Better Solo Relic Runs

[LarenaBot]

I know this has been suggested time and again, and I know Warframe is a co op game, so encouraging co op makes total sense.

But trying to farm rares from relics solo is inordinately miserable.

I don't want solo farming to be equal to doing it with a group, understand why that's bad. But as someone with very crippling social anxiety, I unfortunately can't handle pick up groups, i feel sick and on the verge of tears when I try to play with strangers. and I don't have many friends who play the game nor do I want to feel like I'm burdening them to try and get the stuff I want.

I think it would be a very nice thing to institute some system for players like me, who have very real reasons that the co op benefits don't outweigh the stress involved. Perhaps if you run a relic solo you could get two cracks per relic, and choose one, as if we were playing with one other player. There could even be some cost involved.

DE has shown a great understanding and respect for those who suffer from mental illness so I just hope this can be considered.

[anonymous14z]

At the risk of offense.

I'm a bit bewildered that you feel anything from anybody in warframe, usually me and my group of randoms are running in such a deep state of "zombie-mode" that we might as well be breathing the fumes from an anesthesia tank.

But uhh Yeah, it would be nice to let solo players have some benefit, maybe the "crack 2 relics per run" thing would be nice, or maybe giving them a minimum of 2 options per relic run? (as if running with 2 players)

[LarenaBot]

1 hour ago, anonymous14z said:

At the risk of offense.

I'm a bit bewildered that you feel anything from anybody in warframe, usually me and my group of randoms are running in such a deep state of "zombie-mode" that we might as well be breathing the fumes from an anesthesia tank.

But uhh Yeah, it would be nice to let solo players have some benefit, maybe the "crack 2 relics per run" thing would be nice, or maybe giving them a minimum of 2 options per relic run? (as if running with 2 players)

No offense, I very much understand that my brain is weird and bad and doesnt strictly reflect reality. I wish it wasnt.

The thing for me is very much that even the *chance* that someone might see me, like, playing my frame bad, or fumbling with controls and not doing enough damage, and be annoyed, amused, or worst of all angry, fills me with a horrible feeling. And then I imagine things like them complaining about me to other people or stuff like that and I just can't handle it.

I absolutely understand that that is probably a very rare situation and most players don't care at all, but it's impossible for me to connect that logic to my emotions.

[anonymous14z]

-This thread is getting hijacked ALOT-

If I may calm one part of your nerves, (namely the ones about not doing enough damage, or killing enemies) I remember playing the game "firefall" on a laptop that was below minimum specifications and I got an average FPS of 12?, with an average FPS in combat of about 8? (sometimes as low as 0.7), and to compensate for this BIG problem, I grouped up with people -or rather formed them myself- and despite that I was a terrible shot and contributing very little to the DPS (and yes there were some addons where the DPS of members was noted) almost NOBODY ever called me out on my poor performance, (or at least I can't remember the last time I was criticized).

Indeed it was a pretty bewildering experience, I was playing as the "heavy weapons guy" class and I remember spraying my minigun recklessly in the direction of the enemy hoping I'd hit something, getting terrible accuracy of like 3%, and the only reason I counted for contribution was because of the "enemy mark contribution" I got from spamming that button, and because I was in a group. I even remember feeling almost... ignored because I thought SOMEBODY would notice my poor performance, and well maybe they did, but they never cared to comment about it.

So, I guess you can comfort yourself with this anecdote if you want, and I sense a LOT of player overlap between those 2 games, so the bewildering apathy also probably, applies to warframe.
So I'd suggest you use titania, or wukong for their EZ-mode movement to keep up with your teammates as you contribute little DPS/kills to farm those relic missions a bit better. (Yes I know it sounds a bit parasitic, but you'd be surprised at how little people care, if not, just use high-projection weapons with wukong like larkspur)

(or DE can just make solo relics moderately more rewarding)

[Yamazuki]

Unless you're opening a relic that no one is even opening, you could just use chat filter and just PM someone a simple "Invite" that is starting a group and proceed to never have any sort of actual interaction. This is how all my rad share runs went, never actually talked to anyone at all, unless they asked me a question.

