Difficulty; Where Art Thou?

[Corth]

Warframe can be ridiciously easy due to some sub-par design decisions. As the game is quite repetetive in it's current form, I feel a lack of difficulty rids the game of the only reason I log in to play.

And before you tell me "To just solo then". Solo'ing makes the game harder, but it's by no means hard. At least not if you know what you're doing.

The problems are, as follows:

* No power per cost. Max Loki's decoy and you can even solo Pluto. In a balanced state, Loki's decoy would either be much more expensive or a lot weaker. By comparison you have other warframe skills that are complete crap. Same goes for mods. Some mods are just absurdly worth it, with no rarity or costs that would make one not use them.

* Target aquisition. With very few exceptions mobs just target what is closest to them, and never flee. Even when having two people this becomes a problem, as they will never intentionally focus fire on a single (weak) person.

* Cheap melee deaths. Melee mobs can catalyze an instant kill. There hasn't been a single death caused by melee that didn't feel cheap. If you are hit you can't act, and you die because you can't act. That's not difficult, it's just cheap.

* No player scaling. Yea, you know about this one. Moving on.

* No point in moving. If I somersault around I get hit more often than when prone (since more mobs get line of sight). You're a space ninja; but there is no reason to not play like you were a space marine.

* Blocking is useless. Why block when you can empty a magazine instead? I use my ultimate more often than I block.

* Unintentional tugging along. I can't chose to go to Pluto with people close to my level. I'd happily wait for just a single guy, rather than being pushed into a four man uber killsquad. Right now it's either solo, or being carried. Yes I can call up a friend; but really, how many people in this game only play with friends on a consistent basis?

[Vulturnus]

there needs to be a planetary tier so that content becomes increasingly challenging.

Increasing difficulty via stats boosts is terrible, i agree with your points there needs abilities that bypass shields and dodgable projectiles that can be lethal outside of boss rooms.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Vulturnus

[arune]

One thing that could help is make mobility actually avoid ranged fire. If making the enemy fire non-hitscan isn't possible (due to laggy servers), you could simulate it somehow, eg. giving chance to dodge projectiles when moving roughly "sideways" to their trajectory. Then you could make the gunfire more lethal in the endgame missions.

[Corth]

there needs to be a planetary tier so that content becomes increasingly challenging.

Increasing difficulty via stats boosts is terrible, i agree with your points there needs abilities that bypass shields and dodgable projectiles that can be lethal outside of boss rooms.

True. One of the most welcome things when changing levels are the (thermal) grenades and toxic ancients. Of course the lacking AI makes them a breeze compared to what they could be; but I at least have to be careful when seeing them.

One thing that could help is make mobility actually avoid ranged fire. If making the enemy fire non-hitscan isn't possible (due to laggy servers), you could simulate it somehow, eg. giving chance to dodge projectiles when moving roughly "sideways" to their trajectory. Then you could make the gunfire more lethal in the endgame missions.

You could even make it as simple as if acrobatics A is used, then ignore X % of all shots. Acrobatics being wall running, sliding, frontflipping etc. Great way to make people use those kick-&#! moves when engaged.

Edited April 2, 2013 by Corth