August 6Th: Communtiy Hot Topics

[[DE]Rebecca]

1) Alliances and Clan Splits:

All Warlords of 1001+ clans were contacted today by email to help facilitate the coming clan splits. If you are in a 1001+ person clan, spread the word to your clan leaders to check their emails to move forward with the split and Alliances.

2) Grineer Tile Set, event?

You may have seen a screenshot of the upcoming tileset, and heard whispers (more like yells) of Sheldon on Livestream # 11 about an event to bring the Grineer Settlement to Tenno hands and feet.. more to come as we decrypt messages internally….

3) Slow Support

We are actively hiring and training more CSR’s for Warframe.  One result of our growing playerbase is an overwhelmed support desk but we are working as quickly as we can to get through all requests. Here is a relevant post to those considering making support tickets:

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/83148-getting-support-common-issues/

Thanks for everyone’s patience while we grow and improve our department.

4) The Great Mission Type Overhauls: Removal of Raid, Redoing of Spy, Deception, and Rescue, inclusion of Survival

In last week’s hot topics, the upcoming mission changes got brought up, please see this post: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/87926-july-29th-community-hot-topics/page-4#entry990940


This week we have an updated overview of the coming mission changes:

Raid, Deception, Spy, and Rescue are, on average, our least played missions. Raid is too similar to Sabotage and Capture in the designers eyes and needs to go to make room for a new mission type.

Deception, Spy, and Rescue need a complete overhaul to make them more compelling.

The Designers aim is to make Rescue a mission type that no longer has the Rescue Target follow you around levels, but instead you free a prisoner in a deployable escape pod. More details to come on this, this won’t be happening soon but the “Rescue Review” will happen given it is one of the least played mission types.

Raid will be removed for a much desired “Survival” mode game type. I’ve seen a lot of feedback about ways to tweak Raid to keep it in the pool, some which suggest make it the mission for Alerts when you are after a certain item (Reactor, etc). To be relayed and discussed.

5) Armor (Scalability and Difficulty)

Several great posts have emerged that tackle “Armor” and its effectiveness at high levels and how this affects players options when facing high level enemies. This conversation boils down to what kind of changes will Armor undergo, if any? The answer is that Armor is currently working as intended and is unlikely to change, Edit: but now being discussed.

6) Power Creep/Difficulty/High Level Gameplay

This complements the above topic but from a different perspective. To borrow a quote from the thread from  player 11.11.11:

“My point is, a lot of the games current difficulty is, as Litler puts it - not based around player skill or emergent game-play. Its simply about getting weapons that allow you to spit out enough damage per second, to take on incredibly beefed up enemies.”

This is an apt summary of player concerns and something that is being brought up around the office.  So many factors can go into “fixing” what is identified here, we are always tweaking and adding new content to allow for new gameplay experiences. Truthfully we like being Elite Tenno: Grineer, Corpus, and Infested killing machines, but we also love creativity in what our players can bring to the table. Finding balance in this is our continued goal.

7) Continued Warframe Buff

Trinity and Ember are currently on Scott’s list to be buffed. Mag, Rhino, and Volt got a brush up in 8.3 and are still being reviewed. The rest of the bunch will eventually be addressed as well, so if you don’t see “insert Warframe here” now, the time for review will come. Baby steps!

8) Buff Weapon “X”

Like the Great Warframe Buff, some weapons will receive a review as well to account for the evolving gameplay elements. When in doubt, read the FAQ:

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/5898-warframe-faq/

Warframe/Gun X is over(or under)-powered! (Why did you nerf? Why did you boost?)
We are rolling out balance changes very quickly. We love the feedback (good and bad) and take it very seriously. Our goal is to avoid having a single dominant weapon, build, mod configuration...

Edited August 8, 2013 by DERebecca
Added "Discussion" details to Item #5

[Firebat86]

Thanks for the update!! Glad Ember is being looked at! Any word on the host/client bug with WoF??

[Metalarcher]

Cool stuff, hopefully some weapons (*cough* spectra *cough*) will get a much-needed buff to make them viable in the game.  Sad to see that armor is unlikely to change, but I'm glad you're all looking into ways to balance out the effectiveness of it and how to balance it so that all weapons will be useful in their own way.  Thank you for the info, Rebecca!

