[[Spoilers] Umbra Long Term]

Prelude: Enabling sapience on existing Warframes.
Spoiler compression is a method I use to keep my posts compact.

Spoiler

 

Doing this will cause numerous issues, ranging from very awkward conversations (depending on the Warframe's perceived gender - like Saryn being female) to a feeling of talking to yourself. Additionally, the Prime and 'Common' tiers of Warframes are perfected, stock weapon-forms produced by Helminth and the Foundry from mere blueprints, and thus do not contain any actual sapience aside from crude instincts like getting up from going down or reloading when there's no clip, to blocking on occasion and even ripping apart War. Umbra-Dax is not like them and likely would not want to become a multi-body consciousness for his own sanity.

Additionally, all Warframes will get a Prime. Not all will get an Umbra. Based on known information there could be up to 11 unique Umbra Warframes, now 10 since Excalibur is here.
Also: Exalibur Umbra's forearms need serious fixing. I mean, the crescents nearest to the wrists point down when the palm faces upwards, and the bigger crescents are not properly attached. The first one is impossible to miss when using a sidearm with Umbra Noble anim-set, while the second one can be identified when using the meditate animation.

Not to mention that adding a 'make sapient' button/device would render the Umbras meaningless aside from their unique polarity and different-sounding abilities.

 

Primes and Umbras: Why should I keep the former?
See the Spoiler to continue.

Spoiler

DE removed Umbra being down-able when you're out of him and his ability to attain energy from Void Orbs. This was stated clearly in recent hotfix notes.

Umbra could do with a cosmetic toggle, like any Warframe (with removable attachments - see Primes, for instance,) has.

Now onto the actual points; the only difference between the two archetypes:
Primes:

Spoiler

-Obtained through a 2 to 3-step farming process of getting relics, running fissures, and 'charging up' the relics in the hope of getting what you wanted.
-Have superior stats to their default variants.
-Often look better and come with at least 2 new weapons or Prime pieces of equipment - be they Sentinels or Archwings.
-Have a Void Orb passive, though the convenience of this has dulled.
-Will remain still immediately upon exiting via Transference.

Umbras, based on the one current:

Spoiler

-Obtained by acquiring their pre-built parts and scanning their remains so Ordis can synthesize the rest of the missing body. Takes no time to build it.
-Will resist control, and have essentially the same stats as their Prime counterparts.
-Will likely have a visually different power, and all abilities may sound slightly different.
-Might come with another batch of Umbra mods, but I think it'll only be a pair for whatever weapon the next Umbra brings.
-Might come with a weapon. Could be a sidearm, based on Mastery Tests, and could be Kunai since those haven't been Primed.
-Will attempt to protect the Tenno when they exit it via Transference, and cannot be told to stay still like Specters and Syndicate special support units can.

...Is that Primes will stay still, and Umbras won't. In this additional spoiler, you can read my perspective as to why:

Spoiler

 

This is both a good and bad thing. It's good in missions where stealth is unimportant or there's barely a chance that someone would go down in, say, a Spy Vault or Rescue Target's Prison, but when it comes to Spy Vaults and at least one Lua Challenge Room this immediately becomes a problem because Umbra has no 'wait' button.

To this end, Primes are a must-keep as much as their Umbra variant for the sake of gameplay variety.

As for their 'superiority' against Sentients, one can claim that such a thing is only a sidegrade since most can go Operator faster than use whatever designated Umbra-ified power to disrupt Rapid Adaptation. Not to mention that Sacrificial Pressure - the damage Umbra mod for melees - is inferior to Primed Pressure Point and, if paired with it's other set mod, superior to Pressure Point.

Also, the only real superiority here is that Umbra(s) and the weapon(s) introduced have Umbra polarities which match the set mods, and that superiority is not going to last.

Then again, Umbras (to some) have character/lore significance. If you read my Prelude or not, remember that Ballas called any non-Umbra Warframe a golem; the Worm Queen calls all Warframes 'Infested puppets', and Hunhow assumes them as 'metal puppets'; none of these have dialogue variants for Umbras because those Quests were before now, and nobody would've been able to take a true Umbra to such things during that point in history.

To dash to one side a second, I would presume that Chinaframe's Umbra Prime implies that that version of Umbra is a clone which lacks memories, built from blueprints and not original parts which held their memories.

 

Now if you've read the rest and wonder what else I have to say, I have this:

Spoiler

I do not want to know what happens when a female Umbra is encountered and subject to the... ...you thought about that, didn't you. It's natural. Perhaps, if the next Umbra is female, there could be quite a 'situation' between Excalibur Umbra and this one.

