Have mission mini-bosses be a threat

[Leo.doodling]

In my opinion the mini-bosses (Juggernaut, Ambulas, Grustrag 3) are quite weak, forgettable, and don't really pose a problem like they should.

I think it would make a more unique encounter if the player had to make a decision whether they should stop to attack this enemy or run past. As in this fight will take some time and be more involved, have more attacks, inflict more damage types, that would mix things up for players. (I am not saying make them simply a big damage sponge though, that's just boring). The Thumper in the planes is a good example as to what I am thinking the mini-bosses should feel like, but not quite as long a fight that unit can take.

To take the Lnyx for example, the four legged Corpus unit, you could do a lot more interesting things as like a mobile tank unit. Just to throw out random, in the moment ideas: You could have the enemy spawn in allies. It could crouch down and emit an electrical bubble against melee fighters. It could kick at players. A rectangular shield that pops up for a moment to deflect projectiles. Do a leaping jump like Moas can. Make holograms of itself to hide which one is real. Throw out mines. 

It can drop items related to Moas you can build, ospray skins for your sentient, Moa spawn item for your gearwheel (again these are just random ideas thought just now).

 

So anyways, just a desire to have some more uniqueness with what we already encounter. 

[chaotea]

The problem is, most of these enemies have the interesting mechanics you describe. The Juggernaut for example has very high armor and damage mitigation but has weak points on its belly to bypass that.

The issue though it that its warframe. Players scale power so exponentially that these enemies become 1 hits. And theres not much that can be done without making them annoying with damage gating mechanics.

[OmegaVoid]

On 2021-09-07 at 3:56 PM, Leo.doodling said:

To take the Lnyx for example, the four legged Corpus unit, you could do a lot more interesting things as like a mobile tank unit. Just to throw out random, in the moment ideas: You could have the enemy spawn in allies.

It does. Lynx spawns in Drones which make it invulnerable until you kill the Drones.

When I first encountered it (in some Quest, I think), I had to jump around dodging attacks from this unkillable monster's Turrets while I shot at the Drones 'cos they at least had a harmable health bar. After the Drones were done with, whatever low-MR weapon I was rocking at the time found the Lynx itself pretty chewy, as well.

By the time I'd got as far as Marduk on the Star Chart, I was better prepared -- my solution was to bring Hydroid. Bullet-jumped in front of the Lynx straight into the safety of my puddle, launched the Tentacle Swarm to tear the Drones apart, then popped out of the puddle and shot Lynx in the face with my Buzlok. Job done.

Nowadays Warframe is all about the AoE spam, though. Players encountering Lynx will just open fire with their Bramma; the Drones are collateral damage in the explosions, and Lynx melts without the players even seeing the mechanics of the encounter.

[(NSW)Greybones]

🤔 Wouldn’t say “no” to more unique enemy behavior. Already enjoying what we have now, but if they decide to add more I could get behind that, especially if some enemies were to have counter options for our high mobility (hooks spring to mind, but I’m sure there are more clever approaches)

edit: Y’know what can be really scary in the Ambulas fight? Frohd Bek’s ship that shoots at us. It’d be kind of cool to have more like that

[Lutesque]

I would consider your proposal if you remove Ambulas from that list... if theres one miniboss that definitely doesn't need to be made even more Tedius... its that one :O !!

[NekroArts]

59 minutes ago, Lutesque said:

I would consider your proposal if you remove Ambulas from that list... if theres one miniboss that definitely doesn't need to be made even more Tedius... its that one :O !!

The one that generally behaves like a Bursa or the one from Hades, Pluto? I'm pretty sure OP is referring to the former.

[Lutesque]

12 minutes ago, NekroArts said:

The one that generally behaves like a Bursa or the one from Hades, Pluto? I'm pretty sure OP is referring to the former.

You know what... they both suck.... I say we burn them all !!!