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Now that we're home from E3 I've put together the questions you have and had the Devs take a pass at answering. I hope this information helps put your minds at ease that the PC is still going to be around. We're not replacing it with the consoles, the consoles are a new addition to the Hawken family.
- What are your goals for the PC platform now that you've clearly put some focus on the console platforms?
In short, we will get all platforms up to feature parity and then add content to all at the same time. We have put huge efforts into making sure any future development efforts apply to all both PC and console, since that just makes sense. Now that the console port is closing on launch, we will solidify the build, do some more optimizations, and then turn to the task of upgrading the PC platform game and data to the same version as the console builds; along with that comes the last steps to make sure the build is all ready to go for PC. To be clear, whenever the build servers produce a console build, a PC build is right next to it ; it's the underlying inventory data and user data that we have to migrate and update. Additionally, more testing across all systems to ensure the PC game's migration has been clean. Timelines? We estimate late summer/fall.
- Please describe the manner of your playtesting of changes.
We have a quality assurance team that review bugs and list suggestions based on their experience. They have worked very closely with the Hawken development team making sure every bug is documented. Playtesting is also done by our developers when we fix an issue. This is to confirm that the issue is actually fixed before sending it to QA for review. QA has caught some really nasty bugs and we are glad to be working with them. Playtesting mech design changes has happened along with all this.
- How will accounts work between the systems?
Simply put, they won't be linked across platforms at launch - You will not use a Meteor account to log in to PS4 or XB1; it's just integrated authentication. You will still use the same account you have always used for PC when playing on a PC.
- Does Hawken for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 disallow Keyboard and Mouse input
Keyboard is allowed for basic menu navigation and some game controls. Mouse on XB1/PS4 is not supported.
- Was the console port work affecting the PC side of things over the past year, or were the multiple server problems the game encountered part of some other issue? If so, what were those issues specifically?
Nothing on the console end really affected the PC side of server performance - there have been some points of failures on the PC side that we have actually monitored and improved upon to ensure they do not happen on consoles and the PC re-launch. Any issues encountered that seemed like "rubber banding" or slow sync times were typically network-connectivity issues generally outside of our direct control (apart from opting to totally move server hosts). The data issues were caused by problems in the data layer of the tech stack. In both cases, we have addressed these issues in the new branches of code.
- Are we going to get new engine with DirectX 11
Hawken remains on Unreal Engine 3. As part of a huge rewrite of code listed here (https://community.playhawken.com/topic/4786-dev-update-catching-up-coming-soon-ps4-xbox-one/) we have moved to DirectX 11 for the rendering engine. Our development build that uses this engine was playable at E3 2016 in the Windows 10 booth.
- When will you start incorporating the players' feedback and ideas?
From the time we started the project we have been silently reading - and listening - to the playerbase behind the scenes. We've got some really talented people who come from many backgrounds. All of us want this game to succeed, and we all love the game and the community it fostered.
For the PC Side, we will be trying to leave the game largely untouched - we are hoping the game will be Hawken with a new UI skin, and a better framework for creating content that everyone can enjoy going forward. We intend to answer more questions over the coming days, weeks, and months. It should be a lot more fun from now on
- When will cheat prevention be implemented?
It's a tricky subject, since any "tipping of our hand" helps the clever folk who create hack tools infer whatever anti-cheat functionality we may or may not have implemented. It's kind of a bummer, huh? Maybe this part will be "The Great Silence 2.1". Or do you think it would deserve a major revision bump?
- Will the Steam version of the game continue to be supported/updated in the future?
Absolutely! We plan on re-launching the game on Steam. This is the current distribution method and will be the most 'friendly' to update, in our developers' perspective.
- Did you fix the G2Raider showing up on radar?
A lot of Flash/Actionscript components have changed recently. These kind of issues are the kind of issues we can now fix, now that we are out of the 'technical debt' phase of development. As such, the bug reports forum will be one of our focuses and issues like this will be investigated.
- What are your plan for the communication with the community, given that many of us feel we have gone through a Great Silence 2.0?
