Prime frames are pretty worthless

[S.Dust]

Can someone tell me any relevant benefits these guys get be honest a bit more health and energy is not saving any lives. I mean they're glorofide skins at this point if im not wrong and it confuses me. They get extra energy in the void but then again how much time are you really spending in the void, they maybe get an extra polarity but if you owned the normal version before the prime you probably had a forma on that already, and then some of them get like near no upgrade looking at you loki prime (still my favorite but still like what?) prime frames are honestly like farmable skins.

The only argument that people seem to be able to make as to why they are so weak is you don't want to make the originals useless which is a very meh argument like its not weak but its also is like a easy argument. I mean you would think in a game upgrades would be actually better, some people also say that it would encourage some kind of elitist player type who are like primes only but I really feel like it would just encourage people to aim for an upgrade. They just need some some how.

Edit: just cause they're not a buff doesnt mean I dont still get them because there isnt many better things to do.

Edited November 19, 2018 by S.Dust

[Atsia]

I mean, most are a direct upgrade to their base version, Volt being a difference of real note.

[Erytroxylin]

The extra armor/health/energy combined with the generally higher number of polarity slots make then significantly stronger out of the box than the normal variant with no forma investment.

I can generally make some kind of full build that is sortie/arbitration ready just by throwing a potato on a prime frame. To make a full build on a normal frame, forma is required.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Erytroxylin

[GnarlsDarkley]

You want the hard truth?

Easy cash for DE. It's basically a reskin and a slight raise in stats...

BUT I like

[Vanille]

Small energy changes make a huge difference with Primed Flow on intense ability spamming frames (or toggle ones). Also the different base polarities that make you need less forma, plus the new look.

[S.Dust]

2 minutes ago, Erytroxylin said:

The extra armor/health/energy combined with the generally higher number of polarity slots make then significantly stronger out of the box than the normal variant with no forma investment.

with how the game scales the armor buffs aren't stopping you from getting one shot and health is the same. Energy is a convenience but zenurik counters low energy as well as all the energy orb drops and energy pads. Also if you weren't already a tanky frame the extra armor really wont do anything for you.

[Toran]

vor 1 Minute schrieb GnarlsDarkley:

You want the hard truth?

Easy cash for DE. It's basically a reskin and a slight raise in stats...

BUT I like

It usually isn't a reskin but a remodel. A sexy one on top, in most cases. And you only have to leave cash if you really want it very hard (like not trading or farming at all).

[S.Dust]

1 minute ago, Vanille said:

Small energy changes make a huge difference with Primed Flow on intense ability spamming frames (or toggle ones). Also the different base polarities that make you need less forma, plus the new look.

With how long the normal frames are out though if you had that first you probably already put all the forma you need on.

[Voltage]

10 minutes ago, Erytroxylin said:

I can generally make some kind of full build that is sortie/arbitration just by throwing a potato on a prime frame. To make a full build on a normal frame, forma is required.

A full build needs less Forma, but Prime Frames still require it. Budget builds do work, but a full build requires atleast 1 Forma. Chroma Prime is a great example on how a Prime Warframe requires  way more than a single Forma. 

Prime Warframes offer 6,000 mastery and generally look cooler due to shiny bits in addition to the mentioned additions above.

[Dhrekr]

16 minutes ago, S.Dust said:

prime frames are honestly like farmable skins

I don't want to sound snide, but... haven't we known it for years?

Yes, sure. A prime is not really worth much more than the original. The differences are, overall, minor. It's always been the case - ever since the release of Excalibur Prime and Frost Prime we have known this to be the case.

This would have been a good thread in 2013, but... yeah?

[GinKenshin]

Why is this an issue exactly? It’s not like they’re super hard to get or anything, and the ‘reskin’ is pretty damn awesome most of the time....Oberon is an exception doe >.> 

[Kerthis]

Armor difference on chroma vs chroma prime is pretty significant 425 vs. 350. Concidering  mods it is nice 1734 vs 1428. And then expanded by abilities. I say its pretty damn good.

[xethier]

I'd say that prime frames aren't designed as an upgrade, but rather as an acquisition goal. This game is all about acquisition anyway.

Play the regular frame, for years, and they get 'primed' and a new goal is kicked off, warframe / weapons are a new target for players.

It's not about what they are, but rather that they exist.

Edited November 19, 2018 by xethier

[Erytroxylin]

38 minutes ago, S.Dust said:

with how the game scales the armor buffs aren't stopping you from getting one shot and health is the same. 

