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Greetings MechWarriors!
As many of you know, towards the end of last year we were tasked with revitalizing MechWarrior Online. A big part of this goal was improving existing features and assets, and iterating on aspects of the game that need revisiting. This includes weapons and equipment values, quirks, rescale, agility, skill tree, game modes, maps, and so on. Weapons and Equipment Values was an easy and obvious starting points, mostly due to the fact that we're in the process of ramping up our MWO dev team (ala recent-hire Francois as our new MWO Level Designer!) while simultaneously preparing for the launch of MW5 on Steam/GoG/Xbox in May. This means that previously shared team members are now completely focused on the MW5 release. As a result, we lost the opportunity to run a Public Test Server, at least for now.
For those that were not aware, we were preparing to run a PTS this weekend with weapon and equipment value changes proposed by a player council group going by the name the Cauldron (more on that in a moment). The plan was to rollback all weapons and equipment changes that were made in March with the upcoming April 20th patch, while running 2 or 3 iterations of PTS with player feedback, and then go live with those final tuned values in the May patch. As this is no longer an option, we have decided to move the schedule up and go live with these new Weapon and Equipment Values in the April patch. This essentially means we will be testing on the live servers, followed up by player feedback and a first pass at balancing these values in the May patch.
So that's part of the plan for April and May, but now I want to get back to this player council known as the Cauldron. As there has basically been a void of information as to who they are and what their goals are, understandably there has been a lot of misinformation going around. We would like to work towards a better understanding moving forward, so tonight we're going to give you a little information about the group, what their goals are with balance, and then I will post the detailed Weapons and Equipment Values changes that are coming in April along with explanations for each.
Before I let them speak for themselves, we will say this about the Cauldron group. These are a mix of 20+ individuals, from Casuals to Comp-level players, that PGI has known and worked with in different capacities over many years. These are people that love MechWarrior Online, want the game to be more fun, for it to succeed and grow, and collectively know an astonishing amount about every aspect of the game. They don't always agree with each other, but they work well together and know how to come to a decision that reflects the consensus of the group, and what best helps them achieve the balance goals.
So what are these new values? What are their goals for Weapon and Equipment balance? Here are your answers, straight from the Cauldron:
The April patch brings about the first step in a series of community-driven changes to various aspects of gameplay in MechWarrior: Online. A large number of community members including competitive, casual, veteran and new players as well as public opinion and discussions have been involved in the past few months to form a road map to reach our ultimate goal, which is to make the game fun for all players.
In order to achieve this, several steps have been envisioned throughout the year.
- Increasing utility of the wide array of weapon types and incentivizing more diverse ‘Mech and weapon combinations through a Weapon Pass.
- Increasing baseline agility across the board with the purpose of re-introducing fluidity and increasing time to kill (TTK) by giving ‘Mechs the ability to roll, twist and use cover in a much more effective way.
- Accomplishing an all new round of geometric re-scaling across all chassis in order to reduce the overall scale of ‘Mechs (particularly 35t+ chassis) and directly increase survivability.
- Going through a ‘Mech quirk and skill-tree revision in line to all other changes, in order to address and compensate the weakest outliers which are limited by factors such as hardpoint count, model shape, and/or other factors.
It is worth noting that the changes in this patch are based on values and stats of weapons and equipment prior to the March 2021 patch. As it is expected, these changes would lead to a shift in the so-called “meta”, and their effect will be monitored in the coming month. The gathered data will then be used to modify and re-adjust changes if needed. This patch is mainly focused on weapon and equipment adjustments.
ENERGY WEAPONS OVERVIEW
The majority of the changes in this patch has been to energy weapons. At the current state of the game, the so-called “meta” has shifted towards extensive usage of Inner Sphere (IS) Medium Pulse Lasers, UAC5-10s (medium range), and Clan ER-PPCs (long range) for short, medium and long range engagements, respectively. This shift over the years has been caused not due to dominant weapons becoming stronger, but due to their alternatives becoming weaker (e.g., medium range laser options being inferior to massed UAC-5/10 cannons). In this patch we would expect to see a more level playing field at all range brackets by addressing underperforming weapons.
Special attention has been paid towards micro and small class lasers in order to make them viable options in close quarter fights. These changes should help fill the void in the extreme close range bracket. You will find more value in this category of weapons either as primary loadouts or as complementary close range backup options.
In the medium range bracket, IS Medium Pulse Lasers will now face better competition through changes made to Clan Medium Pulse Laser and IS standard and ER Medium Lasers.
Large class lasers are in a category which makes them competing in tonnage against ER Large Lasers or the PPC family. The revisions made to Large Pulse Lasers, standard and Heavy Lasers are expected to help introduce tangible advantages in various roles when chosen over the established “meta”. Moreover, small adjustments have been made to ER Large Lasers to better set them in their ranged role.
