and excitement that preceded coming battles but it was nothing like the feelings he felt now, it made him happy and he looked forward to what was to come. Cena's communications abruptly ceased, Zhon began to worry. Unable to overcome his growing anxiety, Zhon began to delve into recent official reports for anything that may relate to the colony, what he found shook him to the core. Under the pretense of “preventing future Infestation outbreaks” the board had liquidated the colony by venting out its oxygen and chocking everyone. Zhon saw through their flimsy excuse, and knew the real reasons for disposing of the colonists. Rather than pay the cost of repairing the mines or spaceport, or risk a confrontation with the residents, the Board had chosen the cheapest option and simply had everyone killed so they could seize their mining equipment without resistance. It was in that moment that Zhon’s hope for a simple colonial life died. His dreams of children with Cena, in a quiet place with their own house, were gone. No more were the thoughts of waking in the morning to the sounds of children playing, to the smells of Cena’s cooking. Zhon remembered the smile Cena gave him as she awoke on the porch one night after their long talks and found Zhon still there. In that smile was the hope and promise of a future where he would no longer lift his weapon, only his hand to grasp Cena’s hand. He dreamed of waking up in the mornings and seeing that smile on her face next to his. Now, the memories and dreams of what could have been were all that he had left. In a fit of rage and grief that the Guild could treat human life so cheaply, and his lost future with Cena, Zhon committed his first ever act of disobedience against the Corpus Guild he had dedicated his life to; taking nothing but his suit, Prova, and an album of holographs from his time at the colony, Zhon hijacked an escape pod and deserted from the troop transport he was on, heading out into the darkness of space to forge his own destiny. ----------------------------------------- As a final note if this were adopted as his background I would think it would be an incredibly human moment if he had a rare idle animation outside of combat where he would pull out a small disk that projected the holographic image of a waving smiling woman (assumed to be Cena) that he would stare at for a moment with an incredible look of forlorn sadness before putting it away and returning back to business. (ART) Early concept for Former Crewman Zhon mourning his lost future by arch111, read about it in the back story section: Lyza Tal The right hand of Zhon (leader of the Vandals), once a girl of privilege and Corpus high society, Lyza's former life was destroyed by political intrigue and back stabbing and she has since become a full time rebel against the system and the representative of the "youth in rebellion" element of the Vandals. While been a capable fighter, Lyza is also a talented hacker and has deep insight into the inner workings of Corpus politics due to her background, she also has a knack for promoting and publicizing the Vandal cause. Missions involving her would be more oriented towards propaganda and publicly exposing the Corpus for their crimes. Voice actress/basis (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): Colleen Clinkenbeard (Lilith from Borderlands). (ART) Concept for Lyza Tal, by SUMA Cropped Version: Back story (currently in first draft and been edited): Lyza Tal (Written by AlphaHorseman) Lyza was a girl who grew up in Corpus society, and though she wasn’t an underprivileged girl, when her parents sent her brother off to be indoctrinated, and then he came back “better”, she didn’t agree. Her and her brother Varan grew up thick as thieves, mischievous, naughty, and not quite like the high and mighty brats people expected them to be. Lyza and Varan spent most of their time outside playing, getting down and dirty with the children of the “less profitable” families. She was scolded for being too vocal on her ideals, too rough with her peers, and too forward with her policies on how to improve Corpus life. The discipline that her tutors tried to instill within her only served to fuel her animosity and call to improve how “the system” worked. Her brother Varan held the same beliefs, and was punished in the same manners as she. Through their times playing with the other children, Varan and Lyza overheard the parents speaking about unrest in certain parts of Corpus space. Though at first thought to be the work of the Grineer, word was spreading of a group of Corpus who went rogue and were now vandalizing Corpus properties. Though their parents did scold them on their behavior, they applauded their vigor, though they would hope to curb that perseverance to serve current standing Corpus policies. Lyza was no slacker in school, and did her work well, though her methods to solve her issues were “unorthodox” by Corpus standards, as she valued the resources and peoples involved more so than the profitability of a project. Her grades were penalized due to the “loss of produce” her methods would entail, even if they would save lives. Varan proved to be the more skilled in books, as his methods were just as humane as Lyzas’, but were seen as more “profitable” by their tutors. Lyza and Varan argued that the true profitability of Corpus life were the people themselves, the Corpus civilians and their families. Her beliefs were not well looked upon by Corpus Board members, and her father as well, as he had hoped to become one of the Board himself. As a well-off family in Corpus Society, her father Vorin was just under the Board in terms of official status and wealth. Hoping to join their ranks, Vorin tried to groom his children into prodigies and prime compatriots of Corpus society. There were reports coming in about vandals attacking Corpus compounds that found their way to Vorin’s desk. Varan and Lyza often snuck into their fathers study, and upon finding the reports, read of what the vigilantes were doing. The reports often detailed nothing more than a group of younger adults blotching out Corpus banners and putting in graffiti, “Death as a person, before life as a number”. One extreme case they found detailed some of the vigilantes attacking Corpus Crewmen on their return from an asteroid. The vigilantes accused the Crewmen of abandoning innocent families to the Infestation and assaulted the crewmen. Though no Crewmen died, the vigilantes were able to make off with some of their weapons and equipment. It was later found out that the vigilantes were supplying ‘rebel groups’ as the documents stated with ‘weapons for anarchy.’ The vigilantes were found and executed due to their actions. Lyza and Varan rarely went into their father’s office after that, and worried about their school and the coming of Varans indoctrination into the Corps more than anything else. To help prep Varan for his induction to the Corpus Military Corps, their father recruited some of the best marksmen and military strategists in the Corpus Military Branch. Varan refused to be taught without Lyza, and through much arguments with their parents, Varan and Lyza were allowed to train together while Varan was still outside the Corps. In handiness with a gun, Lyza proved more adept than her brother, as she was able to hit targets throughout the obstacle courses provided to them by Krohn, one of their instructors. Besting Varan with shooting almost all the available Corpus weaponry, Lyza even specialized in the Supra LMG, being both accurate and quick with the gun, though it proved hard to control even in the best Tech hands. Krohn applauded Varan for his efforts, and though he was detrimental to Lyza before other tutors and her parents, was supportive of her efforts when outside their view. Krohn believed that, with the Grineer becoming more reckless in the System, every Corpus hand would have to be called upon to protect their way of life, man or woman. Of course, Varan and Lyzas mother, Loira (gosh I can’t think of a name, haha), was very displeased that her daughter saw fit to take up arms and upstage her brother. She called it “fraudulent” for a woman to do so, “you’re a woman, Lyza, not a miscreant like those Vandals in the news”. Lyza argued that whatever Varan could do, she could, Varan supported his sisters side of the argument, much to the dismay of their mother. Throughout their training together, Varan proved his abilities when presented with Tactical and Strategic decision-making, and in overall planning. His ability to see the overview of a conflict, evaluate the effectiveness of the troops he had at hand, and the troops set against him, along with the variables of the battlefield, was something very few were unimpressed with. Throughout the simulations and holographic conflicts presented to the siblings, Varan was able to overcome strategic dispositions and tactical disadvantages to win the day. Lyza, though not as good a tactician as her brother, was able to attain victory more often than she failed. Finally, the day came that Varan was to be sent off to the Corpus Military Corps, and though the training was set to end with Varan’s departure, Krohn promised Lyza to continue her training. Krohn saw in Lyza a great student, and someone who could be a great asset to Corpus society. Lyza and Varan promised to keep in touch, no matter what. And for a while, Lyza and Varan were able to communicate daily, on the happenings of Varan’s experiences to Lyza’s time during school. Varan’s spoke of the sometimes coldness of the policies in the temples, while Lyza gave Varan word on what was happening with the Vandal group and their escalating actions in Corpus space. Varans words centered on how he enjoyed the fellow boys he was getting to know, though their instructors were strict and adamant. Lyza spoke on how the Vandals were using guerilla tactics to attack certain Corpus compounds to steal supplies and weapons. Lyza also told Varan on how she continued to train with Krohn secretly away from her parents notice. Yet, after a couple of months, Varans correspondences came less and less, and soon he rarely called. Lyza worried for her brother. One day, Varan returned home without notice, and Lyza welcomed him with open arms. Varan looked strong, but his demeanor was cold, and Lyza noticed how he would not look her in the eye. Though their reunion was short lived, Varan was quick to embrace their mother and father. Venerating him on his return, Vorin prepped his family to head out to their private estate for a reunion worthy of his sons’ return. Varan was silent during the packing and moving, no matter how hard Lyza tried to talk to him. On their arrival to the estate, Vorin and Loira began to walk to the estate doors. Varan pulled out a gun and shot down their father. Lyza didn’t have time to react, but was quick enough to hit the gun away from Varan before he could turn on their mother. Varan and Lyza wrestled go get the gun while Loira stayed in shock. Varan spouted madness about their father “harboring Vandal scum and undermining the Board”, Lyza did her best to keep her brother under control. Loira was able to recover and go to her dying husband, Lyza screamed at her mother to grab the communicator from Vorin, and Loira recovered enough to do as she was asked. Lyza told Loira to contact Krohn and tell him to come to the private estate, all while trying to wrestle her brother and keep him away from the gun. Eventually Varan knocked Lyza off and got hold of the gun. Just as he aimed his sights on Loira, his sister was able to knock Varan out with a blow to the back of the head. As Krohn arrived on the scene, he took the family away and asked Lyza to console her mother. Krohn took them to a remote base outside of regular Corpus areas, and there it was revealed that Krohn was an agent of the Vandals. Lyza took this as a coupe by the Vandals to attack her family, but as her brother awoke and continued to spew madness, the Vandals were able to get him into intensive care for evaluation. After his distress was managed, the Vandals and Lyza found out that the Corpus Board had brainwashed Varan into attacking his family. Fhord Bek ingrained into Varan’s mind the importance of the Board, and why his father threatened the future of the Board, and therein the future of the Corpus. Throughout the entire ordeal, Loira did not recover from the shock of losing Vorin, nor the near insane state her son was now in, and remained catatonic. Lyza vowed that she would not let this fade away into the Boards memory. They had taken her father from her, destroyed the mind of her mother, but most of all, taken away her brother and turned him into a psychopath. Lyza decided that day that Corpus society needed to change, just as she and her brother once envisioned, and for the memory of what her brother was, joined the ranks of the Vandals to change the System for the betterment of all. Darvo While I don't see him being a true member of the Vandals, I can very well see him sympathizing with them, selling arms to them and using their hideouts as a location to contact buyers and associates. He would appear in their Friendly Hub every so often would have special deals and/or missions you could do that benefit him. Viter (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha) "Those arrogant milk-drinking board or the decaying mindless Grineer dogs. I don't know which is worse." -Conversation with Viter Appearance: Bald, goatees, has two horizontal red strip tattoo on his forehead and wears a weary maroon-ish corpus crewman suit. He's armed with Dera. Viter is a former Corpus crewman who is a part of the Zhon's Divison and known to be one of the Zhon's close friend. His hatred toward the board grew after he was losing both of his parents and sister because the Board deliberately let the Grineer's invade his home colony on Ishtar, Venus and refuse to acknowledge that it was their fault. He later defects and join the Vandals after knowing his friend Zhon are leading the rebellion. Viter is a guy with a huge hatred toward his own former master but he's also hates the Grineer more since he finds that they do something rather unpleasant and disturbing to his family. He believes that Corpus should be completely annihilated and should replaced by a system that similar to the ancient system called "Socialism". Because of his thinking, He and Zhon sometimes caught in a petty argument. Voice actor/basis (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): Boris Kievsky (Spetsnaz announcer from Modern Warfare 2 & 3, Dmitri Petrenko from Call of Duty: Black Ops) Friendly Hubs The Underground Your Tenno is deployed to a dilapidated back alley in a mass Corpus settlement, possibly a floating Gas City, overhead in the dark night sky distant Corpus freighters fly-by overhead completely unaware of your presence as you make your way down the alley. There seems to be nowhere to go except for a single nondescript open doorway, upon entering the passage you descend down a short flight of stairs to find yourself in a storage room seemingly devoid of anything of interest except for a spot of graffiti on the far wall. As you get closer to investigate the spot the wall begins to shimmer and you realize that it is not a wall, but a hologram, as you pass through it you suddenly find yourself facing a small group of serious looking men and chances are if you weren't obviously a Tenno you would already be been searched at gunpoint for weapons or tracking devices, been as it is they let you pass to use a large lift behind them. As the lift door opens you find yourself in a massive hideout, rows of monitors and holo-projectors line the walls, many of them been monitored by rebels coming from all sorts of walks of life and age groups, wires and cables snake along the ground everywhere as everything is hooked up to huge independent generators to power everything and keep it off the power grid, dominating it all is a large holo-table in the center, projecting all sorts of real time updates and ongoing operations, there is activity everywhere as rebels move around the various stations. How they managed to sneak all of this down here under the Corpus' noses is a tale in itself. Pouring intently over the large central holo-table is an ex-Crewman in a well worn space suit (minus the helmet), as he looks over and examines the operation updates and passes out orders he idly fiddles with a Prova in his right hand, the guy looks important maybe you should start by talking to him... Nightclub An illegal underground gathering of musicians and artists against the Corpus in a sort of rave party. People have been asking for something like a bar for the Tenno so I thought something like this could fit. TO BE EXPANDED Implementation Event: Corporate Iconoclast TO BE EXPANDED Quest: Vandal