Warframe is a massive multiplayer looter-shooter that averages dozens of thousands of consecutive players daily. However, this video game is notoriously hard to get into. Many updates have focused on improving the new player experience, but most first-time players still drop it after a couple of days. Others get addicted to the game, and the next thing they know, they’ve spent 30 hours on Warframe with no end in sight. So what sets these two groups apart?
Why Most New Players Struggle
As stated above, numerous updates added to the game have enhanced, or even overhauled, the new player experience. It has become a bit of a meme in the community that the new player experience is notoriously bad and hard to understand. Some new players pick up the game right away, but others struggle to figure out what their goals are and what the next step should be. It doesn’t help that very few mechanics are explained outright. Warframe is, currently, one of those games that you need a Wiki page open to play. Although Digital Extremes (DE) has implemented many changes to make the new player experience more streamlined, it still is not enough.
Tutorial and First Steps
The tutorial lasts until the completion of the first quest, ‘Vor’s Prize’, which is the quest you’re plopped into at the very start of Warframe. In this quest, you choose your starter Warframe, meet new characters, and are introduced to key systems like modding, the foundry, and parkour. After this quest is officially completed, the game allows you to move in whichever direction you desire. However, this is the new player killer, as most new players don’t know what direction they can and should go in. During ‘Vor’s Prize’, the player will be tasked with choosing a Warframe and three weapons. This choice is not permanent.
There are many different weapons and Warframes to choose from. One of Warframe‘s most alluring features is the vast amount of customization available to the player. Reading through the Codex, the table on the left side of your Navigation room in your Orbiter, will offer further insight into mission types, modding, and even parkour guides. The Codex serves as an in-game Wiki, and you will want to return to it often. It is advised to look through the Codex to familiarize yourself with the systems of Warframe. Although this feature can be helpful, it still doesn’t encapsulate everything new players need to know.
Crafting And Leveling
Crafting is a feature unlocked during the events of the ‘Vor’s Prize’ quest. You can access crafting through the Foundry found in the second story of your ship or by simply fast-traveling to it through the Escape menu. Crafting is how you obtain most items in the game and is arguably the most important aspect of progression. In Warframe, every weapon and Warframe can reach level 30, with few exceptions reaching level 40. You level up your gear by playing missions and killing enemies. Doing this grants you Affinity, which is this game’s Experience system. Never sell an item before it reaches its max level as this will save you hassle in the future.
When leveling up a weapon or Warframe for the first time, it also increases your Mastery Rank. Mastery Rank, or MR for short, is your account’s overall level. It is a common misconception that the higher your MR, the better you are at the game. All MR means is that you have acquired and leveled a vast array of gear. Some weapons and Warframes are locked behind a certain MR rank, but reaching around MR 15 is typically enough to unlock everything Warframe has to offer. Every time you reach the threshold for the next MR, you will be prompted to complete a Mastery Rank Test to ascend to the next level. Always practice before taking the actual test.
The Importance Of Goals
Once you’ve looked through the Codex, you may have stumbled across some weapons and Warframes that caught your eye. Everything in Warframe is obtainable for free (aside from select skins), so if a weapon or Warframe looks interesting to you, you should farm for it. This is where the Wiki becomes more useful as resource-gathering locations are only unlocked in the Codex once a certain item or enemy has been scanned enough times. Other important goals to have aside from obtaining new weapons and Warframe include unlocking new planets, completing quests, and leveling up your mastery rank. Always having a goal helps tremendously in progression.
Warframe’s Quests Are Intense And Emotional
Warframe has been in development for over 10 years now, and with it have come some of the best cinematic quests in gaming. The game’s earlier quests show their age, but once you progress to Uranus, the main story begins to unravel. Warframe‘s story is one of the game’s strong points and is a reason why so many players return every update. Almost every update adds a new quest, and with it, new content, lore, and gear become available to players. Making quests a main goal is a primary way for new players to stay engaged and interested in what Warframe has to offer.
Platinum And The Economy
Credits are the main currency in Warframe and are acquireable by the thousands in every mission. They are used very commonly and have a blue and grey color palette. Platinum is the game’s premium currency and is only obtainable through other players or by buying directly from DE. Luckily, farming Platinum is a rather easy feat. You will want to complete missions and acquire artifacts called Void Relics. These relics contain ancient fragments of Prime Warframes and weapons. A Prime variant is overall the same as the base version except with better stats, polarities, and an upgraded appearance. Sell these parts on warframe.market to obtain Platinum.
Avoid Trade Chat in-game as most players are out to scam unsuspecting noobs. Platinum can be used for a variety of things such as trading with other players, buying from the in-game Market, acquiring skins and other customizations, and much more. If you don’t want to farm for a particular Warframe or weapon, you can farm Platinum and buy it off of another player instead. You will want to use the 50 Platinum granted at the start of your journey on inventory slots. With this amount, you are able to purchase one Warframe slot and two sets of weapon slots. This will help greatly as slots are one of the main issues new players run into.
Miscellaneous Tips And Closing Thoughts
Nightwave is a free “battle pass” that has a host of weekly and daily challenges to complete. Completing these will grant you standing, and with enough standing, you will be given rewards. Once you reach Mastery Rank 3, join a Syndicate through the Syndicate Console in the Navigation room of your Orbiter. Doing this will grant you passive standing for whichever Syndicate you ally with. Doing this unlocks important mods and items that are beneficial to progression. Jupiter is where Warframe begins to pick up in difficulty, so make sure you are prepared for the greater threats in this region and onwards.
As a new player, don’t be afraid to ask for help in-game. Many experienced and veteran players take pride in helping out noobs, and most players in the community are very friendly. Joining a clan will grant you tons of new blueprints to craft. You can either make your own clan or join someone else’s. Watching or reading modding tutorials will help drastically in understanding how and why certain mods perform better than others. Remember, there are over 10 years of content packed into Warframe. The game is extremely expansive and detailed, and to some, this can prove overwhelming. Remember to take Warframe one step at a time and enjoy the experience.
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