Since we're having the Year of the Dragon mini event coming up soon, how about fixing Chroma?

[(PSN)Sentiel]

I'm not asking for a rework, I wouldn't dare, but there's a few inconsistencies or bugs between what's happening in the game and what the ability description claims.

This is mainly aimed at Effigy.

Aside from it's mediocre DPS performance, there's two issues with it.

1. Effigy is not stationary and it does in fact slowly, very slowly, hover around with no clear destination. It's not going after enemies, it just hovers away from the spot where you use it. What a horrible sentry.

Please make it behave, DE.

 

2. Effigy's ability description states: "Chroma turns his pelt into a massive sentry that strengthens nearby allies and engulfs enemies in elemental attacks."

No matter how much scouring the internet I do, I cannot find how does Effigy strengthen nearby allies. I was expecting it to spread Elemental Ward or/and Vex Armor buffs around it, which would be pretty cool and worth the horrendous 10 energy per second cost, but it doesn't do anything of the sort. In fact, it relies on Chroma staying near it to share the Vex Armor buff to deal at least somewhat noticeable damage.

Edited January 20 by (PSN)Sentiel

[DrivaMain]

Without investing time into a full rework that requires ability addition or removal, here is what I would change from Chroma.

1. Spectral Scream
   • Now deals over 400 damage over 5 ticks per second just like Effigy's breath, which effectively gives it 2000 damage per second. Giving it a "faster fire rate" allows Spectral Scream to be used to stack status effects more effectively
2. Elemental Ward
   • Heat
     • Increased aura damage status chance to 100%, unaffected by mods.
   • Electric
     • Increased arc discharge status chance to 100%, unaffected by mods.
   • Cold
     • Increased status chance of reflected damage to 100%, unaffected by mods.
   • Toxin (no changes needed)
3. Vex Armor (Fine as is)
4. Effigy 
   • The base energy drain decreased from 10 energy per second to 5 energy per second.
   • Effigy's breath status chance increased to 100%, unaffected by mods.
   • Effigy's beam cone is slightly widened to allow horde clearing. From my experience, it looks like a narrow straight line.
   • Effigy's roar opens enemies to finishers.
   • Effigy's "elemental shockwave" gives the affected enemies 10 stacks of status effects based on the chosen element. 
   • Effigy's breath damage increased from 400 to 1000 damage per tick, effectively giving it 5000 damage per second.  The goal here is to make it more powerful than Spectral Scream.
   • Effigy acts as a secondary source for Vex Armor and Elemental Ward with unlimited duration on the effigy. On Cast, The Effigy inherits the current Vex Armor and EW values of the caster. Due to how Vex Armor stacks with each other, casting effigy effectively doubles the buffs when allies stay close within range of Chroma and The Sentry, a potential synergy. 

Edited January 21 by DrivaMain

[(PSN)robotwars7]

Chroma only really needs a few tweaks IMO:

- both Spectral Scream and Effigy's breath attack should be changed to apply damage in the same manner that beam weapons have done, instead of ticks per second: simpyl changing the formula alone would result in a massive increase in DPS, due to how quickly it would apply damage and status, but I wouldn't say no to a base damage increase either. it should also have better visuals (looking more like a concentrated jet of flame), ideally like this:

- Effigy needs to either have a major decrease in energy consumption OR be converted to a set duration ability, NOT both: a damage increase would be nice, and ideally, it'd be great if it could independently fly around and attack enemies, and also apply a weaker elemental ward/vex armor to allies within range.

unfortunately though, for now we'll have to settle for a Lunar skin, even though Chroma has pretty decent fashion already IMO. 

 

[(XBOX)EternalDrk Mako]

  he is limited to elementals tied to his coloration, when say lavos can shift types at anytime  , i always wondered why that didnt get altered later on 

it would be interesting if he had a chromatic color changing /shift effect to change between elements in battle to help him to adapt to situations but , thats just my 2 cents, i know plenty enjoy the specified builds around certain colors so i wouldnt know how to balance that between other than say redoing it or  an augment or ? same could be said of chromatic blade and equinox i guess 

[(PSN)Sentiel]

31 minutes ago, (XBOX)EternalDrk Mako said:

  he is limited to elementals tied to his coloration, when say lavos can shift types at anytime  , i always wondered why that didnt get altered later on 

it would be interesting if he had a chromatic color changing /shift effect to change between elements in battle to help him to adapt to situations but , thats just my 2 cents, i know plenty enjoy the specified builds around certain colors so i wouldnt know how to balance that between other than say redoing it or  an augment or ? same could be said of chromatic blade and equinox i guess 

Hold on, Chroma's 1, Spectral Scream, can do that. He can switch his elements during the mission.

