EdDiesel

I may be wrong about this but with the new augment for Merulina why is there not an option for example to tap/hold for players to switch between riding Merulina and using it as a companion why are players forced to either always use it as a k-drive or as a companion with this new augment? The idea of using Merulina as a companion is cool however, I don't like the idea of being forced to choose one or the other. Why not both. If that is how it stands on launch this is a huge missed opportunity for Yareli.

I believe Pablo mentioned something similar to this during the dev-stream as one of the ideas he has been contemplating. I think this would be an interesting way of going about it. I did offer my own unique suggestion however, this one is pretty good imo. What do you guys think?

Perhaps a tap/hold feature with a slight twist. Using the ability will allow the player to activate both buffs except one buff will be considered primary and the other as secondary. For example tap activation will apply both buffs, the damage bonus will be considered primary and the damage reduction secondary. For hold activation the opposite occurs. This will allow players to have both buffs active and choose which buff they would like to prioritize. The Primary buff would receive higher bonus over secondary. e.g -Tap Activation- Damage: 100% bonus Damage Reduction: 25% bonus The base values would swap based on how the ability is activated (tap/hold). In addition, If player is in a lit area the damage bonus buff would increase vise versa if standing in non lit area.

I suppose you have a point alternatively, you could think of this method providing a sense of reward for established players that have well rounded arsenals too. I did mention that the game mode would not be endless however, they could technically continue to increase stages in future updates. I believe there are 53+ warframes and out of those there are a handful that are great for specific missions types. For example Defense. If you are going 10+ eventually you may run out of frame options to choose from that are built specifically to handle that mission type. In between stages there would be a 30s -1 min timer to select your next frame and weapons, Pre planning is done before game mode starts.

In my example you would be able to pick all warframes and weapons you want to use. When a new stage starts you select your next favorite frame its not random. There are 53+ warframes and many weapons in the game. Stage 10 circuit would require an established player to pick 10 out of 54+ frames to bring with them.

There is definitely some replayability value there. Its not entirely bad. Especially useful for standard mode allowing players more exposure to how weapons work and test frames they do not yet have.

The circuit is an interesting game mode. The RNG or randomness allows players to explore new, retired, or unacquired weapons and frames however, if the player decides to play steel path, they will need to determine whether to play with the weapon unoptimized (unleveled, missing catalyst, forma etc.) putting them at a huge disadvantage to start. Or instead, the player can leave Duvuri and try to level and optimize the gear by other means first. Then revisit the circuit knowing they will have a better chance at creating a more optimized build when those weapons come back into rotation. How I wish the game mode worked is that the player had the option to select the frames and weapons they want to use from the start. The game mode is not endless instead there are different variations. For example, the circuit game mode variations offer a set number of stages such as, 3, 6, 10+ that the player could opt into from the start. The player will be allowed to choose their frame and weapon for the first stage. Once stage 1 is completed the frame and weapons used during that stage are locked out from being selected in future stages for that run. To start stage 2 the player will again select their next option from a pool of weapons and frames they have preselected. The preselection phase would start once the game mode is selected. The player will enter a solo lobby to start preparing what weapons and frames they want to add to their pool. Once determined they will enter a portal to start the mission or if playing in public, they would instead start the match making process to start the mission. The initial setup ensures other players cannot start the game mode prematurely while others are preparing their loadouts. The option to select the number of stages will allow newer players to get in on the action after they have acquired a few weapons and frames due to the limitations of their arsenal. For example, stage 3 circuit being the lowest tier available would require that the player have 3 unique weapons and frames which I believe adds more relevance and promotes the idea for players to collect more frames and weapons. In addition, the player will have some experience playing with the frame and weapons prior to having access to the game mode. More seasoned players can take it further as they have acquired more weapons and frames by playing higher stage circuit modes allowing them to put their arsenal to the test while promoting the idea of collecting weapons and frames. This also promotes player choice and does not undermine progression. The last stage of every circuit run would have a boss fight. Longer runs if steel path can have additional twist and turns added to increase level of difficulty to keep things interesting.