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Roadmap For January, February, And Beyond


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#1 InnerSphereNews

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:20 PM



Greetings MechWarriors,

2016 came to an end with a number of significant events for MechWarrior Online. The first-ever MechWarrior Online World Championships came to a thrilling conclusion at Mech_Con 2016. December saw the successful start of a new phase in the development of Faction Play with the release of Phase 4.1, while the introduction of Escort into Quick Play brought the first new QP Game Mode since the release of Domination.
You can check out our previous December Roadmap and Beyond post here for a full 2016 retrospective.
All of us here at Piranha Games would like to thank all of you for a stellar 2016, and for continuing to take to the battlefields of the Inner Sphere. We are extremely excited for the continued development of MechWarrior Online in 2017, and we hope you are as well.

Without further delay, let's take a look at what’s to come for the months of January, February, and beyond, along with a special announcement to close out this Roadmap.




Patch Date: January 24th

Releasing in the January patch

Bushwacker (Inner Sphere Medium)

Balance Adjustments
January will see a number of balance-related adjustments, including a fix for AMS not reacting correctly to certain angles of incoming fire, quirk adjustments for 7 IS ‘Mechs and 6 Clan ‘Mechs – the details of which will be provided in full with the January patch notes – along with a reduction to Clan XL Engine Cooling Efficiency in the event of Side Torso destruction; bringing the total efficiency penalty from its current 20% up to 40%.

In regards to the Clan XL change, the balance dynamic between Inner Sphere and Clans is something that we have and will continue to evaluate heavily. This adjustment to Clan XL cooling efficiency is a step in that process, making the loss of a Side Torso more impactful on the performance of Clan ‘Mechs.

Beyond this change we have identified some larger balance points that we will be pushing after the release of the Skill Tree system, which will see some critical changes to the overall Clan vs. IS dynamic. More details will be provided about these changes after the release of the new Skill Tree, within the new context of balance introduced by the release of that feature.

We will continue to heavily examine the overall balance between the Inner Sphere and Clan factions through 2017, and adjust as needed.


Art Fixes
An array of art-related fixes are arriving with the January patch, including an improvement to the Marauder IIC ‘Scorch’ Hero Pattern, and an array of minor improvements and fixes for ‘Mech animations, geometry, patterns, and in a couple of cases, hitboxes.

New Cockpit Items
In addition to the items releasing as part of the Bushwacker release, January will include some additional Cockpit Items, including a long-requested, endlessly-versatile tool for patching ducts of all types. Rostered members of the three MWOWC World Championship Finalists will also be receiving their respective hanging medal Cockpit item in this patch.

New MechWarrior Online standalone client Launcher/Patcher
Participants of the MechWarrior Online World Championships are already somewhat familiar with this new launcher for the standalone MWO client, but as of the January patch we are introducing a brand new launcher/patcher for the standalone (non-Steam) MWO client.
The primary goal of this launcher is to provide a central method for accessing different builds of MechWarrior Online; specifically the standard MWO client and the MWO Public Test client.

The new launcher also brings with it greater stability and performance when installing or updating the client, and provides a more streamlined ‘launchpad’ for accessing MechWarrior Online standalone clients.

Full details regarding the launcher, such as how to get it and how it will interact with your existing installs, will be provided as we approach the January 24th patch date.

New Music for Home and Faction Play Screens
The Home and Faction Play screens are receiving some new audio in the January patch, with the addition of new ambient music tracks for both screens.

Upcoming Announcements in January

Inner Sphere Light 'Mech Pre-Order
As promised near the end of 2016 we will be announcing a new Inner Sphere Light ‘Mech this month, set to be launched for pre-order in the third week of January. As mentioned in the introduction of this Roadmap we have been deeply evaluating the current model of ‘Mech releases, both in terms of their structure and in their content. Based on those evaluations the Light ‘Mech you’ll see announced in January will likely be the last installment of our current single ‘Mech system, originally introduced with the launch of the UrbanMech back in 2015 and continued with the majority of our ‘Mech releases since.

UPDATE: IS Light 'Mech announcement for January is the Javelin

You can look forward to the announcement of a new set of ‘Mechs in early March, ushering in much more than a simple adjustment to 'Mech Pack structure….

