New Player Experience - Thoughts and Suggestions

[Ksape9901]

So due to reasons, I decided to take a look at what the new player experience is like (I'm Legendary 4 on my main account).  Below are my thoughts, and updates I think would improve player retention and the new player experience.  While some of these things may make you think "people should know this" or "it should be self explanatory" I'm erring on the side of: guide the new user with the systems.

 

1. General fix:

- Update unstuck.  There are a lot of bugs in this game, and I understand that with a 10 year old code base it's not realistic to quickly fix all of them.  Update the unstuck function to the following: lower cooldown to 5-10 minutes.  Returns you to mission start location with everything set (buffs, etc) to starting mission values.

  

2. Gear

There exist many important tools to obtain and the game poorly explains how to acquire them, and how they can be used. I am talking about energy restores, restores, specters, drills, fishing spears, and their respective activities (minigames). New players shouldn't need to find such essential information outside of the game. Most of the new systems are not introduced properly, therefore players end up learning the hard way, through failure and struggles, getting scolded by their experienced teammates. That is not fun.  This can be through small optional quests in the open world spaces such as Plains of Eidolon.

 

3. Mission Flow

Break apart the goals for the different junctions between the planets.  This way instead of a big todo list, a new player can have goals as he travels across the planet.  Small bite size goals are less daunting and easier to chew through with shorter missions, allowing for a higher player retention.  

Ex: Venus -> Mercury Junction:

- 1 Alert / Quest on Linea for saving the hostage

- Quest to kill the Jackal

- Quest to survive Defense / Survival

 

4. Resource Costs

Some resource costs should be decreased, especially entry-level weapons. In the beginning, one should be given more options in terms of weapons to build — currently, there aren't many to choose from. I would also cut by half the credit costs of weapons under MR5 to allow new players to experiment more before getting better equipment. Maybe they should also have an additional method to farm credits. (Though I'd just lower credit costs by 30%-50%).

Sometimes, certain gear should also become easier to get, the best example is the Archwing Launcher Segment. It is time-consuming, and of course it expects the player to know where to find Iradite, Grokdrul and Fish Oil.  Possibly, the archwing launcher segment could be awarded with its quest. Note that, after that, one still needs to craft the archwing itself.  Otherwise a decrease in cost of oxium is definitely required.  

I would also add minor quests, or small alerts for new players throughout planets to earn their rarer resources so that they can craft gear easier.  Definitely keep the farming in.  That's the bread and butter.  But having small boosts for beginner players would really assist them and make it more enjoyable than pushing the grind onto them from day 1.

 

5. Weapons Guide

At the moment, new players have a rough time with blueprints, unless someone kindly helps them. If that doesn't happen, they don't know what they could equip at their current mastery rank, how are they going to find out by themselves? Imagine if the foundry showed the complete list of the available weapons — owned or not — with a brief description of their acquisition. In addition, the Market should have the option to display all and only the blueprints, purchasable with credits. 

Another option would be that when you hit a new mastery rank you see a list of the newly available weapons for you (probably skip prime weapons).  Mousing over them will tell you where to get the blueprint.  

The purpose is to push players to try more weapons, instead of keeping one single loadout until unlocking prime gear and lich weapons. The present system doesn't spur them to do so, because Orokin Catalysts and Formas are expensive and enemies are weak anyway. I'd recommend adding a few more innate polarities to lower MR items to ease the entry for new players, as well as possibly adding a couple one time quests for orokin catalysts / reactors.

 

6. Open World Areas

While they are already much harder than other low level missions, the fact they require special gear like the archwing makes them nearly impossible unless a new player is carried by someone experienced. Not only that, I believe it is wrong not to introduce requirements for higher tier bounties. I'd suggest quick tutorials and requirements to unlock the harder bounties (such as doing the previous bounty unless you're past MR X). Besides, some objectives were evidently not designed for solo players, such that a new player has no chance to win.  

