Open Call for Warframe Theme Ideas!

[(XBOX)BiigDaddyDellta]

Well, since my last Warframe idea turned out to be Guass more or less, downvoted or not...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Warframe/comments/8xi455/okay_i_understand_now_ive_had_an_idea_for_a_new

I'll have to think hard about a new theme, the last one was kind of my best shot.

But here it goes.

I think a true space horror frame would be amazing.  Bending the shadows to do his bidding, like monster meets batman. Melding into the darkness (literally?) Attacking from the shadows or even with the shadows.  Ripping and tearing enemies from the battlefield leaving behind only the echoes of screams.  

So, in my mind, the theme would be like an elegant and striking figure with smooth lines and maybe some cloth like a robe, a cloak, or a jacket.  I suppose almost vampiric looking, like Castlevania’s Dracula or Alucard (for the love of the Lotus not jelly robes please), but when cloaked in shadow the monster comes out.  Looming and horrifying, all teeth and talons, wings and stars, darkness and death.

"Behold my true form and despair!", style.

Not to broach the topic of abilities per se but, if the shadow transformation thematic didn't pan out and his 4th became said transformation instead, I think weaponry should be contained to the base form and the transformed state should be all buffed/transformed abilities and melee.

I think keeping it simple here is best, so I'll leave it at that.  Thank you for your consideration.

[Kishmond]

How about a warframe not necessarily designed for war, but one designed by the Orokin to look good and be impressive. Kind of like a showroom floor warframe that found ways to fight anyhow.

I think designing the gameplay and abilities of such a warframe would be an interesting challenge.

[VoidArkhangel]

A Warframe found on duviri built yet destroyed since he was the most powerful and the body couldn't take that amount of void energy (yes, the theme is the void energy itself), looking damaged but those cracks, those scars were not just to let the void see through but to remember the balance.

[bowband]

a momentum based warframe. their abilities would be affected by how fast the frame is moving when the ability is cast

[RoninFive]

Well we have a lot of frames that fill a lot of roles, what's left are niches.

I have three ideas. Sure, one per player, but I don't quite care for being given credit or rewards or whatever.

The themes go along with examples of abilities. I know abilities aren't considered here, I'm giving a feel for the theme.

If you feel like you want to ignore everything because it's more than 1 idea, feel free to. I'm giving free brainstorming, you wanna turn it down that's your choice.

I'll put the idea I personally like the most as the main sort of thing and the other two in spoilers. For the purposes of the thread, consider the first idea the only idea, but feel free to look at the spoilers.

If you want to remove the post because it contains more than 1 idea, I'd kindly ask you to just remove the two spoilers instead.

Idea no. 1: Conduit (Based on Rell, summoning, multiple roles)

One thing that might work is a frame that's based around the operator. Revisiting Rell, there could be a frame that acts as a prism for the operator, able to create copies of the operator that perform various functions: assault, defense, healing, cc, stealth field, depending on a switch ability (like ivara's arrows, vauban's mines, etc).

Passive: can't summon operator, can only heal from own abilities and health orbs, transference ghosts duplicate current health and armor and spread it out (1 ghost, 100% of duplicated health, 2 ghosts, 50% of duplicated health each, i.e. 1000 health and 500 for frame, 4 ghosts, 250 health each, 125 armor each), and return 10% of duplicated health as 50-50 energy-health when killed (say a 250 health ghost dies, ~13 health, ~13energy restored for frame), or less depending on balancing testing.

Ability 1 summons a transference ghost, by default offensive, max 4-5 at max rank, permanent duration since the clones get progressively weaker.

Ability 2 selects ghost role, can mix&match:

-offensive shoots an amp, visual based on operator equipped amp, stats based on frame stats or exalted weapon slot, and has range-dependent damage aura (based on void static skill from zenurik), kills with aura restore low energy (5-15 per kill?), kills with amp have a chance to grant extra ammo pickups depending on impact/slash/puncture damage taken by enemy killed (void status magnetism-related)

-defensive does the barrier skill (based on guardian shield from vazarin), dashes on cooldown of 5 seconds to intercept damage from next source (i.e. enemy shoots, ghost dashes to barrier-defend), blocks a percentage of damage, rest is taken by ghost.

