12
Greetings pilots!
Recently, we've made quite a few big announcements regarding our next update. We're making significant balance changes, reworking progression and releasing HAWKEN on Steam! Now, we'd like to share our Steam Update patch notes with all of you. Since these notes our quite dense, we encourage you to check out the links above for specific articles on our most important topics.
It's important to note that the information here represents the FULL patch for our Steam Update. The version you are currently playing is feature complete, but does not have the Incinerator, Bunker or the other new content listed here available yet. We plan on releasing our full content patch for the Steam Update within the next two weeks. More information on the timeframe for that release will be forthcoming.
We're incredibly excited for the future of HAWKEN and we appreciate all of the ongoing support from our community during this transition. Thanks a lot!
Special Notices
[*]Pilot Progression
[*]Tuning Points are no longer awarded during pilot progression. The rewards given for Pilot Ranks have been adjusted due to this.
[*]Pilot Rank still unlocks access to different Items and Internals.
[*]Mechs are no longer unlocked through Pilot Ranks.
[/list]
[*]Mech Progression
[*]Increasing your mech's rank no longer requires HAWKEN Credits (HC) or Meteor Credits (MC). Simply gaining experience will unlock new Mech Ranks, which give access to new weapons and Elite Chassis pieces.
[*]Mechs are no longer unlocked through Mech Ranks.
[*]Access to Alternate Primary Weapons has been moved to Mech Rank 3.
[*]Access to Prestige Primary Weapons has been moved to Mech Rank 5.
[/list]
[*]Purchases
[*]All Weapons, Items and Internals can be unlocked early with MC.
[*]Mech Emotes (taunts) are now MC only.
[/list]
[/list]Features
[*]Mech Test Drives have returned! Every week, new mechs will appear in your inventory to try for free if you don't already own them. Test Drive mechs are not customizable and do not earn XP.
[*]Players can now access their Garage during the pre-game lobby and the post-match results screen.
[*]6v6 Squad Matches have arrived!
[*]Enter matchmaking with a party of 6 players and be matched up against another party of 6.
[*]If a player leaves the match while it is still in progress, they will not be able to rejoin and the empty spot will not be filled.
[/list]
[*]The Server Browser is now accessed by clicking the "View Servers" button under the region selection menu.
[*]With the move to Steam, we will be offering Steam Wallet support for all content purchases. Please note that this feature is not yet available and is targeted to come online on February 11.
[*]A Recent Players list has been added, allowing players to see the callsigns of players in their previous matches.
[/list]Mechs
Mechs have gone through a complete balance pass. Armor has been reduced significantly across the board, which will decrease the time of most combat scenarios and will put more of an emphasis on strategy and positioning. Getting the jump on your enemy will give you a much greater advantage than before. With these changes many other statistics were adjusted to accommodate the new values. As a result, specific stats for each Mech can be found here: Mech Statistics.
Tuning System
We have removed the player's ability to gain and distribute tuning points. This was done to clearly define each mech role within the game and to make them feel more powerful to newer players. We believe HAWKEN's gameplay is now much more compelling with mechs that function drastically different from one another. You can find more information about our reasons for removing the Tuning System here.
Mech Overview Page
Mech Statistics were moved to the Mech Overview page for easier comparison. The Mech Systems were also renamed to better describe what their function.
[*]BOOST THRUSTERS renamed to BOOST SPEED.
[*]FUEL GENERATOR renamed to FUEL REGEN.
[*]HYDRAULICS renamed to GROUND SPEED.
[*]AIR DYNAMICS renamed to AIR SPEED.
[*]COOLING UNITS renamed to OVERHEATING.
[*]SUSPENSIONS renamed to DODGING.
[/list]Dodging
Dodging no longer consumes fuel. The only resource management for dodging that remains is the cooldown.
[*]Light Mechs
[*]Dodge speed increased from 43 to 46 meters/sec.
[*]Dodge distance increased from 18 to 22 meters/sec.
[*]Dodge cooldown for all Light mechs changed to 1 second.
[/list]
[*]Medium Mechs
[*]Dodge speed increased from 39 to 41 meters/sec.
[*]Dodge distance increased from 18 to 19 meters/sec.
[*]Dodge cooldown for all Medium mechs changed to 1.2 seconds.
[/list]
[*]Heavy Mechs
[*]Dodge distance decreased from 18 to 16 meters/sec.
[*]Dodge cooldown for all Heavy mechs changed to 1.4 seconds.
