Challenge Accepted: Breeding Ground, Exemus And New Vor

[notionphil]

I ran out of revives last night. On my main, Nyx. For the first time since my first day in WF.

 

Loadout? 4 Forma Burston P, Dakra and Castanas. I don't need to "L2P" either, except maybe I should be a little more careful where I plant those Castanas. Why did I get mercilessly slaughtered?

 

Because Warframe's recent design decisions have finally given us our first taste of challenge.

 

Vor's fair-but-powerful telegraphed void storm, and "Better Dumb mechanics" of teleport and a waist-sized-weakspot make him a challenge in many runs, especially when he chases down a separated team member. He took one off my counter for playing dumb.

 

Hunting Loki Parts in T4 Survivals kept me on my toes, with 3 squadmates and I hunkered down in a hallway, fleeing burning AoE's and Shock Drains from Eximus on both sides. Those increased spawn rates at high waves really ramp up the challenge. We were overwhelmed and I lost my second revive.

 

And searching frantically for Tumor Nodes in Breeding Ground while surrounded by an undulating hoarde of infested, squeaking, squealing and engulfing me in poison claimed one. It's a huge challenge to complete an active secondary objective while fighting for your life. After that....running a fast paced parkour obstacle course of visible but tricky traps was exhilarating but claimed my last life.

 

I died many times last night, but they were all mostly my fault. Yes, Vor's weak spot needs some tweaks. And Exemi should have more fair, visible auras and more defensive mechanics. And those dammed mutalist clouds should not proc. But still, those deaths were fun because they were avoidable. Maybe there's a reason to L2P and forma after all.

 

Thankfully a Tenno was there to take my hand and pull me back up. I'll be ready for whatever DE challenges me with next.

 

+1 DE

 

Please keep up the direction.

Edited June 23, 2014 by notionphil

[Dalu__Ka]

Hooray for challenging game play!

[bkbkfk]

before T4s, i hadn't really had a challenge since the old warframe...ya know, when grineer were still hanging out in corpus ships.

[Drasiel]

indeed. Well said notionphil. I actually had to bust out my vanilla rhino because I simply did not take the threats presented by the mutalist ospreys (curse you proccing stank cloud) and the increased spawn of the infested seriously enough while hunting for tumours or trying to revive squad mates.

 

Once I adjusted my play style (and they fixed the area of effect animation for the ospreys) It was as enjoyable yet challenging as when I started playing and crafted my boltor.

[Phobose]

Well said Notionphil, I'm actually happy that DE has taken this turn of direction for challenge and I've found myself playing the game more than I used to.

 

granted there needs some tweaks as you said to the new content (Those fricken stink clouds) i can't wait for the additional content to continue to pop out aswell as the new units aswell.

[Casardis]

[LukeAura]

I'm waiting on the juggernauts before I make any tips of my hat to enemy based challenge, maybe I'll try going after Vor in the Void though if I get up to it because he does seem more like what I'm looking for. I am getting a bit tired of the common priority target type 'challenges', which is what I think is my biggest disappointment more than the rng-chance of proc death with the mutalist Ospreys. They're another priority target to sort in to the list of things to shoot before other things. They provide absolutely no challenge, unless I let them or if I don't see them. So I'm either not challenged because it's dead, or I'm annoyed and running for fresh air but I haven't really accomplished or failed anything, I just got unlucky. 
Enemies don't really have a defence against our power, only an offense they make use of when we get overwhelmed by their numbers and can't process 360 degrees around us at once, or when we can't possible kill them all in a single clip of a gun. 
The breeding ground hazards waltz was fun/thrilling though, that much is true. I hope more tilesets follow its twisty nonlinear tile design. 

Although the gas clouds do remind me of something from everyone's favourite challenging games, the Souls Series. A lot of times they set up one two punches in levels. Two relatively harmless attacks, almost seemingly inconsequential, but if hit in the wrong order will turn in to a nasty surprise of much higher damage. One enemy will occasionally throw a jar of Oil at you, while another around the corner or backing him up will shoot fire arrows. On their own, rather harmless, but if Oiled and then set aflame you take a serious hit and I think this could be a great idea to set up with Mutalists. They still have the chance to 'proc' an effect, but the effect doesn't set off unless another infested type ignites it. Each one is relatively harmless without the other, but hit in the wrong order and suddenly you're in big trouble.