Why rare material drops have been nerfed and why almost no one's talking about it.

[Sebastianx]

If anyone's been here for at least 3-4 years, they know that Orokin cells for example used to be plentiful. One run on Seimeni until wave 10 would yield between 3 and 8 cells depending on luck. At some point (not even I noticed exactly when) things got minutely changed, not sure if suddenly or slowly across multiple patches but doing a 10 wave run of Seimeni now, even with a Nekros, you'd be incredibly lucky to receive 2 cells. After 20 runs of 10 waves, the most I received were 2 cells per run with Nekros melee soloing without any boosters, and most runs were either nothing or just 1 cell.

3-4 years ago when I was in dire need of orokin cells for a lot of primes, I remember constantly running Seimeni for exactly 10 waves every time with Nekros and every second run I was able to craft a prime that cost 10 cells (had lots of blueprints but never bothered crafting them, this was back when Void Keys were a thing).

 

So why haven't people noticed such a change you might ask yourself.

Well, that's pretty easy actually. If the change was gradual over multiple patches as I'm suspecting, then new players simply didn't know how easy it was to get orokin cells, since when you're new you don't immediately rush to farm cells in a game with so many resources and things to farm for, they mostly come naturally until you FINALLY want to increase your mastery rank and feel like crafting primes worth ~500 cells. As for older players, well, with 3k cells in my inventory, why would I notice such a change when a resource like that is like spores for everyone else. I bet you wouldn't notice if spores drop rate was halved over night either because no one farms for those, now would you?

 

If DE made such a change willingly or if it was an oversight due to something else is unknown to me, but for a year now 3 of my friends constantly complain about not having enough orokin cells, I had the same problem back in my early years (2012-2014) but when I ACTUALLY decided to farm cells, I finished with everything requiring them in less than a week of intensive farming.

 

[Miser_able]

Or maybe it has to do with the somewhat recent fix/nerf/whatever to nekros desecrate, which resulted in overall less loot, in which case no one's noticed till now. 

[Gerdaro]

This is definitely not the first thread about this.

I honestly didnt notice it. I ran Helene the other day for orokin cells and got 3 in 10 waves so i guess its the same thing?

[lukinu_u]

They changed planets order, so mission levels and indirectly average drop per minute because of enemies spawn. For example, Ceres used to be the highest level planet but is now mid level.

[Sebastianx]

14 minutes ago, Miser_able said:

Or maybe it has to do with the somewhat recent fix/nerf/whatever to nekros desecrate, which resulted in overall less loot, in which case no one's noticed till now. 

This is anything BUT recent, it's been like this for at least the past year, or at least that's when I started noticing when helping a few friends that started playing 2 years ago and they finally went through their "gotta increase my MR" phase.

[Sebastianx]

15 minutes ago, lukinu_u said:

They changed planets order, so mission levels and indirectly average drop per minute because of enemies spawn. For example, Ceres used to be the highest level planet but is now mid level.

Hm, that actually makes sense if planet level affects enemy spawn rates.

[stormy505]

1 hour ago, Miser_able said:

Or maybe it has to do with the somewhat recent fix/nerf/whatever to nekros desecrate, which resulted in overall less loot, in which case no one's noticed till now. 

but its happend with hydroid pilf builds as well

[GovernmentSecrets.gov]

It's all RNG, I've been playing for quite awhile and have not noticed any change in drop rate. Farm Sargus Ruk for the best odds.

How I farm Sargus Ruk:

1. Fully modded Tigris and speedy Volt with a companion with obligatory vacuum (primes don't matter)

2. Run to Sargus

3. The second his weak spot opens blast him once and throw yourself towards extraction vacuum will handle picking up loot don't waste time

4. Rinse and repeat till you have a mountain of Orokin Cells and sell ember parts for bonus credits

 

[Sebastianx]

35 minutes ago, stormy505 said:

but its happend with hydroid pilf builds as well

This. Another friend that plays rarely ,a few days every few months (for the past few years) said the same thing about Orokin cells, and he farms them with Pilfering Swarm build. He used to play for a few days after a new prime was released, he gave up roughly 1 year ago since he felt like farming cells takes too long compared to what it used to and he also uses Seimeni to farm.