Valkyr There have been a lot of suggestions/requests that instead of having a somewhat lore-breaking Valkyr Prime that we would instead be able to obtain a Vandal Valkyr, I just thought of an intro for a quest that could work if the Vandals were actually made into a faction. “Hey Tenno, it's Zhon, one of my moles in Corpus R&D found something you might be interested in, he seems to have located some of the original pieces that Alad V must have stripped from that cat, frame thing he was so interested in, must have sent them off to other labs before you stopped him. Anyhow I'm looking at some of the footage of it right now and to be honest the things a mess, was it suppose to be gold or something cause it ain't anymore, they've been doing some serious probing and testing on these suit pieces and have really screwed it up, however some of the kids here are already talking about giving the damn thing a custom paint job if we were to get them back. So if your interested in retrieving these suit bits me and my boys are game to help you crack some Corpus skulls while your at it, you know where to find me, Zhon out.” - Inbox message from Zhon Endgame Scenario: Overthrow TO BE EXPANDED Ghosts of the Lost Colonies (Red Veil Anti-Grineer branch)(“The Ghosts”)(Continued in later post) “We are the forgotten, those without homes, without families, and without futures, the Grineer took everything from us and left us with nothing but our spite and rage, but we shall show them that even they cannot escape from the shadows of the past" - Conversation with a Ghost Partisan Due to this thread becoming far larger then expected I am reaching the limitations that are allowed for a single post, as such I have moved the concept for "Ghosts of the Lost Colonies" to a later post found here: Ghosts of the Lost Colonies If you like the concept art and writing found there please be sure to up-vote both it and this post. Tribes of Phobos (Continued in later post) "Phobos means fear, let us show them why!" - Phoben warcry Due to this thread becoming far larger then expected I am reaching the limitations that are allowed for a single post, as such I have moved the concept for "Tribes of Phobos" to a later post found here: Tribes of Phobos If you like the concept art and writing found there please be sure to up-vote both it and this post. The Free Colony of Callisto (Continued in later post) Due to this thread becoming far larger then expected I am reaching the limitations that are allowed for a single post, as such I have moved the concept for "The Free Colony of Callisto" to a later post found here: The Free Colony of Callisto If you like the concept art and writing found there please be sure to up-vote both it and this post. Pirates and Smugglers (Continued in later post) Credit for initial idea for Pirates belongs to Vard in this thread Due to this thread becoming far larger then expected I am reaching the limitations that are allowed for a single post, as such I have moved the concept for "Pirates and Smugglers" to a later post found here: Pirates and Smugglers If you like the concept art and writing found there please be sure to up-vote both it and this post. Oracles of Saturn (Questionable) EDIT: Listening to the actual radio transmission what I actually heard was something along the lines of "The Oracles of Saturn welcome the Grineer as Liberators" which would really hurt their chances of been considered allies of the Tenno if it proves to be true EDIT: There is a strong possibility this is just Grineer propaganda and that the Oracles are been unwillingly occupied by the Grineer (Ex. like France under Nazi rule). You seem to be missing the Oracles of Saturn, one of the factions intended to be helping the Tenno mentioned forever ago when DE was first talking about Proxy Wars. They have a want for Orokin technology, similar to the Corpus, so their alliance to the Tenno is dependent upon how much Orokin technology the Tenno would provide to them. 'Dunno if they're still coming, though, but they were mentioned by DE. Radio chatter heard while on the Liset does confirm the existence of a this group, as quoted from the wiki, one of the radio transmissions heard is "from the "Oracles of Saturn" regarding 'liberation' after colonial uprisings." To be honest I have no idea how to approach this one, there is even less information to go off of here then with the Red Veil, if someone would like to give it a go I'll try and incorporate it into this post. From what I've gathered they seem to be Orokin fanatics/groupies/fangirls, beyond that I'm not able to grasp at much besides that they likely are found around Saturn. Pure conjecture: Chances are they may be a rogue branch of the Corpus, more interested in Orokin technology and willing to work with the Tenno to obtain it rather then just trying to dissect them as another specimen. EDIT: There have been suggestions of rolling the idea of the Ghosts into the Oracles of Saturn, will see how this develops. Other Suggestions The Safo (Continued) - by emaralez87 The Changed (Continued) - by Raptorator The Gray Ones (Continued) - by emaralez87 The Tinkerers - by Daniel_Kevlar --------------------------------- LOOKING FOR ALL CONTRIBUTIONS If anyone wants to contribute ideas for new groups or suggest things for any existing ones feel free to do so, I would also gladly add any sort of concept pictures if anyone feels like taking a whack at it, I intend to do some myself eventually but I'm not nearly as good an artist as I am at writing so I would really REALLY appreciate any sort of concept artwork from anyone. Please feel free to suggest quotes, characters, stories, events/quests, units, theme music, wine pairings, etc, anything goes. This concept is not complete and I intend to keep adding to it for the next little while, expect it to be around for a long time. If there is a particular section you would like me get a move on with and do please say so. Edited October 18, 2014 by HappyApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(PSN)Blechhund- Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 SOUNDS BADASS. Though I know I'll be taking all their kills in game regardless. I like the lore add-on to the world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaugahn Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 This actually is probably coming in the future. Check out the radio in the liset, you can hear grineer talking about conquering colonies and performing border checks on cargo ships. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 20, 2014 Share Posted July 20, 2014 seems I saw couple concepts in "enemies of the tenno" and "corpus shall rise" threads what can be useful in this thread. may I suggest them, you know, as this dirty shameful links? or should I copy-paste here? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archangelzz Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 Cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt313 Posted July 21, 2014 Share Posted July 21, 2014 I think the Tenno could use more sympathetic factions, or at least some exposure to the civilians of the galaxy that we're supposedly trying to protect. These ideas are all pretty decent, and I could picture them giving Invasion quests that are just three missions against the faction in question, like the Infested outbreaks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyApathy Posted July 21, 2014 Author Share Posted July 21, 2014 (edited) Due to the increasing size of this topic this post has been reformatted to be a continuation of the OP Ghosts of the Lost Colonies (Red Veil Anti-Grineer branch)(“The Ghosts”) “We are the forgotten, those without homes, without families, and without futures, the Grineer took everything from us and left us with nothing but our spite and rage, but we shall show them that even they cannot escape from the shadows of the past" - Conversation with a Ghost Partisan The moons of Saturn and many of the Dwarf planets of the Origin System were once the homes of many vibrant and prosperous independent colonies that supported themselves mining and trading the ores found on the moons and asteroids, having long ago abandoned the ruined home world the colonies gave little thought about Earth and the events that had transpired during the Old War and the The Collapse. Then they came, spilling like a plague across the Solar System, the Grineer swallowed up entire colonies so fast that the surviving ones hardly believed the tales told by shell shocked survivors before it was too late and they too were engulfed by the Grineer. Most colonists were killed outright, those unfortunate enough to survive were enslaved, doomed to a life at the mercy of a brutal taskmaster where a sad end was inevitable. The moons of Saturn were hit the hardest, what had been a community of billions was whittled down to no more then a few million, with most of them living under harsh Grineer rule, the few who escaped found themselves on the run, forever hunted by the Grineer. Generations later the descendants of those few survivors are tired of running, spending their entire lives living in the shadows like ghosts, avoiding the day light and roving eyes of Grineer patrols, only coming out at night to scavenge for food and supplies amongst the wreckage of their former homes. With the Tenno's efforts putting strain on the Grineer war machine the time is ripe for revenge, the Ghosts of the lost colonies are hungry for it, ready to haunt the Grineer for what they did to them so long ago. The Name: The Ghosts This is meant to make them related to Wraith gear, and also a reference to their way of life and combat, living on planets already occupied by the Grineer the Ghosts survive by staying out of sight and hiding from the Grineer, often among the ruins of the old colonies. When it comes time to fight they would rely on guerrilla tactics, hitting the Grineer where they least expect it and vanishing before a proper response can be mounted. While partly made up of old colony descendants, I could also envision their ranks been filled with escaped slaves and the survivors of colonies that have more recently been destroyed or conquered by the Grineer, overall their uniting motive would be revenge against the Grineer and a desire to fight back. Grineer Defectors? People have suggested the idea of small numbers of defecting Grineer clones be included in the Ghosts/Red Veil, whether or not this would be possible depends on how deeply ingrained loyalty to the Queens is with the Grineer. I personally suspect that clones have obedience imprinted into them during the cloning process to a point where they would jump off a cliff without question if their queens commanded it, that said it could be possible for the process to fail every so often giving clones more autonomy then they normally would have. @HappyApathy - I imagine when the Grineer were first starting to be cloned, they would have had loyalty ingraved into their brains very deeply. However, as time went by and the Grineer clones became more and more genetically unstable, cracks started to appear in the cloning process, opening the chance of Grineer units being cloned with, atleats a smei opened mind, and we have already seen ingame that it is possible for a Grineer to defect, through Captain Vor. We see Captain Vor defecting after he is revived by his "Judas Key", and unlike the other Corrupted, Vor seems to still have freewill (though this can be argued). Although this is a bad example, it is still an example. However Vor, before he was revived for the first time, had been seen killing another Grineer general (as shown in "The Calling"). Now I don't know about you, but I don't think the Queens ordered him to do that, and im sure that Vor knew full well that doing that would only upset the Queens (at first)and diminish the Grineer ultimate goal, all for self gain, showing how he does possess atleast a bit of freewill,and is not completely loyal. Also, the G3. If the Grineer were truly, completely loyal to their Queens and cause, they wouldn't have gone on their Grineer killing spree, even with their added hatred of Grineer due to their cloning "Malfunction". And the G3 are also living proof that it is possible for the Grineer to accidently make unwanted genetic rejects. Also, if Grineer defects do get added to the Ghosts regime (which even I think is a bit far fetched, my main idea was the Grineer "Raiders", and I just tacked on the extra Ghost bit at the end) the player could talk to them at the friendly HUBs and get special inside info on Grineer politics, clone manufactory ect. Rationale for Existence This is meant to be the group directly based off the existing Red Veil lore, even sharing their appearance, with Cantis of the Red Veil as one of their members (potentially the leader). These people are representative of those that have suffered at the hands of the Grineer, whether through loss of their homes, friends, family, or through hardship endured during enslavement. I would expect there to be a group of sorts formed from those who hold have an ax to grind against the Grineer and are looking for payback. Organization and Behavior The Partisans that make up the fighting force of the Ghosts have known nothing but hardship their entire lives, their work hours are spent scavenging for food and supplies, their spare time planning how to kill Grineer, and their weekends carrying out those plans, their lives are very violent, and often very short. These are hardcore survivalists who would be a kin to zombie apocalypse survivors, having a fatalistic outlook on life and having few long term plans for a future they are unlikely to live to see. A different breed from the Corpus Rebels (The Vandals?), the Ghosts don't have time for such high minded ideals like building a better future, or reforming society, they have no society left to rebuild, their motives are far simpler: Survival and revenge, they hate Grineer with a passion and would gladly assist the Tenno in taking down the Grineer in any way possible. The mood they give off would be a much darker and tragic one then that of the Corpus Rebels. The driving theme for the Ghosts is revenge. Lore and Insights: Grineer History and Policies “Ya know, there was a time when the Grineer were just some scary story about ol' Terra, a boogie man to frighten kids, some monster in a bedtime story, gotta hate it when your childhood nightmares come to life...” - Conversation with a Ghost Partisan Through talking with the Ghosts players will learn the history about the rise of the Grineer from the perspective of those who suffered at their hands as they expanded their empire, and also potentially giving hints about their origins on Earth. Through talking with former slaves and colony survivors players would also gain a greater understanding about how the Grineer empire functions and how it treats those under it's rule. In-Game Units The appearance of the Ghosts would be based on the existing hostage model that is used in Rescue missions, that said they would be visually given extra body armor (custom or Grineer) and combat gear cause while it makes sense that if you were captured you would be stripped down to essentially your space pajamas, if you were given the chance to prep for combat you would probably be wearing something a bit more substantial then just a red jumpsuit. Any sort of armor or combat gear worn by the Ghosts would be painted with a Wraith theme. I also think the type of mask (like the one seen in the example picture) would vary depending on the role, and not necessarily be limited to the kinds we see on actual hostage models. Stat wise many ghost units would have decent to high armor ratings similar to the Grineer. Mind you this is only my interpretation of the Ghosts, if anyone has an interpretation that does not use the hostage model as a base they are more then welcome to give their input/concept art, the only thing I really think should be consistent is the use of red as the theme color. (ART) Ghost Concepts: Fantastic Ghost concept by Goatasty, that is a serious looking bad @$$: This is a female Ghost of the Red Veil. I chose a white suit because I thought it would be more fitting for characters named "Ghosts" It also has a more feminine feel. I also added in my variant of Tenno pets. A lizard-dog thing. He can crawl on walls and scratch enemies. perhaps with poison spit too? Just throwin it out there (people have suggested having it come from Phobos). Red Veil Ghost Partisan by ValhaHazred: Red Veil Wraith Syandana's by ValhaHazred: For Partisans (left) it adds a shell like part over the "wings" For Assassins (right) it get a long tail as well: My own sketch of an unmasked Red Veil operative with a Machete Wraith, forgive the anime/mange-esque nature of it if you must: Partisan Equipped with a wraith themed