[Spoiler] The Second Dream Open Letter, Review Of Subjective Experience: A Player Alienated

[Volkovyi]

Good Day Fellow Tenno,

                          

                            I want to preface my letter that I wish to share my personal experience and interpretation of The Second Dream's story and final revelation in humble hopes that my one single voice can be taken into account in whole. I only wish to express myself, what I felt, and how this has affected me. All in hopes this will be seen as an offer of a different perspective only with the best of intentions.

                            I love Warframe as an artist and as a gamer. Warframe has been a great inspiration as a visual medium, and as a game in my developing artistic career. Its visuals and experiences within it have had a great impact on me, including the dedicated and devoted, humane developer team of DE that creates it. Being able to watch this game grow alongside DE, seeing them so invested and hard working these past three years is inspiring to their player base. Their respect and devotion has earned my love and dedication to their game, as I am sure it has done the same for the rest of the player-base. Quite simply I am proud of Warframe's development all these years, and proud to be their player.

For the inspiration Warframe has given me, I have even been honored enough to have served as a small inspiration for Warframe in return. In creating the basis for Zephyr, and designing the Riot Moa enemy unit, and for the countless amount of my artwork that is used and viewed by DE and the Warframe community ever since. I am truly honored, humbled, and very much happy. I ame thankful for all of it.

 

I feel this small introduction is necessary to share as a back story for what sort of player I am for a better understanding of my point of view on the subject at hand. That is, a long standing veteran player of great investment in Warframe, and how the change of The Second Dream as affected me.

 

 

That being...

 

 

The final reveal has left us feeling betrayed, alienated, and detached.

 

 

                                        The Second Dream as a whole is magnificent, please don't take me wrong. The technical delivery of the quest's cinematics, story line, and characters, were incredible. Simply put it was astounding, and refreshing to see such in depth story development that has never been experienced before in Warframe in all my years of playing. I felt excited, racing to see what would happen, my expectations were high and indiscernible. That was a beautiful feeling that I could only express as a first-time high any story in any media feels like the first time it captivates you. The first time you might indulge in a movie, a book, or another video game, is unique and you can't quite ever replicate it the second time around you play that game, or reread that book.

 

Story

                                        Now, before this as every other long time player, we all had questions and theories of what is a Tenno, what is a Warframe. Some of the older players even watched DE as they themselves toiled over how to answer these questions over time. In a way I always enjoyed the freedom Warframe offered its players to take in the story and setting as they like to a certain extent, to invest in it how they like, and I always thought that was a noble way to care for your player-base.


        Given this, I was fully and entirely aware that our personal musings were not going to be true, and never have I ever pushed our personal views onto someone else. On the contrary I often encouraged others to enjoy the game as they want to. Given all of that, going into this quest, I was expecting something completely different. I was prepared to be surprised and to be shocked, but despite this one can never imagine what is the single possible outcome that would completely disappoint them.

 

Please let me explain how I experienced the key points in the cinematic.

 

                       First let me point out, I did not see the intro cinematic at all. There is a peculiar bug on our profile that has not been resolved for many months now. That being that quest-related transmissions, and now cinematics, do not appear within my Liset. I only learned later of the intro cinematic through the ‘replay’ option, or replaying the quest on a friend’s account to learn that there was entire banters I have missed between missions inside the liset. I only see what happens within the mission. So then unfortunately I have no candid response to the intro cinematic of Stalker meeting Hunhow and acquiring his new gear.

 

I played the rest of the quest just fine, later on seeing the Moon inside of the void, meeting the now healed Alad V helping us, the whispers in the void of past memories of Margulius and the other Orokin. It is simply an astounding experience. Hearing the whispers of memories lost, I simply stood in place in shock, carefully listening.

 

                       I then reached the Reservoir, here I was filled with complete awe and excitement. Watching my Warfame watch the Reservoir open up and one of the Tenno’s metal pods come forth. It was absolutely surprising seeing our Warfame “turn off” it seemed as this new humanoid figure that fell from the pod waking up. I was made breathless, wondering who was this person, what connection did they have with me, or were they me?

 

As the humanoid figure was waking up, there was a voice speaking to us, the player. It said, “Dream not of what you are, but of what you want to be.”