[(PSN)GrottanGo]

during the whole pyrus event it seemed to me that they even increased the drop.

[Saturmorn_Carvilli]

I don't want to sound too insensitive here, but I got more Orokin Cells than I could realistically ever need so I don't really care if the drop chance is lower.  It is a resource that isn't on my radar anymore like Morphics.  I sure most of the players that post here are in the same position.  It is human nature to not be concerned with something that isn't a problem they are having, specially one that they probably never have again either.

If true, I hope DE does fix it.  I try to help mark Orokin Cells, Neurodes too, for newer players when I am doing missions that drop them.  But again, even with the little picture that comes up when you get them, it has been so long since I actually needed more I usually ignore it.

Edited October 26, 2018 by Saturmorn_Carvilli

[schilds]

I haven't read everything in this thread, and I'm sure someone has said it, but you seem to have missed the introduction of resource specific containers.

Edited October 26, 2018 by schilds

[Kemenril]

Like many people I play the occasional Seimeni mission, but it's never been a good source of Orokin Cells. At least, not in the year and a bit since I've been playing. 

Piscinas on Saturn is almost always going to be a better bet. 3-4 in 10 mins is a pretty regular result for me. And I do this at least once a week. The drop rates there have not changed in 6 months from what I can see. 

[trst]

I suspect it's more an issue with the amount of content newer players need Orokin cells for.

Every frame taking 1-3 cells and some taking up to 5 for single components, all primes taking 5-15, and random weapons/items taking a cell here and there.

Especially considering how much faster new players acquire new frames due to quest related ones and overlapping farming (Oberon, Ash, and a Harrow part can all drop in a mission that already rewards another frame). Plus dojo frames that any player can get as fast as they can join a clan.

Within a few days a new player can require dozens of cells and may have not seen a single one drop. Especially since they don't start dropping from non-bosses until Ceres, and new players are likely to not realize what cache rewards are or how to find them.

 

Also trying to compare the current rates to rates (from memory) from 3-4 years ago is a difficult comparison to make. Plus without data-mining it would require a lot of input to form a proper sample size.

[Shadow-Spawn]

Maybe Orokin Cells are the new Argon Crystals - with the ability to disappear from your inventory.

[Nesodos]

The orokin cell drought started with chimera

[saltygr33n]

3 hours ago, Sebastianx said:

If anyone's been here for at least 3-4 years, they know that Orokin cells for example used to be plentiful. One run on Seimeni until wave 10 would yield between 3 and 8 cells depending on luck. At some point (not even I noticed exactly when) things got minutely changed, not sure if suddenly or slowly across multiple patches but doing a 10 wave run of Seimeni now, even with a Nekros, you'd be incredibly lucky to receive 2 cells. After 20 runs of 10 waves, the most I received were 2 cells per run with Nekros melee soloing without any boosters, and most runs were either nothing or just 1 cell.

3-4 years ago when I was in dire need of orokin cells for a lot of primes, I remember constantly running Seimeni for exactly 10 waves every time with Nekros and every second run I was able to craft a prime that cost 10 cells (had lots of blueprints but never bothered crafting them, this was back when Void Keys were a thing).

 

So why haven't people noticed such a change you might ask yourself.

Well, that's pretty easy actually. If the change was gradual over multiple patches as I'm suspecting, then new players simply didn't know how easy it was to get orokin cells, since when you're new you don't immediately rush to farm cells in a game with so many resources and things to farm for, they mostly come naturally until you FINALLY want to increase your mastery rank and feel like crafting primes worth ~500 cells. As for older players, well, with 3k cells in my inventory, why would I notice such a change when a resource like that is like spores for everyone else. I bet you wouldn't notice if spores drop rate was halved over night either because no one farms for those, now would you?

