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Patch Notes - 1.4.65 - 19-Apr-2016


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#1 InnerSphereNews

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:15 PM

April 19th 2016 from 10AM - 1PM PDT
Patch Number: 1.4.65
Patch Size: 215 MB


Quick Links

Introduction

Faction Play 'Phase 3'

Careers
Freelancer
Payouts and Rewards
Urgent Call to Arms
Freelancers and the Unit System

Mercenary

Mercenaries and the Unit System
Payouts and Rewards
Mercenary Reputation Points (RP)
Contracts
Faction Population
Contract Bonus

Loyalist

Loyalists and the Unit System
Probation Period
Payouts and Rewards
Faction Loyalty Points (LP)
War Planning
Desertion

Faction Play Queue Systems

Faction Play Solo Queue
Faction Play Unit Queue

Units

Member Management

Rank Management

Unit Coffers

Personal Donations (C-Bills)

Spoils of War (MC)

Distributing MC

Unit Recruitment Costs

Occupying a Planet

Planetary Reinforcement

Planet Value

Scouting

Scouting Drop Deck

Intel

Planetary Advantages

Combat Identification

Satellite Sweep

Artillery

War Planning

Leaderboards

Faction Summary

Pilot Leaderboards

Unit Leaderboards

New Game Modes (Faction Play)

Scouting and Counter-Scouting

Victory Conditions

Data Points

Boarding the DropShip (Attackers)

Planet Intel

Gameplay Fixes and Changes

General

Weapon Tuning

Quirks

Domination Game Mode Changes

Conquest Game Mode Changes

Private Match Test Map Fixes and Changes

Tournament Supporter Pack
End of Round Reward Booster
'Mechs Now Available for C-Bills
Map Fixes and Changes
'Mech Fixes and Changes
Other Fixes and Changes
Known Issues

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Greetings MechWarriors,


Faction Play 'Phase 3' has arrived. If you've seen our Phase 3 Sneak Peak video you've already got some idea of what's in store, but if not, prepare yourselves for a wall of information in these Patch Notes. We'll save your eyes some effort and keep this introduction light, so read on for all the details .


Additionally, this patch also features improvements to the Domination Game Mode implementation for certain maps, an improvement to the responsiveness of Zoom and Vision Mode toggles, a number of Weapon tweaks, a Quirk pass for 13 Inner Sphere 'Mechs and 7 Clan 'Mechs, the release of the Marauder Heavy 'Mech for C-Bills, a large number of map fixes, an array of 'Mech fixes, and a number of general fixes, including a quality-of-life improvement for the VoIP implementation.


As always, read on for all the details and we'll see you on the battlefields of the Inner Sphere!


- The MechWarrior Team


Faction Play
Clan Invasion - Season 1

This third installment of Faction Play (originally titled Community Warfare) brings with it a huge array of new features. Brand new highlights include the 4v4 Scouting Game Mode, War Planning, Planetary Reinforcements and Advantages, a brand new Career system, Leaderboards, and new ways for Units to generate Coffer Income.

As we introduce this new era of Faction Play, the current Faction Play map and territories will be reset to their default state. The Clan Invasion begins anew.

We would like to take a moment to stress that when it comes to aspects of these new features that involve the economy system in particular, such as the Planet Value system, the values outlined in these Patch Notes are not necessarily locked-in. Certain aspects of these new features can only be thoroughly tested when all of you, MechWarriors throughout the Inner Sphere, take to the battlefields and tip the balance of power. We are extremely excited to see your feedback regarding all of these new features, and we look forward to seeing you all on the battlefield.

These patch notes contain a plethora of details regarding Faction Play, and in some cases the details are not strictly limited to the new Faction Play features including with this patch; the Unit section in particular contains some core information that already applies to the current Unit systems.
While the information outlined here will be useful to any pilot, experienced veterans of Faction Play will likely be most interested in just a few sections covering new or heavily modified features, such as the new Career paths, War Planning, the Scouting Game Mode and Planet Intel system, changes to Unit formation, and the Planet Value system, just to name a few.

Welcome to the new era of Faction Play, MechWarriors.


Careers

Freelancer


Freelancers are the Lone Wolves of the Inner Sphere.

Claiming allegiance to no one and operating strictly outside of the Unit structure, Freelancers can only engage in battle when an Urgent Call to Arms has been issued by a Faction in need of troops. While they are not paid as well as Mercenaries or Loyalists, Freelancers are not bound by any Contract or allegiance and are free to fight for whichever Inner Sphere or Clan Faction issues an Urgent Call To Arms.

Payouts and Rewards

Freelancers are only eligible for receiving standard Match Rewards, which are provided based on their performance during a match.

Match Rewards

• C-Bills
• XP

Freelancers are not eligible for receiving additional Mission Payouts.

For details regarding Mission Payouts, see the associated sections within the Mercenary or Loyalist Careers later in these Patch Notes.

Urgent Call to Arms

Freelancers can only participate in a battle by answering an Urgent Call To Arms.
An Urgent Call To Arms is sent out by a Faction when a match is going to start in the next 5 minutes, and the Faction issuing the call is in need of Pilots.

Freelancers have the unique ability to answer an Urgent Call To Arms from any Faction; they are not bound by Contracts or Loyalty, and they typically make no moral distinction between fighting for the Clans or the Inner Sphere. It is this freedom which distinguishes Freelancers the most.

Freelancers and the Unit System

When a Freelancer creates a Unit they will automatically adopt the Mercenary Career path, and will no longer be considered a Freelancer.
If a Freelancer attempts to join a Unit, they will first need to acknowledge that they are willing to adopt the existing Career of that Unit. Before finalizing their decision they will be provided with the necessary details of the Unit Contract or Loyalty.

For full details regarding how Units work within Faction Play, consult the Unit section of these Patch Notes.


Mercenary


Mercenaries are the core forces of the Inner Sphere.

Operating strictly within the Unit structure, Mercenaries can only engage in battle when they have forged a Contract with a Clan or Inner Sphere Faction. Once a Contract has been forged it cannot be broken prematurely without disbanding the Unit outright; Mercenaries are expected to see their commitment through to the end.
While Mercenaries do not have the freedom of Freelancers, and do not accumulate Faction Loyalty Points (LP) like a Loyalist, they do have the potential to receive higher Mission payouts through the Contract Bonus incentive system, and are able to accumulate Mercenary Reputation Points (RP).

Mercenaries and the Unit System

Whether they join an existing Unit or form a Unit of their own, all Mercenaries within the Inner Sphere operate within the Unit system.

There is no cost associated with forming a Unit comprised only of yourself.
However, expanding your Unit with additional Members will require that your Unit Coffers hold an amount of C-Bills sufficient to cover the associated Recruitment Cost.

When a Mercenary disbands or leaves a Unit , they are automatically reverted to the Freelancer Career.

For full details on how Units and Recruitment Costs work within Faction Play, consult the Unit section of these Patch Notes.

Payouts and Rewards

In addition to the standard C-Bill and XP Match Rewards earned for their performance within a match, Mercenaries also receive Mission Payouts from their contracted Faction.

