Focus System Ideas

[Ghostar]

The Focus System. A lot has been said about it, but we haven't heard that many set in stone ideas for it so i thought I would throw my two cents into the mix.

 

So for this idea to work a small thing would need to be changed. Some mods would need to be Re-Classified. Mods like Handspring, Diamond Skin, ect would need to be changed to UTILITY mods. Now in this system Utility and Augment mods would have slots (max of 4) that would be unlocked through raising through the Focus System. (With the ability to unlock them at certain Mastery Ranks) Keep in mind, these mods would still cost the same to equip them to any normal frame (so that a player who doesn't have the slot, or enough slots can put them in normal warframe slots.) but when you have a utility or augment slot available, you can equip a mod into that slot for free. (no gaining or losing any points.)

 

Heres a breakdown of the levels when certain things would be available. (Also keep in mind that there would be many other things to unlock with the Focus System, so you would still have to decide if you want an augment slot, or any of the other things offered.)

 

Thoughts, Opinions, Ideas?

[Shifted]

I don't like it tied to mastery ranks.

 

Other than that, sure, Mod system is a mess.

[TaylorsContraction]

I like it but the next 50 posts will probably be "power creep".

 

I feel like augment and utlityt slots are sorely needed. I used to have fast defelction on my Banshee, but with Resonance now replacing it, I'm seeing just how useful that mod was. But I can't lose the other mods so :/. That's my personal experience though. I'd love to toss on anti-toxi sometimes or rapid resilience but but...there are better mods.

[CY13ERPUNK]

yer suggestions only scale to MR 20

 

but MR 30 is the cap

 

you should restructure your rewards into 4 augment slots and 2-4 utility slots over 30 MR ranks instead of 20

[Rakshal]

I don't like it tied to mastery ranks.

 

Other than that, sure, Mod system is a mess.

[Ghostar]

I like it but the next 50 posts will probably be "power creep".

 

Is it really power creep? I mean the whole point of the focus system is to improve "your Tenno" so of course over time you would get better and better. I think its less power creep and more leveling up.

 

 

yer suggestions only scale to MR 20

 

but MR 30 is the cap

 

you should restructure your rewards into 4 augment slots and 2-4 utility slots over 30 MR ranks instead of 20

 

I only did 1-20 to show and example of what im talking about.

 

 

I don't like it tied to mastery ranks.

 

Other than that, sure, Mod system is a mess.

 

The reason its tied to mastery rank is honestly a bit on the lore side. Its more along the lines of your Tenno growing and learning, sort of like spending time training, it ties in with the Focus System being an "improvement to your Tenno" with them growing strong enough to quote on quote "learn augments my heart" and thus be able to use them for free.

[Kasumi-]

Nice idea, but DE already said they won't do augment slots.

 

I like where you're going with it though. We do need more stuff for Mastery.

[Rakshal]

The reason its tied to mastery rank is honestly a bit on the lore side. Its more along the lines of your Tenno growing and learning, sort of like spending time training, it ties in with the Focus System being an "improvement to your Tenno" with them growing strong enough to quote on quote "learn augments my heart" and thus be able to use them for free.

If you want to base it more on lore, it make more sense and better in my opinion to tie it to the XP system (but maybe not have it get gained so quickly, like lower how fast you get XP for focus and put a daily cap similar to Syndicates). Again, just my opinion.

[rechot]

I don't like it tied to mastery ranks.

 

Other than that, sure, Mod system is a mess.

the focus system which they talked about is supposed to be tied to mastery ranks.

[TaylorsContraction]

Nice idea, but DE already said they won't do augment slots.

 

I like where you're going with it though. We do need more stuff for Mastery.

I have heard them mention during multiple dev streams that they are "discussing the idea of augment slots", but I don't recall them saying outright that it will not happen. Perhaps you recall which stream that was on? If you're right, I'm really sad that we won't even get 1 augment slot :/.

