Do Warframe players need more reasons to head back to Warframe 1999? Not necessarily (although where else can you hang out at a ’90s mall?), but they’re getting some anyway! And by some, we mean many, and all for the low, low price of free. That’s right, free! And what can you get in this Techrot Encore package on March 19th? We’re talking about a beefed up Höllvania that expands the mall, adding both a pub — complete with in-house musician and live music — and an atomicycle racing game. Did we mention four new protoframes? That’s right, four, each with its own peculiar personality. And there’s also the Bowie-esque Temple warframe, ready to rock out. You even get to experience bona fide sticker collecting. Act now (or later, it doesn’t matter), and Digital Extremes will even throw in the sentient exalted guitar, Lizzy.
But wait, there’s more! When I chatted with Digital Extremes community director Megan Everett before today’s big devstream, she called Techrot Echoes “probably one of the biggest echoes [DE has] ever done.” And she’s not exaggerating: On top of the aforementioned changes and additions, there is also a new 1999 defense mission, a challenging deep archimedea game mode, changes in formas, a pseudo exalted rework, and more.
So what are you waiting for (besides March 19th)? Head back to Höllvania for more of that sweet 1999 action. You don’t even have to camp out in line! Note: Warframe of Mind is not responsible for any altered states that may result from partaking in this content. See terms and conditions below.
Are you sold? If not, or even if so, here are a few more details on the upcoming update to help whet your Warframe 1999 appetite.
Best bar in town
A big bulk of the flavor and story of this update is centered on Höllvania Mall’s newly open-for-business pub, The Round Table. (Not to be confused with the pizza parlor of my youth!) In here, players will get to meet three of the new protoframes: Velimir, Minerva, and Flair. Guess which one is the rocker on stage playing that sweet new song?
Representing Frost and Saryn respectively, Velimir II and Minerva are a divorced couple for whom the player acts as a therapist, helping them work through things. While interacting with the military veteran duo, players will also learn more about why they came to 1999 looking for Major Rusalka. On the individual side, Velimir II is the resident eBay seller, offering players a ton of random decorations, from traffic cones to foozball tables. Minerva’s vendor offerings are blueprints for scaldra weapons.
Flair, the prototype of the new Temple warframe, is an androgynous rock and roll musician from Temple and the Rippers. Sadly, they lost all their other bandmates, who were executed by Viktor. Flair plays new music on stage that gives players a buff and offers blueprints for items from their defense mission.
Just outside the pub is the fourth protoframe, Kaya, aka Nova (curse those age restrictions!). She’s actually a brilliant engineer who brought Velimir and Minerva back to 1999. Kaya definitely vibes as a fresh and brilliant student, and her ensemble includes legwarmers and stickers. Unlike those legwarmers, the stickers are not just for show; they offer buffs. If you believed you’d never want to collect stickers (again), you might want to rethink; this Peely Pics system will also provide players with buffs! Talk with Kaya to get in on this pastime.
Happily, all four protoframes are added to the KIM network for interaction and deepening relationships. Just not that kind of relationship. Sadly, none of the new protoframes can be romanced. Plenty of gamers are already bemoaning this loss, but hey, who knows how a jealous HEX would be? And no one said you had to get to know these folks so well.
We did get clarification that interactions with these four protoframes require unlocking. Everett had to expose a slight spoiler: Players must have the good ending complete in HEX quest and have at least rank 4 HEX reputation. At rank 4, folks can interact with Flair, and at 5, they can rant with Kaya, Minerva, and Velimir.
Sticker collecting with Temporal Archimedea
If you were looking for a deeper challenge with your 1999 content, you might pick up sticker collecting; just speak with Kaya and get involved with Temporal Archimedea. Very similar to the original Deep Archimedea with modifiers and perimeters, it is a very challenging game mode that requires quite a bit of strategy. And if you want a tougher version, do it on elite! The difference between the original and Temporal Archimedea is the addition of the stickers, or Peely Pix. Players earn them, and then applying them during these missions (and sadly, only these missions) will offer specific boons and buffs. Fun fact: Community artists were commissioned to make the Peely Pics!
Ollie returns for a racing gig
One of my favorite things to report on last TennoCon was the addition of James Conlin as a voice actor in Warframe 1999 through Make-A-Wish. Conlin’s original debut was as Ollie in a video game in the mall. That role has been expanded upon with Conlin’s reprise, as he moves from a single arcade console to a full ride-on racing experience. Players will get to jump on and race the crash course, all while Ollie is taunting and hurling snide remarks at them. I am personally really looking forward to this new feature. In addition, there are Ollie cosmetics to get, including an atomicycle decoration and adorable Ollie floof.