Match Rewards

• C-Bills
• XP
• Mercenary Reputation Points

Mission Payouts

• Additional C-Bills

Reputation Points received from Match Rewards allow Mercenaries to rank up along the Mercenary Reputation track, providing them with additional rewards at each Rank.

The total amount of C-Bills a Mercenary receives from their Mission Payout is determined by whatever Contract Bonus was being offered by their Contracted Faction when the Contract was initially forged.

While Mercenaries and Loyalists are both eligible for receiving Mission Payouts, the Contract Bonus system only applies to Mercenaries; Loyalists always receive the Base Payout.

Mercenary Reputation Points (RP)

Reputation Points received from Match Rewards allow Mercenaries to rank up along the Mercenary Reputation track, providing them with additional rewards at each Rank.
Unlike Faction Loyalty Points (LP), Mercenary Reputation Points and Ranks cannot be lost once they have been acquired.

The Mercenary Reputation Point track is comprised of 10 ranks, with distinct rewards at each Rank.

• Rank 1 (2,120 RP): 75,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 2 (10,600 RP): 150,000 C-Bills and 7 Days Active Premium Time
• Rank 3 (31,800 RP): 250,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 4 (79,500 RP): 600,000 C-Bills and 1 Dog Tag Hanging Cockpit Item
• Rank 5 (145,750 RP): 1,200,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 6 (225,250 RP): 2,400,000 C-Bills and 500 MC
• Rank 7 (318,000 RP): 4,800,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 8 (477,000 RP): 9,600,000 C-Bills and 1,500 MC
• Rank 9 (689,000 RP): 19,200,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 10 (1,060,000 RP): 50,000,000 C-Bills and 2,500 MC

Contracts

The Mercenary Career is the only Career which operates on a Contract system. All Contracts currently last for a duration of 7 days, but the financial benefits of a Contract can vary from Faction to Faction according to the Contract Bonuses being offered.

Once forged, Contracts can only be broken prematurely by disbanding your Unit outright. While there is currently no immediate penalty for breaking a Contract by disbanding a Unit, the decision should not be taken lightly; aside from losing the contents of your Unit Coffers and occupation rights for any Planets your Unit might control, reforming a Unit of more than one Member will require the coverage of any associated Unit Recruitment costs.
For full details regarding Units in Faction Play, consult the Unit section of these Patch Notes.

There are two important factors to consider when forging a Contract.

Faction Population (%)

The total percentage of Mercenaries and Loyalists throughout the Inner Sphere currently aligned to a specific Faction, whether by Contract or Loyalty Pledge.
In the image below you can see that 36% of the total Mercenary and Loyalist population is currently contracted with House Davion, 17% with House Kurita, 5% with House Liao, and so on.

Contract Bonus (%)

The Contract Bonus (%) currently being offered by a Faction. This Bonus is a percentage of the Base Payout.
Contract Bonuses will vary from Faction to Faction, depending on what percentage of the total Mercenary and Loyalist population is currently aligned with them. Factions with a small population will be more inclined to incentivize membership with higher Contract Bonuses, while Factions with the largest populations may offer even less than the Base Mission Payout.

Whatever Contract Bonus was active at the time your Contract was forged will remain for the duration of the Contract. Contract Bonuses will not change mid-Contract if a Faction begins to offer a different Bonus.

In the image below, the two Factions with the largest population are currently House Davion and House Kurita. As a result, those two Factions don't feel the need to incentivize new Contracts to the same degree as the other Inner Sphere Factions, who are relatively low in active members. The Contract Bonus provided by those two Factions is thus -50% of the Base Payout. Alternatively, the Contract Bonus being offered by the other Inner Sphere Factions is +50% of the Base Payout.

To check the current payout provided by a specific Faction, hover over the Take Contract button in their row.
In the image below you can see that the Adjusted Payout provided by House Davion is 125,000 C-Bills for the Invasion and Invasion Counter Attack game modes, and 12,500 for the Scouting game mode.


Pledging Loyalty as a Mercenary

At any point during their Contract period Mercenaries can exercise the option to pledge Loyalty to their currently contracted Faction. Pledging Loyalty mid-Contract is not considered a breach of Contract.
Pledging Loyalty to a Faction as a Unit Leader will convert your Unit from a Mercenary Unit to a Loyalist Unit; all other Unit members will have the freedom to choose whether they wish to leave the Unit, or remain with the Unit and pledge the same oath of Loyalty.
Depending on the state of the Unit at the time of the Loyalty pledge, any pilot who chooses to leave the Unit at this stage will either become a Freelancer or a Solo Loyalist.

Once a Mercenary pledges Loyalty they are no longer considered a Contracted Mercenary; they have forged the oath of Loyalty, and are now considered prospective Loyalists. Mercenaries who pledge Loyalty mid-Contract are still required to complete the standard 10-match Probation Period associated with pledging Loyalty.


Loyalist


Loyalists are the true believers.

Pledging allegiance to one Faction, they seek to advance in the ranks and earn glory on the battlefield under their banner. Pledging Loyalty to a Faction is not to be taken lightly; true Loyalist status can only be attained once devotion has been proven, and the penalties for desertion are most severe.

Loyalists are expected to remain with their Faction either indefinitely or for extended periods of time.
While they may lack the freedom enjoyed by Freelancers and Mercenaries, the unique Loyalty Ranks attainable with their sworn Faction can provide Loyalists with extremely lucrative rewards unavailable to the other Careers.
Additionally, Loyalist Mission Payouts are not affected by the Contract Bonus system. Loyalists are always ensured of receiving the Base Payout, regardless of any fluctuations in Faction Population.

Loyalists and the Unit System

Loyalists have the freedom to operate either as a Unit Loyalist or as a Solo Loyalist. However, there are some important distinctions between the two.

Most importantly, Solo Loyalists and Unit Loyalists do not participate in the same matchmaking queues. Solo Loyalists are placed into the Solo Queue, whereas Unit Loyalists are placed into the Unit Queue.
Additionally, while Solo Loyalists and Unit Loyalists both have voting rights for War Planning, Solo Loyalists do not have access to Unit-specific features such as the Planetary Reinforcement system.

For full details regarding the Faction Play Queue system, consult the Faction Play Queue System section of these Patch Notes.

For full details regarding the War Planning system, please consult the War Planning section of these Patch Notes.

For full details regarding the Planetary Reinforcement system, please consult the Planetary Reinforcement section of these Patch Notes.

Probation Period

Attaining full Loyalty status is not simply a matter of swearing the oath. After pledging allegiance to a Faction as a prospective Loyalist, players must complete a Probation Period of 10 matches before they are eligible to receive the rewards and permissions commensurate with full Loyalist status.

During the 10 match Probation Period, prospective Loyalists are not eligible for receiving Mission Payouts; likewise they will only acquire C-Bills and XP from the standard Match Rewards; they do not acquire Loyalty Points.
Additionally, they are not able to cast a War Planning vote.