[/list]
[/list]Turn Rate
[*]Increased turn rate by 12.5% (includes Turret Mode)
[/list]Heat Dissipation
[*]Heat dissipation was reworked slightly. Heat dissipation now starts off slowly and increases dramatically after not firing for 3 seconds.
[*]Heat dissipation within 3 seconds of not firing was decreased from 8 to 3.3 heat per second.
[*]Heat dissipation after 3 seconds of not firing was increased from 8 to 63 heat per second.
[/list]Air Combat
[*]Mechs used to have a weapon spread handicap while in the air. This spread handicap has been removed.
[/list]Armor Orbs
[*]Decreased the lifespan of armor orbs dropped from destroyed mechs from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.
[*]Armor orbs now take 2 seconds to activate after deployment. This means players will not be able to extract anything until after 2 seconds.
[/list]NEW Mech: Incinerator
The Incinerator was the product of covert research and development codenamed Project Phoenix. With cutting edge thermal technology, this mech was engineered to absorb and store heat from surrounding sources and convert it into offensive power. First seen in action in the Battle for Bunker 159, surviving mech pilot Jonas Obregon described witnessing the power of the Incinerators. "I saw the beasts born from the ice. Then there was fire, only fire and destruction."
- Mech Overview:
[*]Description: Support and suppression vehicle. Absorbs heat from nearby mechs to fuel its destructive abilities.
[*]Weight: Class-C Heavy
[*]Body Model: Malk
[/list]Ability:
[*]Name: Heat Dispersion
[*]Description: Disperses all stored heat to create an explosion dealing damage to nearby enemies. Must have at least 15 units of heat stored.
[/list]Primary Weapon
[*]Name: B3-AR: BBY
[*]Function: A high speed cannon built for rapid heat generation.
[*]Hold the fire button to allow the cannon spin up before firing.
[*]With practice, you can keep the barrel spinning and always ready to fire.
[/list]
[*]Weapon Statistics
[*]Damage per Shot: 12.1
[*]Heat per Shot: 1.65
[*]Rate of Fire: 0.15
[/list]
[/list]Secondary Weapon
[*]Name: SAARE-Launcher
[*]Function: A launcher that converts accumulated heat into powerful projectiles.
[*]Can fire both small and large projectiles
[*]Small projectiles are less damaging and consume less heat, large projectiles are more damaging and consume more heat
[*]Switch between these two different fire modes with the middle mouse button (default)
[/list]
[*]Weapon Statistics
[*]Small Projectile Damage: 60
[*]Large Projectile Damage: 80
[*]Heat Consumed per Shot (Small): 15
[*]Heat Consumed per Shot (Large): 30
[*]Rate of Fire: 3
[/list]
[/list]Alternate Primary Weapon
[*]Name: B3-AR: PPA
[*]Function: A powerful suppression cannon with an extremely high fire rate.
[/list]
[/list]Prestige Weapon
[*]Name: B3-AR: M4MA
[*]Function: A cannon equipped with heat infused explosives that cause targets to experience increased heat generation.
[/list]
[/list]Starting Item
[*]Name: Heat Charge
[*]Function: The Heat Charge is an orb similar to a Repair Charge that transfers a moderate amount of heat to nearby mechs.
[*]Item Statistics
[*]Heat per Charge: 70
[*]Time to Activation: 3 seconds
[/list]
[/list]
[/list]
[/list]Weapons
Weapons have undergone a huge balance pass. Our big focus was balancing between burst and sustain damage. We made numerous changes, so we've made the specific stats for each weapon available here: Weapon Statistics
Here are the main highlights of what was adjusted in regards to weapon balance:
[*]The burst potential of many weapons was reduced.
[*]The spread on sustained damage weapons would increase the longer the player fired the weapon. Many players did not know this existed. This functionality was removed and each weapon was given a static spread value that does not change.
[*]We adjusted the range and falloff distances of many weapons to create better defined roles. For example, many Flak type weapons have a falloff that reduces their damage drastically at long range. No more Flak sniping...
[/list]We also adjusted some values following the feedback from players who were able to play the patch early.
- KE-SABOT
[*]Decreased damage from 80 to 75.
[*]Decreased unscoped damage to 80% of normal damage (60).