With January covered, let’s move on to what you can expect in the month of February.




Patch Date: February 21st

Supernova (Clan Assault)

New Skill Tree
The new Skill Tree is currently under heavy internal review, refinement, and testing as we approach the PTS planned for early February, and the subsequent release of the feature in the February patch.
The new Skill Tree is going to be a significant improvement to the customization and specialization potential for your 'Mechs, providing you with greater control over their role and performance.
We know there are a number of questions about how the Skill Tree will operate and what its release means for the XP you've spent and the Modules you've purchased over the years. Covering the entirety of those questions and topics is a bit outside the scope of this Roadmap, but the upcoming Skill Tree PTS will include a comprehensive rundown on some of the most frequently asked questions about the Skill Tree, along with all the information you'll need to know about the new Skill Tree going into the PTS.
A post was initially planned for release prior to the PTS, but with changes and improvements to the Skill Tree build still underway, a post coinciding with the PTS will be more reflective of the build you'll see.

Faction Play Fixes and Improvements
Faction Play will be receiving another wave of fixes and UI improvements in February as we pave the way for more in-depth improvements to Faction Play systems in the coming months.

No February Pre-Order 'Mech
In anticipation for the announcement of a new 'Mech Pack in early March, we'd like to provide a heads up now that February will not feature any 'Mech or 'Mech Pack announcements.




Incursion Game Mode (previously the Assault revamp)
A revamp of the Assault Game Mode has been underway for some time now, and we are fast approaching the home stretch. You can check out an advance look at the upcoming Assault revamp from the teaser video we released at Mech_Con 2016 here, though we want to point out that the final design of the mode will differ slightly from the build seen in that teaser.

While we are not quite ready to detail the full mechanics of this new mode, we do have two new updates for you on its progress.

The first is that we have decided to reframe this revamp as a whole new game mode entirely distinct from the existing Assault mode it grew from. As a result, we have named this new game mode Incursion.
With the final design of Incursion expanding well beyond the initial framework set by the current Assault mode, we are planning to retain the existing Assault as an available game mode in MWO after the release of Incursion.

The second is in regards to its release date. Our most recent messaging from Mech_Con regarding the release of the Assault revamp (now Incursion) was rather definitively slating a March release, but as a result of subsequent alterations to the design of Incursion we are now set for an April release.
The delay is unfortunate, and we apologize for another delay of this long-awaited release, but the game mode will greatly benefit from this slight extension in development time.


Faction Play Event and Reward Updates
Special Events and unique, short-term Conflicts are the next major step in the development of Faction Play Phase 4 feature-sets. Before we reach that stage however we need to do some work behind the scenes to expand upon the Faction Play UI and our internal toolsets to allow for greater detail, substance, and control with these events than what the current Faction Play Conflict systems can provide.

Our goal is to integrate special events more seamlessly into the Faction Play interface, providing better context, more lore presence, and improved reward incentives behind each event. You can see part of our inspiration for these special events in previous official events such as Tukayyid, the ComStar Intercept program, and community-created Events, such as the recent Operation Great Dane.

Additionally, general changes and improvements to Faction Play reward systems are also a priority for 2017, with particular attention toward Loyalist career rewards and incentives.

At the time of this Roadmap we aren’t yet in a stage where we can provide solid ETAs for the above items, so keep an eye out for more details and developments future in Roadmaps.


Global/Floating Chat
Additional improvements to the in-game chat systems are slated for release by March, providing new levels of persistence and refinement to the frontend chat systems.


Improved Spectator Tools
The Private Match Spectator system received a lot of use during the MechWarrior Online World Championships, and an array of improvements are in store for 2017 to improve the system further.


‘Mech IK
As with Incursion, the restoration of 'Mech IK was a feature we had originally intended to implement earlier in 2016. The performance concerns that initially spurred its removal back in 2012 have been addressed, but some concerns about the aesthetics of IK behavior with certain 'Mechs on certain environmental objects delayed its release, and subsequent priorities have pushed it a little further into the future.
We’d like to apologize to all the players who have been looking forward to IKs release since our past announcements of its reintegration into MWO. IK is still planned for release in 2017, but no solid ETA is available at this time.