 

7. New Player / Recruit a Friend / Slots

Most new players are heavily helped by veterans who do everything while they sit and watch, not understanding what is going on. This surely ruins their gameplay and doesn't train them to become space ninjas. As a way to prevent this, make it so beginners are pushed towards grouping with other beginners unless they opt out of it. They will combine their minds and guns to complete missions, away from nukers and pros players. I'd also expand the starting warframe slots by one or two, because I imagine a person wouldn't enjoy spending money right away on a new game before making sure they are into it. Many abandon Warframe with the wrong idea that it is impossible to make progress without paying an excessive amount of money. So, besides the 50 starting platinum, grant another 50 or so halfway through the star system. This way, players are more incentivized to purchase the premium currency if they want to. They should be free to start the game, fall in love with it, craft a couple of warframes and weapons, and only then should the need to get more platinum arise: if it happens too early, that certainly has a negative impact on them.

 

8. Nightwave

I feel like too many challenges are locked behind quests and other advanced content. For inclusivity sake, I would say we should have more Nightwave challenges that everyone has access to (if you cannot do it, you should not get it.  A new player shouldn't get nightwave to complete 3 sorties). New players need auras mods desperately and NW is the main place to get them from for your first few.  Silver Grove is another possibility, but fairly less friendly.

 

9. Syndicates

Let's have a clearer message to inform us there are syndicates interested in talking to us. Moreover, I wish the first two rank ups had lower credit costs, so that we can get started sooner. An explanation of their special weapon abilities is needed (Truth, Blight, Justice etc).

 

10. Duviri

The quest barely makes sense but I'm not here to harp on the story. All the other quests tie in, while The Duviri Paradox appears to be unconnected. The main thing I'd love to add is something that has been mentioned before: earn one Pathos Clamp for each Circuit round completed, maybe 2 for steel path.  The key here is to respect a new players time.

 

TLDR with no explanation whatsoever:

• Add minor missions for resources similar to Nightmare missions
• More step-by-step guides and missions, especially before planetary junctions.
• Lower credit cost to craft <MR8 gear, reduce resource costs of certain items, especially the archwing segment.
• Present a dynamic list of weapons available based on the user's current. Improve the Market with further filters.
• Make sure all nightwave missions are doable by the account that receives them.
• +1 Pathos Clamp per Circuit round.

Edited February 8 by Ksape9901

[Aruquae]

What we need… is an actual gosh darn guide

Something simple… a little blurb that describes something. Anything… something that introduces new players to anything remotely new in Warframe. A STINKIN TUTORIAL FOR ONCE

Cough Almost lost my cool there

[ominumi]

Too much hand holding and not enough killing makes people go away.

Everything has to be idiotproof. Can't miss the item needed. Must be at the right place for the new player to obtain without effort. 

As little text as possbile. It's not that people can't read. People choose not to read ignoring vital text format. In regards, voiced lines gets annoying after awhile all because it's repeative.

No linear missions. Players will feel like they're rats stuck in a maze.

 

[Ksape9901]

2 hours ago, Aruquae said:

What we need… is an actual gosh darn guide

Something simple… a little blurb that describes something. Anything… something that introduces new players to anything remotely new in Warframe. A STINKIN TUTORIAL FOR ONCE

Cough Almost lost my cool there

I agree.  There's a lot of systems that are forgotten and not really explained to players.  It's all word of mouth.  It's what I was getting at with the display of newly available weapons once you hit a new mastery rank, so the person knows what is now available to then and where to get it.  That could also be extended to sure things like helminth, what it does, and where to go to get it.

 

58 minutes ago, ominumi said:

Too much hand holding and not enough killing makes people go away.

Everything has to be idiotproof. Can't miss the item needed. Must be at the right place for the new player to obtain without effort. 

As little text as possbile. It's not that people can't read. People choose not to read ignoring vital text format. In regards, voiced lines gets annoying after awhile all because it's repeative.

No linear missions. Players will feel like they're rats stuck in a maze.

 

In a way yes.  You don't want too much hand holding, at the same time you want to show some explanation, and leave things a bit open ended for the player once they know their options.  The key is showing them their options.

This was one thing I was hoping to address by making smaller alerts to have to complete for the junction; here are different places in the planet to visit.  Go and kill stuff.

[ominumi]

For the vast majority of new players I've seen, it isn't about the amount of information or lack of said information,but how irrelevent that information is at the current situation. Let's take Kuva Siphon for example. the Second Dream showcase how to deal with siphon situations. Yet there are still player who don't know what to do. Then there's Netracell. A cinematic quest giving the players a live experience on how to complete the task at hand. But there still players kill enemy outside of the circle. 

