Warframe

[ADL]

Duviri Paradox coming April 2023. Interestingly new players will have the choice between starting Warframe traditionally or in the Duviri Paradox as the drifter.

tl;dw summary

 

[Turjan]

Turns out that all the leaks we got were right. Items we were supposed to get with Hildryn Prime were spot on, and also those 30 Incarnon modes for old and currently obsolete weapons will be there.
The warframe missions you get with Duviri Paradox will be the same as always, just in rotation, which also resembles some existing modes like invasions or sorties.
At least, the announcement looked slightly more interesting than I expected. I wonder whether new players will have a much quicker start when they choose to start with Duviri.

Anyway, I'll see that I get the New War and the following quests done until this drops.

 

[Caim]

Halfway through Phobos now. Did Heart of Deimos and the quest for the Corpus guy.

I've started to notice that the story beats so far have been largely underwhelming. For the Corpus guy there was a big buildup in his ship and I got... a big golden hand. Like I've seen dozens of times on Corpus ships either by themselves or on statues. This quest chain also made it so that the Corpus treasurers actually drop their coins that they're talking about, which wouldn't be bad if A: I haven't taken down at least a dozen of the guys so far and B: the other golden hands and captured Solarans have been appearing all the time. Also there's way more stuff to use the coins on that the number of coins I actually get, maybe this will get better.

Deimos was a funky place, and when I got to the Orokin tower there was a big reveal... except I think that it was supposed to be one, with the reveal that there's still living Orokin in that tower. Except they've been vored from the ass down by the Infection and now they're Dark Souls bosses you don't actually fight. I expected my first meeting with the Orokin would have a bit more... gravitas. These are the people that used to run the solar system, made the Tenno and the other factions, were overthrown for their cruelty and... they're just kinda here now, even though this family didn't really partake in the atrocities.

In both cases I'm pretty sure that both of these things were added to the game at a later date, but it'd be nice if there was some sort of chronological order to them so that the first time the Orokin actually appeared there'd be some actual buildup. Now it's just that they keep being talked about to "oh right here's a family of them". I also feel this in the mechanics: the coins stuff feels like it's been added on to make the Corpus ships more interesting, and Necramechs are an obvious addition as well. Then again, the same goes for the Railjack, Archwing, your bat-dog companion, your robot companion and a whole lotta other things. Then again, Warframe is nearly a decade old now so bloat is to be expected. Just wish it was clearer when to do the quests.

 

[Turjan]

These are the people that used to run the solar system, made the Tenno and the other factions, were overthrown for their cruelty and... they're just kinda here now, even though this family didn't really partake in the atrocities.

"Mother's" father played a more important role in history. I don't remember whether it's already mentioned in that quest.

In both cases I'm pretty sure that both of these things were added to the game at a later date, but it'd be nice if there was some sort of chronological order to them so that the first time the Orokin actually appeared there'd be some actual buildup.

I guess they wanted to give newer players early access to Deimos. As far as chronology goes, this is listed as the 14th main quest, which means you should have finished stuff like the Second Dream, The War Within or The Sacrifice before you get to this. But sure, that's not what happens for most players, which results in your experience.

I also feel this in the mechanics: the coins stuff feels like it's been added on to make the Corpus ships more interesting, and Necramechs are an obvious addition as well.

The coin stuff and the associated side quest (Deadlock Protocol) basically exist for one of their frame releases. Similar to Voruna or Citrine, this is the farm for Protea, the Stropha or the Stahlta. Freeing prisoners is just another way to get Solaris United standing. I only used that to get some points in order to be able to buy the mining drill you get in Fortuna when I had zero standing there, and it's not worth it otherwise. Parvus Granum will also serve as anchor for the farm of his "sisters" and their weapons and hounds.

Necramechs are some kind of gimmick. Some people find them incredibly fun, but the power creep has already taken their edge away. The weapon that comes with them will come handy for space stuff though. Anyway, having a necramech and a railjack are hard requirements for starting the New War quest, although - as far as I heard - both items don't get more than some short, token use during that quest, which left many people with a sour aftertaste. Well, I've had a railjack for quite some time now, and my necramech is finally building, so I hope I'm ready soon. There's also a specific weapon I should build, which requires some special farming in the Plains of Eidolon to be constructed. Meh, it's a big gear check that, ultimately, doesn't get used.

In the end, you will always get reminded that this is just an item collection game at its heart.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

gotta give it to DE, it's not easy for the tenth year in a row to still have no clue on what actually made their game famous.

 

[Caim]

Currently helping a girl recover from extensive brain damage by doing sick skateboarding tricks.

The fuck is this game.

 

[Turjan]

Currently helping a girl recover from extensive brain damage by doing sick skateboarding tricks.

The fuck is this game.

Yeah, the typical forced urgency that doesn't make sense when it comes to the stuff you are actually supposed to do. This quest is a somewhat contrived way of getting the blueprint for the Yareli frame. And it's about forcing you to use a K-drive, an item that was already obsolete when it was introduced, except for the short time you are grinding for the materials for the Archwing Launcher segment. As Orb Vallis is the largest open world, it's the place where you really want to have access to your archwing, not a "skateboard".

I haven't done the quest yet, as Yareli is based all around a K-drive you can use everywhere as a central mechanic, and K-drives suck on many tile sets. Yareli, fighting doors all over the Origin system since July 2021.


As for my game, I'm finally making some space in the inventory. First in, first out.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

Yareli is based all around a K-drive you can use everywhere as a central mechanic

apparently, they sold a yareli-specific gun which, to no one's surprise, couldn't be used while on the skateboard.

