I Can't Get My Friends Into The Game. Here's Why.

[BadPoetry]

First off don't get me wrong I really like Warframe. I post on the forums regularly in bursts, I like contributing to discussion about how to improve it and even the flops haven't made me angry or anything. The devs and community staff are really helpful and pleasant as well as attentive and even if they don't succeed in meeting expectations - which in any MMO is basically impossible as people want all sorts of different things at once - they try and that means the world to me. Any company that shows it really cares about players (whether they like it or not, considering they shaved this event to make sure people didn't play an unhealthy amount over the holidays) gets leeway in my book and if I had more cash to burn I'd have got a better Founder package than I have now.

 

That doesn't mean I don't have a lot of issues with the game though, and it took me a while to get into it as much as I did. When it comes to my friends, I've succeeded in getting none interested enough to play. Look into, yes. Try? Some. Continue playing? Not one. And I wanted to share why, with quotes where I could get any decent ones.

 

1. The entire control system is confusing and poorly explained by the tutorial

 

I dunno, the wiki is how I learned to do anything

 

Major issue, search the forum and you can find a lot of people going on about it. I really did not learn much about how to play from it at all and nobody else I know did either. I only found out how to slide from messing around, I had no idea about polarities in mods until a few months after I started and the Lotus never actually told me what I'm supposed to do. Missions for money? Ok, but I didn't know that until I got extracted from my first one. I'd suggest working on this properly before even considering a final run to release.

 

2. Early equipment is terrible and has only been nerfed since

 

No good quotes, but here's one thread highlighting that its an issue. Even fully leveled the basic equipment is horrible now. It should be the lowest stats but it should also be actually viable to use.

 

I understand its an FTP title so buying new weapons for an early edge is fine, but its a poor method of money making long term to push players into buying a different item just to get by, when they haven't had the game properly explain itself either.

 

3. Players, especially in random matchups, say absolutely nothing 90% of the time.

 

Everyone just grinds through to get top score while i'm left in the dust

 

This one bugs me a lot too. Players have a terrible tendency to do nothing but rush, even on early levels, and fail to communicate at all for any teamwork. For new players especially, this puts pressure on and can make things awkward, confusing and unenjoyable. One of my only friends who played the game for more than a few days specifically told me they gave up on online play because of this, and I know from my own solo play that its much, much more difficult that way as everything has now been fixed as to be a challenge for a cell.

 

This isn't even a case of "lrn 2 play nub", its offputting as an MMO is a social situation and the community, in-match, has almost no solidarity or focus as a team beyond what the Lotus orders. Pushing communication outside of the fast-moving Region chat seems a really important thing in a team game.

 

4. Poor representation in characters; playerbase

 

yeah like warframe is super fun i really enjoy it but the attitude that only white cishet males play it really gets to me

 

gosh it looks fun but...

 

every time I see Warframe its like... T&A..

 

everyone insists on calling me bro [...] i basically get accused of lying [about being female]"

 

I hate to say that this is something that actually came up with probably 2/3 of my friends I asked about it. Unprompted. A lot of these people are gamers, some post on /vg/ and get involved in MOBAs and MMOs and FPSs the same as anyone else here. I hadn't even noticed any of this too badly myself, but after asking people why they didn't like the game, this was consistently coming up without being discussed before.

 

I'm not gonna lie, though, while I didn't really see the rest, there's a bit of &*$$geny in the cast that I only really put my finger on recently.

 

Edit: Did you really just censor "ho mo" DE. Really.

 

I mean yeah, there's variation in the universe, good. There's an entire matriarchal society, that's a cool idea. Female frames aren't egregiously sexualised or anything... but there are issues there. As well as the above there's been some creepy posts about how there need to be sexier frames that are just frequent enough to be uncomfortable. Meanwhile apparently finding Alad cute is weird because he's a guy? Pff. Precious. It's funny because looking for a thread for a previous point gave me this as a wonderful demonstration of a player doing it to Saryn. Oh forum.

 

inb4 "its just a game" and "tl;dr". I hope this makes sense and someone in the team actually gives this some attention, because its all been dealbreakers for people who I've been encouraging to otherwise play.

[Renathy]

5. There are no black people

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heh.. Just playing.

[f3llyn]

Yet another thread that talks about the extremely poor new player experience. Maybe eventually DE will do something about it.

[ValhaHazred]

I agree DE needs to do something about the first 3, but 4 is a problem with games in general and sci-fi shooters in specific. Despite 50% of gamers being women these days a lot of men still see it as a boys club. DE is doing somewhat better than the vast majority MMOs so I can't really blame them. I can't say I get a %$# and &#! impression from the game, especially compared to things like WoW, Guild Wars and of course Scarlett Blade.

