NinthAria
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Posts posted by NinthAria
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Name Suggestion: Corpus Savant
Behavior: A distant cousin to the Corpus Tech, the Savant excels at battlefield control. While armed, the Savant prefers to keep a safe distance from the action, bolstering its allies' positions by deploying traps, robotic proxies, and temporary cover. If engaged at close range, it will attempt to flee to a safer position, or at least towards any nearby Corpus personnel.
Attacks: -The Savant's marquis ability is its endless supply of deployable proxies. Unlike the Tech, the Savant can deploy Leech and Mine Ospreys in addition to Shield Ospreys, and can do so much more rapidly. It can also deploy basic Moa drones, but these take longer and have a lengthier cooldown; as such, it will usually attempt to deploy them from behind cover.
-When engaging from a distance, the Savant makes use of its Penta grenade launcher. Unlike the ClanTech version, the grenades explode shortly after landing, rather than being remotely detonated. Moderate damage with a chance to inflict blast status.
-In addition to drones, the Savant can also deploy laser fields. Roughly the same height and width as a standard crate, these fields function identically to camera-activated laser doors, but deploy a solid wall of energy instead of multiple beams, providing the added benefit of blocking gunfire. Punch through mods will function as normal.
-Finally, Savants can deploy magnetic mines, similar in appearance to those dropped by Mine Ospreys, but electric blue instead of orange. When approached, the mine will pull all Tenno in a moderate radius towards it before detonating, damaging and inflicting magnetic status.
Environment restrictions: Savants can be found in any Corpus tileset at roughly the same frequency as Techs.
(Optional) Art or Reference Images: No actual images, but as regular Corpus troops, Savants sport the standard jumpsuit-and-helmet look, with purple suit coloration to distinguish them from the other types.
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I know DE's got bigger things to worry about with melee 2.0 than adding yet more stances already, but I thought I'd throw one in here while the idea's still in my head just so it's on paper. Much of this is inspired by BlazBlue, but thematically I think it fits well with the Tenno style for reasons that are probably obvious for anyone who's played BlazBlue. (Spoiler: there's badass katana moves involved.)
Stance name: Empty Sky
Mod description: Channeled strikes and lightning-fast counterattacks.
Reaping Blizzard: E, E, E, E
-Basic combo. Two back-to-back slashes in an X shape, followed by an overhead and then finally a low horizontal slash. The final two hits each have a forward step.
Violent Gale: E, E, Hold LMB+E
-Same two-hit cross slash as Reaping Blizzard, but for the third strike the Tenno charges the sword overhead briefly before slashing downwards. The final strike releases a short-range shockwave that travels along the ground, knocking away any enemies it hits.
Infinity's Judgment: E, E, pause, LMB+E, LMB+E, LMB+E
-High-mobility channeled combo. After the two-hit startup, the Tenno performs a sweeping horizontal slash, followed by a lunging stab, and then finally a leaping spin attack. As long as the Tenno has enough energy to channel, repeated button presses will restart the combo from the third hit.
No Shadow, No Echo: LMB+E while enemy is parry-stunned
-Channeled parry finisher. Performs a quick dash past the stunned enemy, slicing through them along the way. Always inflicts slash status. Very fast animation, meaning normal attacks can resume almost immediately afterwards.
Perish Evil: LMB+E while enemy is downed
-Channeled ground finisher. Performs a rapid flurry of slashes in lieu of the standard finishing stab. As with No Shadow, No Echo, this attack flows much more easily back into standard attacks than normal finishers.
All other miscellaneous attacks (jump attacks, slide attacks, wallrun attacks, etc.) function as normal.
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Just had another encounter with the Stalker while duoing with a friend yesterday. Running Frost Prime, so I had a decent shield number (around 1000), and, what a surprise, I lived through a few hits. I actually lasted quite a while, thanks to a combination of running behind cover, Snow Globes, and a mob of Infested that was more interested in him than us. For the sake of reference, I was hit at least once with everything in his arsenal; Dread, Despair, Hate, even Slash Dash. I ultimately died, but it definitely wasn't in one hit. If I'd had a real loadout on me (all my equipped weapons were mid-level, even if my frame was maxed out) and hadn't panicked so damn much, we probably could've taken him down.
I guess I'm in the minority, because I still haven't seen this fabled stunlocking, player-teleporting, instakilling version of the Stalker that everyone's talking about.
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Given that i saw the lights flicker, he usually spawns right next to you in the same tile. I saw his cloud appear. But no stalker. Still waited. His cloud appeared next to me again, no stalker. I sat there holding block, all the sudden i teleport into the next tile on a catwalk and i just fall into two peices because im still stunlocked from being teleported because it thinks im "in the air." Every single time i used to fight stalker, it was a genuinely serious matter. Even though i was confident i would win, i still took it seriously and took zero chances fooling around. I had to stay out of his reach or i die. The whole teleporting S#&$ along with taking out warframe abilities and movement at all of the environment means the entire thing boils down to "who has the higher dps and HP." Its no longer a shooter based on skill, its a dumb luck RPG where you're up against plain numbers.
Its in poor taste, even if you stubborn idiots think getting instantly killed is fine because "its not my problem, i know how to still exploit the gameplay mechanics. You should exploit them too." You KNOW the stalker could be done better by DE. And thats really annoying how apathetic people are when they're aggressive at the same time.
Even with the stalker difficulty out of the equation, theres still: Frequency of encounters, the gustrag 3, harvester, and their drop tables and rates and the equipment being tenfold better than other equipment, so good that it circumvents the difficulty of the game. And on top of that, it makes DE start to design the game around those weapons in difficulty which is a terrible thing for both new players and players who have bad luck.
No matter which way you cut it, theres a problem for someone, stop thinking about ONLY yourself because "oh well they're not me, their problems arent mine."
Don't mistake my criticism of how you handled the situation for disagreement. If you're getting killed in one hit with the shield/health levels you posted, that does seem a little ridiculous. But there's a lot of conflicting anecdotes here (including mine), which tells me it's probably a bug. The DEvs may keep quiet about the Stalker, but I'm pretty sure they still read the forums, so it'll probably get fixed eventually.
None of that changes the fact that you stood there and basically invited him to make the first move. There is basically no version of this where that's a good idea. The Stalker has always been powerful. There was just a time when he may not have seemed like it because he couldn't dispel Iron Skin, Overheat, Link, etc.
I really don't know what's up with the teleport thing, as while I've seen the Stalker teleport himself to me (akin to Ash's ability), I've never seen him do the reverse, and I guarantee you any time he shows up I'm leaping about like a neurotic tree frog. Assuming it's intended to foil players using terrain he can't reach to beat him, if he's using it on you when he can reach you, that sounds like a bug.
The point about difficulty being designed around having the Brakk/Detron/Stalker gear is completely ridiculous. They have their perks, certainly - Dread is still the only slash damage bow, for instance - but I don't think the game is trivialized by their presence any more than some other high-level weapons that come from other sources, like the Marelok. I at least have managed just fine without them, even in high-level areas like Ceres, derelicts, or T3 void runs.
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Like he'd know that the very first time he ever ran into Stalker.
Nobody expects an enemy to outright one-shot you with no rhyme or reason why.
I think the point was more that if you have ever encountered the Stalker before, or even heard of the Stalker before, you should probably know that standing in one place and letting him make the first move is completely asinine.
It's possible to survive multiple hits from the Stalker. It happened to me while I was leveling some weapons on my Zephyr. Yes it was post-U13. No I was not running full health/shield mods; I had a maxed-out Vigor and that's it, which puts me at somewhere around 600 of each.
There has never been a time, at least since the Stalker got his own set of weapons, where he did trivial damage; there was only a time where his damage output could be trivialized by warframe powers. That time ended when he gained his dispel ability.
