Warframe Ability Mods: Coming Changes

[LennoFF]

What does this mean for consistency in the mod screen with the removal of 2 slots? 

 

For example, if I used a forma to change the top left ability slot, that is the one that is supposed to be removed.  Does that mean the top right and bottom left will be removed, or will the polarity I put relocate to one of the bottom slots?

 

On an untouched mod layout, it would be Aura on top, then a row of 3, then a row of 5, since the top left and top right are being removed.  Correct?

 

If my top left is a dash polarity now, will it be the Aura, then an offset row of 4, then an offset row of 4? 

 

Hope I am explaining properly.  I just want every loadout screen to look the same.

[ThePresident777]

One significant Update:

 

Dev has confirmed the following to be the latest information on how to Rank up individual Abilities:

 

Abilities will now increase in rank as you rank up your Warframe. It is no longer based on per-ability usage, but occurs passively as your Warframe increases in rank. 

 

Before and now obsolete:

The ‘Rank’ of Warframe Abilities will now be determined by your use of any given ability. Simply put: Using Abilities earns XP/Affinity toward that Ability to rank it up!

 

Let’s use Banshee as an example:

A Banshee player begins a mission with an unranked Sonic Boom. Banshee casts Sonic Boom 10 times in that mission, ranking the Ability from unranked to Rank 1. The journey to Rank 2 will involve more use of this Ability,.

 

Like so many other games.  Warframe lost another bit of itself and a chunk of what little customization it has.  There was nothing wrong with the old system.

 

So, how has DE decided to level our Warframes up for us?  What is the mechanism by which the abilities level? (EDIT: I see you mention in another post that that information will come later.)

Edited October 23, 2014 by ThePresident777

[TheWrongGuy]

How is ability mod --> fusion core replacement going to work? do you get more based on the rank? based on the rarity? will you get fusion cores for unranked mods?

 

I realize that this has probably already been announced/answered, but i don't have the time to sift through 40 pages of forum looking for it, so apologies for my repeatness.

[TheWrongGuy]

Like so many other games.  Warframe lost another bit of itself and a chunk of what little customization it has.  There was nothing wrong with the old system.

 

So, how has DE decided to level our Warframes up for us?  What is the mechanism by which the abilities level?

I'm pretty sure nothing is changing with respect to the way Warframes level up. they will still gain experience and level up as they did before. the only difference would be that as the frames level up, your abilities will also level up.

[Ronyn]

Like so many other games.  Warframe lost another bit of itself and a chunk of what little customization it has.  There was nothing wrong with the old system.

Fascinating argument.

DE didn't like people leaving out the powers they worked hard to make and you're saying that making them locked in is loosing a chunk of itself.

This change also comes along with a new power augment system, an additional form of customization, but you focus on this change in mod slots because its a lost of customization for certain builds...which you considered "little"...despite it being pretty solid competitively speaking.

Perspective is a heck of a thing.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Ronyn

[GinKenshin]

this update just reminded me why I hate math so much, please DE......remove all of my slots if you like, just stop it!!!!!! MY BRAIN!!!!!!! all of these apples!!!!! XD

[Drazhar14]

One significant Update:

 

Dev has confirmed the following to be the latest information on how to Rank up individual Abilities:

 

Abilities will now increase in rank as you rank up your Warframe. It is no longer based on per-ability usage, but occurs passively as your Warframe increases in rank. 

 

Before and now obsolete:

The ‘Rank’ of Warframe Abilities will now be determined by your use of any given ability. Simply put: Using Abilities earns XP/Affinity toward that Ability to rank it up!

 

Let’s use Banshee as an example:

A Banshee player begins a mission with an unranked Sonic Boom. Banshee casts Sonic Boom 10 times in that mission, ranking the Ability from unranked to Rank 1. The journey to Rank 2 will involve more use of this Ability,.

 

I don't like this. This means that every time we forma a warframe and it goes to rank 0, its abilities will become super weak again. With ability exp, at least maxed abilities would be at full strength if we forma (still unlocked at certain levels though). Unless of course abilities are not reset when a warframe is forma'd. Hopefully that is the case. 

[Naftal]

You still have to define what you consider "power".

See some of the mods you might classify as "quality of life" another person will consider an increase in power.

The new augments, by themselves, may not justify the removal of mod slots.

Though the access to the powers (once reworked to useful) may result in a general increase in power or at least in-match versatility.

Which may be along the lines of the combat model DE is after whether that fits into your personal taste or not.

In other words-the idea of this change needing any justification is debatable.

But hopefully the end result is something you enjoy. You're obviously dedicated to this game so I hope you'll have no cause to leave.

Now for early theory crafting purposes-we know that embers fireball will have an augment that let's it grant fire damage to allies.

