May Mega Patch!

It’s patch day for MechWarrior Online, which brings good news and bad.

Good news! big Patch, lots of fixes, new ‘Mechs, new consumables.. all kinds of goodies..

Bad news?  Another pop-tart ‘Mech, though the buffs to LRMs (faster speed, slightly more damage), may start reducing pop-tarting a little bit.  New ‘Mech/Map additions, means the stat page will be messed up for a bit.

In addition to the non-Hero BlackJack variants making their appearance today, there are a TON of balance tweaks and bug fixes (on top of the HUD hot fix from the other day).  We’re getting a new map (Canyon), that should be a big map like Alpine, which may also help sniper builds keep the pop-tarts at bay.

The new UAVs (we finally get the drone from the video teaser!), and seismic sensors will also have an interesting effect on the battlefield.

So, get patched up, re-equip your ECM… and get on the battlefield!

Open Beta Update #17

Upcoming Patch – Tuesday May 21st @ 10AM – 1PM PDT

Patch Number:  1.2.223

Change Log

UPDATE

Greetings MechWarriors!

I told you May was going to be a good month! Right on the heels of fixing the HUD bug we release this MONSTER patch! There is so much to get excited about my eyeballs are spinning!

First up is the Blackjack! I can’t wait to take this jump jet capable ballistic/energy platform out and put the hurt on the enemy. This guy may look like the JagerMech’s little brother, but he fights hard! When you play with me I will be rolling in my Blackjack and when I take you out I will yell “You just got Blackjacked!”. True Story. The Jenner JR7-F(C) Champion is also available for purchase now. Everyone loving this trial ‘Mech can buy it up and customize the load out while enjoying the 10% XP boost!

Our latest map Canyon Network is ready for battle. When dropping on this map your route to victory may seem obvious, but believe me, the more creative your tactics are the more you will be rewarded. This beautiful map is destined to be a new fan favourite.

While new hanging medallions for your cockpit can show your House loyalty, I recommend checking out the Cobra Custom Pattern to strike fear into your enemies hearts.

We also have new toys in the Pilot lab: the Seismic Sensor and UAV will expand how you prepare for battle and gather Intel to tip the scales in your favour. Speaking of gathering intel – your ECM capable Mechs will have their ECM unequipped and will now have a designated ECM hard point on the Mech that you must assign your ECM to.

So many other amazing gameplay and weapon tweaks! Legged Mechs movement changes! LRM damage! BAP counters ECM! New player ELO! And more! Keep reading for all the Juicy details.

So patch up your game and get ready to drop: I’ll see you on the battlefield!

Matt Newman

Content

New Map – Canyon Network

CANYON NETWORK

Bordered by a metropolis on one side and a drop ship base on the other, the Canyon Network is essentially a rare green space in an otherwise arid landscape that doubles as a landfill.  The maglev route that bisects the canyon is the most efficient means to transport supplies and personnel across the expanse and is therefore more valuable captured than destroyed.  Likened to large scale foxhole warfare, the network is primed for snipers, surprise attacks and quick getaways. One MechWarrior, when asked, said the maglev was fought over so frequently as it was ‘the only way out of the garbage dump.’

New Battlemechs

Blackjack BJ-1

– Tonnage:  45
– Engine:  180
– Top Speed:  64.8 kph
– Max Engine Rating:  235
– Torso Movement:
– 110 degrees to each side.
– 20 degrees up and down.
– Arm Movement:Armor:  272 (Standard)
– 0 degrees to each side.
– 30 degrees up and down.
– Weapons & Equipment: Internal Structure:  Standard
– Left Arm:  Medium Laser, AC/2
– Left Torso:  Medium Laser
– Right Torso:  Medium Laser
– Right Arm:  Medium Laser, AC/2
– Hardpoints:
– Left Arm:  1 Ballistic, 1 Energy
– Left Torso:  1 Energy, 1 AMS
– Right Torso:  1 Energy
– Right Arm:  1 Ballistic, 1 Energy
– Heat Sinks:  11 Single
– Jump Jets:  4 (4 Max)
– ECM Capable?:  No
– Module Slots:  2
– Quirks:  +15% torso twist speed