 

[Caim]

Built myself a Rhino after being blessed by RNGsus and only had to do the boss three times.

Tried its first ability at level 0.

Launched the target into the sky, sending it flying over the map and over the edge to its doom.

This is going to be fun.

 

[Turjan]

Rhino is still a great frame. Even if he's not the current "meta", his Prime version is still #11 in the usage rates. Iron Skin is great for low to mid levels, and Roar is one of the best damage boosts in the game. Energy is a bit of an issue early on though.

 

[Caim]

Yeah, I got only one mod for my energy needs but it's flawed so I'm not going to put a lot of upgrades into it. I do have an upgraded mod for like 30% effectiveness increase, which is nice but I am still limited to something like half a dozen uses at most. And that's discounting those infected assholes who can suck the energy right out of you.

And I'm still in the early game (about to hit Jupiter), so I don't really care about the meta. I'm just here to bull charge my enemies into a different tileset with the press of a button.

 

[Turjan]

And I'm still in the early game (about to hit Jupiter), so I don't really care about the meta.

I know. Just saying that Rhino doesn't either. He's still good for the Star Chart and beyond.

 

[Lhynn]

Rhino is still a great frame. Even if he's not the current "meta", his Prime version is still #11 in the usage rates. Iron Skin is great for low to mid levels, and Roar is one of the best damage boosts in the game. Energy is a bit of an issue early on though.

Rhino is bestframe. You stomp and even time stops, you charge and everything flies, you shout and everything melts.

Take it to its limits and ironskin lets you easily survive even in the hardest missions.

 

[Sykar]

Rhino is great and I say that as a Nova aficionado.

 

[Turjan]

Rhino is great and I say that as a Nova aficionado.

Both frames are on the list where I would actually put some effort into getting the primed versions if their relics became available.

As far as Prime Resurgence goes, I skipped last month (Vauban and Atlas), and from this month, I only need Limbo, which isn't exactly a priority, either. Funny that Mesa Prime parts always dropped even when she was vaulted, which is the reason why I already had her.

 

[Ryzer]

gotta give it to DE, it's not easy for the tenth year in a row to still have no clue on what actually made their game famous.

Tbh, I still have no clue what make this game famous considering it's boring as hell. The game is mostly a rush to finish unappealing missions to unlock stuff.

 

[Reever]

gotta give it to DE, it's not easy for the tenth year in a row to still have no clue on what actually made their game famous.

Tbh, I still have no clue what make this game famous considering it's boring as hell. The game is mostly a rush to finish unappealing missions to unlock stuff.

The combat and movement are fun and the primate part of the brain gets stimulated by rewards after mindless grinds.
Not fun enough for me to engage into all the late-game garbage grinds that they've put in but at least I understand the appeal.

 

[Lhynn]

Game went to absolute shit years ago. The only truly good content is the old content.

 

[Sykar]

What was different about the old content? Grinding was not any better back then.

 

[Caim]

What was different about the old content? Grinding was not any better back then.

Dunno if it's old or new content, but after doing some missions on Fortuna I get to go to the guy who had all of his flesh repo'd by the Corpus and buy robotic battle chickens off of him, but I need to grind minerals to actually build them. That sounds like a bit of a grind, and I'm not sure if I can get them to scan my targets for me.

 

[Turjan]

Forget about the MOA's at the moment. Or forever.
If you want to get stuff scanned, build the Helios sentinel. You get that blueprint from your clan's dojo.
In principle, the only pets that are worth it are Helios (and only as long as you still need stuff scanned), the Panzer Vulpaphyla (from Deimos), or a Smeeta Kavat (a pain to get; if you ever do the Sands of Inaros quest, that's your best shot). There are a few others with special uses, but most are just mastery fodder.

 

[Turjan]

What was different about the old content? Grinding was not any better back then.

From what I heard, many grinds were even worse. However, if I see some of the older maps with all their hidden rooms and multiple levels you can climb, like the Grineer shipyard tileset, I'm reminded that movement in this game had been much different in former times. And I'm not sure whether adapting the maps to the new movement made things better. The new Corpus tileset looks great in some ways, but when I first got to Jupiter with an Excalibur and no movement mods like Mobilize, it was just pain. Or the sheer distance padding for the Raptors boss fight (where you get Nova).

 

[Turjan]

Also, Warframe seems to be dangerous to your state of mind...

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

before the advent of open maps, grind has never been a real issue. there were many more nodes to unlock, and by the time you moved through a couple planets you already had enough to build a frame and some weapons, then you went to your favourite mission to get some xp for the new stuff you just built and voilà you already had the materials for the next stuff to build. it might had felt like a grind for the first week or two, then you were already showering in materials.
warframe truly nosedove with the first open map, which pretty much no one asked for.

 

[Turjan]

Hmm, I can see where that comes from. The first time I found the grind really unfair was when I was told I needed to construct an Archwing Launcher Segment in order to be able to construct an Archwing Launcher. That Archwing Launcher Segment didn't only need 50 Iradite and Grokdul, but 1200 Oxium. There aren't exactly many places where you can farm Oxium in any meaningful way. The first frames that felt unfair were the two Chinese ones of those 5(¾) you get at the dojo, which, for whatever reason, needed ten times the plastids compared to the others.

On the other hand, I cringed when I saw how much cryotic some of those old garbage weapons need to be built. I was told that the reason for this was that there were that few mission types in the earlier game that everyone was doing excavations all the time and was swimming in cryotic. Took me a while to get that Kraken out of my inventory in order to build the Kulstar (4800 cryotic and 3600 plastids), and that for a weapon that's still rotting in the foundry.