What that will do to a team members damage output is worth considering.

Because the definition of power is subjective, I asked for explanation with the build.

 

I definitely won't be leaving the game because of this change, I already know I'll enjoy the overall change. The reason I've only been talking about these lost slots is because it's the only thing I don't like about the update. I don't like the fact that all mods have the downside of -1 mod slot, because our slots are heavily limited compared to the amount of mods we have. The power level of different mods is also so big that most mods don't give enough boost to whatever they boost to justify the -1 slot downside of using them. Losing slots will make that downside even worse.

 

This is the worst on warframes, since they have so many different mods, unlike weapons where the mods pretty much just help you kill faster.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Naftal

[Llyssa]

One significant Update:

 

Dev has confirmed the following to be the latest information on how to Rank up individual Abilities:

 

Abilities will now increase in rank as you rank up your Warframe. It is no longer based on per-ability usage, but occurs passively as your Warframe increases in rank. 

 

Before and now obsolete:

The ‘Rank’ of Warframe Abilities will now be determined by your use of any given ability. Simply put: Using Abilities earns XP/Affinity toward that Ability to rank it up!

 

Let’s use Banshee as an example:

A Banshee player begins a mission with an unranked Sonic Boom. Banshee casts Sonic Boom 10 times in that mission, ranking the Ability from unranked to Rank 1. The journey to Rank 2 will involve more use of this Ability,.

This is almost certainly horrible.

 

I use my aura slot and a potato to get each of my frames to the max abilities ASAP... that means my rank 0 frame with polarity-matched steel charge could have all max abilities. Most frames I can hit all abilities max by rank 2, and at the very worst for nekros&excal, I can hit it by rank 5.

 

Unless you're planning to give us all abilities unlocked to start, and all abilities maxed by rank 5, this is going to be a nerf. The only question then is how heavy-handed of a nerf is it?

[Valkyr-Umbra]

I don't like this. This means that every time we forma a warframe and it goes to rank 0, its abilities will become super weak again. With ability exp, at least maxed abilities would be at full strength if we forma (still unlocked at certain levels though). Unless of course abilities are not reset when a warframe is forma'd. Hopefully that is the case. 

On the bright side, we should have to forma a single warframe less (considering that there will be no more need to remove ability polarities, plus 2 less slots consuming points.) Keeping in mind that a normal frame has 2 polarity slots, if potato'd 60 mod points, and with proper aura polarity at least an extra 14 points on top of the 60, I think that forma-ing frames will actually be much easier.

 

Edit: basically, it seems to me like it will be slightly harder to play a newly forma'd frame, but we will have to forma them considerably less. Also, keep in mind that making forma can be expensive and time consuming; not having to use as many of them is another plus.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Snowman486

[Sh0ck-Wave]

The big bonus I can see with this ..

 

Since I never load the frame's first ability I always miss out on the 'use the frames first ability five times' affinity bonus.

 

Now it'll always be there .. extra XP !!

 

 

Still not sure if I should sell / transmute the uncommon and rare ability mods now or wait for the fusion core re-imbursement .. 

[Valkyr-Umbra]

Still not sure if I should sell / transmute the uncommon and rare ability mods now or wait for the fusion core re-imbursement .. 

I'm waiting to hear what kind of fusion cores they're replaced with before I make a decision; I'm definitely considering selling them depending on what DE's planning though.

[ROSING]

Any word on underclocking mods, like being able to scale down the rank of the ability after you've reached higher ranks?

[(PSN)Crackle2012]

One significant Update:

 

Dev has confirmed the following to be the latest information on how to Rank up individual Abilities:

 

Abilities will now increase in rank as you rank up your Warframe. It is no longer based on per-ability usage, but occurs passively as your Warframe increases in rank. 

 

Before and now obsolete:

The ‘Rank’ of Warframe Abilities will now be determined by your use of any given ability. Simply put: Using Abilities earns XP/Affinity toward that Ability to rank it up!

 

Let’s use Banshee as an example:

A Banshee player begins a mission with an unranked Sonic Boom. Banshee casts Sonic Boom 10 times in that mission, ranking the Ability from unranked to Rank 1. The journey to Rank 2 will involve more use of this Ability,.

 

I actually really, really like this much more, I don't want to sit there and have to spam "speed" 100-200 times with Volt if I don't plan on using it all that much! etc.. I think this is alot better!  

 

Just my 2 cents...

