Game Intro and initial Warframe selection

[Xanoth]

This has probably been said before, given how frustrating/annoying this is, I'd imagine it comes up often, but I don't see a thread on it, so I wanted to offer my thoughts on this.

As things stand you learn the games basics during the tutorial with Excalibur, once complete you are then asked to pick 1 of 3 war frames.

My first major gripe...

As far as I can remember, in every other game I've ever played (I'm 31 and have a bachealors degree in game design), clicking hi8ghlights/selects, it doesn't auto approve it, can't be undone and take you to the next screen with no option to go back. Normal interface design is there are 3 things, you click one, you get some info, you click another, get info on that, and the same for the last. you way up your options, select the one you want to choose and click next. Not in Warframe, you mouse over for info, if you click that's the warframe you're stuck with unless you buy more or spend 100+ hours playing through the game to buy the blueprint and farm for the components to build it.

As far as interface design goes this really isn't intuative and will be frustrating for many users (although maybe not as frustrated as I was, as interface design and player interaction has always been a major focus of my scrutiny and frequent disapointment with regards to implimentation, and other than this one thing I've few other major complains... UI is clean, clear, minimalist. On mission selection some stuff goes off the screen and there are a few obvious bugs here or there, but the design in general is good).

Now the second issue here. A bit of text and a picture really doesn't say much about the warframes. Let people play them before they make their choice. Just a simple bounce around with some dummy targets like in the tutorial, and let players use each power. Sure some won't give a good idea from dummies, but it's better than no idea at all and picking blind. I know this isn't easy to implement and time is money, but please consider it seriously, first impressions matter most and keeping people interested and playing is important. Feeling like you made the wrong choice, it's not fun and your only other option is to pay money for a game you're so far not enjoying due to that choice, or to grind for days while not enjoying it. Honestly, not many players would keep going in that situation. I kept playing mostly because a load of friends are playing the beta a lot, and that somewhat compensates for being stuck with a warframe I really hate 90% of the time (Loki, can be really useful, more so now I've levelled it, but it would have been my last choice as a starting warframe. Something I'd consider at a later date for a change/group play).

I'll leave it at that before this turns into a wall of text and touches on too many topics or issues to make for a good thread discussion. I'd be interested to know if anyone else had this issue, if it was always implemented this way and if there are plans to change it.

If not for this issue I'd probably have paid up for a founder package by now, as I think the game is at least worth $20 to get more enjoyment out of it.

[10twenty4]

My only response is that it's in beta. It's an annoying response, but it's the truth. Hopefully updates will improve on the clarity of the UI

[Xanoth]

My only response is that it's in beta. It's an annoying response, but it's the truth. Hopefully updates will improve on the clarity of the UI

Of course, but the whole point of betas is to give feedback. Although I'd imagine your responding to my closing line about why I didn't buy a founders pack. If so that goes both ways, it is still beta, I'd like to see some things improve before I part with my cash as I have a habit of buying things then not playing them ever again after 1-2 days. As it is a free to play game still in beta, I'd like to see how well it maintains it's enjoyment (even if half of my motivation for playing right now is to level/grind to replace this warframe I have so much hatred for... not because it's bad, but because I got stuck with it.

[cypherhalo]

My only response is that it's in beta. It's an annoying response, but it's the truth. Hopefully updates will improve on the clarity of the UI

Yeah but that's not a very helpful response. You were polite about it though.

I have to agree with OP in spirit. I picked Excalibur and was very happy with it. As you can tell, I bought a Founder's pack but that, well I won't go into my psychology there. Suffice it to say it makes a huge difference but also cost a pretty penny and isn't something I normally do for F2P games.

Regardless OP is right especially since I've now learned from these forums everything involved in making a new frame. I thought you just had to either a) pay or b) buy the blueprint. Turns out you have to buy the blueprint, farm a boss for 3 more blueprints, and then build everything. That is just crazy IMO. That means if you want to play the game for free that you will be stuck with a single warframe for a very long time.

I get that the game needs some grind b/c it's an F2P and to try and encourage people to pay. However, too much grind and you just turn people away. IMO, Warframe has a bit too much grind, especially when it comes to making a new frame. Fortunately beyond that they do have the F2P model down well. You're not really punished for being a free player in anyway and you can be just as effective as a paying player. The process for building frames is just a bit much especially if you end up in a situation like the OP and don't like your starting frame. I'm not saying you need to be able to get all the frames super-quick, but the current grind is too much. Just make it so that you have to buy the blueprint or heck a bundle of blueprints, but let's not overdo the farming eh?

Also, two more cents, I strongly dislike the whole buying slots thing. I don't get why some F2P games do this. MWO does this, and personally I don't care much for MWO (for other reasons besides), which is sad as an old MW fan. Anyway, I don't have to buy "barracks" for my League of Legends champs and that game makes plenty of money, I see no reason to have to buy slots to have more warframes.

