Latest news with #PabloAlonso
CNET
25-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Warframe Isleweaver's Spider-Man-Like Frame Is a Masterpiece of Design
There's a lot to get excited about in Warframe's Isleweaver expansion -- which is free to play today on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. The update links the time-lost Warframe 1999 and the timeless islands of Duviri, pushes the Void War narrative arc forward and gives tight-knit player guilds a new large-scale operation to contribute to. The biggest allure of a new update for many players will always be the shiny new toys, and Isleweaver has tons of those too. A new whip and throwable clustered barbs will make a fine addition to any stealthy player's arsenal, while endgame builds will benefit from a new Incarnon weapon that'll evolve and gain special abilities in the heat of battle. But the most impactful addition to every Tenno's toolkit is Oraxia, the 61st unique Warframe that players can pilot. She's the culmination of a years-long community meme about adding a Spider-Frame into the game, and you'll soon get a chance to scuttle around on spindly legs, summon an army of multilimbed children and assassinate enemies from above. But it turns out that deploying extra legs and climbing on walls took an immense amount of effort to make work in Warframe, another challenge for a team that continues pushing itself to make wild fantasies playable in the game. Oraxia "was definitely something that we only did because we're crazy," Warframe Design Director Pablo Alonso joked. "Honestly, we shouldn't have done it. But at the same time, I'm happy we did, even though it pushed the team a lot to get this done." I spoke with Alonso and Warframe Creative Director Rebecca Ford to find out more about how Oraxia evolved from concept to reality, the stresses of modeling a completely new type of Warframe ability, and the challenges of creating this fearsome arachnid's boss fight. Oraxia is as elegant as she is deadly. A ferocious arachnid predator lurks within Duviri. Digital Extremes A skittering threat stalks the shadows Warframe is all about empowering players to pick a power fantasy and live it out on the galactic stage. Whether you enjoy playing more traditional roles, like a hack-and-slash knight or a damage-soaking tank, or you get your kicks from playing more unorthodox characters, like Sun Wukong or a walking nuclear reactor, there's a frame in the game for nearly everybody's favorite play style. Each Warframe has to widen the net a little more, doing something completely different from the previous playable characters. The vision for Oraxia was actually quite simple: Like Spider-Man, she does whatever a spider can. "She's a predator," said Alonso. "She lurks, she strikes, and she has her little army. That's the core theme we were going for with her." Unlike in-your-face tanky frames, stealthy Warframes strike from the shadows, going invisible or lulling enemies into a deep slumber. When you play with Oraxia, you'll skitter on walls with her ultimate ability and engage with your foes from above -- they'll become your prey. "The walking with the elongated legs is the most exciting part of her kit," said Ford. "Her ultimate move set is so cool, I feel like it's unlike anything we've ever done before." "Especially once you start web whipping between walls and stuff, it makes the game feel very different and it's a lot of fun," Alonso added. "It almost makes you think of the game in a little bit of a different way, which is what we want." Alonso explained that gameplay diversity is one of the most important design pillars guiding the Warframe team, and that Oraxia already feels like a success because there's nothing else in the game that compares with the feeling of popping out extra legs and web-swinging around the map. "It's very satisfying," Ford said. "It's a testament to not only the mechanics that were put in, but sometimes you just see the sound team hit with a small WAV file that makes all the difference. The sound for the web is excellent. "All those little pieces come together when you have people working in their craft so excellently to create that satisfying button click," Ford said. "Because at the end of the day, that's all we're doing, right? We're putting together buttons and dressing them up in a way that makes it feel like something that's never been in Warframe before." When you play as Oraxia, you'll be able to loom over your enemies -- feasting on them from above. Digital Extremes More legs meant more design challenges Believe it or not, Oraxia existed far before the Spider-Frame meme took root in the Warframe community. Ford said the Warframe team wanted to piece this frame together as far back as 2023. While developer Digital Extremes has a very close-knit relationship with Warframe players, Oraxia's development process was largely unaltered by the memetic feedback the team was constantly bombarded with. "For us, this was always a character that needed the whole treatment," Alonso said. "There are memes that can be hard to overcome -- think 'Hydroid trailer' -- but this one wasn't much of a problem because we had so many cool concepts for what the Warframe was going to be. The meme of it being a secret was just kind of fun for us." What made Digital Extremes hold off on Oraxia for so long? Understandably, bringing this frame to fruition was something of a design nightmare. "The perfect summary is that this was the 'Oh, god, what have we done?' Warframe," said Ford. Alonso explained that Oraxia was far more complex to create than the average Warframe because there were so many considerations that needed to be made regarding the legs that appear during her ultimate