Our plans are to communicate regularly, as noted above. We would like to avoid a Great Silence in the future (to say the least, because honestly it's pretty stressful). Now that the big project has been revealed there is nothing for which radio silence is necessary, except maybe anti-cheat details or some kind of possible big new partnership or release or something. It's just a task of actually interacting more
- At which frame rate and resolution are the console versions running?
We're constantly above 30 FPS on both Xbox One and PS4 at 1080p. We have found the game code to be more CPU bound than GPU bound, and there are some additional optimization opportunities.
As an example of FPS on the PC version, we have seen a noticeable improvement over the DirectX 9 version of Hawken. The game is running easily at 60 frames (often higher) on most machines we've put it on that are considered 'gaming PCs'.
- Are you going to change the current UI for the one being used on the consoles?
Yes, however, it will be getting a Mouse + Keyboard version of it. The UI created was made with cross-platform support in mind. This means that we had to ensure the UI would run on PC as well as it did on consoles, and with all the same functionality.
- The changes made to existing mechs (for consoles) - are they coming to PC?
We do not want to drastically change mech stats on the PC version. There are changes, yes, though the intent has been to support the existing mechs without too much impact. We will monitor community feedback and respond to concerns. This subject is actually pretty significantly impacted by the loss of Jay Elwanger. He will be missed in all kinds of ways, one of which is that the work required to fully support our goals on this topic will be significantly more difficult and time consuming. - What will happen to all of the content we currently have, some of which we paid actual money for, in light of some of the presumed changes we've already seen implemented in the console versions?
The goal has been to retain your existing mechs and everything. There will be a number of unavoidable changes, but there has been a pretty big emphasis on respecting the "classic" Hawken, as some have termed it.
- Have sticky textures and uneven ground surfaces been fixed?
We have performed a number of passes on maps to alleviate the missing/spotty textures that may appear.
- In your opinion, are we basically going to be re-learning a new game here with the level of change being implemented?
No, we don't think it will be that drastic. Our hope is that the PC game remains largely unchanged. - What is going to happen to my stored Meteor Credits?
We don't anticipate any changes to Meteor Credits. - Are PC players still going to have the option to rent servers?
Yes but we would prefer this to be automated in the future. - Are you going to change the current UI for the one being used on the consoles?
The PC version of the game will have all the UI improvements that you see in the console version the game. Obviously there will be some small differences but overall the feel of the menus will be the same as console.
- Will console players have an aim assist feature?, as you are planning to pit them against and with the PC players.
No aim assist - just RAW SKILL! As to pitting console players against PC players, we think it just might work out very well, but there's a good amount of work to be done before such a thing might be ready.
- Do mechs now have only one primary or do we still have 3 primaries per mech?
Mechs now only have one primary, one secondary weapon. We anticipate this functionality to carry over to PC as well. However, the goal is to support the 3-primary weapons feature for mechs that already were owned.
- What efforts have been made to support the competitive community (outside of providing private servers and forgetting about prize distribution), and what will be done in the future to ensure their happiness and its expansion? I know the comp community is such a small portion of the community, but it is comprised of the most dedicated players, the most skilled players, and surely their input about the game would carry weight given their mastery of the game
We would like to expand on the competitive aspect on the game. This is one of our goals. We would love to see Hawken become an eSport on both Console and PC, but we realize that cannot happen without full developer support for the competitive community. Unfortunately, there is nothing set in stone right now. But it's on our minds for sure. And, yes, there were meetings at E3 about this
- What kind of cosmetic changes are being introduced?
We're hoping to launch with at least the New UI on PC. In addition, mech torsos will no longer be something you can swap out across different mech subtypes, e.g. making an Assault look like a CR-T. As we go forward, we will be adding more custom mech torso skins for sure, more holo-taunts, more mechs in general, more maps, etc. The specifics of which will be done first are being hammered out, first in high-level meetings across executives from a few different companies, board members, investors, etc. Those conversation will then turn to more implementation details on how to scale up the team, dates, and the order in which things are tackled.