The IS PPC family has undergone significant adjustment after thorough analysis of their current viability and usage. Only ‘Mechs that are generously quirked have traditionally been able to use them effectively due to the weapon system’s extreme heat and low velocity (Non-ER versions). Overly-quirked ‘Mechs will need to go through a Quirk Pass in the future as a result of these changes. Finally, the less popular members of the PPC family have also received other adjustments to give them a defined role.
CHANGELOG (Previous Values are based on Pre-March Patch Values):
ER Micro Laser (Clan):
Heat penalty is removed
Notes: Currently, ER Micros are in a good place and useful at their tonnage as ‘free’ damage due to their low heat, usable range and damage output. As such, they do not need an arbitrary ghost heat limit (of 10) anymore. Currently, any ‘Mechs where this limit applied to already make use of ER Small Lasers or an HSL quirk to bypass ghost heat limit making it redundant.
Micro Pulse Laser (Clan):
Damage increased to 3 (from 2.7)
Range increased to 130m (from 90)
Heat penalty is removed
Notes: Micro Pulse, compared to their ER counterparts, are anemic, have less reach, and suffer the same arbitrary ghost heat limit. They also only slightly benefit in an increase of DPS over ER Micros at the substantial cost of twice the tonnage. Our changes seek to rectify this.
Small Laser (IS):
Damage increased to 3.75 (from 3.25)
Range increased to 160m (from 150m)
Notes: Small Lasers are in a decent spot at the moment, but are lacking some damage and range, especially when compared to their Clan counterparts.
ER Small Laser (IS):
Damage increased to 3.75 (from 3.25)
Cooldown decreased to 2.65 (from 2.75)
Notes: To promote weapon synergy, the cooldown has been reduced by 0.1 seconds to sync with Medium Pulse Lasers which are a common pairing. In accordance with other changes to the ER Small Laser, damage has been increased in order to remain consistent with the rest of the line up.
Small Pulse Laser (IS):
Damage increased to 4 (from 3.5)
Heat increased to 1.55 (from 1.35)
Cooldown increased to 2.1 (from 1.9)
Range increased to 135m (from 110)
Notes: SPLs were traditionally a primary weapon system for lighter ‘Mechs but have since fallen out of favour. Considering the viability of Medium Lasers as a whole for the same tonnage, SPLs should also have a place as a viable primary weapon in closer quarters.
Heavy Small Laser (Clan):
Laser duration decreased to 1.1 (from 1.2)
Range increased to 130m (from 115)
Notes: Heavy Small Lasers are decent at the moment, but lack range compared to their primary competition: C-ERSLs. Their increased duration for increased damage is an acceptable trade off.
ER Small Laser (Clan):
Heat decreased to 3 (from 3.5)
Laser duration decreased to 1.0 (from 1.1)
Notes: C-ERSLs are in a good place at the moment. However, they typically fulfill a ‘backup’ weapon role to C-SPLs. With this in mind, heat generation has been toned down a bit. Also, considering its range bracket, beam duration has been reduced for better focus damage output in fast-paced close quarter fights.
Small Pulse Laser (Clan):
Damage increased to 5 (from 4)
Range decreased to 160m (from 165)
Cooldown increased to 2.4 (from 1.9)
Max range increased to 320m (from 297)
Notes: Just like the IS SPL, C-SPLs went from acting as a viable primary weapon system to one of defunct status. Considering C-ERMLs are the same tonnage, C-SPLs should be placed in a niche role, too. The biggest hit to the C-SPL was their damage reduction, along with their cooldown and heat decreasing. However, as we saw with live gameplay this turned them to redundancy. It has reduced the viability of the weapon system as a whole. In addition, the damage fall-off curve has been adjusted to be consistent with other laser weaponry, making it more useful at the upper end of its range bracket.
Medium Laser (IS):
Heat decreased to 3.25 (from 3.4)
Cooldown decreased to 3.2 (from 3.5)
ER Medium Laser (IS):
Heat decreased to 4 (from 4.5)
Cooldown decreased to 3.75 (from 4)
Notes: Compared to IS MLs, ERMLs are too hot despite not having a substantial range increase over them. This change makes them much more viable on Light ‘Mechs in particular.
Heavy Medium Laser (Clan):
Cooldown decreased to 5.0 (from 5.5)
Laser duration decreased to 1.3 (from 1.45)
Notes: HMLs are intended as a primarily alpha-focused, rather than DPS, weapon. These adjustments hope to rectify the excessive cooldown and duration that preclude its usefulness.
ER Medium Laser (Clan):
Heat decreased to 5.5 (from 6.3)
Cooldown decreased to 4.0 (from 4.5)
Laser duration decreased to 1.15 (from 1.25)
Notes: C-ERMLs have been modified to make them more accessible to light ‘Mechs. Currently, they are very hot when used on most Clan light ‘Mechs and many mediums which positions them at a disadvantage compared to their IS counterparts. These changes will also assist Laser-based heavies and assaults compete with the current ballistic boats that dominate the meta at mid-range.