Payouts and Rewards

In addition to the standard C-Bill and XP Match Rewards earned for their performance within a match, Loyalists also receive Mission Payouts from their contracted Faction.

Match Rewards

• C-Bills
• XP
• Loyalty Points

Mission Payouts

• Additional C-Bills
• Additional Loyalty Points

Loyalty Points received from Match Rewards and Mission Payouts allow Loyalists to rank up along the Faction Loyalty track, providing them with additional rewards at each Rank.

The total amount of C-Bills a Loyalist receives from their Mission Payout is always the Base Mission Payout. Loyalists are not subject to the Contract Bonus system employed by Factions when dealing with Mercenaries.

Loyalty Points received from Match Rewards are only provided to Loyalists after they have completed the 10-match Probation Period! During the Probation Period prospective Loyalists will only receive the C-Bill and XP Match Rewards.

Faction Loyalty Points (LP)

Loyalty Points received from Match Rewards and Mission Payouts allow Loyalists to rank up along the Faction Loyalty track, providing them with additional rewards at each Rank.
Unlike Mercenary Reputation Points (RP), Loyalty Points and Ranks can be lost!

Each Inner Sphere and Clan Faction has a total of 20 Ranks, with distinct rewards at each Rank. Rank Titles will differ between Factions, but the rewards and the Rank requirements are the same.

• Rank 1 (530 LP): 50,000 C-Bills and 500 GXP
• Rank 2 (2,120 LP): 75,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 3 (5,300 LP): 100,000 C-Bills and 1,000 GXP
• Rank 4 (10,600 LP): 150,000 C-Bills and 1 Gazelle DropShip Standing Cockpit Item
• Rank 5 (21,200 LP): 200,000 C-Bills, 1,500 GXP, and 1 Faction Banner Standing Cockpit Item
• Rank 6 (31,800 LP): 250,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 7 (53,000 LP): 400,000 C-Bills and 3,000 GXP
• Rank 8 (79,500 LP): 600,000 C-Bills and 1 Cup of Pop Standing Item
• Rank 9 (111,300 LP): 800,000 C-Bills and 4,500 GXP
• Rank 10 (145,750 LP): 1,200,000 C-Bills, 500 MC, and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 11 (182,850 LP): 1,600,000 C-Bills and 5,500 GXP
• Rank 12 (225,250 LP): 2,400,000 C-Bills and 1 Lucky Cat Standing Cockpit Item
• Rank 13 (265,000 LP): 3,200,000 C-Bills and 7,500 GXP
• Rank 14 (318,000 LP): 4,800,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 15 (397,500 LP): 6,400,000 C-Bills, 10,000 GXP, 1,500 MC, and 1 Faction Loyalty Medallion Hanging Item
• Rank 16 (477,000 LP): 9,600,000 C-Bills and 1 Hamster Huey Standing Cockpit Item
• Rank 17 (583,000 LP): 12,800,000 C-Bills and 25,000 GXP
• Rank 18 (689,000 LP): 19,200,000 C-Bills and 1 'Mech Bay
• Rank 19 (848,000 LP): 25,600,000 C-Bills and 30,000 GXP
• Rank 20 (1,060,000 LP): 50,000,000 C-Bills, 50,000 GXP, and 2,500 MC

War Planning

Loyalists are the only Career with the ability to participate in the War Planning feature.

War Planning allows Loyalist Pilots to cast a vote for determining which opponent their Faction will target in the next Attack Cycle (24 hour period). Each Loyalist pilot can cast one (1) War Planning vote with their Faction per Attack Cycle.
Prospective Loyalists still in the Probation Phase are not able to cast a War Planning vote.

For full details regarding the War Planning system, consult the War Planning section of these Patch Notes.

Desertion

Breaking the oath of Loyalty to your Faction will mark you as a Deserter for a period of 7 days. Once you make the decision to desert your Faction it cannot be reversed.

During the Desertion Phase you:

• Will remain under the banner of your Faction until the end of the Desertion Phase.
• Will not be eligible for participating in War Planning.
• Will lose 25% of the Loyalty Points you have accumulated with the Faction you are deserting.
• Will not receive any Loyalty Points from Missions for your Faction.
• Will receive a 25% reduction to C-Bill earnings from Missions for your Faction.

If you decide to pledge Loyalty to that Faction again in the future, you will start your Rank progression from where you left off after the 25% LP reduction.


Faction Play Queue Systems

Solo and Unit Players are now placed into separate queues within Faction Play.

Faction Play Solo Queue

The Faction Play Solo Queue is comprised of the following players:

• Freelancers
• Solo Loyalists

Faction Play Unit Queue

The Faction Play Unit Queue is comprised of the following players:

• Mercenary Units and Unit Members
• Loyalist Units and Unit Members
• Faction Play Groups

• In order to join a Faction Play Group, you must be aligned to the same Faction as the members of the Group.

• A Faction Play Group can be comprised of players from different Units (so long as they are all aligned to the same Faction).


Units

Units are the dominant forces of Faction Play, with the widest array of Faction Play features at their disposal.
Their ability to occupy Planets during an Attack Phase allows them to not only announce their power and influence to all pilots of the Inner Sphere, but provides them with an opportunities for significant rewards.

This potential for status and wealth comes at a cost however, as Units can become increasingly difficult to manage as they grow in size. A Unit is only as strong as its members. Dissent from within can erode the stability of a Unit just as easily as defeat at the hands of an opponent, Unit Recruitment Costs may become increasingly difficult to manage, and inattention to ensuring Rank Privileges are correctly distributed can leave your Unit without direction if the Leader abandons the fight, or can put your hard-earned Spoils of War at risk of mismanagement or plunder.

Existing Units will remain intact with this patch. However, all Contracts and Loyalty states will be reset; all Units and their Members will be reverted to the Mercenary Career.

While not all aspects of the Unit system have changed with this patch, this section will nonetheless cover all aspects required for understanding Units and their role in Faction Play.

Member Management

The Member Management screen allows players with sufficient Rank Privileges to perform the following actions:

• Invite a player to the Unit
• Remove a player from the Unit
• Resign Command to another player in the Unit
• Change the assigned Rank of players in the Unit

It also allows all members of the Unit to view the current Member List, their assigned Ranks, and their Online status.

The Unit Member List can now also be sorted by:

• Pilot Name
• Player Rank
• Status

Rank Management

Unit Leaders can assign the following Privileges to the Ranks within their Unit:

• Invite Members
• Kick Members
• Assign Ranks
• View Coffer Balance
• View Coffer Transactions
• View Officer Chat
• Set MOTD (Message of the Day)
• Manage Contracts
• Reinforce Territory
• Transfer Coffer MC

The 'View Coffer Balance' Privilege is the only Privilege that cannot be unassigned from the highest Rank in the Unit.

The following Rank Privileges are only available for the current Unit Leader.
Unless they have Resigned Command, the Unit Leader will typically be the Unit Creator.
While they are present within the list of Privileges, these Privileges cannot be assigned to any other Rank, and their entries appear grayed out for all members of the Unit:

• Assign Leader
• Create/Name Ranks
• Edit/Delete Ranks
• Order Ranks
• Disband Unit

Unit Coffers

Unit Coffers can now be comprised of both C-Bills and MC, but the methods through which these two currencies are added to the Unit Coffers are distinct.