                        Right after that, the humanoid figure began crawling towards our Warfame. I must admit at this point, this was a beautiful and powerful scene. The message behind this scene, as I thought I was supposed to interpret it, was one of self-empowerment. That you can achieve anything you want, and be who you want to be, and regardless of what you choose you will be valued. I thought the humanoid figure, what we assumed was the Tenno, wanted to return to their body which was the Warframe. That we must save him from the compromised safety of the Reservoir (now under attack by Stalker and the Sentients) and find a way to reestablish the connection between Tenno and Warfame. The Tenno wanted to be the Warframe once more, to be powerful once more. The Tenno’s body seemed small and weak, he obviously could not walk as he was crawling, I assumed this was because of being centuries in some kind of cryo-sleep.

 

                          As I was leaving the Reservoir, carrying the Tenno person it, I felt such mixed and powerful emotions. Carrying them away while under attack of the Sentients was a great game mechanic, you actually felt vulnerable just like the Tenno surely is feeling outside of his Warframe. During this scene I was wondering, perhaps this story will end up something similar to the movie Avatar. At he end of Avatar, Jake Sully the main character was a crippled Human, who adopted a new life as a Na’vi on the planet of Pandora as a powerful warrior and saved the planet from his own kind’s exploitation. The movie also used a type of Somatic device to link a conscience between a Human and their Na’vi body. After the climactic battle his real human body was wounded and on the verge of death, at the very last moment of the movie through what seemed like pure determination he was able to reawaken in his Na’vi body after his Human body died. We are left with a satisfying ending to his character, that he achieved to be who he wanted to, and needed to be.

 

                           That is what the literary elements of the story up until this point felt like they were leading to, that we would find a way to either return to the dream state and return to our Warframe under safer conditions, or even transfer the Tenno’s conscience straight into the Warframe and achieve a sort of complete synchronization. This way as players we would still learn of what the Tenno were, but still hold onto a small bit of mystery to tantalize the audience, all the while learning of the background lore all around us as the main character. All of that could have stayed the same.

 

                             Then I returned to our liset still holding the Tenno person, with no Transmissions telling us what to do, I just assumed I should go to the new room in the back of the liset. I was confused, shocked, but very interested, completely taken in by the story. As I approached the somatic room only then did I receive Transmissions to inform us about the Somatic Device, and that the Stalker somehow infiltrated our ship. What a plot twist! I actually assumed this Somatic device must be the way I will achieve complete synchronization with our Warframe, to transfer the conscience, or even just put the Tenno back to sleep where they will be safe guarded by their own Warframe.

 

                             The Stalker bested us it seemed, separating the Tenno and its Warframe, in the background Hunhow spoke to the Stalker about how we are separated and different, how the Warframe is empty. This was where I first began to feel conflicted, I was still interested but…experiencing mixed emotions. Would I like where this is going? As the Warframe lay limp, and the Tenno laying back in fear and completely vulnerable, Hunhow spoke to the Stalker. The Warframe has no sense of self, no death, just an empty metal puppet.

 

All this time, for almost three years of playing, I was that Warframe. All our time invested in playing the game was through the Warframe laying on the floor, limp. As far as I was concerned, that was me. It felt like the game was directly calling the player an empty puppet, with no sense of self. I felt more…hurt than anything profound.

 

                    Towards the end when the Stalker is banished from the liset, and Lotus returns the Tenno person to the new Somatic Device, I was cautiously optimistic. Until I came face to face with a sudden character creation screen.

 

I. was. absolutely. floored.

 

It was a child, and we were expected to customize it? All our expectations, our high emotions, simply stopped in true utter shock. Just simply confused.

                   I finished the character creator, and suddenly I was having a true dialogue in game with Lotus herself! This was where all our investment and sense of identity as a player was just shattered. Lotus told us directly, “this is who you really are.” It sounded like the Tenno, all Tenno, were children that went through an accident in the Void on board the Zariman ship. The more I listened to Lotus speak, the more I questioned, the more I alienated, our entire high that lead us through the mission suddenly just dissipated.

 

At the end of the mission, the quest complete, standing in the back room looking at this new member of my Liset, I felt great confused and mixed emotions. I loved the quest, the story, the lore, everything leading up to this point was indescribably amazing. But then at the very very end I felt repulsed by this single outcome. I didn’t want, and still do not, want to identify with a child.

