[Focus and Melee Channeling Suggestion] Combinging two Mechanics into One, "The Awakening Plan" {From a Fan Concept}

[FoxFX]

INTRODUCTION AND THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH FOCUS AND CHANNELING

 

LINK TO THE FAN CONCEPT DETAILING AND EXPLAINING ALL ABOUT THE IDEA

 

CHANNELING

Melee Channeling as it is now has it uses as being a very suitable tool when it comes to survival. It should be safe to say that the presence of Life Strike has made Channeling viable. In appearance, Channeling also makes the Warframe visually powerful as it causes Warframes to glow in energy (and causes visual effects in certain Cosmetics).

On the downside, there is some aggravation that Channeling shares the same pool Warframes require for their Powers: Energy. There appears to be a greater incentive to use Warframe Powers in almost all situations rather than using Channeling. The effects of Channeling Mods, with the exception to an "unranked" Life Strike, are being criticized for the little reward they offer for the cost of Energy they require.

Below are a few Discussion Posts in the topic of Channeling Mods.

• 2016 Link Discussing Melee Channeling
• 2015 Link Discussing Life Strike and other Melee Channeling Issues
• 2017 Thread Discussing the Consistency of Channeling

 

FOCUS

Focus is an endgame mechanic that has solid potential. It has the potential to give some incentive to grind and obtain unique buffs in battle. Buffs such as invisibility, Energy Regeneration, and Instant-Revival have supported players against high-level challenges and missions.

There are various hiccups with the Focus System especially with the Focus Classes that are being most used. The recent Tennocon showed a graph of the most used Focus Trees being used by players (in order of most to least used: Naramon, Zenurik, Vazarin, Madurai, Unairu). For a long time, this record of the Focus Trees uses has barely changed and some may see the Naramon School to be almost exploitable with the invisibility effect. The cooldown for Focus is also a frustrating element to the Focus System.

 

THE IDEA FOR A SOLUTION

While this may not be a very wholesome logic: I feel that sometimes a game with fewer/simpler controls can sometimes make for a better and easier to play game especially if it has some high difficulty. Five months ago, I wrote a Fan Concept that was recognized in Prime Time #163 known as the AWAKENING MODE. It suggests a new idea for both the Focus System and Channeling by combining them into something new and simpler. In this thread, I would like to call this the Awakening Plan:

 

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THE AWAKENING PLAN

Quote

The Awakening Plan is the idea to combine both Focus and Channeling; meshing them together to form one simple mechanic. This mechanic allows players to enter a "Channeling" state which the Warframe is in a state of unleashing its true power. Think of this as how the Devil May Cry treats the "Devil Trigger" mechanic, how Kingdom Hearts 2 treated the "Forms," or any other action game that allowed the player to put a character into a temporary state of power to overcome stronger obstacles.

 

FEW DETAILS OF THIS AWAKENING PLAN {THE FAN CONCEPT THREAD HOLDS MORE IN-DEPTH INFORMATION BEHIND THIS}

• In general, this toggled Channeling State will no longer use Energy but this as the main pool for entering the Channeled State
• There will be no waiting to enter the Channeling State, but this also means entering the state with a low "Channeling Pool" means less time in the Channeling State since entering the Channeling State drains from the Channeling Pool
• This idea allows Channeling not only through Melee, but also through Primary/Secondary Weapons. There is of course some balance to this
• Before the Second Dream, the Channeling State offers a set buff which increases Melee Damage greatly, Gun Damage minimally, and other base buffs. The buffs given if a Warframe enters the Channeling State can be modified through Channeling Mods (in which they can be turned to Exilus Warframe Mods with similar but different effects to their Melee counterparts)
• Players that finish the Second Dream can access the Focus System which will instead UPGRADE the Channeling State further. If players want to use the "Focus Attack" from a Focus Tree (ex: Naramon's Mind Spike), they will need to charge their Channeling Pool to a certain threshold. Entering the Channeling State with that threshold met or exceeded will activate the Focus Attack

 