Personal Donations (C-Bills)

Players can only donate C-Bills to their Unit Coffers. MC cannot be donated.
Once C-Bills have been donated to the Unit Coffers they cannot be withdrawn by any members of the Unit.

C-Bill Coffers can currently be used to:

• Purchase Invite Tickets for inviting Players to the Unit
• Purchase Planet Upgrades

When a Unit is disbanded, any remaining C-Bills in the Unit Coffers are forfeit.

For full details regarding Planetary Reinforcements, consult the Planetary Reinforcements section of these Patch Notes.

Spoils of War (MC)

Under the new Planet Value system Units can generate MC income for their Unit Coffers by occupying a Planet at the end of an Attack Phase. This income appears as 'Spoils of War' in your Unit's Coffer Management screen.

Unlike C-Bill Donations, MC received from the Planet Value system can be distributed to individual members of the Unit by the Unit Leader (or another member of the Unit with the 'Transfer Coffer MC' permission flag).

Before a Unit can be disbanded any MC remaining in its Unit Coffers must be distributed.

For full details regarding the Planet Value system, consult the Planet Value section of these Patch Notes.

Distributing MC

In order to distribute MC received through the Planet Value system you must possess the 'Transfer Coffer MC' Rank Privilege. By default the only Rank with this permission will be the highest Rank. Being assigned this Privilege by your Unit Leader should be considered a paramount honor.

Distribution of MC is initiated through the Planetary MC Income Per Attack Phase window inside of the Coffer Management screen. This window also displays your current rate of MC income per Attack Phase, the max amount of MC you can receive per Attack Phase, and the current number of Planets your Unit occupies.


When distributing MC you will be able to select up to 10 of your Unit members to receive a specific portion of the MC in your Unit Coffers.



Unit Recruitment Costs

Inviting a player to your Unit now requires the purchase of an Invite Ticket using C-Bills from your Unit Coffers.
Once an Invite Ticket is purchased through an invite, the Invite Ticket cost is removed from your Unit Coffers. If your Unit does not have a sufficient Coffer Balance to cover the cost of the Invite Ticket you or your Unit members will need to inject the necessary amount into the Unit Coffers before you can purchase an Invite Ticket and invite any new players.

If an invited player rejects the invite, or if the invite is revoked before they accept it, your Unit retains the Invite Ticket. That Invite Ticket can then be used later when you next try to invite a player.
The number of unused Invite Tickets a Unit possesses is not yet displayed within the Faction Play user interface; we will be expanding the information available for Invite Tickets in a future update. In the meantime, attempting to invite a Player to the Unit will simply inform you that if you have an available Invite Ticket available for use.

The C-Bill cost of an Invite Ticket is determined by the number of players already in that Unit, multiplied by 50,000 C-Bills.

For example:

# of Members already in Unit

Invite Ticket Cost

1 (Unit Leader)

50,000 C-Bills

10

500,000 C-Bills

25

1,250,000 C-Bills

50

2,500,000 C-Bills

75

3,750,000 C-Bills

100

5,000,000 C-Bills

200

10,000,000 C-Bills

Occupying a Planet

Whenever a member of a Unit participates in a victory on a contested Planet they have earned one victory 'token' for their Unit on that Planet. Upon the conclusion of an Attack Phase all of the Unit 'tokens' for each contested Planet are calculated.
Whichever Unit has accumulated the most amount of victory 'tokens' for a particular Planet will be granted occupation status over that Planet. Their Unit Tag will then appear next to the Planet Name on the Inner Sphere Map and in the Planet Details window, and they will accumulate 'Spoils of War' in the form of MC according to the system outlined in the previous Spoils of War (MC) section.

Planetary Reinforcement

When a Unit occupies a contested Planet they gain access to the Planetary Reinforcement feature.

Planetary Reinforcements are used when the Planet is currently under attack from a rival Faction, and will provide the Planet with additional defense territories during Invasion Game Mode matches. This will make it more difficult for Attackers to capture a contested Planet, as they will need to capture more territories from the Defenders.

Planetary Reinforcements are accessed from the 'Reinforce' tab of the Planet Information window.

Planets can only be reinforced during the initial 6 hours of an Attack Phase. After this point Planetary Reinforcements are no longer available for acquisition.

Acquiring a Planetary Reinforcement requires a C-Bill payment from the Unit Coffers. Players cannot use personal C-Bill balances to acquire Reinforcements.

Planetary Reinforcement Costs:

+2 Territories = 7,500,000 C-Bills
+4 Territories = 15,000,000 C-Bills

Once a Planet has been Reinforced with +4 Territories no further Reinforcements can be acquired within the same Attack Phase.

For example:
• If the Unit first acquires a +2 Territories Reinforcement, they cannot then acquire the +4 Territories Reinforcement (within the same Attack Phase).
• They can however acquire one more instance of the +2 Territories Reinforcement, bringing the total Reinforcement to +4.

Planetary Reinforcements are removed at the end of each Attack Phase, regardless of whether the same Unit still occupies the Planet.




Planet Value

Each Planet with a Unit Tag attached generates 5 MC per Attack Phase for the Unit that controls it, up to a Unit maximum of 30 MC per Attack Phase.

• This MC is added to the Unit Coffers.
• The total amount of MC that can be earned by a Unit from Planet Value Rewards is currently capped at 30 MC per Attack Phase, for a maximum total of 90 MC per day.
• All Planets under control of a Unit are depleted of 5 MC per-Attack Phase, but the Unit will only receive the capped maximum of 30 MC per Attack Phase! The excess MC is not injected into the Unit Coffers, and is considered lost.

The Planets themselves have a limit to the amount of MC they can provide during the period under which they are being contested.

• Normal Planets can only provide a maximum of 180 MC to a single occupying Unit.
• Regional Capital Planets will have a higher maximum. These Planets will typically max out at 360 MC.
• Unit Tags are automatically removed once the maximum available MC from a Planet has been consumed.

Whenever a Unit loses control of a Planet, the MC available from a Planet will reset. This includes the exchange of Unit Tags between Defenders.

Whenever a Unit takes a new Contract with or pledges Loyalty to another Faction, they are no longer considered occupiers of any Planets they had occupied under their previous Faction banner. Their Unit Tags are removed from any such Planets, and they no longer receive MC from those Planets.

All of these values have been designed to be tunable, so adjustments can be made according to how the Faction Play economy plays out with the standard values.


Scouting

This section of the patch notes deal with Scouting Missions as they relate to Faction Play as a whole. For full details regarding the new Scouting Game Mode itself, consult the New Game Mode section of these patch notes.

The primary goal of Scouting Missions is to acquire Intel from Planets under contest. Acquiring Intel from contested Planets will provide your Invasion forces with access to powerful Planetary Advantages for use in the standard Invasion Game Modes, where the true fate of a Planet is determined. Effective use of these Advantages can help turn the tide of battle and lead your forces to victory.

