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[InnerSphereNews]

Tuesday, January 19th @ 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM PST
Patch Number: 1.4.52.0
Patch Size: ~500 MB

Greetings MechWarriors,

It has been many years since the Warhammer last rolled off the production lines of the Inner Sphere, but the 'Mech has never been absent from the memories of experienced MechWarriors. As of this patch, the Warhammer is once again stomping onto the battlegrounds of the Inner Sphere. As with the already-released Marauder and the upcoming Archer and Rifleman 'Mechs, we are extremely happy and proud to re-introduce the Warhammer as the second release in our Classic Inner Sphere 'Mech series.

This patch also sees the addition of Polar Highlands, a brand new map for the Quick Play queue. Featuring mostly even elevation throughout and a high degree of visibility in day or night, Polar Highlands draws its inspiration from some of the open-range map designs seen in previous MechWarrior titles.

One of the most consistent requests we've received over the years has been for the functionality to change your Pilot Name. As of this patch you will now be able to manually change your own Pilot Name through our new web interface. The first change is free, but all subsequent changes will require 4,500 MC to initiate, so make it a good one, MechWarrior.

This patch also features a large number of map fixes and changes, including breakable trees in the Viridian Bog (Quick Play) and Emerald Taiga (Faction Play) maps, changes to the rendering method for all laser weaponry to provide more accurate visual feedback, a reduction to the Cooldown time for all Gauss rifles, improvements to the Weapon Group HUD to provide more accurate visual feedback for determining weapon efficacy at different ranges, a hitbox adjustment for the Hunchback IIC variants, and much more.

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

- The MechWarrior Team

Change Log

New Map (Quick Play)

Polar Highlands

This remote base, situated on a remote planet in a remote system, has been locked in perpetual winter since it was established. Founded originally as a purely research-based facility, the majority of useful research opportunities were exhausted within the first decade. Scientists and engineers garrisoned here long after the station had been re-commissioned as a communications relay found they had little to do but reflect on whatever series of professional missteps had led to their chilly re-assignment. When war finally reached this sector, initially breaking out on the more resource-rich and strategically valuable planets closer to the system's K-class star, the few engineers stationed here whose social skills hadn't completely frozen over had the opportunity to find new purpose maintaining the 'Mechs and support facilities for whichever occupying Faction could be convinced to spare them for their utility.

While the frigid temperatures of the Polar Highlands grants pilots with considerable leeway in terms of operational heat, the relatively sparse amount of cover provided by the natural trenches running through this map requires that pilots remain constantly focused on their surroundings and the horizon. Visibility on this battleground is excellent in day or night.

Dynamic Time of Day

Time of Day on Polar Highlands is divided into four quadrants:

Dawn - 20% chance of selection
Day - 50% chance of selection
Dusk - 20% chance of selection
Night - 10% chance of selection

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 Polar Highlands will cycle through all of the above cycles.

Breakable Objects

Polar Highlands does not feature any breakable objects.

Single-spawn DropShip drop zones (3 drop zones per team)

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

New 'Mech

Pictured variant: WHM-BW

Warhammer (Heavy)

A procurement officer requested a "...mobile ’Mech with enough firepower to destroy or severely damage any ’Mech of the same class or lower.” When the final BattleMech rolled off the StarCorps Industries assembly line, the Warhammer fit the bill well, quickly becoming a mainstay in the Star League Defense Force. Its superb balance of armor, weapons, and speed made it extremely popular with Star League Gunslingers as well. Ultimately the Warhammer clinched its place as one of the most successful heavy BattleMechs ever produced.

Release date for MC: April 5th 2016
Release date for C-Bills: May 3rd 2016

Loadout details and discussion of this 'Mech can be found in a dedicated post here.

Pilot Name Change

Players can now change their Pilot Name through the website using the new Change Pilot Name page.

The first name change is free! Any subsequent name changes will cost 4,500 MC, and are non-refundable. If a name is already in use, or is otherwise not permitted, the page will inform you that the proposed name is unavailable.
Pilot Names that are deemed inappropriate are subject to change by Support services to a generic placeholder, after which the player will need to initiate another name change using the web portal.

Important Note: Changing your Pilot Name will create a new profile in your \Saved Games\Mechwarrior Online\Profiles directory. As a result, your new Pilot Name will not carry over your existing custom key maps, in-game settings, or weapon groups!
To carry over your existing settings after changing your Pilot Name, follow these steps:

• Make sure you are not logged-in to your MechWarrior Online client.
• Head to your C:\Users\<windows username>\Saved Games\MechWarrior Online\Profiles folder.
• Open the Profile folder associated with your original Pilot Name.
• Highlight and copy the following files:

• actionmaps.xml
• attributes.xml
• weapongroups.xml

• Return to the root \MechWarrior Online\Profiles folder and open the Profile folder associated with your new Pilot Name.
• Paste the files you copied into that new Pilot Name Profile folder, overwriting any existing files.
• Log-in to your MechWarrior Online client using your usual credentials
• Your original keymaps, in-game Settings, and Weapon Groups should all be intact.

