We got our Monthly Developer Roadmap\/Content update from the MechWarrior Online team today… and it’s full of stuff… good, and bad.<\/p>\n
First, the bad:<\/p>\n
Coolant Flush is being added to the game, as a C-Bill\/MC purchasable ‘consumable’ (meaning, you buy it after you use it.. MC version is better then the C-Bill version… which has lead to some Pay 2 Win complaints on the forums already).<\/p>\n
Here’s the breakdown on the Coolant Flush:<\/p>\n
Coolant Flush<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
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Coolant Flush will come in two forms; C-bill purchased and MC purchased. The following shows how the two versions are balanced:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
C-Bill Purchased Coolant Flush:<\/strong><\/p>\n
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- The amount of cooling provided by a coolant flush is determined by the number of Heat Sinks in your BattleMech. The following assumes a Mech with 10 Heat Sinks:\n
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- Small Coolant Flush will instantly reduce a BattleMech’s current heat by 15%.<\/li>\n
- Medium Coolant Flush will instantly reduce a BattleMech’s current heat by 20%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Coolant Flush 1 and 2 are stackable.<\/li>\n
- Each Coolant Flush will take up 1 module slot.<\/li>\n
- The C-Bill Purchased Coolant Flush will allow a player to trigger a coolant flush twice during a match.<\/li>\n
- Upon using a Coolant Flush, the player will have to re-purchase the used Coolant Flush module after the match if they wish to use it again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
MC Purchased Coolant Flush:<\/strong><\/p>\n
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- The amount of cooling provided by a coolant flush is determined by the number of Heat Sinks in your BattleMech. The following assumes a Mech with 10 Heat Sinks:\n
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- Large Coolant Flush will instantly reduce a BattleMech’s current heat by 35%.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- Large Coolant Flush is not stackable with any other Coolant Flush module including itself.<\/li>\n
- Large Coolant Flush takes up 1 module slot.<\/li>\n
- The MC Purchased Large Coolant Flush allows a player to trigger a coolant flush once during a match.<\/li>\n
- Upon using a Large Coolant Flush, the player will have to re-purchase the used Large Coolant Flush module after the match if they wish to use it again.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
C-Bill Coolant Flush and MC Coolant Flush are not stackable. That is, they are mutually exclusive meaning that you cannot equip the MC purchased coolant flush with either of the C-Bill coolant flushes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I’m very, very curious to see how PGI positions the inclusion of Coolant Flush, given this previous statement by them:<\/p>\n
(from the Ask-A-Dev 18 Thread<\/a>)<\/p>\n
Q:\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong>Have you guys considered adding Coolant Pods to increase heat dissipation of a mech’s heatsinks when used?[vayne]<\/strong>
\nA:<\/strong>\u00c2\u00a0Yes, we considered and then dropped the idea. We found it more of a crutch and lead to more issues than it helped with. If you’re in a long, multi-targetted single player game, it makes sense. In a player vs. player environment you get a MASSIVE increase in firepower for no cost, or it wouldn’t be enough to make a difference (IE. the match would never last long enough for you running out of coolant to matter, because you’ve already killed two people. Or, it doesn’t even last a single fight, then why even have it?) Does that make sense?\u00c2\u00a0[Garth]<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
I know that ‘never’ doesn’t mean ‘never’ in game development, but, something pretty big had to have changed, that PGI hasn’t communicated out to the player base, for a full 180 like this.<\/p>\n
With the MC version of coolant flush being as effective as the combined C-Bill versions, yet taking only 1 module slot (instead of the two for the C-Bill versions), the P2W argument actually has a little bit of traction going. \u00c2\u00a0If the MC version used the same number of module slots, it’d be less of a concern.<\/p>\n
We’ll have to see how PGI responds to the concerns raised today (or, if they do – I’m hoping they don’t ignore this one).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Now, the Good!<\/p>\n
