221 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

March is here, and with it a host of new features for MechWarrior Online. Our focus this month is improving the new user experience by adding a suite of tips, better details, testing grounds, and user friendly control options. Experienced MechWarriors will also be able to enjoy content designed specifically for them, including a brand new system of consumables, expanded statistics, and a new map! New Content:

• `Mech of the Month – JagerMech (19th)
• Hero `Mech of the Month – The X-5 (5th)
• New Patterns – Mountain Line (5th) and Vagabond (19th)
• New Cockpit Items – Dynamic hanging items make their debut, Fuzzy Dice anyone? (5th and 19th)

Testing Grounds This offline game mode allows player to launch into a random map and test out there currently selected BattleMechs. Each Testing Grounds match has 8 non-interactive `Mech targets for players to shoot and test damage, heat, movement and other strategies. This is just the beginning of a large set of training options for new and experienced players coming online in the next few months. Consumables An extension to the module system is being introduced on March 19th. Players will now be able to equip a variety of consumable module items. Upon release players will have access to Coolant Flush, Air Strikes, and Artillery Strikes. These new items will be available for C-Bill and MC purchase. Details will be forthcoming in an upcoming Command Chair post here www.mwomercs.com/forums/forum/102-command-chair/. Tourmaline Desert One of MechWarrior Online’s largest map yet! This hostile alien world will test the skills of the best MechWarrior pilots. Like Alpine Peaks, players will need to change their overall strategies, focusing on offense and defense, along with bringing in a balanced BattleMech build. Expanded User Statistics Players will now be able to see a much more robust set of player stats when visiting their personal www.mwomercs.com/profile/stats page. Detailed information about Mechs, Weapons, Maps, and Modes will give players a deeper understanding of how well they are doing. For now, these stats are only viewable by individual players. In future updates players will be able to see other player’s stats and leaderboards. New User Controls and Joystick Improvements Players will now have more options with regards to how they pilot their BattleMechs. Several new control systems and improvement have been added including Throttle Decay (gas pedal vs set throttle), Arm Lock to torso, Set Point Throttle (10-100% throttle values in 10% increments), Face Torso, and Joystick Analog turning. Player will also be able to customize their key bindings via the Pause Menu during matches. MechLab UI Improvements Further refinements to buying and selling `Mechs, readying `Mechs, and a visualization of hardpoints, weapons, and critical space directly on the `Mech itself, will make their appearance March 5th. These additions make a huge improvement to understanding the state of your BattleMech, along with helping understand the differences between variants when making a purchasing decision. Community Events After a hugely successful Be A Hero Challenge weekend, we’ve decided to add more events to our March schedule. Expect to see a variety of different challenges inspired by the community’s feedback! Also coming in March, Design a Trial Mech challenge. Players will be able to design a Heavy Trial Mech build based off one of the existing heavy `Mech chassis. The wining loadout, will be made available for uses as a Trial Mech throughout the month of April. Performance On March 5th Host State Rewind (HSR) goes live. This new system allows players with high latency pings to fire and hit more reliably using Lasers, Machine Guns, and Flamers. Often referred to as the lag shield effect, HSR will significantly improve the reliability and accuracy of weapon hit detection, making certain BattleMechs much easier to hit. We anticipate overall damage will increase, resulting in some possible upcoming weapon balancing changes if needed.

[Agent of Change]

Thanks for the update.

Looking forward to hear more about the consumables.

EDIT: Having learned more about the consumables I am concerned. Mainly that The coolant flush sound suspiciously like something we were told would not be in the game and there was a large vocal reaction against the idea of it's inclusion. Regardless of how it's implemented it's inclusion would be a another point people can point to as a why we can't trust PGI.

I'm on the fence as to the structure of MC/C-bills, and i think consumables could be great, but coolant flush specifically is something that PGI told us would not be included and that is what give me pause. I haven't grabbed my torch and pitchfork yet because i like to see how things take shape before going off the rails but the direction is concerning.

Edited by Agent of Change, 05 March 2013 - 05:27 AM.

[Pando]

Awesome

[Cerebelli]

Okay, now you've got me all excited PGI.

[Chauneko]

Woohoo! thanks for testing grounds!

[Corvus Antaka]

Well this all looks awesome!

[Father Dougal]

Coolant Flush, DO NOT WANT!

[Z0MBIE Y0SHI]

Coolant Flush?

I predict much anger on the forums over this.

All in all though, pretty satisfied with what I see (Minus MOAR INFO ON CW!!1!!11!)

[General Taskeen]

Sigh. So instead of having to mount a Coolant Pod, with all its disadvantages (weight, crit space, crit explosion, non-rechargeable in battle), we simply buy a consumable item? Come on devs... don't do stuff like that. Airstrikes, artillery, fine, but don't turn BT mountable items into consumables or modules.

I already posted in the suggestion forum about how to do Coolant Pod's right. When everyone said screamed "no" to coolant flush, I defended the use of balanced Coolant Pods through proper inclusion.

Edited by General Taskeen, 04 March 2013 - 11:58 AM.

[Chrithu]

This sounds just awesome. Training Grounds and Consumable Modules in particular. Also love the Host State Rewind part. As a EU Player I look very forward to that.

On the other hand I will have a grim awakening riding out my new X-5 tomorrow when it has no lagshield anymore .

[TheMagician]

Coolant flush - Could be good. Likely will vastly change the game.
Arty strikes - Hopefully its well balanced so you can't just nuke a team at the start. Could create very interesting tactics.

If any of this stuff is upgraded due to MC purchases, then we'll have some problems I think.

--

Stats page hasn't yet changed. Maybe tomorrow, or maybe later today?

The training room will help people test out a config for sure though. I hope it also allows you draw up each map, so people can take the time to learn the maps.

Still no mention of CW though. Disappointed.

[Iacov]

i think you should have specified wether "consumable" means that you only have a limited amount of uses per match (like cooling flush in mw4) or once consumed you have to buy anew...

that would interest me


and give us the clans!!!

and thanks for the update, it's always interesting to read about stuff ahead

[KableGuy]

Father Dougal, on 04 March 2013 - 11:53 AM, said:

Coolant Flush, DO NOT WANT!

Then don't buy it

[Gandalfrockman]

SAY SOMETHING ABOUT ECM!
seriously... anything....

[Nick Drezary]

SO MUCH WANT

[Agent of Change]

BitMonger505, on 04 March 2013 - 11:57 AM, said:

Then don't buy it

He means "....in the game" which honestly is the only thing in this update that gives me pause. I'm really curious about the 'consumables' as an idea but something like coolant flush if it works like previous items of similar names will simply be a free pass for incredibly heat inefficient builds.

I'll reserve judgment but I'm sitting on the "do we really need this" side of the fence

[Rizzwind]

It wont matter what any of you like or Dislike the Devs have it set in their head to keep pushing dumb game breaking crap to just make a buck. They already pissed the time line away why not bring things in that never where a part of Mechwarrior in the first place.

Edited by Rizzwind, 04 March 2013 - 10:37 PM.

[Andrew Waltfeld]

Considering the word consumable is attached to the coolant flush, i'm pretty sure that it will be a 1 use per match module. Cool, and useful for that critical moment where you have to finish an enemy, but otherwise not a huge deal as mechs cool down between combat engagements really quickly.

[AmAce]

yay looks like its going to be Patchmas 2 times this month

[Coolant]

Awesome stuff coming, and yes Coolant Flush included (was in MW4:Mercs as a staple).