Grakata, Karak, Sobek, Viper(s), or Baguette Hind, the Partisan would appear like a Red Veil operative with some extra Wraith styled body armor and (maybe) the Rakta Syandana. Would share AI similar to the lancer. Melee Partisan Equipped with the Machete Wraith, or Serro (Wraith or Vandal? This is actually an interesting dichotomy for this weapon) this Partisan variant would wear some light Grineer armor (like that worn by Butchers) and/or custom armor. Note: emaralez87 brought up the point the Serro is actually used by rebels on Sedna which would actually make it a weapon used against the Grineer (Sedna is held by the Grineer), so it might be manufactured and sold by the Corpus to the Grineer and not actually used by anti-Corpus rebels. Armored Partisan Wearing both custom armor and parts of Grineer lancer armor, this Partisan would carry heavy weapons like the Gorgon or Ogris, redone with a Wratih theme. Assassin A long ranged Partisan equipped with a Wraith Vulkar, the Assassin would behave like a Ballista or Sniper Crewman and have exceptional accuracy. Would wear custom Wraith light armor. I keep imagining these guys wearing something like a dark red or camouflage hood and cloak and having a mask akin to a gas mask but that's just my impression. Specter Carrier While basically a Partisan, this unit would also have a backpack/bag/utility belt/something for carrying a supply of expendable specter charges, he would summon 2 or 3 weak specters whose main purpose would be to draw fire away from other friendlies, if a specter is destroyed it would be replaced by another after a period of time has passed. Wraith Roller A roller that has been reprogrammed and repainted with a Wraith theme, would be fun to get to watch the Grineer been perpetually stun-locked while yelling "how do you like it!?" at them. Colonist Though they would likely try their best to stay out of the way, I would imagine when the Grineer do come for them the regular everyday colonist would likely turn towards the Red Veil or the Tenno for protection. In-game they would be an unarmed unit requiring rescue or protection. Ghost Units suggested by IceDragonofAmber Ive got some more suggestions for Ghost units and weapons.1. Reprogrammed latchers (and maybe rollers) taken from Grineer raid hauls and fallen seekers. I imagine it wouldn't be too difficult to reprogram these things as they arn't nearly as advanced as corpus MOAs, and even if the Ghosts themselves can't reprogram them I imagine the Ghosts could easily go to the Vandals for support.2. (This idea is admitly a bit stupid but here we go) This idea was inspired by the Vandal unit with the broken sheild osprey strapped to their back. This idea is a Ghost unit wearing an insulated suit with reprogrammed arc traps (1 or 2) attached to said suit. This unit would run towards Grineer units, with the arc traps shocking the Grineer when they come too close dealing a large amount of damage, with the electricity potentially stunning enemies and the electricity having a chance of chaining to nearby enemies. This unit would be very fast and agile and would have a near complete (if not complete) immunity to electricity. However, as a drawback, these units would have very low health and armour, with the arc traps on the suit being able to be destroyed independently, shocking the ghost and nearby units (independant of faction) upon destruction and leaving the ghost with nothing but a pistol. Grineer Units - Okay, hear me out on this one. The idea is basically the same as that of the Raiders, but instead of becoming pirates the Grineer choose to help the resistance against the Grineer. These units would consist almost entirely out of defective Grineers that instead of showing nothing but hate towards non-grineers, show a small amount of compassion and pity. The Grineer units that the Ghost regimes would possess would be entirely random, usually possessing large squads of specific Grineers, all of which came from he same cloning batch and as such were almost all defective. The arsenal these Grineers possess would be similar to that of the Raiders, possessing worn Grineer weapons/armour and an assortment of different non-grineer weapons (mostly Ghost wraith weaponary). Although the Ghosts would have accepted these Grineers into their ranks (after a long while of refusing, however) they would still be very careful around them, always making sure they were truely defective Grineer and not spies, and making sure that they never receive a high enough rank taht they had access to the Ghosts major plans and secrets. Characters Cantis (Tentative) Due to the fact Cantis is already an existing character whether or not this will ultimately be applied to her or an entirely new character will depend on how she is developed in game, it would also likely be a bit of a retcon of the character she currently is (however little developed it is) if it were to be applied “The Grineer took everything from me, from everyone here, it is only fair we return the favor” - Cantis of the Red Veil (ART) Preliminary Concept of Cantis, by Panzer_the_Tank: Before anyone mentions 'Eos Armor' Let me say a few things: 1. The final design of the Red Veil is, as far as I know, still in flux and can be changed, DE has done it in the past with enemies who end up getting a complete makeover so I don't see why that can't happen here, and frankly I hope they turn out to be more interesting then a bunch of reskinned hostage models with a few extra attachments. 2. There's a big difference between been a super powered void ninja blinging out your high-tech combat armor, and been a regular human being and expecting a few strips of decorative metal to save you from a hail of bullets. If you've been thrown in a prison cell you would expect to be stripped down to your space PJ's, but given the chance to prepare for combat I would think the Red Veil would wear armor that is a bit more substantial and with more body coverage. Born a Grineer slave, Cantis' life is a tale of tragedy that has turned her into the embodiment of hate and anger towards the Grineer; she would be the leader of the Ghosts and the one you would receive Ghost related quests and missions and likely be the one giving you mission updates and directives while you run them. If she is seen in game during a mission her weapon of choice would likely be either dual Wraith Vipers or a Gorgon Wraith, maybe a Karak Wraith, possibly engaging melee combat at times with a Machete Wraith. Though likely youngest character to appear in game she would be one of the most intense and severe personalities you would encounter. Her entire life has been spent plotting revenge against the Grineer and she has no time or use for any sort of pleasantries or leisure outside of that, it has been a long time since she ever truly smiled. The way I describe her demeanor is like 'cold fire', while on the surface she mains a composed and seemingly emotionless guise, underneath burns a hatred and loathing towards the Grineer that is frightening when it does boil out of her. She would actually be one of the darker characters of Warframe, despite been an ally. Possible personality trait: Slightly unhinged “You Tenno, so safe in your secret hideouts and little ships, you have no idea what it's like to live out here in real world, to spend your childhood as a dog slave, to watch as friends and family die everyday from bullets and starvation, the Grineer have sent me to hell, AND I WILL PULL THEM DOWN HERE AND MAKE THEM BURN WITH ME” - Conversation with Cantis Cantis for the most part would be cold and quite taciturn about most things, and while Cantis should never be considered some sort of psychopath, it would be a quite a character twist if the inner fire that drives would on rare occasions boil to the surface and show her true colors, maybe when she gets really riled up in her rhetoric against the Grineer, or during battle. Compared to the Vandals who for the most part would hold the moral high ground the Ghosts are meant to be more a moral gray zone, where at times you might question whether it is okay to combat the hatred of the Grineer by fighting with a group that seems just as equally hateful towards them. Voice actress/basis (Suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): DERebecca or DE_Megan, Luci Christian Back story (Work in progress): The Girl in Red Cantis was born into an unforgiving world through tragedy itself, her mother dieing giving birth to her first and only child, a fate not uncommon in the Grineer slave pit where she was conceived. Cantis' earliest memories were of working on an assembly line alongside her father where they, along with hundreds of other slaves, assembled the prosthetic limbs that the Grineer depended upon. The monotony of their work was only broken by the harsh shouts of the brutal taskmaster, the crack and searing pain of his whip, and occasionally the ring of a gunshot as a random slave was chosen, put against the wall and shot every time a product turned out to be defective. The only break the workers were given was their daily meal, a rotten gruel with little taste, often slaves would gather and compete to see who had the most maggots in their dish, the winner been envied for their greater serving of protein for that day. The only contact with the world beyond the boundaries of the slave colony was the occasional Corpus freighter that delivered the vital electronics that the Grineer needed to make their prostheses function to maintain their degrading bodies. Slaves would often talk amongst themselves about grand schemes to get on one of these freighters and escape from the hell hole they were trapped in; however much of this was wishful thinking as each slave had a Grineer restraint embedded into their leg (not unlike an Ascaris or Grustrag Bolt) that acted as a tracker and kill switch for their Grineer overseers, any attempt to tamper with the device would result in a fatal electric shock been discharged into the host. Despite the horrific conditions, Cantis was still able to endure much of it with a degree of happiness thanks to her father, who despite everything still lived with a smile on his face, a twinkle in his eye, and did everything he could to give his daughter the best childhood he could, even pushing the rules and his luck when he could just so he could give his child something to smile about. It was one of her father's schemes of love that would forever change Cantis' life and set her on the path of vengeance. In the dimming twilight Cantis' father took her by the hand and lead her through the fume and dust chocked slave colony to a decommissioned factory tower, for months he had scouted and observed the guard patrols and knew it would be a long time before any were due to pass again. As he pulled out the rusted door control panel and began to fiddle with the wiring, Cantis looked around nervously and warned her father that what he was doing was against the rules, her father smiled and whimsically stated “My dear Cany, if a rule is unfair it deserves to be broken”. After gaining entry into the tower Cantis' father lead her to the tower elevator, Cantis continued to look around cautiously as they road the lift to the roof. Cantis could only gape in awe as her father popped open the roof hatch, the sky above her shimmered and danced with light as stars filled the darkness of the night. Cantis had never seen the night sky like this before, the view from the ground been chocked by the dust and fumes from the factories, as she stared wide eyed into the vastness of space her father smiled at been able to bring even this small moment of joy into their harsh lives. The pair sat down on the roof with Cantis snuggled in her father's lap as she excitedly asked the questions any inquisitive child would, how many stars were there? How far away were they? What were they made of? Her father answered her as best he could, making stories and tales up when he didn't know the answer himself. The two enjoyed a true moment of bliss and content that was seeming inconceivable on a world tailor made for misery and suffering. -------------------------Summary of how I plan the rest of the story plays out (this gets really dark): - Unbeknownst to the pair there is an attempted (failed) escape by another slave, because they are on the roof they miss an alert that the slave colony has been put into lock down - Unaware of what has happened Cantis and her father leave the factory tower only to run straight into a Grineer patrol. The Grineer toy with Cantis' father, reducing him to begging on his knees that they spare his daughter, eventually the Grineer get bored of their game and turn their guns on the pair. In a final act of desperation and love Cantis' father throws himself upon his daughter and uses his own body as a shield against the hail of bullets. Cantis lies frozen in a state of shock and horror under her father's corpse, assuming them both dead (or simply not caring) the Grineer depart, leaving what they assume to be two dead bodies for the other slaves to pick up and bury later - After lying still under her father's body for a number of hours, Cantis crawls out from under him, still in a dazed and horror struck state, her clothing stained a deep a crimson, a changed girl, Cantis will never truly be able to experience happiness again and any sort of childhood innocence died with her father, Red becomes a theme color that she will always wear - For years afterwards Cantis quietly works on a plan to escape the slave colony, stealing bits and pieces from the factory (keep in mind what they make there) for her project and collecting other items she would need. On the day of her escape she hacks off her own leg that has the tracker on it and (very painfully) shoves on a crude Grineer leg she has made from stolen parts and stows away on a Corpus freighter - After her escape Cantis' works as a part of various pirate and mercenary groups, however she never loses sight of her true purpose and intent - After years of honing her skills, Cantis reappears on Sedna where she becomes the catalyst for the rebellion that is mentioned in the codex entry for the Serro and founds the Red Veil resistance Friendly Hubs Colony Ruins The ruins of an old colony long ago abandoned after the Grineer invasion. Used as a base by the Ghosts to strike out against the Grineer, they make sure to hide their presence from the Grineer. TO BE EXPANDED Independent Asteroid Colony A regular colony with Red Veil sympathies. TO BE EXPANDED Hideouts suggested by Daniel_Kevlar Earth (Underground bunker) The Liset flies overhead and drops you off the same as any other mission. Only this time, you find yourself on a clear patch of grass, untouched by Grineer machines. A sliver glint catches your viewfinder and you turn to look at a small piece of metal jutting out of the small mound, hidden by a few patches of tall grass. You pull on the piece and a metal hatch opens quietly from the ground before you hop in quickly. A Ghost dressed in his Wraith armour has you at gunpoint, along with several of his comrades but they relax as soon as they realize who you are. "Tenno. This way." One of them says as they lead you down the winding tunnels, lit with red emergency lights powered by scavenged generators. The main hideout is tiny compared to what the Grineer have as FoBs but it works: Scrap reinforced walls to keep the ceilings from crashing down. The rails of what used to be a cart system for the Grineer mines have been ripped up and turned into wither weapons or supports. Cantis stands by a bunch of resource crates, eyeing you with her normal stony look while the other Ghosts carry on doing their duties around the base. "You've finally come. Good. <Insert quotes depending on which mission the player has unlocked>" You are now free to wander about. Saturn (Asteroid only. not sure how the Ghosts would be able to set up shop in a Galleon that might be blown up at any time) After making your way through the maze of vents and following the route you were given by the Ghosts back on Earth, you find what seems to be a grill with an 'X' sprayed on it in neon red. You tap twice as instructed and some shuffling is heard before a Red Veil Operative pops the vent pen and drags you out, her Viper pointed at you the whole time until she figures out that you're a Tenno. Wordlessly, she nods towards a door to her right, a scarpped down version of the Grineer automated door, and lets you in. The hub is just about as big as a generator room, several empty cargo containers being used as makeshift cabins for the Ghosts. The leader of this platoon nods at you, s/he says something along the lines of Cantis but with a little hint of awe before letting you wander about. Implementation TO BE EXPANDED Edited October 8, 2014 by HappyApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyApathy