How to Play Warframe

Warframe is an incredibly addicting experience, but it can be hard for new users to get into. Here is a list of things you need to know to start fully enjoying the game!

1. The Controls

The controls are a little more involved than most other MMORPGs. Warframe has a very diverse movement system that lets you do a ton, while also being easy to pick up.

The basic movement is what you'd expect. WASD to move, shift to sprint, space to jump, and control to crouch/slide. They do a ton with this system, however. For instance, if you slide and jump, you'll leap forward in a manuver called a "bullet jump". This gives your Warframe a ton of momentum. If you slide in midair and then press jump again, then you'll bullet jump again in midair. Double tapping sprint will cause your Warframe to roll, which automatically breaks the speed cap for a bit. 

This means that the fastest movement option for a Warframe is to roll, bullet jump, midair slide, bullet jump, and then roll as soon as you land to repeat the process. However, you may find this cumbersome and skipping a step here and there as needed to maneuver around the map is more than fine.

You can aim with right-click, shoot with left click, E for a melee attack, and F to swap weapons. Tapping F will switch you between your two guns, and holding F will switch you to your melee weapon. You will no longer be able to fire your weapons unless you switch back, but in return, the combo trees and techniques to that melee weapon will open up to you.

You can activate your ability with MOUSE3, and swap through them with your mouse wheel. However, you can also use the 1-4 keys to activate them too, which is usually the preferred method unless you're actively using every finger you have for movement.

2. Basic Gameplay Flow

After you finish the initial quest, you're thrown out into the world. Your main priority at this point should be unlocking every single location possible and increasing your Mastery Rank. To unlock planets, you need to clear every node on a planet and then clear a trial at the junction. 

To increase your mastery rank, you need to max level your pieces of gear. Every single gear you hit level 30 with will give you mastery EXP. Formaing equipment and releveling it will not give you more mastery exp. A lot of weapons are mastery rank locked, so you should do your best to get more mastery ASAP.

If you feel the need to get a new Warframe or weapon, you'll need to grind for them or purchase them with premium currency. Unlike many other games, you can acquire premium currency for free through trade, although currency obtained this way cannot be spent in the premium store and only in further trades.

To find out where to grind, it's highly recommended to check the appropriate page on the Warframe wiki. For example, this page tells you were to grind for the Warframe Nova. You'll also need resources - refer here to see where to farm them. Do note that resource location optimization is very much in flux.

3. Unlocking more content

Warframe has a ton of content, but a ton of it is locked away. To begin with, you should definitely play the quests The Second Dream, The War Within, The Sacrifice and The Archwing. These quests will unlock a lot more features. Archwing will introduce space combat, while the others will unlock a whole new mode for you to play with!

That should be it! Good luck!