Missions that require a premade group should require a group

[DrBorris]

In the last Devstream it was discussed that the new Abyssal Zones were a test for key-esque content, to see what the reaction/engagement would be with missions where matchmaking was turned off. On one hand, I get it. Test something on a simple mission to see how it plays out. On the other hand, it makes absolutely no sense to test the response to a social system on a mission that has no social aspect. 

As someone who doesn't have an active group of friends to play with, it is unironically faster for me to solo the mission than it is to go through the time of finding a premade. The results of this experiment are horribly skewed because the content that was used to test is a terrible case for the mechanic being tested. Furthermore, this mechanic has an active detriment to the content itself. The snappy co-op matchmaking of Warframe is one of its underrated strengths; it plays perfectly into the fast paced, short missions we find ourselves playing. Removing that strength from one of those short missions is... yeah, that's not it chief. 

 

My feedback to the experiment is pretty simple then. If a mission is going to require me to get a group of people together, it should feel like a worthwhile cost to do so. The content of the mission itself should improve by a factor greater than what is accomplished with simply three more bodies. It doesn't need to be Raid mechanics, an Interception+ could be grounds for something that begets more co-op gameplay. I am not opposed to having to find a group, but part of why I enjoy Warframe is because I can play it at my own pace. If something is going to take me out of that, it better be for a reason. 

I'm also not sure the inherent leeching aspect to key-shares is the most healthy. Even assuming nobody intentionally leeches, sometimes you don't have time or want to run four missions in a row. That leaves you either getting a bad value or leeching off of others. Missions don't need a key to have matchmaking turned off.

I would like to see a proper party finder before we get any significant 'matchmaking off' missions though. Recruiting chat is at best tolerable when looking for popular missions, anything that isn't the new hotness is a slog. 

 

I hope that this is just a temporary experiment and Abyssal Zones are released from a mismatched requirement. Abyssal Zones seem like the Nightmare rework we've needed for over a decade. Open matchmaking, keep the key cost (per player), then replace Nightmare alerts. Bonus points if you add a Nightmare Mod shop to Dagath's Hollow using Vainthorn. The Defixios and Eximus Stronghold could be pretty simply applied to the existing Nightmare mission types. 

[SDGDen]

if a piece of content requires a premade group and can't practically be solo'd or even is just slower when solo'd, people will complain even harder (even though i'd quite like to see it).

 

 

[DrBorris]

4 minutes ago, SDGDen said:

if a piece of content requires a premade group and can't practically be solo'd or even is just slower when solo'd, people will complain even harder (even though i'd quite like to see it).

A lot of the core mission types scale better with groups. Interception is almost always faster with a group, as is Disruption and Defection. Spy gets basically a 3x multiplier on speed.

Exterminate isn't the worst mission type they could've picked, Capture wins that award, but it is close. 

[Reican]

but that would require me to socialize which I suck at :/

[Voltage]

6 hours ago, DrBorris said:

A lot of the core mission types scale better with groups. Interception is almost always faster with a group, as is Disruption and Defection. Spy gets basically a 3x multiplier on speed.

Exterminate isn't the worst mission type they could've picked, Capture wins that award, but it is close. 

There are quite a few missions more efficient solo (like Bounties). The comment you quoted does have merit. It's why we don't have any co-op Nightwave challenges or why "solo clans" are considered (even though by definition, that's not a real clan). Squads being more efficient is often more of a hypothetical based on the ideal scenario where players are as fast (or faster) as you. When Archon Spy or Disruption comes up, I end up doing a majority of the objectives and waiting at extraction first. That's just how it is.

Warframe matchmaking is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the fast pick up games are great. However, on the other hand, console spawns and a deceased clan/alliance system makes it really hard to create proper groups unless you're a player doing only new content (like me), or a player in a clan full of players at earlier stages in the game. 

Edited November 3, 2023 by Voltage

[DrBorris]

12 minutes ago, Voltage said:

There are quite a few missions more efficient solo (like Bounties). The comment you quoted does have merit. It's why we don't have any co-op Nightwave challenges or why "solo clans" are considered (even though by definition, that's not a real clan. Squads being more efficient is often more of a hypothetical based on the ideal scenario where players are as fast (or faster) as you. When Archon Spy or Disruption comes up, I end up doing a majority of the objectives and waiting at extraction first. That's just how it is.

Warframe matchmaking is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, the fast pick up games are great. However, on the other hand, console spawns and a deceased clan/alliance system makes it really hard to create proper groups unless you're a player doing only new content (like me), or a player in a clan full of players at earlier stages in the game. 

The title I went with was a bit of an exaggeration of the meat of the topic, maybe leaned a bit too far in. I wasn't intending to imply that it should only be able to be completed with a group (yes, I used the word require, I'm aware), but that it would actually matter for the context of the mission. A charitable interpretation would be that it requires a group to complete efficiently.

Most of my frustration comes from how bad of a mismatch a key system is with an exterminate mission and that "it was a test" raises more questions than it answers.