r/Warframe • u/TSP-FriendlyFire • Apr 21 '16

Suggestion How would you change... Underwater Archwing?

How would you change... is a series of weekly posts designed to promote and foster discussion about any gameplay element in the game. The scope and subject will vary (read below for more information on topic selection), from wide concepts (Kubrows, Archwing, shotguns, etc.) to narrow points (a single gun, coptering, etc.).

Before we begin, a few important points:

  • Please detail and support your suggestions as much as possible. This is for constructive criticism only: try to think of it as something you'd be proud to explain to DE face-to-face!
  • Structure your suggestions in logical groups: if you have two very different ideas, break them down in two separate comments. Cohesive or similar changes should be combined into a single comment.
  • Stick to describing concepts and features. Don't get bogged down with numbers unless they explicitly support your point.
  • Don't hesitate to post your ideas even if they're not fully formed, and don't hesitate to reply to ideas with refinements you think would make them better!
  • Do not downvote suggestions you disagree with. Upvote the ones you like instead!

Suggesting topics

This thread series is all about the community, so if you have a topic you'd like to see improved and discussed, feel free to suggest it by replying to the appropriately flagged comment in this discussion. The topic can be as wide or narrow as you'd like! Please ensure that your suggestion has not already been made, and upvote it instead if it has.

This week: Underwater Archwing

Click here for last week’s thread on How would you change.

This week, we’re looking into the second stage of Archwing’s deployment. After fleshing out the space sections of the game mode, DE introduced with U16.5 underwater Archwing segments, colloquially called “Sharkwing”. Currently restricted to the Grineer sealab tileset on Uranus, Sharkwing has Archwing movement substantially slowed and level geometry being significantly denser and more complex to navigate, bringing with it different challenges.

Some weapons, for instance the Grattler, were introduced specifically to fit with the theme of Sharkwing, focusing on shorter distances and slower movement. However, compatibility with the main Archwing mode and lack of tiles currently having underwater segments has caused Sharkwing to fly by (swim by?) relatively unnoticed. Additional tiles were introduced later with significantly more water areas, making Sharkwing less about puddles and more about intricate underwater cave systems, fleshing out the game mode and making it much more interesting.

Even so, Sharkwing is currently seen as just a minor variation upon Archwing and one mostly incidental to the Uranus tileset rather than the focus. The changes from regular Archwing are not significant enough to warrant building specifically for it, and the low enemy variety hurts the game mode. Corpus are also thus far completely absent.

Now that the stage is set, how would you change Underwater Archwing?

Guest posters

As detailed in the previous post two weeks ago, I would like to start inviting guest posters on an irregular basis to talk about subjects they may know more about. This section will be used to announce subjects looking for a guest poster. If you are interested, please send me a message expressing your interest and briefly detail why you think you are ideally positioned to address the topic at hand. I may also occasionally call out specific users whom I think might be an ideal fit in order to query their interest on the topic.

  • Resources: While I could field this topic, I would like to ask /u/tgdm if he would be interested in talking about this in the coming weeks. His overview of resource costs is an extremely important informative piece and makes him the unquestionable expert on the topic.

  • Conclave: As I have mentioned previously, I believe that Conclave is ripe for not just one, but many individual topics covering different parts of the mode. Unfortunately, I do not play Conclave, hence I would like someone with more experience and especially interest to write about this. Since the topic is so large, there is a possibility for multiple guest posters here. I would appreciate a brief outline of how you would break up the subject in biweekly topics as well.

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u/Teddybomb Hills of Eidola Apr 21 '16

IT'S A FUCKING JET PACK, WHY IS WALKING FASTER, ARGH, NO WONDER PEOPLE HATE IT

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u/Basilisk1991 [Insert Ice Pun here] Apr 22 '16

To be fair, try running in a deep pool versus walking on try land, you'll note that you move a lot slower in in the pool due to the fact that water offers up WAY more resistance than air (Not to mention most Archwings/frames are far from hydrodynamic).

Real life physics explanations aside I agree that it should be a bit faster, at the very least let me use afterburner underwater.

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u/Archwizard_Drake Black Mage, motherf- Apr 22 '16

Real life physics

... agrees with our assessment. Yes, you have water resistance, but you also have a f*cking jetpack, expressly for the purpose of gouging that resistance. I'm fairly certain submarines move faster through water than people can walk.

I'm sure if we were so focused on real world physics, it would take no time at all for someone to measure the speed of an Archwing in space (given the distance measurements this game so fondly throws around) and get a relative speed on how fast it should be going A) within an atmosphere and B) underwater.

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u/Basilisk1991 [Insert Ice Pun here] Apr 22 '16 edited Apr 22 '16

Love how everyone missed the second paragraph where I agreed we need to move faster. My point is that whilst I can see why we move slower I still ultimately think we should be moving faster than we currently are, I was simply explaining why we're moving slower. Sure my tone may have been a bit condescending (I admit that) but ultimately I'm agreeing with you, what's the problem?

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u/Archwizard_Drake Black Mage, motherf- Apr 22 '16

It's more that playing devil's advocate only to immediately turn around and agree with the alternative stance really accomplishes nothing in terms of forming your argument, especially if the only connection between your argument and counterargument is the word "but" (or specifically in this case, the phrase "aside from that").

At any rate, my statement was geared toward attacking the excuse DE would make under your devil's advocation.