Whats The Official Explanation For The Regular Variant Of A Warframe?

[Hypernaut1]

I get that the prime is the original, but where does the regular variant come into play? Is there an explanation beyond "someone made copies without gold" or is that all we have for now? 

 

It seems to me that the regular variants have a different theme and look compared to the primes. Ash Prime for example doesnt look too ninja compared to regular Ash in the quick glimpses we have. Are the current WFs suits only inspired by the original? is it a reincarnation of the original? Why the change is theme?

Edited July 1, 2015 by Hypernaut1

[DaftMeat]

Bootlegging fails and cheap knock-offs

 

[Mcl_Blue]

Primes are Orokin made and, in-story, came first. Regular frames are a Tenno-made attempt to replicate the Primes.

 

As far as official information goes, that's what we have for now.

Edited July 1, 2015 by Mcl_BlueMadness

[blasron]

the "normal'' warframe that we use are more like another generation of warframe made to be less powerful so that our creator are actully able to exterminate us if we go rogue. (all of this is a pure S.W.A.G. (or scientifique wild &#! guess) from my part)

[CicaedaV]

I get that the prime is the original, but where does the regular variant come into play? Is there an explanation beyond "someone made copies without gold" or is that all we have for now? 

 

It seems to me that the regular variants have a different theme and look compared to the primes. Ash Prime for example doesnt look too ninja compared to regular Ash in the quick glimpses we have. Are the current WFs suits only inspired by the original? is it a reincarnation of the original? Why the change is theme?

I'm guessing we forgot the details of the original frames (prime) and what we could remember was made into the regular frames we have now. theme is still there, we had a different style back then.

[Wawazat]

I get that the prime is the original, but where does the regular variant come into play? Is there an explanation beyond "someone made copies without gold" or is that all we have for now? 

 

It seems to me that the regular variants have a different theme and look compared to the primes. Ash Prime for example doesnt look too ninja compared to regular Ash in the quick glimpses we have. Are the current WFs suits only inspired by the original? is it a reincarnation of the original? Why the change is theme?

all we have for now

[Toppien]

the orokin run out of gold

[Hypernaut1]

ok. So there is no explanation as to WHY tenno replicated frames from the old war? So in our quest, they talk about the original copy and not the original prime? For example in the Limbo and Mirage quest, those quest are about the original user of the copyWF and not the original Limbo/Mirage prime- its still kind of confusing to me.

[Morec0]

We don't have an official explanation, but I believe that as we brought down the Orokin Empire we also began to stop using the weapons that had been designed by them/their technology - Primes. The Corrupted Ancient Synthesis has a moment where the characters in it are saved by something silver and gold which then flees up the wall of the cave they are in and away, suggesting that the Tenno were still using Primes for a while even after the fall of the Orokin.

 

The reasons for this could vary from we began to no longer want to wear and wield things that reminded us of our creators to we decided the Primes were too powerful and decided to lock them away in favor of weaker-but-still-potent copies. Of course, since then the ability to create these copies has been scattered across the system or lost in some way - hence our need to hunt down the enemies that hold the blueprints for them - but the technology is still partially there, unlike with Primes where we have to almost universally locate previously-designed parts (the Warframes are the exception here, so make of that what you will).

 

ok. So there is no explanation as to WHY tenno replicated frames from the old war? So in our quest, they talk about the original copy and not the original prime? For example in the Limbo and Mirage quest, those quest are about the original user of the copyWF and not the original Limbo/Mirage prime- its still kind of confusing to me.

 

Just as the designs for those frames were lost in the first place, it could be that we cannot replicate them in their prime, or even that the Void Shadow that we find to give us the information on this.

 

Then again, Chroma himself is a strange number in this, because if we assume he's been on the other side of the Terminus link - that is, in the Sentient system - one would expect him to be Prime. So it very well may be that BOTH existed at the same time, the Primes given to only the most senior/proven of Tenno - fitting with the idea that they are Warframes brought to the PRIME of their potential, rather than Prime-originate or some-such.

