Upcoming Patch - 21 May 2019 @ 10AM – 1PM PDT (5PM - 8PM UTC)

Patch Number: 1.4.201.0

Standalone Client Patch Size: 685 MB

New 'Mech: Rifleman IIC

Bolt-On retrofits have been expanded to the following 'Mech chassis:

Trial Mechs Update:

Inner Sphere

Clan

Faction Play Update:

There will be a set amount of time where players enter the queue and the Match Maker holds the match creation until the timer expires. This creates one big queue of grouped and solo players combined. Once the hold timer expires, the Match Maker starts to create matches by pulling the biggest groups against each other from largest to smallest until it has exhausted all of the groups in queue. Odd sized teams are then filled with solo players based on a zero sum ELO from highest to lowest. Once this is complete, all of the matches are released to the dedicated game servers and the hold timer is started once again.

There will be story lines which play out over the course of a Conflict in a series of Phases. Similar to a Faction Play Event, Conflicts make up of mini-events which are called Phases and in each Conflict, there are multiple Phases.

Jump Jets:

Class 1 Jump Jets

Cool Down brought into alignment with Class 2 and Class 3 Jump Jets.

Base Heat reduced to 2.55 (from 3.0)





Class 2 Jump Jets

Additional Jump Jet heat reduced to 0.125 (from 0.25)



Design notes: We wish to ease up on the Jump Jet heat generation and bring the cooldown into better parity with other classes. This is to allow Assault 'Mechs to both use their JJs at a similar rate to other 'Mechs while also making it to where the heat generated from using said JJ's does not cut into your overall heat generation compared to lighter classes.





Missiles:

MRMs (All Launcher Sizes)

Velocity increased to 500 (from 475)



Rocket Launchers (All Launcher Sizes)

Velocity increased to 420 (from 400)



Design Notes: With the recent velocity increases to both LRMs and ATMs now settled in over the past few months, we have decided to provide similar bumps to the Mid-ranged missiles. Making them a bit easier to use at longer ranges in addition to having a bit less time for AMS to shoot missiles down at shorter ranges.







Mech Changes:





RVN-4X:

Energy Range +10% quirk converted into a universal Range +10%

Missile Cooldown -15% quirk converted into a universal Cooldown -15% quirk

Machine Gun ROF +20% quirk added.





CRB-FL:

• All Structure quirks converted into Armor Quirks





HBK-4J:

• LRM Spread +10% quirk added.

• Missile Velocity quirk increased to +15% (from 10%)





TBT-LDG:

• Energy and Missile Cooldown quirks consolidated into a global Cooldown -10% quirk.

• SRM Heat Gen -10% quirk added.





HBK-IIC-DW:

Moderate increase to mobility attributes

The following locations have received new Base Armor quirks:

Center Torso: Base Armor +8

Left Torso: Base Armor +12

Right Torso: Base Armor +12





Design Notes: This month we have targeted small updates to a number of medium 'Mechs and a raven variant that have fallen a bit below the curve compared to alternative variants of their respective chassis.









Catapult:

CPLT-A1:

Missile Heat Gen increased to -10% (From -5%)

LRM Velocity 10% quirk added.





CPLT-BB:

Missile Heat Gen -5% quirk added



CPLT-C1:

Energy Range 10% quirk converted to a universal Range +10% quirk.

LRM Velocity 10% quirk added.





CPLT-C4:

Energy Range 10% quirk converted to a universal Range +10% quirk.

LRM Velocity 10% quirk added.





CPLT-J:

AMS range 10% quirk added

Max Jump Jet limit increased to 4 (from 2)





CPLT-K2:

Ballistic Range 10% quirk converted to a universal Range +10% quirk.

PPC Family Heat Gen -5% quirk added.





Catapult Design Notes: With the release of the C4 with the MW5 pre-order bonus' we wanted to go back and provide a bit more flavor quirks to the c-bill CPLT line giving a bit of a boost to those that wish to use their Catapults in the more traditional LRM loadouts, while also providing some light flavor quirks playing into the base loadouts of the Hero 'Mechs. We have also brought the Jester's access to further Jump Jets into alignment with all other jump capable Catapults.







Warhammer:

WHM-7S

ER PPC Heat Gen -5% quirk added

Streak Cooldown -5% quirk added



WHM-4L

Range 10% quirk added

Missile Cooldown -15% quirk added

Stealth Armor Cooldown -15% quirk added

Moderate Mobility increase across all attributes.





MAD-4L

Stealth Armor Cooldown -15% quirk added.



Design Notes: The Stealth Armor flavor quirk was initially intended for release with the Marauder II patch, but ran into some last minute bugs that forced us to bump the release of this quirk with both the Warhammer and the Marauder to the May patch.