New Hero ‘Mech, new ‘Mech, new map, new consumables (Air strike!), new patterns, new cockpit items! \u00c2\u00a0And, what might be the best of all.. the initial implementation of state rewind… which should take another big bite out of the ‘lag shield’, and if that wasn’t enough… TESTING GROUNDS!<\/p>\n
Yes, you no longer need to queue up, and shoot your teammate in the back in order to ‘test’ your weapon grouping, heat build up, or whatever excuse you come up with after being careless with your trigger. \u00c2\u00a0You can now solo queue, try all your configs, heat build up, trick shots, etc..etc.. in the training grounds, which will be pre-populated with 8 ‘Mechs for you to shoot at!<\/p>\n
Coolant Flush Fiasco aside… March is going to be pretty damn good! \u00c2\u00a0I’m looking forward to the patches, and all the new goodies!<\/p>\n
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Full announcement after the break!<\/p>\n
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March is here, and with it a host of new features for MechWarrior Online.\u00c2\u00a0 Our focus this month is improving the new user experience by adding a suite of tips, better details, testing grounds, and user friendly control options.\u00c2\u00a0 Experienced MechWarriors will also be able to enjoy content designed specifically for them, including a brand new system of consumables, expanded statistics, and a new map!<\/p>\n
New Content:<\/p>\n
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- `Mech of the Month \u00e2\u20ac\u201c JagerMech (19th)<\/li>\n
- Hero `Mech of the Month \u00e2\u20ac\u201c The X-5 (5th)<\/li>\n
- New Patterns \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Mountain Line (5th) and Vagabond (19th)<\/li>\n
- New Cockpit Items \u00e2\u20ac\u201c Dynamic hanging items make their debut, Fuzzy Dice anyone? (5th and 19th)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Testing Grounds<\/h3>\n
This offline game mode allows player to launch into a random map\u00c2\u00a0and test out there currently selected BattleMechs.\u00c2\u00a0 Each Testing Grounds match has 8 non-interactive `Mech targets for players to shoot and test damage, heat, movement and other strategies.\u00c2\u00a0 This is just the beginning of a large set of training options for new and experienced players coming online in the next few months.<\/p>\n
Consumables<\/h3>\n
An extension to the module system is being introduced on March 19th.\u00c2\u00a0 Players will now be able to equip a variety of consumable module items.\u00c2\u00a0\u00c2\u00a0 Upon release players will have access to Coolant Flush, Air Strikes, and Artillery Strikes.\u00c2\u00a0 These new items will be available for C-Bill and MC purchase.\u00c2\u00a0 Details will be forthcoming in an upcoming Command Chair post\u00c2\u00a0here\u00c2\u00a0www.mwomercs.com\/forums\/forum\/102-command-chair\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Tourmaline Desert<\/h3>\n
MechWarrior Online\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s largest map yet!\u00c2\u00a0 This hostile alien world will test the skills of the best MechWarrior pilots.\u00c2\u00a0 Like\u00c2\u00a0Alpine Peaks<\/a>, players will need to change their overall strategies, focusing on offense and defense, along with bringing in a balanced BattleMech build.<\/p>\n
Expanded User Statistics<\/h3>\n
Players will now be able to see a much more robust set of player stats when visiting their personalwww.mwomercs.com\/profile\/stats<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0page.\u00c2\u00a0 Detailed information about Mechs, Weapons, Maps, and Modes will give players a deeper understanding of how well they are doing.\u00c2\u00a0 For now, these stats are only viewable by individual players.\u00c2\u00a0 In future updates players will be able to see other player\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s stats and leaderboards.<\/p>\n
New User Controls and Joystick Improvements<\/h3>\n
Players will now have more options with regards to how they pilot their BattleMechs.\u00c2\u00a0 Several new control systems and improvement have been added including Throttle Decay (gas pedal vs set throttle), Arm Lock to torso, Set Point Throttle (10-100% throttle values in 10% increments), Face Torso, and Joystick Analog turning.\u00c2\u00a0 Player will also be able to customize their key bindings via the Pause Menu during matches.<\/p>\n
MechLab UI Improvements<\/h3>\n
Further refinements to buying and selling `Mechs, readying `Mechs, and a visualization of hardpoints, weapons, and critical space directly on the `Mech itself, will make their appearance March 5th.\u00c2\u00a0 These additions make a huge improvement to understanding the state of your BattleMech, along with helping understand the differences between variants when making a purchasing decision.<\/p>\n
Community Events<\/h3>\n