The Stigma Of Starters.

[Omni_Omega]

A potentially interesting topic that occurred to me...

 

In some games generally the "starter" character/weapons you get really are not the best. In warframe you are given a choice of Excalibur, Mag, and now Volt, as well as several different weapons.

 

Whenever you first joined, be it before or after Loki was a starter, did you ever have the immediate notion that these characters were sub-par and that you instantly desired something different? Or was that desire simply for the sake of experimentation?

 

Personally for me, it never really dawned on me. I preferred an unlockable for the sake of being a hipster ( I wanted something few people had ). The performance of the beginning equipment never had an effect on my view of them.

 

It is just something that made me think, do some new players think "Oh Excalibur is a starter frame, he can't be THAT good", despite the power he possesses?

[TheErebus.]

When I started WF, it was Loki, Volt and Excal. I chose Excal primarily because he was melee oriented. But I ditched him very quickly for Ash. 
However, I ditched him because of these 2 reasons:
He didn't completely fit my playstyle

I found him ugly as hell

 

 

I honestly think that he is a good frame, Radial Blind and R. Javelin are quite fun to use. Starter frames are by no means the weak frames. Not in the slightest.

[Draciusen]

Quite frankly, I got the feeling that the new 'unlockable' frames were just cooler in general but not any more or less effective than the starter frames. After watching some videos, I actually got the idea that the starter frames would be extremely powerful with mods like everybody else.

[JJBooklord42]

I expect many New players would feel this way towards the starter frames, however there is very little correlation between the difficulty of aquiring a particular frame versus the relative usefulness/ powerfulness of that frame. I.e rhino is a very good fram, and is relatively easy to get, in comparison to nekros, mesa and hydroid, which are all solid frames but are, especially hydroid, very difficult to get without a squad of high level frames assisting. I love Excalibur, I still use my prime excalibur sometimes when I want to reminisce of the good old days. I don't think there is any problems with the starters frames, more of a problem with perceptions of new players, who expect the first pokemon they catch to be bad, and the ones at the end of the game to be good.

[inthephonebox]

I started out as a Mag, but as a founder, I also had access to Excal Prime. I've always enjoyed both frames, especially as they've seen revisions. They are both excellent frames, easily as fun and usuably as any others. I've never seen them as subpar, but the starter weapons...they definitely are. 

[Jahadaya]

I found him ugly as hell

You find Excalibur ugly... How. Dare. You?

 

He's by far the best looking frame in the game. Especially better than that Ash filth. 

 

[size=1]it's completely all subjective, jk ;)[/size]

[TheErebus.]

You find Excalibur ugly... How. Dare. You?

 

He's by far the best looking frame in the game. Especially better than that Ash filth. 

 

it's completely all subjective, jk ;)

UG.AH.LY.

 

 

HAWT.

[MagPrime]

Please, Mag is the sexiest of all Warframes.

[(PSN)Husky_Pride]

In fact everything was sub-par to me because I didn't have any mods to work against level 5+ enemies. And also back then there was hardly any in-game warframe ability descriptions. What does my ability do? No idea. I was more in a huge state of confusion than feeling anything. Now that they added quests, tutorials and damaged mods which is a step forward for new players.

[(XBOX)Skode]

When i started i felt OP of all things with Volt. It did diminish my views of the others somewhat though - there were rushing in and getting downed as they took the melee = win approach where i had max Shock as was killing swathes of lower planet enemies in one trigger of it leaving survivors stunned. I then had an amazing defensive shield at my disposal, a speed buff everyone could use and a so-so Ultimate.

 

I looked at Excal to compare (and goodness knows being an early Warfame adopter you soon saw 60% of all players went with him) and i think the general noobyness of the users didnt help him. Slash and Dash didnt impress me compared to Shock and give me a speed boost over a super jump any day of the week but nah after getting him and experimenting with him he is definately awesome - i was just meh on him because of how many poor or at least inexperienced players i saw with him and not doing a particuarly impressive job or working with his strengths (seriously no one was using Radial Blind!).

 

Still thats from personal experience, i think generally from an over all outlook most are stuck with the same frame for extended periods of time and crave something different - there are 20 odd frames now. You can feel cool shocking people but when you see others playing and making the enemies fight each other or suck up and entire infested wave with a single vortex then yeah you want something else and something fresh. Prime is another thing, everyone feels godlike having made that first frame usually a Nyx or Rhino only for some swag Prime variant to show up and make them feel inferior again... its a common occurrence ive seen personally and am ALWAYS asked by new players i help in the game to farm bosses for the parts even when they are still MR 0-2 where they DONT need a new one essentially and should really be focusing more on replacing their weapons and farming better mods instead as thats what will compliment their experience with their starter frame much better than simply getting a new one.

 

MK-1s though man, now THATS stigma for me. I groan at the prospect of having to lvl 30 them for the MR purposes but am doing so as ASAP as i can because ive no interest in going for a Prime Paris without having used and sold the weakest variation of it first, its too much of a climb down even if its not THAT significant really because the likes of the MK-1 Paris is actually pretty decent all things considered with it being a starter weapon and i LOVED the MK-Strun i took day one with me and even threw a potato into it not realizing this was a silly thing to do but will i ever go back to it? Nope not really, it served its purpose and is nostalgia only for me.

[TheErebus.]

Please, Mag is the sexiest of all Warframes.

With that ugly &#! prime head? I scoff at your statement.

[Jahadaya]

SEXY AS F***

 

 

HIDEOUS

Fixed that for you ;) 

[4ever4gotin]

I think i started just when Loki was added as starter.