If it happens to be Nyx Umbra, then clearly DE has been inspired by themselves (Dark Sector, that game that could've been Warframe if DE had their way with publishers, but failed and became a book of concepts and gameplay prototypes) and we'll have to deal with our Tenno minds being host to things. "Sorry, I couldn't be more specific." - Ordis.

 

[Advice on Melee weapons I guess.]

If you want heavy damage faster, weapons like Fragor and Galatine Prime would be up your alley, but that would sacrifice some area clearing ability unless your Warframe can either pull them together (Nidus, someone else's Hydroid, Vauban's 4, Khora, Harrow) or keep them pinned (Excalibur, Vauban, Frost, Atlas, Inaros, Limbo (thanks to his 2 being fixed, so to speak), and more) down in some manner so you can clear them out.

If you run an Excalibur, or want to be prepared for the Sacrifice, contemplate this build:

Spoiler

 

Frame:
Aura mod of your choice, Power Drift. Arcanes of your choice.
Intensify, Steel Fiber, Vitality, (Primed) Vigor, (Primed) Continuity, (Primed) Flow, Augur Secrets, Rage.

Exalted Blade:
Primed Pressure Point, Condition Overload, as many dual-stat elemental mods as you can fit, Life Strike.

Function:
Take damage to health, get energy, activate Exalted Blade, channel, successfully hit one or more enemies with Exalted Blade while channeling, get all your health back instantly.

Side-note:

Spoiler

Excalibur Umbra comes with new mods that will be very costly to your Endo and Credits. While one of they may not be as good as their Primed counterpart, their polarities cannot be replaced if they get forma'd out, meaning you'd have to accept the sacrifice of that bit of damage in order to have a functional, decent build. The melee he comes with has a stealth-on-stealth-finisher-kill proc which makes it worth keeping, but most people don't bother trying the fastest stance for Nikanas: Blind Justice (when blocking or with a initial charged thrust). At least one Forma for a V polarity on Exalted Blade and another Forma for a D polarity on Excalibur Umbra in spots not already taken by polarities will suffice for this build to operate on them.

 

 

[Umbra's issues with Transference (incompatibility with Operator mode)]

I agree with your point about Exalted and how Umbra fails to realize he has a secondary weapon on his person, and that he needs to be able to be instructed to stay still (especially when trying to 2-man that one Lua Challenge that has you standing on pads).

However, there's a bug with his Exalted Blade right now that, if you leave it on when it's about to turn off and go out of him, when you return you are unable to use your secondary or melee (quick-melee is forcibly turned into Exalted Blade and all powers except 5 do not work; activating 4 again causes Umbra to lock up and be unable to shoot or do anything but parkour about).

Not to mention his forearm crescent U-things need their attachment points fixed ASAP.

[How many Warframe slots should I buy as a new player?]

You should have at least 1 extra Warframe slot at all times, and 4 extra weapon slots at all times.

To compensate for loss of the 50 starter plat, attempt fishing in the Plains or doing Void Fissures and selling the fish and Prime parts for plat via trading.

[Syandana PhysX at its best...]

4 minutes ago, -TSA-Swaggi said:

And it's not only that one... 😕

Umbra's cloth parts and any Warframe's cloth/mesh should not clip with Syandanas or other cloth/mesh where possible. It would be complicated but adding a toggle for that would likely help sort out things, not to mention adding a more accurate Warframe mesh collision system so the Warframe's animations don't clip with holstered Nikanas or get stuck in the body, in addition to fixing the Burston Prime and giving it and Latron Prime the visual fix they rightfully deserve.

These things not being fixed aside from Umbra's arms being poorly weighted are damaging full immersion.

[Im sorry. This really just bothers me regarding Umbra]

Spoiler in title and tag recommended.

...Then again, he's basically in your Tenno's mind now whenever you're both in the Orbiter (and that's the excuse I'll go with until Umbra starts doing the following things outlined in the spoiler here), since you've linked with him on a spiritual level.

Refer to the Sacrifice's conclusion, where they redefine themselves as but one self.

Spoiler

-Try to fuse, transmute, and build, causing Ordis to set up an 'authorizations queue' so the Operator can ensure no sapient other than themselves can waste their resources.

-Pet the companion.

-Sit on the couch if it is not occupied by objects.

-Delay arsenal response time due to running/parkouring to it or getting there from his own pause menu, which adds a unique layer of immersion.

-Interrupting him during his lounge-time on the couch may prompt a game of Komi, hosted by Ordis on a simulated board.

1 minute ago, Zaamakiel said:

I wish I could opt out of space aids. It ruins my fashion frame for a whole week thus making me not use him.