- Are there any other major mechanic reworks? Mech abilities, dodging, boosting; all of these have been "messed with" several times over the game's development cycle, but are generally agreed upon to be in a good place while still maintaining the unique feel of the game, so information on this is definitely of interest.
We have not changed any mechanics. There are changes to stats, availability, and to the upgrade path system for newly-purchased mechs. Mechs you already own will experience stat adjustments; the aim for pre-existing mechs has been to support a "classic Hawken" core. The G1 and G2 mech concept has been extended so that there is a bit of a power increase to the G2 variant of each mech. In terms of game modes, we have brought the Co-Op Bots game modes into a more prominent position with the intent of making it easier for especially new players and players who don't enjoy PvP an alternative to pure PvP. All game mode rules should remain about the same.
- Will sprays be implemented like other FPS games (Holo Spray)?
We think it'd be fun, but we've not had a chance to check out what it would take to implement.
- Is there any new art assets like Mech models and maps?
We are making sure all the mech art that had been created for the game is actually used. Mech geometry that had been hidden behind the progression skin system are being set up as their own mech platform - first class citizenry for all the mechs! Additional mech art and geometry will come as part of future content releases. Again, the primary focus has been to bring Hawken to the console world and keep all platforms at feature parity. Ultimately, the PC platform will receive the same benefits from all the investment put into the console platforms.
- For the new upcoming 12 mechs: Is the dual seeker A class mech real?
This is actually real...Nief is equipped with dual seekers!
- has the aim of this long silence and overt hostility by unnamed reloaded staff been a ploy to drive off an established community to make room for a new and more compliant user base?
no
- How will accounts work between the systems?
see above
- Does console Hawken disallow KBM?
see above
- Are they original? Or are they just a mix of old pieces (chassis, weapons and abilities)?
We have used the original Hawken art team's mechs - all of them. They are now their own full mech platform rather than some of them being a progression skin. We have also elected to create a G2 variant of each mech.
So, at launch, this means that raw number will include the G2 variants, so for the well-informed PC player, undoubtedly there will be some disappointment, and as a result the trailer video may seem somewhat misleading, it lists that there are 30 Mechs! OMG!!!!! We were actually feeling pretty conflicted about it. However, the perspective we lacked was that of "the rest of the word", who, as became abundantly clear at E3, has never even heard of Hawken. For the console launch, and even when the PC platform is relaunched, we have to make sure we keep in mind the users who are completely new. So, the advertising and promo spots you will see in the coming weeks and months will definitely include content that is aimed at people who don't know anything about the game. It's a strange situation to be in, because we have to retain continuity with the past while at the same time introducing enough change (but not too much!).
- Did they go under any balance process? If so, which one?
They are based on existing mech balance. They are also set up to more easily balance between the Mechs in moving forward.
- About balance, in general:Will it be different between versions (at least the PC being different from the PS4 and XBOX1 editions)?
We hope to keep them roughly the same. We will be watching closely to see if there needs to be any differentiation based on platform
- What are RLD plans on addressing balance issues? Who will they listen to, and how will they make changes (multiple small patches, bigger patches with more changes, a small group of the community testing the new patches before releasing them to the public, etc...).
We have built systems that allow us to make balance changes in near real time. We would prefer to do more frequent patches, though how that that actually works, given console and PC platforms will likely take tome time to sort out before it's consistent. In terms of how balance changes will be rolled out, we aim to have a pre-release environment that players can check out to contribute to balance evaluation.
- Assuming old known balance issuest (orblord, scanner) are still relevant (if the game has not changed drastically), have they been fixed? Will they be fixed?
If not already, then they will be fixed in time
- Is the Assault really gone, in favor of what was previously the Assault G2?
Correct. The Assault is now effectively like the old G2, though this only applies to new purchases after the update. If you already owned an Assault, it will remain. We felt this would be better since the old Assault and CR-T Recruit were essentially the same.
- If so, why does the new mech guide page still mention the tow rocket in the "Defeating the Assault" tip box on right? And if the Assault only has 2 Vulcan XTs, is there a Tow secondary upgrade?
