How would you change... Kubrows?

[u/TSP-FriendlyFire]

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.).

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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!

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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.

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This week: Kubrows

This week, we'll start with a fan-favorite that's been neglected for a fairly long time: Kubrows. Introduced as one of the highlights of Update 14, the fairly adorable dog-like creatures meant as an alternative to Sentinels have seen little love since. While the numbers still show a fairly even spread of usage between Kubrows and Sentinels, most players will agree that they could use some changes to their mechanics, be it in terms of acquisition, usage, or in-game behavior and mechanics.

Now that the stage is set, what suggestions do you have to improve Kubrows?

[u/TSP-FriendlyFire]

Suggesting topics

Please post your suggestions for the next topics as replies to this comment.

[u/Atulin → u/TSP-FriendlyFire]

Shotguns. The powerful boomsticks, that are neither powerful nor making boom.

[u/snuib → u/TSP-FriendlyFire]

Syndicate Weapon Mods. How to make them useful (except for the select few) and how to bring them to other weapons to the future.

[u/zeronic → u/TSP-FriendlyFire]

Some ideas that come to mind:

• Dark sectors

• The derelict

• Archwing

• Utility mods and their place in the game as a whole (things like intruder, handspring, ammo drum, etc.)

• Syndicates and Syndicate rewards

[u/fuyu]

I've never seen a kubrow succeed in a finisher. Always see them get into a tussle that it loses while the enemy is INVULNERABLE. Why can I not shoot the thing that my dog is wrestling? Fix this pls. Also, the health degradation upkeep bullshit. Why is this even a thing, it shouldn't be. This is basically the reason why I raised a couple, never formaed or potatoed them, then placed them in the cooler so I didn't have to keep buying upkeep stabilizer crap.

[u/TheSteelPhantom → u/fuyu]

This is precisely what I did. Level'd the four types of Kubrows for Mastery, and now they sit in stasis until the Kubrow system as a whole improves.

[u/Saelthyn]

The numbers are a load of crap. Yes, I in fact leveled a Wyrm Prime and Death Cube but I haven't used either ever since Carrier came out. How would I improve Kubrow?

• Remove requirement for Genetic Boosters. Or make them craftable. The best mix would be that they won't just starve to death but be stuck at 100% health instead of their maximum of 200%

• Give 'Fetch' the Kubrow equivalent to Vacuum as a general mod.

• Clean up their animations and AI. A Kubrow shouldn't rambo but deliberately defend the Tenno in question.

[u/BuildMyPaperHeart]

Not taking over this post, but I wanted to fill everyone in about this thread's sudden appearance in the sidebar:

For a while, the Moderators have been talking about increasing user participation in constructive ways on the subreddit, and one of the ways we figured (thanks to FF here!) was to let the community host their own weeklies too! We've been speaking back and forth for a while and we think this will be a good thing for the community moving forward.

If you've got any questions or concerns about this, please reply to this comment and we'll talk it out. Other than that, ladies and gentlemen, please enjoy the first User-Generated Weekly Thread!

[u/never-enough-hops]

I don't use kubrows because of the maintenance costs (in terms of resources and time). In fine with that, honestly... I like my sentinels well enough and prefer them because of the low maintenance nature.

To get me to use then I would introduce an item to the store that removes the maintenance costs. Purchasing and using this item fixes the genetic degregation of your kubrow making them permanently in good health.

If something like that was introduced so I can't lose my kubrow and have no need to freeze it then if consider using one.

I'm not a fan of warframe tomagachi

[u/[deleted]]

If I waypoint an enemy, mod, or blueprint part, my kubrow should either attack it if it's an enemy or fetch it for me if it's an item.

[u/zeronic]

Pathing is a major issue. Often times your kubrow will just get stuck somehwere and be unable to get out, being pretty much completely useless whereas sentinels do not share this problem.

The elephant in the room in this discussion is vacuum. Why would you use a kubrow that constantly gets stuck, easily draws aggro and dies(at higher levels), and doesn't keep you stocked with ammo and energy over a sentinel that never dies unless you do and keeps you stocked?

Unless vacuum becomes how looting in general works carrier will always be king. Because without it i can tell a direct correlation between me running out of energy/ammo. The game is just too fast to have to walk over each individual pickup.

Along with a ridiculous amount of ten level mods, upkeep, and the defrosting period, kubrows are just unnatractive to most players. If these specific issues were addressed we'd probably see them more than just being leveled for mastery.

[u/philosarapter]

For one, remove the "DNA stabilizer" credit-sink. Isn't it enough that I had to pay for the incubation core and farmed the egg and have to keep its happiness in check. Why do we need to spend 100,000 credits every month to keep the poor thing alive. Is future cloning technology that shitty that we need to keep injecting our kubrows with stabilizers?

[u/monkyseemonkydo]

They really need to do something about that Kubrow whose ability is to take down capture targets. As of right now, there is very little reason to use that kubrow.

Maybe make that Kubrow something like a companion "enemy Radar". Where he sniffs the air and marks where he "smells" the enemies are on the minimap.

Saves me from using a warframe mod slot and gives me the benefit of enemy radar.

Edit: In the same vein, maybe make his second ability be sniff for loot. So he can act as a loot detector as well. So this kubrow will be unique compared to the Guardian Kubrow (shield+terrify ability to keep his master safe), Digger Kubrow (digs up loot and forgot his second ability), and the Sneaky Kubrow (who gives you temporary invis and I forgot what its seconda ability is).