[/list]
[/list]Items
Item have undergone some rework. The item system got a bit complex and we wanted to simplify it a bit while still giving players choices when equipping their mech. The balance of items was also adjusted. Complete statistics for each item can be found here: Item Statistics
[*]Items no longer regenerate after use. Instead, you are given a limited amount of charges (uses) for each item. Charges are refilled when a mech is destroyed and redeployed from the hanger.
[*]All versions of an item have the same statistics. The only difference between the slot size is the amount of charges the item has each mech life.
[*]MK-I = 1 charge
[*]MK-II = 2 charges
[*]MK-III = 3 charges
[/list]
[*]To prevent players from using offensive items quickly one after the other, there is now a global cooldown on usage of items. After using an item, players must wait 7 seconds before using another.
[/list]Developer's Note: The simplification of the item system allows players to identify exactly what an item does when they see it, without having to worry about how powerful it is. It also allows for a much more balanced player experience. MK-I items sometimes felt useless for having low stats and some MK-III items felt too strong. The transition to normalized stats for items allows us to make all items useful and more balanced. Having different charges makes the slots meaningful and still allows players to make meaningful choices.
Here are some notable functional changes we made to a few particular items:
[*]Shield
[*]Now blocks all damage and projectiles from all directions. Mechs can no longer shoot out of the shield from within it and can no longer attach to other players or walls.
[/list]
[*]ISM Disruptor
[*]Projectile will now explode on direct contact with a mech.
[/list]
[*]EMP
[*]Projectile functionality is now similar to the ISM Disruptor.
[*]Projectile will generate beeps once deployed and explode a short time afterwards.
[*]Projectile will explode on direct contact with a Mech.
[/list]
[*]Regenerator
[*]With the changes to items, the regenerator was reworked. It now reduces the global item cooldown from 7 to 5 seconds.
[/list]
[*]Detonator
[*]Decreased damaged from 80 to 60.
[/list]
[*]HE Charge
[*]Decreased damage from 85 to 65.
[/list]
[*]Repair Charge
[*]Repair Charges now take 2 seconds to activate after deployment. This means players will not be able to extract anything until after 2 seconds.
[/list]
[/list]Internals
Internals were balanced to be brought in line with the new armor values. You can find a full list of Internal statistics here: Internal Statistics.
[*]Replenisher
[*]The Replenisher no longer affects items. Cooldown reduction now applies to abilities only.
[*]Reduction value changed from 6 seconds to a percentage based on the cooldown of an ability.
[/list]
[/list]Abilities
All Abilities underwent significant adjustments due to our balance changes. You can view an updated list of all Ability statistics here: Ability Statistics.
Here are some notable changes that were made following the feedback of players who had access to our Steam patch early.
[*]Power Shot
[*]Reduced the damage multiplier from 35% to 25%.
[*]Reduced the ability duration from 2 seconds to 1 second.
[/list]
[/list]Game Modes
[*]Deathmatch
[*]Players required to start a match reduced to 2.
[*]Decreased time limit from 12 minutes to 10 minutes.
[*]Max player limit decreased from 12 to 10.
[/list]
[*]Team Deathmatch
[*]Added Sudden Death feature. If the score is tied when time expires, the next kill will decide the victor.
[*]Decreased time limit from 12 minutes to 10 minutes.
[/list]
[*]Siege
[*]Bazaar has been removed from the Siege map rotation.
[*]The amount of energy a teammate is carrying is now displayed on the HUD.
[/list]
[*]Co-Op Bot Destruction
[*]NEW Map: Front Line
[*]New Bosses
[*]New AI mech types
[/list]
[*]AI Improvements
[*]Bots with TOW Rockets and Grenade Launchers will now air burst their projectiles.
[*]Friendly bots will now collect EU.
[*]Friendly bots will now utilize the upgrade system and grow stronger as the match progresses.
[/list]
[*]Co-Op is no longer included in the "Any Mode" matchmaking search.
[*]Consumables
[*]Countermeasures are now only available for use in Co-Op Bot Destruction and have been renamed "Consumables". They are also now activated by the player instead of activating automatically(Default keys: F1, F2, F3).
[*]Each consumable requires a certain number of charges to activate. You can purchase more charges in the Garage with both HAWKEN Credits and Meteor Credits.
[*]Altogether, there are 9 new Consumables:
[*]Charged Beacon: Instantly brings you back to life. - Consumes 5 charges.
[*]Emergency Kit: Regenerates 200 armor. - Consumes 2 charges.
[*]Emergency Pack: Deploys a repair charge that restores 200 armor to whoever picks it up. - Consumes 2 charges.
