112 replies to this topic

[InnerSphereNews]

Greetings MechWarriors,

We are happy to announce that starting August 27th at 12:30 PM PDT (7:30 PM UTC) the Public Test Server (PTS) will be activated to give any interested pilots a chance to get an advance look at the new MechWarrior Academy Tutorial!
This PTS is scheduled to run until September 4th at 10:00 AM PDT (5:00 PM UTC).

Accessing the PTS will require that you download and install a separate instance of the MWO client.

If you have already participated in a previous PTS session and still have the client installed, you will only need to apply the latest patches.

The download link for the PTS installer can be found here.

What is MechWarrior Academy?

Designed to prepare new pilots for the rigors of fighting on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere, the new MechWarrior Academy is intended as a 'living' tutorial and training system. Beyond its initial release in the September 22nd patch, MechWarrior Academy will continue to receive new Challenges, Persistent Features, and refinements in future updates.
Below are the current Persistent Features and Challenges that you'll encounter when experiencing MechWarrior Academy during this PTS.

Persistent Features:

• 'Mech Swapper: Try out a 'Mech from each weight class without leaving the Academy.
  
• Shooting Range: Test the range limits and damage potential of your weaponry.
  
• Hot and Cold zones: Test the heat efficiency of your weapons under different climates.
  
• Time of Day changer: Allows you to run your training and Challenges under different lighting conditions.
  

Challenges:

• Pilot Challenge: Race to achieve your best time.
  
• Rapid Fire: Destroy as many targets as you can before the timer expires.
  
• Target Practice: Use your targeting data to find and exploit the weak points on dummy 'Mechs to destroy them efficiently.
  
• Gauntlet: Survive damage from waves of enemies while you navigate your way through a circuit of checkpoints.
  
• Running Cored: Survive the Gauntlet with a critical center torso. Twisting to spread damage is essential!

While the build you'll experience during this PTS session is not the final release build, we hope you'll nonetheless enjoy a glimpse into what's in store for MechWarrior Online; not just for what's coming in the September 22nd patch, but where MechWarrior Online may be headed into the future.

IMPORTANT NOTES

The MechWarrior Academy Tutorial is still a work-in-progress!

The build you will see in the PTS client is not the final release build.

You will only be able to access the PTS Client from August 27th at 12:30 PM PDT (7:30 PM UTC) until September 4th at 10:00 AM PDT (5:00 PM UTC).
Attempting to do so before or after the above times will result in a 'Servers Undergoing Maintenance' message.

Public Test Server Client Installation Steps

• Download and run the PTS installer (if a previous install of the PTS Client is not already present on your system).
• Run the MechWarriorOnline.exe, located in your C:\Program Files (x86)\MWO Public Test\MechWarrior Online\Bin32 folder (default install location).
• Click the Patch button.
• Accept the Terms of Use.
• The PTS Client will then proceed to download the MWO install base, which is roughly 7 GB in size.
• Once the Install Base has been downloaded and installed, the launcher will then download and apply two small patches.
• Once the patches are downloaded and installed, you should now have access to the Play button.
• Click Play!

Accessing MechWarrior Academy

• Once you have downloaded the PTS client and/or installed the latest PTS patches, run the MechWarriorOnline.exe, located in your C:\Program Files (x86)\MWO Public Test\MechWarrior Online\Bin32 folder (default install location).
• Log-in with your regular credentials.
• Click the Tutorials button.
• Welcome to MechWarrior Academy!

Please read this important information about the PTS client session:

• The sole purpose of this PTS session is to test the MechWarrior Academy only.
• Match services will not be available through the PTS client during this PTS session.
• The standard Live client will continue to function as normal.
• Your login information for the PTS client will be the same as your Live account login information.
• As this PTS is only intended for experiencing an advance look at the MechWarrior Academy, PTS accounts will not be injected with any additional MC, C-Bills, or GXP.
• Any actions you perform inside the PTS client, such as spending MC/C-Bills or customizing your 'Mechs, will not carry over to your Live account.
• The account that is used for your access to the PTS client is a 'snapshot' of your standard Live account.

To help prevent any confusion with the Live environment, all discussion of the MechWarrior Academy PTS session should go into the Public Test sub-forum.

We request that you please only use the Public Test sub-forum for constructive feedback and discussion of the MechWarrior Academy PTS.

Please do not submit any support tickets regarding issues with the MechWarrior Academy PTS.