[jnka]

To be honest while I agree that it might take a fairly long time for a solo player. Going at it with people you know certainly speeds up the aspect of getting the frame and you can easily get all the crafting materials (warframe parts) in some two days of intermittent playing.

[Mibu]

Turns out you have to buy the blueprint, farm a boss for 3 more blueprints, and then build everything. That is just crazy IMO. That means if you want to play the game for free that you will be stuck with a single warframe for a very long time.

Really? 'cause I've played for 20 hours or so the game tells me and I've gotten 3 frames almost done. Mag, Ember, and Rhino... I just need Excalibur Helm for a 4th. I might be lucky, but I didn't have to "farm" much. Just play casually and you'll get these things as you play. I actually enjoyed running Jakal 4-5 times because it provided a challenge and gave me the needed xp for the other planets.

I get that the game needs some grind b/c it's an F2P and to try and encourage people to pay. However, too much grind and you just turn people away. IMO, Warframe has a bit too much grind, especially when it comes to making a new frame. Fortunately beyond that they do have the F2P model down well. You're not really punished for being a free player in anyway and you can be just as effective as a paying player. The process for building frames is just a bit much especially if you end up in a situation like the OP and don't like your starting frame. I'm not saying you need to be able to get all the frames super-quick, but the current grind is too much. Just make it so that you have to buy the blueprint or heck a bundle of blueprints, but let's not overdo the farming eh?

See above response.

Also, two more cents, I strongly dislike the whole buying slots thing. I don't get why some F2P games do this. MWO does this, and personally I don't care much for MWO (for other reasons besides), which is sad as an old MW fan. Anyway, I don't have to buy "barracks" for my League of Legends champs and that game makes plenty of money, I see no reason to have to buy slots to have more warframes.

I was given I believe 75 plat free I'm assuming due to the fact we're in closed beta and it's a little incentive to buy some things from the shop, but I digress, even if you had to buy plat for slots, we're talking you pay $5 and get if I recall 75 plat. If memory serves me it is 30 plat for a warframe slot, and 12? for weapon slot. It's not bad at all in my opinion.

[Xanoth]

Really? 'cause I've played for 20 hours or so the game tells me and I've gotten 3 frames almost done. Mag, Ember, and Rhino... I just need Excalibur Helm for a 4th. I might be lucky, but I didn't have to "farm" much. Just play casually and you'll get these things as you play. I actually enjoyed running Jakal 4-5 times because it provided a challenge and gave me the needed xp for the other planets.

My issue was always about how players start, not about what is achieveable after 20-30 hours of playing.

Honestly how quickly you can get a second or 3rd warframe doesn't seem that bad, although my luck is certainly worse than yours, at rank 21 I've yet to get a single peice although I've got enough credits to buy several blueprints, and I've actually checked where the warframe components drop and have ran those missions several times with 0 drops at all beyond regular mods. But this is beside the point really.

Again my issues are:

* Clicking once on a selction to be perminantly stuck with a choice is bad design, I hope at the very least the developers change this and add a confirmation box.

* Making an informed choice about which warframe you want to start with is a bit difficult from just a short bit of text and with no hands on experience (A test drive for each warframe would be ideal).

If these two issues are at least somewhat addressed, I think the starting experience would be a lot more satisfying and less frustrating for a sizable percentage of new players.

As an aside, I also think loki could do with at least one universally useful power or some tweaks to the existing ones to make them more reliable (Disarm against infected, decoy getting ignored, teleport being... and invis rarely being that great unless you want to skip stuff... yes they all can be useful/powerful in many circumstance, maybe more so in late game, but I generally find you can go a whole mission never using a power and not feel like you missed anything during some missions, especially in a group).

[Xanoth]

I was given I believe 75 plat free I'm assuming due to the fact we're in closed beta and it's a little incentive to buy some things from the shop, but I digress, even if you had to buy plat for slots, we're talking you pay $5 and get if I recall 75 plat. If memory serves me it is 30 plat for a warframe slot, and 12? for weapon slot. It's not bad at all in my opinion.

I was given 50, I spent 20 upgrading Loki, because it seemed like I would need to in order to farm for blueprint component drops in the rank 20+ missions. Prices don't seem too bad, especially if you get the $50 onwards founder packages which are very rewarding with regards to plat. I'm digressing in my own thread here, but my personal feelings towards how free to play should work is that cash only items/services should be cosmetic or short cuts. Let those without the money or desire to spend money get those things but taking longer (not stupidly longer). Add more skins, maybe some effects or mods that have a mostly cosmetic value, etc. I just think the end result is more inclusive and without any financial loss to the company, many many people are happy to pay to look good or to get it NOW, without the need to force everyone to get things that way (inventory space etc). Mostly the cash shop works like I mention, but one or two things with regards to warframe slots etc imo should also be craftable or attainable from high end bosses somehow.