Game Changing Game Changes!

[WhiteWolf0100]

Game Changing Game Changes

A list of Changes and Rebalance for better and more seamless gameplay.

 

Warframe has the foundation to be an amazing game, and it's already well on its way to being one. For a game that's still in beta, it play very well, and already has a somewhat polished feel to it. That being said, like every game, it does have its shortcomings. I would like to highlight some of these said shortcomings and offer some solutions that I think will adjust these problems and get rid of them, or at the very least, lessen them. I would just like to ask that any comments and critisim be kepts serious, and that those commenting do their research before making accusations or suggesting changes that are either obsolete, irrelivent to what has been stated, or falsify game mechanics. I would also like to state that I will be including some things I have seen around the forums that I believe will be good additions/changes, which may or may not have my own personal tweeks to them.

 

The Mod System:

The current mod system seems a little lackluster, offering little variety to the way that a warframe functions. Most mod's only affect a select set of skills, and leave little in the way of customization. More mods offering a wider variety of gameplay changes would make for more interesting and enthralling gameplay. Yes, there will always be the generic make me tankier, or make me run faster mods, as they are a necessity in these types of game that implement RPG style gameplay, but Warframe should strive to set itself as far apart from and above the competition as possible. With that being said, there are also some things involving the current mods that need to be changed, in my opinion.

Better Clarity: Many mods don't define what it is they affect in an obvious manner, making mods that seem powerful in all actuallity be weak, and making seemingly useless mods be very strong. An example of this the Vitality and Redirection Mods. They state that a Warframe equiping them will recieve (when the mods are unranked/unleveled) a 40% increase to their health and shields respectively. A level 30 Excalibur should expect a 120 point bonus to his 300 shields and health when equiping these mods. WRONG! The mod doesn't state that it only applies to the base values of an unranked frame.
Mods Affect Current Rank: Make all mods affect the current values instead of base values. There will obviously need to be tweeking of the percentile values the mods give, but it would make them more usefull and more understandable.

Fix Utility Mods: Mods that seem to be underpowered are the Rush and Continuity mods, with the later being only slightly so in my opinion. Rush, for it's cost, is very ineffective. 6 cost for only a 5% increase in speed is worthless. And this only applies to SPRINT speed mind you. I feel like a utility mod like this should start at a lower cost, maybe 2, and give slightly more per level than it currently does. Continuity is a great mod, but it feels a little underwhelming on alot of frames. I feel like it shouldn't apply only to certain frames.

Cost per Level: I also feel like mods shouldn't always have a cost increase every level. When you have a 10 level mod, it winds up costing in most cases, around half of a rank 30 suits mod points (without a Orokin Reactor of course). This attributes to what many people have said about this feeling like a pay to win style game.

More Abilities, or Change who can use them: With only 4 Abilities per suit, playing one for extended periods of time can become boring. My suggestion would be to either give suits more abilities, but limit them to taking only 4 to a fight, or make each suit capable of using another suits abilities, but with the stipulation that they use it for full cost. In fact, I feel that a combination of the two would make the game far more dynamic. Remove the Scratch/Power slots, and instead open them up and make it an innate ability of the suit to reduce mods that belong to its skill set by half.

More Utility and Defense Mods: Some areas feel left out when it comes to mods. I cannot say what all those areas are, but I do feel like there are a few things missing. One that I can say for sure is a way to make our shields stronger. Not increase the cappacity, but make them able to take more of a beating, like the Steel Fiber mod does for our health. I think adding mods like this, and opening up the ability for people to choose between being a shield tank or a health tank, and things along those lines would be a major improvement.

Mod Tiers: Taking some from another post, I had had this thought as well, and found it to be fitting. In every game there's always a better tier of one item until you hit that legendary tier. Why not make mods the same way. A common Crit Chance Mod may add only 5% per level up to a max of 25% at level 5, while an uncommon version may add 10% per level.

Hybrid Mods: To further increase the variety of gameplay, maybe add mods with hybrid effects, or offer players the ability to combine mods with different effects to get a lesser version of both effects on one mod card for a lower cost. Couple that with the above suggestion of Mod Tiers, and you could have a common combination of Continuity and Reach for 2.5% longer effects and 3.5% longer and wider effects range, while a rare combinations may have 10% longer effects and 15% longer and wider effects range, all for a reduced cost.