Posted July 22, 2014 Author Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) Due to the increasing size of this topic this post has been reformatted to be a continuation of the OP Tribes of Phobos “Phobos means fear, let us show them why!” - Phoben war cry An ancient people who have changed little since their arrival on Mars' desert moon as refugees fleeing from the chaos of The Collapse eons ago, the Phobens are a resilient and hardy people who have managed to eke out an existence in the harsh canyons and deserts of Phobos. With a barely habitable, hostile environment, and with no resources or strategic value the moon of Mars has long been forgotten and ignored by the greater universe and left to fend for itself, a dictum that sits well with its inhabitants who themselves came to the barren world in order to escape the flames of chaos or chains of oppression that plague the rest of the solar system, freedom from war and greed is the one thing the Phobens have in abundance. That freedom is now been threatened by the Grineer, who have taken an interest in Phobos, beginning by occupying some of the old grottos the Phobens carved from the canyons they have begun a program to pacify the desert moon by exterminating its people, however what was expected to be an easy cleanup has turned into a grueling guerrilla war as the extreme environment of Phobos has made each and every one of its inhabitants a hardened survivor, coupled with their knowledge of the desert world they seem to vanish into the sands before the Grineer's very eyes, using hit and run tactics to disrupt operations and sabotage equipment. Rationale for Existence The Phobens are one of my favorite concepts, one reason being I think there's actually existing evidence for Phobos been a currently inhabited planet by a group other then the Grineer: The Arid Fear event suggests that the Grineer invasion of Phobos is a very recent event, unlike most worlds where the Grineer are well established (Ceres, Earth) the settlements on Phobos look like they've only been setup recently and are more akin to been military outposts then actual proper settlements The existing architecture of grottos been carved into the canyons is clearly not Grineer, and while they may be abandoned it doesn't mean their couldn't be other canyon communities out there that are still inhabited Those artillery cannons you see the Grineer constantly firing from their bases on Phobos, who the hell are they firing at? One could argue they are firing at nodes controlled by the Corpus but if you ignore invasion logic and stick to lore the planet is meant to be under Grineer control yet there is still someone out there who is on the receiving end of that artillery fire Organization and behavior In terms of mannerisms, they draw heavily from the concept of the Fremen from Dune in been tough, ruthless, no nonsense survivalists; honorable and loyal to their friends and community while been utterly brutal and merciless with their enemies, essentially turning Phobos into a world of bad asses. In terms of speech and interaction they would be direct and brutally honest, saying what they think and what they want with complete transparency. Ideas for Phoben culture by DrEADcoffins, Edited by HappyApathy Phobens often raid Grineer bases and convoys, have nothing against pillaging. They have many talented desert engineers, who can improve Grineer equipment and outfits to be better for the harsh environment of Phobos. The Phobens have their own secret designs: Desert Fang, the dagger made from desert skate tail, and armored bandages made from skate's skin, extremely durable but light and comfortable to wear, with great heat insulation effect — it's extremely handy in desert survival. In addition, Phobens engage in desert skate breeding. How they tame and breed such dangerous creatures is a mystery, but some hint something about continuous help from the Grineer (dead troopers' flesh are used as food for skates). Phobens live in the desert, so water is considered a gift from the gods. A cult has formed in their society, which worship The Life Force. Once per month an armored caravan embarks on a journey to sacred grounds, which is named The Giver of Life to bring Life Force to the tribe. Lore and Insights: Ancient History “So you wish to know about my people's history, or should I say your history, and what you wrought upon us so long ago...” - Conversation with a Phoben The purpose of the Phobens I would like to think would be to explore the history about the The Old War, The Collapse and it's ensuing immediate aftermath through conversations with the Phobens as they recount how they came to live on the desert moon. As an ancient people who due to a lack of societal change and a long period of stability are still able to recall the events that transpired ages past and have retained it mainly through oral tradition. Through them players would be able to learn more lore about the origins of Warframe. That said they shouldn't be a one-stop source for all the answers, while they recall more then most many things have still been forgotten or changed over generations, it would still be up to the player and their codex to get a complete image of what transpired between the Sentients and Orokin. The Phobens would also have little information on what happened after their self-imposed isolation on the desert world. In-Game Units I would expect Phoben NPC's to be mainly armed with Grineer type weapons, possibly making use of the Ceramic Dagger for melee or even a unique Phoben made dagger, they would have no armor or shields but have a particularly large health pool. Behavior wise they would make high use of cover and distance like sniper type enemies, and have very high accuracy compared to other NPC's. Desert Skates should not spawn nearby Phoben fighters, for those that are already present the Phobens would be given a massive damage bonus against them that they would essentially one-shot any skate they come across. For appearance I would imagine them to be based on Tusken Sand Raiders from Star Wars, and certain concept art drawn for Fremen from Dune, I actually would prefer them to use things like head and hand wraps and have a loose flowing desert robe rather then something like a stillsuit that the Fremen use. If their bare faces are ever shown I would expect them to have a much darker skin tone then the pasty faces of the Grineer or Corpus. Voice actor/actress/basis (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): Fred Tatasciore and Kari Wahlgren (ART) Phoben Concepts: Phoben concepts by DrEADcoffins: My own Phoben Tribesman concept: Frontiersman Armed with a Karak, the Frontiersman would share similar AI to the Grineer lancer, would however have greater accuracy then most NPCs. Marksman Equipped with the Grinlok rifle, Phoben Marksmen would behavior similarly to the Ballista or Crewman Sniper, however because it is only meant to exist in an NPC vs NPC capacity the Marksmen would be given much greater accuracy to a point where they would land almost every shot, possibly even be capable of landing headshots. Knife Fighter Equipped with the Ceramic Dagger (dual?), or a unique Phoben made dagger, the Knife Fighter would behave similarly to Butchers, taking cover/hiding until enemies got close before charging out in ambush. They would move at a greatly enhanced speed compared to other similar NPCs and would have a much faster attack animation then the Butcher/Prodmans unwieldy swing, likely sharing some of the more basic dagger/dual dagger attack animations that the Tenno use. (ART) Phoben Knife Fighter (Female): Friendly Hubs Canyon Grotto When you play a mission on Phobos you see dwellings that have been carved into the canyon walls everywhere, imagine them without all that Grineer junk built into them and what the people who lived in them would be like. I always imagine that you would visit during the dusk or night hours. Wood is at a premium so I would think they would use something like gas burners or some sort of other futuristic energy source for heating. TO BE EXPANDED Implementation Random Encounters Anytime you do a non-quest/event mission on Phobos there would be a random chance that a group of Phoben fighters could appear part way through the mission in a similar fashion to the Stalker, they would continue to assist you until you finish the mission or they are all killed. Quest/Event: The Desert Heir TO BE EXPANDED The Free Colony of Callisto “Callisto dies free!” - Callistean Guard battle cry Blessed with a flourishing heavily terraformed planet, and an abundance of valuable resources, the colony of Callisto is exceptional for been one the few truly independent and self-sustaining world's for most of its history. While the technology of Callisto is similar too and in some cases surpasses that of the Corpus the Callisteans do not share the same ambitions and lust for power, instead taking pride in their liberties and been the masters of their own world. Callisto's independence and very existence was put to test a generation ago when the Grineer invaded with the intention of enslaving its people and harvesting the world's resources. In an incredible upset the Callisteans successfully fought off and defeated the invading Grineer forces, something that had been unheard of for an independent colony to accomplish. Winning the war came at a heavy price though, with hundreds of thousands dead and much of the world in ruins the Callisteans were forced to turn to the Corpus, by paying a high tribute of resources Callisto was able to buy their protection from the vengeful Grineer, effectively ending their status as an independent colony. While technically a Corpus holding, the politicos of Callisto have done their best to make sure the title only truly applies on paper, the people of Callisto experience a level of liberty and freedom that is unheard of in the rest of Corpus space, making it a beacon of hope against Corpus oppression, often serving as a refuge for those escaping from other areas of the Corpus domain, or the Grineer Empire. It is apparent though that dark times are approaching for the moon of Jupiter, Corpus demands for tribute have become increasingly extortionate and their calls for Callisto to fall in line with their policies ever louder, it is clear Callisto will soon be unable to, or unwilling to meet the demands of their Corpus overlords who threaten to withdraw the curtain of protection if they are not met. Already Corpus ships and military are preparing to leave the world, an act made loud and clear enough for the Grineer to take notice, mobilizing fleets of Galleons for when the time comes to exact revenge for their humiliation. Callisto has not been idle though, having long prepared for the coming storm, building shelters for their civilians, training a highly skilled and well equipped army, and constructing many defensive fortifications, the Callisteans have done their best in preparations for the inevitable. Strong planetary shields and a multitude of defensive gun arrays will make bombarding the planet from space difficult and costly for the Grineer, as such they will have to rely on smaller ships carrying ground forces to move in and take out the planets defenses first, as such it will come down to the blood, sweat, and tears of Callisto's ground troops to save their world, surrender is not an option as the Grineer come not as conquers, but as exterminators who intend to extinguish every living soul upon the moon as an example to the rest of the Origin System. Every soldier in the Callistean army is ready and willing to give their life and fight to the last in order to protect their world and what it represents. Despite years of preparations the outlook is grim, a view reflected in the defiant but fatalistic mantra that has been adopted by many Callistean guards, “Be it in a hundred days, or a hundred years, Callisto dies free.” Rationale for Existence When I first made the concept for Callisto, quests hadn't been implemented yet, nonetheless the concept of Callisto could still play a role in the developing story of the Tenno. Callisto was envisioned as a sort of PR campaign for the Tenno, to get them away from the seemingly selfish mercenary image of the Tenno that has built up in the minds of players, providing our services to the highest bidder, or as Sargas Ruk likes to put it “fighting for treasure”. The battle for Callisto is meant to help rebuild the image of the Tenno as protectors and guardians of the universe, to create a scenario where your actually fighting on the side of the underdog, not simply been a paid servant of the Grineer or Corpus, you would actually be fighting to save an entire world for the sake of doing what is right and not to propagate the agenda of one of the two great evils that rule the Solar System. Rail Gun Tech "You call that peashooter the Corps' carry a rail gun? That's just some cheap knock-off we gave them to get them off our backs for a while. THIS here is the real deal." - Caz Thrace, Callistean rail gunner, in reference to his "baby" (a heavy rail gun sniper rifle) (ART) Callistean railgun concepts by EVAtemplar117: There has been a number of concept art and calls for some sort of “rail/gauss gun” weaponry (don't you dare say Lanka), because Callisto is meant to be a technologically advance people that differ slightly from the Corpus it would be a fun way to introduce a new breed of weaponry that are based on the idea of rail/gauss guns, rather then just simply handing it off as another Tenno based weapon. It's also a niche that I don't think can adequately be filled by the Corpus (who use energy based weapons) or the Grineer (crude low tech projectile weapons), it would also make sense considering how the Callisteans would be the ones who look into building weapons designed to punch through Grineer armor effectively as they would be facing them inevitably. Organization and Behavior The colony of Callisto is meant to be a representation of 'moral Corpus' in a way, a similarly highly technologically advanced society minus the extreme corporate greed. While we wouldn't hear too much about what there government structure is like it would be one that values peoples liberty and rights, though been on a wartime footing would have an effect on what their current policies may be like. The scenario that the Tenno arrive upon is essentially watching the death of a planet at the hands of the Grineer with the entire world been turned into a literal war zone hellscape (I'd expect the tile set to be made up of burned out buildings and gray ash fields), burning cities, ash chocked skies, refugees streaming in every direction, the Callistean military barely hanging on as their entire world is consumed in fire, I just love the image of coming up to a weary Callistean soldier as he stands upon a plateau watching an entire city going up in flames as countless Grineer drop ships continue to descend from sky and him bluntly commenting "so this is how a world dies". Lore and Insights: Grineer Policies (Maybe Corpus too) Through speaking with Callisteans and doing missions on their behalf players would experience firsthand the effects of the Grineer as they invade the world, Callisteans would also voice their fears about what would happen to them should they fail to defend their world and tell tales of what befell other colonies that were defeated by the Grineer in the past, and of their last conflict with the Grineer. Points about Corpus rule and/or their attempts to resist pressure from their from former Corpus overlords could also occasionally arise shedding more light on Corpus colonial policies. In-Game Units Callistean soldiers would have both better protection and weaponry then both Corpus and Grineer troops, unlike either of them the Callisteans would be unable to rely on mass attrition to achieve their goals and as such focus on improving the quality and survivability of their soldiers rather then using them in vast quantities. Callistean Guard While they would draw on some of the design elements of the Corpus crewman design, they would be more clearly dressed for combat, likely wearing visible armor and having a decent armor rating stat wise while also having personal shielding. Personally the image I get in my mind is a mash-up between Corpus crewman and Mass Effect style armor, an armored crewman if you will. Their main battle rifle would be a high puncture weapon built to function similarly to the M-99 Saber from Mass Effect 3, a heavy hitting semi-auto rifle with great accuracy but heavy recoil (I would love it if it made a similar sound too). Rail Gunner A special Callistean Guard that is denoted by a different coloring scheme, they would appear more rarely then the regular Callistean Guard. Equipped with a truly nasty sniper