Upcoming ‘Mechs
Supernova, releasing in February
Assassin, releasing in March
Roughneck, releasing in April
Javelin, releasing in May
Unannounced Inner Sphere Hero ‘Mechs, set for pre-order launch in March
Unannounced Clan Hero ‘Mechs, set for pre-order launch this April


And finally, a special announcement….

For some time now, the selection of weapons and equipment technology in MechWarrior Online has been an ongoing discussion, both internally here at Piranha Games and in discussions throughout the community. Not since the Clan Invasion have we seen a major release of advanced technology onto the battlefields of the Inner Sphere.

The time has come for a new era of ‘Mech warfare.

This March, we will be detailing the mid-summer release of new Inner Sphere and Clan weaponry and equipment for MechWarrior Online. The timeline is advancing, and with it comes not only a new array of potential weapons and equipment technology with which to customize your existing ‘Mechs, but the potential for an array of new and remarkable ‘Mechs to pilot and customize.

Coinciding with the early March announcement of these new technologies, four new ‘Mechs will be announced and launched for pre-order to herald this new era. The Inner Sphere and Clans will both be receiving two ‘Mechs, with at least one of their two respective ‘Mechs hailing from the 3060+ era.

While these ‘Mechs and new technologies will be released simultaneously in the summer, the technologies are not reliant or restricted to the new ‘Mechs. Upon release, the MechLab will simply be expanded with new weapons, new equipment, and new opportunities for customization.

These new technologies will no doubt represent a big step forward in build diversity and gameplay, and it must be stressed that we are committed to ensuring that the introduction of these new technologies doesn’t upend or undo the work that has gone into the current state of balance.
While it remains to be seen how this timeline advancement will impact Faction Play and its current layout, we'll evaluate and discuss its potential impacts with you as we approach closer to release.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of what’s coming for MechWarrior Online, and as usual, the items above are only a selection of things you can expect to see in 2017.
The year is shaping up to include more waves of quality-of-life improvements and refinements, along with additional features and items currently in the planning and design phase; so stay tuned MechWarriors.

A new era approaches.



#2 YUyahoo

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:26 PM

FINALLY!

#3 Deathlike

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:29 PM

There's a lot of words, but no substance.

While there may be more additional tech additions, balance between techs is still fraught with problems. Adding more tech only convolutes balance AND requires rebalancing existing tech more often than not.

#4 JonDoeIowa

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:32 PM

Your tweet today made it sound like we'd get our mech announcement today..... what happened?

#5 Edward Hazen

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:33 PM

Word of Blake?

#6 McHoshi

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:39 PM

Damn ... No Dasher Posted Image BUT: 3060! New weapons and tech - summer 2017 Cool Move PGI!

#7 Commander A9

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:41 PM

Oh joy. More nerfs to Clans.

Big damn surprise. :/

#8 Peiper

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:45 PM

TL;DR

Some new mechs coming out, but we can't tell you which ones.

New skill tree, we hope, in February.

New tech sometime in summer to coincide with pre-order release of mystery mechs.

Some involvement with the community in regard to CW/FW in the future.

New assault mode (incursion) delayed again until whenever.

Mech IK: still working on it.

Some sort of clan/IS balance changes, probably to try to make them more the same (but continuing to insist on segregating the tech in FW cuz', well, they're the same but different and lore, cuz the year is (not) 3050 and will never progress, though Earth has fallen twice already, or something).

QUESTIONS: if the tech is being advanced to 3060, that means the Sea Fox is selling mechs to the IS, Clan Wolf in Exile is moving to the inner sphere. Clan Nova Cat has joined the IS, and Clan Smoke Jaguar has been annihilated, right? The FRR/CGB the same faction. How will that affect Faction play? Does that mean we don't have to pretend clan and IS tech are the same?

In MWO: Since Wolf won Earth twice, does that mean that the SLDF doesn't reform? Is ComStar/WoB wiped out?

TELL US! I don't mind the alternative timelines caused by MWO, but I want to know that WE the PLAYERS made a difference. Either that or you're blowing smoke...

Edited by Peiper, 13 January 2017 - 06:59 PM.


#9 Edward Hazen

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:46 PM

View PostCommander A9, on 13 January 2017 - 06:41 PM, said:

Oh joy. More nerfs to Clans.

