Sentinels Need To Be Re-Worked (Excluding Carrier)

[Konnivar]

Carrier is an excellent sentinel with the very desirable utility to pull in drops without having to run over them or in many cases see them (Vacuum can pull pickups through walls).  I love this utility and think it should stay the way it is.

 

However, with the introduction of Carrier and its very useful vacuum ability, the utility of the other sentinels is shadowed in comparison.

 

Instead of nerfing Carrier, the other sentinels should be worked so that the choice of sentinel isn't as easy to make.

 

Below are a few suggested changes to the current sentinels to make them more desirable to use and fit them in a role based on their abilities.

 

Carrier:

Health: 200

Shield: 75

Armor: 75

 

Vacuum should remain as it is.  Using the Sweeper shotgun and a shorter engagement range, Carrier is a close range brawler and should have the armor to back that up.

 

Dethcube:

Health: 150

Shield: 150

Armor: 50

 

The Deth Machine rifle should deal increased slash damage ~6-7 base and have a high critical chance (~15-20%) as well as a high crit multiplier (2.0-2.5x) to make it similar to other fast firing Tenno weapons like the Soma. Like other spool up weapons, the Deth Machine rifle should maintain its fire rate for a short time after firing.  Dethcube's vaporize skill should have a longer range and occur much more often and hit multiple targets similar to the Atomos secondary weapon.  Dethcube is the only pure offense Sentinel, but currently lacks the firepower to act as one.

 

Djinn:

Health: 250

Shield: 25

Armor: 125

 

Djinn's stinger is very effective, especially when paired with its long targeting range.  Djinn has the Fatal Attraction ability and draws fire from enemies, but its current stats do not mix well with this ability.  Increasing Djinn's health and armor would help to augment Fatal Attraction and fits better with its theme of being an Infested Sentinel. 

 

Helios:

Health: 75

Shield: 250

Armor: 25

 

Helios' automatic codex scanner is excellent for players like me that like to fill out their codex, but lacks purpose for anyone who isn't as interested in the codex.  The Detect Vulnerability augment offered by Cephalon Simaris should be part of the Investigator ability and should not consume a codex scanner when used.  It should maintain the scan overlay and time to scan.  To replace this mod, Simaris could offer a mod that speeds up the scanning time for the investigator ability.  The stat changes are meant to reflect that Helios is a Corpus research tool.

 

Shade:

Health: 50

Shield: 300

Armor: 25

 

In the right situation, Shade's Ghost ability can be very useful however, the ability isn't always applied intelligently.  Ghost should always be applied to the player for the duration of reviving allies.  The Burst Laser weapon should deal increased damage and have a higher status chance (~15-20%).  Most sentinels will no longer attack if an enemy is unalerted, which makes the extra "don't fire back" part of Revenge useless.  Revenge should be replaced by a new mod that would allow shade to perform a finisher on unalerted enemies which would always kill.

 

Wyrm:

Health: 150

Shield: 150

Armor: 50

 

Wyrm has its uses with the infested, but is a bit less useful with ranged enemies.  To increase Wyrm's effectiveness against ranged enemies, Crowd dispersion should be a ranged ability (similar to sapping ospreys) that incapacitates enemies in a larger area for a longer period of time (3-4 seconds)

 

 

TL/DR: Compared to Carrier, many of the sentinels lack in ability and have lost function due to the evolution of Warframe.

 

Please post any feedback on my suggestions or suggestions of your own below;  if you agree that Sentinels need to be looked at again please voice your opinion below to make this post more visible!

 

 

[Cyborg-Rox]

IMO Dethcube is the only sentinel which needs a reworked ability. I agree that the weapons are bad though.

[7grims]

Just think:

 

We should have redeploy-able sentinel items, since the regen mod is a scam, and we cant rev them like kubrows.

 

And all companions (kubrows and sentinels) should have universal vaccum, its a loot game were its important to catch everything all the time, plus a great majority of the players base only plays with carrier because of this so important feature.

Edited July 28, 2015 by 7grims

[(PSN)Joesph_Joestar27]

Good points but I feel Helios is fine as is.... but the increase in shield would be awesome :)

[Soldier1312]

Just think:

 

We should have redeploy-able sentinel items, since the regen mod is a scam, and we cant rev them like kubrows.

 

If sentinels would die as often as kubrows then i'd agree. But they are not rushing mindlessly on much stronger opponents.

Just sayin' 

[Konnivar]

Just think:

 

We should have redeploy-able sentinel items, since the regen mod is a scam, and we cant rev them like kubrows.

 

And all companions (kubrows and sentinels) should have universal vaccum, its a loot game were its important to catch everything all the time, plus a great majority of the players base only plays with carrier because of this so important feature.

 

Maxing Regen should allow for two regenerations of the sentinel.  I disagree with adding vacuum to everything as it would break Carrier and encourages players to camp more.

 

This topic isn't about Vacuum directly, it's simply about making the other sentinels more appealing when compared to Carrier without nerfing Vacuum.

