LupusCardinal

For example (and this is only one idea) but design a quest for new players who purchase the pay to skip option, where instead of beginning the game from the current tutorial, they are actually a new Tenno that's being awaken in the current point of the game's timeline, then have the Lotus guide them in a series of missions which teaches them the game mechanics and grants them items from old quests, but also teaches them all the lore, factions, characters etc and what has happened so far in the game. This could even allow for some deeper character development, since we could see Lotus, Tenshin, Allad V etc being reminiscent of past events and so on. Similarly, it would also explain why these players are not as proficient as those who played through every quest in game lore: They have recently woken up, and although the Lotus is assisting them, they do not have the same experience as the Tenno who fought in The New War. Then, have the quest be made available to all players, and give players who did not pay to skip some unique rewards as an incentive to try it out (umbra forma, endo, cosmetics, etc). You could even have it so old players can join new players on this quest, in a sort of mentor way, which matches the "bringing friends to the game as new players" focus of the conversation. Although it would require development time and resources, something along these lines could work.

Personally, I don't disagree with a pay to skip old content. Warframe is a game, DE is a business. As a player, I love Warframe and truly enjoyed making my way through all the quests, improving a little at a time, getting new weapons and frames and increasing my MR. But let's be honest people. It's daunting. Hundreds of hours of gameplay and progression being needed to play the newest content, it's a deterrent. A new player looks at that and automatically they're put off by it. Sure, some might still try it, but the majority won't. "We don't need them then." Is what you're probably thinking. But we do. Some of us will keep playing Warframe, but many senior players will burn out, they'll play other games, they'll get busy with work, kids, IRL responsibilities. The only way for Warframe to survive as a free to play game, for it to break even with development costs, not to mention make a profit (yes, that is the end goal of all businesses) is to have an influx of new players who not only play the game, but will spend money on it. And that's where the heart of the matter lies. DE needs to find a balance where upon new players will play the game, and pay to skip is something that has been done time and time again in many games with a scope similar to Warframe (FF, WOW). New players don't have to, but they have a choice to do so if they so wish. Nobody is twisting their arms to pay to skip (and if you're thinking "Well, they will because they won't want to play hundreds of hours to get to the new content" then you're agreeing with the actual problem). That said, I do agree with comments regarding new players being overwhelmed by the game and it's mechanics. IMO, if there is a pay to skip, it should not be a "here are all the items you'd have received when you finished the quests, go have fun". Instead, it should be fastrack / tutorial compulsory mission that teaches new players all of the game mechanics AND catches them up with the story up to the current expansion. Even if this needs to be several hours long, it finds a balance between allowing new players to enjoy the new content sooner, while keeping Warframe true to this lore and player base.

For example (and this is only one idea) but design a quest for new players who purchase the pay to skip option, where instead of beginning the game from the current tutorial, they are actually a new Tenno that's being awaken in the current point of the game's timeline, then have the Lotus guide them in a series of missions which teaches them the game mechanics and grants them items from old quests, but also teaches them all the lore, factions, characters etc and what has happened so far in the game. This could even allow for some deeper character development, since we could see Lotus, Tenshin, Allad V etc being reminiscent of past events and so on. Similarly, it would also explain why these players are not as proficient as those who played through every quest in game lore: They have recently woken up, and although the Lotus is assisting them, they do not have the same experience as the Tenno who fought in The New War. Then, have the quest be made available to all players, and give players who did not pay to skip some unique rewards as an incentive to try it out (umbra forma, endo, cosmetics, etc). Although it would require development time and resources, something along these lines, could work.

Personally, I don't disagree with a pay to skip old content. Warframe is a game, DE is a business. As a player, I love Warframe and truly enjoyed making my way through all the quests, improving a little at a time, getting new weapons and frames and increasing my MR. But let's be honest people. It's daunting. Hundreds of hours of gameplay and progression being needed to play the newest content, it's a deterrent. A new player looks at that and automatically they're put off by it. Sure, some might still try it, but the majority won't. "We don't need them then." Is what you're probably thinking. But we do. Some of us will keep playing Warframe, but many senior players will burn out, they'll play other games, they'll get busy with work, kids, IRL responsibilities. The only way for Warframe to survive as a free to play game, for it to break even with development costs, not to mention make a profit (yes, that is the end goal of all businesses) is to have an influx of new players who not only play the game, but will spend money on it. And that's where the heart of the matter lies. DE needs to find a balance where upon new players will play the game, and pay to skip is something that has been done time and time again in many games with a scope similar to Warframe (FF, WOW). New players don't have to, but they have a choice to do so if they so wish. Nobody is twisting their arms to pay to skip (and if you're thinking "Well, they will because they won't want to play hundreds of hours to get to the new content" then you're agreeing with the actual problem). That said, I do agree with comments regarding new players being overwhelmed by the game and it's mechanics. IMO, if there is a pay to skip, it should not be a "here are all the items you'd have received when you finished the quests, go have fun". Instead, it should be fastrack / tutorial compulsory mission that teaches new players all of the game mechanics AND catches them up with the story up to the current expansion. Even if this needs to be several hours long, it finds a balance between allowing new players to enjoy the new content sooner, while keeping Warframe true to this lore and player base.