Better Using Slots And Skins

[Beean]

DISCLAIMER

The ideas and numbers used in examples are just that IDEAS, they might be bad but are just being used to get the IDEA across, I am hoping for people who are willing to point out the flaws and then help make it a stronger idea even if it evolves into something different than what is laid out here…

 

CURRENT SYSTEM

 

MASTERY

With both frames and weapons there is the idea of “throw away” for mastery items, generally deemed junk by the community and only worth building/leveling for the account mastery. This is only if you are pushing for high/max level mastery rank, if you are not you would generally just avoid these “trash” items…which I think is a shame for the work DE puts into each item in game.

 

This result in the feeling of a pure grind to improve ones mastery for mastery alone…there is not sense of scaling or purposeful progress…

WEAPON/FRAME SLOTS

If you plan ahead you really don’t ever NEED or WANT to purchase slots unless you want to keep more weapons/frames for a collection…however for any F2P player looking to just min/max grinding through “trash” to keep a few good items isn’t anything new.

 

There is nothing preventing a player from grinding out the “prime” variant of a particular frame and ignoring the base frame.

SKINS

I love skins in games, cosmetic changes really help me find my own personal experience in the game but the current system really negates that by being woefully underused/disadvantageous to progress (skins only working on a particular version of weapon)

Also, the SAME weapon is split into TWO weapons for mastery reasons (I’m guessing no idea)

NEW SYSTEM

 

I personally feel that there needs to be a better return for investment in leveling items to reduce the “trash” concept. This can be done with items in game while still maintaining Mastery gating and INCREASING the usefulness of additional slots and INCREASING the usefulness of the skins mechanic.

 

MASTERY

This is an important “meta” and way to help Tier weapons as the idea of “side grades” is not feasible with the variety of content and mods etc. It is possible to have “side grade” tiers (which I believe DEScott mentioned at some point as a possibility). How do you create tiers? Mastery locking items as some currently are. All it takes it the time investment from DE (after dmg 2.0) to determine and set those tiers…you can have 3 tiers to 100 as long as your criteria for tier placement makes some sense.  By doing this to MORE weapons you

 

A) Encourage players to play with a wider variety of weapons and frames to increase their experience.

 

B) Provide goals for players to work towards “I can choose between X and Y right now, when I’m Mastery ___ I’ll be able to use Z”

 

This itself will not add more purpose to grinding out lower tier weapons but provides clearer distinction of what is considered powerful

WEAPON/FRAME SLOTS and SKINS

How to both encourage players to enjoy their favorite high tier weapons while not “trashing” items for mastery? How to encourage players to buy slots to improve their experience (not require it, but convince). This bleeds into the increased use of skins, where variants of the same weapon become skins for that base weapon. I know this has been brought up before. However, make this progression a recipe of sorts. I.E.

 

MK1-Braton         - Tier 0 Starting weapon

    - No requirements

 

Braton                  - Tier 1 weapon, upgraded MK1

                             - Min req: MK1-Braton rank 10 and mastery 1

Braton Prime        - Tier 3 weapon, orokin grade Braton

                             - Min req: Braton rank 20 and mastery 4

 

The previous variant exists in the NEW gun as a skin model while the stat modifiers exist as a separate selection (can used MK1 model/skin with Prime stats…)

 

This means that as a player if I want to own use the Braton Prime I will need to have previously ranked up the MK1 and Braton to at least rank 10 and 20 respectively. This means players are not forced to play for max mastery, but still requires investment to unlock the “best” content.

 

A)   This encourages better use of the skin mechanic, by separating the skin/model from the augmentation you can still use your favorite look, but customize it for your best game experience. I.E Day of Dead Braton Skin with Braton Prime stats

 

B)   This encourages players to buy slots! Becase the upgrades are not strictly sequential, but spread over tiers of content I will want to keep my Braton Series of guns (in one slot) until I am able to enjoy all of the content the Series offers…

 

C)  This also works for Warframes:

 

Mag             - Tier 0 starting frame

        - No requirements

 

Mag Prime   - Tier 2, Orokin grade Mag

                    - Min req: Mag rank 15 and mastery 3

 

Finally this also helps with customization as players are able to use the same quality items which can look completely different…and makes better use of the skins mechanic. To solve for the Mastery argument, each time you Tier up a weapon it should create a NEW weapon with the old variant(s) as a skin(s)/Augmentations. This way you retain the mastery level from each item while making better use of game mechanics.