rifle that has a single round magazine, it would fire a shot that deals massive amounts of damage capable of taking down heavy Grineer easily, it would also come with massive punch-through allowing it to go throw thick cover and penetrate multiple targets. When used by players it would have a special zoom mode that highlights enemies through walls and cover much like how the codex scanner sometimes does, allowing sniping through walls and cover. Bastard MOA A copy of a copy, the Callistean designed Bastard MOA was reverse engineered from Corpus MOA designs, which were themselves copied from the Orokin originals, as a result like a photocopy of a photocopy the Bastard MOA lacks the agile dexterity of its Corpus namesake and moves with a more deliberate mechanical gait, Callisto also lacks the industrial capacity to produce these MOAs in the same quantities as the Corpus. To compensate for this the Callisteans have fitted their MOA with extra armor plating and installed a heavy cannon as its armament, turning it into a mobile heavy weapons platform that differs from its lighter main assault Corpus counterpart. The shot it fires would be similar to Kela De Thaym's custom bombard. The way I imagine this appearing like a miniature version of a unit called a Titan or Juggernaut from the game series Command and Conquer, though with the main cannon been mounted on top and been slightly taller then a shockwave MOA, been a more mechanical and blocky version of the MOA we are more familiar with. Note: After finishing my description here I realized I had essentially described something similar to the upcoming Riot MOA for the Corpus, so if this were ever implemented it would probably be more of a variation of it more then anything. Shield Osprey Behaves exactly like the Corpus Shield Osprey, may have a different model though. Refugee A displaced Callistean civilian, would appear in-game as a unit requiring rescue or protection. Characters Elysia Rose (Written and suggested by AlphaHorseman) The daughter of the famed Lycos Rose who led the Castillean's to their first victory against the Grineer a generation ago, Elysia has risen to become Chancellor of the last free colony and represents the civilian population of Callisto. Voice actress/basis (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): Alexis Tipton Backstory: Daughter of the famed Lycos Rose, Elysia takes after her father in the ferocity of her politics, and the love she has for the people. Unlike her brother Caz, Elysia took to the work of government rather than guns. Her ideals in political debates centered on Callisto remaining a Free Colony, and as such must sustain itself from both Grineer threats and Corpus demands. Hailed throughout her schooling as a strong minded woman and a person of formidable character, her tutors suspected her to become a major political powerhouse during her adult years. She promoted the freedoms of the people, and that the people must be highly educated and trained for whatever the future may bring. The peoples of Callisto adored her for her strong position against outside influence swaying Callisto politics. Her opponent during the electoral race to become Chancellor was a man named Tereus Minos, (a name derived from two cruel figures in Greek Mythos) who warned the people against the alienation of Corpus Assets. Stating that the Corpus was the only entity capable of protecting the system against Grineer domination, he was adamant that the Corpus were needed. When Corpus demands for tribute increased, Tereus argued that the Grineer were spreading, and as such the demands for higher tribute were justified. Tereus went so far as to say that the planetary defenses were not things that Callisto needed, and that following Corpus instructions were in the best interests of the moon and her people. As the fighting escalated, refugees were fleeing to Callisto seeking asylum from both Grineer and Corpus ‘liberation’ efforts. Tereus argued that these were war fugitives and Grineer spies, to be handed over to the Corpus and kept out of Callisto. Elysia, who at the time was a growing voice in the Council Chamber, showed the Council that these were merely frightened people trying to get away from those that took their homes. Tereus did not take kindly, and threatened to call upon the Corpus as “Justice must be dealt to our enemies!” Thankfully, the Callisto Council decided otherwise and Asylum was granted to these, and future refugees fleeing the conflicts. As the Tenno began to awake, Elysia and Tereus were entered into the race of Chancellor. Elysia argued that the Tenno’s rebellion against the Orokin mirrored their own struggle with the Corpus. Tereus was vehemently against this, and argued that the Tenno were “nothing but mercenaries and traitors who murdered the Orokin in their time of need.” As reports poured in about Tenno fighting both Corpus and Grineer forces, and even pushing back Infested Outbreaks, Elysia strengthened her position by stating that, if the Tenno of Legend have returned, anything was possible, Freedom from Corpus taxation being one of them. Once the votes were cast, the Callisteans voted a landslide victory to Elysia, and great joy was heard throughout Callisto on her victory. Tereus was silent on the matter. On the day of her inauguration, Elysia prepared a speech speaking to the peoples of Callisto and the hard days ahead. Stepping to the podium, the last thing anyone expected was for gunfire to be heard in the Arcas’ City Square. The smoking gun was held aloft from right next to Elysia’s podium. Elysia, however, did not fall, but a Corpus sniper was spotted falling from across the City Square. Her brother, Caz, was present during the inauguration and shot the sniper from his perch. Caz’s rumored skills as a sniper were put to rest when the Sniper fell to the ground with only a shoulder wound through his firing arm. Taken into questioning, the sniper revealed that he was paid by none other than Tereus Minos. Minos himself tried to flee Callisto when word got out that a sniper was downed in Lycos Square. The Callisto Guard stopped him before he could escape to a Corpus Transport and raided the Minos estate during the investigation. What they found was far more than they expected. Minos was being supplied and supported by the Corpus Board themselves, all his propaganda and talks of needed the Corpus were fueled by the absurd tributes the Callisteans were paying. While the entire moon suffered the weight of the Corpus Tributes, Tereus was receiving compensation for his efforts by Alad V and the Board. To put it lightly, Callisto did not take kindly to seeing one of its highest respected officials being bribed by the Corpus. Tereus was stripped of all title, his estate was to be liquidated to the public, and was sentenced to life in prison. Tereus was spared of this fate, as he was shot and killed before he could be sent. The Corpus sniper responsible was taken by the Callisto Guard, and Elysia and the Council realized that the Corpus would go to great lengths to ensure that Callisto remained theirs, even if it meant killing their own operatives. The entire ordeal put into perspective how dire Callisto’s straights were. Not only would they have to deal with Corpus espionage and the imminent Grineer invasion threat, but also the bleakness of Callisto’s situation. Stories flocked to Callisto of the cruelty and malice of the Twin Queens and the Board from the refugees that continued to seek refuge. But a glimmer of hope arose, when these stories of woe ended with the Tenno coming to fight back the Grineer and Corpus. Though these people had lost too much of their homes to stay, the Tenno gave them hope that one day, the time for running would end, and the time for peace would come. Elysia held this hope in her own mind, and as she prepared the Defenses of Callisto and its people, hoped that the Lotus would send her guardians to protect Callisto. Caz Thrace (Written and suggested by AlphaHorseman) Brother of Elysia Rose, renowned marksman, and a commander within the Callistean Guard, Caz Thrace represents the military of Callisto and is fighting at the front lines to try and turn the tide against the Grineer invasion. Voice actor/basis (suggested by Izayoi-Alpha): Eric Vale (Sanji from One Piece, Kasper Hekmatyar from Jormungand) Backstory: A prominent Callistean marksman, Caz was a privileged boy whose personality reflected otherwise. Rambunctious as he was skilled with a sniper, Caz was a hot shot during his youth, and only grew his demeanor into adulthood. Witty remarks and a tendency to get himself and his squad into trouble were commonplace during Caz’s duration in the Callisto Military Academy. So were reprimands for sneeking into the women’s dormitory during the wee hours of the night. As the son of the famed Lycos Rose, Caz set out to prove his worth not by the name of his father, but by the merits of his own achievements. He changed his name to Thrace so that all his accomplishments were marked as his own, though he and his older sister Elysia still remain close to one another. For every Callistean Guard who commended him on his skill with long ranged weaponry, there was another Guardsmen who condemned him for his inability to follow orders. Ingenuity and a tendency for near-failures-turned-victory were the trademarks of his records during his rise to Lieutenant in the Callisto Military Core. A stint between his Platoon and a Pirate crew were fabled among the Military’s records. As a Callisto tribute convoy made its way to Alad V on Jupiter, a crew of Pirates manning a stolen Grineer Galleon assaulted the convoy and tried to loot it for Callisto’s prized resources. The Pirate crew held the Callisteans hostage, demanding a ransom from the Callisto High Council. Chancellor Rose tried to contact Alad V on Jupiter to receive Corpus support, but the response was not what she expected. “This is a Callistean affair, Miss Rose. Our Treaty ensures that the Grineer cannot attack Callisto and its Profitable people. These pirates are not Grineer, and that grotesque ship is so out of shape that even the military standards of those Clone Dogs wouldn’t allow it into combat. May I remind you that our Treaty expects a Tribute to be given, and if it is not given, we will not be able to protect you from the Grineer. I do hope you resolve this matter quickly, in the name of Profit. Have a good day, Miss Rose.” - Alad V With the Corpus unwilling to assist, Caz and his men were sent with a mass of resources and credits to pay the ransom and free the hostages. Though ordered to let the Pirates keep their bounty and the ransom, Caz had other thoughts to deal with the Pirates. Some ships of the Convoy were hit during the Pirate raid, and vented some of their cargo out into the depths of space. Manning only a Corpus Transport, Caz’s crew released explosive barrels on their approach to the Galleon, every few seconds releasing a barrel towards the Galleon. The vented Cargo was enough to cover the barrels on their approach to the Galleon. Once docked, the Pirate crew took Caz’s troops (disguised as civilians) and the ransom from the Transport. Obviously taken hostage, Caz waited until they were placed with the other prisoners to make his move. Giving the signal, Caz and his men sprung on their captors and took their weapons once defeated. Moving the hostages and taken resources, he and his men were able to get the stolen goods of Callisto and its people back onto the Transport and released from the Galleon. Realizing their bounty had been taken, the Pirates trained their guns on the fleeing Transport. The moment they opened fire, explosions occurred all around the Galleon and a haze of fire and wreckage burst forth around the Galleon. Caz’s trap had worked. The explosive barrels that littered the wreckages ignited from the Galleon opening fire, and the ensuing firestorm and wreckages covered the Transports escape while effectively nullifying the Galleon’s guns. Elysia and the council called the mission “foolhardy and nearly a failure.” Caz responded with only one word. “’Nearly’.” Friendly Hubs Callistean Guard FOB A Callistean military outpost established near the front lines, the chaos and thunder of battle serves as the backdrop for the encampment as Callisto's military plans its next move against the Grineer. I would love it if every so often the screen would rock violently as a nearby planetary defense cannon fires a salvo. TO BE EXPANDED Callistean Plaza A town square that is still picking itself up after a recent battle. Civilians mill about with a mixed sense of shock, despair, and defiance as they sift through the debris of their shattered homes. TO BE EXPANDED Implementation Quest: Callisto's Tears (Story arc written by AlphaHorseman) I remember golden fields and velvet skies, Now all turned to scorch and ash, I remember a beacon of hope and light, Now besieged and doomed to die, The enemy comes and my world falls, But for all the despair there is salvation: We do not stand alone. - Callistean Guard poem The quest centers around the initial Tenno intervention during the Grineer invasion of Callisto, and would act as Callisto's introduction into Warframe, completion of this quest would unlock the Callisto nodes and Friendly hubs. First Mission: “Thin the Swarm” “The Callistean people represent one of the few slivers of freedom in the System. For centuries, Callisto stood as a free colony from both the Corpus and the Grineer. A generation ago, the Grineer failed to invade and subjugate the heavily terraformed moon. The cost was great, and the Callisteans turned to the Corpus for protection. Now, the Corpus have abandoned them and the Grineer are poised to strike. This time, the Grineer will not subjugate the Callisteans, but exterminate them, we cannot let this happen.” - Lotus Being the main Story Arc to introduce the Callisteans into the WarFrame universe, the Tenno would be sent to Callisto under the behest of the Lotus. As the Corpus fleets have abandoned Callisto, the Armada of Grineer Galleons waiting in the Asteroid Belt have positioned themselves over the Jewel of Jupiter and have begun their assault on its people. The opening cinematic sequence would display the Tenno Lisettes flying towards Grineer Galleons that are releasing Drop Ships onto Callisto, and the Callistean Guard returning fire from Planetary Rail Guns. Galleons would be raining fire down upon Callistean cities defended with powerful shields, and swarms of Drop Ships flying towards Callisto. Explosions across the hulls of nearby Galleons from rail shots wracking the hulls of Galleons are accompanied by Cells of Tenno in Archwings battling drones and enemy drop ships. With a massive Grineer Fleet overshadowing Callisto, the Callistean Guard is on the ground fighting to keep the Planetary Rail Guns from being destroyed by Grineer ground forces. With the abundance of Galleons and the threat of friendly fire coming from Callisto, Ordis could not safely land the Tenno on Callisto until a breach was made through Grineer lines. “Operator, the crossfire between Grineer and Callistean forces is too treacherous for a Stealth Ship like me to safely navigate. – After all you’re not the one getting filthy Grineer metal stuck in his hull – I will deploy Archwing so that you may clear a path for insertion.” -Ordis Upon the arrival of Tenno into the fray, Grineer Galleons would deploy drones and Drop Ships (and maybe even fighters/bombers if they are available enemy space units). The Tenno Cell equipped with Archwings would fight through the incoming squadrons and breach the hull of a nearby Galleon. Upon doing so, the mission type would change to Exterminate, as the Lotus wants this ship and its crew taken out of commission. “There is a Company of Grineer Marines stationed on this Galleon, take them out to stop its bombardment of the Callisto defenses.” - Lotus Halfway through the Exterminate, the Lotus would inform the Tenno of a new development. “Tenno, I am picking up transmissions from this Galleon to an unknown receiver in the Asteroid Belt. Eliminate the Grineer here quickly to stop the transmissions.” - Lotus Of course, once the Tenno become close to finishing off the Exterminate, the comm between the Grineer and whomever is in the Asteroid Belt would be revealed. The Tenno would finish off the Grineer remaining in the Galleon, but would receive new correspondence from the Lotus “It seems we do not need to guess at what these transmissions were. A Vanguard of Fomorians have arrived. Sabotage this ship to ram one of the arriving Fomorians.” - Lotus Upon receiving the Sabotage package, the Cell would find the navigational console and input the coordinates. (Sabotage package would be dropped in mission just like how the Life Supports are dropped). The Fomorian that the Galleon was