King Crab:

KGC-000, KGC-0000, KGC-000B:

AC/20 Heat gen -15% quirk added.



KGC-KJ

PPC Heat Generation -15%



Design notes: Since its introduction into MWO, we have investigated a number of 'Mechs to receive the HSL quirks. Although the King Crab has been highly requested by a number of people to gain it for the AC/20's, internal testing of the quirk has shown that adding this quirk to the existing quirk set causes to sever balance issues for the internal team. Particularly when it comes to the cumulative 15% AC/20 cooldown quirks currently present on these variants combining with the HSL quirk giving the 'Mech massive pin-point damage that can one-shot many lighter 'Mechs while also having a significantly boosted DPS profile through the cooldown quirks. The only way assigning the HSL quirk would be tangible on the internal side would be if it came with a ground-up re-work of the quirks that saw the removal of a number of existing quirks in order to re-focus the quirk set around the mass pin-point damage of the AC/20, and not the boosted ballistic DPS the current quirk set provide the 'Mech.





The prospect of a complete re-working of the existing quirk set to balance it around a singular loadout while nerfing every non-dual AC/20 loadout for the 'Mech goes against the core of the MWO Mechlab experience of personalizing one's loadout through the 'Mechlab, and ended up punishing non-Dual AC/20 users much more than what we wanted to see on the internal side. Rather than moving in this direction, we will instead be providing the KGC dual AC/20 line a -15% Heat reduction quirk to complement its existing quirk set while providing better rewards for those that take the time to master its traditional dual AC/20 set up, without the need to nerf alternative loadouts people wish to use with the Chassis. This heat quirk will still allow for limited dual AC/20 shots when attempting to capitalize on an opening, but the core of the quirk set will remain centered around the boosted DPS properties the cooldown + heat reduction quirks provide.





Viper:

All Variants:

Jump Jet Heat -20% quirk added

LL Base Armor +8 quirk added

RL Base Armor +8 quirk added





VPR-Prime

CT Omnipod Base Armor +10 quirk added

LT Omnipod Base Armor +8 quirk added

So8 Missile Cooldown quirk increased to -15% (from 10%)

So8 MG RoF +20% quirk added





VPR-A

CT Omnipod Base Armor +10 quirk added

So8 Acceleration +10 quirk removed. Replaced with Missile spread -5%





VPR-B

CT Omnipod Base Armor +10 quirk added

LT Omnipod Base Armor +4 quirk added

RT Ominipod Base Armor +4 quirk added

So8 Laser Range quirk converted to a universal 10% Range Quirk





VPR-D

CT Omnipod Base Armor +10 quirk added

LT Omnipod Base Armor +4 quirk added

RT Omnipod Base Armor +4 quirk added

So8 Missile Cooldown quirk increased to -15% (from -10%)





VPR-M

CT Omnipod Base Armor +10 quirk added

LT Omnipod Base Armor +4 quirk added

RT Omnipod Base Armor +8 quirk added



Viper Design Notes: As one of the most agile 'Mechs in the game, the Viper's niche will always be centered on its mobility. But with a number of hardwired JJ's, we have felt that productive use of its Jump Jets while attempting to stay mobile can often hamper the design in unintended ways. We are globally enhancing both the leg armor and providing a native -20% reduction in JJ heat to give a bit more wiggle room for players that learn to take full advantage of the 'Mechs high mobility. As the earliest 'Mech to receive Set of 8 bonus', we also felt that it was past time to give both the So8 bonus' and underutilized hardpoints similar treatment that many more recently released Omnimechs have received.







Direwolf:

DWF-Prime

CT Omnipod Base Armor quirk increased to +12 (from 8)

LT Omnipod Heat -5% quirk added

RT Omnipod Heat -5% quirk added





DWF-S

So8 Torso Turn Rate +10% quirk added

S08 Missile Cooldown quirk increased to -10% (from -5%)





DWF-UV

LT Base Armor quirk increased to 12 (from 8)

RT Base Armor quirk increased to 12 (from 8)





DWF-W LT Torso Turn rate 5% quirk added

RT Torso Turn rate 5% quirk added

So8 Missile Cooldown quirk increased to -15% (from -10%)





So8 Torso Turn Rate 10% quirk removed (rolled over into the side torsos.)

So8 Ballistic Cooldown -10% quirk added.





Direwolf Design Notes: Although certain configurations of the Direwolf are very powerful with good positioning and team coordination and perform admirably in these roles with skilled players, we want to provide the chassis more customization options through the omnipod system to allow players who struggle with certain aspects of the 'Mechs performance a way that they can customize the Direwolf to suit their needs. Be it more heat sustainability, more general tankiness, or more responsive torso turn rates.