The Hunhow 2.0 (Utility-Only Companion Concept) The Rebirth

[Kaito_Kaiju]

Damn, that new Mimic design is awesome. I like how it's not just black and grey. I'm interested to see the other Hunhow designs.

[Zarrazheno]

More aaaaaaart! O_O

[Institute-Marksman]

I want a Hermit Crab companion. He can go anywhere and also swim with me in the oceans of the new Grineer base.

[BrazilianJoe]

Concepts are awesome. But I want MOAs and Rollers as pets, and those can come by faster, since they are already game assets. 

 

But yeah, power to the Hunhows!

[Haden56]

Concepts are awesome. But I want MOAs and Rollers as pets, and those can come by faster, since they are already game assets. 

 

But yeah, power to the Hunhows!

MOAs can already be pets to a certain degree, if you hack their console. But I don't like the idea of rollers being pets. MOAs are a bit too big and noticeable for a Tenno; while rollers I think are just a bad idea all together(especially since we have Kubrows who also know things down half the time).

[Kaian-a-coel]

I hereby pledge my support to snakebirds pets. They look awesome.

[Teqnologyque]

Saw the Thread Title.

 

Saw OP's user name.

 

Knew Awesomeness was to ensue.

 

Keep it up man, you're a fantastic artist and you've got some amazing ideas. As some one who loves birds, I heartily approve of this. Stay classy, man.

[Khunvyel]

Saw the Thread Title.

Saw OP's user name.

Knew Awesomeness was to ensue.

I have to admit, it was hard for me to not just outright +1 this thing without reading it first, because I can't quite think that ZeroJackdaw is even physically capable of doing anything BAD. But then after reading this gem, clicking on that little button was then all the more satisfying and had more gravitas.

 

 

Although I can see their AI being a problem due to how the Kubrows act at the moment.

Why? This is going to be a flying unit. Look how well behaved support Drones are, they always try to circle allies. Especially if siding with Corpus in an invasion, they're doing a good job of following you. Look at how well the pathing for the Mutalist Osprey works, as they can be very annoying little buggers even if you traverse the map vertically. Sure, their attack as well as the Oxium Osprey do have issues with vertical inclination, but that is the same problem with melee attacks too.

The Hunhow just need two or three different flight speeds to keep up with the Tenno in order to avoid the "tow-in" effect that Kubrows suffer from, while sentinels due to their animation nature can safely ignore it. The real challenge when it comes to Hunhows is making them switch pathing and attack behaviour from air to ground, once they are in confined spaces like narrow corridors where there simply isn't enough room to fly.

 

 

 

*shrugs* It could be because I don't spam the thread. I only post when I have an update usually. So long as DE has a chance to see it I'll be good and happy. :D Views are nice, feedback is even better, but the important thing is that the concept there for DE. I don't do it to be popular. :)

*squish*

 

Having done that, have some thoughts about the changes;

 

I'm thankful that you're giving my idle ramblings so much consideration, as I've been seeing from your edits. I'm flattered :D

Giving the Mimic a more parrot-like appearance certainly fits with the general association. Having said that, I suggest that you use now the free mimic picture of old for the new Guardian concept. I mean, look at it. It is big, majestic, regal, worthy an imagination of a noble and strong protector.

 

Turncoat Trap / Disguise; This is really nice and actually pretty doable... it is kind of a reverse mind control, mechanics wise but with most of the same logic applied. Still it works and feels different, and that is what counts. Great work!

 

Shimmering Flare; While I really dig the idea, I think the biggest issue is visualization, since there is no way for the player to tell which lights in the geometry are actual lights, and which are just cosmetics. Of course one might say "why does that matter, since it is just a Hunhow ability?" The issue is that the player might not realize what was responsible for the Guardian Hunhow to make a knockdown, and what made it blind enemies. Furthermore, look at missions with Infested; you run around with a flashlight, as there are almost no light sources present. Same with Night Earth. So that would make the Guardian Hunhow only knockdown enemies in such environments? Also, if we keep with the definition of light source by the game, then technically it is always harnessing shadows on even Daylight Forest tiles, as I don't quite see many lights there either. Or actually none that I could destroy, as my overloaded Volt just reported to me.