Scouting Drop Deck

Currently, Drop Decks are shared between the Scouting and Invasion Game Modes. However, each pilot can only bring a single 'Mech into a Scouting Mission.

Whichever 'Mech occupies the first slot of your Invasion Drop Deck will always be your default 'Mech for Scouting Missions. Changing the 'Mech assigned to the first slot of either Drop Deck will convey that same change to the other Drop Deck.

Scouting Drop Deck Individual Tonnage Restrictions (Current)

Minimum: 20
Maximum: 55

If you do not fall within the above Tonnage values you will not be able to enter the Scouting queue.

Intel

Each Planet in the Inner Sphere holds a total of 600 Intel points. Once a Planet is under contest and Scouting Missions become available, those 600 Intel points are evenly split between the Attackers and Defenders.

Each Scouting victory will allocate more Intel points for the winning Team on that Planet, unlocking Planetary Advantages at specific thresholds.

A major aspect of the Intel system is that changes to the allotment of Intel points will have an immediate effect on any Invasion matches currently underway on that Planet. While your Team may start an Invasion match with an Intel advantage, your Team may lose that advantage, along with access to one more of your Planetary Advantages, if your opponent is mounting successful Scouting Missions while your Invasion match is underway.



Planetary Advantages

Combat Identification

Intel requirement: 55% or greater


If your Scouting forces have acquired 55% of the Intel for a Planet under contest, your Invasion Forces will have access to Intel regarding the chassis and variants the Enemy Forces have brought to the fight. This Intel will be visible through the Drop Preparation screen and the in-match Scoreboard (TAB).

Satellite Sweep

Intel requirement: 70% or greater

If your Scouting Forces have acquired 70% of the Intel for a Planet under contest, your Invasion Forces will have access to the Satellite Sweep Planetary Advantage. This will allow them to receive Intel regarding Enemy 'Mech positions.

A Satellite Sweep icon on the HUD will inform both your forces and the enemy's forces when the next Satellite Sweep is approaching.

Once a Satellite Sweep has been completed the controlling Team will receive Sensor Data for all Enemy 'Mechs on the field for a duration of 5 seconds. After 5 seconds all Sensor Data derived from the Satellite Sweep will disappear.
All Enemy 'Mechs will receive a brief warning when they have been tracked by a Satellite Sweep.

Artillery

Intel requirement: 90% or greater


If your Scouting Forces have acquired 90% of the Intel for a Planet under contest your Invasion Forces will have access to the 'Long-Tom' Artillery Strike Planetary Advantage. This will allow them to execute powerful Artillery Strikes against Enemy Forces.

The Artillery Strike works in consort with the Satellite Sweep, and is engaged during the 5 second window in which data from the Satellite Sweep is available to the Invasion Forces. The Artillery Strike uses this Sensor Data to target the largest grouping of Enemy 'Mechs on the field. For example, it will target a cluster of 5 Enemy 'Mechs instead of another cluster comprised of just 3 Enemy 'Mechs.

Mechanically, the 'Long-Tom' Artillery Strike works similarly to the existing Artillery and Air Strikes. Once engaged, the strike area is marked with purple smoke to distinguish it from the other strike types. After a brief delay the Artillery reaches its target and deals a heavy amount of splash damage against any 'Mechs within its strike radius.


War Planning

War Planning allows Loyalist Pilots to cast their vote for determining which opponent their Faction will attack for the next 24 hour period. Each Loyalist pilot can cast one War Planning vote with their Faction per Attack Cycle.
Loyalists are the only Career with the ability to participate in the War Planning feature.
Prospective Loyalists still in the Probation Phase are not able to cast a War Planning vote.
Loyalists who are in a Desertion Phase are not able to cast a War Planning vote.

Votes can only be cast against Factions which currently share a border with your Faction. Once the voting period comes to an end a random Planet located along the border of the Faction with the highest percentage of votes will be selected for attack during the next Attack Cycle.

Once a vote is cast it cannot be revoked or changed, so be sure to consider your options prior to casting a vote.

At the start of each new vote period the system will automatically seed each Faction with starting votes, based on the current status of their relations with your Faction:

• Current Target: Starts with 5 votes cast (if still a valid target)
• At War = Starts with 4 votes cast (if a valid target)
• Hostile = Starts with 3 votes cast (if a valid target)
• Rivals = Starts with 2 votes cast (if a valid target)
• Neutral = Starts with 1 vote cast (if a valid target)
• Allies = Starts with 0 votes cast (if a valid target)

In the image below a Loyalist Pilot sworn to House Davion is considering a War Planning vote for attacking House Kurita.
Kurita is already the current target, and already has the highest percentage of votes cast toward it; this Pilot might therefore follow the majority opinion.

House Davion does not currently share a border with the Free Rasalhague Republic, therefore they are not an option for the next Attack Cycle. The same restriction applies to the four Clans, whom also do not currently share a border with House Davion.



Leaderboards

Faction Play Leaderboards have been added for tracking the finest Pilots and Units engaging in the fight for the Inner Sphere. All Leaderboards update every hour.

Pilots and Units will only appear in Leaderboards for which they are actively eligible. Additionally, stats accrued by Pilots and Units are specific to the Leaderboard(s) associated with their current Career.

For example:

If you are initially ranked on the Mercenary Pilot Leaderboard as a Mercenary, but then pledge Loyalty to a Faction and adopt the Loyalist Career, you will no longer be listed on the Mercenary Pilot Leaderboard; you will instead be listed on the Loyalist Pilot Leaderboard.

In the above example, if the player had been pledging Loyalty to that Faction for the first time, their Leaderboard stats as a Loyalist Pilot for that Faction will start at 0. However, the stats they accrued while operating as a Mercenary Pilot will be remembered by the system; in the event that the player returns to the life of a Mercenary, their stats will continue from where they previously left off.
If that player instead later pledged Loyalty to a different Faction, again for the first, their stats would again start at 0 as they have not accrued any stats while sworn to that Faction.

Faction Summary

The Faction Summary Leaderboard ranks all Inner Sphere and Clan Factions in order of Total Wins.
Aside from Total Wins, the Faction Summary Leaderboard also displays the following stats:

• Total Losses
• W/L Ratio
• Planets Controlled (+/- since last update)
• Planets Controlled
• Total Kills
• Total Deaths
• K/D Ratio

Pilot Leaderboards

There is one Pilot Leaderboard for each of the three Careers:

• Freelancer Pilots Leaderboard
• Mercenary Pilots Leaderboard
• Loyalist Pilots Leaderboard

Each Pilot Leaderboard ranks all Pilots within each Career in order of Kills Most Damage Dealt.
Aside from Kills Most Damage Dealt, the Pilot Leaderboards also display the following stats:

• Faction Play Games Played
• Total Wins
• Total Losses
• W/L Ratio
• Total Kills
• Total Deaths
• K/D Ratio
• Inner Sphere Kills
• Clan Kills
• Intel Collected

The Mercenary Pilots Leaderboard has an additional column for displaying player Unit Tags.
The Loyalist Pilots Leaderboard has an additional column for displaying player Unit Tags and their sworn Faction.