POSSIBLE BENEFITS NOTED FOR THIS IDEA

• A free input/button for Melee Combo
• Opening up possibility for Archwing Mode to use Focus (Which can come in handy if we battle Sentient in Archwing Missions)
• Inspires new line of Cosmetics that interact with the Channeling State (similar to how the Edo Prime Accessory Set does when Channeling)
• Opens up possibility for the Channeling State to contain a way to remove Sentient's Damage Reduction Buffs and disarm Kuva Guardians (a new option outside of using the Operator Mode)
• Creates a feel that Warframes have a hidden power, a trump card
• Less strain on the dependency of the Energy Pool, Channeling will have a separate pool

 

FORESEEN ISSUES WITH THIS IDEA

• Possible requires extensive time to implement and mesh these two mechanics to form a whole new one
• While a free input would be available in Melee combinations, it is tricky to see how Console Players would feel about this
• Will require balancing and reworking Channeling Mods as well as the rate which the Channeling Pool recharges (had an idea to allow the Focus Pickup increase the charge rate)
• Higher demand in cosmetics that would visually interact with the Channeling State

 

I was suggested to bring this idea over into Feedback to talk more on Channeling and Focus as it is now. Currently, there is a lot of attention to the Plains of Eidolon and the new changes to come for Operator Mode. This is indeed a promising idea to strengthen the Operator Mode, alas the impact that Focus has on WARFRAMES still leaves some room to look into.

Feel free to share your thoughts and testimonies. I hope this may inspire a new perspective in both mechanics.

 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by FoxFX

[FoxFX]

3 hours ago, BattleChief142 said:

Actually, I like your idea. They should test out a system like this and have a handful of like one thousand or so players test this and if they like it, then DE would work on it and make a full release. So this could have a lot of potential. 

Thanks for the feedback. This has been one of my longer and most thought out ideas I have had for the longest time. There has been many suggestions for Channeling and Focus, but I wanted to suggest an idea that would be carefully thought out and supported.

[Krion112]

I like the prospect of combining Focus and Channeling; not sure about the specific details, but it sounds like a solid concept.

A Suggestion: Perhaps the Focus could also be channeled into your current Warframe? Like, tapping whatever key would represent channeling would toggle channeling on your currently wielded weapon, but holding it would toggle it on your Warframe.

This immense buff provided could work in tandem, perhaps, with an energy economy and ability effectiveness rework to successfully scale back the viability of spamming powers, while maintaining a great deal of strength.

Either way, an interesting proposal.

[FoxFX]

11 hours ago, Krion112 said:

I like the prospect of combining Focus and Channeling; not sure about the specific details, but it sounds like a solid concept.

A Suggestion: Perhaps the Focus could also be channeled into your current Warframe? Like, tapping whatever key would represent channeling would toggle channeling on your currently wielded weapon, but holding it would toggle it on your Warframe.

This immense buff provided could work in tandem, perhaps, with an energy economy and ability effectiveness rework to successfully scale back the viability of spamming powers, while maintaining a great deal of strength.

Either way, an interesting proposal.

The details are better explained in the link provided in the OP. I think your suggestion of switching the Channeling target could be possible if there is a free input to do so.

[FoxFX]

Updated the OP with the Prime Time that gave a bit of background on the concept.

[Drejzer]

On 4.08.2017 at 4:41 AM, Krion112 said:

I like the prospect of combining Focus and Channeling; not sure about the specific details, but it sounds like a solid concept.

A Suggestion: Perhaps the Focus could also be channeled into your current Warframe? Like, tapping whatever key would represent channeling would toggle channeling on your currently wielded weapon, but holding it would toggle it on your Warframe.

This immense buff provided could work in tandem, perhaps, with an energy economy and ability effectiveness rework to successfully scale back the viability of spamming powers, while maintaining a great deal of strength.

Either way, an interesting proposal.

From what I understand of this concept it is somewhat like DT from Devil May Cry (as in nice visual effects, minor buffs to melee and maybe also primary and secondary and utility perks from current Focus, that are toggle-able after filling up a meter/having enough Transference energy stored up)

[FoxFX]

What are your thoughts on what will be the new Focus System after the latest Devstream?

[FoxFX]

At any rate, I am glad this concept went as far as it did. I will still pursue a solution to work in a better Melee Channeling Concept.