targeting would notice the Galleon heading straight for it. After repeated non-responses from the Galleon, the Fomorian would open fire. The player would then have to try and reach extraction before the Galleon impacts the Fomorian, with explosions happening all around them as the Fomorian tries its best to shoot down the incoming ship. The outro cinematic would see the Tenno Lisette flying away as the Galleon crashes into the Fomorian and both ships exploding into a mess of wreckage. Upon returning to the Stealth Ship, the Tenno would look out of their ship to see the transpiring battle. From the blue weapons trails of Rail shots coming from Callisto, to the endless flow of Drop Ships streaming to the Callistean cities. Galleons would be providing cover fire for their Drop Ships and taking hits from the Rail Guns. Occasionally a Fomorian would be seen, and a Galleon exploding from either a Tenno Cell attacking the ship or Callistean installations from the ground. Off on the distant moon you could see blue flashes as the Rails open fire and impacts of Grineer planetary bombardment. Second Mission “Hold The Line” Callisto, the Friendly Nodes TO BE EXPANDED Endgame Scenario: The Ascension of Callisto TO BE EXPANDED Pirates and Smugglers (Ally and Enemy) Credit for initial idea for Pirates belongs to Vard in this thread “So y'all need somethin' fast, maybe with a target scrambler, somethin' that can blow right on thru that big 'ole Corpus fleet blockadin' that there planet, well... I'd be more than happy to provide you with such a fine ship if y'all be look'n for one, maybe even throw in a pilot too...” Hadvok took his feet of the desk and leaned forward, closer to the Tenno sitting across from him, as he brought his hands together a wide ugly grin spread across his face as he relished the chance to lord over these seemingly god-like beings. “But first, there's somethin' y'all got to do for me...” - Tenno 'negotiating' with a pirate captain, perhaps in a quest where the Liset is somehow captured and needs to be recovered, this would subsequently be followed up by a possibly morally questionable mission, which would then be followed by a clip of the Tenno piling into a smuggler craft which then goes to a kickass cinematic of the ship racing through a group of Corpus battleships wildly firing all sorts of lasers and $#@t to try and shoot it down Criminals, scoundrels, rogues, and delinquents, those who plow the dark backwaters of the universe range from the truly villainous to those who would simply do anything to survive. The constant chaos and war in the solar system has breed an environment of where people are driven to extreme acts out of desperation or look upon the world like vultures and see a chance to benefit from the misery of everyone else. Sailing through space in an assortment of ships ranging from old converted colonial transports, stolen Corpus freighters, to even captured Grineer war galleons, privateers lurk in the darkness near solar rails, or hidden in the asteroid belt, waiting for vulnerable prey to wander by; their most common targets are often colonial ships, or more often fat Corpus freighters loaded with goods ranging from shipments of resources to even Orokin artifacts in transport, anything that can be sold on the black market. Pirates who are truly out to make a name for themselves might even launch an attack on a Grineer warship, a single galleon could be worth its weight in gold for future acts of piracy. Other targets include vulnerable colonies, or Corpus settlements, Grineer are less likely to be the targets of piracy due to often having little to offer except for a difficult fight with many highly trained clone soldiers. TO BE EXPANDED Rationale for Existence Darvo explicitly mentions/proves the existence of a black market system and likely the existence of a criminal underworld of sorts in the universe of Warframe. TO BE EXPANDED Organization and Behavior I would imagine they would serve a sort of frenemies sort of role, sometimes been fought against, other times assisting the Tenno if it is of mutual benefit for both sides. I can actually see the criminal elements actually more often sharing a common cause with both other rebel groups and the Tenno rather then fighting against them. TO BE EXPANDED Lore and Insights: Rebel Groups, The Solar Rails, Corpus Policies TO BE EXPANDED In-Game Units I would imagine pirate units to be made up of both those unique to the faction and bastard versions of existing units, that said there is already a large number of previously conceived pirate units from Vard's thread that I've borrowed to put into this topic (with permission from their respective creators): Concepts by ValhaHazred: Light PirateThese are the primary boarding crew, lightly armoured and clad in cheap mass produced space-suits. They all have EVA packs that allow them to hop around and scoot out of gunfire. Their large bubble helmets will also protect them from one headshot, but unlike Corpus helms they shatter and become useless.I think instead of having set roles like the Grineer or Corpus soldiers, light Pirates could spawn with a base model, and then get a random weapon (usually a pirate weapon) and powerset.Scavenger(first 2): random melee weaponMarauder (second 2): random rifle or pistolPowersNone: most pirates don't get anything specialMedic: can deploy shield pylons, 1 way shields that heal and cure any debuffs on pirates using them for cover.Brigadier: wield scrap metal tower shields with ports to fire a rifle through.Trapper: lay down trip mines, proxy mines and cluster door bombs.Pirate MilitiaFound as very weak cannon fodder on pirate islands. They have no armour and no EVA pack.HavocSpecially trained pirate women with more advanced EVA packs. They can wallrun and wield specialized pirate SMGs.Hunting BeastMutated dogs, dredged from the depths of polluted hive worlds. They are so wild and dangerous they easily go berserk, attacking their masters and foes alike. Alpha Beast These horrific monsters are so mutated they aren't technically dogs anymore. They are well trained and intelligent, capable of controlling their lesser brethren's rages and directing it towards the enemy only. Cannoneer These armoured and shielded troopers wield the heavy weapons of the Zaan fleet. Since they aren't as strong as the Transhuman Tenno and Grineer they have to lug their big guns around in a chainsaw grip. Crow Scouts and snipers specializing in killing shielded targets. They carry specially made cryo rifles designed to crash shields in a single shot. Their ragged cloaks grant them a temporary flickering invisibility field. Boarder This Zaan Boarder carries a Blunderbuss heavy shotgun and Breaker sniper pistol. They can also throw EMP grenades that damage Warframe energy reserves and deal electric damage. Weapons Freedom: A semi-automatic battle rifle. They are made personally as a right of passage to the rank of Marauder.Breaker: A 3 barreled multi-stacked slug pistol. Hacksaw: a compact burst shotgun. Designed to fight the Infested, it fires tiny curved blades that can cut right through enemies. It deals serrated blade damage with .5 meter penetration. Flintlock: a oneshot sticky firebomb launcher. Boarding Axe: a very basic melee weapon, often used by low level Scavengers. Fusillade: The giant minigun most Cannoneers wield. It fires heavy slugs like the Seer. Glacier: a cryo rifle wielded by Zaan Crows. It fires an explosive spike of ice that coats it's target with sticky cryofluid. Cryo fluid can be removed with dodge rolls. Privateer: a large semi-auto coilgun. Used by some Cannoneers. DepthCharge: a single shot guided missile launcher. It deals slightly more damage than the Ogris, but is much slower. Various Weapons More Weapons Concepts by EVAtemplar117: The pirates hail from the many independent colonies within the system (they can't be grineer or corpus). As such, they wield both weapons from their militias, as well as capture gear. The pirates spit into two (indistinguishable) factions: plain, straight, thieving pirates, and those with "Letters of Marque" who aid the independent colonies from Grineer expansion and Corpus indoctrination. Obviously, the first group will raid ships and is actively hostile towards the Tenno. But the second group we could cooperate with (we both rely on hit-and-run). They would also facilitate trade (between each other as well as offering random loot boxes for sale from raided ships). Raider (2nd Pic, Weapon) Ranged unit that uses militia rifles (may also use Grakata and Deras) Scavenger (2nd Pic, Weapon) Melee unit that uses makeshift cutlass (may also use Machete and Prova) Molotov (2nd Pic, Weapon) Semi-ranged unit that throws Grineer Grenades and Molotov Grenades Pirate Charger (2nd Pic, Weapon) Close-range unit that uses Militia Shotgun (and Sobek) Creeper (Weapon) Stealth unit that uses silent SMG Loader & Guardian (2nd Pic, 3rd Pic) Crate Loader now used to raid ships, two types: Melee loader, and modified loader with a Gorgon and Ignis Pirate MOA Stolen MOA with Twin Grakata strapped on Concepts by LoveYour Enemy: Unit ideas by IceDragonofAmber: Grineer Raiders - These are Grineer units that have defected and have taken up a life of deep space crime. These units would have defected for two main reasons : A. They were about to reach their expiration date, and as such escaped in desperation to avoid execution. B. They were defective, and their defectivity caused them to hate their fellow Grineer and defect. These Grineer units would generally be more genetically degraded than their normal military counterparts, due to being alive longer. The ranks of the raiders would also a wide arrange of different Grineer units, however the more stronger Grineer units (Heavy Gunner, Bombard ect.) would be mroe prominent than weaker units (Butchers, standard Lanchers ect.) as the stronger units would be more likely to survive their terms and as such defect in fear than the weaker units that have a much higher chance of dieing. These Grineer would wear heavily worn and used Grineer weapons/armour for the same reasons as the Vandal crewman, and would often possess technologies differentiating from that of Grineer, acquired through trading and illegal deals. These Raiders would be vicious, attacking anything, from innocent colonists to their own kin (however they would generally avoid the stronger enemies to go after the weaker ones). Although the term "Raiders" is used to describe the Grineer pirates, the Raiders would often work in their own separate pirate groups, only fairly rarely teaming up to take down things such as large, heavily guarded cargo vessels. Characters Concepts by ValhaHazred: Cpt. Hal Kanto "Hal Kanto is a smuggler and an expert in stealth technologies. He and his ghost fleet have been running black market goods on behalf of the Corpus for decades. Bringing him down should do severe damage to Corpus profits in this system." - The Lotus (ART) Cpt. Hal Kanto: "Who are you people? How did you get on my ship!?""Please don't kill me, I have plat!""Why is this happening to me!?"FightHis boss arena is a maze of corridors. When Hal’s shields drop he uses a cloaking field and activates nearby Moa dispensers to bring Pirate Bomb Moa to cover his escape. He has a number of equipment crates from which he can grab various Corpus guns. He also has a unique plasma pistol "Leara" he will begin to use when dropped to 25% health.Cpt. Mel Zaehar "Captain Zaehar is the leader of the Havocs, she personally recruits and trains them to be the best mercenaries and assassins the Zaan can offer. Rumour has it she is a personal friend of the Twin Queens and has a hand in the Grineer Scorpion project. Hopefully her defeat will deal a blow to both the Grineer and the Zaan." - The Lotus (ART) Cpt. Mel Zaehar: "Come get some!" "Have you ever thought of becoming a pirate?""I'll tear that silly suit off with my bare hands!"FightThe fight with Mel occurs at the top of a ruined building, with Mel riding a flying pack with a pair of cannons on it. The vehicle sacrifices it's own protection to shield Mel. She can be defeated without destroying her flyer, but it's much easier to shoot her down.When the flyer crashes she will walk out of the wreckage like a boss and fight the Tenno, but not before calling in her Havoks. They will airdrop in at regular intervals throughout the rest of the fight.On the ground she fights hand to hand with the "Blast Knuckle" a gauntlet weapon that fires concussive projectiles when charged. She also has an Aura shield that shoots lightning at Tenno in close range and a single target Pull power. Scav "Scav has never progressed beyond the rank of Scavenger by his own choice. He is not a leader of any kind, preferring to be simply pointed at the enemy. He is immensely powerful in single combat and can pose a threat to even the most prepared Tenno cell." - the Lotus (ART) Scav: "Prepare yourself for the ultimate battle!""After I kill you, maybe I'll find something useful in that gaudy suit of yours""Ha ha! This is the best fight of my life!"FightThe fight with Scav takes place in a jungle ruin. Although Scav doesn’t have multiple phases, he is still a difficult and unpredictable opponent. He has every skill package available to Scavengers (traps, medic pylons, physical shield) and he wears a suit of homemade power armour cobbled together from Grineer and Corpus technology.The Shockwave Moa legs he used to craft his exoskeleton allow him to charge his sword and shield with shockwave energy. So empowered the sword will send anything struck flying, and the shield can repel attacks back to their origin. He can also strike the ground for a more traditional shockwave attack.The modified Hellion pack he wears allows him to make ridiculously fast flying charges. Cpt. Ross Kantari"This mysterious Zaan captain is renowned for both his secrecy and his insanity. He is easily the most aggressive of the Captains and many wonder why the Admiralty keeps him around, worrying that he will overstep his bounds and pick a fight the Zaan can’t finish. So far however his effectiveness in combat and his peculiar ability to evade the Infested keeps him in favour." - The Lotus (ART) Cpt. Ross Kantari: "I'm not what you think I am. Leave while you still can.""You wouldn't like me when I'm angry!""SKreeeeEEEH!"FightThe battle against Kantari begins with him hidden inside a turreted and shielded bunker. When the Tenno destroy his turrets he steps out of the bunker to bring the fight to them. He wields a Zaan harpoon pistol and a massive hook. He will fight normally until his armoured helmet is blown off, revealing a skull like face surrounded by tendrils. Lotus will say “It appears Captain Kantari is some kind of Infested creature. How is it possible it kept it’s mind? Destroy it quickly so I can get a sample!”Kantari goes berserk and attacks with acid vomit and his hook, revealed to be the bladed tip of a long tentacle. Concepts by EVAtemplar117: Admiral "Spacebeard" (ART) Admiral "Spacebeard": 2nd Pic Old admiral who now aids the Privateers in their guerrilla war with the Grineer and Corpus, helps facilitate trade between other Privateers and the Tenno. Friendly Hubs TO BE EXPANDED Implementation Random Encounters TO BE EXPANDED Implementation ideas by IceDragonofAmber: Alerts - There would be special alerts sent out that concern the Pirates & Smugglers, whether it be stealing a certain item for the smugglers or dealing with a crew of pirates. These alerts would be rare, would be insanely difficult, would either put you up against highly secures Corpus/Grineer bases as you try to steal something for the smugglers or against crews of vicious Grineer pirates, and would have you rewarded with special mods/items/huge amounts of credits/resources. These missions would incorporate normal missions, a mixture of a rescue mission and that convoy mission idea in the OP, and a new mission type titled "Bounty" Bounty - The Tenno are charged with taking down a special target, having to fight their way through a ship and kill the target (usually a high up pirate)(essentially just an assassination mission). And, every once in a while, a special quest will become available to Tenno for a sort time, leading them through several different missions eventually leading to a final, highly difficult boss battle at the end. This mission would be the ingenious mission type that HappyApathy has created, known as Battle. The Tenno would be dropped onto a massive map similar in size (or even larger) than the ODD maps. The scene is apocalyptic, with much of the city in ruins, burning husks and crashed Grineer Drop Ships litter the city streets. Evidence of skirmishes are rampant, with plasma scars and bullet holes littering the buildings. In the distance the Tenno can see one of the Rail Guns at work, aiming towards the countless