Less Is More!

[bptamblyn]

I just went and read some of the fan fiction. It was interseting to see what they wrote. I know its all fan fiction, but I was curious on where the devs were on the back story. Personally, I don't want one. I think in this case, less is more. The fact that we don't know who the Tenno are is great. I don't need to know how they feel or how they came into existance. I just need to know that they run and gun and cut up the enemy. In my opinion (and it is just one man's view) the game would be mucked up. It would add unessecary weight to the game. The game is amazing because you hop in, you dont know why or who, but u quickly realized the what is to kill. Its very primal and fast pace. I love to play Rhino. Not because I imagined who Rhino might be, but because he embodies my ideal combat style. Big and bulky get in and hurt people.

Now I know that devs can't just come out and say how the game is going to develope, even if the issue was decided. But ionno, I'm also kina curious if the community agrees or disagrees. Am I the oddity? Or has this side of the player base just not spoken up enough?

[Liacu]

I feel like there's no reason to not explore the amount of potential the lore could have. Sure, you do fine without knowing all the parts but a story is a great motivator to continue playing a game and would complement well with the excellent combat system. A setting that is well done can make people feel more passionate about the game overall.

Although there is also a lot of benefits to an open-ended (making up your own interpretation, less is more in other words) storyline, that isn't the case at the moment because there is very little known about the game overall.

Really, not exploring at least some of the game's backstory seems like a waste. An important part of a mystery is discovering more about it.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Liacu

[neKroMancer]

While playing and interpreting/creating your own story seems attractive, the universe rich with lore is better than a barren one. At least players who don't care about it can skip it entirely while others who want more of it can reveal the lore.

Some players need a purpose that's bigger than themselves. Some want to unravel the past. It's depend on how DE decide to weave lore into gameplay without forcing player who doesn't care about it.

[bptamblyn]

I dont just "do fine" without it. I enjoy the game because its not there. I love this game because it isnt the cookie cutter mmo that gamers have been bombarded with over the years. It feels like a badass game where u kill stuff. Dont have to be deep or thought provoking.

[bptamblyn]

I understand that I can skip it, but thats like telling me I can pick the onion out of my burrito. Its acceptable, but is not as good.

Edited March 10, 2013 by bptamblyn

[Venarge]

I understand that I can skip it, but thats like telling me I can pick the onion out of my burrito. Its acceptable, but is not as good.

Yeah but I still cant see why this game shouldnt have a back story. In future updates, he orokin tower will be added too. So it would be dumb to not add a backstory while new locations/bosses/content will be added. Would make this game senseless.....

[FedorHooch]

Wait for Update 7. More lore will (probably) become available at its release.

[Liacu]

I dont just "do fine" without it. I enjoy the game because its not there. I love this game because it isnt the cookie cutter mmo that gamers have been bombarded with over the years. It feels like a badass game where u kill stuff. Dont have to be deep or thought provoking.

MMOs in the first place don't usually have good stories or much food for thought. The Tenno are an interesting group of people and with how little we know, most people would definitely want to find out more about them. Sure, the game doesn't have to be super deep but giving it that depth would add a lot to the game for many people.

I'm just not really seeing the benefit in having no backstory for this specific game. Less might be more but nothing is still nothing.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Liacu

[Kadishia]

This is getting update 7 really hyped up now. I see so many conversation about this and that.

I'm just hoping it isn't a big let down, then again it not :)

[Venarge]

MMOs in the first place don't usually have good stories or much food for thought. The Tenno are an interesting group of people and with how little we know, most people would definitely want to find out more about them. Sure, the game doesn't have to be super deep but giving it that depth would add a lot to the game for many people.

I'm just not really seeing the benefit in having no backstory for this specific game. Less might be more but nothing is still nothing.

+1 =)

[neKroMancer]

I understand that I can skip it, but thats like telling me I can pick the onion out of my burrito. Its acceptable, but is not as good.

I like onion. Is that OK?

[Windbow]

...