ability. Every Warframe team needed to work in tandem to smooth the kinks with the latest frame. Oraxia required new model rigging, animation trees, animation tweaks and complete animation overhauls for how the frame's legs move and react to the environment around them. The unique shape of the frame meant collision hitboxes had to be tinkered with, and the player camera needed to be pulled back away from Oraxia because her legs were obscuring the aiming reticle. There was a cascading series of issues that made the Spider-Frame a tough character to integrate into the game. But seeing the frame in action for the first time validated the team's decision to commit to it. "There were just so many things to fix with Oraxia, but the frame ended up being really cool," Alonso said. "That's the thing that always catches us: We want to make something cool, and it can be painful getting there, but it's worth it in the end." Dangerous new locales have appeared as the Murmur invades Duviri, including the lair of a long forgotten Warframe. Digital Extremes From foe to friend: Creating a Warframe's boss fight Before you get a chance to try out Oraxia for yourself, you'll have to challenge the sticky seamstress on a newly revealed island in Duviri. This isn't the first time players have had to fight another Warframe, of course. Solar rail specters have historically gated every new planet on the Star Chart, and the Stalker's Warframe acolytes routinely show up to threaten you if you're bold enough to walk the Steel Path. Kullervo, one of the other Warframes featured in Duviri, has a boss fight of his own, where you challenge the tortured soul in his gladiatorial arena. But Warframe's design team has had a lot of practice with boss fights since his debut, learning lessons that will apply in the battle against Oraxia. "We're getting better at telegraphing moves and being more careful explaining how things work," Alonso said. "You know, we have a few bosses within Warframe that -- even people that have been playing for years don't really know how they work. They just know 'shoot them until it dies' and they don't know why. So we want to find where those communication breakdowns are happening and fix those." Perhaps more importantly, Alonso explained that traditional boss fights really don't work in a game like Warframe, so it's up to the team to find fun new ways to make things challenging, without creating bullet-sponge enemies. "We're also trying to have more mechanics rather than just making bosses that essentially soak up damage. When it comes to just avoiding damage or dealing out damage, Warframes are so good at those things that fights become a DPS race," Alonso said, referring to damage per second. "If it's just a survivability race, you just subsume Mesmer Skin and stand there -- there's no problem in your life, right? So we're basically trying to find those spots where there are interesting mechanics." Oraxia's boss fight will include movement mechanics at different intervals, forcing you to avoid hazards in the midst of tangling with your venomous foe. "In this one, we have some tunnels between boss stages, where you have to dodge some lightning," Alonso said. "It's not a complicated thing. It's not a hard thing. But it's fun to dodge, jump and slide under it. It adds a different beat of gameplay that feels very Warframe." If you're looking for a model of what the Warframe team believes a good boss fight should feel like, look no further than the Techrot Coda enemies introduced in Warframe 1999, Alonso said. You might not battle the same infested lich every time, but the stage hazards, like laser lights and explosions, anchor the fight. "I think that shows a little bit of what we like, which is a bit of combat, then some kind of mechanical component before you're back in combat again," he said. "That flows really well, and we've found that it has a good rhythm to it." The Isleweaver update is available for free now on PlayStation, Xbox and PC. You can dive into the Duviri invasion, help Dominus Thrax retake his throne, and battle Oraxia at her island lair next time you log in to Warframe.
Daily Record
29-05-2025
- Daily Record
Customs officials find five kilos of drugs in UK pensioner's luggage
A suitcase allegedly belonging to the 79-year-old man was sliced opened at Santiago Airport in Chile. This is the moment Chilean customs officials sliced open a suitcase allegedly belonging to a 79-year-old British man and found five kilograms of methamphetamine stashed inside. Dramatic footage shows agents at Santiago Airport calmly cutting into the pensioner's luggage and uncovering a secret compartment packed with illicit drugs. The man, who has not been named, had just landed from Cancun, Mexico, and was booked to fly on to Sydney, Australia, after an overnight stay in the Chilean capital. Instead, the pensioner is now in Santiago's notorious Santiago 1 Prison after being charged with drug trafficking. Prosecutors say the meth haul had a potential street value of £200,000 in Chile, reports the Mirror. Pablo Alonso, a prosecutor from the Fiscalia Occidente, confirmed the man was formally charged under Article 3 of Chile's anti-drug legislation. 'Detention control is being carried out in relation to a British citizen who brought five kilos of methamphetamine into the country,' Alonso told The Mirror. 