Medium Pulse Laser (Clan):
Damage increased to 7 (from 6.5)
Heat decreased to 4.5 (from 4.75)
Laser duration decreased to 0.8 (from 0.9)
Range decreased to 270m (from 330)
Max range increased to 540m (from 480)
Notes: The biggest outlier with C-MPL is the sharp damage falloff between their high optimal range and short maximum range. To restore C-MPLs to a state of viability and address the steep damage falloff, a decrease to their optimal range has been applied while extending their maximum range. which was what caused their range falloff to begin with. Slight heat, damage, and laser duration buffs make them competitive options to both IS-MPLs and C-ERMLs.
Large Laser (IS):
Cooldown increased to 3.5 (from 3.1)
Heat decreased to 6.7 (from 7.0)
Laser duration decreased to 1.0 (from 1.1)
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 5 (from 4) – Fire 4 with no penalty
Notes: Currently, IS-LLs have little advantage over their IS-ERLL counterparts. Being able to fire 4 without ghost heat will act as a tradeoff to their ERLL counterpart, while also setting them apart from PPC based weapons. With this ghost heat change, you will now have to make a choice between a higher alpha (by firing 4) and slight duration buff versus more range, as opposed to simply more range.
ER Large Laser (IS):
Heat decreased to 8 (from 8.75)
Cooldown increased to 4.0 (from 3.4)
Range increased to 700m (from 675)
Notes: In the context of the IS-LL changes, it makes sense for IS-ERLLs to have a slight heat reduction since they have a less effective alpha when boated. A cooldown nerf and a range buff ensure that they are made further unique from IS-LLs.
Large Pulse Laser (IS):
Damage increased to 11 (from 10)
Heat decreased to 7 (from 7.25)
Laser duration increased to 0.75 (from 0.67)
Range increased to 400m (from 365)
Notes: Currently, IS-LPLs are not worth the extra tonnage investment over their LL counterparts, especially with LL ghost heat going to 4. Having what will be a substantial damage increase, as well as a slight heat decrease and a noticeable range increase will allow the weapon to compete closely with the IS-LL family. A slight laser duration increase is a fair trade-off for these buffs.
Heavy Large Laser (Clan):
Damage increased to 18 (from 16)
Cooldown decreased to 5.5 (from 5.75)
Laser duration decreased to 1.45 (from 1.55)
Notes: HLLs currently come at a considerable cost to what they offer; increased laser duration, significantly longer cooldown, costing 3 slots rather than 1, and having significantly less range. These factors make them inferior to their laser counterparts. Addressing each of these elements for the better will help position them back as a viable choice.
ER Large Laser (Clan):
Damage increased to 11 (from 10.75)
Heat decreased to 10 (from 11.8)
Cooldown increased to 4.5 (from 4)
Range increased to 770m (from 740m)
Notes: as one of the only extreme range sniper options available to clans, C-ERLLs performance falls short when compared to C-ERPPCs and/or inner sphere ERLL, both in terms of upfront damage and the amount of heat output per inflicted damage. To address this, C-ERLLs have received a boost to its damage and a reduction to its generated heat. In return the weapon cooldown and range have been slightly increased.
Large Pulse Laser (Clan):
Damage increased to 13 (from 12)
Heat decreased to 9.0 (from 10)
Laser duration decreased to 1.0 (from 1.09)
Range decreased to 550m (from 600)
Max range increased to 1100m (from 840)
Heat penalty multiplier decreased to x3 (from x4) – Less heat penalty.
Notes: Currently, C-LPLs try to compete with C-ERPPCs and fall considerably short. A slight damage buff, heat buff, and less penalizing ghost heat will ensure the weapon is unique to the C-ERPPC. A slight optimal range nerf acts as a trade-off to having its full 2x damage falloff at maximum range restored.
Light PPC (IS):
Heat decreased to 4.5 (from 5.0)
Cooldown decreased to 3.0 (from 4)
Velocity increased to 1400 m/s (from 1200)
Minimum range removed.
Notes: Light PPCs are currently a lower tonnage, but higher slot and hardpoint count alternative to IS-PPCs. The goal is to make them a more diverse weapon system worth taking through their own right, or used among light ‘Mechs. Thus a substantial improvement to their DPS has been applied to situate them as backup weapons along with removal of their minimum range. This will provide a very distinct role for them compared to IS-PPCs. A slight velocity buff ensures they are still unique from autocannons.
PPC (IS):
Heat decreased to 9.0 (from 9.5)
Velocity increased to 1400 m/s (from 1200)
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 4 (from 3) – Fire 3 with no penalty.