1 hour ago, (PSN)robotwars7 said:

Chroma only really needs a few tweaks IMO:

- both Spectral Scream and Effigy's breath attack should be changed to apply damage in the same manner that beam weapons have done, instead of ticks per second: simpyl changing the formula alone would result in a massive increase in DPS, due to how quickly it would apply damage and status, but I wouldn't say no to a base damage increase either. it should also have better visuals (looking more like a concentrated jet of flame), ideally like this:

- Effigy needs to either have a major decrease in energy consumption OR be converted to a set duration ability, NOT both: a damage increase would be nice, and ideally, it'd be great if it could independently fly around and attack enemies, and also apply a weaker elemental ward/vex armor to allies within range.

unfortunately though, for now we'll have to settle for a Lunar skin, even though Chroma has pretty decent fashion already IMO. 

 

When it comes to reworking Chroma, I'd like for this theme to be fleshed out first. Is he supposed to be a dragon, a dragon hunter, a dragoon, or what?

I mean, the whole pelt thing gives off the vibe like he's some sort of knight or a hunter who slayed a dragon and somehow uses that dragon's abilities as his own. It's weird but I'm okay with it as long as it works properly.

If he's supposed to be more closely dragon related, then I want to see those claws in action, I want to fly, and I want the breath to spread destruction and mayhem, not this jalapeño sneeze he has now.

I don't need Chroma to go Shin Godzilla but his dragon like abilities are lackluster.

 

I'd be honestly happy if his 'rework' just changed the elemental cycling to Elemental Ward (cue is in the name) and for Effigy to provide Elemental Ward and Vex Armor effects around it.

If we can go deeper down the rabbit hole then I'd like for the visual effects of his and Effigy's breaths to look better and give Effigy more range so it's breath can reach further. It doesn't need a damage increase since it would share Chroma's Vex Armor buffs at all times.

 

Edited January 22 by (PSN)Sentiel

[Aruquae]

Only fix I would want with Chroma is being able to switch his abilities to the selected element from spectral scream. I dislike having to wait until the entire duration for his elemental ward ends, just to be able to switch elements. You should be able to cancel/swap on the fly. Reducing the drain on his fourth would be beneficial too, or at least him losing armor when casting. 

[Ruwr]

Cool suggestion, but can we have the other floofs come back before 2036? please?

[Aruquae]

19 minutes ago, Ruwr said:

Cool suggestion, but can we have the other floofs come back before 2036? please?

This deserves its own thread

[(PSN)slightconfuzzled]

I don't know, seems a bit inhumane to castrate him. Maybe we can buff him instead? 

I reckon throw the Ignis Wraith into his mouth for his 1, and let his 4 procc the basic uncombined elements. Bit like Citrines Prismatic Gem. I mean it drains enough energy, and could further compliment his weapon builds. Would also somewhat passively buff its potential damage too, without necessarily making it busted on its own. 

[(XBOX)EternalDrk Mako]

17 hours ago, (PSN)Sentiel said:

Hold on, Chroma's 1, Spectral Scream, can do that. He can switch his elements during the mission.

yea someone was showing me that ingame today,(shows last time i used him lol)  well then why didnt chromatic blade get that effect, it is the same mechanic right ?

 

[(PSN)Sentiel]

27 minutes ago, (XBOX)EternalDrk Mako said:

yea someone was showing me that ingame today,(shows last time i used him lol)  well then why didnt chromatic blade get that effect, it is the same mechanic right ?

 

I can't answer that properly since I'm not a dev, but my guess would be because Chromatic Blade is an augment.

[Ruwr]

2 hours ago, Aruquae said:

This deserves its own thread

Dont make me.

[Ruwr]

23 hours ago, Aruquae said:

Only fix I would want with Chroma is being able to switch his abilities to the selected element from spectral scream. I dislike having to wait until the entire duration for his elemental ward ends, just to be able to switch elements. You should be able to cancel/swap on the fly. Reducing the drain on his fourth would be beneficial too, or at least him losing armor when casting. 

i did it.

[Aruquae]

20 minutes ago, Ruwr said:

i did it.

You mad lad

You even made a good point with the trading, it’s the ignis wraith all over again (yeaaaa definitely). Seems too sketchy, definitely needs to be easier to obtain (yea that’s the reason).

[TeaHands]

On 2024-01-21 at 6:06 PM, (PSN)Sentiel said:

I don't need Chroma to go Shin Godzilla 

Well I do, my dream Spectral Breath is like this, Activate his 1 and it works generally the same as it does now, but you can change the elements while it's activated, maybe give it a short cooldown so you aren't applying all 4 elements in like 2 seconds, idk. But then you hold down the the Primary Fire and the breath concentrates into a beam with innate CO that scales off stacks of the 4 base elements. Maybe give it a small aoe on impact? 

Or just allow him to fully use melee while Spectral Screaming and not have it be in the weird buggy place it's in now.

[(PSN)Sentiel]

2 hours ago, TeaHands said:

Well I do, my dream Spectral Breath is like this, Activate his 1 and it works generally the same as it does now, but you can change the elements while it's activated, maybe give it a short cooldown so you aren't applying all 4 elements in like 2 seconds, idk. But then you hold down the the Primary Fire and the breath concentrates into a beam with innate CO that scales off stacks of the 4 base elements. Maybe give it a small aoe on impact? 

Or just allow him to fully use melee while Spectral Screaming and not have it be in the weird buggy place it's in now.

