It is time. For too long AirMech has sat in a sad state. I covered how it got to this point, and what we have been doing in the previous months to correct this. We have been testing Strike privately, and now we need to go wider so we can move faster.
What is AirMech Strike?
AirMech Strike is the new PvP focused reboot of AirMech. Instead of launching a new game like AirMech 2, we are updating the old version so everyone has it, and everyone keeps their account and progress.
If you are just catching up, Carbon is soon launching a Coop/PvE/RPG game called AirMech Wastelands, which will be given to all Silver VIPs free of charge. Anything that is "missing" from AirMech Strike will be in there, along with a ton of new RPG focused content.
Back to Strike--what is it? To some very old players it might be familiar to see a PvP focus, but to newer players from the past year it might seem very different. The Campaign and Warzone have been removed (over to AirMech Wastelands) and we now have a 3D multiplayer lobby, a new Group/Queue system, Custom Games and Browser.
The forced tutorial and restrictions on chat have been removed. New players can try Practice to learn the basics. As of this writing the training mission is incredibly basic, but will be improved over time. It is a guided battle against an easy pilot where we check if the player has done certain actions, and if not we explain how to do these things. A pro player won't see a single message, but a new player should find it a nice soft introduction.
We now have voice chat built into the lobby. You can see other players, with whatever AirMech and Skin they are using. A huge benefit to the new Group system is you will be matched with a partner before finding opponents. This sounds obvious, but the old system located all players separately, and then would start the game, creating the impression of an empty queue. It is easier to get in a game than ever before.
Swapping units during a match is a key new feature. We are still experimenting with restrictions or penalties on this for competitive reasons, but as it takes time to do the swap it already becomes a penalty to change. The bigger benefit is that you don't need to pick units in the lobby, greatly simplifying the lobby/matching process. You choose your units during pregame (Tab or right click on a unit) while in communication with your teammate about strategy. Plus now you know the map you are playing on, making it easier to pick the right units. Don't want to put endgame units in your starting slots? Change them later, so you can use a larger variety of units for more interesting tactics.
Highlights of this Update
- New "Follow" Order tells units to follow your AirMech
- Auto-repair removed, Repair mode now on Q key
- Swap units ingame, Right-click to choose/swap, or Tab and drag
- Generators reboot, can heal/fuel mechs on/off Sockets!
- Leveler renamed Whopper, increases Upkeep limit
- Parts are not used (used in Wastelands instead)
- Pilots and Items also not used in Strike
- Season 0 started, new Rank Points system
- New Lobby design, fully 3D
- New Menus, press Esc to toggle in/out
- New Ingame HUD
- Graphical effects upgrades/improvements (ongoing)
- New Storm and Biohazard adapted from player created maps
- New Practice mode to battle all classic pilots in order of difficulty
There are many more micro changes to the game that have come along with development over the past year. We were focused on AirMech Command (the VR version) and lots of work from that helped the core AirMech game. We are also not finished, but we feel it is a better game than the previous forced solo campaign mode and confusing UI system, so we are launching it and moving forward with updates. You may be able to switch to the "Legacy" branch on Steam depending on when you are reading this.
Where is my stuff?
I still expect that to be the biggest question. Your account is the same and untouched. Some things might not be visible in the menus and this is intentional if they would cause problems or not be usable. Everything and more will be available in Wastelands, coming very soon. Anyone who has spent any real money (which causes you to become Silver VIP) will be given Wastelands for free. This plan has been discussed with the players on the Carbon forums for many months now, and the result is something that everyone from the biggest VIP to the non-VIPs are satisfied with. Those who love PvP get what they want, and the Coop/PvE/RPG fans will get what they want--in AirMech Wastelands.
We hope you are as excited about this new direction for AirMech as we are!