Custom Ability Mods

[WarframeStigma]

P1: ABOUT

 

My ideas to answer the question of why we cant have warframe switch abilities around if we wanted to.

We all know that warframes have ability mods. But what determines how those abilities behave. I’ve put some thought into this and came up with yet another way to make this came into a yugioh trading card game….but a bit more complex..

 

The idea I have in mind is a way not to allow warframes to switch abilities, so to speak, but to adopt certain aspects of other warframe abilities to make their abilities more versatile. I made this idea when I saw that Ember’s WORLD ON FIRE works kinda similar to Hydroid’s TEMPEST BARRAGE.

 

The idea functions by taking what I call “aspect cards,” special blueprints/mods that determine the behavior of a warframe ability, and doing a little mix and match to change the behavior of an ability.

[WarframeStigma]

P2: DEFAULT ASPECT CARDS

 

In order to understand this idea, I’m gonna provide a list of some warframe abilities and the would-be corresponding aspect cards.

 

EXCALIBUR-

SLASH DASH: Stampede(project forward), Massacre(array of damage)

RADIAL BLIND: Radial Aura(AOE), Flash(happens at one moment)

HIGH JUMP: Ascent(elevate upward),

RADIAL JAVELIN: Radial Aura, Manifestation(manifests physical objects), Propel(propulsion)

 

LOKI-

DECOY: Doppelganger(replication), Projection/Manifestation

INVISIBILITY: Cloak(invisibility), Massacre                                                 

SWITCH TELEPORT: Void Jump(for teleportation)

RADIAL DISARM: Radial Aura, Obseletion(disables the enemy in some way), Flash

 

MAG-

PULL: Accumulator(invisible force manipulates an object)

SHIELD POLARIZE: Obseletion, Radial Aura, Disbursement(benefits players, harms enemies), Flash

BULLET ATTRACTOR: Accumulator, Radial Aura, Keen Placement(specific placement of ability)

CRUSH: Radial Aura, Crumble(abilities that physically crush the enemy), Accumulator

 

RHINO-

RHINO CHARGE: Stampede, Massacre

IRON SKIN: Manifestation, Keen Placement, Carapace(creates a protective barrier of some kind)

ROAR: Radial Aura, Disbursement, Manic Stage(duration ability stemming from caster)

RHINO STOMP: Radial Aura, Massacre, Stasis(keeps things in place for a period of time)

 

OBERON-

SMITE: Propel, Disbursement

HALLOWED GROUND: Ground Zero(ground based damage)

RENEWAL: Disbursement, Propel, Manic Stage

RECKONING: Radial Aura, Crumble, Accumulator

 

VALKYR-

RIP LINE: n/a. depends on whether or not it’s already installed on the warframe or just generated

WARCRY: Radial Aura, Disbursement, Obseletion, Manic Stage

PARALYSIS: Radial Aura, Flash, Massacre

HYSTERIA: Massacre, Carapace, Manic Stage

 

EMBER-

FIREBALL: Boom(explosion/blast), Propel

ACCELERANT: Flash, Radial Aura, Disbursement

FIRE BLAST: Ground Zero, Radial Aura,

WORLD ON FIRE: Boom Repeater(multiple explosions/blasts), Manic Stage, Keen Placement

 

NEKROS-

SOUL PUNCH: Etherealism(anything delving in the metaphysical), Accumulator, Boom

TERRIFY: Mind Stir(manipulation of the mind), Radial Aura, Manic Stage

DESECRATE: Manifestation, Extract(extracting something)

SHADOWS OF THE DEAD: Doppelganger Hive(multiple replications), Manifestation, Etherealism, Massacre

[WarframeStigma]

P3: MIX N MATCHING

 

Now lets imagine that we could make different combinations with corresponding abilities.

 

Lets say we take Ember’s FIREBALL and give it aspects of Oberon’s HALLOWED GROUND by giving it a GROUND ZERO aspect card.

 

What if you wanted Loki’s DECOY to be as functionable as Ash’s BLADE STORM or a Tenno Specter? You could add a MASSACRE aspect card to essentially create a second Loki that can move within range and kill other enemies.

 

What if you could combine MANIFESTATION, MASSACRE, DOPPELGANGER HIVE, and DISBURSEMENT to create a large number of Ash clones, and I mean A LOT.  Ash wouldn’t even have to do anything, he could just sit around as his clones kill the next enemy that comes within Ash’s range. It would be like one clone to one enemy. For those of you who think Ash is useless, wouldn’t this do the trick?

 

Let’s pretend Zephyr’s TORNADO had a CYCLONE aspect mod….now that would be an OP aspect card if used correctly. I can imagine a whirlpool cast by Hydroid. It would function like his UNDERTOW ability, except it travels towards nearby enemies. Heck, maybe more than one whirlpool can be made..

 

These are just some initial ideas I had in mind, there could be much more combinations

[WarframeStigma]

P4: HOW THIS WOULD WORK, AND BALANCE

 

In order for this to be possible within the UI, there would have to be a type of machine that can basically crack warframe ability mods and warframe systems(blueprints?) and extract an aspect card. The manner in which these cards are extracted is kinda like getting mods in general; some come out more commonly than others.