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Don't try and play chicken with Slash Dash. He'll win every time.
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Right around the corner.™
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Haven't written much for these forums in a while, but I still have my warframe bios and I still like them, so why not share?
Squad Codename: Octave
Squad Nickname: "The Sounds of Destruction"
Active Members: Symphony, Sonata, Opera, Aria, Finale, Concerto, Overture, Serenade, Dirge, Fugue, Marcia
Squad Leader
Callsign: Symphony
Warframe: Nyx Prime
Colors: Black, gold
Duties: All-purpose operative, squad command
Likes: Group missions, the Lotus, defending others
Dislikes: Solo missions, Grineer, insubordination
Preferred Primary Weapon: Braton Prime assault rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Bronco Prime hand cannon
Preferred Melee Weapon: Dakra Prime saber
Marksmanship: Good
Acrobatics: Above average
Strength: Average
Toughness: Above average
Profile: Natural leader. Compassionate, but calm. Replaced Sonata as squad commander shortly after joining. Works less efficiently than other Octave members on her own, but excels in groups. Gravitates towards opportunities to defend others; consequently prefers defense and rescue missions to other types. Respects other Octave members, but only seems to fully trust Sonata and Opera. Extremely loyal to the Lotus and the Tenno cause.
Tactician
Callsign: Sonata
Warframe: Mag Prime
Colors: Black, gold
Duties: Field support, squad adviser
Likes: Plans coming together, playing with mods
Dislikes: Surprises, bad intel
Preferred Primary Weapon: Latron Prime marksman rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Sicarus Prime assault pistol
Preferred Melee Weapon: Glaive Prime throwing blade
Marksmanship: Excellent
Acrobatics: Below average
Strength: Below average
Toughness: Excellent (poor when shields disabled)
Profile: Founder and previous commander of Octave Squad. Voluntarily relinquished command to Symphony several missions after she joined; subsequently took on the role of squad tactician. Performs well in both solo and group settings, but prefers groups to better utilize her loadout. Enjoys survival, defense, and assassination missions; dislikes rescue missions. Respects other Octave members, especially her predecessor, but plans contingencies for their failures regardless. Supports the Tenno cause as a whole, but displays some skepticism about the Lotus’ motives.
Medical Officer
Callsign: Opera
Warframe: Trinity
Colors: Light red, white
Duties: Mission oversight, medical support
Likes: Successful operations, healthy/sane squadmates
Dislikes: Field work, squad deaths, missed check-ups
Preferred Primary Weapon: None
Preferred Secondary Weapon: None
Preferred Melee Weapon: Skana blade
Marksmanship: Below average
Acrobatics: Average
Strength: High
Toughness: Practically unkillable
Profile: Operator and coordinator for other squad members during missions. Also provides medical and psychiatric treatment for squad members between missions. Dislikes field work for personal reasons related to death of previous squads; rarely seen in the field as a result. Respects other Octave members, but has concerns about Aria and Overture. Apparently indifferent to the Lotus and her cause; more interested in the goings-on of her own squad.
Assault Specialist
Callsign: Aria
Warframe: Ember Prime
Colors: Black, gold
Duties: Crowd control, Infestation specialist
Likes: Explosions, heavy weapons, burning things
Dislikes: Cold, authority, the Stalker
Preferred Primary Weapon: Boar Prime automatic shotgun
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Lex Prime heavy pistol
Preferred Melee Weapon: Scindo Prime battle axe
Marksmanship: Poor
Acrobatics: Poor
Strength: Excellent
Toughness: Below average
Profile: One of the earliest members of the Octave squad. Maintains a sterling record of mission success in both solo and group formats despite reckless behavior. Enjoys undertaking missions against the Infestation, regardless of objective. First member of the squad to encounter the Stalker and still complete her mission, and also holds the squad record for highest number of repelled Stalker ambushes; combat skills are well respected among squadmates as a result, in spite of poor discipline. Clashes frequently with other squad members, particularly Symphony, and is openly distrustful of the Lotus.
Assassin
Callsign: Finale
Warframe: Banshee
Colors: Black, red
Duties: Covert ops
Likes: Stealth missions, silent takedowns
Dislikes: Getting caught, missed shots
Preferred Primary Weapon: Replica Dread kinetic bow
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Kunai throwing daggers
Preferred Melee Weapon: Replica Hate scythe
Marksmanship: Near-perfect
Acrobatics: Excellent
Strength: Below average
Toughness: Poor
Profile: Octave squad’s primary stealth operative. Skilled at infiltration and espionage. Maintains emotional distance from her squad, her objectives, and the Lotus herself; arguably the most stable member of the squad as a result. Frequently works alone. Prefers assassination, extermination, and capture missions, ideally against Corpus or Grineer personnel; dislikes survival and mobile defense missions.
Weapons Scientist
Callsign: Concerto
Warframe: Saryn
Colors: Green, purple
Duties: Chemical weapons support, tech research
Likes: Lab work, testing new weapons, Cephalons
Dislikes: Failed projects, inconclusive results, Grineer scientists
Preferred Primary Weapon: ClanTech Torid gas launcher
Preferred Secondary Weapon: ClanTech Acrid tactical injection device
Preferred Melee Weapon: Galatine heavy assault sword
Marksmanship: Below average
Acrobatics: Poor
Strength: Good
Toughness: Excellent
Profile: Octave squad’s lead weapons researcher. Also supports other Tenno in the field with an arsenal of crowd dispersion tools. Numerous requests to use other Octave members as research subjects denied; used self as a subject instead. Viewed with skepticism as a result, but research yielded advancements in mod technology related to warframe armor, self-repair, and bioregeneration. Use of biochemical weaponry derived from Infestation considered unsavory, but effective. Little to no interest in the Lotus’ goals beyond furthering research; noted interest in capturing the Stalker for study, however. Routinely collaborates with Cephalons Suda and Simaris.
Saboteur
Callsign: Overture
Warframe: Nova Prime
Colors: Black, gold
Duties: Demolitions, fire support
Likes: Explosions, clusters of enemies, going fast
Dislikes: Slow teammates, mistimed demolitions
Preferred Primary Weapon: Varies; usually heavy weapons
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Varies; usually dual machine pistols
Preferred Melee Weapon: Dual Boltace spiked tonfas
Marksmanship: Average
Acrobatics: Good
Strength: Poor
Toughness: Below average
Profile: Sister to Sonata. Highly eccentric and often unpredictable. Prone to showing off and making impulsive decisions in the field, but nevertheless has a solid success record. In charge of most of the squad’s sabotage and demolition work. Best suited to survival, sabotage, and mobile defense missions. Adores Cephalon Suda.
Close-quarters Specialist
Callsign: Dirge
Warframe: Valkyr
Colors: Orange, black
Duties: Front-line assault
Likes: Peace, quiet, squadmates
Dislikes: Corpus
Preferred Primary Weapon: ClanTech model Supra energy repeater
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Detron plasma hand cannon
Preferred Melee Weapon: Lecta charged whip; Obex kinetic amplifiers
Marksmanship: Average
Acrobatics: Average
Strength: Excellent
Toughness: Excellent
Profile: Rescued by Finale while in transit to Zanuka Project laboratory. Not as psychologically damaged as many other Tenno involved in the project, but unstable nevertheless. Excellent success record in capture, extermination, and assassination missions, particularly those found to be too dangerous for other members of the squad. Extreme strength well suited to melee combat, particularly against the Infestation. Trusts and respects squadmates, but keeps a safe distance regardless. Refuses any involvement in missions for the Perrin Sequence.