That I want, but Umbra should have an 'on' switch where the Operator basically pokes him and he 'wakes up' by stumbling onto all fours, before getting up and doing something. He's not exactly undead because of what Ballas did to him, and us literally reviving him by synthesizing the parts that were destroyed from what we could find and bring back to the ship.

In my opinion, Umbra is or could become akin to the following:
-Doomguy, but Sentients are demons (due to him killing his own son, being stuck in perpetual torment - rip and tear, until it is done).
-Master Chief, but Dax (due to, according to what intel we have currently, being the 'Prime' Dax OR being the Spartan, and us being the one who helps hack and so on, except we're not an AI).

Then again we need to know more about him. Perhaps a Vitruvian hunt is in order?

[Umbra in Orbiter? [Spoilers!]]

My current mental excuse for this is that Umbra, when on Orbiter, lives in our mind. Otherwise I do have a list of things I'll copy over in this spoiler due to the sheer length of it:

Spoiler

 

Would like Umbra to have passive actions if you're Operator, suggestion list includes almost all possibilities:

Spoiler

-If he finds The Father, you'll get a marker and hear The Father saying 'Hey - no wait, you're not my kiddo.', then Umbra would utter, with his crude vocalizations mixed with spliced Specter dialogue, to inform you that he 'Found someone.'

-Will randomly pull out an armament from the Arsenal. If it's Infested, he would, 2 out or 3 times, put it away again. If it's Sentient, he'd keep it out and stare at it's intricacies. If he pulls out a Prime, he'd proceed to instinctively wash it with Exalted Water, and would be found with a bucket made from metal scraps and a weapon drying off from being super-washed.

-Will occasionally pet the companion for you if one is out, if not, he will examine the Kubrow egg. No egg? He'll look at your Sentinel with interest. No Sentinel? This action is void.

-Will attempt to build things you can build but haven't mastered, like Forma. Whenever he tries this, you'll be prompted and he'll stand there, arms folded and foot tapping, wondering why the command did not yet process, or merely believing there's a loading screen or some network difficulties. On occasion, he may craft an 'Umbra' Ayatan, which is a black version of a normal Ayatan which doesn't move and is often made of junk material, coated in a black, reflective metal; such are mere decor and are not endo sources.

-May be seen sat in your Transference chair, delaying Transference-ing back in by about 5 seconds.

-Will delay arsenal switches depending on passive action (him being pulled out, and then parkouring to the arsenal, before returning to his obedient state, all of which should take no longer than 5 seconds).

-Could be found sat down on the couch in the lounge, at navigation, stood at the Codex terminal, or just knelt looking out the lounge or navigation viewport.

-Would be able to be interacted with, giving the options to: 1: stop what he's doing, 2: pet/pat him. 3: challenge him to a Komi match on a simulated game board, courtesy of Ordis.

-Will attempt to transmute mods you have over 30 of on occasion, with permission.

-Upon finding the Stalker in noggle form, may shrug at it.

-Upon finding Inaros' urn, may take a moment to look at it.

-May gaze at Rell's Donda for a moment.

 

Short version with much fewer things required:

Spoiler

-Try to fuse, transmute, and build, causing Ordis to set up an 'authorizations queue' so the Operator can ensure no sapient other than themselves can waste their resources.

-Pet the companion.

-Sit on the couch if it is not occupied by objects.

-Delay arsenal response time due to running/parkouring to it or getting there from his own pause menu, which adds a unique layer of immersion.

-Interrupting him during his lounge-time on the couch may prompt a game of Komi, hosted by Ordis on a simulated board.

Bonus:
-When Umbra is out on the Orbiter, or Cetus, or Dojo, and you and someone else approach and interact and both pick 'Komi VS player', you'd be paired against the other person and Umbra would use the Warframe UI projection tech (which allows him to spawn the diegetic pause menu, for instance) which renders a game of Komi made purely from particles.
-When in any location, best when lockdown is in effect, Umbra would have a unique emote prompt (like the 'set up shop' prompt) which allows him to activate the 'play Komi' interaction which acts as follows: If person presses 'interact' when Umbra is rendering the Komi board, they'd get the big text prompt 'A game of Komi, like old times.' Person may pick yes or no.

 

 

[So has anyone tried Umbra vs. Eidolons?]

6 minutes ago, DeMonkey said:

What about his Exalted Blade then? Do abilities work on Eidolons?

Not really, but when all Synovia are destroyed I've noted that a Life Strike channeling Exalted Blade heals Excalibur, which is convenient given my Excalibur runs on a Rage/Life Strike build thanks to Exalted moddability.

