My issues with the idea of Umbra Warframes

[DarkLordSTRM]

let me start this off with the fact i like that we were given Excal Umbra as sort of a alternative to Excal Prime. Excal Prime was given as a reward for early support so its fair that they would want to keep that as a vanity item. But by promising Umbra Frames they have effectively erased the design space below them i.e. making prime frames less desirable / effectively less useful. Prime frames make sense, they are a reward for a harder grind aimed towards those with more of a grasp on the game, but Umbras make all the work and resources put into those Primes wasted. I know i for one don't put anything into my regular frames and just wait for Primed variants before committing anything big into my frames [special circumstances not withstanding] because i don't like to waste anything. 

 

So i have a suggestion, instead of making all new frames you have to grind do an add-on kinda like the orokin reactors. Just make them super hard to get/make to get that same grind and to make it feel meaningful. You could also make it act like forma and reset the level of the frame [not the polarities], allow for the application of umbra polarities and provide a unique skin. This skin could be the limiting factor so we don't just get all the umbras at once and we maintain the same level of excitement just like with the Prime announcements just with it being cosmetic like the deluxe skins.

 

 anyway, those were just my thoughts id like to hear yours.

[Omega-Shadowblade]

Umbra will be limited series. Not for every frame. 

 

[Arcira]

I´d prefer If you could upgrade the actual part of a frame like: Loki Systems -> Loki Prime Systems or Loki Umbra Systems. Each with unique properties and depending on your choice per part you get differences in stats and maybe alternative effect on abilities. This would allow a Prime/Umbra hybrid as well.

[theraot]

When did they promise umbra frames? Last thing I remember from DE, is Steve saying that they left the door open for more umbra (source: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/308489820). Why? Because they want to explore the lore of the origins of each warframe more deeply, and of course, you should never design to cut off all your options. Thus, we could expect DE to be interested in more quest lines that explore umbra frames...

However, that does not mean we should always get an umbra frame from the quests.

The idea you mention of a hard to grind item that will make a warframe work like an umbra seems to be what most people in the community want.

Now, how do we reconcile both of these things? Simple: the quest should give the item to make a warframe work like umbra, only for the warframe associated with the quest. That way, they can make quests that focus in the history of specific frames, and we have a hard to get item to makes a warframe work like umbra. Making it only for a specific warframe instead of making it for any warframes is good! If they don't do it that way, two weeks after they release it, virtually every warframe will be umbra-like (except those of new players, of course).

Edited September 14, 2018 by theraot

[DarkLordSTRM]

Ok so i might have been misinformed about the them making more umbra frames, i was under the impression that was the plan, honestly cant tell you why. 

Also you highlighted my main issue theraot, i would be in favor of the warframe specific upgrade obtained from the quest that simultaneously does a lore reveal. its a good compromise. Also i appreciate the quick response/correction.

 

[Femuru]

idk what tilts me more the fact that they would make a umbra series w/o even finishing the prime series aleast faster (i kno its every 3 months for a prime but if they have time for umbra then they could have change and speed up prime creation then) or even properly balancing alot of frames on the roster or the fact if they do make more umbras that only a select few are getting it. they really should just end the umbra series at excal because there is no real purpose for it, no crazy gameplay change, and not even useful but just another power creep phase where changed abilities just makes things more screwy. lets face it most ppl want some kind of change, buff, or rework on a frame but if umbra series becomes a thing its just gonna slow the process a whole lot more and u might as well add an extra month, two, or three for anything like that. we have deluxe skins, we have primes, and we have magnitude of cosmetics with tennogen to change our look so idk why hype on a technical skin that is just more power creep than prime, id rather they make a whole new game mode thats more harder and exciting than our constant daily grind even destiny came out with a new PvEvP mode.

now we kno there where plenty ppl upset wit umbra cuz of excal prime (i kno excal umbra was release cuz his prime wont see the light no more so for this topic im not even including him for any argument) forever vaulted but what is the reason for more then? even if i dont have my really old account that i bought a prime access on, i would feel pretty upset if i still had my frame from several years back and basically just toss it away to now believe prime access is just money bait which doesnt fit de image (they are known to be fair and they made mistakes but this is one that wouldnt taste right in my mouth). while unlike primes if they only do a select few then there might be a few salty ppl not having their main or favorite frame get a special treatment while the select few get more power creep.

then there is time, so im pretty sure anyone who has basically everything has experienced the content drought lately waiting for fortuna to arrive. well if they make more umbra then we are more likely to experience this again cuz it took nearly a YEAR for the sacrifice quest (it was a good quest and im not bashing on it) to get umbra but guess what? umbra had already been designed several years back and it still took that long. imagine waiting for all of those umbra just slowly show up one by one so slow that some ppl probly quit before seeing their favorite or so to finally get a umbra version. so again i hope de stop wasting time on the things that is potentially pointless while even just making a few players upset and again focus on evolving the game mechanics, add new modes, or even properly balance everyone so that the game can maybe survive abit longer than who knows if or when warframe dies out some day.

if they were to really do a umbra series id rather they just as this post suggested a actual skin that is just a add on. however i disagree with umbral polarities as its still just power creeping a select few warframes. at most it should just be a new skin series that we buy in the market like deluxe skins or earned via quest but it shouldnt be any more than that or itll spark a whole lot more prime vs umbra posts again.

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by ShenRyujin