June 21st patch Notes
Greetings MechWarriors,
The reintroduction of iconic and classic Inner Sphere 'Mechs into the world of MechWarrior continues, and the Phoenix Hawk is once again stomping onto the battlegrounds of the Inner Sphere. Few BattleMechs become the meter stick against which all others of the same class are measured. The forty-five-ton Phoenix Hawk is one of those truly supernal designs.
The newly-updated Frozen City releasing in this patch is our fourth map to receive a full gameplay and beautification overhaul. While retaining much of the same layout and shape as the original Frozen City, the revamped Frozen City features greater variations in elevation and cover, with the largest changes present in the South East quadrants.
This patch also features the results of the comprehensive 'Mech Re-Scale evaluation. We know this is a much anticipated component of this patch, and we've tried to provide a good deal of insight into the process. Our initial approach to the re-scale was to focus on a selection of ‘Mechs that were seen as the most deserving or in need of a scale adjustment. The limited focus of that initial approach soon became an all-encompassing evaluation of all ‘Mechs, and in the end almost every ‘Mech has undergone a scale adjustment in some form. The approach we took to the re-scale process consisted of multiple methods, ranging from mathematical to pragmatic.
As we all know, information is ammunition. With the introduction of the new Command Wheel system with this patch, a whole new system for coordination and teamwork is now available to help ensure victory on the battlefield. The Command Wheel is an in-game command system which will allow players to quickly relay vital information and commands to their teammates without the need for chat entry or VoIP.
In addition to its significant re-scale and re-model, the Catapult chassis gets even more love in this patch. The CPLT-BB 'Butterbee' Hero 'Mech is now available! This Hero has long been a requested addition, and we're happy to finally deliver this formidable variant onto the battlefield.
With the arrival of Faction Play Phase 3 in April, refinements to the Faction Play mode are now shifting to more granular, per-patch adjustments and features rather than bulk 'phase' style patches. Following up on the more technical fixes featured in our May patch, our June patch features a reduction to the duration of Ceasefire periods and changes to the Uncontested Drop system. We want to reiterate that your feedback is being heard; Faction Play will continue to receive refinements to its systems and mechanics.
Rounding out the patch we have the introduction of Quick Play Leaderboards, a large array of map fixes and changes (including an adjustment to the large central mountain on Forest Colony), state-persistence for Filters and Categories in the Select 'Mech screens, a fix for deferred decal rendering under MSAA/TXAA, a reduction in our memory footprint, and much more!
Read on for all the details, and as always we will see you on the battlefield!
- The MechWarrior Team