 

"Returns to the Peanut Gallery"

[EtherealShigure]

:3 :3 more slot :3 :3

[Padreic]

I like the idea of more "usable" slots.  However, as near as I can tell the formula for converting old frames to the new format could be better.  If we were unlucky enough to forma one of the Zenurik (ability polarity, henceforth "Z") slots that's getting the ax, we have essentially wasted all of the time we spent ranking the frame up again.  We get the forma back, but you can't refund time.  I'd like to propose a better system:

 

In pseudocode:

hash polarities(M=0, V=0, N=0, Z=0, free=11);polarities = countPolarities();convertZenurikSlots(2);if (polarities[Z] < 4)  if (polarities[free] > 0) {     swapToBlank();     if (polarities[Z] < 3) {        if (polarities[free] == 2) {           swapToBlank();}        else {           returnForma();}  }  else {     returnForma();     returnForma();  }}destroyZenurikSlots(2);

In English:  If someone has formad a Z slot, try to swap that slot's new polarity into a blank slot.  If there are no blank slots left to swap it with, just return the forma as before.

 

This way, as long as there are any blank slots left, we don't lose the time we spent re-ranking the frame.  The only way there would possibly be one or zero blank slots left is if someone formad three or all four Z slots (in addition to polarizing every other slot) anyway, since I assume that the current plan calls for turning the two "right-side" Z slots into blanks if they're still Z slots.

 

I think this method would be a lot more fair, and assuming there aren't complications in the coding side of which I'm not aware, not much more trouble than the current one.

Edited October 23, 2014 by Padreic

[Darkseal]

Quick Question:

 

So if I have forma'd away 2 ability slots, on all 23 of my frames.... will I get back 46 forma then?

 

(I understand this may have been answered somewhere in the last 40 pages.... I just wanted to know, tldr)

[Temmron]

Quick Question:

 

So if I have forma'd away 2 ability slots, on all 23 of my frames.... will I get back 46 forma then?

 

(I understand this may have been answered somewhere in the last 40 pages.... I just wanted to know, tldr)

you will get 0 forma since you still have two ability slots those will be taken only

[KuroShiranui]

Quick Question:

 

So if I have forma'd away 2 ability slots, on all 23 of my frames.... will I get back 46 forma then?

 

(I understand this may have been answered somewhere in the last 40 pages.... I just wanted to know, tldr)

 

you will get 0 forma since you still have two ability slots those will be taken only

Actually, the number of refunded forma depends on which ability slot you have had polarized.

The ability slots that are going to be removed are the top left and top right slots. If you polarized these slots, your formas will be refunded. If you polarized the bottom left and bottom right instead, your polarization choice will stay and no forma will be refunded.

[Sithalo]

so their decreasing the amount of mods we can have on a warframe? well that's not fun

they are adding in mods that augment abilities, that effect only certain weapons, that effect archwing and archwing weaponry so even if it is a decrease its not by much and technicly the mods removed are ability mods and you get all the abilities instead of having to chose so really its not that much a decrease an ability is an ability and is supposed to be something a tenno can do regardless of weather or not it has a fancy card inside of its suit to say ok you can use it

[KirbyPaint]

Honestly I'm super excited for this. My roomies and I have talked about how powers should be separated from the other mods, and we all thought it'd be better. So this will be great.

 

The only issue I'm having is that my favorite and best equipped frame has 9 (actually 10 but aura won't change) polarized slots for my uberbuild, and the new system has 8 slots, so I'm gonna lose a mod, but I'll work that out.

 

Can't wait for U15!

Edited October 23, 2014 by KirbyPaint

[Neoloky]

Hi everyone !

I read many posts but I'm still confused. What I understood is that the two top left and right ability polarities will be removed for a warframe with no forma. But my english is not really good so I have difficulty to understand  the changes for a warframe with forma.

 

As you can see on the picture below I used 2 formas on my Nyx. One on an ability slot to a " - " polarity and another one on the " V " polarity to a " D " polarity.

Is there any arrangement I can do to get back the forma used on my " V " polarity ?

 

Thank you in advance for the help :)

 

[StarScribe]

My "1" ability frost build is going to suffer. I currently use 1 slot for Globe and the additional 1 slot that you are going to remove to make it more even more powerful. Any chance that DE will reconsider the 8 mod slots 1 aura to be a 9 mod slots 1 aura? Because there are people out there who are used to playing with 1 ability and the rest to augment their warframe. This would ruin that.

[Toran]

That the abilities level with the frame and not with usage is most welcome.

BIG HINT ON PREPARING FOR THE PATCH

Make screenshots of all your frame loadouts!

If you formed and swapped polarisations as much as I did it will be impossible to tell which polarisation you gonna lose.

Besides that I'm sure all mods will be unequipped with the patch. Having backups of your loadouts/builds will save you a lot of tinkering around after the patch.

[Padreic]

I know this doesn't add much to the conversation, but I can't upvote Toran's suggestion enough.  Seriously, do what he suggests.