the cutting room mirror

Wayfinder

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Prerelease Info Notes Heroic Kyros.pngFounder's Pack-exclusive contentRemnants of the short-lived Founder's Pack system. How very Warframe Founder/Prime Access of you, Wayfinder.

Unused Videos#

Duplicate Videos#

The game files contain two unused videos in MKV format which share their contents and file names with MP4 files present in the same folders, as well as one duplicate unused MP4 file:

  • Airshipintrologo.mkv - found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies. A 1:1 copy of Airshipintrologo.mp4. It's exactly what it says on the tin - a short animation of Silo's E.G.G. robot vandalizing a brick wall with a cyber-graffiti of Airship Syndicate's logo that plays at game startup. Deleting the MP4 file results in the animation being skipped. Removing the MKV file has no visible effect in game.
  • mograph_intro_01.mkv - found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\cutscene. Identical copy of mograph_intro_01.mp4, used as the game's intro cinematic upon creating a new save file. Deleting the MP4 file results in a persistent black screen with no voice-over or subtitles displaying, however the game does not crash and the UI remains functional. The only way to progress is to manually skip the cutscene by holding Esc or "Cancel" button (depending on controller notation selected in-game: B, Circle or A button). Removing the MKV file has no visible effect in game.
  • AbilityMedia_KyrosArcaneFocus.mp4 - found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\source. Unused duplicate of the short video clip used in the Ability menu preview/tutorial for Kyros' Arcane Focus skill. Used file is named AbilityMedia_Kyros_ArcaneFocus.mp4 (note the underscore between Wayfinder name and ability name), has an audio channel but no sound, and was created one minute later (on July 29th 2024, 22:08 vs. 22:07) at a slightly higher bitrate.

Unused video files#

To do:
Verify if menuBG_enviro_gloomPortalMythic.mp4 and menuBG_enviro_gloomPortal1.mp4 files present in the final build are unused and document them accordingly. Look up pre-Echoes footage to check if mainMenuLoop_fs2 was actually used at any point in the game's Early Access lifespan before version 0.4. Unrelated, but I sincerely hope Airship developers aren't staying up until 2AM in the morning to render main menu BG videos anymore, that's something I can do while researching their game in my free time :P

Unused or deprecated menu backgrounds - pre-version 0.4#

  • mainMenuLoop_fs2.mp4 - found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\menu. Consists of a stylized artwork of Skylight (the game's city hubzone) tinted purple and overlaid with another artwork of Highlands (the game's first accessible Overlands zone) tinted navy-blue, with a number of stylized glowing red and neon green "fissure"/"glitch" effects (referencing the game's core theme of "fracturing reality" and sci-fantasy/"arcane technology" aesthetics).

File metadata dates it back to November 5th, 2023, 02:12 (window between Early Access versions 0.1.9.0 and 0.1.10.0). Presumably a deprecated or unused main menu background from Early Access period before the Echoes update (between EA launch at version 0.1.0.0. to version 0.4) - the file shares its naming convention with Grendel and Venomess character cinematics (VENOMESS_FS1_Cinematic.mp4 and GRENDEL_FS2_Cinematic.mp4 found at Movies\seasonal) originally associated with the original Early Access Founder's Season (FS) model (see Prerelease page for more details).

Watch on YouTube

As of version 1.2, the game displays a unique splash screen, then shows a save-selection menu with menuBG_enviro_nue.mp4 used as the default background. Highlighting a save file will change the background depending on its last-saved-in location, selecting randomly from a pool of location-specific video clips (see Notes page for more detailed explanation).

Unused or deprecated menu backgrounds - version 0.4 and above#

All files are found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\menu. Based on filenames, state of environments shown in each clip and visual similarities to used files, they were likely intended as menu backgrounds for the game's three major zones or included in the separate background pool used for the "endgame" state (enabled globally upon reaching/completing the "Epilogue" questline on any save file - while update 1.0 added extra content beyond that stage, the Crucible did not receive any unique menu backgrounds).