Unit Leaderboards

There are two Unit Leaderboards:

• Mercenary Unit Leaderboard
• Loyalist Unit Leaderboard

Each Unit Leaderboard ranks all Units from both Careers in order of Total Planetary Wins.

Aside from Total Planetary Wins, the Mercenary Unit Leaderboards also display the following stats:

• Planetary Attack Wins
• Planetary Defense Wins
• Unit Tags on Map
• Total Wins
• Total Losses
• Faction Play Games Played
• W/L Ratio
• Contract Rewards
• Total Contracts
• Inner Sphere Contracts Taken
• Clan Contracts Taken
• Total Salvage Collected
• Total Kills
• Total Deaths
• K/D Ratio
• Inner Sphere Kills
• Clan Kills
• Total Damage Dealt
• Unit Size
• Intel Collected

Aside from Total Planetary Wins, the Loyalist Unit Leaderboards also display the following stats:

• Planetary Attack Wins
• Planetary Defense Wins
• Unit Tags on Map
• Total Wins
• Total Losses
• Faction Play Games Played
• W/L Ratio
• Total Loyalty Points with Faction
• Average Member Loyalty Points
• Battles Fought
• Days Loyal
• Total Kills
• Total Kills
• Total Deaths
• K/D Ratio
• Inner Sphere Kills
• Clan Kills
• Unit Size
• Intel Collected


New Game Modes (Faction Play)

4v4 Scouting and Counter-Scouting

The new Scouting Game Mode is comprised of two distinct types: Scouting and Counter-Scouting. Teams assume the role of either the Attacker or the Defender, and must contend for control over the Data Points scattered throughout the map.
As Scouting matches are all 4v4, Scouting matches actually take place on the Quick Play maps; they do not use the standard Faction Play maps.

Victory Conditions

Attackers: Escape through the Extraction Zone with at least 1 Data Point in your possession. Only one Attacker needs to escape in order to achieve Victory.
Defenders: Eliminate all Attackers or prevent their escape.

Data Points


Each Scouting match is populated with a total of 20 Data Points scattered randomly throughout the map. There are up to 40 possible Data Point locations on each map, so the exact locations of the 20 Data Points will vary match-to-match.

Capturing a Data Point requires that a 'Mech stand within its 75m capture radius for 3 seconds. If an enemy 'Mech also enters into that radius the capture timer will freeze.

Once a Data Point has been captured it becomes permanently inactive, and that Data Point is allotted to the capturing Team. If the 'Mech who captured the Data Point is destroyed their Team will still retain that Data Point.

While Attackers will want maximize the amount of Intel they can receive from a successful Scouting mission by capturing as many Data Points as they can, they only need to escape through the Extraction Zone with 1 Data Point in order to win the match.

Transit Countdown

The 1-minute Transit Countdown heralds the approach of the Attacker DropShip; their means of egress from the battlefield. Once the Transit Countdown begins a DropShip Landing Zone will appear on the map in one of four possible locations. Only the Attackers will see the location of the Landing Zone marked on their HUD, but the Landing Zone will be marked with smoke.
When the Transit Countdown expires the DropShip will arrive at the designated Landing Zone to facilitate the evacuation of the Attackers.

If all Defenders are destroyed, the Transit Countdown will instead be 30s.

There are three circumstances under which the Transit Countdown can be triggered.

• If the Attackers capture at least 10 Data Points.
• If the Defenders capture at least 11 Data Points.
• If the Match Timer reaches 3 minutes, and the Countdown has not already been triggered.

Boarding the DropShip (Attackers)


Once the Transit Countdown expires the DropShip will arrive at its destination and maintain a holding pattern above the marked area. The DropShip will be fully equipped with its standard weapon systems and will freely engage enemy forces when they come within range.

When the DropShip arrives it will establish an Extraction Zone on the ground and a 1m15s Extraction Timer will begin.
It is this Extraction Zone that the Attackers must return to in order to initiate the boarding procedure. Only one of the Attackers needs to be inside the Extraction Zone in order to initiate boarding and win the match, and their Team need only posses at least 1 Data Point.

If all Defenders are dead the match will end immediately once a single Attacker 'Mech enters the Extraction Zone with at least 1 Data Point.

The match ends when the Extraction Timer expires, regardless of how much time is still remaining on the Match Timer.

Any Attackers within the Extraction Zone when the Extraction Timer expires are considered to have escaped.

Planet Intel

For every Data Point that an Attacker captures during a standard Scouting match, 1 Intel Point will be contributed toward the Attackers Intel value for that Planet.
Likewise, for every Data Point that an Attacker captures during a Counter-Scouting match, 1 Intel Point will be contributed to the Defenders Intel value for that Planet.

For example:

During a standard Scouting match the Attackers successfully escape with 10 Data Points.
Those 10 Data Points directly translate to 10 Intel Points for their side in the Scouting Info window.

For example:
During a standard Scouting match the Defenders manage to destroy all of the Attackers, and capture 8 Data Points.
As those Data Points were already under control of the Planet Defenders, the Defenders do not receive an Intel Points for their side in the Scouting Info window.

For example:
During a Counter-Scouting match the Attackers (actually the Planet's Defenders) successfully escape with 10 Data Points.
As those 10 Data Points are being reclaimed from the original Attackers, the Defenders have now earned 10 Intel Points for their side in the Scouting Info window.


Tournament Supporter Pack

The Tournament Supporter Pack is now available through the MechWarrior Online Gift Store!

Support the Tournament!
The Tournament Supporter Pack provides you with an opportunity to show your enthusiasm for the first ever MechWarrior Online World Championship Tournament.

Boost the Prize Pool!
Each purchase of a Tournament Supporter Pack will boost the $100,000 Tournament Prize Pool by $5 USD!

Earn Rewards!
Acquiring a Tournament Supporter Pack will not only provide you with exclusive Tournament Items, it will also grant you a global 10% boost to all of your C-Bill and XP earnings for the duration of the Tournament! These boosts are active starting from the time of your Tournament Supporter Pack purchase until December 3rd at 11:59:59 PM PDT / December 4th at 7:55 AM UTC.

If you haven't picked up your Tournament Supporter Pack yet, head over to the MechWarrior Gift Store to snag one. Once you redeem a Gift Code for a Tournament Supporter Pack you will receive the following rewards in-game:

• A 10% boost to all your C-Bill and XP earnings!
• MWO WC 2016 DropShip (Standing Cockpit Item)
• MWO WC 2016 Warhorn (Mounted Cockpit Item)
• MWO WC 2016 Medallion (Hanging Cockpit Item)
• Title and Badge: "The Patron"


Gameplay Fixes and Changes

General

• Fixed an issue where Zoom and View Modes were waiting for a Server response before activating/deactivating. Players will no longer experience a delay when engaging Zoom or switching Vision Modes. Zoom Level is still determined by the Server.
• Fixed an issue where the Enhanced NARC Module was not applying its benefits to Clan 'Mechs with NARC equipped.