Big damn surprise. :/


I just got my Marauder IICs mastered and just bought Linebackers too :-(

#10 Cy Mitchell

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:47 PM

The January Mech was expected to be Clan based on hints and the alternating release recently. It was also supposed to be a Light so I had high hopes that the Firemoth was finally going to make it into the game. I am disappointed with the news that it will be yet another inner sphere Light but you are saving me money as I only buy Clan Mechs. (Except the Uziel when it comes.)

EDIT:
The roadmap is pretty vague about when we will be receiving feature, especially some that have been long delayed. That is a bit disappointing. Also there will not be another Clan Mech issued announced until the Wave 2 Heroes in March that will go pre-order in April. Wow, you guys are really trying to save me money!

So, the Skill Tree release about 6 weeks from now is the only thing to be excited about in the near future. I do not know how to react to the news of 7 IS Mechs and 6 Clan Mechs getting more performance adjustments in the January patch. If the Nova gets yet another reduction in performance while the HBK IIC continues to skate merrily along then I think I will get violently ill.

At least Imperius will finally be getting is beloved Mad Cat MKII announcement in March. No matter how you feel about the guy, you have got to respect his unwavering dedication to his cause. I hope the IS gets the Uziel at the same time.

Edited by Rampage, 13 January 2017 - 09:34 PM.


#11 Kael Posavatz

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:49 PM

View PostInnerSphereNews, on 13 January 2017 - 06:20 PM, said:

along with a reduction to Clan XL Engine Cooling Efficiency in the event of Side Torso destruction; bringing the total efficiency penalty from its current 20% up to 40%


So instead of buffing the IS, we go with another round of 'nerf the clans harder'. But in a couple of months we're going to drop advanced tech into the game?



^Russ Trolling the Clans about the imminent release of the Firemoth.

Edited by Kael Posavatz, 13 January 2017 - 06:52 PM.


#12 BWS2K

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:52 PM

Posted Image
#relevant

#13 Navid A1

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 06:58 PM

The awesome:
- New tech.

The good:
- Finally... Single chassis packs are gone... hell yes!


The bad:
- IK is slowly closing to being canceled.
- Summoner is gonna be hit by the nerf hammer
- No fire moth (why?... just Why?)

The hope:
- Animation fix for the jumpy direwolf cockpit (first person view) and glitching atlas walking animation.
The awesome:
- Blood Asp Omni mech confirmed.... Paul?

Edited by Navid A1, 13 January 2017 - 07:01 PM.


#14 Sereglach

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:01 PM

First off, glad to see you own up to a delay months before the deadline instead of pushing things back at the last second. That is actually sincerely appreciated. The last second pushbacks over and over again were really getting old. I'd rather at least know in advance that something is getting delayed instead of finding out right when the month's patch notes are released.

Secondly, calling it now . . . the first 3060+ IS mech will probably be the Uziel because of its nostalgia factor from MW4.

In addition to the mech comment, does this new pre-order structure mean we're basically going back to the days of mech releases akin to things that haven't been seen since the clans? Those of us who've been around for a while remember the days were the Hero mech would release first; and then all the standard variants would release a month later for everyone. I don't think I'd be too upset if that's the case.

The skill tree I think has a LOT riding on it for many of us who want a reason to have faith in the game, and thereby PGI, again. I tenuously await the release of this FAQ Answers post to reveal more information about the system. I think the same can also be said about the rather ambiguous "future FW improvements" . . . we'll need to see it before we can put faith in them.

Next, it's interesting that Assault mode is going to stick around as an independent mode from "Incursion". Will we be seeing any sort of improvements to the mode at all, or is it going to be sticking around just to have another purported game mode?

As for new equipment and weapon systems. I can only hope that this post HERE: "Reasonable Ways to Flesh out Future Tech" had some influence. There are lots of ways to implement a lot of tech that are quick and fairly easy to implement. I can't say I have my hopes up, but I do look forward to seeing what equipment gets implemented and to see how its mechanics pan out as the game unfolds.