 

                      The entire message given previously in the quest seems to have contradicted itself, the message of self-empowerment I talked about above. I are given absolutely no choice in the matter, the player has absolutely no input. I am this child, Lotus is our mother, and our Warframes are completely empty. That has left me with the same empty feeling, as if everything I have ever worked for in the game did not matter. Why did Lotus worry in the past of our Warframes dying in combat, why worry of Alad V’s Zanuka project tearing them apart if in reality they have no sense of self, they are empty, they were never alive? Am I to assume that Lotus was acting all this time, pretending our Warframes mattered knowing full well the real Tenno are hidden away on the Moon, and we can just build more Warframes? Did my Warframe ever matter?

 

                      What may be better as an outcome? Perhaps it may be as simple as not removing the child’s mask, putting it back to sleep in the Somatic device. Then hold the same conversation with Lotus with the Warframe instead. This way, the entire story can stay exactly the same, but the sudden blow of forcing your player to accept a new identity is not harsh, they get to continue to play the game as they always have. Perhaps even have Lotus give you the choice if you want to wake them up again or return to your Warframe?

     Perhaps this may seem minuscule, but imagine now I can not take part in the Focus system because of this. The Focus system was a long awaited mechanic of Warframe to reward the players beyond level 30. However, I must face this child every time I wish to edit my Focus, even inside gameplay I can not USE the Focus system without having the child appear. How come the child must use the Focus system, and not the Warframe? I just completed a quest where the entire purpose was to uncover a great secret, and save the frail Tenno bodies from harm. Why now suddenly risk bringing out the child in the middle of battle for everyone to see? Including players who have not ever played The Second Dream to see it, as sort of an in-game spoiler via multiplayer?

 

I will never regain the peace of mind I had before seeing the ending.

 

 

Exposition

                         With this revelation at the end of The Second Dream's, I feel the exposition of Warframe's lore has become quite literal, only in this area of the story. Being small children in a sleeping reservoir on the moon we Tenno are literally “children of the sky,” Lotus literally became a mother... Up until this point all characters spoke in secrets, riddles and metaphors however lo and behold these key points turned out to be simply so literal. Having such mysteries and bits of baiting lore dangled in front of me for so long, I expected at least some symbolic outcomes where I was given an answer but nothing direct.

                          Learning that we are children, or what visually appears to be children, and to be called 'children' by Lotus, the entire professional and neutral relationship the player had with Lotus up until this point as a simple navigator and guide was shattered. I felt as if I have to accept her as a mother, that it is forced onto us. I was quite happy having her as a neutral and factual guide, always present but never interfering. Now this feels quite awkward...

                         I feel all this adds an undesired meta factor to the story: the Tenno children are controlling the Warframes just as I am a player controlling the Warframes in a video game. I felt this revelation was one of the variables that has cheapened our experience.

 

 

I are fully aware I am playing a video game, when we watch movies we know its a movie, same for shows, books, etc. The beauty of story-telling, in any medium, is the immersion and experience this offers to its viewer. For in the end most are largely produced for the sake of entertainment. Often in media when some sort of a meta is added to the exposition, it risks a great deal alienating and cheapening the consumer. You might ask, if it is just entertainment and we know none of it is real, then why does it matter if our experience and immersion in such things is compromised? Well of course it is not a necessity to create entertainment, we don't need such media to survive. We really only physically need food and shelter. Surely you can see but a huge portion of life's beauties is the enrichment of our lives as the celebration of human creativity and creation. Both in making it, and consuming it.

 

For example, imagine watching and being invested in a movie's Hero for the duration of the film and its action. Only to be revealed at the end that the movie itself was the making of a movie and that none of the trials and dangers the movie's Hero faced were real. The Hero was simply on a set, like it was a reality show in the film. The viewers of that movie would feel they were robbed of the experience, of a satisfying climax. They spent the entire film in anticipation and interest of the action, only to be revealed it didn't matter. Making a movie just to “trick” its audience that it wasn't real, you would question what is the point of creating such a film. Of course, it would be interesting and out of the ordinary, but consider that the novelty of this hypothetical movie is in its trick. Once you know the trick, there really is no reason to be invested in it again, to rewatch it. You already know the outcome, and that canonically it isn't real, so you won't ever feel the same way you did when you first watched this film.