New Cockpit Items

• Black Widow (Hanging Item)
• Phoenix Black (Hanging Item)
• Phoenix Black (Mounted Item - War Horn)
• Phoenix Black (Standing Item)

New Badges and Titles

Warhammer Standard Pack (and Collector Pack)

The Bludgeon

Warhammer Collector Pack

The Widowmaker

These Titles and Badges are only available through their associated Warhammer Pack. The Collector Pack comes with both.

Gameplay

• Reduced the Cooldown for both IS and Clan Gauss from 5.5s to 5.0s.
• Laser beams will now taper off as they approach their maximum Effective range, beyond which they will no longer render.
• Improvements have been made to the Weapon Group HUD.

• The coloration of weapons in the Weapon Group HUD will now behave more consistently, strictly following these conventions:

• Green (IS) or White (Clan): Target is within Optimal Range

• Orange: Target is within Effective Range

• Black: Target is Out of Range

• Coloration of torso-mounted weapons will now behave according to the position of the torso crosshair.

• Example: In the screenshot below, you can see that the color state of the Torso-mounted Medium and Small Lasers in the Weapon Group HUD now reflects the range of the torso crosshair, not the arm crosshair, and so the two weapons appear green. As the PPC's are arm-mounted, and the arm crosshair is casting to infinity, the PPC's appear black.

'Mechs Now Available for MC

Jenner IIC

• JR7-IIC: 2,770 MC
• JR7-IIC-2: 2,770 MC
• JR7-IIC-3: 2,665 MC
• JR7-IIC-A: 2,610 MC

'Mechs Now Available for C-Bills

Black Knight

• BLK-6-KNT: 6,949,667 C-Bills
• BLK-6B-KNT: 7,481,667 C-Bills
• BLK-7-KNT: 6.529.635 C-Bills
• BLK-7-KNT-L: 6,337,635 C-Bills

Map Fixes and Changes

• Alpine Peaks: Fixed a terrain rendering issue in H1.
• Boreal Vault: Fixed a terrain rendering issue in D4.
• Boreal Vault: Fixed an issue in F7 that could cause 'Mechs to float above the ground.
• Caustic Valley: Fixed some levitating rocks in B4.
• Crimson Strait: Fixed an issue in D4 where the overpass ground texture could disappear when zoomed in.
• Emerald Taiga: Trees are now breakable (all 6000 of them).
• Emerald Taiga: Fixed a concrete slab in D4 that was clipping through a mountain.
• Emerald Taiga: Fixed an issue in F5 where a tree could disappear at certain angles.
• Emerald Taiga: Fixed some levitating trees in D4/F4.
• Emerald Taiga: Fixed some terrain clipping issues in E4.
• Forest Colony: Fixed an issue in I8 where 'Mechs could get stuck.
• Forest Colony: Fixed an issue in F10 where water VFX and SFX would occur on the island.
• Grim Portico: Obstructed access to an out of bounds area in B7.
• Grim Portico: Fixed an invisible wall in D4.
• Hellebore Springs: Fixed an issue in D2 where the Omega Generator was clipping into the ground.
• Hellebore Springs: Fixed some levitating grass in E6.
• Mining Collective: Fixed an issue in E3 where a 'Mech could get stuck.
• Mining Collective: Fixed an issue in E3 where 'Mechs could fall through the ground.
• Mining Collective: Fixed an issue in E5 where 'Mechs could float above the ground.
• River City: Fixed a levitating tree and patch of grass in E4.
• River City: Fixed an issue in G3 where a 'Mech could get stuck.
• River City: Fixed an issue in D6 where a 'Mech could get stuck.
• River City: Fixed an issue where players could see through a building in E6 at certain angles.
• Sulfurous Rift: Fixed some levitating trees near D7 spawn area.
• Sulfurous Rift: Fixed an issue in E1 where players could see through the underside of a rock.
• Sulfurous Rift: Fixed some levitating cement blocks in C3.
• Terra Therma: Moved some 'Mech wreckage that could block player movement in E5/D5.
• Viridian Bog: Small trees, medium trees, and root branches are now breakable.
• Viridian Bog: Fixed an area in D4 where 'Mechs could get stuck.
• Viridian Bog: Fixed an area in B6 where 'Mechs could get stuck.
• Viridian Bog: Obstructed an area in G3 where 'Mechs could Jump Jet out of bounds.
• Vitric Forge: Fixed an issue with some ramps in F2/F3 that could hinder 'Mech movement.