Skylight backgrounds:

  • menuBG_enviro_skylight_02_1.mp4 - right-hand side view of the Beacon's Gloom Gate.
  • menuBG_enviro_skylight_05_1.mp4 - tower belonging to the outer ring of Skylight's fortifications, Beacon's spire and, well, "beacon" (sphere of Arclight) at the top, plus a good view of the skybox.
  • menuBG_enviro_skylight_06_1.mp4 - view of Damon's Bell and Great Lift from Lower Skylight/Highlands side of the cliff.

Frostmarch backgrounds:

  • menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_06_1.mp4 - alternate angle of a landmark seen in used file menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_05_1.mp4 - a giant stone idol of a bearded male figure with glowing horns.
  • menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_12_1.mp4 - wide-angle of a Deepwood Holt foundry(?) building with a spinning windmill.
  • menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_14_1.mp4 - view of the Betrayer's Blade landmark (also shown in used files menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_04_1.mp4 and menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_07_1 .mp4), shot up-close and from a different (far right-hand side) position compared to implemented files.

Endgame state backgrounds:

  • menuBG_enviro_endgame_01_1.mp4 - out-of-bounds/background prop from the Void tileset - a jagged stone "claw" and a rock with a tree root protruding out of it suspended in thick blueish-purple fog. Seems to be an alternative view of the landmarks featured in used file menuBG_enviro_endgame_02_1.mp4 (where the shot is offset to the rock, the sparkly foggy void and a barely visible open Gloom Tear beyond).

Example videos ripped from the files are showcased below:

menuBG_enviro_endgame_01_1.mp4

menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_14_1.mp4

menuBG_enviro_skylight_02_1.mp4
MenuBG_enviro_skylight_02_1.mp4
MenuBG_enviro_frostmarch_14_1.mp4
MenuBG_enviro_endgame_01_1.mp4

Contents of the other four files are illustrated with below stills:

MenuBG enviro skylight 05 1.png
menuBG_enviro_skylight_05_1
MenuBG enviro skylight 06 1.png
menuBG_enviro_skylight_06_1
MenuBG enviro frostmarch 06 1.png
menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_06_1
MenuBG enviro frostmarch 12 1.png
menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_12_1

Reasons for their deprecation are unknown - the number of used files varies per location (from 3 for Skylight to whopping 11 for Frostmarch - limiting the number of used menu backgrounds clearly didn't seem like a concern) and "slightly adjusted duplicate shots" do exist in implemented content (as seen with two closely overlapping shots of Repository of Knowledge in Highlands - menuBG_enviro_highlands_09_1 and menuBG_enviro_highlands_08_1, two similar shots of Betrayer's Blade in Frostmarch - menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_04_1 and menuBG_enviro_frostmarch_07_1, and three endgame backgrounds featuring the same or at least very similar-looking background props at increasingly sharp frog's-eye view angles - menuBG_enviro_endgame_03_1 through menuBG_enviro_endgame_05_1). Some of the landmarks in the unused videos are also difficult to get a good look at in-game (top of the Beacon) or are shown from unique angles (OoB shot of Great Lift).

Wayfinder Passive tutorial videos#

Found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\source - judging by the filenames, they were meant to be implemented in the Abilities menu and showcase each Wayfinder's unique passive ability. Most of the files are dated to September 16, 2024, placing them in the window between hotfix 0.6.0a (released September 11, 2024) and version 0.6.1 (released October 1, 2024). The only exception is Lora_Passive.mp4, which instead dates to August 26, 2024 18:16, between hotfix 0.5.0a (released July 24, 2024) and version 0.6.0 (released September 6, 2024). Includes the following files:

  • AbilityMedia_Grendel_Passive.mp4
  • AbilityMedia_Kyros_Passive.mp4
  • AbilityMedia_Niss_Passive.mp4
  • AbilityMedia_Senja_Passive.mp4
  • AbilityMedia_Silo_Passive.mp4
  • AbilityMedia_Venomess_Passive.mp4
  • AbilityMedia_Wingrave_Passive.mp4
  • Lora_Passive.mp4

All files consist of uncropped, highly (and we do mean highly) compressed short gameplay recordings with the UI enabled and full-volume game audio present. The clips were recorded in the Highlands Overlands zone near Heartwood Tower Signal Fire (checkpoint/fast travel point), with the player using a kitted-out level 30 character fighting a group of level 30 Husk enemies. All characters included in the recordings use non-default appearances (customized armor/style selection) and weapons/weapon skins not aligned with their "iconic" weapons. Kyros' video also notably uses the Founder system-exclusive Heroic Kyros variant.