It's also good that Rebecca and Megan are front and center and are the main voices of DE.

There are some things that could be better, like a large heavily armoured femframe. It's one of the reasons I'm not a fan Valkyr, she was a chance for them to do something really different but she ended up pretty much the same as the others, even after she was bulked up a bit.

Edited December 28, 2013 by ValhaHazred

[Etsoree]

People find Salad being cute is creepy, but they're allowed to do it with Vor? That's messed up; especially the part about people wanting "sexy" frames. It's annoying as hell.

I agree with not getting friends to be able to stay in the game. It's frustrating.

I wouldn't label Warframe as an MMO. It's not really possible to label the game with current terms, I think...

OP, your entire post pretty much sums up a lot of the game right now.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Etsoree

[BadPoetry]

I agree DE needs to do something about the first 3, but 4 is a problem with games in general and sci-fi shooters in specific. Despite 50% of gamers being women these days a lot of men still see it as a boys club. DE is doing somewhat better than the vast majority MMOs so I can't really blame them.

It's also good that Rebecca and Megan are front and center and are the main voices of DE.

There are some things that could be better, like a large heavily armoured femframe. It's one of the reasons I'm not a fan Valkyr, she was a chance for them to do something really different but she ended up pretty much the same as the others, even after she was bulked up a bit.

 

I should mention in regards to #4 that ignoring the mess ups like randomly deciding #$$ people aren't a thing for romance options, Mass Effect has a lot of diversity in their human cast I feel like shouldn't be an unusual thing. I noticed it in the Star Trek reboot, and the subsequent game... which DE developed? Huh.

 

I actually like Valkyr a lot, even if her shape is almost identical to every other femframe while the male frames have quite a lot of diversity... I hadn't even realised that until just now. Damn it DE.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Renan.Ruivo

[-CM-Saymus]

I agree with the 1st and 2nd point. 4th is a general problem of many games, u cant never satisfy all the people, it is impossible. And we 3rd point, i dont think the early weapons are weak, they are strong enough for the low levels. And even, if u use the correct modifications on them, they can kill high level enemies.

[Trainer772]

In fact, beginner experience has been made slightly easier.

 

Back in my days, MK1 braton did 5 damage, and it took like 10 shots to kill the level 1 grineer. Now the MK1 braton kills way faster.

 

 

Otherwise, I strongly agree with number one. It's kinda stupid how there's pretty much no information to be found on the game itself and you have to refer to a wiki to learn anything.

[ValhaHazred]

5. There are no black people

 

Heh.. Just playing.

I know you're kidding but it gave me some serious thoughts.

One of the Corpus CEOs is black, although in my opinion everyone should be kinda brown. That far in the future we'll probably be a roughly even mix of today's races.

Alternatively they could make new planetary races for NPCs, like Martians have dusky red skin, Murcurians are jet black, Plutonians are bone white. That kinda thing.

I should mention in regards to #4 that ignoring the mess ups like randomly deciding #$$ people aren't a thing for romance options, Mass Effect has a lot of diversity in their human cast I feel like shouldn't be an unusual thing. I noticed it in the Star Trek reboot, and the subsequent game... which DE developed? Huh.

 

I actually like Valkyr a lot, even if her shape is almost identical to every other femframe while the male frames have quite a lot of diversity... I hadn't even realized that until just now. Damn it DE.

Mass Effect also had a huge problem with overly sexualizing it's characters as the series went on. I like in the first one how everyone wore appropriate armour into combat but two and three went full on battle cleavage for no reason. It also has waaaaay more romance options for straight male Shep, a bunch for straight female Shep, a bunch for gay female Shep and almost none for gay male Shep and that was only in the third one.

Edited December 28, 2013 by ValhaHazred

[Renathy]

I know you're kidding but it gave me some serious thoughts.

 

It was just aimed at one of the OP's previous topics.

[KentReeves]

The NPE needs to be addressed. Having a proper tutorial would go a long way to retaining players past two or three hours.

 

Sadly, it doesn't seem to be a priority.

[yuikami]

I really agree with #1 and from the livestreams, I believe it's in their plan of improving the tutorial.

However, I disagree #2, it may be hard for the beginners to have enough mods to make them better than how they were but MK1-Braton and Lato is definately not bad weapon, they may seems bad when compared to late game equipments cause those are late game equipment and in my opinion, extremely powerful. Still, I do agree to the fact that it's hard for new player to decide which weapon they want to move on to next but for that problem they are many people who has writen up some suggesting articles and vids for Warframe beginners.

#3 has always been universal problems in CO-OP games specially when it comes to PUG and with strangers, you can pretty much assume everyone will out for themselves. The only suggestion is play Solo fight, see what part you can't get through or grind the same stage until you're keen with what you're doing before you move on, only if you hit some stage that Solo is a big problem, when you join an online game, where you get more fire power and atleast from your failing experience you'll know what to do for that mission.