Now I know that devs can't just come out and say how the game is going to develope, even if the issue was decided. But ionno, I'm also kina curious if the community agrees or disagrees. Am I the oddity? Or has this side of the player base just not spoken up enough?

It's quite possible that you are an oddity in this case. Doesn't make it wrong, though. While I do agree that the Tenno's untold story adds to their mystique, some kind of context would be appreciated by many, I think - including myself. I don't need a whole novel-length backstory but something more than the nothing, as Liacu said. The rest can be filled in by fan-fiction for those interested. For me right now Warframe's like a cheeseburger with everything but cheese. We know there's supposed to be cheese but it's currently missing. Something that might make the whole thing click.

Hmm... right, I guess I know what I'm having for dinner later! :P

[bptamblyn]

Lol cheese burger sounds good. All in all I just dont wanna lose the mysterious nature of the game. I just dont wanna see them defined and put into a box with labels. Guess Im afraid I might not like who they are. But I do have faith in the devs. They made an awesome game so far.

[bptamblyn]

I like onion. Is that OK?

No. But nobody is perfect.

[Liacu]

Lol cheese burger sounds good. All in all I just dont wanna lose the mysterious nature of the game. I just dont wanna see them defined and put into a box with labels. Guess Im afraid I might not like who they are. But I do have faith in the devs. They made an awesome game so far.

True, a lot of the mystery would simply evaporate if the lore ends up explaining everything but having all that knowledge would make any mysteries that are left stand out more. To explain a bit better, I'll use colour as an example. Only having bright colours on your warframe would be bland because there is little variation. Having your Tenno be coloured with mostly black but with a few lines of bright colours would make the lines pop out because that is the only area your eyes can pay attention to.

I really do like having small gaps in a story that has you guessing what happened for example, in a game I played involving time travel you learn that someone in the past was granted a wish and ended up looking like the protagonist. The game never tells you if the guy from the past is the main character so you're left wondering and you end up thinking "Yes he is the protagonist" or "No he isn't" which is quite interesting. However, this must be dealt with carefully because it can cause frustration if it's a vital detail.

I suppose what I'd like is for things to be in balance. Tell us enough to be satisfied but don't tell us too much so we can keep the mystery.

No. But nobody is perfect.

Ouch

Edited March 10, 2013 by Liacu

[neKroMancer]

No. But nobody is perfect.

Sorry, I'm an onion-eating pefect being.

LoL who am I kidding.

I think lore should be separated from the 'individual' that we're (or the Tenno who we play as, are). The background about the rise&fall of the orokin, the rise of grineer. When did the corpus came to be a machine worshipper and why? The story of the 'first' warframe is quite intriguing.

However, the future should be left uncertain. The future of Tenno in this war should be ours to shape.

[Renkai141]

Highly I myself think that it should be a choice. However, the "Feature" or "part of the missing puzzle" is still missing. If your not a huge big part of the game's story, understanding and story telling. Then you don't have to, I trust this game to give a huge amount of variety as it already has and that plays a huge role. Because of that you are able NOT to take on the story line.

However, me personally : A game isn't a game without a story. Untold answers, leave untold questions.

Aslong as it becomes a choice, it would hopefully not be a bother.

[Windbow]

...

I suppose what I'd like is for things to be in balance. Tell us enough to be satisfied but don't tell us too much so we can keep the mystery.

...

Absolutely! The air of mystery should still be maintained even with some lore. Hope DE feels the same way. :)

Sorry, I'm an onion-eating pefect being.

...

For the record, I put onions in my cheeseburgers. Sometimes raw for the bite, sometimes caramelised for decadence. :D

[FedorHooch]

onions... caramelised

D:

[Sollet]

I have to respectfully disagree.

As a lore/story driven type of a gamer I welcome any additional lore/story elements DE throws at us.

Ignoring or abandoning more lore implementation in this game would not only be an missed opportunity to expand the Warframe universe but also hurting the longevity elements of the game.

