Helios' Scanner

[SoanoS]

I am starting to grow sick and tired of this waste of resources and slots that is Helios sentinel. It is practically unusable for its intended purposes in its current state. While I appreciate the idea of it pulling itself apart and flinging its components all over the area, the sentinel itself has its priorities messed up big time and I have grown sick and tired of its container fetish and uselessness..

 

Even with the scanner precept loaded in first slot and the attack precept unequipped, the sentinel seems to be obsessed with scanning all the containers in the area first, even if the room has got a big group of enemies I haven't got a lot of scans of yet (new U13 enemy types, leaders and so on). Considering I timed how long Helios takes to scan one SINGLE storage container even with maxed out scanner precept. It takes several, up to 10 seconds to acquire target even if you stand right next to it, and then a full 5-6 seconds to scan it. Of course, to add insult to the injury the timer will restart if the container gets broken/opened. So in a room with 6 unbroken containers, a control panel and one enemy I want a scan of it can easily take 70+ seconds before it will even begin to try to scan the enemy in the room. This is unacceptable. And it is just as bad if you are trying to hunt for those hard-to-find Jade-leaves on Earth missions.

 

But wait, it gets even worse with the attack precept equipped! If you equip the attack precept, it will repeat the performance described above, and then will suddenly turn around and just kill the enemy without scanning it. Marvelous, isn't it?

 

Final verdict: This sentinel is a complete waste of resources or platinum, and I would recommending staying as far away from it as possible, and I cannot recommend it to anyone.

In short: DO NOT SPEND PLATINUM OR RESOURCES AND SLOTS ON THIS!

 

 

I can suggest a few ways to improve it and make it actually useful but it is up to DE if they want to implement it. I certainly hope they will have a look and at least consider it.

 

1) Make it ignore storage containers completely and put the scan priority on enemy types with incomplete codex entries. Set plant types as an exception and high priority on Earth missions.

 

2) Shorten the target acquisition time to a second and speed up the scan to take only a couple of seconds.

 

3) Make attack precept prioritise targets with completed codex entries over incomplete entries.

 

Until then, this sentinel gets a 0/10 rating from me. It is not worth even the mastery experience.

[Frostosti]

i just level it up to 30 for the 9000 mastery points, then to never be used again, just like with all other pets except the carrier ;)

[Otakuwolf]

To me is a sentinel like another one, i just remove the scanner and put something more useful like Sanctuary

[Iacon]

I still don't  know why people hates Helios so much, it is helping me a lot filling the codex, I  just have to scan bosses and leaders by myself

[Volt_Cruelerz]

It just has priority issues with its scanning.  The devs know about it and I believe they're working on a solution.

[HexCaliber]

It is so bad I cannot even be bothered levelling it up to get mastery points, it is a useless POS. I am perfectly able to scan items myself, besides, half the time Helios stops scanning items because I happen to turn to engage the enemy; for all the advances you would think the f'ing thing could lock and track until it has finished scanning.

Edited April 17, 2014 by HexCaliber

[YourFriendlyNoggin]

I love the design and the concept of helios but it's the only thing I've ever regretted buying with platinum. Oddly enough it's also the first and only farmable item I've purchased with plat, simply because it didn't seem worth the oxium.

Seriously make the scanner a hard lock and a faster scan and it's worth it. Otherwise it's a waste of slots, oxium and platinum.

While we are on it can we lower the oxium requirements on oxium items, because it's getting ridiculous. Not the great neurode famine ridiculous, but still pretty bad.

[HAYABU5A]

i never scanned anything so its actually been very useful for me scanning stuff even if it not very good at it 

 

the best thing is, it allows me to shoot enemies thru cover, walls, and doors by highlighting them for me - in some situations this is very powerful 

[Mak_Gohae]

I mentioned this back when it was released, people are focused only on filling their codex and ignoring the fact that you get free exp whenever something is scanned. So Helios is basically an affinity booster.

 

Seriously, you folks payed for research costs, the BP, and then build cost JUST to finish your codex? The only way this makes any sense is if you never ever scanned anything before getting this sentinel. Outside of that, pay attention to what other benefits it brings.

[stpwncold]

He sure looks pretty neat though!

[Ishameal]

I was pretty excited about the scanning feature until I actually tried it out. In its current form it is absolutely worthless as a scanning tool.

The way the precept works needs to change. It needs to not try to scan things that are already filled out in your codex in the first place. A lot of the time it just keeps scanning the same stuff over and over again. They have already implemented a method to check it you need more scans of something, but they don't use it until after the scan is complete. Just move that check to the start of the scan process.

It also needs to complete scans instantly. 99% of the time my teammate just murder what It is scanning. The scanning process just takes too long in general. If there needs to be any sort of delay it should be between scans and not between starting a scan and completing it.

I would run this sentinel over carrier at least until my codex was complete and for new content if these changes were made. It is sad that the best looking sentinel is the worst at its job (this includes the more or less broken wyrm).

