Redesign Of Current Warframe Mod System

[Nalo1993]

Redesign of current Warframe Mod System

 

So as of recently (and in the past) a question of how if Warframes current mod system is functional or not, and if it needs to be replaced has been a hot topic lately. I wanted to share my ideas of how a solution could be made. A lot of threads I have read have either talked about expanding the mod system (this seems to be DE's goal) or either do away with the system and start new. While I do know there are threads already out there that cover this issue (Zamboni) I wanted to share my solution. I will admit the current mod system feels limited, but I do not think it is completely flawed and that it can be built upon. So without further ado here begins my thread. 

 

Warframe Systems (placeholder name):

 

This is my pitch on a new system for how Warframe modifying, and how it works.

 

The current system for modifying our Warframes is not to terrible bad, however it is quite limited. We are given 12 slots to mod and 1 slot to equip and aura, but out of these 12 slots 4 of them are generally reserved for our Warframes powers, so that leaves us with only 8. 99% of builds on Warframes will also have Redirection, Vitality, and or Steel Fiber, these three mods feel like they are almost mandatory because we cannot survive without them. We are given quite a lot of flexebility when it comes to modding though, we have a full list of at least 80-100 mods just for our Warframes alone. However, most of these mods are over looked and pushed to the side because, most players prefer survivability over convenience. So here begins my idea of how it could possibly be fixed. 

 

This is my design for how the new Warframe configuration page could look (inspiration for design taken from TheGreatZamboni: https://forums.warframe.com/index.php?/topic/137875-a-complete-rework-of-the-foundation-of-warframe/).

 

Let me describe each section tab, by tab.

 

First Tab: Tactical

Tactical will be your Warframe standard: Health, Armor, Stamina, and Shields. Each of these slots will allow your Warframe to go to max stats when they hit level 30, and it will also allow them to go beyond. Let's look at how shields would work.

 

Example: Volts max shields at level 30 is 450, and by about the 9th node or so on the tactical skill tree that will be Volts Max Shields. After about the 10th node This will be extra strength added on to one of the 4 tactical stats. So at the 16th node on this tree volts shields would be at 630-750 shield strength. This cuts down on the need to have a redirection mod, meaning we now are able to survive without having to sacrifice convenience.

 

Second Tab: Powers

I think this one should be pretty straight forward, but I will go on and describe how this will work. With our powers tab the first node on each branch will unlock that said power. The other 3 nodes after that work as if we were leveling up our powers to max rank. This cuts down the need to have 4 extra mod slots dedicated strictly to powers, and it also allows players to have access to their full arsenal at all times.

 

Example: Electric shield at rank 1(unlock) in the skill tree will only last 15 seconds, and at rank 3 in the skill tree it will last for the full 25 seconds. Rank 4 will be a node for these skills that have 2 different selections (yes I got this idea from Mass Effect). Rank 4 you will have two options: decrease the cost of Electric Shield by 40%, but also decrease the Duration by 30% or Increase duration by 40% but increase the cost of Electric Shield by 30%. Rank 4 is meant to be viewed as an overcharge node, meaning the skill is being pushed to its limits to function differently then it normally would.

 

Third Tab: Utilities

Now here is where we see the old mod system still in use. Powers, and Warframe extra stats are now out of the system.....mostly. While currently the mod system does work it does have its flaws, and with this system I think there could be a compromise. As you can see in the Utilities picture it is the current Warframe mod page minus 2 slots. You may be wondering why I did that and my response is that I feel it is this. To balance out the fact that we are no longer required to have Vitality/Redirection and our Powers in with our mods, I removed 2 extra slots to attempt this balance

NOTE: if people do not like this idea I can add back the 2 extra slots. With our current system we are limited by mod capacity, that stays even though it is not in the picture. Aura slots have now change as well with this system, instead of adding on to our mod capacity, they are just there. Now the reason there is still a polarity is because of this.

 

Example: Steel charge gives a total of 60% currently at max level, with this new system when you place it in aura slot with V it will still be at 60% without the extra capacity, and without taking away any capacity (so back to the original way auras were handled). However, if you place Steel charge in a aura slot that is not a V slot it will decrease to 30%. So instead of taking away extra capacity, it will now take away the strength of the arua. The reason I made this change is somewhat of a common sense view (might not be the best way to describe it). If we are trying to make a mod fit into a slot in which it is not compatible with, then it would not function properly. So if it doesn't function properly then it will not be at full strength. I will try to elaborate more on this later. Aura slots are the only ones that will be effected by the half strength penalty, the rest of the mod's will stay the same.

 

Now onto the fun part (for you not me), while we are now no longer required to use mandatory mods you would think they would thrown out of the picture right? WRONG! Redirection, Vitality, Steel fiber, and all mods that we currently have are still in the picture. This is how this works...hopefully. Redirection and vitality are now halved in their current strength because, we already have those in our tactical slot so now they only take up half of what they use to in capacity. What DE could do in compensation for this could be, a portion of credits and fusion core required to get said mods to Max level, or they could give us 2 more legendary cores......what do you think about that? So if you still want extra power on your warframe, you will need to add it, if you want more shields or health or armor you will need to mod that on. So in a sense our system is still the same, but without the requirement to have mandatory mods. While players may still feel the need to have Intensify, Stretch, or Streamline it is not as required as before.