Notes: IS PPCs are currently passable but lack uniqueness. We decided to address this by allowing the firing of 3 without ghost heat. This means that they compete with HPPCs and C-ERPPCs by matching their damage outputs - assuming hardpoints and slots availability. PPCs will be worth deploying with three or more to compete with their HPPC cousins. A slight heat buff and velocity boost ensures they stay in-line with other members of the PPC family.
Snub Nose PPC (IS):
Heat decreased to 7.0 (from 10)
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 4 (from 3) – Fire 3 with no penalty
Notes: Snub Nose PPCs are receiving a large buff as they currently do not effectively fulfill their role as short-ranged brawling weapons. Allowing them to alpha 3 at no penalty will help ensure they are more viable as primary weapons, while a large heat buff will ensure higher use as backup weapons. These changes will distinguish them from their closest competition: the IS-LPL, and the IS-PPC.
Heavy PPC (IS):
Heat decreased to 13 (from 14.5)
Velocity increased to 1400 m/s (from 1200)
Notes: Heavy PPCs are currently performing well. They are receiving a heat decrease and velocity increase to make them more usable on ‘Mechs without quirks. Current ‘Mechs with significant PPC quirks will be looked at in a future patch.
ER PPC (IS):
Heat decreased to 12 (from 13.5)
Heat penalty multiplier decreased to x4 (from x7) – Less heat penalty
Notes: IS-ERPPCs are on the cusp of greatness, particularly on ‘Mechs quirked for PPCs. However, they are in direct competition with C-ERPPC ‘Mechs. A sizable heat buff and less penalizing heat penalties when dipping into ghost heat will give them a solid niche over C-ERPPCs especially given their high velocity over that weapon system. Giving them less penalizing heat penalties compared to their Clan counterparts will make shooting 3 IS-ERPPCs a more viable option on larger ‘Mechs with many heatsinks.
BALLISTIC WEAPONS OVERVIEW
In tuning ballistic weapons, the focus has been on variation within the weapon family and boosting underperformers. Moreover, the changes include a major change to Light and Standard Gauss rifles as viable sniper weapons alongside tweaks to their health. Further tweaks have been made to machine guns to incentivize the use of LMG and HMGs.
Standard autocannons have received a slight velocity increase (5, 10, 20) and heat decrease to make them competitive against versatile UACs, especially when paired with complementary weapons such as PPCs or Lasers. In the case of Clan standard autocannons, considering their size disadvantage compared to the more flexible UAC variants, the total shell count has been reduced by one - in addition to the velocity and heat changes. Moreover, adjustments have been made to Clan AC20s to allow them to fire two with no heat penalty.
The changes to the Ultra Autocannons are limited to UAC2 and UAC20s. In the current state of the game, jam related stats of UAC2s often leads to them performing worse than standard AC2s which enjoy a very short consistent cooldown. For UAC20s, the very long jam down time renders this extremely heavy - and often primary - weapon out of service for almost 12 seconds which can be a death sentence. Changes have been made to UAC2s and 20s mainly in terms of jam stats along with minor tweaks to heat to compensate for the above mentioned weakness.
Due to their large spread, LB2X and LB5X Autocannons are one of the most under-performing ballistic weapons. This has been addressed in this patch with significant reduction in spread. LB20X weapons for both Clan and IS have also received heat adjustments so they maintain their edge against standard and Ultra ACs. One of the main changes to LBX weapons has been the slot size reduction (from 4 to 3) for the inner sphere LBX2 in order to make it a viable option in comparison to its standard AC2 variant.
Looking at the current state of the game, RAC2 currently has a niche role and playstyle. However, that is not the case for the RAC5. This is mainly due to the high amount of generated heat, low velocity and very wide artificial spread as well as short jam-free firing duration. Adjustments made in this patch should help RAC5 provide its advantages as a heavier and bulkier version of RAC2.
One of the changes in this patch has been to give Light and standard Gauss rifles a proper sniper role through increased optimum and max range. This change has been made to set Gauss rifles apart from their strong competitors in the same range bracket such as AC5s, UAC5s and PPCs. In addition, further changes have been made to Light Gauss in terms of damage increase and heat penalty removal in order to give it a wider use in conjunction with weapons in a similar range bracket and to differentiate it from standard Gauss. Adjustments to Light Gauss cooldown values and ammo count have been made to offset the boosts. Also the Inner Sphere standard Gauss rifle has been adjusted in cooldown and ammo per ton count to compensate for its heavier weight and larger size compared to its Clan counterpart. Finally, Gauss (IS and Clan) and Heavy Gauss rifles have received a health increase to account for their explosive nature when destroyed. Losing weapons is not fun. Especially when it explodes and is almost 30% of the weight of your ‘Mech!
Clan and IS Light and Heavy Machine Guns have received more ammo per ton in order to create incentives for their use. Inner Sphere standard Machine Guns have received more ammo per ton to equalize its tonnage investment compared to the clan machine gun. Finally given the massive tonnage investment that inner sphere HMG requires, the optimum range has been increased.