Scout
Callsign: Serenade
Warframe: Zephyr
Colors: Light blue, dark blue
Duties: Scouting, skirmishing
Likes: Being airborne, chasing, being chased
Dislikes: Cramped environments
Preferred Primary Weapon: Sybaris lever rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Dual Secura model Cestras
Preferred Melee Weapon: Kogake hand-to-hand gear
Marksmanship: Below average
Acrobatics: Excellent
Strength: Below average
Toughness: Average
Profile: Took over reconnaissance duties previously carried out by Finale. Carries out squad’s planetside scouting and enemy mapping duties. Highly positive personality, but prone to irritability in enclosed spaces. High mobility and acrobatics skill well suited to scouting and brief skirmishes; usually sent on survival or capture missions as a result. Greatly admires both squadmates and the Lotus.
Spy
Callsign: Fugue
Warframe: Mirage
Colors: Pink, white
Duties: Information gathering
Likes: Art, music, dancing
Dislikes: Grineer aesthetic, Cephalon Simaris
Preferred Primary Weapon: Burston Prime battle rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Vasto Prime revolver
Preferred Melee Weapon: Orthos Prime bladed staff
Marksmanship: Average
Acrobatics: Excellent
Strength: Below average
Toughness: Poor
Profile: Octave squad’s newest covert operative, assigned to information gathering and hacking duties previously covered by Finale. Well-mannered and proud, with an appreciation for beauty and a particular fascination with Orokin finery; often seen conversing with known Orokin enthusiast Baro Ki’teer as a result. Prefers spy missions, but potential for distraction can prove valuable in a variety of situations.
Engineer
Callsign: Marcia
Warframe: Mesa
Colors: Turquoise, white
Duties: Weapons development, foundry management, maintenance
Likes: Guns, clean environments, technology
Dislikes: Unkempt workspaces, melee combat
Preferred primary weapon: Quanta Vandal custom laser
Preferred secondary weapon: Kohmak hand cannon; Magnus revolver
Preferred melee weapon: None
Marksmanship: Excellent
Acrobatics: Above average
Strength: Poor
Toughness: Below average
Profile: Formerly a freelance Tenno operative based in the Kronia Relay with known ex-Corpus smuggler Darvo. Extensive knowledge of weapons technology from all known factions led to eventual recruitment by Symphony as squad mechanic. Remains a capable field operative despite relatively unassuming duties, but prefers to avoid combat missions unless necessary. Social integration with Octave squad unremarkable thus far.
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Name Suggestion: Ancient Annihilator
Behaviour: A colossal enemy, roughly one and a half to two times the size of a regular Infested ancient, the Ancient Annihilator has survived the assimilation of Orokin technology that usually lays waste to lesser Infested; most notably the volatile Death Orb traps. Its body has become highly volatile as a result, and parts of its anatomy have been all but replaced by pure energy, rendering it more resistant to physical damage types, but extremely vulnerable to heat, electricity, and radiation. It moves slowly due to its size, but possesses quick and powerful melee attacks as well as a shield that reduces damage from ranged attacks.
Attacks: -Incapable of running like other ancients, at long range the Ancient Annihilator will instead guard itself from frontal attacks by raising an assimilated Orokin shield plate while slowly making its way to its target.
-At mid range, it can attack with its energy-charged tendril arm, much like a regular Infested ancient, which randomly inflicts either heat, electricity, or radiation status.
-It can also produce a large shockwave, similar to a Shockwave Moa, by charging briefly and then slamming the ground; the shockwave inflicts damage and knockdown on anyone hit and, upon reaching its full range, returns back to the Ancient Annihilator, inflicting damage again and pulling targets closer.
-Finally, due to its highly unstable nature, Ancient Annihilators will explode shortly after death, dealing damage and inflicting radiation status to anyone caught in the blast.
Environment restrictions: Ancient Annihilators are found primarily in Orokin derelicts, but are occasionally sighted in dark sectors as well.
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Weapon(s) used: Lecta
Faction(s) fought: All
Mod(s) equipped/Stance used: Pressure Point, Reach, Fury, Shocking Touch, Voltaic Strike, Focus Energy, Spoiled Strike, Energy Channel; Burning Wasp stance
Thoughts & Experiences: Definitely a noticeable jump in killing power on the Lecta post-patch, even with no stance. Seemed like the damage went up slightly, and status chance definitely went up (25% baseline; 40% with Voltaic Strike); been a very good crowd control weapon, as the wide range and electricity status means you can shock big groups at a time. Does very well against Corpus, as expected, but I was tearing through high-level Infested and Grineer enemies with little trouble as well (on derelicts and Ceres, respectively), even when heavy units like napalms and bombards started showing up.Regarding the stance, I really like it; Buzzing Sting, the basic combo, is the same as before, but the third hit (the overhead lash) seems a bit easier to connect with than it was pre-patch. Both the bonus combos have good range and carry you forward slightly, which is excellent, and Sparking Torture (E-E-pause-E-E) hits in a wide area, making it very good for crowds of enemies. My main complaint is that the third hit of Sparking Torture (the lunging sweep after the pause) seems to have a really inconsistent hitbox, and will frequently miss enemies directly in the whip's path or even right in front of you. The parry-stun finisher also feels a little lackluster; it looks really awesome, but it doesn't seem like it does much more damage than a regular swing, and has the added drawbacks of not being able to combo out of and, depending on surrounding terrain, getting you stuck in the environment. Other than that, though, both the stance and the weapon feel pretty badass.
On a related note, it would be very nice if the arsenal UI would display channeling damage (or how much damage channeling adds when active), as well as finisher damage. Particularly the latter; with finishers now being a more common part of combat, it'd be nice to know how a given weapon's finisher damage stacks up to others.
Approximate Time Spent: Off and on since the patch - I'd estimate about 16-24 hours total by now.
Supplementary Info: Played with mouse and keyboard. Mostly solo games, but some co-op as well. -
Currently looking for some or all of the following:
-Mag Prime Systems x1
-Orthos Prime Blade x1
-Dakra Prime Blade x1
Parts I have to offer in exchange:
-Boar Prime Barrel x1
-Boar Prime Stock x1
-Bronco Prime Barrel x1
-Dakra Prime Blueprint x1
-Fang Prime Handle x1
-Glaive Prime Disc x1
-Latron Prime Receiver x1
-Paris Prime Grip x1
-Paris Prime Lower Limb x2
-Reaper Prime Blueprint x1
We can also discuss platinum, mods, or void keys if desired. Please post here or PM me, I'll be checking back here fairly frequently.
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Looking for some Mag Prime systems. Got a number of other prime parts to trade if you want, or we can discuss platinum. I'm open to ideas.
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Whole thing is 500 words on the dot, not counting the title. Enjoy! And +1 to DE for holding a writing contest, you guys are the best.
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Ascension
Location: Derelict Orokin vessel, approximately 1.7 AUs from Eris system.
Objective: Investigate MIA Corpus salvage crew reported to have located intact Orokin technology.
Investigations weren’t usually my job. We have another operative in the squad for that, and she gets recon work done quicker and less noisily than I do. But the Orokin derelicts were where the Infestation was strongest, and dealing with the Infestation was my job. So this one was mine.
Getting in was easy enough.
It was quiet. Like any Orokin ship there was that ever-present feeling of being watched. On the live ones, it was the neural sentry; here, it was the Infestation. I never could shake the feeling that all the spawn pods I walked by were just moments away from hatching into something malformed and angry, but I guess if they did, it was their funeral anyway. They’ve got claws and tentacles; I’ve got a shotgun.
I call it the Enumerator. Easy to count the shots it takes to kill something with it.
It wasn’t long before I found signs of the Corpus crew I’d been sent to look into. As expected, the MIA assessment turned out to be a KIA instead.
Good recon.
It was obvious what killed them from the start, but just to drive the point home, a handful of chargers came my way after I found the body, like they were taking cues or something. They ended up taking a few incendiary shells next. I reloaded my gun and moved on.
