Welcome Back to Warframe

It's been awhile Tenno!!! I haven't posted a blog topic in a long time. But, I was prompted to do so by an article that was discussing whether or not Warframe is better than Destiny. I won't touch that topic at all in this blog. What I WILL do is explain the myriad of changes that the game has undergone since the beginning. It really IS quite a different game.

For those that don't know Warframe is a game about controlling space ninja suits. You play as the last of the Tenno, a long lost race of beings that once ruled the universe. Your fight is to restore balance by fighting the Grineer (organically based faction), the Corpus (more robotic troops controlled by corporations), and the Infested (former Corpus and Grineer that have been mutated by a plague). Your tools for the dispatching of these factions include primary weapons (sniper, assault rifles, shotguns, launchers), secondary weapons (pistols, throwing stars/knives, hand shotguns, beam weapons, etc.), and melee weapons (daggers, swords, staves, pole-arms, hammers, axes, etc.) Mind you, it's a free-to-play game. (yeah, the dirty word!!!) But, the economy is set up so that little to no money is actually NECESSARY...if you have patience. Plus, in game Platinum (the currency that costs) can be earned by trading rare mods, keys, warframe parts, etc.

Okay...enough of the intro. What has changed you might ask??? Well, EVERYTHING!!!

The crux of the game is still the same. But, there HAVE been a ton of tweaks, reworks, and changes that have truly turned this game into a different experience.

Damage 2.0---This was a rework of the damage system that created a variety of ways to damage enemies. Certain enemies became vulnerable to certain damage types. This was augmented by warframe ability buffs, critical modifiers, faction modifiers, and even body part modifiers.

Melee 2.0---This pretty much revolutionized the way melee weapons are used in the game. Specific stance mods provided actual combos for attacks with melee weapons. It also provided for the more adventurous Tenno to go completely melee only!!!

Parkour 2.0---Space ninjas become more nimble with Parkour 2.0. Not only that, but it becomes easier to vault to the higher areas of maps (gotta get those secret rooms), stick to walls and attack from walls, or just slow-mo fly over the combat. Add to this, they have included a new Excilus slot that takes specific mods that will augment these abilities. You can vault and do damage!!! (fire, toxic, ice, etc.) Not only does this add mobility, but it just makes for some really cool and entertaining set pieces.

Mission 2.0---One complaint about Warframe has been that missions were tedious. So, DE went to the drawing board and created new ones. Spy missions have been added for those that love stealth. Sneak into an area and steal data on computers. It's like solving a puzzle, while being stealthy, while trying not to alert the entire area. Excavation is more like classic defense. Only, you have to defend excavators as they dig for valuable resources. Hijack missions have been added. Simply board the tram that runs on shields and fend off the on-rails ride through the level. It sounds easy, but it can get really hairy! Interception missions have been added. These are defense missions where you must capture and contain nodes while the factions attempt to overtake them.

Archwings---Archwings are what happens when Warframes and Mechs combine. They have their own abilities, their own primary and melee weapons, and their own mission types. A variant of the Archwing, on Uranus, actually allows these to become submersibles. Yes...underwater Mechs!!!

Kubros---Kubros have become all the rage in Warframe. These are basically dog-like companions that you can raise to become allies on the battlefield. There are different types that each have abilities that can aid you while you take the fight to the enemy. Some might cloak you. Others might disarm the enemy. While another might just open loot crates that couldn't be opened before. They are a fun little distraction and can actually be quite lucrative. Breeding of Kubros is a thing! Rare breed imprints, which is what you use to breed, can go for as much as $200 in real money...maybe more!!!

Syndicates---Syndicates are factions that you can opt to join. Joining a syndicate and running with their specific emblem will allow you to gain levels within that syndicate. Gaining levels will provide you with rewards ranging from spectres and health restore blueprints to the NEW augment mods and faction specific weapons. (yet another way to make money in the game via trade) Beware, though, that as you level up a syndicate you also enrage it's rival. Get them mad enough and they will send out special forces to try and take you out (randomly) during missions.

These are the MAJOR changes to the game. However, there are some minor tweaks as well. The solar map has changed and is much easier to navigate. Gone is the dot-to-dot UI. Replacing it is a circular map of the solar system. Each planet can then be selected and the mission therein are represented as rings around the planet. There are more advanced tutorials for EVERYTHING. This means that beginners won't be quite as lost as in the past (though auto modding still sucks!!!) DE has now began to focus on creating warframes with more utility. Before, each one pretty much had a focus. You were either a tank, crowd control, or healer. Now, they have started to create frames with creative balance in mind. Limbo, though more crowd controlling, can still provide energy for team members. Chroma can be amazing as a tank while also controlling crowds. The new Equinox frame can either damage or provide health depending on which form you use. (Mend or Mame is the name of the specific power) Plus, they are now deciding that even older frames didn't quite do it for them. Excalibur has had a complete rework turning him from average into an instant badass. There are more consequences for just killing everyone. The Stalker used to be the only random mini-boss that would show up. Now, you add Zanuka, the G3, and syndicate forces to the random encounters in Warframe. Finally, the game just looks and runs better (for the most part). More effects have been added to the frames, lighting, animations in tile sets, etc.

The future of Warframe looks bright. There are upcoming additions that will add 2 new frames...one based on Atlus and one based on Wukong (Chinese monkey god). They are currently deciding how to handle a new damage mod to change how the current one works. They are even talking about...exploding the Void!!! (or moving it somewhere else???)

DE (Digital Extremes), the developers of Warframe, have done an amazing job of listening to their community. Some of these changes have been simply planned. Others have been completely driven by the community itself. Either way, they listen and they care about the universe of Warframe. If you haven't ever played it, I'd suggest you give it a go. If you haven't played it since the PS4 released, I'd suggest you try it again. It's a really fun game with a great community of gamers. It provides a lot of challenge and fun with a very low barrier of entry (FOR FREEEE!!! LOL) If you are willing to be patient, you can spend nothing and have a ton of fun. However, spend about $20 and focus solely on getting frame slots, obtaining catalysts and reactors (to extend the mod capabilities of frames and weapons) and you can last in Warframe for a year. (as long as you don't want to LOOK like every other Tenno out there...that will cost ya!)

Hope that this helped those that cared. See you on the battlefield Tenno!!!