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[InnerSphereNews]

Tuesday, July 7th @ 10AM – 1PM PDT

Patch Number: 1.3.410

Greetings MechWarriors,

Welcome to the new River City!

As you may have seen from our recent sneak peeks, River City has undergone a complete overhaul. At three times the size of the original River City and featuring significant changes to the overall layout, pilots are in for an entirely new battlefield, demanding new strategies. Along with substantial changes to the size and layout of the map itself the new River City is the first standard queue map to receive these new map features: Dynamic Time of Day, breakable objects, and the introduction of Leopard-class DropShips for pilot drop zones.

Forest Colony will be the next standard queue map to receive a similar overhaul, as decided by the Calling All Founder's poll back in May.

Thunderbolt and Wolverine pilots have long distinguished themselves as heroes on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere, and today's patch sees the release of Hero variants for each of these Inner Sphere powerhouses. The TDR-5S-T "Top Dog" and the WVR-Q "Quarantine" are now available for MC through the in-game Store.

Rounding out the patch we have some excellent improvements to the hit-reg and host state rewind systems, 720p resolution support for the 'Expanded' MechLab layout, an array of weapon geometry adjustments, gameplay tweaks for ballistic weaponry, Jump Jets, legged 'Mech mobility, and the Assault game mode, along with Quirk adjustments for the Timber Wolf and Stormcrow.

Read on for details on all the fixes and changes, and we'll see you on the battlefield!

- The MechWarrior Team

Change Log

New Map (Standard Queue)

River City (new)

Along with a complete overhaul of its layout and composition, the new River City map contains three new features currently unique to River City. These features will roll out to other maps in future updates.

Dynamic Time of Day

Time of Day on the new River City is chosen at random, and is divided into four quadrants:

• Dawn
  
• Day
  
• Dusk
  
• Night
  

For public matches, each quadrant condenses its 6-hour duration into 15 minutes (the maximum match time for Standard Queue matches).

For private matches, the 6-hour quadrant duration will be condensed over whichever match duration is set in the Lobby.

When accessed through Testing Grounds the new River City will currently run through all of the above cycles once, from Dawn to Night.

Breakable Objects

The new River City features an array of interactive/breakable objects:

• Trees - can be knocked over by 'Mech and projectile collisions
  
• Statues - can be knocked over by 'Mech and projectile collisions
  
• Street lights - can be knocked over by 'Mech and projectile collisions; the light will go out when knocked over
  
• Flood lights - can be shot out with projectiles; the light will go out when shot
  
• Fences - can be knocked over by 'Mech and projectile collisions
  
• Antennae - can be knocked over by 'Mech and projectile collisions
  

These objects will not block or slow down 'Mechs or weapons fire.

Single-spawn DropShip drop zones

Players will now drop onto the new River City from one of three DropShip drop zones for their side. The DropShips will leave the battlefield once they have unloaded their 'Mechs.

New Hero 'Mechs:

Thunderbolt "Top Dog" TDR-5S-T

• Price: 4,875 MC
  
• Tonnage: 65
  
• Engine: 260 Standard
  
• Top Speed: 64.8 kph
• Max Engine Rating: 315
• Torso Movement:
  
• 80 degrees to each side
• 20 degrees up and down
• Arm Movement:
  
• 20 degrees to each side
• 30 degrees up and down
• Armor: 416 (Standard)
  
• Internal Structure: Standard
  
• Weapons & Equipment:
  
• Head: Heat Sink
• Left Torso: Medium Laser x4, Heat Sink x3
• Center Torso: Heat Sink x2, Engine
• Right Torso: Medium Laser x4, Heat Sink x3
• Right Arm: Large Laser
• Left Leg: Heat Sink x2
• Right Leg: Heat Sink x2
• Hardpoints:
  
• Left Torso: 4 Energy
• Right Torso: 4 Energy, 1 AMS
• Right Arm: 1 Energy
• Heat Sinks: 23 Single
  
• Jump Jets: 0 (0 Max)
  
• ECM Capable?: No
  
• MASC Capable?: No
  
• Module Slots:
  
• Mech: 1
• Consumable: 2
• Weapon: 2
• Movement Archetype: Medium
  
• Quirks:
  
• Acceleration Rate (Low, Med, & High Speeds): +10%
• Deceleration Rate (Low, Med, & High Speeds): +10%
• Turn Rate (Low, Med. & High Speeds): +10%
• Armor Strength (Full Body): +12.5%
• Structure Strength (Full Body): +12.5%
• Torso Turn Angle (Yaw): +9
• Torso Turn Rate (Yaw): +10%
• Energy Range +5%
• 30% C-Bill bonus

