How Skills, Mods And Artifacts Could Save The World Of War...frame

[Tarudizer]

-snip because DAYUMlookatthatwall-

That's quite the interesting idea. And honestly, it makes some sense, with the Tenno being ancient warriors and all. Right now though, it's the suit that gives us our powers, so that wouldn't really fit unless we get space dragons. OOOHTHATWOULDBECOOL*cough* No, me! Stay serious.

It also gave me an idea. We now have several different suggestions of gaining energy in this thread alone, so what I think would be cool is that different warframes have different types of resources. Take the standard Mana, Rage, Energy, Fury, Focus and whatever, and give them to each warframe.

For instance:

Rhino has Rage, which after dealing or taking damage can be used for skills.

Ash/Loki/Excalibur(?) has Energy, which starts at 100 and regenerates quickly naturally (but thus dealing or taking damage have no effect.)

Trinity/Volt/Ember/Frost(?) has Mana, which starts at a very high number and depletes after using skills, and must then pick up energy orbs (like now) to restore it.

Nyx has... I don't know what it would be called, something daft like "Psychic Power" just to have a name, but it would regenerate from your mind controlled minions dealing and taking damage, and would empower your other skills (Psychic Bolts and Absorb) OOOOOR it could be something that empowered your minions in some way.

I know this is very different from the current system and already being used in X amount of games, but I don't necessarily believe that to be a bad thing. It also makes each warframe just that much more unique and different in feel.

Thoughts anyone?

[Sealgaire]

The idea was that getting focus would allow you to use your warframe to its full potential (activating its powers), not that it would allow you to do those things without your warframe.

I can see giving each frame, or even each category of frame (melee, caster, support, whatever) its own way of generating energy being a nightmare to balance. Even balancing one system has proved tricky.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Sealgaire

[UkyoSonoda]

Right now there are a few situational skills, which is fine. What is not fine is that you would rather spend your precious energy on something else, because it's such a limited resource. With my suggestion it would actually make it possible to USE those abilities when the situation comes up WITHOUT using energy. And if you decide you must use it again, you could, but THEN it would cost energy if the cooldown is not up yet.

Actually it has nothing to do with not having energy. The problem is outside of certain utility skills is many of them simply arent used because the more expensive skill solves the problem much more reliably. Take frost. Why am I going to spend 50 energy on Freeze Wave which I have to aim, has a short range and might not do enough damage to kill everything I hit with it when I can use Avalanche for 100 energy and kill the stuff I was going to Freeze Wave while hitting anything else that might be lurking in the vicinity?

Why as a Volt would I use Shock to damage 1 target a small amount for 25 energy and hope it hops around to others to stun them when I can use 100 energy on overload and nuke that target along with all his friends.

Why would I burn energy on polaraize shield on Mag when I can either take the enemy's shield off faster with bullets and my team mates regen their shield by sitting in cover a few seconds?

It's more issues like these IMO. Especially on frames with multiple damage skills the skills themselves don't have any real trade offs with eachother making the other damage skills obsolete to a specific skill in the frame's kit unless very specific conditions are met.

[Tarudizer]

I can see giving each frame, or even each category of frame (melee, caster, support, whatever) its own way of generating energy being a nightmare to balance. Even balancing one system has proved tricky.

Possibly. But if a developer is thinking more about "we can't, it's hard!" than how much the players enjoy the game, they should stop making games asap. Sure it's challenging, but developing and maintaining a game is not easy, and being an online "drop in whenever you feel like it" type of game, players need something extra to keep them playing. It could be something like clans, blueprint drops, trading, or playing different warframes because of their feel, which would make such a system work a long way. A combination of similar things like that is basically what keeps different online games alive.

Actually it has nothing to do with not having energy. The problem is outside of certain utility skills is many of them simply arent used because the more expensive skill solves the problem much more reliably. Take frost. Why am I going to spend 50 energy on Freeze Wave which I have to aim, has a short range and might not do enough damage to kill everything I hit with it when I can use Avalanche for 100 energy and kill the stuff I was going to Freeze Wave while hitting anything else that might be lurking in the vicinity?

Well... it does have SOMETHING to do with it. Sure, right now, there is rarely a time when you would use other skills other than "kill everything" abilities, simply because they don't have much of an impact on the game. This needs to change, and I'm fairly sure it will. More game mechanics and enemy types are required for the now VERY situational (if that) skills to be of any value.

However, If they continue using the #4 skill as an ultimate type skill, maybe that one skill in particular should be the only skill to have a cooldown? That way the other skills still use the current energy system, and no one would be forced to save up energy for 1 single skill throughout the game. Each warframe has 4. They should all have their moments.

Edited February 21, 2013 by Tarudizer