CHANGELOG (Previous Values are based on Pre-March Patch Values):
AC5 (Clan and IS):
Heat decreased to 1.1 (from 1.4) (IS Only)
Heat decreased to 1.25 (from 1.4) (Clan Only)
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 5 (from 4) – Fire 4 with no penalty. (Clan Only)
Velocity increased to 1500 m/s (from 1300)
Burst shells decreased to 1 (from 2) (Clan only) --ammo per ton adjusted
Notes: To incentivize AC5s and promote their usage with other complementary weapons, they have gone through an overall heat reduction for both Inner Sphere and Clan variants as well as increased heat penalty limit for the Clan variant. Furthermore, in comparison to the more common UAC5 variants, AC5s have been given a higher projectile velocity to make them more reliable in inflicting their intended damage. Also, Clan AC5s will fire a single shell after the patch to differentiate it from its smaller, more favorable and higher dps UAC5 counterpart.
AC10 (Clan and IS):
Heat decreased to 2.5 (from 2.75) (IS Only)
Velocity increased to 1300 m/s (from 1100)
Burst shells decreased to 2 (from 3) (Clan only) --ammo per ton adjusted
Notes: To incentivize the usage of AC10s and differentiating them from the more commonly used UAC10 variants, AC10s have been given a higher projectile velocity to make them more reliable in inflicting their intended damage near their optimum range. Furthermore, an overall heat reduction has been applied to AC10 to incentivize their usage with other complementary weapons systems. Also, Clan AC10s will fire two shells after the patch to differentiate it from its smaller, more favorable and higher dps UAC10 counterpart.
AC20 (Clan and IS):
Heat reduced to 5 (from 6)
Velocity increased to 900 m/s (from 650)
Burst shells decreased to 3 (from 4) (Clan only) --ammo per ton adjusted
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 3 (from 2) – Fire 2 with no penalty. (Clan Only)
Notes: One of the most noticeable drawbacks of AC/20s in the current state of the game is their slow projectile velocity when fighting targets near the optimal range, often resulting in more missed shots that cost precious ammo and cooldown time. Also, a high heat value for this weapon limits its application further when considering back-up weapons and additional heat sink slot costs. In the case of Clan AC20s, the above mentioned shortcomings are made worse considering the burst fire operation. In this patch AC20s have received a significant boost to their velocity as well as reduced heat. Clan AC20 in particular has received a reduction in number of shells per burst and an increased heat penalty limit in order to incentivize its use.
Ultra AC2 (Clan and IS):
Heat decreased to 0.7 (from 0.8)
Jam chance decreased to 14% (from 15%) (IS Only)
Jam duration decreased to 2.5 (from 3.5) (IS Only)
Jam chance decreased to 16% (from 17%) (Clan Only)
Jam duration decreased to 2.75 (from 3.75) (Clan Only)
Notes: UAC2s are often a less preferable choice compared to standard AC2s, due to their inconsistent damage output, and high heat per damage. In this patch UAC2s have received a lower heat generation stats, along with lower jam chance and jam duration to improve upon the above-mentioned shortcomings.
Ultra AC20 (Clan and IS):
Heat decreased to 6 (from 7)
Velocity increased to 800 m/s (from 700)
Jam duration decreased to 6 (from 7.5) (IS Only)
Jam duration decreased to 6.5 (from 8) (Clan Only)
Notes: Despite their significant damage output potential, UAC20s currently suffer from high generated heat, low velocity, and unreliable operation considering the engagement range, which prevents them from being used as main guns in short range fights against other weapons in a similar range bracket. In this patch UAC20s have received velocity boosts, lower jam times, as well as lower heat in order to improve its performance vs tonnage investment.
LBX AC2 (Clan and IS):
Spread decreased to 0.25 (from 0.325)
Weapon slot size decreased to 3 (from 4)
Notes: One of main disadvantages of LB 2-X ACs is their large spread around their optimal range, particularly when compared to regular AC/2s. To address this shortcoming directly, the spread value has been reduced. In addition to this a decision has been made to reduce the slot size requirement for the LB2X by 1 based on community feedback and the large disparity when compared to the much more reliable AC2.
LBX AC5 (Clan and IS):
Spread decreased to 0.4 (from 0.62)
Notes: One of main disadvantages of LB 5-X ACs is their large spread around their optimal range, particularly when compared to regular AC/5s. To address this shortcoming directly, the spread value has been reduced.
LBX AC20 (Clan and IS):
Heat decreased to 4.0 (from 5) (IS Only)
Heat decreased to 4.0 (from 6) (Clan Only)
Notes: In accordance to heat adjustments to the rest of the AC20 class lineup, LBX-20AC has received lower heat to maintain its high damage - low heat advantage.