Galleons in the Sky as heavy fire and Drop Ships enter the atmosphere. Tenno Cells would be instructed by the Lotus to intervene in a skirmish occurring between the Callistean Guard and Grineer forces flooding the area. Callistean troops are being pushed back by the overwhelming incoming Grineer forces towards a Planetary Rail Gun. “Tenno, there is a Platoon of Callistean Guards nearby, find them and assist them in pushing back the Grineer Forces flooding the area. Do not let the Callisteans fall.” - Lotus As the Tenno push towards the besieged Callisteans, a transmission would be received by the squad: “Tenno, this is Chancellor Elysia Rose of the Free Colony of Callisto. I’ve received word of your assistance with the Grineer Galleon and the oncoming Fomorians. I thank the Lotus for sending you. Our Rail Gun network is holding on by a thread as Grineer Forces continue to land. If these guns fall, the Capitol of Callisto falls with it. Please, assist our Guard and push back the Grineer focusing on the Rail Guns. Rose out.” - Elysia Rose The Tenno would push through Arcas, (Named is derived from the son of Callisto in Greek Mythology) the Capitol of Callisto, and find the City Square (Where the Battle phase would take place). Here the Tenno would stand and fight alongside the Callistean Guard on a massive map against hordes of Grineer Troops. One among them, a man by the name of Caz Thrace, is a Rail Gunner and leader of the Platoon under siege. “I never thought I’d see the day…Tenno, here on Callisto. I thought you were myths and legends. How-“ Shots from oncoming Grineer squads echo through the Square. “Alright, enough with the pleasantries, I can doubt I’m still alive later. Let’s bash some Grineer heads in, shall we?” Thus, the Battle part of this mission would begin. Tenno would stand alongside the Callistean Guard and push back oncoming Grineer squads. Not only would the Tenno have to defeat the Grineer, they would also have to keep the Callistean death count from reaching 50 (as per the fail parameter of the Battle Mission Type). Caz would be randomly assigned to one of the players and follow them for the duration of the battle, he would act as an invincible NPC companion. When the square gets flooded on the other side by Grineer, Heavy Gunners and Bombards make up the artillery of the group, and the usual Grineer troops pushing the front line. The Berserker units have found their way onto the battlefield, and will occasionally spawn and target the Tenno and Caz especially. The Tenno must fight back the Grineer and stem the tide before the Grineer can overwhelm and push forward to the Rail installation. Throughout the conflict, Caz could comment on the progress the Tenno are making and their ferocity in battle: “Fancy powers and fancy weapons, how come we don’t get cool stuff like this?” “Silent but deadly, first time in my life I like that combination.” “Soooo…who designs the suits? I want one.” “Jeez, save some for the rest of us!” "You're almost as scary as my sister...almost." “I feel like you’re just playing with the Grineer. Are you even real?” “You know, when Elysia said that Tenno were coming, I almost laughed over the comm, glad you guys are real, wouldn’t have made it through this fight without you.” Callistean Squadsman: “Did he just say thank you!?” Caz: “Alright, yeah I’m being sentimental, don’t get used to it.” After the Battle is won, Caz would thank the Tenno for their efforts and continue on his patrol of the Arcas finding and eliminating Grineer forces. “Thanks again, Tenno. I think we can handle it from here. It looks like the Grineer are running with their tails between their legs. After our sweep is finished, find me in the Callisto Forward Operations Base. I have a feeling we’ll need more of your help before all this is over.” Once the conversation is finished, the Tenno would head to extraction. Edited October 16, 2014 by HappyApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 (edited) 1) “Please feel free to suggest quotes, stories, events/quests, units, theme music, wine pairings, etc, anything goes.” I like you. THIS. This is TRUE SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY! 2) “I could literally write a whole essay on why I think this is a good idea and what it would add to the game but I really don't think that is what people are interested in reading here.” this idea provides potential NPCs and quests - of course it’s good! DIsclaimer for link-haters: obviously most of links would be to my topics, posts and threads where I am participating obviously because…I’m promoting my S#&$...? oh, no, eat your A****** - I do it because I’m obviously in material and I know who would mind be mented here and who won’t! 3) “Basically a standard invasion type scenario where instead of fighting for the Grineer or Corpus you would fight on the side of the ally faction, when the invasion is completed the node would revert back to its original owner (ally factions can't actually ever take over a node) and you would be rewarded for your participation.” thought by the lore locations what we have now ment to be “civils-free”, so, IMHO, this thread may be expanded by suggestions of new locations! for now I have fanconcept event about hard life of colonists (of course nobody have to click this link if he/she doesn’t want to or not interesting in reading fanconcept event about hard life of colonists): https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/256886-concept-closing-measure-siege-darvo-alerts-event-upd-july6-badge-concepts/ 4) Corpus Rebels (Red Veil Anti-Corpus branch)(“The Vandals(?)”) one more shameless link under the spoiler. this is link to my unfinished… fanfiction? basically I’m writing this crap in this forums because in other place it would be extremism. of course nobody have to click this link if he/she doesn’t want to or not interesting in reading unfinished stuff about rebels. https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/258190-open-source-fanfiction-rebellion-how-to-upd-july-18-angry-doodle so here I want to type two things: a) I can try to write few fanconcept mission types and events based on rebellion theme whyle writing this fanfiction b) I want to ask HappyApathy for permission to use “Vandal” theme in my fanfiction. may I? ::) sry, it’s all for now. if I’ll post here with this speed this would take 7-10 more post :D but I’ll try to contain it into 3-5. Edited July 22, 2014 by emaralez87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 5) “Seeing as Wraith gear is likely to be associated with the Red Veil, the idea here is to have Vandal gear also tied into them as well, which would make more sense then attributing it to the Corpus proper due to the Lotus symbols on them.”I totally support this idea! 6) “I also love the title “The Vandals” to describe a group that started as a youth movement that attacked Corpus icons as a display of defiance that has matured and developed into a full blown resistance movement that is attempting to bring down or change the world as they know it, considering how much of the resistance would be made up of young radicals it would be a very appropriate name to describe what the rebellious nature of the group.”yes, every rebellion starts with little group(s) what grow(s) and unite, but “youth movement” what was matured IMO not the way it should be. vandalism in smthng like army in merchant cult should be punished quick and plain and couldn’t grow I think, but this may be group of young ex-vandals, who were punished and then, when they become mature soldiers they renewed their youth movement but as serious adult movement and they took their “young” name - “Vandals”. what you think bout it? 7) “The existence of the Red Veil shows that there is organized resistance against the Corpus, also the codex entry for the Serro explicitly mentions its use by rebels against the Corpus, also while non-cannon many Warframe fanfics involve the existence of some rebel group against the Corpus.”I think Red Veil and rebellion from Serro entry are different things ‘cause Serro’s entry is about rebellion at Sedna and Sedna is planet occupied by Grineer, so surely there are colonists, but slaved by Grineer. why Grineer slaves have used Corpus technology? - I think because this was at these times when Merchant Cult not existed and it was regular technology and I have another piece of text for this theme, my idea here what Sednas Rebellion was the first step for creating Corpus and this is why Corpus so rough to Grineer - this is revenge of ex-slaves:(of course nobody have to click this link under the spoiler if he/she doesn’t want to or not interesting in reading little fanfiction about Sednas Rebellion.and yes - I’m sick of this disclaimers too) https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/233201-fanlyrics-in-live-action-upd-july-16-thanatos-concept-art-rework/?p=2812180 8) “The rebels would be comprised of two separate types of characters…”hm, adult rebel forces who absorbed young “meat” - seems you know what you are talking about ;)9) Shield Bearerthough here may be useful this fanconcept.link to original post :(of course nobody have to click this link under the spoiler if he/she doesn’t want to or not interesting in reading someone’s fanconcept… ) https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/229158-enemies-of-the-tenno-corpus-submissions/?p=2689154 link to translated to english post :(... nobody have to click this link under the spoiler if he/she doesn’t want to or not interesting … blah-blah-blah x.x ) https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/229158-enemies-of-the-tenno-corpus-submissions/?p=2693905 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackout751 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I love this idea. Keep it going, OP - this is awesome even as a work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyriann Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 Honestly, I'll follow how this thread will evolve. Things are interesting, if I come up with something, I'll let you know maybe it will give you ideas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 (edited) 10) “The Lost Colony Ghosts (Red Veil Anti-Grineer branch)(“The Ghosts”)” QUOTE: Uncounted but existing. (sry for my english, but, hope, meaning not lost) 11) “This meant to make them related to Wraith gear, and also a reference to their way of life and combat, living on planets already occupied by the Grineer the Ghosts survive by staying out of sight and hiding from the Grineer, often among the ruins of the old colonies.” so is this more terrorist then rebel group? good! 12) Tribes of Phobos I think some kind of “tech priests” may be relevant here. Girls who make grineer’s weapon “wraith”, do buffs in battle etc. (under spoiler are “inspiring” references to GNU licensed stuff, so note to link- and references- haters: all prosecutions in spamming or advertising or promotion or whatever would be just juridically not correct) as inspiring outfit design I suggest Wesnoth arts from “Invasion from the unknown”: 13) The Free Colony of Io “Strong planetary shields and a multitude of defensive gun arrays will make bombarding the planet from space difficult and costly for the Grineer…” do they buy Corpus technologies or are they have their own science and manufacture? this would specify my “Organization and Behavior” suggestion. 14) The Red Veil “As I've stated I would like the Red Veil to at least be broken down into two separate branches that work together to change the state of the Origin System for the better...’ hm… this is not nature of rebellion. there have to be “multibranch” structure, where branches are independent but working together when should or could - and you really good thought out this branches! but there may be plot twist about “broken branch” like it was with vahhabits. 15) I want to suggest one more faction. I don’t know how to name this one so this is an idea: this is one of the Corpus guilds. Women’s guild kinda Adepta Sororitas from WH40K. Their main business is “elite reproduction” - they use smthng like Axlotl Tanks from Dune for this. As women’s society this faction is very stable and uses and supports Old Techologies. Poin of his faction to give a honour to classical sci-fi ideas. EG1 - they don’t use proxies, they use specialised powersuits, like this: (if someone don’t want to look at my artworks - just do not click the spoiler. this is pretty easy, right?) EG2 - their motherships are ciberpankish. EG3 - AI interfaces everywhere and HAL from Space Odessey is their beach. EG4 - some fun Barbarella stuff. EG5 - they have units what can be invisible! and mechanic of this invisibility same as in Dark Sector - they are invisible before they attack. EG6 - they are keeping an eye on primitive colonies, like Space Wolves from WH40K and observers from “Hard to be a God” etc etc etc... ofcourse "you can't trust them as any other Corpus" Edited July 23, 2014 by emaralez87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Altey Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Girls who make grineer’s weapon “wraith” Red Veil gave us Wraith weps (see Rakta Syandana) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Red Veil gave us Wraith weps (see Rakta Syandana) look: "tech priestesses" are members of tribes of phobos (my idea), tribes of phobos are the part (the branch) of red veil rebellion (HappyAphaty's idea from the main post of the thread) => "tech priestesses" are part of red veil, they make wraith weapons what red veil uses and gives to tenno to be honest most units suggested by author of this thread are red veil units, except pirates. srsly - you should read the main post of the thread, it is interesting! :D Edited July 24, 2014 by emaralez87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyApathy Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Added in the possible ways game play implementation would work: Standard Invasion Basically a standard invasion type scenario where instead of fighting for the Grineer or Corpus you would fight on the side of the ally faction, when the invasion is completed the node would revert back to its original owner (ally factions can't actually ever take over a node) and you would be rewarded for your participation. Rescue: Prisoner Variations I'm actually personally bothered by how all prisoners are the same, I would love to see the appearance and behavior of rescue targets vary depending on the mission. If the mission description describes having to rescue a refugee or a politician you would expect them to spend most of their time cowering and taking cover while been hopeless with a firearm. Meanwhile if you were rescuing a captured soldier or rebel, when you open the door they would say something to the effect of "It's about time" before grabbing a gun and kicking @$$ alongside you (they would also have much higher health then the current pitiful one hostages have). Guardian A variation of Defense where instead of protecting one single objective the goal is to keep alive a number of friendly NPCs spread out in groups across the map. Lets say there are 12 friendly NPCs, with 4 groups of 3 clustered around certain defensive points, likely the same points that are used in Interception missions, these NPCs are 'tethered' to their particular area and do not wander outside of it and do not follow the Tenno around. These NPC will themselves be armed giving them some capacity to hold their own and will come with an unusually high amount of health each. The number of friendly NPCs still alive will displayed on the HUD. Like in Defense players would face successive waves of increasingly stronger enemies who they would have to kill while also protecting the friendlies (friendly NPC health/damage would not scale/increase with each wave, adding another element of increasing difficulty), at the end of each wave the surviving friendlies would have their health regenerated and at the end of each 5 waves a few extra NPCs (lets say 3) are spawned to replace those that were killed. Convoy/Escort A blend of Hijack and the previously described Guardian, players would be tasked with defending a group of friendly NPCs as they make their way across the map. The NPCs would move at a constant pace along a predetermined path while been assaulted by hostile forces along the way. Depending on the scenario the friendlies could be armed (like helping a group of rebels reach a key point) or unarmed (like evacuating a group of civilians). If the group comes under heavy fire they will either take cover or return fire, either way the group will cease to move forward until they stop taking damage for a brief period of time. The mission is completed once a friendly NPC reaches the end point, if all friendlies are killed before reaching the end the mission ends