You can only teach those who wants to learn Forcing lession onto others will result in rejection. Those that reject infromation will have to find it by some other means. Usually asking other people telling them what to do.

[Aerikx]

20 hours ago, Ksape9901 said:

1. General fix:

100% Agreed. Great suggestion!

20 hours ago, Ksape9901 said:

2. Gear

3. Mission Flow

These two go hand in hand IMPO. I feel that Earth, Venus, and Mercury should be 100% tailored experiences for New Players.

IE: Each Planet is a Questline. 

These Quests introduce each of the standard game Mission Types, as well as introduce Gear Items to players with in mission/cutscenes explanations. 

Ex: *Scene of Excalibur observing a Corpus Outpost*

Lotus: Tenno, use your scanner to zoom in on enemy operations. 

*Player is shown on screen how to equip and use the scanner. Player cannot move/progress until they follow through*

Lotus: Target Nef Anyo and scan him. It'll provide crucial intelligence.

So on, so on....

Also, this tailored experience could be used to award New Players with new weapons, and explain loot to them.

IE: Defeat The Jackal and upon returning to the Orbiter...

Lotus: My scans indicate that you acquired a schematic to a Warframe long thought. Lost. How did the Corpus get their hands on it? Is that how they engineered The Jackal? 

Text Box Pops up: "By repeating mission you've previously cleared you can scavenge for supplies and acquire Blueprints for Weapons and Warframes."

Just small things like that are intrusive, tell a story, and make the early game much more manageable. 

I'd also revamp the Solar Rail Battles.

Gone are the Specters. Narratively they make NO SENSE. 

I'd replace Solar Rail fights with mini-Missons/dungeons.

Like a small puzzles that must be cleared to open the Control Station. (Like having to do a new game mechanic the next planet requires such as: Hacking, inserting fuel cells for a Sabotage mission, defending 1 Disruption Node, etc.)

Then in the Station, Players will encounter a unique elite enemy that's on par with Assassins such as Stalker, The Gustrag Three, Zanuka, The Wolf of Saturn Six (Minus his insane DR).

Essentially these units would function like The Stalker Acolytes: IE: They're reskinned Warframe Specters. 

Player defeats them, business as usual. 

A Cutscene showing the Orbiter entering Mars orbit plays, and as the Tenno prepares for Deployment, The Lotus congratulates them on a job well done.

As soon as the Orbiter loads in, Players are greeted with a message box:

"Congratulations. From here on out you are free to explore The Origin System at your leisure. Replay old missions to acquire new gear and blueprints, scavenge resources, or hang out with Ordis." 

From this point the game would be more less cinematic, but still follow a Questline of sorts as The OP explained.

20 hours ago, Ksape9901 said:

4. Resource Costs

Heavily agree. This is something that has turned off many of my irl friends. As some of them are not loot goblins like me and dislike scavenging an entire map for supplies.

However, the game is free to play and I understand DE wishing to add some appeal to spending Platinum. 

But for the early game and start weapons, it should be easy. The 24 & 72 hour timers are MORE than enough incentive for new players to buy plat. 

20 hours ago, Ksape9901 said:

6. Open World Areas

Hot Take here...

All Landscape Maps and Quests should be locked until The War Within is Cleared. 

This is a logical choice from both a Narrative and Gameplay standpoint. 

The Landscape Maps feature unique enemies, new enemy AI, and just core systems that give new players severely violent whiplash.

With Fortuna and Deimos pushing/scaring new players away. Many fortuna missions are too much for starter loadouts to handle and Deimos hordes are and mechanic s are too advanced for Starter loadouts and power levels. Game goes from a 3 to 9 then back to a 3. 

The majority of my irl friends vehemently HATE Fortuna and they dislike Plains and Deimos because of these factors.

To help remedy the issue....

I'd introduce the Landscape Maps via a 1 time mission, then I'd loosely unlock them at planned intervals.

Cetus would unlock upon clearing Vor's Prize, and the only Bounty missions available would be the levels 5-10 & 10-15. 

Additionally, I'd update Cetus to award a mount. 

