Let's Stop It With Themed Frames For Just A While?

[The_Markness]

I'm really digging Hydroid, I don't mind he's inspired by pirates, I'm fine with the name and the puddle powers are silly, but I can work with it, however I do foresee a problem if the Devs are getting limited by themes

We've done the elemental themes (fire, ice, water, electricity, wind) and we've done emotions (fear, anger), we've done forces (magnetism, sound, antimatter explosions), now I hear talk about time warframes and infested warframes, but what happens after all of those? Eventually all the good themes will run out and then we'll be making, heck I dunno, a disco-themed warframe (we'll call him Alcazar, his head will be a disco ball, and his ultimate attack will be called Stayin' Alive) or a Christmas warframe.

 

Okay OBVIOUSLY nothing like will happen (I hope), BUT CONSIDER THIS:
Rhino, Excalibur, Loki, Vauban, these warframes don't have a theme. Sure, Rhino's gameplay mode is tankish-agressive and Loki's all strategic, and Vauban uses traps, but the theme of the actual character design is free.

I'd like to again see a few of the next warframes that aren't limited by a theme, wouldn't you?

[koolen]

Don't worry, DE is very creative

 

Also Oberon is what ? A deer themed warframe ?

Edited May 23, 2014 by koolen

[ArchBlood]

Booben already has the power to start a disco party.

[Dalu__Ka]

Weirdest request ever. All the frames have a theme, even the ones you claim to have none.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Tenn00b

[Gelkor]

Vauban is actually gravity themed.  Every one of his powers is gravity based in some way, shape, or form.

Edited May 23, 2014 by Gelkor

[Orbister]

Yes the "themed" warframes is certainly quite a silly idea... instead of thinking in terms of game mechanics the themed frames are designed in terms of aesthetic or character features "Oberon is a palladin so he is holly and makes holly things" (bad) frames should be desing with their functionality and roles in mind, not some fantasy clichés.

[xGryphus]

A theme helps to keep warframes distinctly different and unique but as already mentioned it should also include a designated role.

[Domesticon]

I don't know, Hallowed Jack actually looked like a pretty cool Frame...

[Frostosti]

i dont think we will ever run out of themes.

can still do things like a medieval, a native tribe, a christmas or halloween warframe.

(or ofcourse an erotic warframe xD)

[ValhaHazred]

(or ofcourse an erotic warframe xD)

 

Incubi frame incoming!

[HillsAndTheSea]

wow you are funny, saying those frames dont have themes, look at their names

[ScienceFerret]

Loki- The Ruseframe

Vauban- The Bounceframe

Rhino- The Gymframe

Valkyr- The PMSFrame

Frost- The Crabframe

Nekros- The Edgeframe

Nova- The CCFrame

Excalibur- The Hornframe

Ember- The Scales-Horriblyframe

Mag- The Shortframe

Oberon- The Carpetframe

Volt- The Feminineframe

Trinity- The Only-her-Ultimate-is-Decentframe

Banshee- The Wubframe

Nyx- The Bubbleframe

Hydroid- The Thighframe

Zephyr- The Loot-Everywhereframe

Saryn- The Used-to-be-Goodframe

Ash- The Red-Black-and-Melee-onlyframe

[Imaru]

Vauban is actually gravity themed.  Every one of his powers is gravity based in some way, shape, or form.

How is tesla gravity themed? It has an arc when you throw it?

[SpilockT_T]

How is tesla gravity themed? It has an arc when you throw it?

-,- it's still called gravity..

 

Gravity themed does not mean it's a zero gravity frame...

[Arkezuli]

Vauban is actually gravity themed.  Every one of his powers is gravity based in some way, shape, or form.

 

Not wanting to be this picky or anything, but I'm yet to find out what do Tesla Balls have to do with gravity...

[The_Markness]

Don't worry, DE is very creative

 

Also Oberon is what ? A deer themed warframe ?

 

Paladin theme, he heals and deals damage, as paladins do. Also he has a nature theme going on as he looks like a Satyr and Oberon was king of the faries.

 

Vauban is actually gravity themed.  Every one of his powers is gravity based in some way, shape, or form.

If Vauban does have a theme it's traps, not gravity.

But that's besides the point; yes gameplaywise they do have a theme - like I said rhino is a tanky agressive class and Loki trick's people, but the DESIGN of these warframes and to a large degree their powers are not limited to elements or emotions or historical warriors or whatever. I'd like to see that have a comeback.

[neonyoshi420]

i don't know about all of you but id kill to see an earth based Warframe

you know with abilities like fissures and earthquakes or a rock wall for defense.

i don't know just an odd idea of me and my friends

[Charismo]

OP: "I think new frames should be less themed."