 

Finally, the name implies that it's emphasis should be on light. You have to then make sure that the blind effect is usually lasting longer than the knockdown, else the latter is always preferred. Depending on the effective length of the blind, perhaps a Darkness stagger would be better. I do like the dual nature of it, no doubt, it just feels a bit arbitrary right now.

 

Obtaining Hunhow; You totally nerfed my suggestion while adding to it at the same time XD Only breaking while in downed mode is perhaps a bit cheap, and cannot be experienced by solo players. Hence I mentioned knockdowns (which are a lot more frequent) but I actually didn't think about what should happened in down mode - so yes, absolutely agreeing with you; when in downed mode, the egg should totally break *heavy nodding* Still would love to see a hitbox and health bar on it for stray shots and enemy melee attacks but hey, it's your party XD

 

Something completely different; how big ARE the Hunhows, actually? Are they all the same size as the Mimic or do they vary, like the Guardian being a lot bigger? At any rate, we should try and not make them larger than Kubrows, and consider idle animations that involve expanding wings to not clip through everything. But somehow, thinking about all of them having the same size as the Mimic, the Plunderer would need to be readjusted in size. Think about how big that version would be if it could carry an energy ball of the same proportionate size. Goodness, that must be some bird to feed XD

But it would also give an interesting incentive in terms of agility and mobility... yet would be a pain to have different hitboxes for the different sizes. Your take on any of this?

 

Now, I COULD stop writing so much text and just get down to the nitty gritty of things. The issue I'm having with that it... it becomes impersonal, and without knowing how I feel about the things, it could be misinterpreted as offending or ignorant. I try to write as I speak, with the same detail, feeling and passion, to be as realistic and close to the original experience of interaction. Further I want to get the thoughts across as to why I think this or that is good or bad without outright saying "yes" or "no". I like to back up my opinions with how and where my thoughts came from, and also try to open up more possibilities in the context.

 

Because the feedback I wrote could be condensed this way into;

New Mimic design fits better. Use old Mimic design for new Guardian.

Turncoat Trap / Disguise; neat way to make Mind Control different

Shimmering Flare; too obscure to make player know how the Hunhow did what, and not consistent enough to always work as intended. Blind length would need to be possibly longer than knockdown length, else the "dark side" version will always be preferred and superior.

Obtaining Hunhow; Good catch on breaking egg while in downed mode. But why removing break on knockdowns / no hitpoints for accidental hits, if you said yourself the egg is much more delicate than Kubrow ones?

Question; how big are Hunhows in relation to Kubrows?

It makes me feel bad just reading that. Still, your topic, your time. Just give the word XD

Edited September 6, 2014 by Khunvyel

[Edgedemon]

well we could do with more varied pets... i guess

[sweak]

NEED.

 

These are amazing, how can I tell DE about this, this is bloody FANTASTIC. I'm actually gonna post the URL to the in General Discussion, just to people can see how awesome this is.

[billthebetta]

Oh oh ooooh oooh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhawwwwly shiiiiiiiiiet.

 

That's amazing.

[Damuranashi]

This is good.

[Semshol]

ORYAAAAAAAAAAA This receives the full springtime of MY YOUTH!

[weirdee]

I think it'd be funnier if the plunderer resembled a vulture.

[(PSN)Englios1]

The Hunhow

 

Tenno Pet Fan-Concept

    The Kubrow pet was hinted as far back as the Sentinel Mask baring the same name, so what of that odd other mask baring the resemblance to another odd spliced creature? The mask at face value appears to have a long beak or snout, a long plume, large frog-like eyes, and a long swirled tongue. While I expect a lot of this mask's features to be artistic distortion (as with the Kubrow mask), it seemed oddly avian to me with slight reptilian or amphibious attributes. 

If one mask can become a fully realized pet in the heart of warframe, why not another? Meet the Hunhow. A snake-like bird creature that resides on several of the terraformed planets as an invasive species (gaining access to other worlds by roosting in Grineer and Corpus ships) and once acted as beautiful intelligent sentries to the Orokin. While Kubrow are mainly focused on damage and Sentinels offer a balance between damage and utility, Hunhow are fully focused on utility and will not directly attack enemies. By sacrificing direct damage, the Hunhow offer unprecedented usefulness on the field of battle in buffing their masters abilities. (Loyalty therein, will instead correspond to the percentage of energy can a Hunhow can use at a time and not damage output like a Kubrow.)  