 

 

Please keep in mind that self referencing elements, known as the “Meta,” is another literary element used in storytelling of all mediums today. Depending on the context, and how it is used, like any other tool of creation, can lend to good things and bad and anything in-between. What I wish to indicate is that I felt this was used in an undesired effect in The Second Dream.

 

 

Conclusion

 

                               In the end, I fear the cruel irony of this outcome is that maybe this might only greatly affect a few older players, veterans, or any player with some sort of investment in Warframe. On the other hand, someone who is a recent player, or the niche audience who is fond of the child element in fantasy worlds, would be considerably less affected by this revelation. Or perhaps I am the only one that feels this way.

                               I trust DE in their technical know-how, their passion for their art, and I feel they knew exactly what they were doing. They wanted exactly this, I can respect that this literary design meant something to them. I ask genuinely what it was they wanted to portray, or message to their players, by giving them this child identity?

 

                               Warframe has given the player choice in almost every aspect in the game. From the very moment you turn on the game to play, you can choose your starting Warframe. You can personalize your Warframes, there are colors, skins, patterns cosmetics, helmets, armors, for you and your Kubrow. Your sentinels, your weapons, your ship. You can choose which weapons to use, how to use them, which mods to equip, using one weapon or all three. You can choose where to go on the Solar Map, fight which faction of enemies you prefer on the tileset you prefer. You can choose to go on the planet, or use your Archwing in space flight, and all the same customization applies to your Archwings as well. You can choose if you prefer the PvE side of Warframe, or play PvP. Choose which Syndicate you wish to join, and choose your rewards.

 

Yes these may be all cosmetic or superficial choices, they might ultimately mean nothing to the story; but I want to point out that the very base of allowing so much choice, superficial or not, is enough to encourage your players to become invested in your video game as a developer. You have given the basis for your players to potentially invest in an identity.

 

Regardless of my personal alienation of this child identity given to us, it will not keep us for continuing to play Warframe and be part of the community. Negative or positive reactions, I am all the same excited for future developments and where it will take us. Thank you DE all the same.

Edited December 13, 2015 by Volkovyi

[Anatolius]

I will reserve this part while I work out a more detailed response

 

ALRIGHT GOT MY POST:

 

First I would like to give credit where credit is do. I have to give my love, respect, and admiration for the amount of talent and work. This quest, this update, has to be the best update released to date. I have never been more satisfied with the visuals and intimacy in a quest until now. And no no, I am not just thanking Steve or Scott, Geoff and Sheldon. I must thank everyone that worked on this project: From the orgasmic music pieces and voice acting to the beautiful level designs.

I couldnt be happier. And I thank you for that.

 

I will say that how I feel about the operator is slightly on the negative side. This is not because they are children (this does play a rule into it) However, I think I would have rather NOT known who we are.

I have played for quite a long time and kinda enjoyed not knowing the full details of our person.

 

I think I came to this response because after so long, with such vague mentions in the lore of who we might be, many people may have already established their ideas of what they are. So the reveal was a great shock and disappointment, as I personally really enjoyed the vague nature of this game. You could literally be WHATEVER you wanted to be. Even if you were a human in a suit, an operator is a robot, you enjoyed whatever thought you had about yourself

 

I very often have a feeling many people believe that those who are vocal enough to speak, believe "we hate children". This is not always the case (I am sure some people just straight up hate kids). People dislike their choice being removed (or at least this is what it feels like to many). The choice to be what they wish to be. You could argue that you COULD just ignore it, but now a vision becomes a dream instead of wishful thinking.

Its the difference between "maybe" and "no".

 

I do have some optimism that DE might (or has) considered this and will make a way that everyone can be happy, no matter where you want to be, either controling warframes or being that warframe

Edited December 11, 2015 by Anatolius

[Renegade343]

I never understand why people add the "objective" adjective when there is little, if at all, objective explanation and justification in the content, for one thing. 

[Vargras]

The final reveal has left us feeling betrayed, alienated, and detached.

