Scarlet Spear's Minimum Participation Requirement Too Low

[BootlegSpaceAunt]

My eyebrows shot right up when I saw, "To participate in this Operation, you must be at least Mastery Rank 3" in the Operation: Scarlet Spear announcement. Surely completion of The War Within quest, at the very least? It didn't really dawn on me how frustrating this was going to be until tonight. I had an MR-3 Excalibur in my ground assault team, and it was just silly.

Screenshot, because I bring receipts.

  

I say this with no ill will towards the player, but they had no business being in this mission. Their weapons did nothing but tickle the Grineer. They had no way of dealing with Sentient foes, namely an amp and operator abilities. The only way they managed to survive, as well as they did, was because we carried them. Honestly, I wouldn't have minded that. It could have been a great mentoring mission A chance for veteran players to give a newbie some tips. At the very least, explain what they're supposed to do in the mission, since they couldn't pull their weight - at all.

We resigned ourselves that at least they'll put down their oplink, and maybe learn something by watching us work...but no.  They never put down their oplink. Not once. We messaged them in team chat, flotilla chat and private chat. One of the players even offered them starter mods, but no response. Thinking back a few thousand hours of gameplay ago, we quickly realised the reason for their silence was simple: they don't know pressing T is how to access text chat. They didn't know because they're Mastery Rank 3, and had no business being in this mission.  You might be sitting in your WFH jammies thinking, "Tennossee, don't be such a grumpy pants! What are you, a Warframe partner?" ( 😉 )

Now look here, I love this game, and helping new players. It's one of my favourite pastimes. Some have even called me "The Other Space Aunt". However, MR3 is too low of a bar for participation in this event. They're just learning how to bullet jump without throwing themselves off edges. Or figuring out what a gear wheel is, and how to equip a Codex Scanner. They might even have their first Kubrow or an Archwing. Come on, most of Little Duck's event inventory is stocked with items they can't even fathom at that level. Having completed The Second Dream is not enough preparation for an event as intense as Operation: Scarlet Spear. At least, not without frustrating higher-level players, who will now end up having to do all the leg work. Please quest-lock it to The War Within, which one of my learned Tennos refers to as the real end of the Warframe tutorial.

(Seriously, if the event puts an MR3 on my squad for a Murex run, I'm going to turn the Railjack right around and head right back to the space station; but, not before passing through a McDonald's Drive Thru and ordering myself a black coffee only.)

Stay safe, DE. We love you all. Digital hugs.

[A7roboBOT]

I have to agree with you here. It's noble to be inclusive and helpful to new players, but this is endgame content, and it will eat them alive.