[notionphil]

5) Armor (Scalability and Difficulty)

Several great posts have emerged that tackle “Armor” and its effectiveness at high levels and how this affects players options when facing high level enemies. This conversation boils down to what kind of changes will Armor undergo, if any? The answer is that Armor is currently working as intended and is unlikely to change.

 

 

Some quick feedback/suggestion on how Armor scaling AND player skill can interact.

 

A key issue isn't the bullet sponginess of the enemies, it's how armor ignore/pierce weapons outclass all other weapons. This can be resolved quickly and easily.

 

1) Reduce bonus weakspot damage for Armor Ignore/AP weapons to 125% on avg

2) Remove armor scaling on weakspots

3) Keep bonus weakspot damage for other damage types high, 200% on avg

 

Thus armor ignore weapons still serve as ways to effectively mow down enemies, but have less spikey damage. Non Armor ignore/AP weapons can deliver higher damage IF used skillfully, or low damage if used inaccurately.

 

Challenge = Reward

 

Edit, added emphasis

Edited August 7, 2013 by notionphil

[DanPaul7]

So armour is meant to scale stupidly?

[basilioss]

Extremely disappointed that armor is not expecting a change. 

 

 Our goal is to avoid having a single dominant weapon, build, mod configuration...

That is a very nice goal, but currently the most dominant weapons are the Armor Ignore weapons, and the Ogris. If you want this to happen then you most DEFINITELY need to do something about armor. 

[Apinaheebo]

Armor working as intented? U gotta be @(*()$ kidding me.

[eStecko]

5) Armor (Scalability and Difficulty)

Several great posts have emerged that tackle “Armor” and its effectiveness at high levels and how this affects players options when facing high level enemies. This conversation boils down to what kind of changes will Armor undergo, if any? The answer is that Armor is currently working as intended and is unlikely to change.

 

I have issues with this one. *sadface*

 

Edit:

Bumping this one: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/91501-august-6th-communtiy-hot-topics/?p=1020640 (or page 5, answer by Litlir)

Edited August 8, 2013 by eStecko

[fishworshipper]

5) Armor (Scalability and Difficulty)

Several great posts have emerged that tackle “Armor” and its effectiveness at high levels and how this affects players options when facing high level enemies. This conversation boils down to what kind of changes will Armor undergo, if any? The answer is that Armor is currently working as intended and is unlikely to change.

NO.

[[DE]Rebecca]

So armour is meant to scale stupidly?

 

 

Extremely disappointed that armor is not expecting a change. 

 

That is a very nice goal, but currently the most dominant weapons are the Armor Ignore weapons, and the Ogris. If you want this to happen then you most DEFINITELY need to do something about armor. 

 

 

Armor working as intented? U gotta be @@@@@@@ kidding me.

 

I have issues with this one. *sadface*

I anticipated this, will try and keep the conversation alive.

Edited August 6, 2013 by DERebecca
Edited out profanity that filter didn't catch

[Chris9428]

I anticipated this, will try and keep the conversation alive.

I just gotta love how the developers listen to the community.

A big thanks to you, DE!

[DanPaul7]

I anticipated this, will try and keep the conversation alive.

Awesome. Would be nice if armour had a cap, at which point enemies would have their HP scale.

[Lady_Khaos]

"Our goal is to avoid having a single dominant weapon, build, mod configuration..."

 

And yet no shift away from the armor wall against which armor ignore weapons reign.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Khaos_Zand3r

[Haldos]

Very interesting to hear Trinity, specifically, is on the list for buffing. As a player who loves using Trinity, currently, it's very exciting and nerve racking. I look forward to seeing the results of that, whatever they may be.

[TheCasual]

Extremely disappointed that armor is not expecting a change. 

 

That is a very nice goal, but currently the most dominant weapons are the Armor Ignore weapons, and the Ogris. If you want this to happen then you most DEFINITELY need to do something about armor. 

This is far more accurate than I wish it was. As someone who leveled a grakata because I liked the idea of an smg, the armor crushed all my hopes for that. It holds its own until you hit about lvl 50 enemies, and 40 in some cases, then you need to use 60 shots with multi-shot to kill a few grineer at best.

[EetNotErn]

How about we keep armor scaling the way it is now, but make the weak points not scale up as much in health or armor? That way it rewards more skilled play and still have more difficult enemies in the higher levels. You can still use armor ignore weapons to spray and pay but you'll do more damage with "regular damage" weapons if you make precision hits to weak spots.