-support does the heal-dash skill (from the magus arcane) on a cooldown that resets when killing with headshots

-stealth uses void shadow (from unairu) to stealth with duration and cooldown

Ability 3 summons all ghosts to frame and channels an aoe effect similar to their abilities:

-Offensive shoots a homing missile (like rell's) at enemies at x/second rate

-defensive grants protection while channeling with x durability

-support grants x aoe healing in y range while channeling (or self-only unless multiple supports?)

-stealth blinds all nearby enemies and increases finisher speed and damage for a few seconds after channeling stops, based on channel duration

-Can mix&match ghosts to create multiple effects but more effective if stacking (multiple projectiles, increased damage, more aoe healing range/amount, aoe protection, aoe finisher buff) depending on number of ghosts of each type

-Think of Erra quest cinematic for visual of ghosts acting as army for central figure)

Ability 4 overpowers currently summoned ghosts while on at energy cost:

-Offensive granted void dash that deals damage when it goes through enemies (blazing/meteoric dash)

-Defensive does void blast on enemies it protects against, lowering their resistances (armor,shields, or speed depending if grineer/corpus/infested) or increases damage taken by Sentient

-Support grants unlimited ammo while channeled, killing enemies with unlimited ammo weapon grants energy to other players but not self

-stealth grants increased haste (fire rate, melee speed, move speed)

 

Spoiler

 

Idea no. 2: Vandal (Weaponmaster, damage/cc)

Another thing that might work is a frame based around switching various melee weapons and either disallowing normal weapons or granting bonus for not doing so. Some ideas below.

Passive: Can't equip regular weapons, relies on energy-spending exalted weapons, converts all ammo pickups into energy unless using 4th skill, then converts ammo into ammo for 4th up to limit based on duration)

Ability 1: Summon an exalted glaive that drains energy with each swing, expend more energy to throw, distance based on range. Combo slam disintegrates glaive, spends energy to send out multiple heat-seeking daggers in a circle based on range.

Ability 2: Summon an exalted hammer that drains energy with each swing and while moving or attacking, expend more energy to slam for duration-based stun or stagger with 50/50 chance CC and damage in cone in direction of slam, expend more energy for combo slam to disintegrate hammer and do duration-based knockdown or stun with 50/50 chance in area around impact based on range.

Ability 3: Summons a pair of exalted warfans that drain energy with each swing, less if used while moving, expends more energy for charged attack sending out a wave of slash damage based on range, dissipates on combo slam to create CC tornado ragdolling enemies with severity based on range and enemy mass (for example nox could just be dragged forward and knocked prone)

Ability 4: Disable other 3 skills for x time based on duration (higher duration = higher disable time to make sure you can't duration-only build to mitigate energy management mechanic), expend all energy, disable energy regen, summon staff gun that acts as staff melee weapon but adds in shots similar to gunblades or shoots to reticle on heavy attack (like a combo between a staff and a ferrox/javlok/scourge), duration set to disable duration, converts ammo into ammo for gunstaff. On end, converts unused ammo back to energy.

 

Spoiler

 

Idea no. 3: Xen (Teleporter, battlefield control, mobility)

Another thing we don't have yet is a frame specifically set around teleporting. We have some idea of it in the form of Nova's portal, and Ash's shadow clones / teleport, even loki's switch teleport, but nothing where that's the central mechanic. Think Gauss levels of mobility, but with less head-in-wall impacts.

Passive: On death, can attach to enemies or players, distance traveled while attached fills a gauge like Inaros' coffin, if gauge fills, player revives. Body can still be revived by players or by player manually, a spirit-like thing could be the controllable attachment.