Besides lore implementation is already in the works, which DE Steve has brought up in update 7 reveal thread and in the latest Q&A video.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Sollet

[Oktalz]

Me being a sucker for any good story, be it a good book or movie or even sitting around a campfire have to say that I do belive Lore is a nice addition to any game.

It adds a certain element and help enforce the vibe of the already existing units and environment in any game.

Now there are some out there who like to make their own stories as they go along and roleplay. Some even like to have a backbone story and roleplay along side it.

Either way I think there are ways to add good story elements to the game without making them feel like you are having it shoved in your face.

A small ingame cinematic (not the square enix kind where you wait for 15minutes to get to play) before major key missions that lasts a minute.

On the topic of key missions, if lore is added there can be another addition to Warframe that is very popular nowdays (yes I´m looking at all the DLC / Episode games). Each month or two DE could have a story element mode to further the Lore that´s in the background to add a sense of progression instead of it feeling like you are only moving from planet to planet killing stuff for killing sake.

Just an idea, that´s all. But yes the backstory of Warframe can be in the game in subtle ways to not make it feel forced on the player, audiologs, text documents, parts of the maps tell their own story (cave paintings come to mind, dunno why). Scannable environment parts ala Metroid Prime and so forth. All these elements you can choose to skip if you are not interrested and if you are it adds another element for the lore driven gamer to look for. How to give the lore driven player time to do all this is another story alltogether since now it seems like rushing to the finish is the only way to play (which is sad) and if I may have my say, boring.

Edited March 10, 2013 by Oktalz

[Windbow]

...

On the topic of key missions, if lore is added there can be another addition to Warframe that is very popular nowdays (yes I´m looking at all the DLC / Episode games). Each month or two DE could have a story element mode to further the Lore that´s in the background to add a sense of progression instead of it feeling like you are only moving from planet to planet killing stuff for killing sake.

...

Actually, that's not a bad idea. It's also something to look forward to. I wonder what DE has in store for the long term - but let's not get ahead of ourselves here. DE have already stated more Lore is coming in (the now, mythically proportioned) Update7 and beyond. Let's just wait and see for now.

edit: Uh, before anyone gets any wrong ideas, I meant "mythical" in the legendary sense, not fictitious or make-belief. :P

Edited March 10, 2013 by Windbow

[bptamblyn]

I understand what everyone is saying. But I am not a lore driven player. At least not anymore. I heard so many recycled stories with the same mushed up melodramatic story with overly onimus tones, that it was so nice to not have it here. In the original Star Wars I had no idea who Boba Fett was, but I knew that guy was a badass bounty hunter who could rival a jedi. I didnt need to know how he felt or that he had a broken past. I didnt even need to know if he was human, alien, or robot. That was part of what made him so amazing. I really dont get the fascination, need, or even desire to have the Tenno explained away. To me, the less I know the more is left up to me. The more they are defined the less ability I have to enjoy their mysteriousness and open-ended possibilities.

Also all the onion eaters out there are crazy...

Edited March 10, 2013 by bptamblyn

[Paprika]

Before reading this post, I wanted an in-depth story explaining everything about the Tenno. Now I want a story but a vague and minimalistic one. If you've played Limbo by Playdead, you'll know what I mean. It allows the player to guess as to what's happening, but it leaves everything open-ended. there are various theories as to what the game symbolizes, but nobody is really sure. I want Warframe to get people thinking, But I don't want the game to guide the tought process.

I understand your view of things, and your view has changed my views to a degree.

[Skepsis]

I just stumbled across this thread, and it's full of great ideas. and I'll have to add my input here, I believe that we should have some sort of insight as to why the Tenno were created, by whom, and why they're in cryostasis. Another thing I'd like to know is about the war they were created for. Their current purpose, in my opinion should be left a little vague for you to fill in the blank with your own ideas, and promote topics on the forums for the discussion. Parprika is on the same path as I, if I read his post correctly, The game should drive your imagination wild, and leave you guessing, but should give you answers where they need to be.