Feedback: Frost's Snowglobe is the best ability DE has designed so far. (Whoa!)

[Ced23Ric]

Oh hai! ~a lolcat shakes a snowglobe, eyeballing a frozen fish inside.~

I'll run the door right in and cut to the chase, with the fish on the table before we gut it.

Snowglobe is the best ability Digital Extremes has designed for Warframe thus far. It has utility unreached by any other ability. Allow me to explain.

What it do:

• 50 Energy.
• Creates a translucent globe around you.
• The globe cannot be shot into, only out of.
• The globe slows all enemies inside.
• Lasts a few seconds.

What it's able to:

• It gives you breathing room, takes the heat out of iffy situations. Pun intended.
• It protects not just you, but your entire team.
• It slows down horrible melee enemies, like the new Chargers.
• It can protect the Cryopod. Both they are both cool. Pun intended.
• It can cover retreats.
• It can wedge into the thickest firefight to advance.
• It can clutch hairy situations like no other ability.
• It can cover revives.
• It can look pretty.
• It's affordable enough to build around, expensive enough to not be spammed.
• It works in every situation, from trash mobs to boss fights.
• It's such a
  for enemies in slow motion.

Snowglobe has single-handedly made Frost my new favourite frame. It's the key to any door, breaks any difficulty down when I need it - and the beauty of it is, it does not kill. It does not need to. It's power transcends Overload, Crush, Stomp, Javelins, Bladestorm - all of them can't hold a candle to Snowglobe. It's already awesome in soloplay, but in group play, it's beast.

My buddies know, when the blizzard blows, hide inside the storm. When they see the globe is up, they know what home feels like. Inside the Snowglobe, we are gods, and all who dare to step into our realm will fall before our feet. I am madly in love with this ability.

Good, good, job, Digital Extremes. Tell your animators: Well done. It's pretty. Tell your class designers: Well done. It works like a charm. Tell your concepters: Well done. Snowglobe makes Frost argueably one of the best support frames ever.

And that's Snowglobe in a vacuum. If you add Freeze to temporarily silence remote enemies and Wave to AoE lined up enemies, it just gets better. Avalanche is meh, just another mass-stun-damage skill, but Snowglobe ... Snowglobe is my new god and I will be faithful.

Thank you.

But now that I know what you are capable off, I expect more like this. Teamworkable skills that are not based on damage, but utility. If you revist older frames, always look at Snowglobe. It should be your grand standard of ability design.

[Kyuzo]

now they're gonna nerf it because you're having to much fun.

[Ced23Ric]

now they're gonna nerf it because you're having to much fun.

And that is where your pessimism and my optimism collide. I am dead sure that Digital Extremes can discern between an overpowered ability (Old Overload, killing an entire level with one activation) and a beautifully designed ability.

[Kyuzo]

And that is where your pessimism and my optimism collide. I am dead sure that Digital Extremes can discern between an overpowered ability (Old Overload, killing an entire level with one activation) and a beautifully designed ability.

never said they'll nerf it because it's op... they gonna nerf it because you're having to much fun.

[Ced23Ric]

never said they'll nerf it because it's op... they gonna nerf it because you're having to much fun.

But Digital Extremes likes me. :(

[Kyuzo]

But Digital Extremes likes me. :(

well i thought the same but my rhino took an arrow to the knee :(

[Rcuya]

Snow Globe reminds me of a skill from something else I used to play. Nen Guard from DFO. It's pretty much the same thing, a big bubble that blocks things out and lets you shoot out. As long as you're inside it you don't take damage, even from enemies inside. Of course here they're just really slow but such a stark similarty to me. I love it though, Snow Globe really is a great ability, design and effects. Well done DE, well done.

[Freezern]

You are on the design council but chose to give feedback on the public forums?

Sounds to me like you said something a lot more important between the lines here, namely that the design council is not being listened to.

Feel free to verify, disprove or lie about this, it's a lot more interesting than your snowglobe gushing.

On the overt topic: Sounds like snowglobe should cost 75 energy instead of 50?

Edited February 1, 2013 by Freezern

[guymanbrodude]

Just had my first mission with Snow Globe. Used it, and it looked beautiful! Gave me more than enough time to kill what was inside and run out behind a corner to get my shields back up. Then I saw I still had 50 energy left and that the skill only costs 50 energy. Used it again just to look at it.

I absolutely have to agree with everything the OP said about this ability. Snow Globe is the perfect example of a powerful, balanced utility skill with so much potential. I love it!

[Windbow]

Great, now I'm all grean with envy. I was just being wishy-washy about buying Frost on plats... you guys are just making it harder for me to resist. I like snow globes. I could never resist shaking any I happen to pass by. Ahem. When I was a kid, that is! Honest! :P

Edited February 1, 2013 by Windbow

[SabreUr]

You are on the design council but chose to give feedback on the public forums?

Sounds to me like you said something a lot more important between the lines here, namely that the design council is not being listened to.

Feel free to verify, disprove or lie about this, it's a lot more interesting than your snowglobe gushing.

The difference between non-dc and dc forums is that we get some informations earlier and we can hint directions of some works.

Feedback of non-DC and DC players is equally valid. And I think that Cedric wanted to share his opinions with wide group of players ang get their opinions. Plus his post is kinda funny :]

[Windbow]

You are on the design council but chose to give feedback on the public forums?

Sounds to me like you said something a lot more important between the lines here, namely that the design council is not being listened to.

Feel free to verify, disprove or lie about this, it's a lot more interesting than your snowglobe gushing.

Au contraire, mon ami. DE takes the design council pretty seriously.

Ced23Ric just tends to share on the public forums for everyone. The silly lil' lolcat that he is... (love those subscript descriptions, dude!) :D

[Redler]

Now you make me want to play Frost. Too bad I got no access to the boss that drop his blueprint Orz

[Ced23Ric]

You are on the design council but chose to give feedback on the public forums?

