Posted 31 October 2016 - 12:26 PM

Greetings MechWarriors,In the October patch notes we called that month out as fairly light in the grand picture, and November is much the same in that regard. Behind the scenes however we continue to work on a few 'banner' features planned for release either in December or in the coming months.We know everyone is eager to hear what these items are in further detail, but Mech_Con is almost here, and with it will come much more detail about what's in store for December and the new year.Some of these in-development items, such as the Skill Tree revamp, the latest update to Faction Play, the Assault Game Mode revamp, and the brand new Quick Play Game Mode have been touched on briefly in previous posts and Town Halls, but there's much more to come in the way of details and surprises.As we approach Mech_Con however, and the end of 2016, it's time for a brief look ahead at the November patch.

November

The long-awaited Clan Wave 1 Hero variants will become available to eligible owners in November, with a subsequent in-game MC release date on May 16th 2017.Another set of the usual lore-related Decals will be included in the November patch, along with a few symbol and word Decals, but we'll be going a step further with the release of alphanumeric Decals as well. Support hasn't seen a significant impact on in-game moderation since the release of Decals, and we're hoping the introduction of numbers and letters will allow for more personalized customization of 'Mechs, with a (hopefully) minimal amount of abuse.It's worth pointing out that Support can audit player Decal placements, and will take action as needed for things that cross the line.The artists continue to work on providing full Pattern support for the older 'Mechs. The Kintaro, Orion, Banshee, Shadow Hawk, and Locust all receive full Pattern support in November.An array of Weapon and Equipment balance changes are coming in November, brought over from or informed by the various Energy Draw PTS sessions. Patch Notes will have a full rundown on these changes, along with design notes where necessary. Energy Draw itself is currently on-hold however, and may be re-approached in the new year.The November patch also includes Quirk adjustments for a total of two Inner Sphere 'Mechs and ten Clan 'Mechs.As usual, thank you for reading and thank you for playing. We look forward to seeing you all at Mech_Con 2016, whether in person or through the live Twitch broadcast.