For a while it was just more of the same: lots of dead Corpus, and lots more live Infested that I quickly turned into dead Infested. But then I found something unusual: a live Corpus. Like any smart man who’d just caught sight of a Tenno, he ran. He didn’t get far, but, well, you get points for trying.
We sat down to have a little chat.
He and I came to an agreement pretty quickly. He’d tell me what they found and where to pick it up, and in return I wouldn’t leave him to get torn apart by the Infested. I always liked Corpus targets. The Grineer always kick and scream, but the Corpus...well, they kick and scream too, but they like living enough to cut a deal with you sometimes.
But anyway, the find. It was an Orokin vault, like the ones we’d started finding on the derelicts months ago. He said this one had something special in it, some kind of failsafe that could “purify” the ship. I assumed that was cryptic for “get rid of the Infestation.” Either that or “I’m lying so I can get shot later instead of now.” Hard to tell with the Corpus sometimes.
I did find a vault, though.
Was he telling the truth? Well…
It wasn’t quite the kind of “purification” I was expecting, but I’d say so. Took some work, but the ship and I are both looking a lot better now.
Mission Result: Success
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My only concern with Exterms getting turned into elongated Captures is that you'd spend the entire mission killing 100+ troops, only to slip up on the last one and have that all go to naught when he escapes. It's not all that hard to bring them down, but it does happen, especially in pubs where people are undergeared and don't have the firepower to do so. In Captures, you're at least given two chances.
I do like where you're going with this idea, though.
I'm certainly not suggesting they use the exact mechanics of the capture targets (i.e. you have to actually capture them and they can escape and fail your mission if they run to a certain point), just the general idea: a more heavily-armed unit with a special ability that's programmed to give you a bit of a chase. It's still an extermination, you're still not taking any prisoners; you're just having to run down that last one a little bit.
Besides, the amount of Extermination missions I've finished where either a) the last enemy is part of a 'squad' that I've been fighting in that one room or b) one of 20 remaining enemies I just obliterated with an AoE attack/weapon... it's hard to make the last guy unique when I wipe them out by the squad. The general sense I get from Extermination missions is 'Go and eliminate this enemy squadron to weaken their position' or 'They've dumped a group of enemies that's going to recapture something of ours, go kill them', not 'eliminate this specific targets honor guard so we can capture/kill him'.
Also a fair point, but I would counter by saying squads usually have commanders or officers. That could be the angle, as it were: the last enemy (even if it spawns with a group) is someone of rank in the area, not high enough on the chain to be a boss, but slightly above a heavy unit, and important enough that they might think of trying to escape - maybe once their troops are all dead, in the Grineer's case - as a tactical option (so they could put their abilities to use elsewhere), if not due to simple cowardice.
Infestation and Corrupted I agree wholeheartedly on.
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Unfortunately, nobody cares about your immersion, and nobody cares about the last enemy in the extermination mission. And there are better ways to make missions more interesting than this.
BS. Any good developer knows that immersion is an important part of any fantasy game. DE knows this; it's the reason behind a lot of the little things they've added over the course of the past several updates. Giving the Stalker his own gear, for example. Alad V recognizing you on his mission if you were a Corpus supporter. Differentiating Corpus and Grineer capture targets. Making said capture targets resist being taken. Polishing the visuals and audio for warframe abilities. The list goes on. There are few if any solid gameplay reasons for any of those, but they put time in to do them anyway, because they contribute to players' ability to get into the Warframe universe.
And it's not so much a code of honor in the Grineer's case as a quasi-religious indoctrination - they're born to die (see the stuff at http://warframe.wikia.com/wiki/Grineer_Writing).
Fair point. I suspect I may be overestimating how much the Grineer value their own lives on an individual level, as you could pretty easily justify e.g. their use of cover as a purely tactical benefit, meant to give a better chance (however slight) of killing Tenno rather than strictly to help them survive. Still, that could be a good way to differentiate them (slightly) further; the Corpus officer (or target, or whatever you want to call it) at the end will try to flee, but the Grineer one will stand and fight. I think from a narrative standpoint it works better if they both flee, as it contributes further to the fantasy that the Tenno are interstellar badasses that nobody wants to mess with - even the Grineer, when they suddenly don't have their numbers advantage any more - but it could really go either way.
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Well, the biological purpose of saving yourself is to preserve your genes in the gene pool. For one, Grineer don't have to worry about that. Consider them like the old Japanese values - fight and die to the last man, regardless of the enemy's superiority.
Corpus, meh. They're supposed to be cowardly, but...the ai is a bit stupid.
Fair point, but the Grineer clearly have at least some degree of intelligence and survival instinct (they try to use cover, the capture targets try to run away, etc.), on an individual level if not a collective one. And while they're certainly prideful, I'm not entirely sure they have a code of honor like the Japanese (or the Tenno) do. It struck me as more of an AI thing than a conscious choice for the race's characterization, which is certainly understandable for a game that's still in beta. Hence my posting.
The Mission you had was not exterminate everyone on the ship.. your mission was to clear a certain deck of that ship.. you really think grineer ships are as smal as a extermination mission lets you explore?
See it this way: Your Team was set to clear that on deck.. one of many.. so the Grineer Butcher thought he was not alone on the ship because on the other decks there were more of his kind.. little did he know of the other Tenno Teams clearing said other decks to clean the complete ship.
Thats why he charged you.. well.. and of couse because he's a degenerate clone with minimal armor, a meat cleaver and even less brains ^^
Debatable. The way Lotus phrases extermination briefings, it certainly sounds like you're tasked with eradicating everything and everyone on the ship (or outpost), rather than just a small section of it. But since it's admittedly unclear which one it is, feel free to replace "ship" with "sector" or whatever the appropriate descriptor might be in my above anecdote. Trying to focus on the mission narrative here rather than the details.
To be perfectly honest, I'd like to see a bit more fear in the AI in general. Maybe not so much from the Grineer, but certainly the Corpus, and certainly when you're down to the last few enemies in a given region of the map.
-
I just got finished with an extermination alert. After killing my way down to one enemy, I moved on from the room I was in towards the dot on the minimap, whereupon my last target was waiting. It was a Grineer Butcher. So, basically the easiest thing in the world in terms of wrapping up a Grineer exterminate mission. Somewhat predictably, he attempted to charge at me, and even more predictably, I shot him in the face with my Latron Prime and moved on. The end.
What's the point of this anecdote? Well, the end got me thinking. That Grineer Butcher was the last guy on the ship besides me. It was me, a heavily-armed guy in what basically amounts to a futuristic Mr. Freeze suit, against him, a degenerate clone with minimal armor and a meat cleaver. And against all possible logic, he tried to fight me.
Why did he try to fight me?
On an Infestation mission, I could understand this; they're all but brainless, and have little to no regard for their own survival as individuals. With the Grineer, though, the argument gets a little less solid; okay, yes, they're a bit brain-addled by cloning degeneration, but they can still do the math here, specifically that 1 Tenno + 1 Grineer = 1 Grineer - several body parts. The Corpus, meanwhile - minus the robotic ones, obviously - are even more intelligent, if single-minded in their goals. So when it comes down to that last one on the ship, why do they rush headlong to their deaths as usual?
The change that I've been dancing around proposing up until now is this: for Corpus/Grineer exterminate missions only, why not have the last enemy be one of the corresponding targets for that faction, a la the capture missions? That's not to say you'd capture them, mind; the goal here isn't to change the point or criteria of extermination missions. Rather, the goal is to make that last kill of the mission a little more special, a little more immersive, by providing a target that A) is slightly tougher and more heavily armed than the average unit, but more importantly B) responds correctly to being the last person on a ship being marauded by ninjas in robot suits. Personally I'd find it a lot more entertaining if the last target turned tail and ran the moment I found him. Screaming and begging is optional, but a nice bonus.