in failure. Battle Set on a small map with a few large rooms or a single huge one similar to the ODD map, the mission will require a friendly faction and the Tenno to kill a number of hostile enemies (lets say 200) before the hostiles kill a certain number of friendlies (for example 50). Enemies killed both by the Tenno and allies are added to the kill counter. Spawning on opposite ends of the map, both sides will attempt to make their way to the opposite side of the map, stopping to fight any opposition they encounter, when an NPC is killed a new one will be spawned at the starting point to replace them. Enemy NPCs will spawn in greater numbers then friendly NPCs. The mission is considered completed when the number of required enemies are killed at which point enemies will stop spawning and the player will be required to finish off the remaining enemies, at which point the mission ends or extraction is made available. If the enemy reach their required kills first the mission ends in failure. Quest Scenarios The best possible use of friendly factions would be to advance the story and add depth and immersion to the game, while the Lotus might initially send you on the mission I love the idea of the directives and mission updates been given to you by some other character (like a rebel leader, or enemy turncoat) once your on the ground, adding more faces and characters to the universe of Warframe that we as players can relate and interact with. The Friendly Hub A special node that appears on certain planets, they are unlocked by completion of the adjoining node or through completion of quests. When entered players will appear on a special map that blends Dojo and Personal Ship elements, the map will be a friendly zone where through interacting with certain NPCs players will be able to do various activities: - access/buy special missions/quests - buy/obtain exclusive resources, components, BPs, etc - buy certain rare resources (ex. a certain dealer will sometimes offer you a onetime deal to buy a single Orokin Cell for 20,000 credits) - chat with NPCs to gain more insight into the story behind Warframe (been a silent protagonist it would be a rather one sided conversation though) In order to encourage revisits, what is available for sale, NPCs who are present that can be talked with, and possibly quests and missions will change and cycle everyday (ex. the dealer selling the single Orokin Cell will only appear occasionally, so you would have to check in to see if he is there). Each hub would be different and reflective of the friendly faction controlling it, I intend to describe each one in their separate descriptions. Due to the way Warframe works these would likely have to be visited solo, or at best in a squad, making it open like the a public Dojo would be hard if not impossible to implement. Edited September 3, 2014 by HappyApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyApathy Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) I added another attempted interpretation of a Vandal revolutionary, I've also learned you should never try to draw something at an angle that you have never tried drawing straight on first, like a Dera for example: As I said I'm not that great of an artist and I would really REALLY REALLY appreciate any sort of help in terms of concept art for any of these ideas. I've also expanded the types of units the Vandals would have: Revolutionary A young rebel armed with either a Dera, Spectra, or Vandal variant weapon, they would behave like Corpus Crewmen in terms of AI. Problem for coming up with an appearance is that there is no basis to go off of as we've never really seen a Corpus civilian except for Darvo. The best I can think of is too have them wear some futuristic style balaclava with goggles, this one is really open ended right now. I do insist there be a male and female version though. Former Crewman Equipped with a Dera, Flux Rifle, Lanka, or their Vandal variant, these ex-Crewman would perform slightly better then the Revolutionaries. They would still wear Crewman suits, however because they are no longer able to get new fresh suits the ones they wear will appear worn and heavily used, possibly even missing parts and having portions patched up. They will also retain the box-style helmet, however it will be redone with a Vandal theme. Serro Man Before anyone mentions it I know the name sounds similar to a certain wizard in white. Essentially a bigger badder Prodman, Serro wielders would be dressed up similar to Former Crewman with a slightly different color scheme, they might even wear makeshift 'non-regulation' body armor to allow them get up close to hack apart enemies. Note: emaralez87 brought up the point the Serro is actually used by rebels on Sedna which would actually make it an weapon used against the Grineer (Sedna is held by the Grineer), so it might be manufactured and sold by the Corpus to the Grineer and not actually used by anti-Corpus rebels. Shield Bearer Imagine a Shield Ospery, now imagine its wings have been shot off and what is left of it has been reprogrammed and jury rigged to be strapped onto someones back and to be carried around like a very very ugly baby, making it basically a Revolutionary with a makeshift portable shield charger. Frankenstein/Patchwork MOA A MOA cobbled together and reprogrammed from pieces of destroyed and junked MOAs, while it would basically behave like a regular MOA it might run around with an awkward gait with legs that are disproportionately sized to each other and would have a mix of colors for its parts. Edited July 24, 2014 by HappyApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 16) “Standard Invasion” kk I understand what this name means game mechanic of this type of operation, but in case of rebellion or terrorists it may be called “disturbing fire” or “harassment fire”. 17) “Guardian” oh yeah we got this kind of a mission with Kubrow quest… and this is pain in the &#!… I think this type of missions should be with blueprint rewards (or scaling blueprint rewards like in Spectrs of Freedom), ‘cause this is pain in the &#!... :) 18) “Convoy” hm… I think this would be particularly like rescue… mb add hijack here? my suggestion: first part: convoy rebel(s) to storage tank (with food, weapons etc) second part: help rebel(s) to hijack tank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 @HappyApathy 3) oh, friendly hubs, sure! ssory I was distraite :) 4) thanks! 7) I’m agree with you here 9) Noted! :) 13) noted Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(PSN)wmkep Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Il actually be disappointed if they don't use something from this it seems like it could be part of the game Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyApathy Posted July 24, 2014 Author Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) Il actually be disappointed if they don't use something from this it seems like it could be part of the game I would be too, and in all honesty I actually think I may have a chance, while there is a dizzying assortment of suggested weapons, enemies, and warframes, as far as I can tell this is the only thread that's taken a serious look into the concept of expanding the idea of rebels and colonists. The ability to interact more directly and intimately with those who populate the universe of Warframe I believe is an utmost necessary step needed for the evolution of Warframe; I mean you can shoot, maim, hack, disembowel, burn, melt, or fry the Grineer in a thousand different ways but you'll never get the same kind of emotional connection that can be had with simply sitting down with a colonist and asking him what he thinks of them. Warframe needs those kind of moments to get players emotionally invested, not to just simply be a game about leveling up gear or how to pump out the highest DPS possible, I hope that by implementing some of this DE can actually create stories and even characters we can really come to care about. Edited July 24, 2014 by HappyApathy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Krion112 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 (edited) You seem to be missing the Oracles of Saturn, one of the factions intended to be helping the Tenno mentioned forever ago when DE was first talking about Proxy Wars. They have a want for Orokin technology, similar to the Corpus, so their alliance to the Tenno is dependent upon how much Orokin technology the Tenno would provide to them. 'Dunno if they're still coming, though, but they were mentioned by DE. Edited July 25, 2014 by Krion112 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyApathy Posted July 25, 2014 Author Share Posted July 25, 2014 You seem to be missing the Oracles of Saturn, one of the factions intended to be helping the Tenno mentioned forever ago when DE was first talking about Proxy Wars. They have a want for Orokin technology, similar to the Corpus, so their alliance to the Tenno is dependent upon how much Orokin technology the Tenno would provide to them. 'Dunno if they're still coming, though, but they were mentioned by DE. I actually never heard about that before, I'll add in a section for them and dig up what I can but I honestly have no ideas for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeadVoid118 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 I would love to see actual allies in-game. Maybe eventually it will get to the point where instead of bringing just a Kubrow in, we can bring in an entire squad of warriors each, maybe if/after the max rank gets increased... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emaralez87 Posted July 25, 2014 Share Posted July 25, 2014 (edited) so I tried to make my suggested semy-ally faction in style of this thread’s concepts: Name of faction: Safo Corpus guild, where all members are female. Their main business is “elite reproduction” - creating people by genetic recombinations, cloning and selecting fodder cultures and connected stuff. They are keeping an eye on primitive colonies as researchers and, of course, for genetic material. They don’t count Tenno as menace, ‘cause tenno don’t distract their business and, in some cases - help their business to grow. Also Safos one of tenno’s exclusive distributors for Kubrow breeding stuff. “Your perfect future in your hands! Order ovicells of two different females from our catalogue and you’ll get discount for cloning your liver!” “Gene recombination never was so safe! Everything what needed is your semen and technical design specification - trust other stuff to us.” “Best beet in the Origin System” [pronounced with a Russian accent] - Safo’s promos “You can’t trust them like to any other corpus” - Lotus “Life For Profit” - Safo’s slogan Rationale for Existence this idea comes to me while discussion in this thread: (btw, to not click a link is easier then to click it) https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/229475-the-role-of-women-in-corpus-society/ in the nutshell - we don’t see Corpus females in the game ‘cause… and here speculation goes :) Organization and Behavior As women’s society this faction is very stable and uses and supports Old Technologies. Their society have rigid top-down command structure. Their motherships are drifting cyberpunkish cities, what covered in the darkness of Origin System. They are doing their business and they are doing it good, this is why they have to have strong society and strong security forces - boardsmen constantly try to illegal seizure their business. Lore and Insights: Corpus and Grineer History At the ancient times people learned genetic recombinations, but lot of things like religions, morale, fear, dirty politicians etc didn’t give this field to become casual part of human life. Before Grineer choose way of cloning and Corpus become Merchant Cult. No ethics, no morale. Life For Profit. In-Game Units Loader Ambulas based high armoured powersuit with big capability of shield. Originally designed for construction and deconstruction works. Weapon - spectra. Ability - shock wave. Battle tactic: shooting from spectra (most vulnerable state), while attacked - crouching and hiding behind suit’s robo-hands, when enemy is close - creating shockwave by robo-hand. inspared by this thread: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/207583-krauserlols-ultimate-corpus-update-threat-the-corpus-shall-rise-nef-anyo-revealed-sorta/ OR (easier version) Protector Shield Lancer like unit. Weapon - cestra. Ability - hiding behind the shield. Strider Jackal-like, but little security robots. Slow and heavy. “Mobile turrets” - proto walkers. (Fodder units) Shoot same fire as casual MOA walkers. Acelot Hyena-like or Zanuka-like units. Light and agile robots. Weak, but annoying. Weapon - melee electric charge (Prova effect). Ability - invisibility. Battle tactic: invisible while stalking it’s aim, then become visible while attacking. Veteran Scorpion-like unit. Veterans are cyborgs, created from mutilated Safos. (Fodder units) Weapon - prod. (this prod what mobs holding after Loki’s ultimate) Ability - hook. Battle tactic: hooking enemy, involving to a close battle, attack by brod. Shield Veteran Hybrid of Protector and Veteran. Cyborgs, created from mutilated Safos. Weapon - electric hook. Ability - hiding behind the shield, . Battle tactic: stun by the hook on the distance (most vulnerable state), hiding by the shield in the close battle. Engineer Seeker-like unit. Weapon - dera. Ability - deploys latchers, what deal magnetic damage. Attendant Heavy unit, deployer (Corpus Tech like unit) Weapon - ??? idk, for now it’s may be ice elemented Lanka Ability - deploys shield ospreys. Sharpshooter Technically this is smthng between Crewman and Sniper, like irl marksmen. You know, this is kinda not very logical to have snipers on the spaceship, but marksmen are OK I think. So, this is crewmen based units, who hiding in the dark like snipers. Weapon - mk1 braiton! Security stuff Security cameras are hybridized with turrets, mounted near laser barriers. plus casual Corpus units just with another colour schemes: Shield Osprey (deployable by Engineer only) Scavenger Drone Anti Moa variation Friendly Hub: Drifting ship at the Pluto region. Tenno may see only peripheral parts of mothership - “tenno are not belong to the heart of motership”. NPCs: Androids. Creepy human-like robots, what become invisible while inactive. Pretty useless, they are just creepy terminals for operating with mothership’s database and for communication with NPCs who located in the heart of the mothership. They are designed to disappoint guests of the mothership. Loaders. Safos in powersuits at work. quests, events, missions etc: Draw the curtain (Quest) While colonising foreign worlds human adapt to rough environment by technologies and by years of evolution. This is why their genocode so interesting for Safos. For the first sight this is easy - you have to visit some colonies, help colonists with some quest stuff so they give you to gain their genetic material (blood, scrape, whatever). Then you should make analysis on the Liset by portable lab given you by Safos and send results with coordinates of colonies. But this becomes harder and harder to find colonies. For this you would steal data from Corpus ships, defence artefact in the Void, catch Grineer scientists and Corpus scouts. At least you'll find, what the main aim of Safos - to lay hands on Grineer Sibling Queens genetic samples. Convoy a merchandise to the customer (mission what may be taken at friendly hub from one of androids) 15 waves of defence. (5 waves for every faction except corrupted) Gain a material (quest with the scanner) Quest for finding and “gaining” (scanning) flora and fauna at the Earth, in the artificial gardens of Mars and in Orocin Derelict. Repel an attack on the mothership (Alert) Suddenly this is defence alert. Aim - to defend tank with genetic material before reinforcement comes. As enemies may be any faction except corrupted. Repel an attack on mothership raid alert so one of the Corpus Board members planned and prepared his attack on mothership. What you should do to help Safos: 1) exterminate all Corpus on the outer area of the mothership (extermination mission with drain shield), find hatch what will lead you into motership, where you should to 2) reach room with reserve powercore in survival mod, then you should 3) defence reserve powercore, then you should 4) convoy powercore to the engine room (hijack mission type) where you should 5) install powercore (mobile defence mission type) as reward - new type kubrow imprint. you know, like Vauban can be gathered only on Alerts this new type of kubrow might to be alert-only. Edited August 10, 2014 by emaralez87 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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