 

Currently, I am calling this special machine a “mod cracker.” It would either have to be researched or purchased in the market mod screen there would be two new options to either create a custom ability mod or extract aspect cards out of mods and systems.

 

Lets say we want to extract an aspect card, ability mods can gain you one aspect card while systems gain you up to four. After card extraction, the mod or systems used is destroyed in the process. This assures that you don’t just spam it infinitely. The extraction process should take no more than 10mins. Now, the rarity of the mod depends on the type of custom abilities that can be forged from it. at least one component in a powerful custom ability would universally be rare to extract. Card extraction depends on the planet from which you’ve acquired the systems, and the difficulty of acquiring the systems. Getting a RADIAL AURA aspect card would obviously be easier than trying to get it from a Rhino systems. But there could be other factors as well.

 

Now, as far as building new custom abilities is concerned, you would click customize in the mod screen. There are specific recipes to custom ability mods. You would need to have acquired the systems(blueprint?) for the warframe you plan on giving a custom mod to. You click on the systems as a part of the recipe, and then you would click on the aspect cards for the custom ability mod you are trying to build. It’s somewhat like transmuting, except the process is always a success. And there you have a new custom ability for a specific warframe.

 

Now, there ARE limits and balances to this theoretical system. Because it essentially nerfs default abilities. This custom ability concept was thought up to provide versatility in primarily endgame content. Therefore you’d be pretty OP to have 4 custom ability mods on one warframe. Imagine a fully custom Rhino or Saryn…hell no…there has to be some balance, so there obviously wouldn’t be a fully custom warframe. There could be an array of custom abilities for one warframe, but they’d be limited to only two custom abilities.

 

And finally, the only way that can make this system truly balanced is to make the rare aspect cards VERY HARD TO GET. You’d be burning through a lot of systems before you get the one you need… just like you you burn through a lot of useless prime parts before you get the prime part you need…

 

the second way to balance this system, and most importantly, is to make these mods DEGRADABLE!!! So not only does it take A LONG TIME to create custom mods of your desire, THESE MODS ARE NOT INFINITE IN USE!!! Basically, when you get the ability mod, it comes with a number of available casts, you can cast this ability as many times as it allows, and once the cast count reaches zero, to be fair, it will be destroyed right after the end of the mission. Therefore, the counter is only counted after the end of a mission. Naturally, the maximum number of casts any ability can be used would probably be 100-200 casts. Why? Think about how many times you cast an ability in a T3 survival mission…think about it…you burn through half the mod if it had 100 casts…and using the mod for void missions is essentially a tradeoff when it comes to survival… that’s the mentality that should be used when it comes to ability mods.

 

That’s about it for the idea…

[(PSN)StoneRevolver]

Although those aren't bad concepts, I feel like Warframe is already a lot to take in for new players, and adding something like this would only help to confuse or run them away from the game.

 

A lot of the systems are already over complicated and need a little simplification, this would probably make matters a lot worse.

[Nosferagon]

What i never understood is why there are ability cards in the first place. After all, the abilities are unique to each warframe and can't be switched between them.

 

What they should have done is have the powers be integrated in the frame much like health and shields and their effectiveness be raised by leveling. Since all ability mod cards have three levels it would match perfectly - 1st power up at level 10, 2nd and 20 and 3rd at 30.

 

If they implement ability cards that all warframes can use that's another story altogether. however, that is a BIG if.

[WarframeStigma]

What i never understood is why there are ability cards in the first place. After all, the abilities are unique to each warframe and can't be switched between them.

 

What they should have done is have the powers be integrated in the frame much like health and shields and their effectiveness be raised by leveling. Since all ability mod cards have three levels it would match perfectly - 1st power up at level 10, 2nd and 20 and 3rd at 30.

 

If they implement ability cards that all warframes can use that's another story altogether. however, that is a BIG if.

yeah, i always wondered why they have those, but because that's just part of the system, i just thought of a way to make the system more...personalized

[GrimR3APER]

Ash is not USELESS!!!! Anyone who thinks so is doing it wrong. BladeStorm is kinda slow but it deals face-rape damage and the clones help. :c

Edited July 8, 2014 by GrimR3APER

[Cobalt313]

Ash is not USELESS!!!! Anyone who thinks so is doing it wrong. BladeStorm is kinda slow but it deals face-rape damage and the clones help. :c

Last I checked Bladestorm was guaranteed kill against non-boss enemies.

[Cobalt313]

yeah, i always wondered why they have those, but because that's just part of the system, i just thought of a way to make the system more...personalized

There had been idea threads and rumors going about for the possibility of new Warframe ability mods you could collect and equip to have whole new abilities, e.g. if Ember could equip either Accelerant or Combustion as her secondary ability.

[WarframeStigma]

Last I checked Bladestorm was guaranteed kill against non-boss enemies.

yeah, i understood that already. but some people are still hating...i mean if we are going to talk about efficiency, Ash is as useful as Ember with the bonus that he has more armor than her and can stealth.