#4 is also a universal problem. I too am a female gamer and I face this all the time, however, it's still a thing we have to accept that the gaming communities and industries especially FPS/TPS are still dominated by male consumers over female [it's really obvious, being in Warframe community for 9 months, out of over 300-400 players I met, I only met 5 female players] and of all the clans I tag along, out of 100-1000 members, they have less than 5 female members] people will automatically assumed you're male and with all thise 'internet' thing saying the female on the internet is a lie, you shouldn't take it personal, and it's not just Warframe, everygame I've played catagorised in FPS/TPS gave me the same reaction.

This is just my 2cents. Warframe probably is the best community I've ever been in, it has some good and bad side and all we can do it avoid the bad and enjoy the good. And from looking at #2 and 4, some people are bothered by it, some are not. May be it's just not your friend's cup of tea.

Sorry for TL:DR and horrible English

Edited December 28, 2013 by yuikami

[BadPoetry]

It was just aimed at one of the OP's previous topics.

 

Yeah I didn't mean to make it a running theme but I dunno, maybe it really should be considering the feedback here echoing what I said before.

 

 

I know you're kidding but it gave me some serious thoughts.

One of the Corpus CEOs is black, although in my opinion everyone should be kinda brown. That far in the future we'll probably be a roughly even mix of today's races.

Alternatively they could make new planetary races for NPCs, like Martians have dusky red skin, Murcurians are jet black, Plutonians are bone white. That kinda thing.

 

I'm so glad someone else got my point here instead of gesturing wildly at that 3 second shot of facial textures in a non-in-game trailer to dismiss it.  We've populated all of local space and there's absolutely no variation at all beyond faction level. Ignoring the lack of racial diversity anyway, literally every unit is the same and when given the chance to have a unique design in bosses, its pasty men again, and with femframes, slender builds with prominent racks (not to say the guys don't have a bit of that either... Ash has one hell of a codpiece going on.)

 

 

The NPE needs to be addressed. Having a proper tutorial would go a long way to retaining players past two or three hours.

 

Sadly, it doesn't seem to be a priority.

 

Yeah I think DE has lost focus on the crucial eyecatch period of the first few hours of the game, extending the endgame for their current playerbase instead of keeping a good first taste to retain new recruits.

 

 

 

you must not understand what the Video Game Industry is.

 

it is a Industry of Service. 

Video Games are like a Restaurant. you must SERVE your customers if you want them to come.

 

not telling players the basics about your game is the same as not offering your customer a table, not taking their order, and telling them to clean their own dishes.

 

yes, a player CAN learn a game through trial and error. but a 'tutorial', or other simple explanations of most of the games' systems, is basic customer service. just because they can trial and error their way to knowledge, does not mean they should have to. 

 

if you expect a customer to return, you need to service them.

 

Thank you for explaining this better than me. It's basic business to make the game inviting. Ok so we all got into it and understand how to play now. Cool. Does that mean everyone can be bothered? No. Maybe you personally don't care or don't even want new players but for those of us who have people we want to invite in or from DE's side of needing new players to sustain their game I don't see why "learn to play noob" is a valid argument. I'm speaking from an analytical standpoint backed up by multiple other people that the tutorial is confusing and provides no decent prompts, with nothing suggesting a course of action to find out due to no hint of a decent guide elsewhere from or in the game itself. I'm criticising, intending as a positive building point not as "slander", they improve on that and some other points in the same manner.

Edited December 28, 2013 by BadPoetry

[Killerdude8]

The Warframe new player experience, is the Equivalent to tossing your infant child into a 12 ft deep swimming pool.

 

that has rapids.

and sharks.

and seamines.

[ValhaHazred]

At least they've promised a better tutorial and in codex training videos, but I can't remember when that was. Was it for update 12?

[xxseedlexx]

When I started I figured out the controls pretty easy I just slapped my keyboard a few times and watched my warframe do an action. Isn't the controls menu the first thing someone new would check for in the options?

[Kartumterek]

everyone wants somas and synapses and rank 10 serrations and sentinels coming out of the gate... can you take the time to figure out some things on your own? There isnt a LOTUS IRL following you around telling you what to do and where to go. Its a game. Take the time to enjoy it yourself. YOU. This isnt a race to hit Mastery Level 14. If you spent 30 min reading Region, Recruiting and Trade you would figure out a lot of what the game is about.

 

 Try doing it yourself.

[Katakuna]

everyone wants somas and synapses and rank 10 serrations and sentinels coming out of the gate

 

Except no.  Not at all.