 

General Gameplay Changes:

The gameplay of Warframe is, of course, the aspect that will decide whether it lives or dies, as with all video games. Warframe already accells at this, offering a good mix of run and gun, and hack and slash gameplay. The randomely generated enviroments make for a unique experience every time you play a map, as do the changing mission objectives (a feature I truly love about the game). I do feel there are some things that need tweeking in one way or another.

Block Variety: This one I'm sure is pretty obvious, and no doubt someone is working on this already, but for safety's sake, I'll list it. There needs to be more blocks in the pool to be chosen from when a level is generated.

Energy: The energy system leaves alot to be desired. With the excessive amound of energy required for some skills (though rightfully so), and sometimes what seems like a drought of energy orbs when you desperately need them, it makes one wary to use skills, and when they do, it makes them seem less rewarding. For the longest time, I didn't use anything but the slash dash on the Excalibur as I was too worried that I'd run out of energy when I needed it if I used another skill. I think adding a regeneration system and doing away with energy orbs would be good, or making skills cooldown based with Mods to reduce cooldowns would work better too.

Health: Health is the most vital stat in the game. Without it, you're dead. That being said, I feel like it's often too difficult to get it back without bringing along healing items (which can get pricey fast when against Toxic Ancients). I think a slow regeneration mechanic (along the lines of 1 per second base with frames getting faster rates as they level) would fit well, or at the very least, making health orbs heal for a percentage (10%-50% depending on orb size) and be able to drop from killed enemies.

 

Conclusion:

There are alot of things that Warframe has to offer, and I absolutely love this game, and I believe it has amazing potential, but there are some things it falls short on or that need some tweeking. Please keep in mind that these are all just suggestions and ideas, and that not all of them were thought of thinking they would all go into effect together. Thanks for reading, and I look forward to hearing your comments, and hearing from the Devs. :)

 

P.S.-I'll update this as the game evolves and as I have new ideas.

[Rakuall]

"More Abilities, or Change who can use them: With only 4 Abilities per suit, playing one for extended periods of time can become boring. My suggestion would be to either give suits more abilities, but limit them to taking only 4 to a fight, or make each suit capable of using another suits abilities, but with the stipulation that they use it for full cost. In fact, I feel that a combination of the two would make the game far more dynamic. Remove the Scratch/Power slots, and instead open them up and make it an innate ability of the suit to reduce mods that belong to its skill set by half."

 

NO. If you do that, there is very little reason to play other 'frames, or take friends along. Bullet Attract + Radial Javelin is incredibly powerful, and has one-shot any boss with shields down that my friend and I have come across, save Stalker, and that's likely just panic bungling the execution. Some of Trinity's powers sound like they'd be overpowered if I didn't have to take them on Trinity. Iron Skin on any Warframe I want? Definitely worth getting whatever Plat I need for reactors to fit this in. Think of almost any game ever. The mages don't wear heavy armor, the fighters don't throw fire; the front line infantry don't have parachutes; Warframes are basically classes, and what you propose really screws with them.

 

Dev Team, I'm sure you will, but PLEASE keep abilities warframe specific.

[michaelwii]

Needless to say, this game is still in beta. Open beta, but still. I'm sure they're re-examining a lot of what's already in place, while thinking of new things to add. 

 

I disagree with several of your points: 

 

I think the energy system works just fine. In fact, I often notice a lot of extra blue orbs when I'm already topped off. 

 

Health is important. It's what keeps you alive. You should not be reckless with it. If you are, you deserve to die. Simple as that. Besides, there's an artifact for that :)

 

NOTE: A variety of health and energy orbs (ranging from 25 to whatever value) makes sense and I would get behind something like that.

 

Limit of 4 powers to each suit encourages players to get new warframes for variety, similar to how the leveling up encourages you to get new suits and weapons. yes, you're gonna have to pay to get more warframe slots, but still.

 

I DO agree that some of the mod descriptions are unclear, and that a tier system and a hybrid system MIGHT be interesting.

 

 

Again, this is open beta. We don't know what the devs are doing (as we aren't Master/Grand Masters). I think you raise several good points about the game, but my main concern is making a game easier than it needs to be.