 

Everyone Else: "of course all the frames have themes."

 

Is there a gas leak in here?

[GSDAkatsuki]

Um they are all themed.

[Charismo]

Um they are all themed.

 

Holy cow.

[Mak_Gohae]

All frame have themes except for Excalibur, maybe.

[AlakiNuva]

I'd like to see more frames based around utilities than arbitrary aesthetics, yeah.  Like scouting frames or siege frames or damage control frames.

[AlienOvermind]

I think themes are necessary, they should only be less obvoius. Like fine to have tricky abilities for Trickster-God-themed warframe. But triangle hat, cutlass, parrot and cannon balls are kinda too much. Theme-features should a bit more subtle.

[Archwizard]

The problem with not having a theme is that there's less for the audience to relate to. Themes give players early recognition of a character when they hear about it, an idea of what to expect from the character: Frost is expected to have CC because he's an Ice elemental, Ash is expected to have stealth and mobility as an assassin, Zephyr is expected to be airborne as a Wind elemental and bird-influenced character, etc. It gives their abilities a binding element too; if a frame was released with a theme-less skillset like Well of Life, Terrify, Snow Globe and Absorb, people would freak out that the skillset just feels so thrown-together, that each skill seems out of place and that the whole design just seems lazy.

 

Even your examples have themes you can sum up in a word, given away by the names - Rhino's a juggernaut (because rhinos), Loki's a trickster (Norse mythology!), Vauban's an engineer (French history!), Excalibur is... 

Okay, Excalibur might be the only one truly without a theme (not for lack of trying, since they clearly shot for swordsman as you can tell by the name), but even then, he's the starter frame - there's already something to relate to because everyone has had their hands on him, and he's the first thing they learn to associate with the word "Warframe". That said, he's already had complaints about Super Jump for being the most out-of-place ability in his arsenal, which just goes to show why lack of a theme is a bad idea.

 

Note: Having a theme does not necessarily mean you can't have a utility. You could have a character with a Gunslinger theme whose abilities all buff gunplay, or a Scout who focuses on sabotage (oh wait, Loki), or a Demonic frame whose abilities focus on summoning, or a million others. They are not mutually exclusive, they just round out the set.

Edited June 1, 2014 by Archwizard

[Charismo]

The problem with not having a theme is that there's less for the audience to relate to. Themes give players early recognition of a character when they hear about it, an idea of what to expect from the character: Frost is expected to have CC because he's an Ice elemental, Ash is expected to have stealth and mobility as an assassin, Zephyr is expected to be airborne as a Wind elemental and bird-influenced character, etc. It gives their abilities a binding element too; if a frame was released with a theme-less skillset like Well of Life, Terrify, Snow Globe and Absorb, people would freak out that the skillset just feels so thrown-together, that each skill seems out of place and that the whole design just seems lazy.

 

Even your examples have themes you can sum up in a word, given away by the names - Rhino's a juggernaut (because rhinos), Loki's a trickster (Norse mythology!), Vauban's an engineer (French history!), Excalibur is... 

Okay, Excalibur might be the only one truly without a theme (not for lack of trying, since they clearly shot for swordsman as you can tell by the name), but even then, he's the starter frame - there's already something to relate to because everyone has had their hands on him, and he's the first thing they learn to associate with the word "Warframe". That said, he's already had complaints about Super Jump for being the most out-of-place ability in his arsenal, which just goes to show why lack of a theme is a bad idea.

 

Note: Having a theme does not necessarily mean you can't have a utility. You could have a character with a Gunslinger theme whose abilities all buff gunplay, or a Scout who focuses on sabotage (oh wait, Loki), or a Demonic frame whose abilities focus on summoning, or a million others. They are not mutually exclusive, they just round out the set.

 

 

A frame like Loki as you mentioned exemplifies the idea of trickster, or the unconventional. His abilities are based around tackling the enemy in unique ways. His ability design is very solidly based around these idea. 

 

But what about a frame like Hydroid? Going past the obvious cosmetic motifs of pirates and water, do his ability mechanics have a strong sense of design? Do his gameplay mechanic reinforce his particular theme? I'd argue they do not, and are very generic. Same goes for a frame like Oberon.

 

You don't need Loki to have a jester hat with bells to understand his theme. The way he plays does that job. But Hydroids' theme is only skin deep, and it's a trend that bothers me. It's a gameplay issue, but also an issue that Mynki should deal with as well. I really do not hope we continue to see design that relies so heavily on recognizable imagery to be relevant. 

Edited June 1, 2014 by Charismo