Rotary AC2 (IS):
Impulse (cockpit shake) decreased to 0.03 (from 0.04)
Rotary AC5 (IS):
Heat decreased to 3.25/s (from 4/s)
Velocity increased to 1300 m/s (from 1025)
Spread decreased to 0.19 (from 0.23)
Jam ramp-up time increased to 8.0 (from 6.0)
Impulse (cockpit shake) decreased to 0.03 (from 0.04)
Notes: Despite having higher damage output potential compared to RAC/2s , the heavier and bulkier RAC/5 effectiveness is hindered by its wider spread, slower velocity, significant heat generation, and shorter jam bar fill rate. In this patch it has received boosts in all those areas to incentivize its usage over the longer-range and lighter RAC/2 variant. In addition to improvements, the inflicted cockpit shake on target has been reduced for both RAC/2 and RAC/5.
Light Gauss Rifle (IS):
Damage increased to 10 (from 8)
Ammo per ton decreased to 20 (from 25)
Cooldown increased to 3.5 (from 2.6)
Velocity increased to 2200 m/s (from 2000)
Range increased to 880m (from 750)
Max range increased to 2200m (from 1500)
Heat penalty is removed.
Notes: Considering its heavy weight and slot requirements Light Gauss Rifles is in constant competition with other similarly sized ballistic weapons such as AC5s and AC10s. Lack of up from damage and low dps, has put this weapon at a significant disadvantage. The performance gap becomes wider due to them being linked in heat penalty with weapons of similar properties such as the PPC family. To address such shortcomings, Light Gauss Rifles have received a boost in upfront damage and optimal range as well as a significant increase in max range to give it a unique role as an extreme range sniper. The weapon has also been unlinked from the heaty penalty system, allowing it to pair well with other complimentary sniper weapons. The weapon cooldown, velocity and ammo count has been adjusted accordingly along the above mentioned changes.
Gauss Rifle (IS):
Weapon Health increased to 12 (from 10)
Cooldown decreased to 4.75 (from 5.0)
Ammo per ton increased to 12 (from 10)
Velocity increased to 2200 m/s (from 2000)
Range increased to 810m (from 660)
Max range increased to 2050m (from 1320)
Notes: As a heavier, and larger version of the Light Gauss Rifle, Standard Gauss Rifles has gone through a similar set of changes to boost their role as main sniper weapons. As a result, optimal and max range has been increased as well as the weapon velocity. Also, due to their explosive nature when destroyed, Gauss Rifles have been made sturdier to make them more reliable. Moreover, Inner Sphere Gauss Rifle has received another set of boosts to its cooldown and ammo per ton values to compensate for its heavier weight and larger size compared to the clan counterpart.
Heavy Gauss Rifle (IS):
Weapon Health increased to 20 (from 15)
Notes: Given their massive slot and tonnage costs, and considering their normal engagement range, Heavy Gauss Rifles have received a health boost to make them more reliable.
Gauss Rifle (Clan):
Weapon Health increased to 12 (from 5)
Velocity increased to 2200 m/s (from 2000)
Range increased to 810m (from 660)
Max range increased to 2050m (from 1320)
Notes: Clan Gauss Rifle has gone through the same range increase as inner sphere Gauss Rifle in order to turn them into viable sniper weapons. Also, Clan Gauss Rifle has received a significant boost to its health to make it more reliable considering its 100% chance of exploding when destroyed.
Light Machine Gun (Clan and IS):
Spread decreased to 0.3 (from 0.5) (IS Only)
Ammo per ton increased to 3600 (from 2500) (IS Only)
Spread decreased to 0.4 (from 0.7) (Clan Only)
Ammo per ton increased to 3200 (from 2500) (Clan Only)
Notes: Currently, at the same tonnage cost as the standard Machine Guns, Light Machine Guns are usually at a disadvantage due to their low damage output, and wider spread near their optimal range. In the meantime their current ammo per ton stats puts them at a tough competition against Machine Guns. In this patch they have received significant boosts to their spread and ammo bin capacity to help them perform better against its direct competition.
Machine Gun (IS):
Ammo per ton increased to 2300 (from 2000)
Notes: To compensate the heavier tonnage cost of the Inner Sphere Machine Guns, they have received an increased ammo per ton adjustment.
Heavy Machine Gun (Clan and IS):
Range increased to 130 (from 100) (IS Only)
Ammo per ton increased to 1800 (from 1250) (IS Only)
Ammo per ton increased to 1600 (from 1250) (Clan Only)
Notes: Currently Heavy Machine Guns are in direct competition with standard machine guns due to their heavier weight. On the other hand, low amounts of ammo per ton further hinders their performance. In order to incentivize their usage they are given an increased amount of ammo per ton to help better sustain them. In addition, the inner sphere HMG range has been boosted to match standard machine guns as a means to justify it’s significant tonnage cost versus other strong short-range 1-ton contenders.