'Mech Fixes and Changes

• Hellbringer (all variants): Fixed an issue with the Phoenix War Horn.
• Hunchback IIC (all variants): Hitboxes have been adjusted, with a portion of the Right and Left Side Torso’s above and around the shoulder area now shifted to the Right and Left Arm hit boxes.
• Hunchback IIC (all variants): Torso Pitch Angle has been increased from 20 to 25.
• Hunchback IIC (all variants): Fixed a material issue.

MechLab Fixes and Changes

• Fixed an issue where Structure upgrades were not displaying the correct tonnage for certain 'Mechs.
• Fixed an issue where increasing or decreasing the amount of armor on a 'Mech would not correctly update the availability status of Upgrades.
• Fixed an issue where Clan XL Engines required 3 critical slots in each side torso instead of just 2.
• Fixed an issue where filtering Colors by Owned in the Camo Spec screen could generate duplicate color swatches.
• Fixed an issue where filtering Colors by Owned in the Camo Spec screen could cause rows of ineligible color swatches to appear.

Other Fixes and Changes

• Fixed an issue where equipping the C-Bill Medallion Hanging Item could cause issues with Warhorn audio.
• Fixed an issue where the Pressure Chamber War Horn could flicker when walking.
• Added the ability to change the Screenshot keybinding.
• Performance improvements for targeting information displays.
• Performance improvements for lasers.

[LTG Renner]

YES! PATCH NOTES! So much good in 1 patch.

Edited by LTG Renner, 18 January 2016 - 02:28 PM.

[luigi256]

Finally! I thought they would never come.

[TheCharlatan]

InnerSphereNews, on 18 January 2016 - 02:06 PM, said:

• Hunchback IIC (all variants): Torso Pitch Angle has been increased from 20 to 25.

Looks like Bishop has done it again!

[EAP10]

Cool! Everything looks good.

[Ish Kabibble]

Time to load up on the Gauss! Nice work guys, looking forward to fighting over that new map too!

[John Stryker]

The thought of piloting a WHM again makes me feel a bit emotional

[Lucky Noob]

First name Change FREE, following cost MC.

As i guessed PGI showed again that not all has to be an Cashgrab.

Thanks alot PGi for showing that youre one of the Few who dont milk every Cow on the Field.

Edited by Braddack, 18 January 2016 - 02:41 PM.

[White Bear 84]

Nice work PGI, cant wait to try out the new map and my sexy warhammer collection!

[B L O O D W I T C H]

Thanks for the detailed patch notes!

[Luscious Dan]

Does anyone with a good memory for grid coordinates know if the Viridian Bog coordinates match up with the most common spot on the steps that swallows up King Crabs and other big, JJ-less mechs every few games?

Everything looks great, I appreciate the Clan XL mechlab and camospec screen fixes. Was slightly annoying to have to drop a DHS, swap engine, and then put the DHS back when tweaking my IIC mechs.

Re: Hunchback IIC torso pitch, I had to suppress a maniacal laugh there. 20 degree pitch was one of the biggest limiting factors for this lovely mech, almost as much as having hunches with no armor/structure quirks Slightly larger arm hit boxes will help a bit as well. Need to keep my dual UAC10s firing for as long as possible!

Edited by Luscious Dan, 18 January 2016 - 02:54 PM.

[Hexenhammer]

Braddack, on 18 January 2016 - 02:41 PM, said:

First name Change FREE, following cost MC.

As i guessed PGI showed again that not all has to be an Cashgrab.

Thanks alot PGi for showing that youre one of the Few who dont milk every Cow on the Field.

Don't worry. People will complain the price of a name change after the first free one is too high. But since I am responsible adult that picked a name I like and don't troll people, I see no problem with the price.

Edited by Hexenhammer, 18 January 2016 - 02:57 PM.

[Sereglach]

Ok, the new map looks great, and certainly shows it's roots in previous MechWarrior titles (the images we've seen so far remind me of certain missions and a multiplayer map from MechWarrior 4, in particular). Also, all of the fixes and tweaks to the maps that we already have are extremely welcome boons, as well. That's a surprisingly extensive list, and I know I've bumped into a few of those fixed "problem points" myself, so seeing those repaired is a relieving sight.

Now we're getting the Warhammer, after first getting the Marauder. The Rifleman and Archer aren't too far behind, as well. Seeing the Classics reborn with MWO fidelity, quality, and aesthetics is a wonderful sight; and personally I prefer these new appearances much more over some of the very old artwork. I wish I could spend money on them, but that brings me to my next point . . .