CAVEATS

1)    This does not work for Founder/Event rewards (Excal Prime, Vandals and Wraiths) as they SHOULD remain accessible upon completion of the event/requirements.

 

2)    This would require/encourage that items bought with PLATINUM would ignore the regular requirement rules…if a mastery 0 player wants to spend plat to purchase a mastery rank locked item it should allow them to as they are financially investing in the game (F2P also invest, but they invest time). Otherwise this system will discourage item purchasing…

 

3)    To maximize the use of this system items of LIKE behavior should be upgrades rather than only IDENTICAL items…I.E. Burston upgrades into Hind, or Grakatta upgrades into Soma…This creates weapon “Classes”

 

4)    How does this affect FORMA? One of the arguments against skinning items is that FORMA use is discouraged as a result. I propose that players are reimbursed 2 used forma (on an item) per mastery rank over item requirements…in the Braton Series example:

 

a. I am mastery rank 6 and am finally returning to the Braton Series to upgrade from my 6 forma Braton to the Braton prime…the Braton prime requires mastery 4 so I will be reimbursed 2 of my 6 used forma since I am 2 mastery ranks above the requirement …

 

This allows me to increase low tier weapons power without losing my investment completely and without allowing me to rapidly increase a higher tier weapons power without further investment.

   

 

 

TLDR:

Slots are undervalued, Skins are under used. Make Skins from older weapons. Implement tiers. Profit.

 

P.S. Sorry for wall of text…definitely longer than originally envisioned.

[KijaJouteh]

I disagree, this would make the game even more grindy. Most people get the prime version of something, because it is better than the non-primed. I don't want use the non-primed Braton, because Braton Prime is better. I don't want to waste time with the Braton, when I can just get a Braton Prime.

Or maybe i'm just to lazy?

Edited October 29, 2013 by KijaJouteh

[Beean]

I understand that view point, which is why you wouldn't need a rank 30 weapon to upgrade, just some sort of experiance with it to do so...i mean I can get a new unranked weapon to 5-6 in one mission if I play smart...and while that isn't true for brand-new players they also aren't really looking to get a braton prime at rank 1. I think it encourages progressive power play rather than increasing power to the nth degree...

 

essentially adds a controllable curve for power creep

[xbansheex]

however, the game also gives a 50 platinum at the start of a new account creation

50 plat IF they ever make a mistake like in the recent u10.1 followed with a hotfix

extra platinum from outside events making platinum quite alright at some point

 

50 platinum is usually spent on 1 warframe slot and 4 weapon slots if a player actually does a research

just like how they'd do the same on excalibur and mag as starters

 

the limited weapons system also encourages players to actually make a choice whether or not to sell and make decisions as to what weapons they are comfortable with

 

quality-wise no

I disapprove about prime skins to the very end, its a pain when update 10 first came out and veterans had to spend hell of keys just to get mag prime

and only a handful got it after the livestream 14 hotfix, and you just want to give out skins which are primes? I wouldn't

 

as for encouraging players to actually rank up, isn't this why the minimal mastery rank requirement was included even in clans?

rank 2 for boar/kunais, 3 for gorgon, 6 for soma, 7 acrid, 8 synapse etc etc

 

thus it forces players to actually think about what weapon they may want to use for now as a placeholder or stepping stone

kind of a pretty slow and steady advance and not a crazy from MK-1 braton to soma or flux rifle progression immediately no?

 

as for forma, that is one thing I felt most players did, neglecting research on weapons

when I started getting serious in the game I did research as to "what sort of weapon I may want to use", "how will I invest my time in this weapon", "what rank is this weapon, do I need to put this this this mod in and forma it or whatnot"

its not the DEs fault players neglected about researching the weapons the DE has in the game 

 

these are my personal opinions though, opinions will differ 

[Beean]

quality-wise no

I disapprove about prime skins to the very end, its a pain when update 10 first came out and veterans had to spend hell of keys just to get mag prime

and only a handful got it after the livestream 14 hotfix, and you just want to give out skins which are primes? I wouldn't

I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, you would still need to farm for the parts and craft the items as usual, I would just be adding in an extra component...so mag and mag prime:

to build mag prime you would need: mag at some defined rank, mag prime blueprint, helm, chassis, systems, orokin cells credits...when the mag prime finished crafting the MAG would be a skin option for the MAG prime. 

 

I agree that it isn't DE's fault for players not researching information, and the pending Codex will go a long ways to helping this, but it is a way of making the new player experience smoother...

 

I don't know if that changes anything about your perception of this but thank you for your feedback!