Sounds to me like you said something a lot more important between the lines here, namely that the design council is not being listened to.

Feel free to verify, disprove or lie about this, it's a lot more interesting than your snowglobe gushing.

Design Council is, in the truest sense, a council. It is a congregation of supporters with the ability to vote on input. We are part of the design process. Internal design produces polls which we cast votes on and discuss. We are also the first to see new screenshots and teasers, which we discuss. Design Council can weigh in on a lot of things, but never unpolled. Our feedback does not exceed that of others. We are just the test audience, so to speak. To give an example, we have seen (and subsequently named) Nyx, and when she was presented, a flaw that was obvious to the Council, but not DE had been pointed out in the DC, was analysed and then fixed by DE, within three days, just before release.

Feedback, on the other hand, is a public endeavour. I am presenting my findings for all to see, because I am not above anyone else posting feedback. My "gushing" is rightfully deserved - it's a beautifully done ability. That is the core message. Design for utility, over raw killing power. Flexibility, adapability, reliability. If you cannot see/appreciate the beauty in such things, I hope it did not take too much time out of your day. The implied drama you seemingly spotted is nonexistant.

Edited February 1, 2013 by Ced23Ric

[neKroMancer]

Now you just make me want him even more.

Ability that support the team but doesn't kill is quite cool and hard to design. Snowglobe sounds like a pretty neat ability.

[Freezern]

Design Council is, in the truest sense, a council. It is a congregation of supporters with the ability to vote on input. We are part of the design process. Internal design produces polls which we cast votes on and discuss. We are also the first to see new screenshots and teasers, which we discuss. Design Council can weigh in on a lot of things, but never unpolled. Our feedback does not exceed that of others. We are just the test audience, so to speak. To give an example, we have seen (and subsequently named) Nyx, and when she was presented, a flaw that was obvious to the Council, but not DE had been pointed out in the DC, was analysed and then fixed by DE, within three days, just before release.

Feedback, on the other hand, is a public endeavour. I am presenting my findings for all to see, because I am not above anyone else posting feedback. My "gushing" is rightfully deserved - it's a beautifully done ability. That is the core message. Design for utility, over raw killing power. Flexibility, adapability, reliability. If you cannot see/appreciate the beauty in such things, I hope it did not take too much time out of your day. The implied drama you seemingly spotted is nonexistant.

I would like to thank every council member in this thread for responding to my dramastirring, it was truly enjoyable to get a better understanding of the workings of the council and to learn that you are indeed heard in it.

I didn't mean any offense, just found it strange that someone with a direct pipeline worth 100 dollars would risk their feedback getting buried in the spam of the masses.

Back to the topic at hand then.

It does sound good, but isn't it too good for 50 energy?

For example, Electric Shield only blocks one direction, has no timeslowing effect and you would need 4 Voltframes to properly encase the cryopod.

[Ced23Ric]

I didn't mean any offense, just found it strange that someone with a direct pipeline worth 100 dollars would risk their feedback getting buried in the spam of the masses.

None taken.

It does sound good, but isn't it too good for 50 energy? For example, Electric Shield only blocks one direction, has no timeslowing effect and you would need 4 Voltframes to properly encase the cryopod.

Valid example. I'd like to pony up from the other side: Electric Shield needs some love. It's hardly a usefull ability as it is right now. DE has shown they can pull it off, with Snowglobe. My praise is also putting spotlight on this - they have talented, smart designers. And I hope to see such a level of design beauty for the other frames/abilities aswell.

[Kyuzo]

nerf snowglobe brings to much joy! :P

[sambarpowder]

I find the 2 and the 4 a bit meh, though. They're the same old nukes all over. I think frost needs a mobility skill, like Freeze dash, Ice path, Cryo warp or w/e. He's almost a solo frame at the moment, he can't catch up like the Rhino with his charge.

[Kyuzo]

frost should be immune to the frozen elemental enviorment maps that you land on etc as embar should be immune to the fire coals on those random maps.

[Ced23Ric]

I find the 2 and the 4 a bit meh, though.

True. Those, I did not praise. Because those are not as awesome or usefull as Snowglobe.

He's almost a solo frame at the moment, he can't catch up like the Rhino with his charge.

Did you read what I wrote? Frost is a great teamplayer. If your buddies like to run away, cool. Running won't help them fighting dozens of Infested in bottleneck tunnels.

[TisEric]

well that does seem to be a lot of useful things for 1 , 50 energy ability to have.....

i would prefer all other abilities buffed to compinsate instead of nerfing. at the moment there are a few frames that their whole arsenal of abilities feels like you're throwing water balloons at a forest fire.

Edited February 1, 2013 by TisEric

[sambarpowder]

Did you read what I wrote? Frost is a great teamplayer. If your buddies like to run away, cool. Running won't help them fighting dozens of Infested in bottleneck tunnels.

Forgive me, I have no buddies. I normally play solo or with randoms, and the game is too easy for that to matter. People just don't die. It's the parts that don't involve fighting that I'm talking about, the long jogs across cavern floors and catwalks that other frames just sprint through.

The Rhino on the other hand is super mobile, and can get wherever the hell he wants.

In a slower paced, steady game, he feels much more useful, but that still doesn't take away the fact that his pace is glacial and you take longer than others to simply reach your objective.

[Windbow]

In a slower paced, steady game, he feels much more useful, but that still doesn't take away the fact that his pace is glacial and you take longer than others to simply reach your objective.

'glacial'? That's a good one! :D

Sorry, I've no experience with Frost. Is he really that slow? Even when running?

[sambarpowder]

He runs about half as fast as the lighter frames, it's more than noticeable and very annoying in squads.