[(PSN)Zeylon]

I'd prefer focus to be largely independent from MR, though I know people are always looking for ways to make that more useful.  I guess I'd be ok with the Focus system "unlocking" at a certain MR.

 

The way I envision Focus is as a skill tree that exists for every weapon/frame.  Each weapon already has its own experience gauge showing the relative experience gained with that weapon, even post-30.  The focus system is where that experience would go.  Back on the MR point, you could tiers of the tree (if you blocked it out into horizontal/vertical tiers) locked by MR, but I wouldn't want the MR reqs too high.  I like the idea that a MR 6 player could be investing a lot of time in focusing specific frames/weapons.  Also, focus reflects concentrating on specific gear, whereas MR is about leveling "other" stuff.

 

The cost of Focus upgrades scales up depending on the relative "rank" of the weapon.  I'd call this rank the "meta" rank, and I guess it could in theory be tied to the MR-lock of the weapon.  The principle here is that it would cost you more to upgrade something like the Boltor Prime compared to the Mk. 1 Strun.  The problem here is that the weapons aren't particularly balanced across "tiers" to the extent that we have them, but the power gaps are large enough that something like this is probably necessary.

 

Alternatively, they could alter the relative bonuses so the possible increases to later weapons are lower than what you might gain on an earlier weapon.

 

The chief idea is one of offering various bonuses with mostly diminishing returns.  The trees would be quasi-customized, with Frames having separate trees from weapons, which would have slightly different options dependent on type.

 

For example, say you hit 30 with your Boltor, and you have focus tree in front of you, you might see options for:

Damage: 2%

Reload: 5%

Magazine: 5%

Fire rate: 5%

Crit Chance: +2%

Crit Damage: 5%

Status Chance: +2%

Slot Expansion: 10%

 

These would be mods to the base stats of the weapon.  The idea is you get do the "Focus"ing to get to rank 1 of Reload, and you get a 5% bonus to reload speed.  The next rank (2) of reload will cost more, but also awards a smaller percentage.  This continues until the percentages hit a floor value (say, 1% if they start at 5%).  If you know how reload time is calculated, you know it already has somewhat diminishing returns as you get higher (see Primed Fast Hands).

 

It allows the player to continue to invest in a given "stat" by focusing, but at decreasing values and increasing costs.  The rate of this decline could also be determined by the "quality" of the weapon (Prime Weapons hitting a floor for improvement quicker, since there's less to "improve" about them).

 

The exception is Slot expansion.  The idea is you have to complete 10 ranks to get an additional mod slot, and each rank is more expensive -- however, the percentage value doesn't decline.  Slot Expansion 2 (presumably the final slot) would function similarly, but require 20 ranks.

 

This system would allow for improvement of weapons you focus on, but would restrict it necessarily so that a player can't "level" a weapon with focus a couple of times and effectively replace a mod.  If a tree-branch was granting things like Punch-through, Ammo mutation, and other specials - it would probably be too much.  You want Focus to be an interesting adjunct path for advancing and customizing favored weapons and the like; if content gets to a point where Focus is "required" to be successful in content - the system has failed imho.

 

Focus tree options for Warframes would attempt to similarly limit power-creep.  Ergo, it's not a system that you'd want to replace Streamline or the like, but a similar option to unlock mod slots, and incremental and diminishing return increases the various stats.  

[Kasumi-]

I have heard them mention during multiple dev streams that they are "discussing the idea of augment slots", but I don't recall them saying outright that it will not happen. Perhaps you recall which stream that was on? If you're right, I'm really sad that we won't even get 1 augment slot :/.

They said outright slots were not happening.

 

They did also say they'd look into other ways of doing it.

 

Same devstream.

 

Don't remember which one though.

[CGs_Knackie]

I like the idea but if I get it being MR 18 (soon 19) I will got 3 augment slots exclusively for my syndicate mods right? Seems pretty good.