 

Right now there's little benefit to hitting weak spots with regular damage weapons if you can use spam armor ignoring weapons and have the same result. It would be great for someone using something like a Grataka to hit headshots down a level 100 enemy as fast as someone just spamming bodyshots with a Boltor on the same enemy. One is clearly more skilled play style and really rewarding but not punish the players with less twitch skill relying more on builds and special weapons.

Edited August 6, 2013 by EetNotErn

[scope007]

The current armour system makes all none AP weapons unviable late game so can it be Working as intended?

[litlit]

Armor working as intented? U gotta be @(*()$ kidding me.

Pretty much this. If armor is working as intended, change it anyway, because it sucks right now and everyone hates it.

Edited August 6, 2013 by litlir

[Solaurus]

Mag and Rhino got a buff in 8.3. Volt got a nerf because we hate him and want to see Solaurus cry so we can store his tears for the oncoming harsh winters.

 

 

Fixed.

[scope007]

Mag and Rhino got a buff in 8.3. Volt got a nerf because we hate him and want to see Solaurus cry so we can store his tears for the oncoming harsh winters.

 

 

Fixed.

I agree the change to volts ultimate and speed have been very poorly received.

[AstorSigma]

Any idea when we'll see the next installment of warframe changes? A rough estimate would be greatly appreciated.

[Volt_Cruelerz]

Overall, good, but the armor comment is disconcerting.

Unless you guys have some way to dethrone endless defense as the king game type, armor ignoring equipment will continue to dominate. If you guys can improve the quality of the game when not on defense by mechanical scaling rather than pure numerical scaling, armor scaling as it currently does will become less important because AI weaponry would only dominate one game type. Right now, it technically does, but defense defines this game in its current state, so...

Edited August 6, 2013 by Volt_Cruelerz

[Mak_Gohae]

5) Armor (Scalability and Difficulty)

Several great posts have emerged that tackle “Armor” and its effectiveness at high levels and how this affects players options when facing high level enemies. This conversation boils down to what kind of changes will Armor undergo, if any? The answer is that Armor is currently working as intended and is unlikely to change.

 

 

YEEEAAAAAHHHH!!!!!

 

6) Power Creep/Difficulty/High Level Gameplay

This complements the above topic but from a different perspective. To borrow a quote from the thread from  player 11.11.11:

“My point is, a lot of the games current difficulty is, as Litler puts it - not based around player skill or emergent game-play. Its simply about getting weapons that allow you to spit out enough damage per second, to take on incredibly beefed up enemies.”

This is an apt summary of player concerns and something that is being brought up around the office.  So many factors can go into “fixing” what is identified here, we are always tweaking and adding new content to allow for new gameplay experiences. Truthfully we like being Elite Tenno: Grineer, Corpus, and Infested killing machines, but we also love creativity in what our players can bring to the table. Finding balance in this is our continued goal.

 

Dont balance the game on Tier III Defense with level 100 enemies.

Those things are supposed to be stupid hard and if you want to fly through those then you need to adjust your equipment for it.

The rest of the game cause be easily gone through with any of the current weapons and some decent modding.

7) Continued Warframe Buff

Trinity and Ember are currently on Scott’s list to be buffed. Mag, Rhino, and Volt got a brush up in 8.3 and are still being reviewed. The rest of the bunch will eventually be addressed as well, so if you don’t see “insert Warframe here” now, the time for review will come. Baby steps!

 

Can you folks PLEEEEAASSEEE leave players the option to keep the original powers when this "buffing" changes them?

This buffing is called on by one group of people and it affects all including people who are not looking for it.

 

When you folks buffed Rhino you basically destroyed his theme of CCing and just turned him into a nuker. And the funny thing about this is that shortly after that you released his profile video which calls him a CCer..... when he is basically no longer that.

[basilioss]

 

When you folks buffed Rhino you basically destroyed his theme of CCing and just turned him into a nuker. And the funny thing about this is that shortly after that you released his profile video which calls him a CCer..... when he is basically no longer that.

Yes, because having enemies held in stasis for 9 seconds isn't CC at all... lol 

[PatiqForLife]

Can''t we get any infested specific tilesets!!!

Just look at the game Prototype 2 and you'll get some inspiration.