As someone who also has multiple forms of severe anxiety, I am actually confused how anxiety prevents the use of chat filters and one word, or at least matchmaking to just get anything, but that same anxiety isn't bad enough to stop the act of posting on forums, where you're actually going to interact with even more people than you would even if you set up a group yourself.

[LarenaBot]

Frankly I've already explained my mental illness more than I'm obligated to. I know my own experiences are real, and don't have to explain how they make sense to strangers.

If people want to discuss the actual topic, please do. But if not, then kindly keep the questions to yourself.

[(NSW)BalticBarbarian]

I think I understand what you are saying - when I started playing warframe I kept my matchmaking to "solo" for quite a long time for reasons pretty similar to what you described (although in a much milder form). At some point I got over it, but that may not be possible for everyone. All I can do here is reassure you that people really don't care what you do in most public missions (or how fast you do it) - that's what the extraction timer is for.

In the specific case of relic cracking, I'm afraid there's little hope for DE to implement the system you are suggesting. At the end of the day, you playing in a group means you see other players' loadouts and cosmetics. And that is advertising: you see something you like - you go to the Market and give DE money. That is why Warframe (and many other games) is geared toward multiplayer: cosmetic microtransactions don't work in a solo game.

Relic cracking is one of Warframe's main gameplay loops, and allowing its solo experience to be comparable with coop would lose DE a lot of advertising (and hence revenue). So I strongly doubt that it's going to happen any time soon.

[Steel_Rook]

I doubt DE will ever do any significant changes to Relics for one simple reason - "secondary market." It took me a couple of years, but I finally understand this basic truth. Relic Missions aren't there for me or you to open a few and hopefully get the pieces we need. They CAN be used for this, but they're not designed for it. What they're designed for is the people who earn and open hundreds of these things, then sell their contents on Warframe.market. Relics run a fine balance between convincing you it's possible to get what you want while making it sufficiently inconvenient enough that you go spend money. Any change made to let us more easily get what we're after is a change that makes us spend less Plat. It's not going to happen. Relics are for the Market, not for the Consumer.

[CephalonCarnage]

In my experience of playing, even when it is noticable that you're screwing up, people are considerate.

I recall as a new player running an extractor mission on Earth, and I got lost (the green reticle never said you had to go up, and I ran around unable to find the exit). I even said as much and one of the guys there came back to help me find the stupid map kink that was obvious to them (possibly because they had played that map enough to memorise it), but totally obscure to me. Warframe has a strangely helpful community, and I think that rubs off on everyone else who plays and then wants to help too.

One option is to build a clan of you and people who also hate "pick up groups" bullet-jumping around and completing missions in seconds, and play with them.

If you were ever to try to deal with your illness by challenging yourself to get out of your comfort zone, warframe is possibly the best place to do it. I would happily join you in relic missions just as an assistant to quietly go at your pace, if you'd like that. Add me in game any time, I'm old and slow at this thing, you'll probbaly be better than me :)

[(PSN)thegarada]

2 hours ago, Steel_Rook said:

I doubt DE will ever do any significant changes to Relics for one simple reason - "secondary market." It took me a couple of years, but I finally understand this basic truth. Relic Missions aren't there for me or you to open a few and hopefully get the pieces we need. They CAN be used for this, but they're not designed for it. What they're designed for is the people who earn and open hundreds of these things, then sell their contents on Warframe.market. Relics run a fine balance between convincing you it's possible to get what you want while making it sufficiently inconvenient enough that you go spend money. Any change made to let us more easily get what we're after is a change that makes us spend less Plat. It's not going to happen. Relics are for the Market, not for the Consumer.

While you are correct, someone has to run the relics to open them. As a compromise, I think it should allow players to be able to run 2 relics per mission/round instead of one. It is still one roll per relic, but allows people who have and are willing to spend resources faster to do so. It is still far more profitable to run in a squad.

[_Anise_]

On 2020-10-12 at 8:50 AM, Larena said:

But as someone with very crippling social anxiety, I unfortunately can't handle pick up groups, i feel sick and on the verge of tears when I try to play with strangers

what kind of pug? you mean getting messaging people so you are all running the same relic ? I can understand that but running relics using auto queue against randoms ? most the time they don't even talk. could just as easily be playing with 3 specters and not notice the difference!