[TheStag]

Sentinels would be fine as they are if we could remote control them...

Fun times fun times...

[unknow99]

I just want my Shade to crouch with me... :/

[CY13ERPUNK]

+1 OP

[(PSN)PaceBrkr]

I agree that sentinels do need to be buffed up a bit (Carrier Prime has better stats than its counterpart but Wyrm Prime doesn't and should have some kind of buff). I hardly use their weapons but that Sweeper Prime is proving to be quite nice when I don't have my Carrier being passive. If some slight tweaks could prove helpful for the others then by all means go for it!

If the Sentinels don't receive a stat increase then I feel they could use weaker versions of the "link" mods Kubrows use. Allow Sentinels to offer more utility - perhaps a new ability unique to each of them? These abilities could flare up due to certain circumstances (e.g. being overrun or out of ammo (similar to how guardian activates when your shield breaks). This would allow them to serve as an adept backup unit rather than a floating target that stands a little too close to its owner.

Being able to command companions or have them scout ahead/serve as a distraction would prove to be beneficial and fun for the people who like the whole black ops approach. It would be thrilling to have my Helios slip past the enemies and open the vault while I'm shooting at them.

[(PSN)Agent_CHAR]

The usefulness of carrier is way overrated by the masses.  Its good, but I have no problem using one of the other options whenever I have no intention of making 2000+ pick ups (a lot of the time).

 

All shade needs is its cloaking functionality to work as reliably as the huras instead of the current erratic mess of an ability.

 

Dethcube, Wyrm, and Djinn need a lot of help.  Their one job is dealing damage so they damn well better do enough damage to justify losing the utility from a different option.  They don't.  I can get just as much damage from Carrier and Helios.

 

They also need some better distinction between them, the various 2nd abilities just doesn't do enough.  Call me crazy but I would like it if all the weapons where companion specific.  Then the 2nd *and* the weapon could set them apart.

[Konnivar]

If the Sentinels don't receive a stat increase then I feel they could use weaker versions of the "link" mods Kubrows use. Allow Sentinels to offer more utility - perhaps a new ability unique to each of them? These abilities could flare up due to certain circumstances (e.g. being overrun or out of ammo (similar to how guardian activates when your shield breaks). This would allow them to serve as an adept backup unit rather than a floating target that stands a little too close to its owner.

Being able to command companions or have them scout ahead/serve as a distraction would prove to be beneficial and fun for the people who like the whole black ops approach. It would be thrilling to have my Helios slip past the enemies and open the vault while I'm shooting at them.

 

I like the idea of having another ability for Sentinels, not so sure about being able to give them commands however, that seems more like Kubrow territory.

 

The usefulness of carrier is way overrated by the masses.  Its good, but I have no problem using one of the other options whenever I have no intention of making 2000+ pick ups (a lot of the time).

 

All shade needs is its cloaking functionality to work as reliably as the huras instead of the current erratic mess of an ability.

 

Dethcube, Wyrm, and Djinn need a lot of help.  Their one job is dealing damage so they damn well better do enough damage to justify losing the utility from a different option.  They don't.  I can get just as much damage from Carrier and Helios.

 

They also need some better distinction between them, the various 2nd abilities just doesn't do enough.  Call me crazy but I would like it if all the weapons where companion specific.  Then the 2nd *and* the weapon could set them apart.

 

 

I wouldn't mind each sentinel having its own unique weapon similar to Helios' Deconstructor, but I do think common weapons like the Laser Rifle or Burst Laser should still be available for use.

[EinheriarJudith]

sentinels and kubrow need to get the same treatment warframes got. remove the ability mods and make them passive/rank up as they lvl, vacuum should be turned into a standard mod like animal instinct, a replacement for carriers vacuum could be to launch mini probes that do damage turning carrier into a carrier than launches its own kind of pets. the targeting needs work and weapons like deth machinegun and burst laser need some kind of buff, fatal attraction imo should be removed(sentinels are pets and cannot withstand the kind of beating frames can) or replace it with something different like someone said in another thread about djinn have it be something along the line of what it does like releasing a toxin gas in like 5m radius or something.

Edited July 29, 2015 by EinheriarJudith

[(PSN)PaceBrkr]

I like the idea of having another ability for Sentinels, not so sure about being able to give them commands however, that seems more like Kubrow territory.

True. I'm still awaiting my command wheel or some kind of list for my beloved Kubrows. I want to be better than the Drahk Master!

[Temfist]

Honestly, I think we just need "Sentinels 2.0" but I'd be willing to settle for a tweak for the time being.

 

Personally, I think that Sentinels need to do "more" then they currently do. The fact that sentinels provide shield recovery and a shield when you revive are good abilities, but other then being a secondary source of damage (which cannot share mods with your current primary) I honestly think that Sentinels would be better if they had innate abilities (similar to warframes, and I feel this should be applied to future Kubrows when they actually have more mods) so that modding them becomes a decision of how to maximize their potential for different play styles etc.