Hold your dragons there buddy.

I sad I don't need it, I didn't say I don't want it. I want Chroma to go full Giga Flare but DE doesn't have the balls.

I grew up on Final Fantasy. If a dragon can't vomit ridiculously gigantic logic and physics defying beam of death and destruction then it's not a proper dragon.

[Loza03]

On 2024-01-21 at 1:30 AM, DrivaMain said:

Spectral Scream

• Now deals over 400 damage over 5 ticks per second just like Effigy's breath, which effectively gives it 2000 damage per second. Giving it a "faster fire rate" allows Spectral Scream to be used to stack status effects more effectively

 

I think at some point we as a community need to just accept that modding maths needs an overhaul. Ability damage scales on just power strength unless it's an exalted, pseudo-exalted, or is lucky enough to have an innate scaling mechanic. Everything else, which is the majority of damage-dealing abilities, are just out of luck.

This buff, as massive as it is (literally multiplying the damage by five), would allow spectral scream to kill an elite lancer at level 115 in a mere 82 seconds - and on the Steel Path a cool 482 seconds. Also to throw in the shields/armour point, an Elite Crewman (at level 116 for clarity), even with an entirely neutral damage type would be killed in just 8 and 21 seconds respectively. Still absurdly long for trash mobs, but gee I wonder if armour is overtuned. Then again, bypassing all the defenses entirely, Chroma needs about 2 seconds to kill the Crewman and back down to 8 for steel path... which is still pretty bad for Warframe standards, even accounting that spectral scream is AoE.

 

Yeah, that makes it better at stacking status, but is this really what we're looking for with a Dragon's Breath? It being a convenient hose for status effects that, themselves, really aren't all that balanced and are mostly useful for boosting damage via either undoing the aforementioned overtuned armour or adding another source of base damage via condition overload or its kin? And let's not kid ourselves by saying that many other abilities are all that much better.

[DrivaMain]

1 hour ago, Loza03 said:

I think at some point we as a community need to just accept that modding maths needs an overhaul. Ability damage scales on just power strength unless it's an exalted, pseudo-exalted, or is lucky enough to have an innate scaling mechanic. Everything else, which is the majority of damage-dealing abilities, are just out of luck.

This buff, as massive as it is (literally multiplying the damage by five), would allow spectral scream to kill an elite lancer at level 115 in a mere 82 seconds - and on the Steel Path a cool 482 seconds. Also to throw in the shields/armour point, an Elite Crewman (at level 116 for clarity), even with an entirely neutral damage type would be killed in just 8 and 21 seconds respectively. Still absurdly long for trash mobs, but gee I wonder if armour is overtuned. Then again, bypassing all the defenses entirely, Chroma needs about 2 seconds to kill the Crewman and back down to 8 for steel path... which is still pretty bad for Warframe standards, even accounting that spectral scream is AoE.

 

Yeah, that makes it better at stacking status, but is this really what we're looking for with a Dragon's Breath? It being a convenient hose for status effects that, themselves, really aren't all that balanced and are mostly useful for boosting damage via either undoing the aforementioned overtuned armour or adding another source of base damage via condition overload or its kin? And let's not kid ourselves by saying that many other abilities are all that much better.

If I want to be more idealistic, Chroma's spectral scream should just have Chroma exhale a single shot of elemental energy ball that explodes on impact. On impact, it leaves a residue of elemental energy that deals continous damage with guaranteed status. I can go one step further by borrowing Gauss's thermal sunder of concept of dealing combined elements if areas overlap. For example, if a heat residue overlaps with toxin residue, the combined residue will deal gas damage. 

One of the main gripes of Spectral Scream as a breath attack ability is that it locks out your weapons. By changing Spectral Scream to a quick uninterrupted quick damage ability, it will alleviate this issue. 

Also putting that aside, have you factor in Vex Armor Fury Multiplier into the equation?

Edited January 23 by DrivaMain

[pisces13]

Chroma buffs

Spectral Scream: Change breath attack into a weapon buff that adds "select elemental" damage to all equipped weapons.

 

Elemental Ward: Increase status chance. Allow for recast to refresh buff.

 

Vex Armor: Overhaul of damage formula. Reduce multiplier to be similar to that of Roar or eclipse. 

Effigy: Tap ability -  Ignites chroma's wings to improve Jump height, movement speed, and parkor ability

Hold ability - release dragon pelt that turns into companion. Companion can be commanded to be stationary or follow like a sentinel companion. Effigy attacks should cycle through the 4 elements. Maintains the occasional cc from current effigy. 

I think these changes would make chroma for of a "dragon" archetype. 

 

 

 

[Xzorn]

I don't think DE likes Chroma to be honest.

They called his Vex Armor a bug in order to nerf him before Plains of Eidolon and gave nothing in return. Halved his eHP and 1/4th his damage.
His Ward doesn't even work right when you put it on other frames.

It would be nice if he had more than two abilities though. Change Effigy to something else.
No one wants to dunk their armor even if it's a good damage boost. With all the weapon power creep, not dying is mostly what matters.