Example videos in their full extra-crunchy glory:

AbilityMedia_Senja_Passive.mp4

AbilityMedia_Kyros_Passive.mp4

Lora_Passive.mp4
AbilityMedia_Senja_Passive.mp4
AbilityMedia_Kyros_Passive.mp4
Lora_Passive.mp4

File metadata includes the following comment:

Create videos with https://clipchamp.com/en/video-editor - free online video editor, video compressor, video converter.

The videos appear to be at most rough placeholders (otherwise they wouldn't match the largely unified appearance of the implemented tutorial videos, and they do a rather poor job of explaining the unique passive mechanics of each character) and were likely cut in favor of Passives receiving text-only tutorials.

Other miscellaneous unused videos#

  • tutorialMedia_echoFusionMenu01.mp4 - found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\source. Dated back to July 21st, 2023, 00:39, about one month before the game's Early Access launch. Video clip similar to the ones used as a part of various in-game tutorials, presumably a remnant of an older version of the Echo system - features different UI (character menu background is a much lighter shade of purple compared to release, Echo Fusion screen is grayish-blue, different layout for Character menu featuring a Mastery tab absent from final release, character and weapon reflect a much bigger number of Echo slots compared to final game), actual Echo Fusion (combining multiple echoes to upgrade and change their properties rather than converting Echoes into Echo Dust, then using it as upgrade currency) and a different grading system (8 stars total instead of 5 "blips") compared to full release. The file used in-game as of version 1.2 is called tutorialMedia_echoMenu01.mp4, found in the same folder.

Watch on YouTube

  • RAVEN REVEALED_NOAUDIO.mp4 - found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Movies\cutscene. Content-wise it's a duplicate of used file mograph_raven_revealed_01.mp4 found in the same folder - a motion comic story cutscene tied to one of the game's antagonists - with the audio track removed. In terms of file properties, the used file has a slightly lower bitrate (6199kbps vs. 8236kbps) and marginally lower framerate (29.97 FPS vs. 30 FPS), its metadata also includes a creation date of 03/09/2024 19:01 (shortly before the release of version 0.6.0, also known as Quality of Life 2 Update). The unused file has no creation date listed. The file's purpose is unknown - it may have been used as a placeholder or to test voice-over playback (music and SFX are baked into the cutscenes' video files, while voice files are stored and played separately).

(Source: Original TCRF research)

InverseManifest.xml developer message#

Found at Wayfinder\Atlas\Content\Raw, file InverseManifest.xml contains a simple ASCII artwork and a short message:


     /\   (_)        | |   (_)       |  __ \     | |         
    /  \   _ _ __ ___| |__  _ _ __   | |__) |   _| | ___ ____
   / /\ \ | | '__/ __| '_ \| | '_ \  |  _  / | | | |/ _ \_  /
  / ____ \| | |  \__ \ | | | | |_) | | | \ \ |_| | |  __// / 
 /_/    \_\_|_|  |___/_| |_|_| .__/  |_|  \_\__,_|_|\___/___|
                             | |                             
                             |_|                             

DON'T DELETE ME.

If I'm not here, then the watermark with the steam id and username shows up.

-Brooks

"Brooks" most likely refers to Christopher S. Brooks, credited as the game's Technical Director.

(Source: Original TCRF research)

References#

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20260511022054/https://www.pcgamer.com/warframe-developer-axes-publishing-division-will-transition-full-control-of-online-action-rpg-wayfinder-to-its-developer/↩︎
  2. https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/1171690/view/4151835070963830566↩︎