A Couple Of Suggestions

[Ralmstein]

General Gameplay Systems

#1

Lobby System

The current system for Warframe enables you to see squads (sometimes) that

are active and where they are (again sometimes). The friends list is a great feature, but outside of that it's

hard to meet up with anyone of similiar interests without browsing through the forums for a couple of hours.

A lobby system seems the best way to handle this issue especially considering that this is supposed

to be a social/co-op killing game. It would also be a great way to add in lore

The lore aspect:

When it comes to the lore you could instantly use the Orokin towers as meeting

places for the Tenno. You can explore the station, find various monuments or maybe ancient technologies with descriptions of these things. You could see the old labs where warframes were constructed

and read old archives on lore. This could also be a great way for players to buy a living space

in the tower which they can decorate with their honors/awards. Also could have different types

of living space and the higher up portions of the tower only become unlocked as you further prove

yourself. (ie. There's a floor for Initiates, disciples, novices, seekers, hunters, all seperate but the

Tenno from higher levels can visit levels below their own.)

What it improves:

A lobby system would definitley improve player interaction and enable much more efficient creation of Clans/Squads/Friends, over-all making the social aspect much better in the game than it currently is. It would vastly improve the issue people have with finding a squad by looking around the map trying to find one and especially when that group may have a different goal in mind than your own.

#2

Clan Bases/Wars/Academies

With the arrival of so many Tenno (which from my understanding are human) there is

no doubt they would have conflictions about what to do next to fix their broken lands.

There should be some sort of war system for clans (I realize this involves PvP, which is far off the devs radars). However this is not imediate and it is self-explanatory so I will move on to other suggestions in this topic.

As for Bases/Academies, I always felt the Tenno now have very limited resources and areas

to keep themselves safe. This would add to lore and fit in with the lore since the galaxy is so hostile.

The Tenno need to sleep, eat, manage equipment, and overall train themselves for new battles.

It would be cool to have a "base" that clans could hang out at, talk to one another, ect.

The academy part is a little different. Since there will always be new players coming in with a growing base of higher level players it will be hard for new people to catch up. I think establishing an "academy" system for clans would be great, it would be a place where clan memebers could help train new memebers and get their weapons and warframes leveled up a bit before being thrown out there.

#3

Defend the Orokin Towers

We have missions where you find important Orokin data, artifacts. However as much as the towers are mentioned, and how a few have been over taken by opposing forces, there seems to be no missions to take back towers. These towers are a great oppertunity in the lore to create an incredibly dynamic solar system where players actively take missions inside of them (in varying parts, I imagine these towers to be massive) and collectively battle for control over it from enemies. When towers have been retaken there could then be "Defense" missions where each squad is assigned a particular zone in the ship to defend. I hope these are incredibly hard so that failing a mission will cause the enemies to dig deeper, and force the Tenno to work harder before they over-take the tower.

There could also be special bonuses for capturing a tower for all players, and a specific bonus to the clan that converted the final zone (if any clan memebers were involved).

#4

Warframe Synthesis

Honestly I cannot believe I am suggesting this but here we go. This idea came to mind when I saw that one of the frames that the devs made came from the community. I was shocked, honestly I have never seen that happen in a game (at least not since the days of Asheron's Call). I think a "hidden" warframes would be a cool concept, one you could only create via synthesis of other warframes. Obviously this is so theoretical there isn't much else I can say on it, as there are no combination/synthesis systems currently in warframe, and I doubt there ever will be. Still I put this up in hopes, yet just another suggestion.

Combat

#1

Grabs/Throws/Blocks/Counters/Combos/Kill-Strikes/Co-op Attacks

I've seen a lot of people discuss several of these ideas, but never all together. I understand animations and mechanics that are needed for this to happen are a massive task. That being said the wall-run system came in an update where you guys also created 2 whole new warframes and an entire new map set along with 2 new stages. It's not a far-fetched idea that this could be lumped in with another big over-haul in the next update.

I'll dicuss the more complicated aspects in this topic, then move on to the more complicated features.

Grabs/Throws/Blocks

Out of all the listed suggestions, these are the easiest for most people to get the hang of (when I think of other games that have them). All of these are a MUST for warframe, whether it be the next update or later down the road these melee features need to be there. You cannot have a fast paced melee system with horde's of enemies without have some way to throw them off you, grab them and snap an arm, or simply block when you get up close.

In a group currently melee is easy, you have plenty of cover fire. However this game is as much about group effort as it is about individual skill and currently melee is the absolute weakest and most inneficient of the ways you can attack (powers/guns being the other 2).

Melee should be very efficient in taking down an enemy or two, yet it is not and that upsets me. Time and time again I'll just have to resort to my gun or powers to clear a room, and that is not being a "Ninja". Yes powers are boss, yes guns are sick and fun, but you take the uniqueness this game is supposed to have when you discount the melee system.

A simple addition of these three fighting elements will erase MOST of those problems, however the next few melee sections are required to get rid of the rest.

Counters/Combos

I would lump this with the above section, personally I feel they are just as important to be added before release; however, these are the harder melee systems to implement. Why? Well they are usually complex to pull off, and hard to balance so they dont ruin gameplay (especially for PvP).