Blackjack BJ-1DC

– Tonnage:  45
– Engine:  180
– Top Speed:  64.8 kph
– Max Engine Rating:  235
– Torso Movement:
– 90 degrees to each side.
– 20 degrees up and down.
– Arm Movement:Armor:  272 (Standard)
– 0 degrees to each side.
– 30 degrees up and down.
– Weapons & Equipment: Internal Structure:  Standard
– Left Arm:  Medium Laser, AC/2
– Left Torso:  Medium Laser, Small Laser
– Right Torso:  Medium Laser, Small Laser
– Right Arm:  Medium Laser, AC/2
– Hardpoints:
– Left Arm:  1 Ballistic, 1 Energy
– Left Torso:  2 Energy, 1 AMS
– Right Torso:  2 Energy
– Right Arm:  1 Ballistic, 1 Energy
– Heat Sinks:  12 Single
– Jump Jets:  n/a
– ECM Capable?:  No
– Module Slots:  2

Blackjack BJ-1X

– Tonnage:  45
– Engine:  225
– Top Speed:  81 kph
– Max Engine Rating:  295
– Torso Movement:
– 80 degrees to each side.
– 20 degrees up and down.
– Arm Movement:Armor:  272 (Standard)
– 0 degrees to each side.
– 30 degrees up and down.
– Weapons & Equipment: Internal Structure:  Standard
– Left Arm:  Medium Laser, 2x Flamer
– Left Torso:  Medium Laser
– Right Torso:  Medium Laser
– Right Arm:  Medium Laser, 2x Flamer
– Hardpoints:
– Left Arm:  3 Energy
– Left Torso:  1 Energy, 1 AMS
– Right Torso:  1 Energy
– Right Arm:  3 Energy
– Heat Sinks:  18 Single
– Jump Jets:  n/a
– ECM Capable?:  No
– Module Slots:  2

Blackjack BJ-3

– Tonnage:  45
– Engine:  180
– Top Speed:  64.8 kph
– Max Engine Rating:  235
– Torso Movement:
– 110 degrees to each side.
– 20 degrees up and down.
– Arm Movement:Armor:  272 (Standard)
– 0 degrees to each side.
– 30 degrees up and down.
– Weapons & Equipment:Internal Structure:  Standard
– Left Arm:  Medium Laser, PPC
– Left Torso:  Medium Laser
– Right Torso:  Medium Laser
– Right Arm:  Medium Laser, PPC
– Hardpoints:
– Left Arm:  2 Energy
– Left Torso:  1 Energy, 1 AMS
– Right Torso:  1 Energy
– Right Arm:  2 Energy
– Heat Sinks:  10 Double
– Jump Jets:  4 (4 Max)
– ECM Capable?:  No
– Module Slots:  2
– Quirks:  +15% torso twist speed

New Champion Mech: Jenner JR7-F(C)

– Tonnage:  35
– Engine:  300 XL
– Top Speed:  138.86 kph
– Max Engine Rating: 300
– Torso Movement:
– 120 degrees to each side
– 20 degrees up and down
– Arm Movement:Armor:  238 (Ferro-Fibrous)
– 0 degrees to each side
– 30 degrees up and down
– Weapons & Equipment:Internal Structure:  Endo-Steel
– Left Arm:  3 Medium Lasers
– Left Torso:  Jump Jet
– Right Torso:  Jump Jet
– Right Arm:  3 Small Lasers
– Hardpoints:
– Left Arm:  3 Energy
– Left Torso:  1 AMS
– Right Arm:  3 Energy
– Heat Sinks:  15 Double
– Jump Jets:  2  Max: 5
– ECM Capable?:  No
– Module Slots:  1
– 10% XP Bonus.