That depends entirely on which frame and what build we are talking about. The extra stats open up options for builds that weren't really worth considering before. 

One good example is Saryn vs Saryn prime. They are both roughly equivalent in a glass cannon build, but the extra armor and energy makes a Saryn Prime hybrid/nonsquishy build end up significantly ahead of what can be done with the normal frame in such a build.

That said, DE has intentionally designed it so that the gaps aren't so huge as to mandate the use of Prime frames.  

 

Edited November 19, 2018 by Erytroxylin

[Marvelous_A]

This thread is late for 5 years...

[(PSN)Lollybomb]

I think being able to strut around as a gloriously shiny pink Rhino with the prime version is worth something.

[Zeclem]

58 minutes ago, S.Dust said:

Can someone tell me any relevant benefits these guys get be honest a bit more health and energy is not saving any lives. I mean they're glorofide skins at this point if im not wrong and it confuses me. They get extra energy in the void but then again how much time are you really spending in the void, they maybe get an extra polarity but if you owned the normal version before the prime you probably had a forma on that already, and then some of them get like near no upgrade looking at you loki prime (still my favorite but still like what?) prime frames are honestly like farmable skins.

The only argument that people seem to be able to make as to why they are so weak is you don't want to make the originals useless which is a very meh argument like its not weak but its also is like a easy argument. I mean you would think in a game upgrades would be actually better, some people also say that it would encourage some kind of elitist player type who are like primes only but I really feel like it would just encourage people to aim for an upgrade. They just need some some how.

Edit: just cause they're not a buff doesnt mean I dont still get them because there isnt many better things to do.

they are mainly a cosmetic/convenience upgrade because exactly that. to not make originals useless. otherwise vaulted primes would make the game extremely annoying for newer players if they happen to like a vaulted frame. 

which isnt the case for weapons, i should add. you like soma prime but cant get it cus its vaulted? here, have tenora for a rather similar experience! 

[schilds]

Baro is a bit nicer to you.

[VentiGlondi]

They look good

[SenorClipClop]

Bit of a baity title. Prime frames are worth slightly more than regular frames, or moreso depending how important Fashionframe is to you.

[(XBOX)DShinShoryuken]

Used to be bragging rights, then it became better to get energy in Void missions for free (til everyone just touches Death Orbs when full), and then mastery rank points with some upgraded stats. Nowadays, it is easier to get the Prime than the original versions.

Whatever the reason a person uses, a TRUE Warframer will have both versions. If you ain't got both...you ain't got hope.

[Sloan441]

"Pretty". 

That covers it, more or less. 

They have some slight advantages over the more pedestrian warframes. A few have substantial advantages, but mostly they just have some slightly higher stats here and there (nice), a few more polarities (saves some time using forma), and they can draw energy from Death Orbs (nice, but less so now that the Void isn't really used for anything). 

That's it. 

Nevertheless, they are demonstrably better, even if only just, and that's more than enough reason to farm them up. 

[Hypernaut1]

2 hours ago, GnarlsDarkley said:

You want the hard truth?

Easy cash for DE. It's basically a reskin and a slight raise in stats...

BUT I like

No, the truth is that it's just something to collect.... Like most things in this game. The small buffs and cosmetics give them relevance without making them necessary. 

[Diangelius]

Extra a little shield, HP, armor can save my life. Supposed that I was in a situation where I used a primed WF and got only 30 HP left due to intense fights, in a parallel universe, if I used the made-in-China variant of that WF, at the same situation, I would have been dead !

Extra energy in prime variant even only 10 in increase without any Flow mod also matters a lot, for any goddamn WF prime that goes for maximum 75% efficiency. Such as Saryn's spores with 1-2 more casts. This miniscule increase is important to me because I'm not Zenurik fan. Furthermore, when I faced too many Energy leech or Parasitic eximi, I just wished for just a little more energy so I can cast a skill and rekt everything.

And in case you really don't give a crap about those miniscule increases, I don't see any reason why you should not get prime WF. Made-in-China variant doesn't have anything that prime variant doesn't have though. For me I like the prime design (looks better than made-in-China version) so I grind all the way to get them.

Still, it's your choice to ditch prime WF and use made-in-China ones. They're still good anyway.

[S.Dust]

I feel like something they should add to all prime frames should be extra efficiency for ability casting there isnt a single frame where that would be a downside and it wouldnt make the originals useless just not as spam heavy.