Thought: Warframe Isn't 'pick Up And Play' Friendly

[DSMK2]

I'm having this thought since I've played FireFall recently; as soon as I logged into that game as a character, I often found myself immediately 'playing' the game, running around, shooting things, and completing missions in my path, regardless if I actually wanted to invest time into playing or not.

 

When I look at Warframe, that feeling doesn't exist. There's a wall between the menu and the actual game-where-you-shoot-stuff. I'm not compelled to play because I have to pick a mission of various difficulty, objective, and features; in addition, I get worried if I can get a squad for such mission (depending) and also worries about losing revives because I actually couldn't handle a mission.

 

I'm not playing Warframe immediately after I log in, I'm at a menu before I can actually start playing. I can't easily 'pick up and play' Warframe. It would be really good if I'm immediately in the game world in some way or another i.e. player housing instead of an initial menu, where I can walk around and interact with the local environment for various menu options, it'll be immediate immersion.

 

Apologies if my thought is unclear!

 

From here on out I'm just going to throw down undetailed suggestions:

• Immediate Interactive Player Lobby – Logging in immediately puts the player into their ‘home’; various props around the area represent various menu functions.
  • Arsenal Locker – Access Warframes, equipment, items, and inventory
  • Mission Room – Leads to the system map
  • Key Room – Use keys here to access the clan dojo, void missions, and other areas; much like how Captain Vor activates the void(?) gate opener.
  • Foundry Room – Leads to the crafting UI
  • Comms Interface – Leads to the contacts and market UI
  • Cryopod – Used to access player profile menu and log out
• Quick Play Button – Tosses the player into a randomized mission online or offline of flat difficulty, material drops are randomized.

 

 

Edited September 3, 2013 by DSMK2

[AlienTetris]

So from my understanding you'd like an "in game" Arsenal? I feel that this is more cosmetic then necessary. however i d like this idea! i would also like to imply a sample area, or training, were there's little grineer bots running around so you can test your weapon before you go in game.

+1 Like it.

[DSMK2]

I just want to be immediately immersed when I log in and until I log out :P

 

[EDIT:]

 

But really, I'm finding the immediate menu, instead of "game", to be a flaw; because it doesn't encourage playing the game. Being able to control a character right away and interacting lightly with the world might solve that.

Edited September 3, 2013 by DSMK2

[winters.prime]

+1 i would love for the "home" interactive area to be a thing, that is something i wish DE could implement.

[AlienTetris]

+1 i would love for the "home" interactive area to be a thing, that is something i wish DE could implement.

However this is something some people stray away from. maybe this should be an option in settings. theres always going to be complaints.. not saying i dont agree!

[CelsiusPrime]

+1 i would love for the "home" interactive area to be a thing, that is something i wish DE could implement.

 

it worked pretty well in the older classic games from the super nintendo, to the N64 and then again in the GameCube.

 

so it has been done before and it has been done well and it has been done poorly it all depends on how DE plans it out if they so chose to do this.

[Seanjuju]

Prologue: When FireFall finished its character wipe beta, I immediately tried it out. The gameplay got 'old' in less than a dozen sessions. Crafting was horrid and the game itself was repetitive. FireFall's PVE is just terrible.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your idea is cool.

[Sacura]

Well I disagree with most of you. Do you thing that Tennos hang out in some caffeteria between the missions? After the centuries in cryopods? I imagine that they are just hooked to some computer and awaiting their new missions. Thus "MENU" you complain so much about. I think the menu has its place.

 

"Not every change is a good one"
 

[EganMC]

I do love this idea. Immersion can be very important to improve a game's atmosphere, and I think having some sort of "home" feature or just another dojo of sorts could be very interesting. However, I do think it should be optional. I currently enjoy the planetary overview of things, and I'd rather not run to a location so I can run to my location.

 

You always arrive on ships, which is where I believe this could immerse you. You arrive on ships, with no idea of how you got there. Always in a vent as well (although, if you're like me, you attempt to gain some immersion breaking visuals by jamming the mouse upwards to see your frame floating on a flying vent in the civilian position). I assume this is to throw you right in, but it throws me in slightly confused. 

 

 

Well I disagree with most of you. Do you thing that Tennos hang out in some caffeteria between the missions? After the centuries in cryopods? I imagine that they are just hooked to some computer and awaiting their new missions. This "MENU" you complain so much about. I think the menu has its place.