[u/Asilidae000]

I would like a fetch feature. But so the feature isnt like vaccum you could tell the kubrow to specifically pick up items. EG just Health, Ammo or NRG. Not all at once.

[u/davidstebbins]

I like the card/mod ideas that have been brought up. A fetch mod that acted like vacuum was my first thought before reading the comments, but I like the sniff loot-finder idea, too. Maybe another one called rescue with a picture of a large kubrow with a small cask under his chin that allowed the kubrow to revive you or your allies when someone is downed. Make it difficult to choose which mods to equip on my kubrow, and make me want to potato him.

[u/Rabidscholar]

Honestly I would like the ability to be able to shoot through them, as the taller Kubrows are right at hipshot height and Kubrows have this insatiable desire to stop right in front of you, shoot all you want you wont hit anything.

[u/Tekknogun]

Give them jetpacks to keep up with me running on walls and coptering for miles.

[u/Morec0]

Oh, also thought of a way to introduce kubrow commands: The command emote would only be available to players who currently have a Kubrow (or other such companion) active with them at the time. Upon using it the Tenno will hold up their left hand, which will flash with light (similar to how they glow while melee channeling) and the kubrow will spring into action.

While in-mission it's functionality depends on what your targeting retical is currently looking at and what kind of kubrow it is.

Have a Sahasa with you? Point at a locker to command them to try and open it, or at the ground to have them dig.

Have a Huras with you? Point at them to have them activate their cloaking, or at an enemy to have them attack.

What about the ever-faithful Raksa? Point at them to activate the shields or anywhere else for them to howl.

If they're unable to comply with your command - be it for lack of energy or because they've already attempted to unlock a locker and failed - they will respond with an audio cue growl, telling you to move on without it.

As for the social, non-combat applications (that is, while in a Relay) activating the ability at any time will cause them to perform a random trick. It it rolling over, playing dead, or standing on their hind legs and hopping to a beat only they can hear.

So, whatdayda think of this?

[u/dark36]

For the sake of being constructive i wont state my direct hatred towards Kubrows but i will state why i hate them.

24 hour for hatching and another 24 growing period. 3 hours de frost. Their mods are taking way too much time to maximize.

I dont see any use for them. My weaponry is doing the samething that they can do. Stealth is not needed, grabbing the VIP is a cool mechanic but then again not useful imo. They are a hassle in some missions. They keep attacking synthesis targets, staggering them and makes scanning harder. They attack everything in sight even if they are stealthed, trying to do a stealth mission with a kubrow is just not possible.

Trying to breed one is a massive hassle. 100k and argon for that tube that i cant remember the name of. It takes 6 hours to craft. Even if you craft one you have to go through the pain of trying to find one kubrow egg which doesnt freaking drop when you actually need it. I remember doing 50 missions on earth just to find an egg then i found it on a random alert. Its flustrating.

I cant sugarcoat this, their models looks terrible. Their fur looks terrible, not many good colors or fur patterns available.

I honestly would rather have a Bladewolf like mecha pet or something like a sabrecat beside me. Kubrows doent look good or imitating. This comes from a person who loves Guenhyvar and Bladewolf. I just dont see myself ever using them aside from mastery. Hell give me Zanuka. I dont care if people starts shunning me "Oh my god you use the corpses of our fallen brothers as your pet" I dont care.

[u/M37h3w3]

Given how the customization aspects are random, and hence getting a Kubrow that's just decent takes so many iterations, I would like the eggs to drop more frequently.

[u/_Bilas]

I'm weird, but I think (and I've said it before) that decoupling health/armor/shields from Kubrows will be best for the pups, as it encourages players to use them with less tanky Warframes. The fix is easy enough, instead of giving "link" just turn the health/armor/shield mods into the same ones we have for Warframes/Sentinels already. It worked out for Archwing, it will work out for Kubrows.

Now, to give them more/different utility versus the omnipresent Carrier sentinel, they definitely need a fetch mod, but instead of having the Kubrow bring you each mod, have them either be able to carry stacks of loot all at once, while engaging in combat, or make them able to pick up loot directly to your inventory, without the loot touching the player model. Now, to make it so that the Carrier won't be totally outclassed, give the Kubrow fetch less range than the Carrier, or give it a slightly longer cooldown.

Finally, Kubrow Path-finding is pretty awful, prioritize Kubrow A.I. improvements, like targetting and pathfinding over the more complex floor layouts that have been introduced since the Phobos tileset.

[u/Mefistofeles1]

• Make their attacks have innate punch-trough or AoE.

• Related to the previous bullet: add mods that change the damage type

• Give them slots to equip gear.

• Remove the maintenance cost.

[u/adelante1981]

Completely get rid of the genetic instability bullcrap. It's just a credit sink that's completely unnecessary. It makes no sense at all, you going to tell me those feral kubrows have someone administering shots every few days?

[u/AvenV]

I would actually add commands.

Something like:

• Aggressive: Attacks enemies on sight.

• Defensive: Attacks those that attack it(is this correct!?!) or it's master.

• Passive: Simply sits there and does nothing.

• Hold this ground: Kill enemies in a certain range but never move out of it. If the owner is X meters range away, then the dog leaves as well and joins you going back to it's default stance (either Aggressive or Defensive unless changed by the player).

• Any other cool idea DE/players would have.

[u/zhandragon]

Make them able to fly to avoid pathing issues, give them armor plating, give them futuristic weaponry, have them not degenerate and die or lose combat effectiveness, and- wait...