 

But chose Mag and I was not disappointed, I liked everything about her (except bullet attractor). I always leaned toward casting/support type classes in most gaming genera that allow it.

 

I didn't think she was Bad or sub-par by any means. (Mag was the first potatoed frame in my arsenal) But I acquired Trinity as soon as i could cause she was more my style of support. Then I got to watch both Frames get slapped around. :l

[Rehero]

I always thought the only one with that stigma was mag. I also find her shield polarize to be one of the most under appreciated moves by the vast majority of players.

[(XBOX)Skode]

I always thought the only one with that stigma was mag. I also find her shield polarize to be one of the most under appreciated moves by the vast majority of players.

Mag doesnt get help when i recall her being labelled in game at the start by being one for the experienced players. That left the choice of "ooh sword slashing space ninja" or "ooh lightning bolt throwing space wizard" who are much more flashy spell wise when you compare... even after playing the game for a couple of hundred hours they are still indeed more flashy for new players to be lured towards out of the three choices.

[MagPrime]

With that ugly ! prime head? I scoff at your statement.

I said Mag sweetie, not Mag Prime.

 

But I agree, a lot of people seem to think that a starter 'frame is a trash tier and dump them ASAP for Rhino.  I've been playing for a year now and I can honestly say that probably %80 of my in game time has been on my Mag, the original from when I started, and the other %20 is just leveling and shelving.

[armedpoop]

When I 1st started, I chose Excalibur and I hated his guts. So yes I felt like since he was a starter, he was garbo. I was very new, and had no idea, and no mods other than his powers of course, which at the time felt sub par. I started the game around update 11. Im MR17 now and since I rebuilt him after selling him so long ago, I found out how awesome he was. I rebuilt him before the RB change. In comparison to a Mag or even a Volt with no mods for anybody, he still seems sub par to me. Thats just me tho 

 

I prettymuch instantly stopped playing my excal because I had purchased Volt with my starter plat, and fell in love. Electricity is always my favorite element in any game.

Edited December 26, 2014 by armedpoop

[Judgebanks]

Excalibur is still the best starter frame.

 

* Can farm with Radical Javelin for cheap.

 

* Can go the distance with Radical Blind for cheap.

 

* Is the most Radical Frame.

 

 

However Mag is probably better if you're planning to have access to all the mods at the start of playing.

[armedpoop]

Excalibur is still the best starter frame.

 

* Can farm with Radical Javelin for cheap.

 

* Can go the distance with Radical Blind for cheap.

 

* Is the most Radical Frame.

 

 

However Mag is probably better if you're planning to have access to all the mods at the start of playing.

Radical frame lol

[Sixty5]

Starting frames are sub-par

Their prime versions are not.

Go bling or go home

[Cubewano]

Nah, not having negative stigmas attached to starter content/items seems to be one of warframes rather strong points

 

It might be partially because a frame is only a fraction the evidence that can be used to gauge a players progression

 

But also it could be that this games community does put a lot of focus on flexibility and utility, which means taking advantage of all frames unique gaming style, involving starters which in turn removes the concept of them as just starter fodder (don't know how many times i've seen a limbo in a squad and been like "euuuugh" but then if i see an excal or volt in a group i'm like whatevs, just comes to show how functionality trumps rarity/exclusiveness) 

[undernown]

Fixed that for you ;)

Meh... His sister looks better. (Shut up it's canon! No discussion!)

But we all know Volt is the best looking starter. (not like i'm biased couse he's my starter or annything. >.>)

[Spookmineer]

I did some "research" before I installed warframe by watching a lot of youtube movies and reading the wiki. After about 2 weeks I couldn't resist any longer and chose excalibur, and I will never sell him.

[ArgonTheFox]

I didn't like any of the starter frames because...I don't like them. Loki is just pitiful in my opinion. He only has 2 skills that are useful, and people think hes some kind of special snowflake. Mag is...I don't own mag, I can't comment on her, she looks terrible though, so I don't like her. and Excalibur is horrific, because hes "balanced", but hes balanced to the point where I don't feel hes good at anything. He is overbalanced.

 

When I first joined, I looked at the three frames that were sat in front of me, and I thought:

 

"Well...Mag is a girl, and I want to play as a male character, so lets rule her out."

 

"Ew, Loki is fugly. Forget that."

 

"Hmmm...Excalibur is the best looking out of the three, but hes by no means handsome...Lets pick him to alleviate as much pain as possible."

[Jylon]

i believe most newcomers to a game they choose looks better and representative of something they'd like to see in themselves.  strength, balance, sense of mystery...whatever that choice fulfills that immediate choice and feeling.

 

most individuals begin their games of performance choice based on a gamestyling instinct they enjoy, whether to be brute and tankish, nimble and evasive to onslaughts that may come, the type that provide invaluable self and ally support capabilities, and those who desire a mystical influence of some nature.  these, naturally, are the fighter, the thief, and the monk, and the sorcerer.

 

in this game and many, some characters are a specialist of such type, or some intermediate hybrid.  the enjoyment of this game is being able to try such variety and use those you know are best for a situation...and importantly, ones own mood at the time  :B

 

my friend told me about the game and before i joined, read up on the starters.  i chose mag since that frame offered an interesting shield to hp ratio, but a good amount to one and abilities that can disable and/or harm.  so i felt i could do a bit of all playing styles.  covering 70% of the solar system map using that frame, slowly building/collecting others, i learned the basics of the strategies for the challenges on each tile.

 

but for me, excalibur is decent, but i like playing more as zephyr or nyx in most of my game time moods, defaulting to valkry and rhino when i feel lazy and uninspired but still making gains.