 

 

What's the Clan Dojo then? Virtual reality? There can be large amounts of mass tenno meeting in the game, so why not further include this factor with some sort of home setting? As I said, optional. So you don't have to complain, but others can get the lobby they so dearly want.

[Phoenix86]

I think DE wants to do this... but requires a lot of server's resources and money

[neKroMancer]

I think immersion plays a big part to create suspension of disbelieve.

Surely, this idea is simply cosmetic. But I think it will improve the 'feel' of the game. Taking a more AAA example like Splinter cell: Blacklist. The Paladin that house the fourth echelon is a good design. The SMI, the overall interface showing information on the screen, the secondary screen showing other informations. Locker for Sam to customize his loadout.

If Blacklist doesn't have this 'cosmetic' feature and, instead, get a skeletal design like Warframe- I think the game won't be feeling as good as it is.

[NDroid]

While I'm not sure that giving each Tenno his own "room" instead of a traditional menu is needed, I do think that incorporating some of these elements into the Dojo would be a good idea.

For example, have each Clan Hall come with a "Ready Room" with a map of the solar system which allows people to setup a lobby and choose a mission from inside the Dojo itself. Having access to the Arsenal would help too. This would make Clans more attached to their Dojos and give them a reason to use it as a socializing area even after everything has been researched. Right now you have to exit the Dojo to setup a game which kinda defeats the point.

[Rompido]

While your ideas are nice and I am interested. I don't concur with your opinion of Warframe not having a pick up and play feeling.

[r3dzer0]

I think what he is suggesting is a singular location for your tenno and your's alone to enter, much like the normandy from mass effect 3, just on a much much smaller scale.  star map, weapons bench, etc.. so that you get the feel that you are doing more than flipping through menus.  it shouldn't be too hard, i would imagine, to implement since they already have the dojos.  this could be a much smaller dojo, probably the size of one of the tech rooms with all your stuff and would add greatly to immersing yourself in the game, something this game sorely lacks as unfortunate as it may be

[gell]

+1

 

I thought this is what dojos were going to be, but they aren't. We should start the game feeling like we're ready to run around. It's like the Assassin's Creed loading screen immediately gets you ready for moving around because you're able to move around. After the WF login screen, you should already be doing game stuff, not menu stuff.

 

Of course, loading all the models etc right away could slow some slow computers down even more, so they could put it on as the default and let people toggle it to the menu maybe, or just make it a simple menu, which shouldn't take much more to load than the login dioramas do now.

[Zachles]

I thought about this, too. I would like it if they implemented something like, maybe a base of operations, where players can walk around and talk to each other, maybe play practice mini games, blah blah blah. As was previously mentioned, it's more cosmetic than anything, but it would be nice.

[r3dzer0]

I thought about this, too. I would like it if they implemented something like, maybe a base of operations, where players can walk around and talk to each other, maybe play practice mini games, blah blah blah. As was previously mentioned, it's more cosmetic than anything, but it would be nice.

I don't think it should go as far as talking to eachother, i think just making it your little ship, with your weapons foundry a star map, frame swap, just little stuff that makes you feel like you're in a space ship, instead of overlooking the galaxy on your knees and magically appearing in a ship that arrives on another ship( without showing you how you get in, or make your way to your objective).  I think it could go a long way to making it feel a little more immersive, and you could fly your ship to your dojo(not really but cinematic of it).  Most of the elements that were mentioned are already in the game, and it would just require some tweaking to implement this idea.  Much like the dojo it shouldn't be very intensive on any pc.

[VegetableBasket]

I do agree there is a psychological benefit to encourage tactile interaction with the world as soon as possible rather than logging into a menu.

[Ventose]

agree with r3dzer0, this should be a single tile, a tiny space vessel. suppose as a new player you do the tutorial, the Lotus awakens you and walks you through the basics, then you wake up, pull the plug from your (by then already chosen) frame and there you are, in your very own millenia old but still functioning tenno space vessel in which all the game options are represented as an object (think a machine, a locker or a holo screen; the solar map could also fit in as a holo-projector). the tutorial space could also function as a test room to try out new weapons or mod loadouts.

[DSMK2]

The player housing/ship doesn't need to be online at all, only becoming online in the system map. Imagine as you sit down in the system map room, the room fades out, and the camera 'detaches', leading into the current system map we see now; other Tenno joining your squad will fade into view and fade out when they leave. Having that would be seriously atmospheric!

 

Reiterating my first opening post, as soon as a player logs in, he should already be 'playing' and through that, be more compelled to do the regular missions of the game.