u/Khyron42Prime

It's not blocked by anything. Every time I come down here, the rat that spawns here is just hanging out directly in front of it, not a care in the world. What gives?

UPDATE: This rat is apparently busted? I'll check soon to see if the same thing happens to the rat in the upper manufacturing offices!

(Very funny that like 3 people have asked if it was powered and like 3 people have already pointed out to them that an unpowered laser turret is more um. Flaccid)

Is this uh. Normal?

So a lot of the mysteries of Warframe are solved. "Who am I playing as?" might have the *best* answer, incorporating the player's confusion into the actual explanation. But we know, for example, that the Origin System was left to go to pot because Lotus wanted to keep the Tenno safe from Hunhow.

What we don't know, as far as I can tell at all, is this: why did the Tenno start waking up?

Now there's an easy, boring, stupid fanwank answer: moonquakes! But I think we all know that SOMEday, DE will decide to make something of this gap in the plot.

But they had a few chances to do so already, which they passed up. They could have said that Alad V did it in order to get access to these "warframes" that were considered by most to be only a legend. They could have said that Hunhow (somehow) arranged for it to happen in order to complete The Plan. And they could have said that the Queens did it in order to gain access to the Tenno for continuity. (EDIT forgot to mention that they could have said Ballas did it as part of his dumb master plan)

But the moment for all these has passed. Alad V isn't much of a serious threat anymore, making it be Hunhow wouldn't have much dramatic weight at this point since The Plan has already truly and spectacularly failed, and the Queen(s?) are in the same state as Alad V. (EDIT and at this point, because you want escalation, revealing it was Ballas wouldn't be worthwhile, just feeling like tacking him on as the convenient explanation for yet another thing)

Now, they COULD bring Alad V or the Queen(s) back in a big way, and be backfilled to have done it; but even then, we know so much about them and their motives that it wouldn't be a reveal, just bookkeeping.

And then there's the Man in the Wall. A tempting answer! But even for Warframe, that would REALLY contradict a lot of established, essential plot points. Because Rell was keeping it out, something which they've actually reminded us about repeatedly and quite recently in KIM chat. And it's also VERY important to the story that The Indifference is bound by the strands of Khra, meaning they can't just insert themselves into any ol' point in the timeline.

So there's a fundamental, foundational part of the story that's not only never been addressed, but which would be narratively unsatisfying to address in relation to basically any of the existing factions/characters. And maybe someday DE will punt like they just did with Orb 3 and unceremoniously handwave it away. But right now, DE are sitting on a mystery that could make a pretty huge plot hook, since it would allow them to tie a new character or faction directly into the existing story without needing to retcon anything!

It should be polished up (no Stalker liches lol), unlocked at, say MR15+ or even just alongside Steel Path, and incentivized (with solid daily rewards) as a way for high-MR players to help starchart-level Tenno without nuking the whole level for them.

I'm thinking you click your daily Protector Alert, get dropped in a random normal-path mission, get whatever rewards come with the mission, some pity shop currency, and your roll on the Stalker Goodies table. Maybe exclude Capture missions? Probably some other rules you'd need.

EDIT: I figure I should piggyback in my opinion that Stalker should stop attacking you after Jade Shadows, with his drops added to Ordis's store instead - purchased with thingies you get for playing as Stalker.

Solves like 3 problems: it adds grind protection for his stuff, it flows better from the end of Jade Shadows, and it stops this badass character getting owned by the player for years on end

You'd just stop getting his death mark. He'll still show up to fight baby Tenno, and at MR15+, that's really most of when you see Stalker anyway, since you're usually done farming planetary bosses for frame parts, which is most of how you get his attention.

EDITEDIT: At the very least, they should definitely leave in the option for him to specifically join the Ascension mission. Just leave the option in Ordis's camp dialogue, and have it try to stuff you into Uranus.

EDITEDITEDITEDITEDITED: Yes, a PvP version WOULD be cool, but it would also be a MONUMENTAL undertaking to make that actually feel fun for anyone involved. We don't talk about Conclave for a reason.

Red text called this "QOL", which is very, very funny to me. I mean I suppose it's *true*, a massive power boost to Voruna *does* improve ly quality of life.

Other games' QOL: Here's a new menu option!

Warframe QOL: MOOOOOAR DAMAAAAAGE