MISSILE WEAPONS OVERVIEW
Changes to missiles have been made with a focus on more consistent behavior rather than a “feast or famine” approach. This includes adjustments to missile health values, spreads, velocity and volley properties.
Inner Sphere and Clan SRM4s and SRM6s have received base spread reductions, making them more consistent in short range fights. This is in line with performance boosting changes made to other close range options, providing more variety. Moreover since SRMs are unguided weapons, missile health has been increased across the board to make them more effective against massed AMS.
The current state of Clan streak SRMs can be described as the definition of a feast or famine mechanic. The extremely long cooldown phase of the weapon could mean that a miss is equivalent to being completely disabled for a long time while the fight around you is going on. On the other hand, this has resulted in Clan ‘Mechs packing in as many Streaks as possible and opting for a hit and run fighting style, counting on their sheer number of launchers to destroy or cripple their target in one shot, and using cover or speed to safely wait for the next salvo. The goal of changes made to Streak SRMs in this patch has been to make the weapon more consistent in terms of damage output which has been achieved by reducing the upfront raw damage and adjusted heat values while allowing the weapon to fire faster. This change is expected to turn Clan Streak SRMs into a viable close range option against all types of targets. Alongside this change IS Streaks have also been tuned to have longer cooldown to balance their damage output potential between IS normal SRMs and Clan Streaks.
One of the major drawbacks of smaller size MRMs such as the 10 has long been the similar volley length compared to larger launchers such as the 40. This has made the volley very sparse and unreliable at ranges they are intended to be used. In this patch all MRMs have consistent volley density similar to the MRM40. Simply, MRM10s will now fire in a much more tightly packed volley (4x) than before. Similarly, the MRM20 (2x) and 30 (1.3x).
Clan ATMs are currently very strong in their lower range bracket. Their function is currently the definition of the term “feast or famine”. Extremely high damage per each missile in close range makes ATMs being able to drill through an assault ‘Mech’s components in a devastating way in just one salvo. At the same time, in the presence of AMS, ATM performance degrades heavily to the point of being completely ineffective at long range. This patch will bring consistency to how ATMs function by decreasing short range damage potential along with better missile health to move the weapon system away from its current feast or famine state.
As an example a 3xATM12 salvo in the current state of the game can deal either 108 damage (when AMS is not present), or 24 damage (when an enemy Corsair is in the area). After this patch, repeating the earlier example, the same 3xATM12 will be able to deal 90 damage when AMS is not present and they deal about 40 damage when an enemy Corsair is in the area).
This patch also does a number of revisions on NARC beacon properties. Taking into account the devastating effect indirect LRMs can potentially have in a match, long duration NARC beacons can often contribute to degrading gameplay quality. Narc duration has been reduced in this patch in order to balance their cost vs benefit aspect. In addition to this, Inner Sphere NARC has been given extra range and more ammo per ton to compensate for its heavier weight compared to the Clan version.
CHANGELOG (Previous Values are based on Pre-March Patch Values):
SRM2 (Clan and IS):
Missile Health increased to 1.4 (from 1.0)
SRM4 (Clan and IS):
Missile Health increased to 1.2 (from 0.8)
Spread decreased to 3.75 (from 4) (IS Only)
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 6 (from 5) – Fire 5 with no penalty. (IS Only)
Spread decreased to 4.25 (from 4.5) (Clan Only)
SRM6 (Clan and IS):
Missile Health increased to 1.0 (from 0.6)
Spread decreased to 4.25 (from 4.5) (IS Only)
Spread decreased to 4.5 (from 5) (Clan Only)
Streak SRM2 (Clan):
Damage decreased to 1.5 per missile (from 2)
Heat decreased to 1.3 per missile (from 1.6)
Cooldown decreased to 2 (from 3)
Ammo per ton increased to 140 (from 120)
Streak SRM4 (IS):
Cooldown increased to 3.5 (from 3)
Streak SRM4 (Clan):
Damage decreased to 1.5 per missile (from 2)
Heat decreased to 2.4 per missile (from 3.0)
Cooldown decreased to 3 (from 4.5)
Ammo per ton increased to 140 (from 120)
Streak SRM6 (IS):
Cooldown increased to 4.25 (from 3.75)
Streak SRM6 (Clan):
Damage decreased to 1.5 per missile (from 2)
Heat decreased to 3.1 per missile (from 3.75)
Cooldown decreased to 4 (from 6)
Ammo per ton increased to 140 (from 120)
MRM10 (IS):
Volley delay decreased to 0.0128 (from 0.0556)
Spread decreased to 4.1 (from 4.3)
Missile Health increased to 0.7 (from 0.6)
MRM20 (IS):
Volley delay decreased to 0.0128 (from 0.0263)
Missile Health increased to 0.6 (from 0.5)
MRM30 (IS):
Volley delay decreased to 0.0128 (from 0.0172)
Missile Health increased to 0.5 (from 0.4)
MRM40 (IS):
Cooldown decreased to 4.5 (from 4.75)
Missile Health increased to 0.4 (from 0.3)
ATM3 (Clan):
Missile Health increased to 1.8 (from 1.6)
Long range damage increased to 1.6 per missile (from 1.2)
Short range damage decreased to 2.5 per missile (from 3.0)
Minimum heat penalty level increased to 7 (from 5) – Fire 6 with no penalty.