Weapon Tuning

AMS Overload Module
• No longer increases AMS Rate Of Fire.
• Now increases per bullet damage from 3.5 to 6.0.

Inner Sphere PPC
• Heat Generation reduced from 10 to 9.5.
• Velocity increased from 1100m/s to 1200m/s.

Inner Sphere ERPPC
• Heat Generation reduced from 15 to 14.
• Velocity increased from 1200m/s to 1300m/s.

Clan ERPPC
• Heat Generation reduced from 15 to 14.
• Velocity increased from 1200m/s to 1300m/s.

Inner Sphere LB10-X
• Projectile Spread reduced from 1.3m to 0.9m.

Clan LB2-X
• Projectile Spread reduced from 0.45m to 0.35m.

Clan LB5-X
• Projectile Spread reduced from 0.85m to 0.65m.

Clan LB10-X
• Projectile Spread reduced from 1.3m to 0.9m.

Clan LB20-X
• Projectile Spread reduced from 1.4m to 1.0m.

Quirks

The following 'Mechs chassis have received Quirk adjustments for one or more of their variants in this patch:

Inner Sphere

A PDF outlining the IS changes can be found here.

Black Knight
Catapult
Commando
Firestarter
Griffin
Hunchback
Jenner
King Crab
Locust
Spider
Thunderbolt
UrbanMech
Vindicator

Clan

A PDF outlining the Clan changes can be found here.

Adder
Ice Ferret
Kit Fox
Mad Dog
Mist Lynx
Nova
Shadow Cat

Domination Game Mode Changes

The implementation of Domination on four Maps has been adjusted.

• Alpine Peaks: Capture point is now located at the frozen lake near the bottom of the map, and spawn points have been adjusted accordingly.
• Crimson Strait: Spawn points on non-dock side have been moved closer.
• Forest Colony: Capture point has been moved up onto a central hill; spawn points are closer, and spawn points from behind the mountains on either side have been moved.
• Viridian Bog: The eastern team’s spawn point has been moved slightly further.

• Clicking the Domination score HUD in the ESC screen will now reveal a dialog explaining the score HUD components. (Inner Sphere HUD only)

Conquest Game Mode Changes

• HPG Manifold (Conquest): Fixed an issue where players could capture Theta from above.
• Terra Therma (Conquest): Fixed an issue where players could capture Theta from below.

Private Match Test Map Fixes and Changes

• 1v1 Map: Variations to terrain height. Hills are now steeper, pillars have been moved toward the center, scattered cover has been added.
• 2v2 Map: Variations to terrain height. Hills are now steeper, and large blocks have been broken up.
• 4v4 Map: Variations to terrain height.
• 4v4-2 Map: Spawns are now grouped by Lance.


End of Round Reward Booster

You can now spend 50 MC at the End of Round summary screen to apply a one-time boost to your rewards for that match.
The boost applied is the same boost that would apply if you had Active Premium Time running. If you already have Active Premium Time running you will not be able to apply an additional boost.

This boost affects the following Rewards:

Standard Match Rewards

• C-Bills
• XP
• Loyalty Points (if applicable)

The Booster does not apply to Mercenary Reputation Points.

Faction Play Mission Payouts (if applicable)

• C-Bills
• Loyalty Points


'Mechs Now Available for C-Bills

Marauder

• MAD-3R: 6,590,643 C-Bills
• MAD-5D: 10,915,183 C-Bills
• MAD-5M: 10,776,138 C-Bills


Map Fixes and Changes

• Caustic Valley: D6 - Fixed an issue where smaller 'Mechs could get stuck in a crevice.
• Crimson Strait: B5 - Fixed an issue where larger 'Mechs could get stuck between fences and buildings.
• Crimson Strait: B4 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of a building after JJ'ing.
• Grim Plexus: Ambient temperature now matches Grim Portico (-22°c)
• Grim Plexus: C6 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck alongside a crystal wall.
• Grim Plexus: C7 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of a crystal.
• Grim Plexus: E4 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck between crystals.
• Grim Plexus: F7 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of crates.
• Grim Plexus: G4 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of crystals.
• HPG Manifold: D4 - Fixed an issue where walls could disappear when zooming in.
• HPG Manifold: D4 - Fixed a collision issue near the edge of the high platform.
• HPG Manifold (Conquest): Fixed an issue where players could capture Theta from above.
• Polar Highlands: J6 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck between buildings.
• Polar Highlands: J9 - Fixed an issue where 'Mech movement was impeded against a rock.
• River City: D6 - Fixed a collision issue with the tunnel entrance.
• Sulfurous Rift: B5 - Fixed some floating rocks.
• Sulfurous Rift: C2 - Fixed a collision issue with a building.
• Sulfurous Rift: C3 - Fixed a collision issue with rocks above the gate.
• Sulfurous Rift: C3 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of the generator.
• Sulfurous Rift: C4 - Fixed an issue where footprints would appear as if the ground were made of snow.
• Sulfurous Rift: C4 - Unfortunately, this also fixed an issue where shooting the ground would eject a hilarious fountain of snow. You will be missed, snow fountain.
• Sulfurous Rift: D2 - Fixed a collision issue on top of a platform.
• Sulfurous Rift: D2 - Fixed collision issues with buildings.
• Sulfurous Rift: D2 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck between buildings.
• Sulfurous Rift: D4 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of the generator.
• Sulfurous Rift: E2 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of the generator.
• Sulfurous Rift: E2 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of pipes.
• Sulfurous Rift: F3 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck on top of the generator.
• Sulfurous Rift: G6 - Fixed an issue where Fixed an issue where a fallen branch would turn black when moving away from it.
• Terra Therma (Conquest): Fixed an issue where players could capture Theta from below.
• The Mining Collective: C4 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs could get stuck between a steel grate and a wall.
• Tourmaline Desert: D4 - Fixed an issue where a crystal did not reach the ground.
• Tourmaline Desert: D5 - Fixed an issue where 'Mech movement was impeded at the edge of a small incline.
• Tourmaline Desert: D6 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs were able to walk up a steep incline.
• Tourmaline Desert: D8 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs were unable to walk backwards down an incline they had walked up.
• Tourmaline Desert: E5 - Fixed an issue where players could see the underside of a crystal.
• Tourmaline Desert: F5 - Fixed an issue where 'Mechs had difficulty walking backwards down an incline they had walked up.
• Tourmaline Desert: G4 - Fixed an issue where 'Mech movement could be obstructed over crystals.
• Vitric Forge: Fixed an issue where the orbital cannon was not firing.


'Mech Fixes and Changes

• Firestarter FS9-E: Fixed an issue where the Cockpit Glass was not rendering correctly inside MechLab.
• Jenner (all variants): Fixed an issue where Hanging Cockpit Items could conflict with Mounted Cockpit Items
• Nova NVA-Prime: Additional Structure Quirks present on the LT and RT OmniPods have been moved to the CT OmniPod.
• Orion ON1-P: Fixed an issue where the Cockpit Glass was not rendering correctly inside the MechLab.
• Panther PNT-10P: Fixed an issue where Ballistic Weapons were missing textures on certain Patterns.
• Stalker (all variants): Fixed an issue where Warhorns would cover the Weapon Door indicator light.