[*]Stasis Field: Creates a protective field around user that absorbs 200 damage for 30 seconds. - Consumes 2 charges.
[*]Battery Pack: Instantly recovers user from an EMP shutdown and renders user immune to EMP effects for 10 seconds. - Consumes 1 charge.
[*]Jump Starter: Next beacon activation is instant. If the user is in the middle of an activation, it auto-completes the activation. - Consumes 3 charges.
[*]Extinguisher: Instantly recovers user from being overheated and prevents user from generating heat for 10 seconds. - Consumes 1 charge.
[*]Distraction Beacon: Creates a hologram that draws enemy attention for 3 seconds and puts the user into a stealth mode for 10 seconds. - Consumes 2 charges.
[*]Modified Ammunition: Increases weapon damage by 15% for 180 seconds. - Consumes 5 charges.
[/list]
[/list]
[/list]
[/list]Maps
NEW Map: Bunker
Located in the snowy wastes of Illal, this battlefield marks the site of Bunker 167, one of several remote outposts established by the warring Prosk and Sentium corporations to mark and defend their territory.
Bunker 167 is surrounded by low hills that provide some cover, but pilots must keep moving if they expect to stay alive. It has changed hands many times mainly due to the brutal and unforgiving nature of the terrain, and pilots must exercise extreme caution or else they will become permanent residents of this icy battlefield.
[*]Game Modes available: Team Deathmatch, Missile Assault, and Deathmatch.
[*]Will have dedicated Bunker server available for a limited time.
[/list]Customizations
- NEW Player Emblems
[*]Players now have access to pilot emblems! These are unique pieces of art that can replace the default HAWKEN avatar in you pilot profile.
[*]Pilot emblems will appear in game on the post-game results screen, kill cam, etc.
[*]Players can obtain emblems with HAWKEN Credits, Meteor Credits or by completing specific service awards.
[/list]NEW Chassis Art
[*]Light Mech Chassis Art
[*]Boot Elephant
[/list]
[*]Medium Mech Chassis Art
[*]Patrick Dragon
[/list]
[*]Heavy Mech Chassis Art
[*]Hepten Pinkbeary
[/list]
[/list]NEW Chassis: Malk (Heavy Mech)
NEW Repair Drones
[*]RD-SC4NNER
[/list]NEW Thruster
[*]YAROST
[/list]NEW Mech Emotes (Taunts)
[*]Lil' Roar (Light)
[*]Running Mech (Medium)
[*]Sumo Slam (Heavy)
[/list]
[/list]General Improvements
[*]Improved the way errors are handled by the client.
[*]Improved map collision.
[*]Improved server performance.
[*]Increased the visibility of effects for all trace weapons. It should now be much easier to determine when you are being fired upon and where you are being fired upon from.
[*]Added new music to main menu screen.
[*]Added cinematic camera fly-by to main menu.
[*]Client optimization and performance.
[*]Polishing online stability.
[*]Reducing impact on memory.
[*]Reducing CPU load.
[/list]
[*]HUD Improvements
[*]Can now determine which corner the Radar, Chat, Kill Notifications and Energy Units are placed in.
[*]Redesigned the lock-on reticle for the Hellfire Missiles to make it easier to see.
[*]Added individual indicator bars for weapon cooldowns and weapon charges.
[*]Heat bars now indicate when your mech is being cooled by the Incinerator.
[/list]
[*]UI Improvements
[*]Added 3 tabs to the matchmaking menu. VS Match, Co-Op Match and Squad Match.
[*]Garage menus adjusted due to progression changes.
[/list]
[*]Performance Improvements
For the Steam Update, we've placed a major focus on optimizing HAWKEN and improving overall performance. Here are the measured performance improvements on a minimum spec machine compared to the previous Live version of HAWKEN:
[*]10-20% average FPS increase.
[*]Only 30% of play time under 30 FPS. Down from 50%
[*]In battle, FPS drops to around 25 FPS. Up from 20 FPS.
[*]Fixed hitches when switching between different menus.
[*]Fixed hitches on kill cam appearance.
[*]Fixed hitches on player spawn.
[*]Fixed hitches that would appear during large fights with multiple projectiles and explosions.
[/list]
[/list]Bugs Fixed
[*]In Co-Op, player did not see the "Press E to Revive" prompt when they were close to a revive beacon.
[*]On Titan, player was able to get out of the playpen before match began.