ATM6 (Clan):
Missile Health increased to 1.6 (from 1.4)
Long range damage increased to 1.6 per missile (from 1.2)
Short range damage decreased to 2.5 per missile (from 3.0)
ATM9 (Clan):
Missile Health increased to 1.4 (from 1.1)
Long range damage increased to 1.6 per missile (from 1.2)
Short range damage decreased to 2.5 per missile (from 3.0)
ATM12 (Clan):
Missile Health increased to 1.2 (from 1.0)
Long range damage increased to 1.6 per missile (from 1.2)
Short range damage decreased to 2.5 per missile (from 3.0)
NARC (IS):
NARC duration decreased to 22 seconds (from 30)
NARC Range increased to 600m (from 450m)
NARC ammo per ton increased to 16 (from 13)
NARC (Clan):
NARC duration decreased to 22 seconds (from 30)
EQUIPMENT OVERVIEW
In the April patch, three pieces of equipment have been the main focus with the goal of encouraging their use.
The changes to AMS includes removal of AMS ammo explosion which made investing heavily in ammo-based AMS a risk. Also, in order to incentivize their usage, Laser AMS (LAMS) has been tuned to generate considerably lower heat. Although it will continue to contribute to your ‘Mech's total heat, LAMS will no longer be such a burden on your ‘Mech’s heat dissipation. Running more than 2 LAMS would still require an investment in heatsinks. In addition, AMS has received more ammo per ton for both Clan and IS.
Considering their required weight and tonnage investment, MASC variants have gone through a series of changes in order for them to provide enough benefits versus their cost. In this patch, MASC fill rate has been reduced by 50% allowing it to be active twice as long. Moreover, the redline threshold has been increased to 85% to allow for longer distance sprints from a cold state. It is worth mentioning that the 50% fill rate at this moment is not applied to IS MASC MK I (usable on 20 and 25 tonners) due to its already high performance.
One of the more radical changes in this patch is removing the tonnage cost for IS CASE, and allowing it to be equipped in arms and legs. This change will help mitigate one of the major advantages of Clan ‘Mechs (having free CASE protected components) over IS ‘Mechs. It should be said though the IS CASE still requires a single crit slot.
CHANGELOG (Previous Values are based on Pre-March Patch Values):
AMS:
AMS (Clan and IS):
Remove ammo explosion from AMS
AMS Ammo per ton increased to 3000 (from 2200)
Laser AMS (Clan and IS):
Heat decreased to 1/s (from 2.85)
MASC:
MASC MK I (IS):
Redline threshold increased to 85% (from 75%)
MASC MK II (IS) and MASC MK I (Clan):
Fill rate decreased to 0.045 (from 0.09)
Redline threshold increased to 85% (from 75%)
MASC MK III (IS) and MASC MK II (Clan):
Fill rate decreased to 0.045 (from 0.09)
Redline threshold increased to 85% (from 75%)
MASC MK IV (IS) and MASC MK III (Clan):
Fill rate decreased to 0.045 (from 0.09)
Redline threshold increased to 85% (from 75%)
MASC V (IS) and MASC MK IV (Clan):
Fill rate decreased to 0.045 (from 0.09)
Redline threshold increased to 85% (from 75%)
CASE:
CASE (IS):
Case is now 0 tons (from 0.5)
Case is now able to be equipped in arms and legs
NOTE: CASE does not receive critical damage and is counted as a "destroyed slot" and ignored when critical damage is being applied.
CONSUMABLES OVERVIEW
In this patch, adjustments have been made to artillery and air strikes in order to boost their area denial (Artillery) and reach (Air) aspects, and to move them away from their current “feast or famine” state. Currently due to high damage shells of these strikes, and very short period of bombardment, luck plays a large part in determining whether a target is able to move out from a strike in one piece. This is particularly detrimental to medium and lighter ‘Mechs, considering their lesser armor. The approach taken here is to increase the bombardment duration (or air strike length), and in return significantly reduce damage per shell. You would have time to leave the strike area before being crippled, but you’ll take noticeable damage over time if you decide to stay in the area for the duration.
CHANGELOG (Previous Values are based on Pre-March Patch Values):
Artillery Strike:
Damage per shell reduced to 5 (from 15)
Bombarding duration increased to 6 seconds (from 3)
Total number of shells increased to 20 (from 10)
Air Strike:
Damage per bomb reduced to 10 (from 15)
Total number of bombs increased to 7 (from 6) - longer distance