The Classes

Each Hunghow, like a Sentinel or Kubrow has a specific typing, although unlike Kubrow each class has a unique look to them based on the planet they've adapted to. To obtain each of the Hunhow classes, you must find an egg from each of their planets of origin. (I sort of...hate how the breeds are RNG based with the Kubrow, so here's a fun alternative!)

  The Outrider Hunhow 

 

Habitat: Icy Tundra of Europa Keen Eye: (active when no enemies are in close proximity of player or if enemies have taken cover) The Hunhow moves ahead of it's Tenno master and marks waves of incoming enemies with a red aura. Enemies effected by the Hunhow's mark-for-dead will temporarily have a flickering target beacon similar to that seen on rare cores and items only red in color and protruding from the enemy's core. This marker gives a medium crit boost when that enemy is fired upon while the ability remains active. Caw to Arms: (active when enemies are close or are attacking the player) For this ability, the Hunhow circles above the player and sings a short melodic chirp. Similar to a Grineer Regulator, this ability casts a friendly morale booster in a small radius around the player and will grant those around it a minor boost of both fire-rate and reduced reload time for a short period. 

--- The Mimic Hunhow: NEW DESIGN! 

  

Habitat

: Earth's Jungle Turncoat Trap (Disguise): This ability allows the Hunhow to disguise the player as a member of the enemy faction and severely lessen aggression by the opposing units. Unlike invisibility, the holographic projection also fools enemy support units into aiding the player, but in return this ability does not guarantee full stealth as enemies can become suspicious of your actions (other factions might find it a bit odd if they see you wall-running or killing "friendly" units). Shooting or attacking with this ability active will not break the disguise, as it actively represses aggressive fire, but it will aggro nearby units. Ventriloquism: If the player is under heavy fire, the Hunhow will leave the player's side and flank the enemy from afar. The pet will parrot the words of the opposing faction (saying something similar to "No! Over here!" or "Help! Another Tenno spotted!") drawing aggro to that location for a short time.

--- The Plunderer Hunhow (The answer to perhaps giving up your carrier for a living pet's expensive upkeep): 

  

Habitat:

Ceres Acid Plains Treasure Hunter: (always potentially active) This Hunhow rarely returns to its masters side and wildly scouts the perimeter for fallen items which when picked up by the pet will transfer immediately to the player. It prioritizes focus on mods and resources but will also pick up credits, health, and energy when neither mods or resources are within range. If an unlocked crate or locker is within the Hunhow's area of influence it will peck it open spilling its contents for immediate gain. Scavenge: (active when the player kills an enemy) Similar to an isolated Nekros' Desecration, the Hunhow will pick apart the corpses of fallen enemies one by one to unearth more loot hidden within. Note, the Hunhow will only target enemies killed by its master and will scavenge one enemy at a time.

 --- The Guardian Hunhow: Appearance: [sketch coming soon]

Habitat: Desert Plains of Phobos Phoenix Guard: When the player receives life threatening damage (reduced to low health), the Hunhow will link with it's master and take the damage to health instead of the player. Until the player regains their health, the Hunhow will continue to supplement it's energy to maintain this link. If any damage exceeds the health limit of the companion or the player, the Hunhow will fall and spare the player. Shimmering Flare: For this ability, the Hunhow intakes light from it's surroundings (similar to the mechanics of Mirage's 3rd ability which detects presence of light near the character) and charges a radial flare. If plentiful light was charged into the ability the resulting flare will blind nearby foes with a wider radius. In contrast, if only darkness was present (or very little light was absorbed), the ability instead becomes a radial knock-back. The charged shot will only detonate in the presence of enemies, but the charged state can remain active until then.   