12 hours ago, Larena said:

If people want to discuss the actual topic, please do. But if not, then kindly keep the questions to yourself.

then maybe shouldn't have even mentioned your illness simply presented your argument as you wanted relics to be more rewarding towards solo players?

anyway will indulge, maybe what they could do is each relic run give 1 bonus roll from a random relic with maybe 1 upgrade level for each player in the group so you still get something more as solo player it just be better for playing in a group, why ? because I am all for more rewards and sometimes feel you get stiffed on 4 common rewards and no forma option sometimes!

[AperoBeltaTwo]

1 hour ago, Lessfatz said:

So you're playing that game, huh? 

It's quite low tbh xD

I'm quite confident you know where I think you should be going with that kind of attitude, buddy.

Picking up people in recruiting chat could be quite stressful and in the over 2000 hours that I've spent playing Warframe I've done it only a few times and still hate it with a glowing passion. Searching for people in recruiting sucks. And I don't know if you're aware of this, but back in the day playing solo was perfectly viable for prime gear farming, before DE decided to completely wreck prime economy with the introduction of the relic system, effectively turning pretty much all prime gear across the board into equally cheap and abundant junk. Void 2.0 was literally the worst update in Warframe history, from which A LOT of current issues with the game have branched off of.

[Lessfatz]

1 hour ago, AperoBeltaTwo said:

I'm quite confident you know where I think you should be going with that kind of attitude, buddy.

Picking up people in recruiting chat could be quite stressful and in the over 2000 hours that I've spent playing Warframe I've done it only a few times and still hate it with a glowing passion. Searching for people in recruiting sucks. And I don't know if you're aware of this, but back in the day playing solo was perfectly viable for prime gear farming, before DE decided to completely wreck prime economy with the introduction of the relic system, effectively turning pretty much all prime gear across the board into equally cheap and abundant junk. Void 2.0 was literally the worst update in Warframe history, from which A LOT of current issues with the game have branched off of.

Sure-sure, babble all you want and pray DE will hear your cries.

After all, that's the only thing you're capable of, "buddy" xD

[Norm_von_Dolbit]

I see one solution that DE could possibly make: matchmaking system for relics. Ther will be special interface where you choose one of your relics and, for example, you click "check" on "Find parties with same relics". It absolutely excludes social interraction.

[lnfine]

50 минут назад, Norm_von_Dolbit сказал:

I see one solution that DE could possibly make: matchmaking system for relics. Ther will be special interface where you choose one of your relics and, for example, you click "check" on "Find parties with same relics". It absolutely excludes social interraction.

I don't think the problem is relic matching. It's a non issue really. I've never even ran premade relic groups and it's not a problem.

The problem is you have to play with other people. Especially crack relics with other people which involves reactant issues (hello there excavation fissures).

And in general people may not be able to play in a group for various issues, not specifically anxiety. Bad connection, for example.

 

The problem is relics are probably the only activity that gets absolutely shafted when soloing compared to when grouping. With anybody, not just with people with the same relic.

You can do many things in the game solo. You can solo dolans, solo PT, solo SP, solo disruption, solo excavation, solo interception, solo arbitrations, solo grendel farm. It may take a bit longer, it may involve some more effort, but it's perfectly doable and will get you the same reward.

Cracking relics solo though is a lovecraftean nightmare. Because the punishment for going solo is quartering your chance of a rare reward. On a limited number of runs available.

[(PSN)ArianaG_--]

10% is more than generous when running rad and aiming for a rare. correct me if im wrong but tl:dr you want relic farming for solo friendly?

as much as I want to try to understand the way you feel with strangers, the game itself is easy on solo. playing coop just makes it more easier.

there is a mute button so you can avoid hearing them talk, other than that i think you should do your part as well and I hope you are seeing someone for your anxiety. asking the world to bend over your situation without you doing something to improve your wellbeing at the same time is a big no for me. 

you can try helping yourself by maybe doing it with clanmates/friends or people you are comfortable with then slowly go out of your circle and comfort zone.