You do not speak on my behalf. Countless individuals absolutely loved The Second Dream, far more than those who dislike it.

[Volkovyi]

I never understand why people add the "objective" adjective when there is little, if at all, objective explanation and justification in the content, for one thing. 

 

I mean to say I wish to best explain my experience and feelings as clearly as possible for clarity's sake. So an objective explanation of subjective themes. That is what I meant.

[Volkovyi]

You do not speak on my behalf. Countless individuals absolutely loved The Second Dream, far more than those who dislike it.

 

When we said 'we' we meant just myself, but in a removed sense. I didn't mean to make it sound like it is all of us as a player-base. As I prefaced in the beginning of the letter I only mean to describe my own experience for the sake as one part of a bigger message. I do hope you understand.

 

We enjoyed the Second Dream as well, but that doesn't mean that an entire portion of players who disliked the final reveal must feel invalidated and discarded because they are allegedly in the minority.

[TheFatDrake]

For example, imagine watching and being invested in a movie's Hero for the duration of the film and its action. Only to be revealed at the end that the movie itself was the making of a movie and that none of the trials and dangers the movie's Hero faced were real. The Hero was simply on a set, like it was a reality show in the film. The viewers of that movie would feel they were robbed of the experience, of a satisfying climax. They spent the entire film in anticipation and interest of the action, only to be revealed it didn't matter. Making a movie just to “trick” its audience that it wasn't real, you would question what is the point of creating such a film.

 

I would find that premise very interesting and i'd rewatch the film to look for subtle clues of the trickery and maybe discuss what it means in the context of the story that was given to me.

 

Currently, I see the second dream as simply an answer, an answer that a lot of us, maybe even you, wanted. Some people had X as their guess, some people had Y, and some people even had Y-2X. 

 

Is this outcome a strange disconnect? Yes. i sometimes stare at my Tenno and realise that i'm basically staring at myself. it is weird, but not bad, to me.

 

Another massive piece of the puzzle has been revealed, all I want to do now is look back at my previous concepts and see where they fit now and where they don't fit anymore within the rules and confines what has been shown.

 

The veil has been lifted. The door has been shown. The dream has been split.

[RahuHordika]

You should just switch to I then, or put a disclaimer, otherwise it will be very easy to confuse.

[Yonm]

Does this all boil down to "I hate children"? What, you've never played Mother before?

[Renegade343]

I mean to say I wish to best explain my experience and feelings as clearly as possible for clarity's sake. So an objective explanation of subjective themes. That is what I meant.

That is called "clarification", not "objective". 

[Anatolius]

You do not speak on my behalf. Countless individuals absolutely loved The Second Dream, far more than those who dislike it.

its the royal "we"

[TheFatDrake]

Ever heard of a game called SOMA?

 

It kinda does the cruel reveal a few times. The games ends very abruptly and anti climactically. you achieve what you set out to do, but you're still screwed over in the end.

[Volkovyi]

Does this all boil down to "I hate children"? What, you've never played Mother before?

 

No I am afraid not, I wouldn't have written all of this only to state "I hate children."

[Omega-Shadowblade]

Ever heard of a game called SOMA?

 

It kinda does the cruel reveal a few times. The games ends very abruptly and anti climactically. you achieve what you set out to do, but you're still screwed over in the end.

Did you watch past the credits for the other side of the ending?

[Volkovyi]

Ever heard of a game called SOMA?

 

It kinda does the cruel reveal a few times. The games ends very abruptly and anti climactically. you achieve what you set out to do, but you're still screwed over in the end.

 

I have actually, the themes touched in SOMA are quite amazing and even incite a strange overarching feeling of an existential crisis. I quite enjoyed Soma. I suppose those same themes applied to another game where I played for years and many hours made the final effect hurt even more.

[Briar_Wolf]

We spoke on this matter briefly when we first finished the quest, but I've had time to think this over so I'll say what I now feel.

 

I've warmed up to the child in the back of the Orbiter, though I have disabled their transmissions during missions. I had for a long time figured that the Warframes were technocyte golems being controlled by the spirit/soul/consciousness of those unfortunate children from the Zariman. I wasn't exactly wrong, but I also didn't expect them to still have a physical, living body, nor one that is still rather intact. Like I have being saying to some friends, "I wasn't expecting the anime kid/Shinji". It does honestly remind me quite a bit of Evangelion. 