Ability 1: Dash-melee, either teleport forward based on range, or toggle on to build charge, telegraph path, toggle off to initiate teleport, slash status on enemies on path.

Ability 2: Teleport to target location, high range, stagger enemies on current and target location when initiated, low duration shield on target destination to avoid one-shots.

Ability 3: Tap to select type of portal to deploy, type 1: storage portal, vacuums enemies in range, stores them at energy cost per second (similar to grendel). Although unseen, enemies travel in a perpetual portal-tunnel while stored, building up momentum, type 2: launch portal, enemies released at momentum built up in direction cast, chance to drop extra loot as it gibs on impact with surface/other enemies

Ability 4: hold to increase cast area (similar to garuda 4), release to create containment zone, teleport between enemies with dash-melee like ability 1 until energy expended, auto-targets enemies inside area used)

 

 

[(PSN)sharkcrest666]

What about a parasite frame thats extremely squishy but can use normal humanistic mobs as a meat suit by entering their body and using their health/Armor. Was thinking that most of the abilitys would infested themed like turning enemy into hives that birth little infectors similar to nidus maggots and have a hive mind mentality like have a cycle like vaneries commands that could be they stay around you to try and take hits or alow you to swap body. then have a more agresive mode where they hunt down enemys using slash a viral damage to hurt them and last on the cycle is that they prioratize infecting enemys by blowing up by them and stunning them allowing infectors to get inside them. Another idea is that you inject inzymes into an enemy and depending on power strenght you can disolve its insides/Health pool as its tethered to the ground and drink it like a slushie which gives you a regen over time buff which you and youre allies can use and slows down youre body necrotic break down over time untill you need a new host. I was thinking it looks like a female infested and its stats would be that it starts with 100 health and end with 125, 100 energy start and ends with 200 energy 0 sheilds and 50 armor and the passive is that it gets a double movement speed and 700 30% of its hosts armor for 10 second after leaving a host to find a new one. Meant to be less of a spam ability warframe and more of a gets stronger by enemys and numbers built over time.

[The_CEO]

In short: Grineer counterpart to Valkyr's Corpus origins. Typhon (Greek "Father of all Monsters")

The long version...

Warning: Spoilers ahead for The Second Dream and The Sacrifice questlines. You have been warned...

Spoiler

So assuming Umbra (and presumably the primes) are manufactured by taking some poor soul and exposing them to a strain of the infestation, and that said strain is possibly still out there in the Origin System not only as the frames but in unique bio-forms as well, picture this:

Tyl Regor, after his multiple "setbacks" at the hands of the Tenno, began to ponder. In order to defeat the Tenno he shall create one of his own.

Spoiler

This is working off the assumption the Grineer don't have a full grasp of what exactly the Tenno are and have no knowledge of the operators, so he assumes the frames are the Tenno

Working with an upstart Corpus Businessman who happened to be selling dormant Warframes in their cryo-pods to the likes of Alad V for his various "business ventures" he obtained a sleeping Tenno yet to wake. Under heavy security detail he tore the thing apart, hacking off limbs, draining fluids, arranging and rearranging bodily components until what was to be Tyl Regor's magnum opus was nearly complete... Until...

It woke up.

Spoiler

As the operator's mind filled the void within the mangled frame, pain and suffering flooded their mind. Both the frame and operator overwhelmed with a seering agony and lust for revenge that was too much for either half of the pair.

Now an abomination of Orokin and Grineer science, Typhon (Named such after the Greek "Father of all Monsters") uses a hybrid style of typical Tenno style abilities and Grineer machinery and augmentation to ravage his defilers...

[Texaera]

Explosive-Shrapnel Frame! (Think blast damage and Air plane bomber noises!)

Thinking Of things like area control and scattering little bits of shrapnel (perhaps embedded in its body) it can set off with violent (colourful) explosions! A frame to crash into its enemies with violence and Vigor!

Bombing enemies like its a part of you (and it is! quite literally, embedded in your skull... and other vital parts.)
Perhaps an enraged glowing shrapnel effect on the frame when certain abilities line up to benefit from extra effect, or just visual celebration for nuking alot of enemies in one swoop!

