Adding longevity with less effort: Achievements, modifiers, challenges etc.

[Pierson]

I think everyone on this forum already has a handful ideas of what they'd like to see in the game. Things like extra map tilesets, warframes, weapons, blueprints and enemies are already a given on most people's 'must-have' wishlist but all require significant time and resources to produce.

But anyone who's ever played Unreal Tournament, Monster Hunter, World of Wacraft, any PS3/360 game, or That Other Co-op Sci-Fi Shooter (okay fine I mean Mass Effect 3's multiplayer) knows you can add hours or even days to the playtime of a game by switching up enemies, adding incentives, or just plain changing things around. Giving players a reason to go back to content they've already visited a dozen times.

Achievements

A no-brainer, everyone knows what's meant by this. Start off simple with completing levels or levelling frames, and work all the way up to insane and difficult stuff only the crazy would attempt. Maybe award one for clearing a level without getting hit, or for killing every enemy on a stage with a charge-attack. Maybe for soloing a boss with a pistol. Actually that sounds dull as all hell don't do that one.

Modifiers

Anyone who's played Diablo 2 or 3 remembers chugging along happily before suddenly coming across a zombie that had LIGHTNING - BEAM - IMMUNE TO PHYSICAL under its nameplate. Just one or two extra abilities at random on enemies can change gameplay significantly as suddenly the next Marine the level throws at you can spawn landmines, or trigger lasers from the ceiling, or summon clones of himself if not killed fast enough. Or all at once. Not just enemies either. Maybe a solar flare on Mercury causes all melee weapons to be hyper-charged and do double damage, or a breakdown of the heating systems on Pluto makes all shields regenerate half as fast in the cold. Suddenly the game changes as players are forced to adapt to new factors.

Challenges

Technically there's already a challenge in the game of completing your first level of the day for extra rewards. Daily challenges based on themes of taking on certain enemies with only certain weapons, or weekly clan-based ones like going through an entire planet with certain frame combinations (or limitations). Combine it with modifers for brutal or sadistic challenges for the best players to have a crack at, as they have to make it through an entire level without shield or health regeneration, or with enemies that can only be killed in certain ways (and heal each other if you screw up).

There's no way I'm the the first person to wonder about these kind of things, and there's probably a dozen reasons it can't happen. But thinking about stuff like this is fun and it's closed beta so we still have time to dream. What other stuff have you guys thought of, stuff that can be added to the game without requiring a massive investment in resources?

[Cepmosod]

100% agreed.

[Kreddi]

Sounds interesting #Bumpofinterest

[AndersCy]

Yeah but achivements with steam or with out?

I think steam would ruin the game....

[bbcisdabomb]

In-game achievements would be best - if you get on Steam just hook them into the in-game achievements.

I really like the modifiers concept as well - small adjustments to the enemies can make a large difference. Just make sure to have some sort of a visual cue for "hey this dude has extra stuff going on" so I don't wail on someone for fifteen minutes before I figure out he's immune to rifle fire. I'd also like to see the modified enemies drop extra ammo as well - I'm always running out of ammo and it would be another incentive to fight them.

The challenges sound neat as well.

[Khalifa]

Ofcourse, I love these typically useless achievements and challenges that will make me play extra months.

Modifiers is another big thing that does infact add lots of time.

I think things like customization has me playing for a very long time, so if they do release some skins that you can't buy with plat or credits and have to like complete 100 challenges to get it, that will increase the time I play tenfold.

[neKroMancer]

Players need incentives to complete these challenge.

Look at ME3 multiplayer. Completing challenge, like play 200 waves with Asari, Turian, and Salarian gives you a beautiful banner to use in pre-match lobby. WTF... Grind for almost 20 hours for Banner? No, absolutely not thank you.

However, Warframe should learn from Bioware inflexibility and add incentive in term of permanent boost related to completed challenge. Example: Braton challenge : get 500 headshots with MK1 Braton grants you a base critical chance bonus upon completion when using Braton or unlock new skin for Braton. That's how players' OCD should be rewarded. Many players will cry 'free platinum' but hell I want these stuff better.

[MJ12]

Achievements with permanent, minor benefits like ME1 or Alpha Protocol are some of the funnest things and every game should have them.

Also, yes to enemy modifiers and "Champion enemies" with a bit more health, damage, and XP as well as more abilities.

[alienorifice]

Some players I've been matchmade into a game with have been putting up waypoints on the loot itself whenever a mod drops. This is super useful and instead of being just a common courtesy thing it should be built into the game. And the ideas in this thread are great too, just echoing them here.

[AndersCy]

When ever I play with others i use the waypoint to mark mods but others I played with just don't seem to care for them or even know what they do ...

[Kfoolu]

+1 for this thread.

[Kingdrake]

I like where this thread is going, I support you ^^

"Special" enemies would be an awesome addition, but please, please, please, NO speedy shockwave moa.

Please.