Ok, we've been told that the ONE THING holding back the Flamer reengineering was that Flamers were supposed to get some visual work done. Now, the laser visual update to more accurately reflect weapon range and damage inflicting potential is nice and certainly quite welcome, but I'm surprised it's coming before any work has been done to the Flamers. If this required actual visual effect engineering and implementation I'm going to be downright pissed off that a weapon waiting on attention for over 2 years would be skipped over just to improve upon something that was completely functional as-is. On the other hand . . . *takes a deep breath and stops himself from getting too worked up*

On the other hand, is this just the tweaking of rendering and glow effect strength at ranges? I know there was the recent removal of editing the glow effects feature in the user.ini; and that feature did make lasers significantly narrower (nearly pinpoint, in fact) and nearly non-existanct visually. Is this new visual change just a tweaking of those properties to get a more accurate and efficient rendering effect? It seems that's little more than an xml value tweak and not actually requiring any sort of artist work or visual engineering. If that's the case then I can see why it was done when it was.

Clarification on this would be greatly appreciated.

Now, my continued and usual "Patch Notes List of Hopes for Future Patches":

-Of course my primary hopes/prayers/dreams are that y'all get to the Flamer Reengineering. Thanks for the answer in the September Town Hall on that, by the way. However, the fact that MG's and Flamers received ZERO attention through the rebalancing actually pisses me off big-time. In fact, MG's actually see an overall nerf because the few MG buffs out there (for mechs that boat them, stock) lost all of their MG related quirks. I hope these weapons receive their due attention, soon. There are plenty of solid and simple fixes out there for them. Even if artwork is desired for the flamers, fixing the weapon shouldn't be put off for some undisclosed amount of time while the art department deals with a massive backlog of things to be done. Frankly, the game shouldn't have gone to Steam release with a core basic weapon system in a broken state, because that puts a very poor impression on new players who come in and see that.

-Rebalance Overhaul IW: On the PTS it seemed to be coming along quite nicely. I just wish Info Warfare drops soon. It had a very sold base with good implementation. At the very least . . . GET THAT ECM CORE MECHANIC CHANGE INTO LIVE! I know the rest of IW is going to be on hold (which is understandable . . . polish is always nice) . . . but the core change to ECM's mechanics was not only lore friendly, but it made IW and indirect warfare exceptionally more viable for MWO (which means more build variety then the laser meta). Make it happen, please!

-I hope to God you go back and redo some of the recent weapons visualizations (my poor, poor Commando . . .). There has been LOTS of feedback from the community on these, and it isn't pretty. Maybe start knocking them out in bits and pieces? Or maybe start concepting overhauls for all the early-gen mechs to use the kind and quality of weapon visualizations that new mechs have? At least Russ said on twitter that the resizing is underway and we'll hopefully be seeing the first round of that in February (with hints that certain mechs, like the Catapult, are getting weapon visuals looked at in conjunction with their resizing). That's a huge plus.

-The info from the October Town Hall, and the Steam Release live stream, on CW Phase 3 was appreciated. I look forward to that hopefully hitting as a patch very soon, since it seemed to be hinted that it would come sometime within the first quarter of the new year at the latest.

-Decal System was mostly done (according to Town Halls), and it looks like -according to the live stream party- that it'll be ready for release soonish? I'm sure it would do a great deal to help monetization efforts by allowing more detailed customization features for mechs. I look forward to this hopefully hitting soon.

As a closing note, please don't take these desires as bickering or complaints. They're merely notes for hopes/dreams/wishes to be included in future patches. Y'all at PGI have been doing great work, especially recently, and I hope it continues. However, think of the items listed above as key notes for personal desires (especially my Flamer request . . . I really want to be able to go out there and incinerate things properly . . . also, that gets done and I re-open my wallet). Thank you all at PGI, sincerely, for the work that y'all do. On the other hand, if things on the list just don't get touched, then expect my wallet to stay closed more and more (and I don't want my wallet closed to MWO . . . I want to throw money at this game . . . but principles are principles).

[SockSlayer]

Still nothing done for flamers?

[Thomas G Wolf]

Looks all good to me and first name change is free, now that is a nice touch there, though I wil not be using that anytime soon. Now all I need to be really happy is that the map voting is secret and only once per game, that would do me fine.

[Jman5]

What does this mean?

Quote

• Hunchback IIC (all variants): Fixed a material issue.

[Felicitatem Parco]

Thanks for the notes. :-)

Always appreciated.

[Bolter01]

"Fixed a Material issue" - Nice, this will be a ... game changer ... or ...

Oh I get it, its the Material the Hunch IIC armour was made of; The Issue being Tissue.

[Luscious Dan]

Jman5, that would simply be a texturing issue I believe. There's a variety of common "materials" available to the artists, like the various shiny metal bits and dull black/grey areas that aren't affected by camo colors.

[tupojrandom]

well i like to play Dire Wolf with 2xGauss.. and it is strong enough with module. not sure about the Gauss buff.
all other changes look good to go

Edited by tupojrandom, 18 January 2016 - 03:53 PM.