Taking a peek at Temple
Warframe’s 60th ‘frame will be the taking stage quite literally. Temple is a rock star, in look and in action. With their exalted guitar Lizzie, the skills are both musical and on fire. Again with literally. I am very excited to have another heat-based warframe to rain fire down upon enemies! Also, an idle animation of riffing on the guitar is sweet.
For Temple, their actions are influenced by an on-screen metronome. Every time an action happens on the beat, it is enhanced in some way. The four abilities in a nutshell are:
- 1 – Pyrotechnics: unleashes pillars of fire (on the beat doubles pillars)
- 2 – Overdrive: spawns subwoofers to debuff enemies with crit vulnerability (on the beat stuns enemies)
- 3 – Ripper’s Wail: adds fire damage to all members of team, heals self, and adds invulnerability for duration of skill (on the beat heals are twice as effective)
- 4 – Exalted Solo: turns Lizzie into a flamethrower that can tap shoot or hold down for continuous fire (on the beat adds electricity damage)
A note on Lizzie: She was born from Flair’s infected blood, growing her own sentience. She’s more than just an instrument in their hands; she isn’t even necessarily on Temple’s side! Exploring that relationship will be interesting. Can Temple keep Lizzie under control?
Defending with music, 1999-style
The defense mission coming with the update has a musical twist. Centered on Temple, who is busy rocking out on stage in Solstice Square trying to fight off Viktor with music, the mission has players defending their performance. This mission introduces a new resource, the rotheart strings, which can buy blueprints from Flair at the pub (in case you don’t get any of the drops in the mission itself). Some unique elements Everett pointed out is the new screamer demolist in the third wave, which will have some unique dialogue, and phase 2, where the stage explodes.
When was a weapon not a weapon… but now is? Pseudo exalted!
It’s not a crazy riddle: In Warframe, weapons that were not weapons now are weapons. Like Temple’s exalted guitar, some frames have personal weapons beyond what Tenno equip. These pseudo exalted weapons are only unleashed with abilities and could not be modded like independent weapons could. That, however, is changing for Khora, Atlas, Gara, and Ash. With the pseudo exalted weapon rework, these ability weapons are pulled out and made moddable so players can customize them and adjust how they behave when deployed during the ability’s use. The mods include both arcane slots and stances that will increase capacity. Additionally, previously unavailable mods are now compatible.
Beyond the pseudo exalted weapon changes, Ash is getting a retouch as well. Everett stated the team is looking at increasing base duration of smoke screen, increasing the base amount of shuriken and how they can be thrown. A dev workshop will break the changes down for players.
Get your Technocyte Coda adversary here!
A system that did not launch with 1999 was the Technocyte Coda adversary system. Why? Everett explained that it was because they wanted to add so much into it. That system is now deploying with Techrot Encore. Without delving too deeply into it, folks need to be aware that there can only be one adversary at a time. So if you have a Kuva Lich or a Sister of Parvos, you need to vanquish or convert them before acquiring a Technocyte Coda.
The Technocyte Coda system gives players a lovely new infection pimple on their neck that will stay until the Technocyte Coda is vanquished. New Technocyte Codas unlock new tints.
Encore’s encore
As Everett said, the Techrot Encore is big, with even more unveiled to fans. There’s just so much information! Here are some of the highlights:
Quality of Life changes
- Stealth Aux is now a setting
- Riven capacity increase by +30
- Rhino crafting reduced to 24 hours
- Defense mission waves are reduced from five to three
- Groups will disband random players after a mission
- Aura formas changing to omni formas; works in all slots except Umbra
By number
- Twelve years of Warframe: The anniversary starts on March 7th with all DEX items available and the new Dex Lauris ephemra added.
- Eight different efemra rewards in koda
- Five new TennoGen pieces
- Four new augments: Sol Gate for Wisp; Omikuji for Koumei; Crucible Blast for Qorvex; and Arcsphere for Gyre
New player improvements
- Star chart path on planets streamlined to help players get to The Second Dream sooner
- Offering loaner Necromechs during the final stage of The New War
- Removed the higher-level materials when crafting an archwing
- Made Duviri Paradox and HEX replayable; folks can see the endings again
And that’s just a glimpse! There’s much to take in, and much to partake in. Will you be back in 1999? Perhaps we can meet up at The Round Table. Keep your eyes out for more details as the release date approaches. And we’ll see you there… er, then…
Pick a ‘Frame, any ‘Frame! The Warframe galaxy is in danger, Tenno, and Space Mom needs help to combat it. Are you in the right Warframe of Mind to join in? The MOP writers have enlisted, suiting up in their favorite ‘Frames to fight the good fight, blasting the Grineer and Infected into smithereens.
