Can someone explain what '1999' is?

[Cat Burger]

I am new to Warframe, so I don't understand how the expansions work. Usually a demo means there will be a paid expansion at some point. Is this how it works with Warframe or is it all free? If it's free, why is there a demo of it? What am I not understanding?

[[Meyo]Frakura]

Don't know how you translate demo into a paid expansion, because in my time demo basically means what beta/alpha is nowadays. You get to see whats coming by playing a bit of it. In warframe case, its all free.

[Niczu]

Originally posted by MeyoFrakura:

Don't know how you translate demo into a paid expansion, because in my time demo basically means what beta/alpha is nowadays. You get to see whats coming by playing a bit of it. In warframe case, its all free.

Well explained. I'd add to this that in order to access 1999 all of the previous main story content have to be done. So the players time is the only requirement really.

[Nibbie]

1999 is the newest main story update. I imagine there was a demo because it involves some new mechanics and such that people wanted to try.

[rhoenix]

I've had a couple friends who don't play Warframe come to me about the 1999 demo, saying "Wait, they made the Warframes people now?"

And I'm always like... oof. I'm... just gonna nod and smile.

Originally posted by Cat Burger:

I am new to Warframe, so I don't understand how the expansions work. Usually a demo means there will be a paid expansion at some point. Is this how it works with Warframe or is it all free? If it's free, why is there a demo of it? What am I not understanding?

All updates are free. You'll be tempted to give DE money though because drip jealousy is great for the game's economy.

[AllergicToBrainRot]

The demo is just there to give you a small taste of 1999. You have to go through the main story quests to reach 1999 story quest / it's content. It's inspired by Dark Sector (a classic game)

[Dubstep_Samurai]

If you are refering to the console in your personal ship, which allows you to play 1 mission of warframe 1999, that was added as a demo to incoming warframe 1999 update (before it was released). Update is already here now, but maybe that demo console is still there for new players idk.

Anyway, warframe 1999 is free to play (as any other story content in the game), though you'll not get to it any time soon as a new player, because it's tied to literally the last quest you can unlock.

[Mooman]

1999 is the hamster wheel the game got stuck on.

It's a one month (4 week long) endlessly cycling series of checklist items.

Ok once but not really interesting enough to keep going around and around (some players might enjoy pursuing different relationships each cycle).

It's funny too because I experienced a cycle with it. Initially hated it, found it ok, now hate it again as it cycles back around...

[Dezktop]

bethesda done you soo dirty mooman :(

[BurlsoL]

Originally posted by Mooman:

1999 is the hamster wheel the game got stuck on.

It's a one month (4 week long) endlessly cycling series of checklist items.

Ok once but not really interesting enough to keep going around and around (some players might enjoy pursuing different relationships each cycle).

It's funny too because I experienced a cycle with it. Initially hated it, found it ok, now hate it again as it cycles back around...

I think the same kind of criticism was expressed the few weeks after Cetus was added. It was a new game mode with a reputation grind that added some neat things but too distanced from the game we recognized.

[Sceles]

1999 basically consists of a new syndicate + hub + bounties + tileset.

In other words it's simply more of the same, another content island, like:
Plains of Eidolon
Orb Vallis
Cambion Drift
Zariman
Albrecht's Laboratories

You can add 1999 (Höllvania) at the end of that list.

[[PMC] Portable Merc Collector]

Originally posted by Mooman:

1999 is the hamster wheel the game got stuck on.

It's a one month (4 week long) endlessly cycling series of checklist items.

Ok once but not really interesting enough to keep going around and around (some players might enjoy pursuing different relationships each cycle).

It's funny too because I experienced a cycle with it. Initially hated it, found it ok, now hate it again as it cycles back around...

Pretty much how I feel about it tbh. The entire thing feels painfully unnecessary and spends too much time trying to force us to care about random characters who don't mean anything to us. Thennn shackles the current warframes to this with the stupid skins and while the new tileset and aesthetic is cool, it just doesn't change anything meaningful.

I miss warframe pre 1999 honestly. At least then I didn't have to see Aoi spammed everywhere and none of these mass effect people existed.

[Clone]

Guy rides a bike in an infinite tunnel for 20 minutes was not the demo I was expecting.

[KingAwesome61]

Originally posted by Cat Burger:

I am new to Warframe, so I don't understand how the expansions work. Usually a demo means there will be a paid expansion at some point. Is this how it works with Warframe or is it all free? If it's free, why is there a demo of it? What am I not understanding?

fundamental misunderstanding due to gaming culture I'm afraid... demo is just short hand for demonstration. its letting you play and see what they are making before you can access it or before it is complete... so the demo is just them letting you taste whats to come after you sink 200 hours into the game

[Cat Burger]

Got it. THe confusion for me was that Warframe is "free" and then I saw a demo for something that was already out, so my brain broke. It's too bad new people can't jump into all the expansions via a new gate from Earth or something. I guess I don't know enough how leveling works yet to know if level scaling is a thing or if the missions and story are just hard coded. Either way, I'm enjoying Warframe after having ignored the game for the past 20 years. Dynasty Warriorsish melee meets Destiny meets POE2 is a whole lot of fun.

[Sceles]

Originally posted by Cat Burger:

Got it. THe confusion for me was that Warframe is "free" and then I saw a demo for something that was already out, so my brain broke. It's too bad new people can't jump into all the expansions via a new gate from Earth or something. I guess I don't know enough how leveling works yet to know if level scaling is a thing or if the missions and story are just hard coded. Either way, I'm enjoying Warframe after having ignored the game for the past 20 years. Dynasty Warriorsish melee meets Destiny meets POE2 is a whole lot of fun.

There have been lots of updates and additions that are easily accessible by new players, like when they released Koumei and her quest three months ago. 1999 just didn't happen to be one of those updates. Which is actually really good, because new players already have a difficulty deciding on what to do. This also allowed them to bump up difficulty for 1999 and properly connect it to the main story. Not so nice for new players but very welcome for anyone that has put a few hundred hours in.