Other Fixes and Changes

• Unit Member List can now be sorted by:

• Pilot Name

• Player Rank

• Status

• Fixed an issue where players could be unable to assign Unit Rank Privileges under certain conditions.
• Joining a Unit with an existing Contract or Loyalty will now inform you of the details prior to your acceptance.
• Fixed an issue where Alt+F4'ing during the DropShip 'Mech Select screen could cause issues with Rejoin.
• Fixed an issue where Weapon Doors on 'Mechs were not casting shadows. They wanted spring to come early.
• Fixed an issue where the End of Round screen was not showing Damage Done in the C-Bill breakdown section.
• The voice detection threshold system has been removed from the in-game VoIP implementation. Players now only need to engage the Push to Talk button in order to transmit over VoIP; they no longer need to also speak above a certain volume threshold in order to transmit.
• Fixed an issue where equipped Mounted Cockpit Items could be hard to see inside the Cockpit Item screen.
• Fixed an issue where the Phoenix Cockpit Item icons were not oriented correctly in the Cockpit Item screen Warehouse.


Known Issues

• Faction and Mercenary Rank titles will not display on your website/forum profile.
• Faction Loyalty Rank title may appear incorrectly after re-joining a Faction you deserted from in the past.
• Mercenary Rank titles will all display only as "Mercenary" while in a match.
• There is currently no method for a Unit to locate its claimed Planets.



#2 Goosfraba

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:17 PM

Tl;dr

Seriously, well worth the wait.

Edited by Goosfraba, 18 April 2016 - 08:19 PM.


#3 BSK

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:19 PM

Omg breaking the contract means disbanding the unit? THEN WE ALWAYS HAVE TO PICK A CONTRACT ON TUESDAYS?

#4 Prussian Havoc

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:21 PM

Looks incredible!
Now to go back and dive into the details. :)

Thank you PGI!

#5 YaKillinMeSmalls

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:29 PM

Using 'spoiler' functionality would cut down on the wall of text and allow us to view each section one at a time.

#6 Lanceafer

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:34 PM

Longest patch notes ever.

#7 Commander A9

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:38 PM

Well, this is going to cost the big units alot of damn C-Bills just to continue operations. :/

#8 Dirk Le Daring

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:39 PM

Wow huge.....

Now to read through it.

Oh, and cheers for the effort Mr G. <S>

Edit : Ok, so read through.... Two immediate points.....

1) Forcing units to sign with a faction still sucks... You are forcing us (my unit) to dissolve, as we play casually, and mostly solo while none of us particularly have a desire to join a faction. So in order for us to play what was COMMUNITY warfare, we have to either break the unit or sign with a faction. Not good options in my opinion, either of them. I may reconsider FACTION warfare.... (I can see why it is now called faction warfare, cus the community part got shafted. Thanks for continuing to leave out a segment of the community.)

Second edit:

[ Why not make it so that units under a population of exactly twelve (12) can still partake without signing to a faction ? Makes sense, in the event that there are eleven (11) mercs and a lone Davion, then the planet would become Davion still. And the planet could have the tag of the lone Davion players unit or whatever.]
End second edit.


2) No mention of dropdecks, and how that will work... Will onebe required to fill a dropdeck with only a single technology IS or Clan ? Or will the freelancers be able to use mixedtech ? Seems logical to go for two dropdecks, otherwise the freelancer can find himself restricted as to who to fight for. Which would go against the spirit of the freelancer (as described above).

3) War planning. You are not exactly giving much choice here. Vote for a random planet ??? Really ? Why can you not make all planets available, and let unit leaders and tacticians do just that, lead and use tactics / strategy ? (I do check the CW FW map when I log in, and often scratch my head.)

Edited by Dirk Le Daring, 19 April 2016 - 12:31 AM.


#9 Lances107

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:43 PM

As a new player to the game who only recently has started making head way in the game. This looks like allot of fun.

#10 Troubl8385

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:46 PM

That was one long patch notes. Lot of stuff to dig and try out in the patch.

#11 White Bear 84

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:48 PM

PGI - The penalty rates for overpopulation/underpopulation are too generic imo, should have at least 25% increments as opposed to 50%. Depending on fluidity of player movement can adjust accordingly..

MC rewards - Interesting mechanic here, small commited groups will benefit more from this than larger groups, with it becoming considerably harder to allocate rewards to 100's of members..

And scouting.. ..holy batmobile that is pretty darn awesome. Tactically speaking, having this knowledge and ability will change the tactical landscape somewhat..

Edited by White Bear 84, 18 April 2016 - 08:56 PM.


#12 MechWarrior319348

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:49 PM

So.... are you guys all mechwarrior'd out? Or are you gonna keep on adding until the end?

#13 Agent 0 Fortune

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:51 PM

If I read this correctly, solo queue is for "Solo Loyalist" and "Freelancers" only. If you are in a Mercenary Unit but dropping alone you are in the group queue, same goes if you are in a Mercenary Unit with 1 member (you).

#14 Czarr

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:52 PM

Finally glad this is patch is coming out. This is what us Beta players have been asking for months now!! Nice to see loyalist units in a war committee voting for next target and big merc units have to pay out all their members should make things interesting. I am sure their are going to be problems in the first few weeks but after some tweaking it should be really cool

#15 kesuga7

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:55 PM

You took away Hero-Vindicator 25% less laser duration ?

You nerfed a vindicator ...? Posted Image

(The 10% laser generation heat buff's are not worth it over laser duration i.m.o)

The Saint Ive's blues is one of the hardest to use heroes as it is

Edited by kesuga7, 18 April 2016 - 09:44 PM.


#16 Gas Guzzler

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 08:56 PM

Why nerf the Vindicator laser duration?

Why did the Jester lose 33% of its structure bonuses? This mech is barely used as it is... I don't see why you guys bothered to do this?

#17 Carl Vickers

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 09:00 PM

By the power of Greyskull, this is pretty damn awesome.

CW can make a good resurgence, information warfare in a different light.

Edited by Carl Vickers, 18 April 2016 - 09:02 PM.


#18 Triordinant

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 09:01 PM

View PostCommander A9, on 18 April 2016 - 08:38 PM, said:

Well, this is going to cost the big units alot of damn C-Bills just to continue operations. :/

That's the idea.

#19 Carl Vickers

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 09:04 PM

View PostCommander A9, on 18 April 2016 - 08:38 PM, said:

Well, this is going to cost the big units alot of damn C-Bills just to continue operations. :/


Might be a good idea to clear out the lists of inactives then to keep the costs down. I can see donations being needed when entering a bigger unit though.

#20 Triordinant

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Posted 18 April 2016 - 09:05 PM

View PostCarl Vickers, on 18 April 2016 - 09:00 PM, said:

By the power of Greyskull, this is pretty damn awesome.







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