[New labels are difficult to read (size/color)]

My current gripe with UI 3.0 is that the various themes feel... off, or at least incomplete, if not inaccurate.

Spoiler

 

-The Vitruvian theme in my opinion needs more contrast so the text stands out more clearly.

-Grineer theme needs thick, blocky white text against a faded yellow backdrop like the screens on Grineer ships and at locations Grineer are at - bold everything. Should also include Grineer propaganda scrolling through the backdrop instead of the Vitruvian swirls. Deserves the sounds from the Grineer hack puzzle.

-Classic/Legacy theme doesn't look UI 2.0 enough (like OP said, too bright in comparison to what it was like, which was more transparent or balanced gray with a darker grey with white readable text which was simple and convenient). Should have no special swirly bits like Vitruvian has in it's backdrop.

 

 

[So has anyone tried Umbra vs. Eidolons?]

Umbra's self-awareness passive was augmented so he would go T-pose when he reaches 0 health, however I did find a Russian video of 2 Tenno watching their Umbras murdering a Teralyst. I don't currently recall what they used, though.

It's not suicidal as from my experience Umbra is immune to Teralyst screams when you're in Operator, though his weapons' special anti-Sentient damage is rendered moot against Eidolon Fragments because Vomvalysts have their Void-vulnerable phase and Tera/Gantu/Hydro-lysts would kill you if you were to try and melee them when all of their Synovia are removed.

[Umbra Ex and Founder Ex Prime custom]

Short: I am in favour of allowing Prime's cosmetics on Umbra, but not the other way around since Prime can already equip Umbra's animation sets now.
Also:
-A toggle for Umbra Attachments.
-The ability for future/past/current Primeframe cosmetics to be used on their Umbra counterparts should become a thing.
-All Prime/variant weapons to have a non-variant skin much like how Primes can be made to look like their common counterparts.

Long:

Spoiler

 

1st point: Excalibur Prime 'relevance decline'?
False: Excalibur Umbra's Void Orb passive was an echo left over from his Chinaframe iteration, that echo has been erased. Excalibur Prime will remain relevant due to being absolutely obedient and standing perfectly still - perfect when you need the equivalent of a rock and have no Specters available for things like Lua challenge rooms. 

2nd point: Wants to use non-Umbra Exalted Blade on Umbra because it's 'disgusting'.
Not happening: This would mean ALL frames that have Exalted Weapons would end up wanting similar customization treatment, which would mean DE would have no room for Riven storage at the end of it or similar. They also need that extra server space for Venus Landscape. 
Personal note: A 'Classic' skin for Exalted Blade to make it a transparent weapon like it used to be would remedy this issue.

3rd point: More Exalted Weapon stances?
Interesting notion but not going to happen due to how other weapon stances may cause the Exalted waves to go in unforseen directions. Also, Excalibur's passive only works on (Dual) Swords, Nikanas, and Rapiers(?). I could see Exalted Blade getting an augment to allow for a melee weapon stance to be put on it, but that requires the augment to fit on the weapon itself somehow.

4th point: Umbra's weights are unfinished and visibly broken, especially at the forearms.

 

 

[All TennoGen content coming on Consoles?]

Tennogen creators can decree where they want their content. If they don't want it on consoles, it's not on consoles. That simple. 

[So why is no one sharing Limbro prime fashion?]

Probably because:
A| everyone has cysts, therefore fashion is on-hold.
B| nobody has him because they maxed and dumped him.
C| all who do not read patch notes are currently still antagonizing, ragequitting, reporting, berating, insulting, or failing to remember there's Conclave, at anyone who remotely 'dares' to use Limbo.
D| Excalibur Umbra (despite his Umbra-mesh weights being in complete chaos (specifically the arms) and in in dire need of a cleanup by the art department about a week ago).

E| nobody has him built because they lack the plat/money/parts/components to do so yet.

[Chains of Harrow/Sacrifice Feedback (Spoilers)]

1 minute ago, Xylia said:

how exactly DO you even upgrade your Operator stuff

Steps to being upgraded, from experience/my opinion.

Spoiler

 

Step 1: Go to Cetus and visit Quill Onkko. Attain first Amp. Level it to max, gild it, max it again.
Step 2: Run Teralyst hunts as much as possible with a high-damage radiation weapon setup or anything anti-armour that does not involve Warframe abilities as those do not affect the Eidolon fragments.
Step 2A: Revisit Lua and kill Sentients there to collect cores.
Step 3: Hand in cores. Rank up the Quills Syndicate. Attain enough Magus Vigor arcanes to max 1 and have another at R2 at least.
Step 4: Max as many Waybounds as you deem necessary, with priorities on Vazarin's health regen, Unairu's armour bonus, and Naramon's speed.
Step 5: Build an Amp that suits your fighting style.
Step 5A/optional: Attempt Hydrolyst hunts with a properly equipped squad.
Step 6: Then you run Chains of Harrow and The Sacrifice, knowing you've got a little bit more of a chance to beat the bosses in both.