 --------------  

Secondary Skills (WIP)

  From the Ashes: (active when the player, or fellow players are downed) This high priority ability causes the Hunhow to rush to a downed player and while hovering above the helpless Tenno,  it releases a blue stasis cloud from its wings. This halts the timer for the downed player until help arrives, however the Hunhow is very venerable in this state. If the Hunhow fails to keep the stasis field up, the death timer for the player will resume. Lockpick:(active in the presence of locked canisters and lockers) Much like a secondary Master Thief, this ability allows the Hunhow the chance to open locked lockers. When the Hunhow  is close to a red-lit locker, it will tap its beak against the door trying to coax it open, if successful the door will spill its contents and if not, the Hunhow will move to another locker in a quick succession. Taunt:(potentially active when enemies are near and are on full alert) At the start of this AOE ability the Hunhow gives a loud laughing cackle that bursts a medium range ring of influence across the battlefield. Enemies effected in its radius will become enraged and target the player, however will receive a massive decrease in the accuracy of their weaponry. The Mimic Hunhow has special taunts for this skill shrieking poor copycat phrases from the enemy faction such as "Grineeeeer SKUM!" on Grineer maps or "Tot pke Jatttasey!" (For the Warframes/Tenno!) on Corpus maps.  Escape Artist:When the Hunhow's or player's shield is completely extinguished from full capacity, the player receives a medium speed boost as well as a refresh to stamina until the ability timer expires. The timer can only be refreshed if the player or Hunhow's shield drops from full to none once more. The timer, however, can be further prolonged if both the player and Hunhow's shields expired simultaneously from full capacity. Element Adapt: When the player receives elemental damage, the Hunhow will grant the player some resistance to that elemental damage type if the player is afflicted again. For example, if the player is hit with lingering fire damage, the Hunhow will cast this ability and if the player is reignited the fire damage will be greatly lessened. However, the player does not control what element the Hunhow will assign resistance. If the player is stuck by toxic damage after the fire damage the Hunhow will adapt to Toxic for the next resistance the player receives. 

  

(Ability Suggestions from other Community Members)

 

 

---------------  

Obtaining the Hunhow

 Unlike Kubrow dens, smashing a Hunhow nest will have a high chance for an egg to drop, however the nests themselves are a hard to spot and are located often in the upper regions of the tile-sets. Should a player wish to find one of these nests, he/she will need to test his parkour skills to reach the spawn areas of the nests which are adhered to the walls of the upper map. To alert the player that a nest is close, the parent Hunhow will screech in the presence of a nearby Tenno as an attempt to scare off predators. When a Tenno closes in on the nest the parents employ a knockback skill, dive-bombing the intruder to knock the Tenno off the ledge. Once a nest is destroyed the parent will abandon the nest and fly away. (Suggested by Khunvyel)Unlike Kubrow eggs, the Hunhow egg is very brittle and will break if not carried carefully. Each player must carry the egg (like a data mass) without dropping it. If the player is downed while carrying the egg, it will break. While holding the egg the player must use secondary or melee weaponry. Successfully carrying it to the exit will gain you a Hunhow egg. As previously stated. Each breed of Hunhow has a planet it has evolved around. Finding an egg from the respective breed's planet will also guarantee that breed to hatch.

  

Old Designs:

 

 (I am open to feedback, everything is subject to adjustment and change as this thread evolves when new art and content is added. :D Thanks for checking it out)

This is a really good idea hope this will get added

[Bibliothekar]

 

Well I figure the birds could idle in the same position of a sentinel but also have the ability to detach from that position for their abilities.

If your warframe stands still, they could sit on our shoulder while idling, like in your Mimic pic.

[ukovalian]

 

If your warframe stands still, they could sit on our shoulder while idling, like in your Mimic pic.

 

since their part lizard/dragon they could also climb around your body like with daenerys after hatching her dragons

[Bibliothekar]

As cool as that would be, it's probably too complicated since you'd have to define the movement pattern for each frame separately (thin vs bulky frames, stuff standing out like on Ember Prime's legs, ...). Right shoulder is always in the same position and you'd only have to make adjustments for a few frames like Saryn.

[(PSN)lpower05]

I must have this, I like the sound of plunder. My perfect companion

[NyxOOX]

Man, that Outrider one is like an owl-dragon. I want it.

[Jamescell]

Great update, nice job!

[ValhaHazred]

Wow, these would be great. Do want.

[Jabberwocken]

Definitely support this Idea. This would be amazing! 

Especially in late game, Utility > Damage

[Fettikus]

Wonderfull! but id prefer a kitty as the next pet

[Mozzo]

love it simply amazing... how about a power that shows the enemies on the map, or a pulse that gives you armor and health regen  if you fall below a point?

 

i could already imagine you dropping in to a mission and as a land it lands on your shoulder

Edited September 28, 2014 by Mozzo