 

Now, I may have warmed up to the Operator, but I did also turn off their transmissions. This a personal choice, and I feel like it helps keep my immersion. Perhaps this means I'm okay with them so long as they do not intrude on missions, the actual gameplay? It makes sense to me that they would be completely focused on the Warframe they are wielding, and not be able to talk like that.

 

Additionally, I also would prefer Focus to not involve the projection of the Operator. The idea that I got from the quest was that the Tenno's true nature should be kept secret, but then we go strutting about shooting lasers from our chests, face bare to the world. I mean it looks cool to use your Focus, but I would prefer if it were channeled through the Warframe itself, and there were no astral projection. The Operator's model is also stiff as a board, even a bit of swaying or twitching would be nice.

 

Also that means that new players will being seeing the Operators floating about before they reach the Second Dream, which is basically spoiling the reveal.

 

Finally, why can't we put the mask back on out Operator? I would be nice for people like you, Volk, who don't like them, and I also liked the mask anyways. It reminded me a bit of Ultraman. :p

[Volkovyi]

You should just switch to I then, or put a disclaimer, otherwise it will be very easy to confuse.

 

Perhaps you are right, I am just so used to writing that way in attempt to appear professional and fair. I will soon edit the letter to correct all the "we" to "I."

[Yonm]

No I am afraid not, I wouldn't have written all of this only to state "I hate children."

So what's the problem? You get to customize your kid. That's choice isn't it? Arguing that being forced to play a child-character takes away player choice is like arguing that being forced to play Warframes takes away player choice. Why aren't you arguing that we can't play Grineer?

Edited December 11, 2015 by Yonm

[letir]

I think, you miss important part.

 

When powerless and detached Frame, "you", take action and "break" into the Stalker's monologue.

 

This is, IMO, straight counter to Hunhow BS and entire "empty puppet" argument. Warframe aren't just a suit, and Tenno isn't just a puppeteer.

 

 

If you want to associate yourself with Frame, with his achievments - well, do it. Whatever connection Infested golems and Void freaks have, this isn't not simple "teenager with controlled robot".

[RobotJoe]

I really don't understand why this reveal was made. Why not have keep it a mystery, player imagination and theorizing is more fun and interesting anyway, and no risk of alienating anyone.

 

Continue to build the world around the mystery, I dunno. 

 

 oh well i guess!!

[LemongrabThatBooty]

I think, you miss important part.

 

When powerless and detached Frame, "you", take action and "break" into the Stalker's monologue.

 

This is, IMO, straight counter to Hunhow BS and entire "empty puppet" argument. Warframe aren't just a suit, and Tenno isn't just a puppeteer.

 

 

If you want to associate yourself with Frame, with his achievments - well, do it. Whatever connection Infested golems and Void freaks have, this isn't not simple "teenager with controlled robot".

This. Exactly this. The Warframe had it's own will during that moment. Without contact with the Operator, this "metal puppet" should have had no capability to move, yet it did. It tore War in two, and if you look during the cinematic, there is blood. There is a GAPING FLESH WOUND from the War's blade being ripped through the Warframe's upper right chest and right shoulder. 

 

There's a reason Lephantis says "Why do you destroy us? We are your flesh."  The Theory I hold on to is that the Warframes are production models of Technocyte beings the Orokin created as a weapon against the Sentients. The Infested are an offshoot, failed experiments gone awry. Rhino Prime's Codex references a beast that suddenly stops before tearing two workers asunder, near the children of Zariman and their location. That's the original, primal Rhino. Sculpted, manufactured into what we see today. No longer are they purely driven by instinct, blood lust, or whatever. Using Transference, the Warframes were put to use against the Sentients, and the Tenno were controlled by the Orokin. Maybe the Warframe was going off of instinct, maybe it was remnants of the Operator's thoughts. Whatever happened, it proved that the Warframes are not merely metal puppets with the Operator, the Tenno as the puppeteer. 

 

And it's understandable you're feeling alienated because of the reveal. You have taken on the role, the persona of the Operator. Many years, 3 in your case, you have been under the illusion that you were your warframe. All of a sudden, you aren't. You're just a kid. A teenager. 