Wolverine "Quarantine" WVR-Q

• Price: 4,125 MC
  
• Tonnage: 55
  
• Engine: 275 XL
  
• Top Speed: 81 kph
• Max Engine Rating: 360
• Torso Movement:
  
• 125 degrees to each side
• 30 degrees up and down
• Arm Movement:
  
• 30 degrees to each side
• 35 degrees up and down
• Armor: 368 (Standard)
  
• Internal Structure: Endo-Steel
  
• Weapons & Equipment:
  
• Left Torso: Jump Jet
• Center Torso: AC/5 Ammo, SRM Ammo, Engine
• Right Torso: SRM 6 x2, Jump Jet x2, Double Heat Sink
• Right Arm: AC/5, Medium Laser x3
• Left Leg: AC/5 Ammo, SRM Ammo
• Right Leg: AC/5 Ammo, SRM Ammo
• Hardpoints:
  
• Right Torso: 2 Missile, 1 AMS
• Right Arm: 1 Ballistic, 3 Energy
• Heat Sinks: 12 Double
  
• Jump Jets: 3 (7 Max)
  
• ECM Capable?: No
  
• MASC Capable?: No
  
• Module Slots:
  
• Mech: 1
• Consumable: 2
• Weapon: 2
• Movement Archetype: Medium
  
• Quirks:
  
• Acceleration Rate (Low, Med, & High Speeds): +5%
• Deceleration Rate (Low, Med, & High Speeds): +5%
• Turn Rate (Low, Med. & High Speeds): +5%
• Additional Armor (CT): +9
• Additional Armor (RT): +13
• Additional Armor (RA): +18
• Torso Turn Angle (Yaw): +6
• Torso Turn Rate (Yaw): +5%
• Ballistic Velocity: +10%
• Ballistic Cooldown: +10%
• Laser Duration: -10%
• Missile Velocity: +10%
• 30% C-Bill bonus
  

Gameplay

Assault Game Mode

• Turrets have been removed

Ballistic Weaponry

• Inner Sphere Autocannon/10 - Ammunition per ton increased from 15 to 20
  
• Clan Autocannons and Clan Ultra Autocannons have had their number of projectiles per volley reduced:
  
• Clan-AC/2 reduced from 2 rounds per volley to 1, damage is now 2.0 per round
• Clan-AC/5 reduced from 3 rounds per volley to 2, damage is now 2.5 per round
• Clan-AC/10 reduced from 4 rounds per volley to 3, damage is now 3.3333 per round
• Clan-AC/20 reduced from 5 rounds per volley to 4, damage is now 5 per round
• To compensate for the above changes, adjustments have been made to Clan AC/UAC/LB-X(Slug) ammo counts:
  
• Clan-AC/2 ammo per ton reduced from 150 down to 75 (1/2 ton = 37)
• Clan-AC/5 ammo per ton reduced from 90 down to 60 (1/2 ton = 30)
• Clan-AC/10 ammo per ton 60 matches IS AC/10 change (1/2 ton = 30)
• Clan-AC/20 ammo per ton reduced from 35 down to 28 (1/2 ton = 14)

Energy Weaponry

• PPC velocity increased to 1100, up from 950
  
• ER-PPC velocity increased to 1200, up from 1050
  
• Clan ER-PPC velocity increased to 1200, up from 1050

Jump Jets

• Class I Jump Jets:
  
• Initial boost off the ground increased from 158 to 220
• In-air thrust increased from 50 to 68
• Duration of burn (fuel amount) reduced from 4.9 to 4.1
• Class III Jump Jets:
  
• Duration of burn (fuel amount) increased from 3.2 to 3.75
• Class IV Jump Jets:
  
• Duration of burn (fuel amount) increased from 3.2 to 3.75

'Mech Mobility

• When a leg is destroyed on a 'Mech, the 'Mech will slow down to 15km/h before being able to slowly regain speed back to 40km/h max
  
• Additional hits to a legged 'Mech will no longer slow it back down to 15km/h

'Mech Fixes and Changes

• Awesome
  
• Weapon visualization passes
• Banshee BNC-3M Champion
  
• Fixed an issue where this Champion was providing Bonus C-Bills instead of Bonus XP
• Centurion
  
• Ballistic weaponry has been remodeled
• Cicada
  
• Weapon visualization passes
• Commando
  
• Weapon visualization passes
• Dragon
  
• Weapon visualization passes
• Ebon Jaguar
  
• Fixed minor cockpit clipping issues
• Fixed an issue where the 'Mech would spin non-stop after death
• Executioner
  
• Fixed minor cockpit clipping issues
• Hellbringer
  
• Phranken pattern improved
• JagerMech
  
• Fixed a cockpit texture issue
• Spider
  
• Leg hit meshes have been fixed

Quirk Changes

Timber Wolf

• TBR-Prime
  
• Left Arm and Right Arm: Reduced Laser Duration from +6% to +4% and Energy Cooldown from -6% to -4%
• Left Torso: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• TBR-A
  