 

Fourth Part: Level Up

So here is the fourth part of the Warframe System design how Warframes level up. Still the same, we go out, we kill stuff, we get XP, and we level up. Except now with the skill tree we have to factor in how many nodes you get, and what the capacity of Warframes are. Well let me start off with the easy part, Warframe Capacity stays the same meaning Reactors, Formas still have their use and players do not lose anything. Now for the Skill points for the nodes, my current design limits it so each Warframe can have only 20 nodes active at one time. This is placed this way to balance out Warframes, and still have it so mods are still effective. You can max out the Tactical tree of your Warframe and be extremely durable, but your sacrifice being able to use your powers to their max potential. Vice versa for the Power tree, you can make your Warframe have the power of a cannon, but have them as weak as glass. This can give players new ways to create new builds or figure out which build suits them best.

 

For now this covers the Warframe System redesign. (Will be edited later for grammar and spelling where needed)

 

Okay now begins Part 2 of my redesign thread, the Weapons

 

 

Weapon System:

So currently we have our system looking like this:

This system......somewhat works?

 

Alright so it needs a bit of fine tuning, and here's what my fine tuning idea is. Basically it is the same as my Warframe System idea, take a new idea and mix it with the current mod system. Mind you this part is going to get tricky, and probably crazy because this is not easy trying to piece this together. Also here is the design of what the two tabs will look like

 

 

First Tab - Mods:

Okay so with mods I want to keep them where they are now, leave hornet strike, and other mods where they are as of now. I see no problem really with the modding system with weapons as much as I do with Warframes, but heres a few ideas for what happens to mods. Remove certain ones from the mod tables. List of mods are: Suppressor, Eagle Eye, Tainted Clip, Seeker, Barrel Diffusion, Lethal Torrent, Slip Magazine, Ice Storm, and Pistol Gambit (This list also includes their rifle and shotgun counter parts, I used pistol mod names for the sake of description). Now I know a lot of people are going to want to kill for reading a few off that list, but let's continue on to the next part before that happens.

 

(This list also includes their rifle and shotgun counter parts, I used pistol mod names for the sake of description)

 

Second Tab - Attachments:

Alright so here is the mock up design I have for the Attachments

As you can see I have three tabs here listed as Magazine, Chamber, and External. The concept of this is simple, the mods that are left in the mod section are applied in the mod area, and the mods taken off that list are now attachments. Here is the group in which these attachments are.

 

External:

•Suppress

•Barrel Diffusion

•Eagle Eye

 

Chamber:

•Seeker

•Lethal Torrent

•Pistol Gambit

 

Magazine:

•Slip Magazine

•Ice Storm

•Tainted Clip

 

Now these attachments function just like their mod counterparts in every single way, there is no deviation from their normal function. The reason I picked these 9 mods to become attachments is because I feel like they would be better suited as an optional choice. Plus, these options are not to radical of change, players can either choose between: more damage or more stealth, more punch through or more critical change damage, more ammo, or more ammo.....okay yeah I am going to have to work on that one. While I have no idea how to describe lore wise how this would work, this is how my Weapon design system works. Unless you want to count the mod system as a Warframes skill of using the weapons then why not!

 

As I stated before in a reply, I am trying to make this a simplified version while keeping the Mod System, and improving on giving players more choices.

 

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Edit #1: Added spoiler tags 7/6/2014

 

Edit #2: Added Weapon System

 

Coming next Melee redesign

Edited July 6, 2014 by Nalo1993

[APBladeX]

Isn't all of this just copying off of TheGreatZamboni?

[Nalo1993]

Isn't all of this just copying off of TheGreatZamboni?

In a sense it is, but I'm putting it my own words. However, if I am on the same track as him then that's good also. Could you possible point out were it sounds like I am copying?

 

EDIT: also I did read his post and for me it felt to confusing to read at some points so I am trying to make a more simplified version.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Nalo1993

[SilverHazzes]

I don´t think the mod system is not working good in therms of the warframes, with the warframes you have lots of  options, the main problem are the weapon mod system and its limitations with core mods eating slots and capacity and only a little room for utility mods. Anyway I trust DE and paying attention of the implements in modding over time, I think in the future this will be solved in their way,

[Nalo1993]

I don´t think the mod system is not working good in therms of the warframes, with the warframes you have lots of  options, the main problem are the weapon mod system and its limitations with core mods eating slots and capacity and only a little room for utility mods. Anyway I trust DE and paying attention of the implements in modding over time, I think in the future this will be solved in their way,

I assume that eventually DE will work this out, but until they I feel like I should post my ideas. Also I got to disagree on the part about it working well with Warframes. I took a look at every single build I have, and either my Vitality or Redirection was on there no matter what. To me it feels like its just eating and taking up space for what I think should be a natural implantation of the Warframes growing Stats.

[Nalo1993]

Added Weapon System, feedback appreciated.

[SwiftPotato12]

DE Has stated in many past Dev Streams that they are happy with the current mod system and will not be changing it. Other than that this looks very interesting!