 

Either way, it seems logical to believe that the Orokin had a MUCH closer tie with the Prime components based on their look and feel.

[digritz]

Chinese super hackers breached the Orikin servers way back when due to a security flaw in Windows 126.4. They downloaded all the Warframe BP's and made copies...........thousands and thousands of copies and flooded the market with them. The Orikin were powerless to to stem the tide. They just could not keep pace due to the cheap labor in China. Soon workers were flowing over the Chinese border to fill the jobs. Ultimately the cheap knock offs and low labor costs financially destroyed the Orikin leading to many of their ships becoming derelicts.


On a side note the imigrants that came to China to find work were mostly from America and were referred to collectively as gringo's. Later when the Chinese ran low on water they outlawed bathing for all immigrants. It was said you could always tell when a Gringo was near you from the smell. Later this was shortened to just Grineer a term used to describe the smelly Americans.

Edited July 3, 2015 by digritz

[Hypernaut1]

We don't have an official explanation, but I believe that as we brought down the Orokin Empire we also began to stop using the weapons that had been designed by them/their technology - Primes. The Corrupted Ancient Synthesis has a moment where the characters in it are saved by something silver and gold which then flees up the wall of the cave they are in and away, suggesting that the Tenno were still using Primes for a while even after the fall of the Orokin.

 

The reasons for this could vary from we began to no longer want to wear and wield things that reminded us of our creators to we decided the Primes were too powerful and decided to lock them away in favor of weaker-but-still-potent copies. Of course, since then the ability to create these copies has been scattered across the system or lost in some way - hence our need to hunt down the enemies that hold the blueprints for them - but the technology is still partially there, unlike with Primes where we have to almost universally locate previously-designed parts (the Warframes are the exception here, so make of that what you will).

 

 

Just as the designs for those frames were lost in the first place, it could be that we cannot replicate them in their prime, or even that the Void Shadow that we find to give us the information on this.

 

Then again, Chroma himself is a strange number in this, because if we assume he's been on the other side of the Terminus link - that is, in the Sentient system - one would expect him to be Prime. So it very well may be that BOTH existed at the same time, the Primes given to only the most senior/proven of Tenno - fitting with the idea that they are Warframes brought to the PRIME of their potential, rather than Prime-originate or some-such.

 

Either way, it seems logical to believe that the Orokin had a MUCH closer tie with the Prime components based on their look and feel.

so this brings up the question if there were multiple copies of the prime. Was there multiple Excalibur primes running around? I assumed there was one Excal prime, and after the war Tenno made knock-off excalibur suits in honor of the prime.

 

I think there is a huge gap in the explanation for when and why they began to make regular WF suits.

[Morec0]

so this brings up the question if there were multiple copies of the prime. Was there multiple Excalibur primes running around? I assumed there was one Excal prime, and after the war Tenno made knock-off excalibur suits in honor of the prime.

 

I think there is a huge gap in the explanation for when and why they began to make regular WF suits.

 

Well, I'd say it's possible. I don't think there was EVER just ONE of ANY Warframe - even Mirage and Limbo, though they seem to have been lost to the ages nonetheless.

 

If they were made to be enhanced versions of the regular suits that came later, Prime as in "at the peak of its power", then it stands to reason there would be many of them as well - but if you give an AK-47 to a novice hunter they're just going to hurt themselves. Same idea with the possibility of giving them to Tenno who were not complete masters of the frame - they'd likely only hurt themselves and others rather than the target.

 

Or even if they came first that same principle of "keep this out of the hands of those who wouldn't be able to use it properly" applies, there's nothing to stop the Orokin from having made MANY Prime (First) Excaliburs. Could be Primes were meant to denote commanders among the Tenno, even, the top dogs of their ranks - possibly those that formed this ancient "Tenno Council".

 

But it may simply be due to the Orokin aestheticism. We have seen the Orokin to be HUGE of aesthetics, gold and pearl specifically; it could be the Orokin simply refused to have "dirty, filthy, mediocre Warframes" serving them as defenders of their person and homes. So, they made ones more fitting to be in their presence - as beautiful as the Orokin themselves strove to be (an idea I pull from the Lorist's description of them in the Corrupted Ancient Synthesis: "The Orokin had a visage imbued with variation, beauty and symmetry... Their skin was silken..")