 

I think Sentinels should have mods that can alter your movement through the environment (such as a mod that increases your base jump speed, or with parkour 2.0 maybe a mod that gives you a tripple jump, etc), I think Sentinels should be able to travel a short distance from you and have their own A.I. preferences and better animations, and I think Sentinels should have their own "augment mods" for their abilities (should they be given innate abilities).

 

That said, Kubrows need a rework too, and as excited as I am about "Catbrows", they had better fix Kubrows before they throw more "pets" at us, cause right now Kubrow Armor and more pets are completely unappealing to me until they remove the game mechanics that punish you for using them.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Temphis

[Dragonofdarkness13]

I think Every Sentinel other than Carrier should have a button you can push that commands them to use their ability ( same with Kubrows )
And a button to tell them not to attack or at least command them to attack on marked enemies

Edited July 29, 2015 by Dragonofdarkness13

[Wolfssenger]

+1

[(PSN)wonderwoman814]

Im ok with the universal buffs instead of nerfs.

[Konnivar]

Honestly, I think we just need "Sentinels 2.0" but I'd be willing to settle for a tweak for the time being.

 

Personally, I think that Sentinels need to do "more" then they currently do. The fact that sentinels provide shield recovery and a shield when you revive are good abilities, but other then being a secondary source of damage (which cannot share mods with your current primary) I honestly think that Sentinels would be better if they had innate abilities (similar to warframes, and I feel this should be applied to future Kubrows when they actually have more mods) so that modding them becomes a decision of how to maximize their potential for different play styles etc.

 

I think Sentinels should have mods that can alter your movement through the environment (such as a mod that increases your base jump speed, or with parkour 2.0 maybe a mod that gives you a tripple jump, etc), I think Sentinels should be able to travel a short distance from you and have their own A.I. preferences and better animations, and I think Sentinels should have their own "augment mods" for their abilities (should they be given innate abilities).

 

That said, Kubrows need a rework too, and as excited as I am about "Catbrows", they had better fix Kubrows before they throw more "pets" at us, cause right now Kubrow Armor and more pets are completely unappealing to me until they remove the game mechanics that punish you for using them.

The problem with doing all of that, especially allowing the sentinel to move away from the player, is that you begin to invade the territory of the Kubrow.  Sentinels can't be TOO useful otherwise no one will use the much more high maintenance Kubrow.  Kubrow do have their own benefits in massive damage and the ability to revive them, but in some cases lack the utility that some of the sentinels have.  Add the fact that you don't have to "feed" sentinels or wait three hours for them to wake up and that brings us back to the current state where most people use sentinels over Kubrow.

 

Kubrow and Sentinels need to have distinct differences but it shouldn't be an easy choice one way or the other.

[WereFowl]

I actually mad e athread earlier in the week about how much weaker wyrm prime is compared to carrier prime, especially considering wyrm prime is supposed to be the more combat orientated sentinel.

 

Most of the others do need big buffs as the carrier is the most popular by a country mile.

[Paradoxbomb]

I still like the idea of making vacuum a general sentinel ability and changing Carrier's ability to storing a surplus of health/ammo/energy/etc. that he can use to replenish you in a pinch. Carrier himself would still be vastly useful as a psuedo-healer and actual supply carrier, but players wouldn't need to rely solely on him to farm effectively (which is arguably one of the most important functions of such a farming-centric game).

 

That said, I actually like these suggestions to improve the other Sentinels' viability; perhaps a special feature of Dethcube could be that it's damage output increases slightly as it damages enemies, meaning that it's damage (with both it's gun and Vaporize skill) will increase the longer it's engaged in combat, giving some scalability to it's damage output and truly making it a powerful offensive Sentinel even at higher levels (for the sake of balance the damage multiplier probably should decrease slowly over time if the Dethcube isn't attacking anyone).

Edited July 29, 2015 by Paradoxbomb

[EinheriarJudith]

I still like the idea of making vacuum a general sentinel ability and changing Carrier's ability to storing a surplus of health/ammo/energy/etc. that he can use to replenish you in a pinch. Carrier himself would still be vastly useful as a psuedo-healer and actual supply carrier, but players wouldn't need to rely solely on him to farm effectively (which is arguably one of the most important functions of such a farming-centric game).

im actually all for your idea to turn him into a kind of healer of sorts +1 so we got healing carrier, and a carrier that launches probes. and believe me in all the threads ive read about needing to change sentinels mine and your's are the only ideas ive seen as a replacement for vacuum.

[Paradoxbomb]

im actually all for your idea to turn him into a kind of healer of sorts +1 so we got healing carrier, and a carrier that launches probes. and believe me in all the threads ive read about needing to change sentinels mine and your's are the only ideas ive seen as a replacement for vacuum.

 

I appreciate it, although I can't take credit for the idea. I can't remember who specifically suggested it (it could've actually been suggested by multiple people AFAIK), but I thought it was a much better alternative for a Carrier precept and am all for it.

Edited July 29, 2015 by Paradoxbomb