That being said, combos and counter-attack is in serious need of implementation. The reason being is because they are ESSENTIAL for having a flowing fast-paced ninja like combat system like the devs have claimed they want to create. Without these two systems that will never happen. Granted grabs/throws/blocks will provide some better speed, but almost no flow. These two will provide FLOW & SPEED.

Killstrikes/Co-Op Attacks

Consider this the "Fluff" section. Again I am biased, so I feel they are nessecary. So I will explain both sides on this one so you can decide for yourself.

Why we need them:

Killstrikes enable you an extra amount of varied movement, which opens up strategies to take on opponents. The enable new uniqueness to be added to warframes/weapons, and possible opponents (who would have different animations). Lastly they make you feel like a @(*()$ badass.

If you do add killstrikes, please dont just make a backstab and a chest stab... make several different ones so we dont get bored of them.

Co-Op Attacks are great for social situations as well as making a new way to take down a boss or group of enemies or maybe a single weak enemy because you feel like raging. These have a need simply because of the extra bond that is added between players when having a system like this. It takes away a lot of individuality in key moments and turns it into true teamwork.

Plus you can have the aspect where combining powers with other warframes to create devastating effects!

Why we don't need them:

Killstrikes, as much as people will say otherwise, are not needed for stealth, melee, or any other feature. As long as the stealth system is handled properly to allow simple attacks to efficiently take down a room of enemies, this can be forgotten. That also closes the arguement for melee since you have flow in combat with adding everything in this topic (minus killstrikes/co-op attacks).

Co-Op attacks are not needed simply because there will be plenty of otherways to take down bosses, and without them the game really doesn't suffer it only looses out on potential.

#2

Enviromental Interaction

We've all tried it, lining up the enemy with an explosive barrel, or maybe shooting out the glass and somehow making it through the door to let them suffocate. Sometimes you get it, most times it's just not possible and especially with higher level enemies it takes a while for them to die.

Env. Interaction is actually at a good point, for now, but in the future it simply wont do. I'm not going to spend a terrible large amount of time on this topic as it's not incredibly essential, yet it does count enough that it warrents a few suggestions on the current model. Potential can be gained here.

The zipline is by far my favourite enviromental addition, more then the depressurizing rooms, or exploding barrels. Zipline baby. It is because it single handedly brings up twice the amount of options the players have then they did before, especially during long range fights. However I was dissapointed (especially in the new grineer maps) that the devs haven't added a climbing or gripping system. Pretty much the ability to hold on to rails, the posibilities for this are absolutly endless (hiding, pulling enemies off the ledge, sneak attack on the ledge, getting to hard spots, ect.)

There also should be more objects in place in which the player can alter. Shooting out lights, pushing over a stack of boxes ontop of enemies, maybe even hacking to lock out certain areas of the ship or take over the security systems. Again.. endless posibilities, which is why I stop here with this section.

Miscellaneous Suggestions (Yet to come.)

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I just want to say your forum post editor absolutley sucks and it is the most irritating thing I have ever used. Sends you to the bottom of whatever you are editing when you paste anything in. Currently I cannot even backspace without it sending it to the start of a paragraph and deleting from there, obviously not deleting what I wanted it to. No colors to work with, no tab/indentation, no font sizes/styles/spacing. I've about had it with the way these forums are designed please fix it. Even to my best attempts this is a massive wall of text and is an eyesore to read.

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Edited February 10, 2013 by Ralmstein

[Zakalwe]

Pretty much all of this has been suggested/discussed before. Not trying to belittle your feedback, just pointing out a lot of us are on the same page. :)

Take a look at the Dev's FAQ, it'll let you know about some of their focus. Things like clan contest within the pve framework, and improvements to the melee system are all on the cards.

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Not sure killstreaks are required, that mechanic is a little overdone. I'm hoping the devs can invent something a little fresher for Warframe instead of emulating Cod.

The rest are nice, sensible suggestions, though.

[Ralmstein]

Pretty much all of this has been suggested/discussed before. Not trying to belittle your feedback, just pointing out a lot of us are on the same page. :)

Take a look at the Dev's FAQ, it'll let you know about some of their focus. Things like clan contest within the pve framework, and improvements to the melee system are all on the cards.

-

Not sure killstreaks are required, that mechanic is a little overdone. I'm hoping the devs can invent something a little fresher for Warframe instead of emulating Cod.

The rest are nice, sensible suggestions, though.

I did read the FAQs and most of what I stated is mentioned but not at all expanded upon I put these ideas hopefully to expand on them.

People have talked about more melee or clan bases and many things but not really gone into depth. I reviewed the FAQ a lot to see if anything I suggested was already hit upon. Yes the devs have spoken about expanded melee but I haven't seen anyone describe why throws grabs counters and the like wont hinder gameplay speed since that is one thing the devs wanna hear "faster ninjas only" so I did my best to explain how that is possible.

Lobby system while there are threads on them people seriously forget the need to explain what is being looked for and why it could be beneficial. I have read many threads on them and most dont go beyond "hey lets be social!". There are many more applications than just social in that idea.

And I never suggested kill streaks I suggested kill strikes. As in 1 hit kills.

:3

Edited February 10, 2013 by Ralmstein