Concept: Loot Caches

[Namacyst]

Since most of the loot tables are already diluted beyond repair i thought about a new way to distribute loot in the game and opening up more tables to put stuff in. It should be compatible with the existing tilesets and add kind of a mini-event within a mission.

 

This is what i came up with: Loot Caches.

 

Every faction Tileset has a chance to have a loot cache in any mission you play. They spawn randomly and are linked to certain Tiles within the Tileset where they can spawn, mostly big rooms where you have some space and multiple entry points (more about that later)... but they will be rare. Maybe in 1 of 10 games you play you will encounter a loot cache.

 

The Lotus will tell you at the beginning of the Mission that she is "Picking up some strange readings from this Ship/Base/Planet" and will encourage you to investigate. That means the Loot caches can be on your main route in the Level or can be hidden on some side-path so you have to look everywhere to find them.

 

Every Loot Cache will look different for each faction. Grineer will have some kind of big cargo barrels, Corpus coffin like anti-grav tech-chests, Infested have gooey cocoons and the Old Orokin caches look... Orokin'ish.

 

What will happen when you encounter a Cache?

 

When you go near a cache the Lotus will tell you what to do...

 

Grineer caches are sturdy and the Lotus will scan it to find the weak spots where you can pry it open. After some time the Lotus will give you information about what to destroy on the cache to safely open it. If you destroy the right "thing" she will continue to scan, give you more information what to destroy next. If you do it right the cache will open... if you or the Enemy shot the wrong part once it's ok... let it happen twice and the cache will get stuck and can not be opened anymore... you failed. Alltogether this will take several Minutes to scan and destroy the right weak spot and in that time Enemy spawn is increased and you basically have a mini-defense, protecting yourself and the weak spots on the cache.

 

Corpus Caches have to be hacked by the Lotus.. which takes time and of course the Lotus will take longer than she calculated ;). During all that time Enemy spawn is increased and again... mini-defense. You have to actively help her, meaning you have to hack the Cache a couple of times when the Lotus tells you to. Also you have to hack it when the cache gets damaged enough because it will short circuit a bit and the Lotus is kicked out. The Lotus can be kicked out twice.. by the third time the cache short-circuits completely and locks down and can not be opened anymore... you failed.

 

Infested Caches have to be "desolved" to get to the loot because the cache is a big gooey cocoon and very resistant if you don't have something to weaken/remove the Infested Bio-mass. The Lotus will scan and tell you what to do...which most likely will be be to find two certain Infested Ancients that will spawn randomly somewhere on the map and you have to find and extract the needed compounds (uses the capture mechanic: --> "kill" --> go near and extract --> Enemy dissolves).. so you will have to go hunt the Mob and come back to where the cache is after you got the two ingredients. The 2 Mobs spawn the moment you go near the cache and they can spawn anywhere.. even in Tiles you already left behind/cleared so you really have to look everywhere for them. Oh.. i forgot to tell you: You have 5 minutes to find and return or the Cocoon will harden enough so no solvent works anymore and it will not open... you failed ;)

 

 

And finally the Orokin Cache will ONLY open when you have a Prime Warframe, making them different from the other caches the most because.. well.. instant fail if you don't have a Prime Warframe with you.. no chance to open it ;) IF you have a Prime Warframe it has to stay near the Cache and link itself to it for a certain amount of time (Intercept mechanic). The unlock-progress will be shown for that Warframe and any other Prime Warframe also near it, reducing the time it takes to open the cache. But be aware that the Enemy spawn will increase during that time and the cache will defend itself (shoot lasers where you have to walk around it to avoid, do shockwaves once in a while where you have to jump, drain your shields and energy and other nasty stuff). If any Prime Warframe breaks the Link or dies during... you fail and the cache will not open anymore.

 

And why would you want to open a Loot Cache? Well.. because of the Loot of course.

 

I'm thinking of something like this: Loot caches ALWAYS Drop 1 of each ressource found in that region and sometimes 1 rare extra, Always give 3-5 Mods with a high chance of one being Rare, a good chunk of Affinity(XP) and maybe... Blueprints for something DE comes up with.

 

It opens a new loot table for stuff to put in and maybe even can be used to give "Loot of the Week" meaning the Loot it contains changes every week. Awesome right?

 

Sorry guys, no TL;DR ;)

 

Feel free to /discuss

 

Cheers

Edited April 29, 2014 by Namacyst

[AureusVulpes]

The Lotus will tell you at the beginning of the Mission that she is "Picking up some strange readings from this Ship/Base/Planet" and will encourage you to investigate. That means the Loot caches can be on your main route in the Level or can be hidden on some side-path so you have to look everywhere to find them.

 

Bad design here; I got one word for you: Quitfarmers.

 

EDIT: Overall, the rest of the post looks kinda fun

Edited April 29, 2014 by AureusVulpes

[Gelkor]

Bad design here; I got one word for you: Quitfarmers.

 

EDIT: Overall, the rest of the post looks kinda fun

True, and, unfortunately, you will also have some people still focusing on the timed elements of a mission while some run off after loot.

 

Potential solution: Make it only spawn in solo runs, as an "incentive" for solo play being the mere challenge.

[Namacyst]

True, and, unfortunately, you will also have some people still focusing on the timed elements of a mission while some run off after loot.

 

Potential solution: Make it only spawn in solo runs, as an "incentive" for solo play being the mere challenge.

 

No. There will always be some idiots ruining it for others in online games and to design something around those idiots is the wrong approach. There should be no problem in shifting the Lotus Message to when you come close to a cache instead of the beginning of the Mission... making it more of a surprise when you encounter a cache.

 

My concept is for co-op play, not solo (i'm not saying it isn't doable solo but definitely less fun) and i find it better to have more to do that can be potentially ruined by some morons than have nothing new at all.

[AureusVulpes]

There should be no problem in shifting the Lotus Message to when you come close to a cache instead of the beginning of the Mission... making it more of a surprise when you encounter a cache.

 

I had the idea and I was in the middle of typing something similar to this when you posted it.

[Kaotyke]

Inb4: Moved to the proper section

[Namacyst]

bump