Games
Identify the player inside the ‘Frame with our handy who’s-who guide.
For an almost perfect example of how a free-to-play infrastructure should be, you need look only as far as Warframe, Digital Extremes' brutal, ballistic ballet of space battles, firefights, and aggrandising lore. The distinct lack of paywalls, and the ability to earn the premium currency, Platinum, in-game through hard graft and clever trading, single Warframe out as a game built for and around the player.
As other titles both free to play and otherwise have floundered, Warframe is entering its strongest, most confident phase yet. Players flock from all over the cosmos (well, okay, the world) to join the ranks of the Tenno; so many, in fact, that we've made a handy list to help you identify the type of person piloting that Warframe beside you.
1. The Early Adopter
Player trait: Holier than thou
Usually found: Claiming responsibility for Warframe's success
OK, we get it, you've been here since Day One. You downloaded Warframe the moment you unwrapped your PS4 and you've clocked upwards of 1,000 hours. You always believed, always supported the devs, and you're the single reason Warframe is doing so well right now. Well, thanks very much, we guess.
Thing is, Warframe wasn't all that great at launch. It was feature-poor and buggy, and it wasn't until it moved into its second year that it started to come into its own. It's great that the Early Adopter was a part of that. We couldn't be prouder of them, but they really need to chill out with the superiority complex.
2. The Late Starter
Player trait: Abject confusion
Usually found: Reading the wiki
The antithesis of the Early Adopter, the Late Starter completely missed the Warframe bus the first time around and only started investigating it when the game they were playing instead began to hemorrhage players like air from a leaky balloon. But Warframe is dense, dense like concrete bracken, dense like a bucket of melted rubber, and the Late Starter is like a tiny little beetle on its back in the middle of it all.
Adorably, they hope Wiki will be the helpful push they need to find purchase, but having someone tell you how to play Warframe is like having someone explain how to unravel a bowl of spaghetti. Sorry, Late Starter, but if you really want to get into Warframe, you're going to have to learn by doing. Good luck.
3. The Agent of Chaos
Player trait: Terminal impatience
Usually found: At the other end of the map
Warframe is a game built around speed and grace. The bullet-jump alone is testament to this design ethic. Likely to favour simple damage ‘Frames like Rhino or Excalibur, an experienced Tenno with a full grasp of their Warframe's capabilities is a genuine joy to behold as they clear entire maps and polish off objectives in seconds.
But when you're new, or even still learning your way around, watching the other player in your squad bounce from one side of the map to the other like a heavily-armoured flea on taurine, can be disheartening. Following their trail of destruction and chaos with nothing to shoot at but the odd container they missed isn't much fun, either.
4. The Peacock
Player trait: Fashion first
Usually found: In their armoury, playing with colour palettes
As with any game with such a huge, diverse array of obtainable gear, Warframe appeals to the more fashion-conscious among gamers. Almost all the microtransactions are cosmetic, and the smörgåsbord of armour colours, attachments, cloaks (fancily called 'Syldana' in Warframe), and decorative glyphs offer endless combinations for the discerning fashionista.
There are players (none of us, obviously, haha) who spend countless hours switching gear and tweaking colour hues, trying to find the perfect look. Every ounce of available Platinum goes on clothing, because this player believes that if you're going to save the galaxy from an ancient cosmic threat, you might as well look good while doing it.
5. The Ninja
Player trait: Silent violence
Usually found: At the end of a trail of bodies
Whether in a squad or playing solo, the Ninja flies under the radar. their squad-mates never see them, the enemy never hear them. Usually rocking the Ash or Ivara ‘Frames, these stalking assassins fire arrows from the shadows or take out entire armies with nothing but a sharpened blade.
They might not be the most team-oriented individuals, but they get the job done with minimum chaos and maximum efficiency.
6. The Troll
Player trait: Petty-minded boredom
Usually found: Intentionally messing with you
If you're lucky enough to avoid joining a squad with the Agent of Chaos, you'll probably stand a chance of rinsing a mission for materials and XP, the best way to improve yourself and advance in Warframe. However, you might well run afoul of the Troll. Sadly, this means the same in Warframe as it does in all walks of life. The Troll just wants to mess with you.
They might deliberately sabotage a mission objective, kite enemies directly into you, or even just make you wait endlessly at Extraction while they dance. Seriously, they just stand there dancing while you wait to go home and count your takings. The Troll is an absolute pain, but they know it.
7. The Merchant
Player trait: Entrepreneurial
Usually found: On the trading floor
One of the coolest and most unique aspects of Warframe is the ability to trade in-game items for the premium currency, Platinum. It means that unlike almost any other free-to-play game in existence, you can get every single thing available in Warframe without spending a single penny or pumping 7,000 hours into it.
The Merchant makes the most of this. They're happy to go out and farm rare Warframes and components; they relish the grind so you don't have to. They sell weapons and mods to the highest bidder, and the clever ones don't work alone. The simple truth is that the Merchant is the product of F2P done right, and if you're super-smart with your starting Platinum, they can help make you one rich Tenno.
8. The Mercenary
Player trait: Is better than you
Usually found: Being better than you
Similarly to the Merchant, the Mercenary is likely a veteran of at least a few hundred hours. They've seen everything the game has to offer to date, and they're now in a position to pay it forward. Sometimes it's altruism, sometimes it's showboatery, but the Mercenary will offer their services for whatever you're willing to pay, and they'll make any mission a cinch.
Watch and learn as they tear down legions of enemy troops with a barely a flicker of an eyebrow, before collecting their reward and disappearing into the stars, ready to help the next unfortunate who comes begging for help taking out a boss.
9. The Poser
Player trait: Snap-happy
Usually found: Letting you die for their art
This one goes hand-in-hand with the Peacock, in that it's all about the pretty-pretty. Warframe has its own photo mode that allows you to drop your Tenno into any environment and take some photos, but for some people that's simply not enough.
The Poser craves the action shot, the mid-fight snap that'll set their Instagram account alight. There's a chance you'll bleed out on your knees while they try to capture the perfect spray of sparks and body parts or the most stylish back-flip possible, but that's the price they're willing to pay for that one defining picture.
10. The Gladiator
Player trait: Aggressive
Usually found: With a triumphant foot on your chest
Warframe is a game built on either co-operative teamwork or lone wolf heroics, but there’s a small player vs player element for those who hanker after the kind of internal thrill that only comes from seeing their peers crushed beneath their heels.
The Gladiator is in their element here, leading their squad through the 4v4 modes in pursuit of honour and bragging rights, or facing their allies in high-stakes single combat in the Clan Dojo where victory and glory are all.
