[2019] Arbitrations Revisited Part 2

Hail Tenno!

It’s been awhile since we updated you on the state of Arbitrations back in April. Listening to feedback from those changes, one recurring theme was that the mode doesn’t feel rewarding enough (unless you’re playing a certain mission type, that is...) - so we dug into the numbers to see why that may be, and what could be done to improve the game mode overall.
 

Each of the seven available mission types in Arbitrations has its own difficulty modifier. These were meant to add extra challenge, while leveling the playing field in terms of rewards. However, statistics show that we missed the mark: one mission type, Excavation, was a clear outlier in terms of reward output for time spent. 

We wanted to make all mission types feel somewhat equal in terms of rewards - this means bringing other mission types up to the standard set by Excavation, so you can play when you want, without feeling like it’s an inefficient use of time. We also wanted to address the feedback that the current extended reward rotations dragged missions out. 

Therefore, we are currently moving ahead with the following:

• All missions will return to regular rotation length EXCEPT for Excavation. Timers on excavators will be reduced to compensate, so all modes should be receiving rewards at a similar rate.
  • (Note: Disruption was already using single rotations because of an oversight, and will continue to do so with tweaks to reward structure as detailed below)
• The rotation cadence will be changed from “ABCCCCC...” to “AABBCCCCC...” So that the same level of time investment is encouraged.
• Endo rewards will be reduced to roughly 75% of what they once were (since you’ll be receiving rewards twice as often). Rare non-endo reward drop rates are unchanged - you’ll just get twice as many chances!
• Arbiter Drones will now have a small chance to drop Vitus Essence on kill.

With some fine-tuning, we’re confident this will bring other game modes up to the level of reward that players might expect from their Excavation runs. Getting Essence directly from drones also gives an incentive to take them down, making gameplay itself feel more frequently rewarding. Speaking of rewards...

With more frequent reward cycles we’ve decided to include a few new goodies, adding variety to all the Endo and sculptures you’ll be earning:

• Five new Aura mods that follow a more Nightmare or Corrupted style! (Final numbers will be posted in Update notes.)
  • Verticality: + Aim Glide / - Damage Taken while Airborne 
  • Wicked Strikes: + Faster Charge Attack / + Combo Counter 
  • Loyal Herd: + Companion HP / + Companion Armor 
  • Bloodletter: -HP on kill for self / +HP on kill for Allies
  • Bladed Restraint: - Melee Combo on Self / + Melee Combo on allies 
• You can expect five new Warframe Arcanes as well!
  • On Rifle Kill: Melee damage increased by x for y seconds
  • On Melee Kill: Rifle damage increased by x for y seconds
  • On Pistol Headshot: x% ammo efficiency for y seconds
  • On Six Melee Kills: Heal companion by x
  • On Heavy Weapon Summon: Gain x armor for y seconds
• Drop tables will also include the occasional bundle of 5x Cyan Stars or 3x Vitus Essence.
• Kuva has been added to the Arbiter Offerings, for purchase with Vitus Essence.

These rotation changes also mean that Vitus Essence output from Arbitrations will be more than double what it is now (twice as many wave rewards, plus Vitus from drones and other sources). The Vitus prices in our store were based on the current rate of acquisition, so I’m here to offer fair warning for our plans:

• When these Arbitration reward changes go live, the price of goods in the Arbiters’ reward manifest will increase by about 50%. 
• When the update is released, we will also run a script to increase players’ existing Vitus stockpiles by an equivalent amount. If you had 2 Vitus before the update, you’ll have 3 after! 

We’re doing this so players who miss this announcement do not have their existing collections devalued as the store prices change. Since Vitus mission output is increasing by more than Vitus prices are, rewards from the store should be 20-30% faster to earn overall.

As always, these plans are subject to change both before and after release, based on player feedback and usage statistics.

Thanks for reading!

 

EDIT: We hear you loud and clear Tenno - Cyan Star bundle has been removed.