• Left Arm, Center Torso, and Right Arm: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• Left Torso: Reduced Laser Duration from +12% to +8% and Energy Cooldown from -12% to -8%
• TBR-C
  
• Left Arm: Reduced Laser Duration from +6% to +4% and Energy Cooldown from -6% to -4%
• Center Torso: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown quirks
• TBR-D
  
• Left Arm, Center Torso, and Right Arm: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• TBR-S
  
• Left Arm and Right Torso: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• Right Arm: Reduced Laser Duration from +6% to +4% and Energy Cooldown from -6% to -4%

Stormcrow

• SCR-Prime
  
• Head: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• Left Arm and Right Arm: Reduced Laser Duration from +6% to +4% and Energy Cooldown from -6% to -4%
• SCR-A
  
• Left Arm: Reduced Laser Duration from +9% to +6% and Energy Cooldown from -9% to -6%
• SCR-B
  
• Head: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• Left Arm: Removed +6% Laser Duration and -6% Energy Cooldown
• Right Arm: Reduced Laser Duration from +9% to +8% and Energy Cooldown from -9% to -8%
• SCR-C
  
• Left Torso, Right Torso, and Right Arm: Removed +3% Laser Duration and -3% Energy Cooldown
• SCR-D
  
• No changes

MechLab

'Expanded' View resolution support

• The minimum supported resolution for 'Expanded' view is now 1280x720
  
• The Warehouse and 'Mech Stats windows are now exposed through roll-out tabs when running 'Expanded' layout at resolutions from 1280x720 to 1440x900

Host State Rewind Fixes and Improvements

• HSR algorithm now rewinds animation state when compensating for ping
  
• Fixed some issues with the HSR algorithm that would contribute to missed shots

Optimizations

• Reduced client upstream bandwidth usage by approximately 40-45%
  
• Reduced client downstream bandwidth usage by approximately 20-25%

General Fixes and Changes

• Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could sometimes be seen through walls under Thermal Vision
  
• Fixed an issue where lighting under DX11 was slightly darker with MSAA/TXAA on
  
• Fixed SLI issues under DX11. DX9 SLI profile fixes are pending work from NVIDIA
  
• Fixed an issue where the 'With Premium Time Enabled' box in the End of Round Player Stats summary was not displaying the correct XP value
  
• Fixed an issue where the Spider Mastery Bundle could not be purchased from the Store if the player had no empty Mech Bays
  
• Fixed an issue where a 'Mech could power-up prematurely after firing a large number of PPCs
  
• 'Mechs now display sparks or collision particles when colliding with geometry
  
• 'Mechs now generate audio effects when colliding with geometry
  
• With the introduction of the new River City, the old River City and River City Night maps are no longer available for Public, Private, or Testing Grounds sessions

See you on the battlefield!

- The MechWarrior® Online™ Team

[Sereglach]

Patch notes coming out for early review, again. Beautiful notes, with plenty of fixes and improvements. Keep them coming.

EDIT: So it can be seen on the first page . . . thoroughly disappointed in the Commando "Weapon Visualizations" . . . they're terrible. You could have easily used Kintaro missile boxes and kept the 1 and 2 energy hardpoint boxes for the Commando Arms and then drawn from the Panther on how to do the CT right . . . instead you gave us the crap we now have. I'm thoroughly disappointed and you're one major step further from getting money out of me for Origins, or anything else.

Edited by Sereglach, 07 July 2015 - 03:25 PM.

[RedDevil]

I honestly don't see a single thing here I don't like! Double Thumbs Up!

[Simbacca]

Hmmm.... I was hoping the Thunderbolt Hero mech would have missile hardpoints....

[ScarecrowES]

Well done, PGI, on the fixes included in this patch. Clanners will be very very happy our ballistics might be worth mounting again.

[Nam Neckcrit]

outstanding patch, very lookin forward to it! 07

[NocturnalBeast]

Wow, the Awesome and Dragon are finally getting weapon visualization?! Most of the changes look good, can't wait for the HSR fixes and reduced bandwidth consumption.

[August55]

Nice patch, but wouldn't the removal of Assault turrets cause the unintended "Caustic Valley Racing" problem all over again?

[ColonelProctor]

Very well done PGI. Very well done indeed.

[Wild_Alaskan]

ScarecrowES, on 06 July 2015 - 04:11 PM, said:

Well done, PGI, on the fixes included in this patch. Clanners will be very very happy our ballistics might be worth mounting again.

Also note that the TBR and SCR lasers got un-nerfed a bit.

[PlasmonDawn]

Excellent looking patch, excited to try it.

Edited by PlasmonDawn, 06 July 2015 - 05:49 PM.