Anyway, just a thought I had. Maybe I'm a sadist.
-
Truthfully, I picked the name somewhat arbitrarily, not so much for any kind of symbolic reference to the number of people in the group; I hate limiting myself to a certain number of character ideas like that. That said, as fate would have it, there is going to be another addition to the squad at some point. As to who it'll be, I'll leave people to speculate. ;)
-
Ninth Aria stories: Caught Between a Rock, a Hard Place, and Lasers
Location: Derelict Orokin vessel, approximately 1.3 AUs from Jupiter system
Mission: Capture
Target: Sole survivor of Corpus salvaging party
Expected Resistance: Infested; extreme numbers
The ship’s lights weren’t functioning, but she could see them; a horde of Infested, wall to wall, all bearing down on her from across the corridor. Mostly chargers, it looked like, with a few runners mixed in. Small fry. At least, that’s what they were about to be. Her shields were down and her warframe energy depleted, courtesy of a lucky shot from an Infested disruptor that now lay dead and full of holes on the floor behind her, so Aria did the only sensible thing: she slung her shotgun back into its magnetic sheath on her back, drew her enormous Scindo waraxe, and did her damndest to bear down on them first.
She twisted the grip as she drew nearer, and a crackling blaze spread across the axe’s massive head. Three chargers at the front of the crowd were hewn apart as she delivered a heavy horizontal swing, their insides frying instantly from the heat of the blade. An overhead follow-up bisected a runner as the remaining Infested started swarming over and around the broken corpses of their fallen brethren. This had, of course, been the first step of the plan: get well and truly surrounded. Now came the second step: start swinging until everything was in pieces. So far the plan hadn’t failed her. She didn’t think it’d start now.
It was a mess. She cleaved in wide, broad arcs so as to catch as many of the damn things as possible with each blow. Most of the ones that didn’t die instantly lost limbs or flailed about in agony as their fleshy, unarmored bodies caught fire. A charger struck from her flank, raking her warframe across the back just as her shields had started to come back up. The blow tore through what little energy her frame had had time to muster for defense and sent her stumbling forward slightly. She almost tripped over all the bodies, but regained her composure quickly, spinning around wildly to hack at the Infested behind her.
It was then that a distraction arose in the form of a Trinity frame’s helmet appearing on the side of her heads-up display. Aria tried to remain focused, even as her squadmate spoke. “Fourth Opera to Ninth Aria, do you copy?”
“Little busy right now!” The horde was thinning, but a few still remained. She hefted her Scindo and swung again, splitting through a charger as it reared back to swipe at her.
“We have a problem.”
“Love when you start conversations like this, Four. Warms my heart.” A runner exploded at her side, showering her frame with dark blood and who knows what else, but as she recovered from the staggering impact, it dawned on her that that had been the last one. For now, at least. With a quiet sigh, Aria lifted her Scindo over her shoulder and back into its sheath, then continued on her way down the enormous hall. “So tell me what my problem is. ‘Cause it is just my problem, being that I’m the only one on this mission.” She glanced at her HUD again. Shields were back up, finally. The frame had taken some hits to the shoulders and upper torso, but nothing major. Hopefully it stayed that way.
“There are Corpus walkers coming your direction,” Four replied neutrally.
Nine didn’t stop, but her surprise was evident in her response. “Come again?”
“You have Corpus walkers incoming,” she repeated, less patiently this time.
“Corpus? You’re sure?” Water had spilled into the lower level of the next room, and some dislodged piece of machinery nearby had electrified it. Aria checked her shields to ensure they were at full capacity, then leapt as far as she could towards the staircase at the other end. There was a sharp crackling sound as her warframe hit the water and her shields began to fry, but she managed to reach the stairs before they were even a quarter of the way depleted.
“The Lotus just sent word that a Corpus ship entered the area on vector to the derelict. Third Finale is inbound for a sabotage run, but they’ve already dispatched a sizable boarding party.”
The ornate, cylindrical Orokin door rotated open as Aria approached, and something bellowed gutturally at her as she entered. Another ancient disruptor. Sigh. She hefted her custom Strun and leveled it at the creature’s midsection as it charged off the catwalk that spanned the chamber, dragging its long, tendril-like arm along the floor behind it. “How the hell did they find us? Was I followed?”
“It’s an Orokin-” Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom. Four’s answer was drowned out by the shotgun’s melodic report. The Infested monstrosity was now missing the smaller of its arms, and its chest was now sporting a jagged, charred hole that Aria could fit her frame’s helmet through, mohawk and all. With a pained screech, the thing collapsed to the floor in a heap, and her squadmate became audible again. “-wouldn’t be after them? The target probably sent a distress signal.”
Nine ejected the clip from the shotgun and inserted another one as she casually stepped over the dead ancient to make her way across the catwalk to the next room. “Sure. Whatever. Where are they headed?”
“Most of them are converging on the capture target,” Opera answered calmly.
The door opened, and a mix of robotic faces and rectangular helmets greeted her from the ramp in the elbow-shaped corridor. Upon realizing they were looking at a Tenno, the Corpus and their proxies quickly elected for a warmer greeting, and sent several barrages of plasma bolts her way. She ducked back outside around the corner, shields flickering from the few hits she’d received while exposed.
“Some of them are also moving towards your loca-”
“You don’t say.”
Four ignored her. She hated that. The other Octaves called it “being professional” or “staying on task” or something stupid like that, but that was just being fancy about it. “The target isn’t far from your position. Keep moving. Fourth Opera out.”
“Yeah, whatever,” she replied dismissively. “Ninth Aria out.”
Another hail of superheated plasma came her way as she rounded the corner and charged into the hall, screaming like a madwoman while rattling off incendiary shells at anything that moved. After a few frantic moments of returning fire while watching their comrades and robotic proxies get shredded by shotgun blasts, the remaining Corpus crewmen fled up the ramp around the corner for better cover. A few took positions behind an overgrowth a few feet in front of the door, while the rest funneled through to regroup on the other side.
Her clip empty again, Aria gave chase after a brief pause to dismantle a lingering moa walker with a few swings of her Scindo. She leapt towards a Corpus crewman who had his back to the wall, raising her weapon high; he shouted something she didn’t understand and let loose as many rounds as his Dera could fire before a few hundred pounds of exo-armor came crashing down on him, delivering a blow that reduced him to little more than a bloodstain surrounded by bits of singed jumpsuit. Keeping up the momentum, she dashed through the opening and into the next room, whirling her axe in a circle to catch a trio of Corpus gunners by surprise and splitting the lot of them apart in the process. She reached for her Vasto next, firing wildly at a moa that was coming down the steps to the right while she herself made for the ones on the left. The first few shots missed, but the last two managed to connect with the unit’s head; its shields stopped the first bullet, but the second pierced straight through, causing the moa to crumple unceremoniously to the smooth floor. Aria kept moving, sliding behind a thick support pillar and reaching for a new magazine cylinder.
The low-pitched warble of Dera fire continued as she reloaded, but oddly enough, no shots passed by either side of her hiding spot. Inwardly, Aria couldn’t help but wonder if they were shooting at the wall. The Grineer, addled as they were by centuries of cloning, were certainly prone to such perplexing behavior, but she’d always pegged the Corpus as being a bit smarter. Then again, she hadn’t cleared out all of the Infested yet; maybe some of them had wandered in. That was probably it. As she ducked out to return fire, however, she caught sight of something even more confusing.
“Four,” Nine said simply, dumbfoundedly holding out her Vasto revolver as she beheld the strange spectacle that was unfolding. “Still on?”
“Copy, Ninth Aria,” Four replied professionally. “Have you located the target?”