Situation A (The New Player did not Clear Duviri after clearing Vor's Prize Quest)

After Konzu's intro bounty, a Cutscene where Nakak and a Vent Kid talking plays, and they essentially give new players a loaner K-Drive for use in Plains Bounties.

Situation B (Player has Cleared Duviri Quest)

Upon returning to Cetus, Onkko and Master Tenosai are talking about a strange signal. The Tenno appears and they ask the player to check it out.

Upon checking it out, it is revealed to be their Kaithe from Duviri.

For narrative reasons the player is confused as it appears to 'Know' the player and offers them it's services.

This allows players the option of using their Kaithe in the Plains. 

Fortuna I would not open up until AFTER players have cleared: The Glast Gambit.

Deimos will not unlock until The Jordas Precept has been cleared. (Storywise this shouldn't unlock until later anyways.)

After The War Within is cleared, all Bounties in all Landscape Maps would be available.

21 hours ago, Ksape9901 said:

8. Nightwave

Agreed entirely. I shouldn't feel obligated to taxi and carry every new player so they can fairly clear Nightwaves. 

Nightwave has 'Permanent Weeklies' now. 

When a player does not have access to a feature/mission/mode, it should be replaced by a permanent weekly. 

21 hours ago, Ksape9901 said:

9. Syndicates

I'd make this an unlocked feature on Mars via Questline. As the players go through Mars, they'd 'Rescue' a Syndicate member. That member would take them to a relay and from there a tutorial on Syndicates would play out, explaining Syndicates, giving players a Trial Mission, and 1 free reward of their choice from the Syndicate store.  

Bottom line: 

It would be alot of work but it small changes like this would severely help player retention and break Warframe out of the F2P mobile game like stigma/funk that it's often grasped by.

[Ksape9901]

Hey, thanks for your reply!

Some of it would be a lot of work.  Some of it should be fairly low hanging fruit.  I tried to structure it around player retention in the beginning, as well as getting more knowledge into the hands of players.

I don't think resource costs are going to force to spend plat, but warfame and items slots definitely will.  Resource costs would just benefit the player with trying more weapons and other choices while at a low MR.

[(PSN)Sentiel]

Just like we get rewards for clearing planets on Steel Path, new players should get Forma and other items like Orokin Catalyst/Reactor for clearing all nodes on a planet.

I would also change how Nightmare missions work. They should be like mini-Steel Path, offering rare resources, more credits, and have higher chance to drop mods. New players can grind those to progress a bit faster but they will have to face the additional challenge.

Boss nodes should display what the boss drops, so the newbies know what they can farm from the said boss. The list should also work as a checklist.

Early weapons should have reduced costs and reduced crafting times and reduced rush prices. The system is stupidly random now. I can have a weapon that takes 24 hours to craft and 35 Platinum to rush and a weapon that takes 12 hours to craft and 50 Platinum to rush. All early weapons should take 12 hours to craft with rush price of 35 Platinum.

 

[Ksape9901]

1 hour ago, (PSN)Sentiel said:

Just like we get rewards for clearing planets on Steel Path, new players should get Forma and other items like Orokin Catalyst/Reactor for clearing all nodes on a planet.

I would also change how Nightmare missions work. They should be like mini-Steel Path, offering rare resources, more credits, and have higher chance to drop mods. New players can grind those to progress a bit faster but they will have to face the additional challenge.

Boss nodes should display what the boss drops, so the newbies know what they can farm from the said boss. The list should also work as a checklist.

Early weapons should have reduced costs and reduced crafting times and reduced rush prices. The system is stupidly random now. I can have a weapon that takes 24 hours to craft and 35 Platinum to rush and a weapon that takes 12 hours to craft and 50 Platinum to rush. All early weapons should take 12 hours to craft with rush price of 35 Platinum.

 

Oh, I really like that suggestion for rewards for clearing regular planets for new players.  All the triggers are already in as well so shouldn't be too difficult to implement.  Just small rewards would be very nice, and encourage players to move forward.  To add to it though it'd be nice if the player knew clearing the planet would give them access to Nightmare missions.  At the same time though, mini-sp wouldn't work for newer players, as they don't have formad weapons, so that might be too challenging.  

As for standardizing foundry prices, that makes sense.