[*]Fixed placeholder textures and missing textures on Wreckage.
[*]Fixed a hitch caused when friends would come online.
[*]Game entered an unresponsive state if the player deployed to a match while testing voice in the audio menu.
[*]The "Buy Selected" option in Style Page did not give player an option to spend HC.
[*]Mechs that were recently purchased lost weapons after respawn in their first Offline TDM.
[*]On Last Eco, the minimap was cut off at the border.
[*]Fixed numerous collision and lighting issues on Wreckage.
[*]Corrected typos in Power Surger description.
[*]Fixed collision issues on Front Line.
[*]Pilot level was not properly taken into account when matchmaking into empty TDM and MA servers.
[*]Fixed a bug in Co-Op that caused drones to sometimes get stuck on ledges.
[*]Thruster effects were visible through the floor near AA on Wreckage.
[*]The Predator image in the Market and Garage showed the wrong weapons equipped.
[*]Players in a party were able to get into different matches and talk to each other.
[*]Fixed a bug with the Predator weapons having no hit detection sound.
[*]When a one-star server was grayed out post-match, the message did not explain why it was unjoinable.
[*]Clicking on boxes for different pages of the New and Popular sections in the Market did not work.
[*]Could open multiple Mute/Friend windows in the pre-game lobby and scoreboard by double clicking on the Players rank icon.
[*]Player received non-useful error message when attempting to join lower level server through server browser.
[*]Scoped UI did not scale properly at certain resolutions.
[*]Fixed audio hitching/skipping in UI.
[*]While repairing, holding down keys to boost forward and changing camera angle causes the player to boost backwards out of repair.
[*]"Roger That" text was misaligned from button frame on all Laila tutorial cards in the Garage.
[*]Party size limit was inconsistent. "Invite friends" button grayed out when party hit 6.
[*]If player accepted a game invite or selected "Join Server" just after making a change in the garage, they couldn't join.
[*]Grenades bounced on water on Wreckage.
[*]Players would occasionally disconnect after first match.
[*]Fixed issues with multiple clients of different rank joining same server at once.
[*]When a player attempted to join an server with a no-star quality rating via invite or friends-list, an unclear message was displayed.
[*]Fixed a bug that prevented early weapon unlock during post game results screen.
[*]A server name occasionally went missing when cycling through maps from within the game server.
[*]Removed debug text on screen while zoomed in.
[*]Text boxes overlapped in items page tutorial and mech rank tutorial.
[*]Corrected Replenisher typo and excessively long description.
[*]Corrected weapons panel tooltip typos and issues.
[*]The Style page was not aligned properly when coming leaving the Market for the first time.
[*]The thrusters in "Featured Items" only linked to one mech type.
[*]When a player accepted an invite to a Co-Op bot match in progress, they didn't receive a user friendly error message.
[*]EOC-Predator Mines detonated on proximity even when the player was not in line of sight.
[*]Fixed a bug preventing trim lines to be set to white.
[*]Hitting Alt-Escape/Alt-Enter created missing or distorted UI.
[*]Fixed a bug that caused a mech to shake if shot while healing.
[*]In Co-Op, Predator vision and sniper scope would remain during the boss cinematic.
[*]Air Dodge did not show fuel gauge turning yellow to represent expended fuel.
[*]Fixed a bug that enabled the HEAT Cannon to charge while it was reloading.
[*]Joining a match during the post-match results screen showed game chat in the lower left corner.
[*]Fixed a bug that would declare a team as the winner in the case of a tie.
[*]Players were able to open the scoreboard in the VR Training mission.
[*]When you're hovering towards the unreachable ledge on VR Training, Laila's mech disappeared before her weapons.
[*]Fixed a bug that prevented players from moving from the spawn point in Deathmatch on Last Eco.
[*]General Chat didn't have party star in pre-match lobby if player is in a party.
[*]Destructible vehicles no longer go through walls.
[*]Fixed a bug that caused projectiles to disappear.
[*]Every time player started a new private chat, the chat window to the left of it would blink as if it had a new message.
[*]When an AI bot replaced a player that left, the bot's stats on the scoreboard were shown as 'undefined' until the wave ended.
[*]Party chat messages did not display until they showed up in the history.
[*]"Double Tap to Boost" lacked any description about dodging.
[*]In Co-Op bosses would get stuck in the Blockade item.
[*]The Period key could be used as a key binding, but did not function when bound.
[/list]
Click here to view the article