“About that…” Her eyes tracked the red-suited Corpus tech as he ran frantically down the center pathway of the room, dodging plasma fire that seemed to be following him a little too intently to be coincidental. “The Corpus are shooting at him.”
This time it was Four’s turn to double-take. “Say again?”
“The Corpus are shooting the capture target,” Aria repeated bewilderedly. She watched for another moment as her target dove behind a square-shaped reactive cover panel jutting out of the floor. The thing was half-broken, lurching up and down every few moments as if it couldn’t decide whether it wanted to stay up or retract back into the floor, but it was certainly functional as something to hide behind regardless. “Why are they shooting the capture target? Are we missing something here?”
“Focus,” came the curt reply. “We can worry about that later. Your objective hasn’t changed: execute capture protocols and get to extraction.”
Aria snapped back to attention. “Right. Nine out.”
She didn’t bother waiting for Opera to sign off. A volley of plasma bolts assailed the Corpus crewman’s hiding spot from every side save the one he had now flattened his body against in desperation. Aria vaulted over the railing that overlooked the central path and rattled off a few shots at a pair of gunners who’d picked that moment to stand up out of cover and shoot; one took a bullet to the neck and promptly fell to the floor, one arm hanging limply over the side of the railing, while the other mustered the sense to duck back down before getting hit himself. Fumbling for another clip, Aria settled in next to her target, hiding behind an adjacent side of the cover pillar while she reloaded.
The target, to his credit, seemed to realize the predicament he was in, and that he’d likely survive longer in Tenno custody than under a storm of gunfire, and remained where he was. Aria rounded the corner, gun drawn, and upon seeing the crewman’s terrified countenance, promptly slammed the butt of her pistol into his forehead. The impact brought the back of his head into contact with the metal of the cover pillar, and the combined trauma of the two blows knocked him out within moments.
“Sorry, not running a rescue op here,” Aria remarked to her unconscious quarry, lifting her free hand to execute the capture process. Usually the captives screamed, though she’d never been sure if it was because they were unwilling or if the process itself was painful. Maybe both. Having your body broken down for transport certainly didn’t sound like much fun. Ultimately it didn’t matter. The Corpus, as a general rule, were usually deserving of a painful capture, if not a bullet to the face. In any case, she was glad she’d knocked him unconscious and spared herself the irritation; she had enough of those already.
And speaking of, another pair of moa walkers approached from the left just as the captive dematerialized and vanished from sight. A shield drone soon joined them, prompting Aria to curse inwardly. Flattening her arm against the pillar stump for stability, she aimed her Vasto at the moas and pulled the trigger until all six chambers were empty. It was enough, but only for one of them; the shield osprey’s presence made them a hell of a lot more resilient. Not wanting to hold still, Aria rushed out of cover and back towards the door she’d entered from, wincing as the barrage of Dera shots from the remaining Corpus tore through her shields and into her frame.
“Four!” She dove through the door as it opened, tumbling into a slide as she reached the declining ramp in the adjacent room. She shook her Vasto open and swapped in another mag, then stood, turned, and trained the weapon on the door she’d just exited from. “Finished here, did you receive the target?”
“Confirmed.” Aria let out a relieved sigh at Four’s response. “He’s unconscious and a little messed up, but his vitals are holding. Get to extraction.”
“Oh, can I?” Nine paused to empty another clip trying to hit a shield osprey that came floating through the door, with no success. She cursed again and reached for a new magazine. “I was thinking I might stay here a bit longer, maybe get a little-”
Something fleshy and snarling slammed into her from the side, knocking her to the floor. Funny how easily the arrival of Corpus troops could make a Tenno forget they were on an Infested ship; or at least it would have been funny for someone not in the middle of it. Aria swept a foot at the Infested leaper’s legs, bringing it down onto the floor next to her, then jammed the new cylinder into her gun, pointed it at the thing’s body, and started pulling the trigger. Once it was good and full of bullets - and, more importantly, no longer moving - she climbed to her feet and made a break for the next decline, reloading again along the way.
“I’m on my way out,” she continued irritably. The sound of plasma fire followed her as she began backtracking towards the evac point. “Tell Three to hurry up and blow that damn ship. I don’t want any interruptions when we get to asking this guy why his buddies were shooting him.”
Mission Result: Success -
(Just in time for the event to end!)
Fifth Symphony stories: A Question of Ethics, and the Existence Thereof
She’d called the meeting together on short notice, but everyone was here, kneeling in a rough circle in the gathering hall of the dojo. That was about as much as Five could ask for. And it was a good thing it was, because getting much more out of them - cooperation, for instance, or some kind of agreement, or even just basic manners - was next to impossible, even on a matter less polarizing than the one they were presently facing.
“There’s no contest here,” came the measured tone of her predecessor, First Sonata. Her Mag warframe gave her voice a slight trill, regularly shifting her words up and down in pitch as she spoke. “We’re here to keep the balance of power intact. The Grineer are upsetting that balance with this annexation.”
“To hell with the balance!” Nine could always be counted on to be disagreeable. Usually it was just her attitude, not the content of her speech, but in this case, it was both. “We can worry about that later. Our main concern should be getting those Tenno out of Corpus hands!”
“Compassion?” came another voice, quick and thoughtful, from within the circle: Seventh Concerto, in her Saryn frame. Her head tilted towards Nine curiously. “Unusual. Unexpected. Possible head trauma? We should-”
Aria cut her off. “You utter one word about taking me to a lab and I’ll split you in two. See if you can regenerate after that.”
Symphony’s gaze was upon her almost before she’d even finished, the harshness of her stare evident even through the eyeless guise of her Nyx helmet. “Now is not the time for your insubordination, Nine. If you have a legitimate case to make for siding with the Grineer, I’ll hear it, but we’re not running on impulse here.” The red-and-grey helmet of Aria’s Ember warframe turned as if ready to object, but she remained silent. Five made a permissive gesture at the other Tenno. “Continue.”
The group was quiet for a moment longer, but before long Sonata spoke again. “It’s simple math. We can save a handful of Tenno, or several colonies’ worth of people. This shouldn’t even be a debate.”
Fourth Opera chimed in next. “Saving a handful of Tenno could save many more lives in the future. We should not be so shortsighted.”
“Whatever this Zanuka Project is, it could cause a lot more trouble than the Grineer,” Nine agreed. “We should hit the Corpus now and make sure they can’t finish it!”
“Whateverrrrrr, let’s just shoot at both of them like we always do.” Six was, as ever, impatient and trigger-happy above all else. She was seated like the rest of the squad, but only just so; her fingers were constantly in motion, drumming idly on the legs of her Nova armor, and she kept shifting on her haunches, as if she couldn’t wait to get up and leave. “We’re at the top of the technological ladder here. Why can’t we stop the Grineer and save our buddies?”
“If only it were so simple,” One replied dismissively. “If we attempt to take on both sides, we risk spreading our resources too thin, at which point we gain nothing but the ire of the Corpus and the Grineer alike.”
“Not unusual,” Concerto spoke up again. “Fundamental similarity uniting Grineer and Corpus: aggression towards Tenno. Alliances fragile. Always temporary. Corpus, too greedy; Grineer, too arrogant.”
“It’d be an egregious strategic mistake,” Sonata reiterated firmly. “You never get in the middle of a two-way power struggle like this. A double strike like Six is suggesting would only work after they’ve had time to wear each other down, and we can’t afford to wait that long.”
Five turned to her left. Third Finale sat patiently next to her, hands on her knees, head bowed towards the floor. Whether or not she’d been listening at all was unclear at a glance, but Five knew better; as the squad’s primary intelligence gatherer, there weren’t many instances where Three wasn’t listening. “Finale. What’s your take on the situation?”