[(PSN)Undertow00]

There was an old game for Sega Genesis console, and others, that era. A game called vectorman! Ive always dreamed of reliving that in warframe. Vectorman is essentially a waste disposal robot, who was built to clean up pollution, which can get in places most cant, so in the game you can make 4 different transformations, a land, sea, air, and subterranean form. In warframe he could be as simple as an eco-friendly frame, that has abilities to clean or purify, vacuum up items or maybe heal status from self+Allies. In vectorman he was an [orbot] A robot that consisted of floating orbs, all moving in unison.  

I feel that while the direct port of vectorman into warframe is probably copyright, the potential for a new idea from a environmentally friendly frame with a backstory of a highly polluted city on sedna, those grineer factories and all, and the hero to save sedna from sheer rot of grineer mass production, is very do-able. Id love to see a warframe that could also be viewed as an answer to recently buffed infested units, he could be the Exterminator!  

Thank You DE, i love this game and always will. Peace

[valtrezz]

A King based frame (a knight armor based look with and a ornamental crown color black for armor, silver and gold metalic for the crown with a jewel with color based on frame energy) a frame master of all berserker style with 3 exalted weapons mace, greatsword, spike ball and chian each in respective order. They all have a unique fighting stance and damage type impact, slash, and puncture in order of the exalted weapons listed of above. It's's ultimate summons 3 warriors each with a different exalted weapon the frame gets a life drain (blood and black aura in look) from enemies around it from a certain distance on a timer and can't be summoned again until it runs out but warriors stay close to the frame. It's passive is bonus damage and when spectral warriors are active they take the down instead of you to revive automatically. 

[Nice_Wars_18]

Wertheim came out of the darkness to help the Tenno, his power is based on the variation of dark energy and destroying it. a little backstory. He came from distant space, as only saw as Nova has become not cope, using the key of the abyss which he previously found in ruins, he arrived sake of aid, around him was only darkness and this darkness was scaring opponents, as only he raised hand all opponents as if disappeared in matter of darkness

[(PSN)WarStratigist]

I was thinking a type of elements summoner, so I came up with these his/her name would be Soshi (it means elements in japan) so it would be the four primary elements of Warframe Fire, ice, toction, and electric and you can mix the elements to make new elements ex. mix fire and ice to get blast damage and it could be a tornado. So it could be a EPS frame   

[(XBOX)TheSquidReaper]

A Warframe with its limbs attached to the main body by short tentacle-like lengths of coil. (Or organic tendon-like coils if it's infested)

[Eclipse_Flash]

How about a samurai themed Warframe that is connected to the Arbiters of Hexis. His name would could be Adage and his description could be "Adage is a disciplined warrior that only speaks of the truth and can control time with responsibilities". He would also be partially connected to time.

His passive would be that there will be a 15% chance for the enemies speed to slow down by 75% if they hit Adage.

His 1st ability could create an invisible field that would stop time, only for the enemies, and the enemies within that radius will stop moving and bleed to death; for his 2nd ability, he could summon a cloud of falling rain that will heal allies overtime but will bleed enemies to death; for his 3rd ability, he could be in a meditation position while a sphere is protecting it, shooting beams of light at enemies as the frame slowly regenerates health; and for his 4th ability, he would probably summon a sword that is very sacred to Adage, not only will the sword deal a slash status effect and bleed status effect, but it will also freeze the enemies at their position for a short duration, and once they die, their health and shield will be absorbed by Adage.

 

[AshlynniiBrackets]

Likan

Hell hath no fury like Nature encroached, lashing out, endowing itself with thorn and maw.

Plant werewolf/werebrow. A pun on "lycan/lichen", the frame would be bulky in stature (similar to Chroma's build) and covered in bark-like, lichen-like, and other general plant-like textures, along with a kubrow nose-analogue on the head and a draping sash as a tail-analogue. Can stand both calm and watchful with a head looking around in all directions, or bend low in a prowl, hands curled in a claw-like stance.