Download link for the Public Test Server installer!

Discuss the MechWarrior Academy PTS and post your feedback in the Public Test sub-forum!

[luigi256]

Oh this is really cool I'll give it a try later today. Hopefully it will help new players understand the game better.

[Levi Porphyrogenitus]

This is the first PTS I'm actually going to install and try out. A proper tutorial is one of the things that many of us have judged as most needful, and I'm glad to have a chance to provide some input into the thing.

[Deathlike]

I guess I'm excited to test this out....

[YaKillinMeSmalls]

Does it come with a sarcastic drill instructor?

Edited by YaKillinMeSmalls, 27 August 2015 - 11:54 AM.

[Milocinia]

Patching the PTS now to give this a whirl.

Sounds like a lot of thought went into the content for this Academy. Fingers crossed it'll help NPE and maybe encourage those who played and quit, because of the game's steep learning curve, to come back and give it a try.

[Wayward Herald]

''Gauntlet: Survive damage from waves of enemies while you navigate your way through a circuit of checkpoints''

AI bots - Yes please

[Voivode]

Wave mode you say? That sounds....like the beginning of a great thing.

[M A S E]

Wat?!?! I get to smash up AI bots and do challenges? I need beer for this!!


Reinstalling the PTS. On a side note PGI please don't forget to change the 'brief tutorial' video that plays during install. Not only is the video full of outdated information (Such as the 3rd person hotkey) the loading screen 'game tips' are outdated as well. There is alot of stuff that could be added to it prior to launching this new tutorial.

Edited by M A S E, 27 August 2015 - 12:58 PM.

[Sereglach]

This is phenomenal! I really look forward to trying out all facets of this new tutorial and putting them through their paces. Hopefully this will help serve to assist newer or less skilled players in mastering the basics of mech combat.

Also . . . the first REAL looks at PVE materials. I'm not going to lie . . . I'm a little excited over the potentials for future implementations. Such as:

1. No more "ghost drops" . . . instead go against a respectable team of enemy AI mechs if you can't find a match.

2. Actual PVE missions for CW or Open Queue that are 100% meant to be PVE . . . either alone or co-op.

3. Opportunities for MWO to expand into a full campaign on top of the multiplayer facets.

4. Most importantly, the ability to hopefully eventually roast piles of little screaming infantry and combat vehicles with Flamers (although we still need the Flamer reengineering to be completed, first, please).

[MoonUnitBeta]

Neat! Can't wait to see what it's all about!

[XX Sulla XX]

Sounds like a great step in the right direction getting ready for Steam.

[mp00]

woooo..t


Actually will give his a wootwoot!

Edited by mp00, 27 August 2015 - 03:37 PM.

[Wo0t]

This is exciting news - mainly because of the anticipation leading to possible PvE content! Will update the PTS client and hop on tonight. I have been super impressed with PGI's transparency over the past year and all of the content released so far. Keep it up!

[GullyFoyle]

Me excited!
(dl slow though )

[Dawnstealer]

Great idea. Some things that might be needed:

• Simple AI-controlled units. These could be precursors to AI tanks/infantry in the larger game!
  
• A Hatchetman.

[gl0w]

Superlative freaking news! When I heard Russ talk about a 'tutorial' in the works, I didn't expect all of this! These training modes definitely sound like they'll be helpful. If you add in plenty of achievements, even stuff that vets might like, you could be adding about billion hours of replay value with PvE.

There doesn't seem to be a new sub forum yet, but I'll be on the look out.

[Iqfish]

Niiiice!

Will download, test and give feedback

[Alexander Garden]

Some additional info:

Once you complete the initial tutorial and unlock the rest of MechWarrior Academy, you can drop into the sandbox with any 'Mech (selected as usual from the home screen).

In this PTS version, the 'Mech Swapper will allow you to jump out of your selected 'Mech and into the following 'Mechs:

• Dragon DRG-Fang
  
• Dragon DRG-5N (C)
  
• JagerMech JM6-FB
  
• JagerMech JM6-A (C)
  
• Hunchback HBK-4G (F)
  
• Catapult CPLT-C4
  
• King Crab KGC-000 (L)
  
• Firestarter FS9-E
  
• Firestarter FS9-K
  
• Cicada CDA-2A (C)
  
• Jenner JR7-F

[TheSilken]

The wave format could potentially be useful for filming purposes also.