New Hanging Cockpit items:

– Kurita Medallion
– Liao Medallion
– Marik Medallion
– Steiner Medallion
– FRR Medallion
– Davion Medallion

New Premium Skin:

– Cobra Skin.

New Modules:

Seismic Sensor:

– 7,500 GXP
– 200 m range
– Detects enemy Mechs as they impact the ground during movement or falling
– Enemy Mechs that move or fall within the module’s range leave behind “blips” on the minimap and battlegrid
– The heavier the Mech and/or the faster its speed, the larger and faster the blip

Advanced Seismic Sensor:

– 10,000 GXP
– Automatically upgrades all Seismic Sensors
– Increases the sensors’ detection range to 400 m

New Consumable Modules:

UAVs – General Info:

– With a UAV module equipped, you can press Insert to launch a UAV into the air, 150 m directly above you.  The UAV will automatically target all enemy Mechs that come within its sensor radius; this information will be shared to your team
– A UAV will not launch if there is insufficient clearance above you
– The UAV can target Mechs that are shielded by ECM and will share this with your team
– Like other shared enemy information, friendly Mechs blocked by ECM will not be able to receive this
– A UAV will be destroyed after taking a cumulative 10 damage.  The UAV will self-destruct after being in the air for a certain length of time
– Destroying an enemy UAV is worth 50 XP

Consumable Module: UAV

– Automatically unlocked
– 40,000 C-Bills
– Hovers for 45 seconds before self-destructing
– Detects enemies up to 240 m away
– Can be detected and targeted by enemies within 180 m
– Consumed upon use

Consumable Module: Advanced UAV

– Automatically unlocked
– 15 MC
– Hovers for 60 seconds before self-destructing
– Detects enemies up to 240 m away
– Can be detected and targeted by enemies within 180 m
– Consumed upon use

Upgrade Module: Improved UAV

– 15,000 GXP to unlock
– Upgrades the UAV module
– Increases the UAV’s hover time by 15 seconds (60 seconds total)
– Does not need to be equipped to a BattleMech

Upgrade Module: UAV Upgrade

– 15,000 GXP to unlock
– Increases the sensor range of all your UAVs by 25%
– Does not need to be equipped to a BattleMech

Gameplay

ECM Hardpoint Restriction

– ECM must be equipped on a designated hardpoint for all ECM Capable Mechs. (Similar to AMS)
– All Mechs equipped with an ECM will have their ECM unequipped after this patch

Mech Movement Speed Changes

– When a Mech takes damage after losing a leg, its maximum movement speed is capped at 15 kph for 5 seconds
– This 5 second timer resets each time the Mech takes damage
– When a Mech has lost a leg, its maximum movement speed is capped at 50% of its normal max speed, or 40 kph, whichever is lower
– When a Mech has lost a leg, its maximum reverse speed is 2/3rds of its maximum forward speed.
– When its forward speed is capped at 40 kph, the max reverse speed is 2/3rds of 40 kph (or 26.667 kph)

Match Making Update

– All new players starting the game will have 2 Elo scores assigned to them.
– New Player Elo = 1100 (N-Elo)
– Standard Player Elo = 1300 (S-Elo)
– Any new player (has 25 games or less in their history) will be using their N-Elo score to be matched with other players.
– The outcome of the game will affect both their N-Elo score and their S-Elo score.
– When the player has completed their 25th game, the N-Elo score is eliminated and the player from that point on will use their S-Elo score for match making.
– This change makes the initial experiences of a new player much easier and prevents the player from playing players with numerous matches under their belts.