 

If DE made such a change willingly or if it was an oversight due to something else is unknown to me, but for a year now 3 of my friends constantly complain about not having enough orokin cells, I had the same problem back in my early years (2012-2014) but when I ACTUALLY decided to farm cells, I finished with everything requiring them in less than a week of intensive farming.

 

Because, from my experience, when I try to farm for anything, they rarely give me what I want, but when I am not trying, they come to me naturally.

[DeaHamlet]

Yesterday I was in survival and was getting orokin cells left right and center. I don't need them at all but hot damn there were so many! 

[(PSN)robotwars7]

1 hour ago, saltygr33n said:

Because, from my experience, when I try to farm for anything, they rarely give me what I want, but when I am not trying, they come to me naturally.

that is what we call "Sod's Law" where I'm from, and it is a law, not a theory, because it proves itself true all the time. we're all subjected to it, some more than others, but it's there.

I can't say I've noticed anything but then I'm sitting on more Cells than I'll ever need and I have enough of the Common resources to make a hundred more using the BP you get from the market. biggest change to them I recall was it tells you when you pick one up the same way as it does for Argon Crystals and Sentient Cores. 

[Soulden]

Weird, Its been a few weeks since I've played game longer than log in (irl yo), but I remember at some point joining a Grineer defense fissure mission, first 5 waves was dropping Orokin cells left and right, I think I picked about 6 of them. Sorry, can't remember planet/lvl. 

So maybe it is not a stealth nerf, just rng (was trying to get Revenant systems every chance I get with no luck... systems!!!! ) and as others mentioned, the rearrangement of planets.  

[(PSN)skingsrt8]

Mutagen samples are torture also.  With resource booster and drop chance booster average about 130 for every 1500 kills with desecrate nekros going whole time and using slash weapons to dismember.  Just absurd. 

Some how I already had about 2800 before farming the rest of the 2200 needed for hema research in ghost clan....have no clue how I got that many to start with given the low drop rate.

[(PSN)Silverback73]

2 hours ago, trst said:

I suspect it's more an issue with the amount of content newer players need Orokin cells for.

Every frame taking 1-3 cells and some taking up to 5 for single components, all primes taking 5-15, and random weapons/items taking a cell here and there.

Especially considering how much faster new players acquire new frames due to quest related ones and overlapping farming (Oberon, Ash, and a Harrow part can all drop in a mission that already rewards another frame). Plus dojo frames that any player can get as fast as they can join a clan.

Within a few days a new player can require dozens of cells and may have not seen a single one drop. Especially since they don't start dropping from non-bosses until Ceres, and new players are likely to not realize what cache rewards are or how to find them.

 

Also trying to compare the current rates to rates (from memory) from 3-4 years ago is a difficult comparison to make. Plus without data-mining it would require a lot of input to form a proper sample size.

This is really where perception slams head-on into reality.  

Compare the average resource costs for building a Prime Weapon or Prime Frame with cells from 3 years ago vs building the newest ones from the last 18 months.

And then compound that with Prime content load between the 2 timeframes.

 

Edited October 26, 2018 by (PS4)Silverback73

[Makunogo]

casual player started around a year ago (13 months) and had no issue getting orokin cells for my gear.. (im near mr 25 now) so dont think its much of a problem 😛

[Makunogo]

casual player started around a year ago (13 months) and had no issue getting orokin cells for my gear.. (im near mr 25 now) so dont think its much of a problem 😛

[Beas7ie]

6 hours ago, Gerdaro said:

This is definitely not the first thread about this.

I honestly didnt notice it. I ran Helene the other day for orokin cells and got 3 in 10 waves so i guess its the same thing?

I just did a 15 wave run in Helene and didn't even get one cell.

 

I used to get between 2 and 5.  Sometimes even more if I'm using pilfrdoid and/or someone in the party has resource chance boosters.

 

It's definitely been nerfed.