[shut]

- Scanning range needs to be extended. More so for X-ray vision than scanning.

- Scanning needs to be faster.

- Targets with maxed-out scans should still glow orange as they do now, but no scanners should be wasted on them.

- It should prioritize rarer targets or targets with the least amount of scans.

 

- Deconstructor is a beast and I love it (give it Pressure Point, Spoiled Strike, Rebound, and, like, five elements and watch it completely destroy anything it touches), but something needs to be done about that reload speed.

 

 

That's really all I find wrong with this sentinel. I personally love it because of how hard Deconstructor hits (due to 4X melee multipliers on Blinded enemies when playing Excalibur), and, as a Bow user, the occasional x-ray vision is incredibly helpful. The x-ray needs a bit of a range boost and the reload speed needs either a straight decrease or the capability of being modded away, but those are its only issues in combat. It's definitely not the best sentinel, but I can think of at least one other that I would never use over my Helios (hint: also clan tech).

[Vaze]

So I bought 250 codex scanners and used the sentinel for scanning. Now I have 88 codex scanners left. I myself have done 3 scans manually. Guess how many scans were added to the codex? 50 not counting my scans... Now this doesn't add up. Either Helios is scanning dirt, missing the target, loosing them along the way or it's bugged and eats a scanner every time it starts scanning (orange). Sometimes stuff gets scanned (green). In 30% of the time. Not enough. It should be an instant scan with 15 seconds of delay between each scan. This saves the devs loads of time trying to fix it. Helios is also really picky about who to shoot at but that's not the point here. Go create another topic for that.

[Farren]

Consider that Helios' scanning takes time, and moving out of range or killing the enemy stops it. Then suddenly it makes loads of sense.

[Senketsu_]

Consider that Helios' scanning takes time, and moving out of range or killing the enemy stops it. Then suddenly it makes loads of sense.

no because it wouldnt use the scan then. because you cant scan stuff once its out of range or dead, so the scan should just reset. I bought 1000 scans and I lost all of them, but have nothing scanned at all. Other then the once Ive done myself.

[Farren]

no because it wouldnt use the scan then. because you cant scan stuff once its out of range or dead, so the scan should just reset. I bought 1000 scans and I lost all of them, but have nothing scanned at all. Other then the once Ive done myself.

Helios takes a charge at the beginning of the scan.

[Vaze]

I've just discovered that scanning manually uses up 2-3 scanners right after ONE thing is scanned. Scanned 6 containers, got 6 scans but lost 2-3 scanners to each scan. Tried to lift my finger off the button just after it showed xp and in most cases it used up only one scanner. Definitely a bug.

[SoanoS]

Hm. Seems I am not the only one disappointed with the Helios.

 

I hope the developers will eventually see this thread and take some of the improvements mentioned into consideration at least.

 

SortaRandom, Djinn is actually pretty good, or, well, at least its weapon is. I use the Stinger on my other sentinels, thanks to the innate toxic damage. I find it very handy. The "bomb" precept is not the best one, but it can be handy in some mission types.

[SmokinJoker]

https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/217507-helios-is-a-joke/#entry2526305

[SoanoS]

Tried to play with the Helios again, just because I was bored and feeling masochistic.

 

Yep, found out it loses target lock if you move or turn. a few seconds to acquire targets, 5-6 to scan. Move, and it starts from beginning.

 

Now I understand why it tears itself apart and flings itself at the enemies too. It will be best used as a throwing weapon, nothing more. And even then it will most likely only cause a few bruises and hurt ego.

[Riccoshot]

He's just another example of "good idea, bad (bugged) implementation" at this moment.

Knowing DE, he's probably will stay like this (like many other things again) unfortunately.

[SoanoS]

Knowing DE, he's probably will stay like this (like many other things again) unfortunately.

 

Oh, well. There goes my platinum. :/

 

I was lured in by the advertisement on how amazing it was at scanning and everything, but in reality it was complete opposite.

Had I known how terrible it was, I would have gotten myself a Shock Camo Pack instead.

[shut]

Knowing DE, he's probably will stay like this (like many other things again) unfortunately.

 

It's really a shame how this is becoming a pattern. Virtually everything that pops up in the Community Hot Topics is done so to pacify the playerbase, and then is never dealt with from that point forward.

 

They know what's wrong, but they simply avoid dealing with it for god knows why.

Edited April 20, 2014 by SortaRandom

[BlueSilkMetallic]

he should ony scan things you have not completed in codes (no matter what it is)

the scan should be INSTANT.

 

then, and only then, it would be usefull.

 

if there is nothing to scan (because codex is complete) he may scan known enemies for xp.

[bobingabout]

I know what you mean...

 

The sentinel is useless

the scanning precep is useless

It's stupid in that you can't equip the Deconstructor on any other sentinel, after making a big deal of making it so any sentinel can use any sentinel weapon.

 

I want a refund of my 75 plat.