Warframe Armor Classes Whats The Point

[PrinceGumball]

          (Editing just to clarify I don't mean to say light armor frames are useless just that the difference is so uninspired and baseless that it doesn't make sense to me)

 

          Recently I've been putting some time into some of the lighter armored Warframes, mainly Ember and Zephyr, and I couldn't understand why they are given such a small amount of armor. I understand wanting them to fell unique defensively but that's not what is being accomplished by just giving them a fifth of the armor of a normal frame and leaving it at that. Their lack of armor just makes them inferior, what would make them more interesting and fun is tweaking how their shields work to compensate.

 

         What I think would be a cool way to differentiate the armor classes is to have heavy frames have a slightly reduced shield recharge rate, average frames would have a normal (the difference wouldn't have to be much or there could be no difference as heavys already suffer in moment speed) and give the light frames a fast recharge rate with a quicker recharge delay.

 

        I don't know maybe I just don't get it and there lack of defense is meant to be balanced out by their skills i honestly feel like that isn't that case.

Edited September 8, 2014 by PrinceGumball

[bejuizb]

Interesting point. Could be a fun mechanic.

[Executor_Aeternus]

I actually agree with your suggestion. Tanks tend to have high defenses, compensated with slower regeneration. Average fighters tend to be balanced. Mages/Glass cannons tend to have high regeneration speeds, but can't actually take very much at once.

[Hueminator]

I just find it kinda funny that frames such as Zephyr have super low armor but high health, which result in higher effective HP than Excalibur.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Hueminator

[Stormandreas]

Tbh, armour is a little redundant unless its in the 500+ area. It's nothing to really care about

[sekushiiandee]

i dont exactly think lack of armor makes a warframe inferior...

 

thats like saying nyx is inferior to all other warframes because she has 15 armor as well

 

 

granted zephyr could use higher armor because her abilities are very lackluster....ember on the other hand can hold her ground if you play your cards right

 

but i noticed that armor really does not play much of a roll unless it is complemented by your abilities (i.e. snow globe)

Edited September 8, 2014 by sekushiiandee

[jarthur]

zephyr (high health/shield) might be a bad example for lower lvls not sure about 30+ min survival but having armor inversely effect shield recharge would be interesting

[PrinceGumball]

I just find it kinda funny that frames such as Zephyr have super low armor but high health, which result in higher effective HP than Excalibur.

It's true her hp pool is larger but health pick ups and healing aren't as effective giving her some problems in long missions where it is a battle of attrition.

 

Tbh, armour is a little redundant unless its in the 500+ area. It's nothing to really care about

I would greatly disagree there is a huge difference between 15 and 65. For instance a 15 armor frame should never use steel fiber because the difference is so minute you get no benefit. Also even if armor only matters in the 500 range that doesn't make the fact that there are light armored frames make sense. 

[Arbiter_of_Soul]

After level 30-40 enemies, if you run out of shields you are generally dead, regardless of armor or health. Thus tweaking armor values is a moot point at best. Also do note that Zephyr's 3'rd skill pretty much negates all incoming damage for 20-30 seconds, combined with highest possible shields and health on top of that, which kind of makes it hard for me to undestand your point. Also different frames do have different shield recharge rates, although tankier frames have higher instead of lower. 

 

So what is the point of different armor levels you ask, we'll as you said each frame has it's own role, some just aren't meant to go headstrong into aswarm of enemies and start slicing them apart with impunity. I don't really see the reason why frames should be made simillar. IMHO things are fine as they are and wee just have to adapt and overcome.

[PrinceGumball]

i dont exactly think lack of armor makes a warframe inferior...

 

thats like saying nyx is inferior to all other warframes because she has 15 armor as well

 

 

granted zephyr could use higher armor because her abilities are very lackluster....ember on the other hand can hold her ground if you play your cards right

 

but i noticed that armor really does not play much of a roll unless it is complemented by your abilities (i.e. snow globe)

I do agree Nyx really isn't suffering for her lack of armor but she has many ways of making sure she has someone else taking the hits for her. Honestly though Nyx is a huge outlier her abilities could justify her base stats.

 

 

After level 30-40 enemies, if you run out of shields you are generally dead, regardless of armor or health. Thus tweaking armor values is a moot point at best. Also do note that Zephyr's 3'rd skill pretty much negates all incoming damage for 20-30 seconds, combined with highest possible shields and health on top of that, which kind of makes it hard for me to undestand your point. Also different frames do have different shield recharge rates, although tankier frames have higher instead of lower. 

 

So what is the point of different armor levels you ask, we'll as you said each frame has it's own role, some just aren't meant to go headstrong into aswarm of enemies and start slicing them apart with impunity. I don't really see the reason why frames should be made simillar. IMHO things are fine as they are and wee just have to adapt and overcome.

 

I'm not saying they should be similar but making the difference one is just worse and one is just better isn't interesting. Defensive skills are not exclusive to light armor warfames so bringing up a single one doesn't change anything, although for Nxy 3 out of her four skills help cover her lack of defense so I do understand why she would have bad base stats.

Edited September 8, 2014 by PrinceGumball

[Similon]

Some quick (and quite probably wrong, knowing me) Number crunching on theoretical toughness of frames:

 

 

All base values drawn from the wiki A month or so ago, so apologies if any is outdated.

Yes, I know you'd never really get anybody equipping all those mods...

Edited September 8, 2014 by Similon

[Arbiter_of_Soul]

I'm not saying they should be similar but making the difference one is just worse and one is just better isn't interesting. Defensive skills are not exclusive to light armor warfames so bringing up a single one doesn't change anything, although for Nxy 3 out of her four skills help cover her lack of defense so I do understand why she would have bad base stats.

 While I fully agree with you,that having different choices is never a bad thing but armor in warframe is all but inconsequential, which makes it low on DE's to do list. As someone who has played this game for a very long time I can tell you armor means exactly S#&$. It can give you a couple of seconds to hide, but you can't really use it reliably to survive. Hell, even Valkyr is effective not because of her armor, but because of her skills.

 

Anyways, not to sound like some A******, who just bashes on your idea, I'd say that it certainly is worth looking iinto by DE. They can perhaps include other defensive measures than shields and skills. Something like ablative armor perhaps: a buildable but quite a bit weaker version of Iron skin that can be used as a consumable. It will be more or less worthless in high end games, but it will greatly help newer players, who still don't have high rank mods.

[IfritKajiTora]

But still Armor buff is weak 190 vs 60 I don't feel that much difference. Valkyr 600 defense I feel little difference but adding mod to buff it to 1200 yes it is something. All Frames should have buffed Armor by 3x Loki 180, Rhino 570, Valkyr can have only 2x more 1200 so it wont be OP with armor mod.