'Preventive detention is being requested, and the court has accepted it based on the background information. A 120-day investigation period has been granted.' The 79-year-old was intercepted after customs officers flagged his suitcase during routine airport screening. The bag was removed for inspection, where officers discovered a suspicious substance inside a hidden compartment. He was arrested on the spot. Cops say the man claimed Mexican nationals handed him the bag at Cancun airport. Santiago Airport police chief Sergio Paredes said: 'This person came from Mexico and, when he was taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun.' The Brit was taken before a judge, who approved the prosecution's request for pre-trial detention. A formal trial date has yet to be set, but prosecutors are working to determine whether the meth was intended for distribution in Chile or Australia. 'If convicted, the man will likely be sent to San Miguel Prison,' a Chilean justice official told The Mirror. 'That facility is used for anyone found guilty of importing drugs beyond what is considered for personal use.' San Miguel Prison is infamous for overcrowding and violent conditions. Designed to hold 900 inmates, it now houses over 2,000 men. In 2010, a fire sparked by a fight between inmates killed 81 people, drawing international condemnation and casting a harsh spotlight on Chile's prison system. 'Five kilograms of methamphetamine is far beyond what would qualify for a lesser sentence,' the official added. 'This kind of offence attracts up to 15 years in prison.' The case adds to a growing list of Brits arrested overseas on drug charges. Just last week, a British couple aged 33 and 34 were arrested at Valencia airport after cops found 33 kilograms of cannabis in their bags. In Ghana, a 23-year-old British woman was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 18 kilograms of cannabis onto a flight to Gatwick. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was initially reported missing in Thailand, was found in custody in Georgia, allegedly busted with 14 kilograms of cannabis. And in Sri Lanka, 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May from south London was arrested after 46 kilograms of synthetic cannabis were found inside her suitcase. She now faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
Daily Mirror
29-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
Moment customs officials cut into pensioner's luggage to make incredible find
The dramatic video, obtained by the Mirror, shows agents at Santiago Airport calmly slicing through the OAP's suitcase to uncover a secret compartment packed with methamphetamine This is the moment Chilean customs officials sliced open a suitcase allegedly belonging to a 79-year-old British man - only to find five kilograms of methamphetamine hidden inside. The dramatic video, obtained by the Mirror, shows agents at Santiago Airport calmly cutting into the pensioner's luggage and uncovering a secret compartment packed with illicit drugs. The man, who has not been named, had just landed from Cancun, Mexico, and was booked to fly on to Sydney, Australia, after an overnight stay in the Chilean capital. Instead, he now finds himself in Santiago's notorious Santiago 1 Prison after being charged with drug trafficking. Prosecutors say the meth haul had a potential street value of £200,000 in Chile.. Pablo Alonso, a prosecutor from the Fiscalia Occidente, confirmed the pensioner was formally charged under Article 3 of Chile's anti-drug legislation. 'Detention control is being carried out in relation to a British citizen who brought five kilos of methamphetamine into the country,' Alonso told The Mirror. 'Preventive detention is being requested, and the court has accepted it based on the background information. A 120-day investigation period has been granted.' The pensioner was intercepted after customs officers flagged his suitcase during routine airport screening. The bag was removed for inspection, where officers discovered a suspicious substance inside a hidden compartment. He was arrested on the spot. Police say the man claimed Mexican nationals handed him the bag at Cancun airport. Santiago Airport police chief Sergio Paredes said: 'This person came from Mexico and, when he was taken to the anti-narcotics squad's airport offices, he said the suitcase had been received by some Mexican nationals at Cancun.' The British citizen was taken before a judge, who approved the prosecution's request for pre-trial detention. A formal trial date has not yet been set, but prosecutors are working to determine whether the meth was intended for distribution in Chile or Australia. 'If convicted, the man will likely be sent to San Miguel Prison,' a Chilean justice official told The Mirror. 'That facility is used for anyone found guilty of importing drugs beyond what is considered for personal use.' San Miguel Prison is infamous for overcrowding and violence. Designed to hold 900 inmates, it now houses over 2,000 men. In 2010, a fire sparked by a fight between inmates killed 81 people, drawing international condemnation and casting a harsh spotlight on Chile's prison system. 'Five kilograms of methamphetamine is far beyond what would qualify for a lesser sentence,' the official added. 'This kind of offence attracts up to 15 years in prison.' The case adds to a growing list of British nationals arrested overseas on drug charges. Just last week, a British couple aged 33 and 34 were arrested at Valencia airport after police found 33 kilograms of cannabis in their bags. In Ghana, a 23-year-old British woman was arrested for allegedly trying to smuggle 18 kilograms of cannabis onto a flight to Gatwick. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Bella May Culley, who was initially reported missing in Thailand, was found in custody in Georgia, allegedly caught with 14 kilograms of cannabis. And in Sri Lanka, 21-year-old Charlotte Lee May from south London was arrested after 46 kilograms of synthetic cannabis were found in her suitcase. She faces up to 25 years in prison if convicted.