Side-note: Operator bonuses also carry into Mastery tests.

 

 

[Excalibur Exalted Blade missing? [Fixed]]

Speaking of Exalted Blade bugs, Excalibur and maybe his Umbra variant sometimes confuses Exalted Blade for his melee weapon and he becomes unable to swap to melee or secondary, activation of Exalted Blade locks Excalibur from doing anything until he jumps into a reset boundary; this causes Exalted Blade to act as his melee and still use it's special projectile attacks but on a different stance that isn't Exalted Blade - like a Nikana - and doesn't drain energy; it also doesn't visibly show up when this bugged state occurs. Using spoiler abilities does not fix this. 

Also, perhaps this particular Exalted Weapon absence bug as the OP outlined may also exist on other Warframes with Exalted weapons?

[Can’t unlock apotasy prolouge]

9 hours ago, (PS4)AWSAH2 said:

answer my other question

Chains of Harrow completes after a bossfight where Harrow is chained. Prepare your Amp and Operator Arcanes for this.

[Can’t unlock apotasy prolouge]

Complete Chains of Harrow, brace for spooky greetings whenever you wander the Orbiter after it's completion.

[Umbra Fashion Thread]

Brace your eyes.

Spoiler

Shadow-Stalker from a parallel universe.

Default Umbra.

Kol-Sworn.

 

 

[Why no in-game auction house]

That would allow those hideous bots to reign terror and would kill off all the unique quirks and ways trading has been handled. Ever tried visiting Maroo's on occasion?

[Umbra's golden things on arms, legs and head, and scarf]

28 minutes ago, NightmareT12 said:

I'd like to note that, regarding the bolded part, it's not the attachments floating: It's the spikes they are attached to bending.

That's also part of the issue. Also, the gold bits on the shoulderblades and upper arms also contort a little too. I would be happy if DE was to fix these visual issues in their next hotfix but for now I'll have to try not to pay attention to these bugs.

[Umbra's golden things on arms, legs and head, and scarf]

25 minutes ago, Baterial said:

Please make it possible to be removed. I really want it to be optional as auxiliaries

Like how Primes can toggle off their Prime attachments on Deluxe skins and so on?
I'd agree with that notion, but his bigger forearm golden crescents/fins/Us are not properly mounted on the forearm and float weirdly, which is my only issue with Umbra. 

I'm still holding out hope that DE fixes this issue and introduces that toggle for when you equip Tennogen/Deluxe skins.

[Umbra warframes [Discussion & Appreciation][*spoilers*]]

Now that I have Umbra and experienced using him, here's a few Captura Screens and a build:

Spoiler

Captura screens:
Kol-Sworn.

Spoiler

    

Hunhow's Shadow.

Spoiler

   

Default.

Spoiler

     

Default (as potential glyphs if DE is accepting any).

Spoiler

   

Build:

Spoiler

Before you continue, know that the Aura mod and Arcanes are not essential to this build.

If you want more energy capacity, supplant Streamline with Primed Flow and Hunter Adrenaline with Rage.

Spoiler

 

 

My only gripes with Umbra are: 1: his bigger forearm 'U crescent' isn't properly attached to the forearm; this needs fixing immediately as it is a glaring imperfection. 2: that his cosmetics cannot be toggled off for skins that aren't his default. 3: no Pakal Loincloth or helmet to complete the Stalker theme.

[Pyrana Prime: You got this cool buff, but you're not allowed to use it]

13 minutes ago, -AoN-CanoLathra- said:

The Pyrana Prime's ability is refreshable. Get three more kills in 'quick succession' while the buff is active to refresh it.

It only resets the lifespan on the second Pyrana.

[Won't let me put an Obstacle course down, not sure why.]

4 hours ago, CeruleanHex said:

There's only two floors, and I made sure there wasn't anything in the way on the first floor.

If it's refusing I can only suggest to extend the corridor with a cross junction or two before building it in actuality.

[Umbra's alter ego's]

I think each subsequent Umbra should not just be the 'Umbra Dax' doing a Harbinger-Reaper "Assuming Control of this form".

Each Umbra should be their own individual selves with their own unique backstory, if not borrowing from Umbra's parts in The Sacrifice as a basis for each Umbra quest.

If the next Umbra happens to be Nyx, or of the Starter frames; I'm one among those who called it first.