[Wild_Alaskan]

August55, on 06 July 2015 - 04:20 PM, said:

Nice patch, but wouldn't the removal of Assault turrets cause the unintended "Caustic Valley Racing" problem all over again?

Personally I didn't mind the laser turrets, but the LRM turrets were pretty stupid on some maps. I think making them Streak turrets instead would've been a better option.

[OznerpaG]

interesting they modified both the c-AC and the c-UAC to fire less shells - i would have thought it'd be smarter to just give that benefit to the c-AC's only so there'd be a reason to use them over c-UACs now

if you'r not going to give c-ACs any kind of advantage over c-UACs then why even have them in the game?


also when they redo forest colony i hope they keep the map available for private matches - it's perfect for some of the low player count tourney matches (like 1v1)

Edited by JagdFlanker, 06 July 2015 - 04:28 PM.

[Night Thastus]

I'm really happy to say I approve of these patch notes.
PGI is moving in the right direction. I'm glad to say I dropped like 300+$ on this game.

[Sereglach]

ScarecrowES, on 06 July 2015 - 04:11 PM, said:

Well done, PGI, on the fixes included in this patch. Clanners will be very very happy our ballistics might be worth mounting again.

Honestly, if they're going to lower the Ballistic projectile count that much, I wouldn't mind seeing the IS Autocannons set to match, and then having PGI put the Mech Rifles into the game as the single-projectile PPFLD ballistics.

Although I'd really just like to see mech rifles in general, to give lighter mechs a wider variety of ballistics to use.

August55, on 06 July 2015 - 04:20 PM, said:

Nice patch, but wouldn't the removal of Assault turrets cause the unintended "Caustic Valley Racing" problem all over again?

It'll actually revive some strategy on the maps, to be honest. People will need to be more concerned about having people able to respond to a base-capture. I also think it'll actually prevent the Caustic Valley NASCAR roundabouts on Assault because people will be more concerned about protecting their bases.

It doesn't mean that the turrets couldn't have been toned down or modified, but I think removing them, for now, is a good place to start to revitalize that game mode as a more unique mode. I might actually put a capture accelerator back on some of my mechs.

[Odanan]

InnerSphereNews, on 06 July 2015 - 04:01 PM, said:

With the introduction of the new River City, the old River City and River City Night maps are no longer available for Public, Private, or Testing Grounds sessions

Excellent patch, except for this.
Why not keeping the River City maps for Private Matches?

JagdFlanker, on 06 July 2015 - 04:24 PM, said:

if you'r not going to give c-ACs any kind of advantage over c-UACs then why even have them in the game?

also when they redo forest colony i hope they keep the map available for private matches - it's perfect for some of the low player count tourney matches (like 1v1)

This! ^

Sereglach, on 06 July 2015 - 04:28 PM, said:

Honestly, if they're going to lower the Ballistic projectile count that much, I wouldn't mind seeing the IS Autocannons set to match, and then having PGI put the Mech Rifles into the game as the single-projectile PPFLD ballistics.

Although I'd really just like to see mech rifles in general, to give lighter mechs a wider variety of ballistics to use.

And this! ^

[xCico]

PGI, You are awesome, thanks for great upcoming patch!

[Pariah Devalis]

ScarecrowES, on 06 July 2015 - 04:11 PM, said:

Well done, PGI, on the fixes included in this patch. Clanners will be very very happy our ballistics might be worth mounting again.

Again? When was this "again" again?

So happy. My Dakka-Jaguar is going to feel a lot more reliable. Though I am concerned about Dakkawhales....

[FupDup]

Dakka Whale said:

I approve of Clan UAC buffs.

[Sereglach]

JagdFlanker, on 06 July 2015 - 04:24 PM, said:

interesting they modified both the c-AC and the c-UAC to fire less shells - i would have thought it'd be smarter to just give that benefit to the c-AC's only so there'd be a reason to use them over c-UACs now

if you'r not going to give c-ACs any kind of advantage over c-UACs then why even have them in the game?

The basic Clan Autocannons were actually only supposed to be put in as placeholders over actual selectable fire modes for the LBX Autocannons. I don't think we're going to see the selectable fire (they've stated that the engine is extremely unfriendly towards the concept, and it'll require an obscene amount of work to implement), but honestly why use the basic autocannons, anyway? If you just hold the trigger on a UAC then it won't jam . . . it'll just function the same as a basic autocannon.

Odanan, on 06 July 2015 - 04:30 PM, said:

Excellent patch, except for this.
Why not keeping the River City maps for Private Matches?

This was explained, and I believe that Russ had stated that he'd see about having the old ones brought back, but there were no guarantees. For now I think it was a matter of game footprint size and they had originally planned to just remove the unused levels from the start, not thinking people would want them kept.