Weapon Tuning

LRMs

– Speed 120 (up from 100)
– Damage 0.9 (up from 0.7)

AMS

– Damage per bullet 3.5 (up from 2.0)

NARC

– Range 450 (up from 270)
– Duration 30 sec (up from 20 sec)
– Ammo per ton 12 (up from 6)

LB 10-X

– Spread 2.25 (down from 3.0)

PPC/ERPPC

– Cooldown 4.0 (up from 3.0)

Machine Gun

– Damage 0.08 (up from 0.04)
– Range 120-240 (up from 90-200)
– Crit Chance 0.11,0.06, 0.02 (down from 0.14,0.08,0.03)

Autocannon 5

– Range 620-1700 (up from 540-1620)
– Cooldown 1.5 (down from 1.7)

Beagle Active Probe

– Now counters ECM within 150m.
– BAP will only counter 1 enemy ECM ‘Mech within its range
– A Mech that equips both ECM and BAP will only receive the sensor range bonus and the ability to detect powered down Mechs from BAP. Other BAP features gets overridden by the active ECM.

Flamer

– Target Flamer heat will not exceed 90%
– Heat % will no longer jump when using flamer or being flamed
– Target heat will increase exponentially due to Heat Retention

LRM and SRM flight paths have been re-engineered.  Missiles now fall in a manner that aligns with our vision of their operation.

– Streak SRM flight paths remain the same

The bonuses from TAG, Narc, and Artemis to gain and lose a missile lock have been corrected and now properly stack together.

– TAG decreases the time it takes to get a lock to 50% of the normal time, and increases the time it takes to lose a lock to 150% of the normal time.
– Narc decreases the time it takes to get a lock to 75% of the normal time, and increases the time it takes to lose a lock to 125% of the normal time.
– Artemis decreases the time it takes to get a lock to 50% of the normal time size when the Mech has line of sight to its target.
– Known Issue: Artemis equipped Mechs will always receive these bonuses, even without line of sight.
– Bonuses from TAG stack with those from Narc or Artemis, but an Artemis equipped Mech receives no bonuses from Narc Beacons
– e.g. TAG and Narc together reduce the time to achieve a missile lock to 37.5% of the normal time (50% of 75%).

TAG, Narc, and Artemis now reduce the size of the overall size and spread of the missile formations.

– TAG reduces the spread of missile formations to 75% of their normal size.
– Narc reduces the spread of missile formations to 75% of their normal size.
– Artemis reduces the spread of missile formations to 67% of their normal size when the Mech has line of sight to its target.
– Bonuses from TAG stack with those from Narc or Artemis, but an Artemis equipped Mech receives no bonuses from Narc Beacons.
– e.g. TAG and Narc together reduce the spread of missile formations to 56.3% of the normal size (75% of 75%).
– Known Issue: Mechs with Artemis will currently receive the spread reduction bonus from Narc beacons.

Enemy disruption ECM will no longer mask the positions of your teammates

Air and Artillery strikes have had their splash damage radius increased to 25m (up from 10m).  Mechs will start taking fairly substantial damage if caught in one of the two strikes.  The radius remains the same no matter what level the strike is (including priority air/artillery strikes)

Front End

– Added Mouse sensitivity options

Lance Improvements

– Added local player and put him first on the list
– Now displaying Alpha Lance instead of just Alpha, etc.
– Added Mech type to player entries in both in HUD element and Battlegrid Lance Panel
– All three lances now always show on Battlegrid
– All lances show all four spots even if empty (empty spots have a different look than filled spots)
– Team commander can move any player to any spot (dragging to a filled spot will still swap players)
– Added drag icon to entries that did not already have an icon (only shows if you are team commander)

Performance

– Gameplay bandwidth costs should be reduced

Bug Fixes

– PPC’s should now do appropriate damage within Min Range
– Small amounts of packet loss should no longer cause extreme amounts of lag to the server
– Players should be much less likely to get disconnected from a game due to poor network conditions
– In-game chat messages should now be much more reliable
– ECM & BAP will no longer function when the Mech they are in is powered down.

We thank you for your patience and we look forward to seeing you on the battlefield!

The MechWarrior® Online™ Team