She didn’t look up, but nevertheless responded, her tone dull and flat. “There is no ethical solution here, squad commander. People will die either way.” She paused thoughtfully. “However...the Tenno who were captured knew what was expected of them. The same cannot be said of the colonists the Grineer have their eyes on.”
“The Tenno were captured in cryosleep, I don’t think they knew much of anything,” Aria countered.
The black-and-white Banshee remained completely still. “In which case, until we know more about this Zanuka Project, we act according to the needs of the many.”
Seven brought a hand to her chin thoughtfully. “Siding with Corpus, potentially lucrative. Loss of Tenno to Corpus projects unfortunate, but gain could outweigh loss. Corpus, merchant organization. Could provide funding. Valuable research, materials. Orokin technology if properly motivated. Moral and material benefits,” she concluded with a nod. “Relatively speaking.”
“Maybe they’ll give us some of those cool laser rifles to play with!” Six clapped her hands together excitedly. “Ooh, and those shield drones too! I bet we could score a blueprint or two of those if we play this right. Oh, or maybe they’ll get us one of those awesome quad bots!”
“The decision’s not up for a vote,” Four reminded the group pointedly. “Nor should we let it be influenced by the material gains offered by either side.”
Every helmet in the circle turned towards Fifth Symphony and her lithe, white Nyx frame. “Squad commander,” Three started neutrally. “Your decision?”
The response didn’t come immediately. “You all raise valid points, and I respect and appreciate your concern in this,” she said slowly, turning to each of her squadmates in succession. “As things currently stand, we’ll be siding with the Corpus for this conflict. As Finale said, until we know the exact status of our fellow Tenno, we can’t risk the lives of innocent colonists for their sake.” Nine let out a displeased grumbling sound, but otherwise made no objection. After shooting her subordinate a momentary glance, Five continued on. “Our duty is to fight on behalf of those who can’t, and to protect them at any cost. If that means siding with the Corpus for a few days, then that’s what we’ll do.” She paused briefly, then turned towards the Banshee frame beside her. “Double your reconnaissance efforts on the Corpus. Interrogations, hacking, spying, intel trading, whatever you have to do. I want to know what this Zanuka Project is, and what it’s doing to our captive allies.”
Three nodded wordlessly and stood up from the circle to leave. Symphony watched her for a moment, then turned back to the remaining Octave members. “Six, you and Sonata work together on possible plans of attack. I want deck maps of standard Grineer and Corpus ships, with notes made of possible choke points, holdouts, and likely fighting spots in each. Send them to the Corpus when you’re done, and then get to work in the field.”
“Will do.”
“You got it boss!”
The two sisters got up and left, one decidedly faster than the other. “Four, Seven,” she looked at each of them in turn as she spoke. “You’re on your usual duties. Four, help out with injuries and repairs. Seven…” She paused thoughtfully as Fourth Opera made her way out of the circle as well. “We’ve got Corpus weapon blueprints in the labs, and I’m betting ours are leagues above their models. Don’t bring them up to our level, but give them an edge. After that…” This time was less of a pause and more of a hesitation, albeit a hesitation that didn’t take long to overcome. “Give them some direct support. Full use of your arsenal is authorized, but keep friendly fire incidents to a minimum, understand?”
“Of course.” Concerto clapped her hands together, wringing them in anticipation. “Friendly fire easy to minimize with Corpus. Torid payload designed for organic structures. Exposed skin. Corpus helmets block gas, prevent lethal inhalation. Grineer, not so clever. Or lucky.” Her helmet tilted thoughtfully to one side. “Hmm. Perhaps not so easy. Torid payload highly corrosive. Melts through Grineer armor. Unshielded Corpus jumpsuit...hazardous.” She stood up quickly. “Will advise Corpus personnel accordingly. Stick to Acrid injector when possible; much more precise anyway.”
Aria was the only one left. Five regarded her silently for a few moments, considering her options. “Aria,” she said at last.
She regarded her superior as neutrally as she could. “What?”
There was another pause, and then, “Keep running Infestation duty.” Five rose slowly to her feet, noting the slight recoiling of her subordinate that betrayed her surprise. “It’s obvious to me that you’re neither interested in nor suited for this mission, and while they’re not the best tacticians, I don’t want to risk an Infestation attack coming up post-conflict and wiping out the entire sector. Make sure they don’t have the numbers to cause trouble.”
Aria climbed to her feet anxiously, anticipation evident in her tone as she replied. “With pleasure.”
Symphony watched her last squadmate disappear through the door at the far end of the clan hall, then made for it herself. The green-lit doors slid open at her approach, and she stopped just short of entering, lost in thought.
Three was right, she told herself. But not for the reasons she claimed. She stepped through the door and hung a left towards an elevator that would take her to the lower level, where the hangars were.
We see only the destination, not the path. There is no moral solution because we, the Tenno, are above morality itself.
-
They're not true names so much as just callsigns, which are fairly common in military units. I definitely do not claim authority over naming conventions for any Tenno besides my own; I went with a music theme for mine because I'm a music nut.
-
Introduction: Routine Assessment
Beginning activity log...
Communication link established.
Login: LotusAdmin
Password: ********************************
Login verified. Query?
==> Routine diagnostics.
Running...
No anomalies detected. Query?
==> Review Tenno cell profiles.
Searching...
3,021,454 recorded entries. Query?
==> Search "Octave Squad."
Searching...
1 recorded entry. Query?
==> Review profile.
Running...
Squad Codename: Octave
Active Members: Fifth Symphony, First Sonata, Fourth Opera, Ninth Aria, Third Finale, Seventh Concerto, Sixth Overture
==> Review Fifth Symphony profile.
Squad Leader
Callsign: Fifth Symphony
Warframe: Nyx
Colors: White, purple
Duties: All-purpose operative, squad command
Likes: Group missions, the Lotus, defending others
Dislikes: Solo missions, Grineer, insubordination
Preferred Primary Weapon: ClanTech model Dera plasma rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Lex heavy pistol
Preferred Melee Weapon: Tenno plasma sword
Marksmanship: Good
Acrobatics: Above average
Strength: Average
Toughness: Above average
Profile: Natural leader. Compassionate, but calm. Replaced First Sonata as squad commander shortly after joining. Works less efficiently than other Octave members on her own, but excels in groups. Gravitates towards opportunities to defend others; consequently prefers defense and rescue missions to other types. Participated briefly in Operation: Arid Fear. Respects other Octave members, but only seems to fully trust First Sonata and Fourth Opera. Extremely loyal to the Lotus and the Tenno cause.
Assessment: Well-suited to current duties. No adjustments necessary.
==> Review First Sonata profile.
Tactician
Callsign: First Sonata
Warframe: Mag
Colors: Dark blue, white
Duties: Field support, squad adviser
Likes: Plans coming together, playing with mods
Dislikes: Surprises, bad intel
Preferred Primary Weapon: ClanTech model Lanka railgun
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Bolto nailgun
Preferred Melee Weapon: Tenno glaive
Marksmanship: Excellent
Acrobatics: Below average
Strength: Below average
Toughness: Excellent (poor when shields disabled)
Profile: Founder and previous commander of Octave Squad. Voluntarily relinquished command to Fifth Symphony several missions after she joined; subsequently took on the role of squad tactician. Performs well in both solo and group settings, but prefers groups to better utilize her loadout. Enjoys survival, defense, and assassination missions; dislikes rescue missions. Respects other Octave members, especially her predecessor, but plans contingencies for their failures regardless. Supports the Tenno cause as a whole, but displays some skepticism about the Lotus’ motives.
Assessment: Distrust of the Lotus potentially problematic. Work to reassure of mutual trust and benefits of working together. No other action necessary.
==> Set reminder: "Send communication when convenient."
Reminder set. Interval: 12 hours.
==> Review Fourth Opera profile.