[Chroia]

I don't think there was EVER just ONE of ANY Warframe - even Mirage and Limbo, though they seem to have been lost to the ages nonetheless.

The previous New Player Experience indicated that there were many Tenno, but only 1 of each Warframe. The first version of Ordis' chatter when you initially unlocked the Arsenal in the new NPE supported this.

The piece of chatter was changed rather swiftly.

Edited July 2, 2015 by Chroia

[Apocalypse_Later]

Because the Tenno decided that the Orokin had horrendous taste what with stapling gold crap to everything [EVERYTHING], and promptly exterminated them.

[Morec0]

The previous New Player Experience indicated that there were many Tenno, but only 1 of each Warframe. The first version of Ordis' chatter when you initially unlocked the Arsenal in the new NPE supported this.

The piece of chatter was changed rather swiftly.

 

Oh? What did it say before I don't recall that?

 

But, regardless if DE changed it then it's clear that they no longer wish that to be the case - after all, if there are many Tenno but only one of each type of Warframes, a LOT of those Tenno are going to have to run around naked.

[Chroia]

Oh? What did it say before I don't recall that?

Don't recall verbatim. I'll see if I can find the screenies.

(This may take a while, have some 6k to go through.)

 

 

 

But, regardless if DE changed it then it's clear that they no longer wish that to be the case

Yup, which is why I'm more concerned with characterization than lore, at least until DE decide what the lore, you know, is.

[(PSN)PillarOfWar]

I have always thought of the prime warframes as the elite or officer gear and the regular warframes as the standard issue gear.

[Lightsmith]

There is no "Official" explanation for it (or most anything for that matter).

 

My theory is that Regular frames are mass produced versions and "Primes" are the "Hand Crafted" (or Mastercraft for 40K fans)

[Morec0]

There is no "Official" explanation for it (or most anything for that matter).

 

My theory is that Regular frames are mass produced versions and "Primes" are the "Hand Crafted" (or Mastercraft for 40K fans)

 

The more 40K in this the better.

 

"FRAMES FOR THE FRAME GOD! LOTUSES FOR THE LOTUS THRONE!"

[Lightsmith]

The more 40K in this the better.

 

"FRAMES FOR THE FRAME GOD! LOTUSES FOR THE LOTUS THRONE!"

Love me some 40K I think Mirage needs to be shown what a real Harlequin can do.

[Evanescent]

I think the normals are standard issue Frames handed out to all Tenno while the Primes were awarded to the Accomplished or high-rank Tenno only.

It would explain why there are so few.

[321agemo]

-snip-

I was actually under the impression that the corrupted ancient lore takes place during the old war, given that the corrupted ancients also have the healing pulse.

-----------------

Well i remember a discussion a while ago (not sure how canon so don't quote me on it) that spoke about having perhaps a single prime warframe of each, and the vanilla frames were created from those, hence why there's serial numbers on our frames.

Similar to grineer cloning, i guess copying of the original must not translate over well.

Either that or making cheap knockoff means you can mass produce for a fraction of the price.

[(PSN)Silverback73]

ok. So there is no explanation as to WHY tenno replicated frames from the old war? So in our quest, they talk about the original copy and not the original prime? For example in the Limbo and Mirage quest, those quest are about the original user of the copyWF and not the original Limbo/Mirage prime- its still kind of confusing to me.

Lore-wise, I see the Primes as being perfect copies of originals, used as elite units and personal bodyguards by the Orokin Royalty.

The "regular" Frames are the more cost efficient, mass-produced soldiers that made up the bulk of the Tenno army used against the Sentients.

That's my guess.

Edited July 2, 2015 by (PS4)Silverback73

[Revenant102]

The regular frames could be the 'mass production' version of the frames; while the primes are the original models; much stronger, but far harder to create.

[Eldnacpeek]

Someone made copies without gold.