His passive would be similar to Mirage's Eclipse in means of activation, being based around light and dark ambient lighting. Light buff would give mobility boost and increased accuracy, while Dark buff would give increased melee range and damage.

From disarming enemies with maple seeds (helicopter seeds), immobilizing enemies with a combination of choking pollen and binding roots, and summoning small amounts of spectral hound remnants, before plunging the world into darkness under Lua and summoning the entire pack, along activating the buffs from both Light and Dark simultaneously on both him and his teammates.

[WhoTFFarted]

A frame that takes attributes from the variety of fauna of the world of warframe. I.E. kubrodon stance, where the warframe becomes super tanky. Basically a "beast-frame", but not based around pets like Khora.

[(XBOX)gunpla noob]

a demolition frame all about heavy weaponry and maximum decimation

Name: chellfire

story: with the knowledge gained from dismantling a Warframe alad v built an almost entirely robotic Warframe

Gender:female

Passive ability: increase ammo on all primaries by 7.5%

Ability ideas:Airstrikes, throwable cluster bombs, parts that detach and reattach themselves to ally and enemy weapons to buff Allies weapons and explode enemy weapons, exelteded weapon of a grenade launcher with options like sticky grenades or a rapid fire or regular grenades or the exelteded weapon is two massive chain guns, chellfire unleashes an all-out barrage of missiles hidden within secret compartments inside her body, turrents are deployed laying down suppressing fire

design: something similar to these

 

[Saendithas_]

A hand to hand combat / martial artist frame.

Disarming, parrying and stunning with his fists and legs.

Can deflect bullets or projectiles.

Kicks people so hard they explode.

[(NSW)DSiRy]

Pesado

Once a humble servant of Orokin, Pesado forces his enemy to prostrate before him using his gravity power.

 

Appearance image:

Male Warframe with thin bodyshape. Probably with tuxedo-ish skin.

Pesado is like an exiled butler. His once elegant appeance has been tarnished and decayed over the ages. 

 

Lore:

Unlike other Warframes, Pesado was considered as a butler and a bodyguard for high ranking Orokin personnel.

His gravity power can be used to create indestructible shield as well as deadly weapon.

However, witnessing the tyranny of Orokin closely made him infuriated against all kinds of dictatorship. 

And one fateful day when Tenno started war against against Orokin, Pesado "flattened" his former master and went into exile.

He's now chasing after Greneer and Corpus to end their abuse of power across all the Origin System.

[MadMuse]

Glaive Frame. I mean, come on. Also, I think it'd have to have an exalted glaive as well as abilities based off Dark Sector

[(PSN)Azure_Maji]

A warframe based on going insane, getting stronger the lower their health is.

[HighVelocityFish]

I feel for the poor folks at DE who have to read through this thread...

It would be pretty solid to have an explosive damage type frame to complement the other elemental frames! There isn't an exalted launcher weapon yet, and with the reworks to self-damage, that could be really, really cool. Might be tough to make it work mechanically since explosive has a pretty mediocre status effect, but with some solid ability synergies it could be a fun frame to play anyhow.

(Not to mention, I'd be excited to see the kinds of things the sound effects team could do with something like this. Star Wars seismic charges, anyone?)

Could be neat to see it tied in with Railjack lore-wise; seeing as the Grineer have sappers, might make sense that there are Warframes meant to do something similar.

[-JHL-]

You know I was about to post an idea. But all the ideas I had were already taken.....

[(PSN)Spetsnaz2397]

A warframe based off the use of arcane energy, and is essentially a mage, but can turn themselves into pure energy or singularity to use some of their abilities or ultimates.

[Rhynerd]

I don't know if it's been suggested already or not, but here we go:

How about a warframe designed to be a spotter for either large weapons or other warframes? One with the goal of setting up specific targets so their allies can quickly destroy them or exposing hidden enemies?