Speaking of equipment, I think it goes without question that I hope the Flamer is going to receive a pass to help it find a solid state of balance among all of the equipment in the game. I've said it before, and I'll say it as many times as need-be until the weapon is fixed: The Flamer shouldn't be shrouded in a bunch of convoluted mechanics that horribly main the weapon's functionality while also are never explained to the common player . . . let alone aren't even effectively explained on the HUD (and no weapon should EVER be able to be fired without a cost, period, even in some convoluted "free-fire" window which exacerbates all of its other problems for "balance"). Simple and fixed flat values, like 1.0 DPS, 2.0 Heat DPS, and 1.0 HPS, will go a long way to bringing the weapon in balance while also making it more friendly to common players by bringing its mechanics more in line with other weapon systems.

#15 -Ramrod-

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:03 PM

I showed this to a friend and this is what he had to say. I don't necessarily agree with it Posted Image

"]what i just read was, Due to falling income from pissed off players not spending money we are finally gonna do 1/4 of what we promised 1 year ago in the hopes your dumb enough to give us lots of cash for being lazy, deceptive, greedy pieces of ****. Thank you from PGI...."

Edited by Ramrod AI, 13 January 2017 - 07:03 PM.


#16 Nightmare1

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:06 PM

Timeline advance?

Posted Image

#17 Odanan

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:08 PM

View PostInnerSphereNews, on 13 January 2017 - 06:20 PM, said:

And finally, a special announcement….

For some time now, the selection of weapons and equipment technology in MechWarrior Online has been an ongoing discussion, both internally here at Piranha Games and in discussions throughout the community. Not since the Clan Invasion have we seen a major release of advanced technology onto the battlefields of the Inner Sphere.
The time has come for a new era of ‘Mech warfare.
This March, we will be detailing the mid-summer release of new Inner Sphere and Clan weaponry and equipment for MechWarrior Online. The timeline is advancing, and with it comes not only a new array of potential weapons and equipment technology with which to customize your existing ‘Mechs, but the potential for an array of new and remarkable ‘Mechs to pilot and customize.
Coinciding with the early March announcement of these new technologies, four new ‘Mechs will be announced and launched for pre-order to herald this new era. The Inner Sphere and Clans will both be receiving two ‘Mechs, with at least one of their two respective ‘Mechs hailing from the 3060+ era.
While these ‘Mechs and new technologies will be released simultaneously in the summer, the technologies are not reliant or restricted to the new ‘Mechs. Upon release, the MechLab will simply be expanded with new weapons, new equipment, and new opportunities for customization.
These new technologies will no doubt represent a big step forward in build diversity and gameplay, and it must be stressed that we are committed to ensuring that the introduction of these new technologies doesn’t upend or undo the work that has gone into the current state of balance.
While it remains to be seen how this timeline advancement will impact Faction Play and its current layout, we'll evaluate and discuss its potential impacts with you as we approach closer to release.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse of what’s coming for MechWarrior Online, and as usual, the items above are only a selection of things you can expect to see in 2017.
The year is shaping up to include more waves of quality-of-life improvements and refinements, along with additional features and items currently in the planning and design phase; so stay tuned MechWarriors.

A new era approaches.

Posted Image

#18 SuperFunkTron

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:08 PM

This looks to be a really promising time for the game, I can't wait to see how each of these new elements pans out! Clans take another hit to their engines, but it seems that balancing it closer to the IS XL engines must be needed.

I am still curious if there is a plan to have a town hall soon or if there is a way to present a list of features/ideas from the community to PGI. https://mwomercs.com...93#entry5549493
The first post has some great ideas to help improve immersion and would it'd be great to see these features implemented eventually, even if just 1 at a time. There are also some great ideas regarding faction play in there and it'd be great to find out PGI's thoughts on them one way or another (A summary of the FP ideas will be added to the original post in this weekend)

#19 Naglinator

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:12 PM

After four years, still hasn't balanced current weapons, introduces NEW weapons :) Alright, I'm game, let's see how heavy lasers are handled.

#20 BLOOD WOLF

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Posted 13 January 2017 - 07:15 PM

View PostCommander A9, on 13 January 2017 - 06:41 PM, said:

Oh joy. More nerfs to Clans.

Big damn surprise. :/

We deserve it, our endgame damage is insanePosted Image

NEW TECH!!!!

that engine nerf is a bit..............much

Edited by BLOOD WOLF, 13 January 2017 - 07:16 PM.






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