Medical Officer
Callsign: Fourth Opera
Warframe: Trinity
Colors: Light red, grey
Duties: Mission oversight, medical support
Likes: Successful operations, healthy/sane squadmates
Dislikes: Field work, squad deaths, missed check-ups
Preferred Primary Weapon: Soma heavy assault rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Bronco hand cannon
Preferred Melee Weapon: Orthos staff-blade
Marksmanship: Below average
Acrobatics: Average
Strength: High
Toughness: Practically unkillable
Profile: Operator and coordinator for other squad members during missions. Also provides medical and psychiatric treatment for squad members between missions. Dislikes field work for personal reasons related to death of previous squads; rarely seen in the field as a result. Respects other Octave members, but has concerns about Ninth Aria and Sixth Overture. Apparently indifferent to the Lotus and her cause; more interested in the goings-on of her own squad.
Assessment: Untapped potential. Useful field asset if prior trauma can be overcome. Work to reassure of own usefulness and encourage moving past previous perceived failures.
==> Set reminder: "Assign trauma counseling; review records of past missions."
Reminder set. Interval: 12 hours.
==> Review Ninth Aria profile.
Assault Specialist
Callsign: Ninth Aria
Warframe: Ember
Colors: Dark red, dark grey
Duties: Crowd control, Infestation specialist
Likes: Explosions, heavy weapons, burning things
Dislikes: Cold, authority, the Stalker
Preferred Primary Weapon: Strun Wraith custom shotgun
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Vasto revolver
Preferred Melee Weapon: Scindo heavy axe
Marksmanship: Poor
Acrobatics: Poor
Strength: Excellent
Toughness: Below average
Profile: One of the earliest members of the Octave squad. Maintains a sterling record of mission success in both solo and group formats despite reckless behavior. Enjoys undertaking missions against the Infestation, regardless of objective. First member of the squad to encounter the Stalker and still complete her mission, and also holds the squad record for highest number of repelled Stalker ambushes; combat skills are well respected among squadmates as a result, in spite of poor discipline. Clashes frequently with other squad members, particularly Fifth Symphony, and is openly distrustful of the Lotus.
Assessment: Dangerous. Chance for lasting personality reform low. Functionally similar to battering ram; treat accordingly.
==> Set reminder: "Assign mandatory shooting drills."
Reminder set. Interval: 30 minutes.
==> Review Third Finale profile.
Reconnaissance Operative
Callsign: Third Finale
Warframe: Banshee
Colors: Black, white
Duties: Covert ops, sniper support
Likes: Stealth missions, silent takedowns
Dislikes: Getting caught, missed shots
Preferred Primary Weapon: Replica Dread kinetic bow
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Kunai throwing daggers
Preferred Melee Weapon: Tenno ether sword
Marksmanship: Near-perfect
Acrobatics: Excellent
Strength: Below average
Toughness: Poor
Profile: Octave squad’s primary stealth operative. Responsible for pre-mission reconnaissance and threat assessment as well as infiltration, hacking, and communications jamming duties. Maintains emotional distance from her squad, her objectives, and the Lotus herself; arguably the most stable member of the squad as a result. Frequently works alone. Prefers assassination, extermination, and capture missions, ideally against Corpus or Grineer personnel; dislikes survival and mobile defense missions.
Assessment: Valuable asset. Loyalties unknown. Potentially dangerous if squad splinters. Keep under current leadership if possible.
==> Review Seventh Concerto profile.
Weapons Scientist
Callsign: Seventh Concerto
Warframe: Saryn
Colors: Green, purple
Duties: Chemical weapons support, tech research
Likes: Lab work, testing new weapons
Dislikes: Failed projects, inconclusive results, Grineer scientists
Preferred Primary Weapon: ClanTech Torid gas launcher
Preferred Secondary Weapon: ClanTech Acrid tactical injection device
Preferred Melee Weapon: Galatine heavy assault sword
Marksmanship: Below average
Acrobatics: Poor
Strength: Good
Toughness: Excellent
Profile: Octave squad’s lead weapons researcher. Also supports other Tenno in the field with an arsenal of crowd dispersion tools. Numerous requests to use other Octave members as research subjects denied; used self as a subject instead. Viewed with skepticism as a result, but research yielded advancements in mod technology related to warframe armor, self-repair, and bioregeneration. Use of biochemical weaponry derived from Infestation considered unsavory, but effective. Well suited to dealing with Infestation, but prefers missions against Corpus and Grineer targets when possible. Little to no interest in the Lotus’ goals beyond furthering research; noted interest in capturing the Stalker for study, however.
Assessment: Potentially dangerous, but sadistic tendencies manageable with current leadership. Valuable asset as long as research opportunities surpass those offered by Grineer, Corpus. Continue to support and monitor research while overruling potentially hazardous requests.
==> Set reminder: "Review current research projects for possible ethical misconduct."
Reminder set. Interval: 6 hours.
==> Review Sixth Overture profile.
Saboteur
Callsign: Sixth Overture
Warframe: Nova
Colors: Dark blue, dark grey
Duties: Demolitions, fire support
Likes: Explosions, clusters of enemies, going fast
Dislikes: Slow teammates, mistimed demolitions
Preferred Primary Weapon: Snipetron Vandal custom sniper rifle
Preferred Secondary Weapon: Dual standard-issue Lato pistols
Preferred Melee Weapon: Dual Zoren axes
Marksmanship: Average
Acrobatics: Good
Strength: Poor
Toughness: Below average
Profile: Sister to First Sonata. Highly eccentric and often unpredictable. Prone to showing off and making impulsive decisions in the field, but nevertheless has a solid success record. In charge of most of the squad’s sabotage and demolition work. Best suited to survival, sabotage, and mobile defense missions. Fond of exploring lost Orokin vessels; unclear whether this is due to curiosity or possible rewards.
Assessment: Instability kept in check by current squad dynamics. Disciplinary action possibly effective if necessary. Keep under present leadership if possible. Do not allow to formulate plans with Ninth Aria; results potentially disastrous, unquestionably explosive.
==> Set overall cell assessment: "Needs improvement."
Cell assessment confirmed.
==> Set reminder: "Review mission logs and deliver full performance assessment."
Reminder set. Interval: 6 hours.
==> Return to main menu.
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I believe in the DEv livestreams they pronounce it "Alad Vee."
Enemies Of The Tenno: Grineer Submissions
in Livestreams
Posted
Name Suggestion: Grineer Demolisher
Behavior: A heavily armed, heavily armored melee combatant, the Demolisher behaves exactly as its name implies: as a fearless force of destruction, waiting to be unleashed upon the enemies of the Grineer. Armed with the fearsome Jat Kittag jet-hammer and clad in the heaviest alloy armor, the Demolisher doesn't hesitate to charge into battle against any enemy, Tenno or otherwise.
Attacks: -First and foremost, the Demolisher is able to charge deceptively fast in spite of its heavy armor. Upon reaching the target of its charge, it will swing its hammer in a wide, horizontal arc, damaging and heavily knocking back anyone struck.
-The Demolisher can also charge its hammer for an extra-powerful strike. Doing so restricts its movement as it struggles to keep the rocket-powered weapon under control, but also allows it to unleash an enormous shockwave by slamming the ground, damaging and inflicting blast status on anyone hit.
-Alternatively, the Demolisher can swing the hammer in a circle after charging instead of smashing the ground. The area of effect is much smaller by comparison, but the swing is much faster to execute, and also boasts much higher damage and a significant knockback.
Environment restrictions: Demolishers can be found in any non-ship Grineer tileset, but are more common in invasions and on conquered planets.
(Optional) Art or Reference Images: No artwork, but Grineer Demolishers are always female, with armor much like the Heavy Gunners, only bigger and bulkier.