Ancients With Grappling Hooks

[Derpo]

I disliked grappling hook ancients prior to 14.5.2, but with the new, doubled grappling range my feelings have deepened. Ancients are biological, and it's dumb that they even have grappling hooks. Being deprived of agency and dragged across the room is unfun and humiliating. The entire DE design philosophy with disabling characters as a game mechanic is an irredeemable blight on otherwise brilliant games, including this one.

Having somewhat gotten over the hyper-moderated forum issue, I played a survival mission in the dark sectors just now. It's quick cash when all my other objectives are ludicrous grinds away. I was grappled every ten or fifteen seconds by grappling hook ancients from as far away as a hundred feet or more. Most of my few remaining unmaxed weapons are melee weapons, so having to run a gamut of grappling hooks makes further progress far more difficult. But more importantly, I found the experience aggravating. I simply have better things to do. Like, for example, I could hammer on my fingers as a superior form of entertainment.

I don't like being disabled, but especially not by grappling hooks, and even more specifically by ancients with grappling hooks. I'm like...WHAT?? WHERE DID HE EVEN GET THAT THING? Infested are biological, sub-sentient, non-tool-users. I mean, if an ancient were to suddenly get the whole, "Use a tool to kill tenno better" idea, why not just grab an Uzi? It's SOOOO much simpler. But it's more basic than that. Infested don't use tools. It's part of their basic animalistic nature. In other words, if it can't be encoded into their DNA, then infested should not get to use it. Period. So it's dumb that ancients get grappling hooks.

See if you can make the following two concepts connect in your mind.
   First: FUN, you know, stuff you like to do.
   Second: Being dragged helplessly across a room, COMPLETELY HELPLESS, while stuff beats on you.

Is there anyone, besides the occasional masochist, that can make fun congruent with being dragged around helpless?

 

Non-masochistic helpless drag lovers, I'd love to hear your apologist arguments for the helpless drag. I find being dragged helpless to be UNFUN and DEGRADING. I'm guessing that you do, too. Imagine the game without the helpless drag malarky. Better, definitely.

I think Digital Extremes is brilliant, from the first pinball table to the current crop of TPS on rails. The developers are some of the best in the business, rivalled only by houses such as Blizzard, Bethesda, Bioware, Rockstar, Valve. Okay there's a lot of really good competition. Red 5 would be competitive given better (or less) management.

 

BUT THE POINT IS DIGITAL EXTREMES ROCKS.

I found it worthwhile to play through Digital Extreme's games, and I have found the developers to be fairly consistent. They love their stuns. This is the main off-taste in their entire catalog of games, except the pinball games (which are unmitigated successes). Example: The Darkness II has enemies that blind you or knock you on your hiney...which removes about half of the fun factor from the game.

 

This is a Warframe forum, but it's obvious to me that the Warframe devs ARE the Digital Extreme devs. So, starting now, and going forward NO MORE STUNS, DRAGS, BLINDING, or otherwise aggravating players to the point that they lose their fun mojo. Just focus on making the game fun so you can make money so you can pay your dang rent.

 

Note to mods: this is archived. And really, the devs need this. So, thanks.

[Archistopheles]

If they replaced the hook with a Scoliac, and replaced the sound with something squishy and sticky, then it would go a long way towards feeling more correct.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Archistopheles

[vaugahn]

If they replaced the hook with a Scoliac, and replaced the sound with something squishy and sticky, then it would go a long way towards feeling more correct.

 

This would be nice. I'm still hoping for a custom animation instead of the current obvious placeholder.

 

Also I believe the main reason it was added was to give the infested a ranged threat that didn't just turn them into another shooty faction. I'd like to see the frequency of the grapples reduced somewhat, and a way to break free of a grapple while you're being pulled. That would make them more than acceptable in my opinion. It's either that or turn up the Mutalist Ospreys. 

 

Also, why are we talking about moderators?

[Dasmir]

If they replaced the hook with a Scoliac, and replaced the sound with something squishy and sticky, then it would go a long way towards feeling more correct.

 

Too lewd !

[Derpo]

If they replaced the hook with a Scoliac, and replaced the sound with something squishy and sticky, then it would go a long way towards feeling more correct.

Agreed. At least it would be consistent. Thanks for a great comment.

[Derpo]

Also, why are we talking about moderators?

We aren't.

[Derpo]

This would be nice. I'm still hoping for a custom animation instead of the current obvious placeholder.

 

Also I believe the main reason it was added was to give the infested a ranged threat that didn't just turn them into another shooty faction. I'd like to see the frequency of the grapples reduced somewhat, and a way to break free of a grapple while you're being pulled. That would make them more than acceptable in my opinion. It's either that or turn up the Mutalist Ospreys.

So, to the extent that I'm allowed to have favorite posters, this guy's one of my faves. I like this analysis, and I like the ideas here. Fewer grapples are obviously better, and a grapple mini-game to break free would be soooo cool. Vaugahn, I hope you know you're appreciated.

Edited September 6, 2014 by Derpo

[Derpo]

Regarding vaugahn's grapple-breaking idea, how about they limit the player to secondary ranged weapons while grappled, similar to bleed-out?

[Mesyra]

they should let us be able to hit the quick melee key to cut the rope

[Derpo]

they should let us be able to hit the quick melee key to cut the rope

wow, I like this idea. Thanks, Vyr3!

[vaugahn]

So, to the extent that I'm allowed to have favorite posters, this guy's one of my faves. I like this analysis, and I like the ideas here. Fewer grapples are obviously better, and a grapple mini-game to break free would be soooo cool. Vaugahn, I hope you know you're appreciated.

 

Can't say I've ever been anyone's favorite poster before. Thanks!

 

Anyways, I believe VYR3's idea is a lot better. Plus, we could get a cool animation to go along with it.

[kaz3n]

If they replaced the hook with a Scoliac, and replaced the sound with something squishy and sticky, then it would go a long way towards feeling more correct.

 

 i always imagine it as something like this not like batman grappling hooks.

[Derpo]

 i always imagine it as something like this not like batman grappling hooks.

IF they must do grappling hooks, they MUST at least use Archistopheles' idea. His way is so much better than the current 'batman' way.

[dethkittin]

they should let us be able to hit the quick melee key to cut the rope

yesss