 

No excuse and no defense for the lack of a proper tutorial that explains everything a total newbie has to know.

[Killerdude8]

Lets not forget to Mention Vor is the most OP first boss I've ever seen in a game.

Even more $&*&*#(%&ly so than the Asylum boss in Dark Souls.

First bosses should be easy, not an impossible task.

[DJ_Redwire]

1. The entire control system is confusing and poorly explained by the tutorial

 

Yes, it is bad and needs fixing. DE has made several claims that it is one of their primary goals to amend. We shall see what they have in store (possibly in U12).

 

 

 

2. Early equipment is terrible and has only been nerfed since

 

While early equipment is not designed to be top of the line fire power, yes there are some things that could be changed to make it much less of a headache. ie. I suggested providing 3 weapon bundles when you first start the game, each one specializing in a different type of play style [(1.) A shotgun, short range pistol, and hand to hand melee bundle, (2.) A sniper, a long range pistol, and a heavy melee/long range melee weapon bundle (3.) Mk-1 Braton, Lato, and Skana in the middle as a bundle]

And perhaps to take it one step further - having a pool of weapons to chose from that you would start with to create an even more specialized play style according to the player's wants ans needs. (ie. An Mk-1, a long range pistol, and a hand to hand melee)

 

 

 

3. Players, especially in random matchups, say absolutely nothing 90% of the time.

 

Typing during a fast paced shooter where pausing for even less than 10 seconds can mean you either live or die and risk failing an important mission is both as frustrating as it is foolish. Imagine if this was a PvP game. Yeah, no. Get a game mic. It's an unfortunate issue that would also unfortunately require gameplay to be sacrificed in order to be fixed. Not ideal.

 

 

 

4. Poor representation in characters; playerbase

 

Sure, this can be an issue, but honestly any girl who is offended by being called 'bro' is overly sensitive. It's a term of endearment most of the time, I mean really it's just silly sometimes. Moreover, this is not unique to Warframe as many others have stated. In fact, this is one of the few game where I haven't seen it appear once on any random match I've been a part of. Not one. 

Edited December 28, 2013 by DJ_Redwire

[Renan.Ruivo]

Did some cleaning up here guys. Rudeness will not be tolerated towards new players.

 

Be gentle.

[xxseedlexx]

Lets not forget to Mention Vor is the most OP first boss I've ever seen in a game.

Even more $&*&*#(%&ly so than the Asylum boss in Dark Souls.

First bosses should be easy, not an impossible task.

It took me so long farming him as a beginner because I knew those blueprints could be sold but the amount of damage the mk1 braton was putting out wasn't enough.

[Fretless]

As to number four, why would people feel the need to establish their gender or sexual orientation in-game?  It's a shooter for crying out loud.  I don't care if you're a girl, and I don't want to know if you're *#()#.  Just shoot that grineer over there.

 

*edit* One is a valid point btw. Two is something a true newbie wouldn't know enough to complain about.  Three is your fault too, if you don't say anything either.  If you want a conversation, start one.

Edited December 28, 2013 by Fretless

[BadPoetry]

everyone wants somas and synapses and rank 10 serrations and sentinels coming out of the gate... can you take the time to figure out some things on your own? There isnt a LOTUS IRL following you around telling you what to do and where to go. Its a game. Take the time to enjoy it yourself. YOU. This isnt a race to hit Mastery Level 14. If you spent 30 min reading Region, Recruiting and Trade you would figure out a lot of what the game is about.

 

 Try doing it yourself.

 

I think I reached gamer bingo with "nobody helps you in real life", "learn to play", "I like it so you can't criticise it", "representation doesn't matter" and the free space of "shut up". Please be civil, nobody here except you has made any slight against DE or any other member so far. Everything said has been directed as positive criticism. Chill, reread and stop making this a flamewar nobody has any interest in.

 

When I started I figured out the controls pretty easy I just slapped my keyboard a few times and watched my warframe do an action. Isn't the controls menu the first thing someone new would check for in the options?

 

The controls don't teach you anything about things like dodge mechanics, parkour, combos, melee, nothing to do with how the levelling systems work, etc. They say absolutely nothing about damage types, though I'm hoping this is just because the mechanisms are a work in progress so they don't want to build anything explaining them yet.

 

They're a bit sparse. It's all well and good saying "just look it up" but the fact you don't even know about all these systems, the one I'm gonna pick on being polarities, means you don't know what to look up and you just end up discovering them by accident, potentially much later.

[Leremblompes]

Games are too hard.

 

OP, you should try playing Eve Online and then come back and complain about accessibility.

 

If you don't have the intuition to figure out or research things on your own, you probably shouldn't be playing such videogames.  Not everyone wants their entertainment to be easily accessible to the idiot brigade.