[_Absolom_]

You do not speak on my behalf. Countless individuals absolutely loved The Second Dream, far more than those who dislike it.

QFT. As a veteran, I can confirm that I was blown away and motivated to stay for many more years to come. I'm really looking forward to what this will develop into.

[ZodiacShinryu]

Our warframes aren't mere puppets at least from what little lore we are given about the warframes themselves. Warframes also aren't just metal robotic proxies, they are biomechanical both inorganic and organic; they bleed, they require air, they can still perish. The Rhino entry in the codex shows what would be an early prototype of a warframe going on a rampage then being "tamed" by a Tenno child. Even in the last quest cut scene our warframe acts without the operator.  The question is how much sentience do the warframes possess and are the Tenno forcing it to be dormant.

 

I suppose that perhaps being pushed to accept being coupled to the tenno over the frame might be harsh for some but I personally just picture it as me as a child/teen (which can be tough for some with the limited customization and harsh saturated color palates). But this shouldn't be any harder to accept than being an opposite gender warframe than yourself. I can agree that the focus abilities using the operator are a bit... off putting but maybe its just early WIP.  I personally feel the operator not be on the field at all and instead be replaced with the guardian of the element being that the schools are a reference to the ancient Chinese five elements (the black tortoise vazarin, the azure dragon naramon, the vermillion bird madurai, the white tiger zenurik, and the great golden dragon unairu).

 

Even still there is still major story that is to unfold.  We only learned of the beginnings of the Tenno way.  We have little information on the warframes and the fall of the orokin which will likely be the next big plot points for DE.  Until then with what we know you can still associate yourself with the warframe, since they appear to have some sentience, as a partner to your operator.  Or you could view them as two parts of a whole with the tenno being your humanity and the warframe being your beast-like instincts.

[Tawa2Tawa]

Personally, I would like to learn more about how the Stalker operates since he also uses a Warframe. Did he achieve full sentience and acts on his own similar to the Rhino Prime codex and the moment our own Warframe acted to protect the Tenno? Or is he also piloted by a vengeful Tenno or some other person that has unlocked the link with the Warframe?

 

That would be an interesting line of thinking to say that your personal Warframe is not linked to the Tenno reveal. I've still got my own headcanons that border on AUs and will continue to draw and talk about them with friends.

 

Can't really do much about how the new Focus ability is used though. I personally find it a bit silly and prefer to Stomp or Exalted Blade my way through enemies.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Tawa2Tawa

[LockedKeye]

 

                               In the end, we fear the cruel irony of this outcome is that this only greatly affects older players, veterans, or any player with some sort of investment in Warframe. Whether that is time, dedication, content, emotion, etc. On the other hand, someone who is a recent player, new player, or the niche audience who is fond of the child element in fantasy worlds, would be considerably less affected by this revelation. Perhaps they might not even care.

 

Yeah, no. I've been with the game for about two years now, and I know others who were here from the beginning.  None of us have a problem with it.

 

What you're trying to do is pretend to have a more valid and valuable viewpoint than your opposition, and it's just making you sound whiny.

 

                              

 

Warframe has given the player choice in almost every aspect in the game. From the very moment you turn on the game to play, you can choose your starting Warframe. You can personalize your Warframes, there are colors, skins, patterns cosmetics, helmets, armors, for you and your Kubrow. Your sentinels, your weapons, your ship. You can choose which weapons to use, how to use them, which mods to equip, using one weapon or all three. You can choose where to go on the Solar Map, fight which faction of enemies you prefer on the tileset you prefer. You can choose to go on the planet, or use your Archwing in space flight, and all the same customization applies to your Archwings as well. You can choose if you prefer the PvE side of Warframe, or play PvP. Choose which Syndicate you wish to join, and choose your rewards. Ultimately you have the choice of how much investment you wish to give, or how little, any of above choices can even be ignored. How come then the most important choice you should be able to make in the game, who you are, is forced upon you? By Lotus's own words this child is you.

 

The storyline was never under your control.  Everything you named is either superficial cosmetics or customization within unalterable gameplay mechanics.  In other words, the vast majority of the game is not affected by player choice.

 

Edited December 11, 2015 by LockedKeye