Thanks for any bug reports. There will likely be some text-related things that get missed while having to address the big, scary systems things. Weapons upgrades are intended to be implemented in a future update.
- Has the time-to-kill been changed?
Not significantly.
- Is turret mode really back for Grenadier?
The Grenadier has undergone a rework that is intended to help differentiate it a little more. As with the Assault, this only applies to Grenadiers purchased after the update.
It is back, but much more effective this time around. We want to start pulling the Mechs further apart from each other giving them much more defined roles on the battlefield. This involves making the Grenadier very effective at area denial and zone control.
- Is SMC still available for Vanguard?
No, the new Vanguard is equipped with a variant of a rotary cannon. This is part of the new setup to more easily balance between the Mechs in moving forward.
- If possible, more details on new mechs. 30 mechs is a tall task, and it would seem to me that mixing and matching weapons in a randomizer would be ample opportunity to create new mechs. Are these new mechs unique or simply rehashes of existing designs? Basically, to what extent did you redesign mechs? From the ground up or tweaks and changes?
Here were some reworks to a few old Mechs as well a a couple of new ones, but there hasn't been much work put into building a new Mech from the ground up. We hope to be able to do that in the near future. The systems and scripts are fairly well understood now, and we have a good idea of how to proceed. The primary focus has been to complete the port for console, retain PC functionality, improve the tech stack required for operations, and set Hawken on a solid foundation for future development.
- The vanguard having the BBY as a primary implies a rework of that weapon; I and others know firsthand that its unique heat generation effect makes it absolutely worthless on any mech besides the incin as it stands. What about it was changed, and by extension, what about the incinerator has changed?
Not too much of a rework, the heat generation definitely got lowered for reasons stated from the question. As for the weapon itself, it packs a hefty punch similar to the current Vulcan and will not disappoint in the hands of the new Vanguard.
- There is a screenshot out there that implies that mech cosmetic choices may be limited to the chassis parts that the mech was intended to have standard. Is this going to be the case going forward, and if so, what happens to those of us who have spent a good deal of money (albeit, to an entirely different company to whom you have no obligation) on customizing that aspect of their mechs?
If you already own torsos that have different geometry than the base mech itself, then you will continue to own those piece and you will be able to continue to use them.
- Are you going to continue to develop the VR aspects of the game so it's fully functional with Oculus Rift and other headsets ?
We have spent time talking with Oculus engineering teams, so we have a sense for what it will take to implement the new Oculus SDK. We have not, however, begun any work on it. When we last talked with Oculus, they said Unreal Engine 3 may be a tricky one to get working. Our engineering team thinks it should be doable, however, especially given the reference code work Oculus had already done in the Hawken code base.
- Secondly, are you thinking about incorporating any player made, or inspired content to the game like mech concepts, map ideas or lore?
We would love to. We have improved the art pipeline keeping this hope in mind.
- What's happening to current accounts when the PC version is "Re-Released" on the Windows 10 store?
The core plans are to retain all the existing PC accounts as they are. We have not done any work yet to integrate with the Windows 10 store, but we do think that would be pretty cool
- Do you have any plans for the lore of the game? (comics, cinematics, articles, stories, etc.)
Yes, though those plans have had to be secondary to work on the game itself.
- Will the console ports of the game have voice chat?
Yes
- What customization will we be able to do now?
Customization, for the time being, will be mainly cosmetic. We want to be able to do more customization functionally but have not settled on a system for that yet. Customization systems generally remain the same, with the most significant change being that mechs from now on will only have matching geometry available for purchase. Existing purchases, however, will remain available to be equipped.
- Will we be able to add more part to the look of the mech?
We have not changed functionality in the cosmetics system. We will, however, be adding more cosmetics pieces in the future.
- Will we be able to put custom decals on the mechs now?
We have not been able to do any work on that yet. We still think it's a fantastic idea.
- Will we be able to change the cockpit view(Not adding stuff to but actually changing what the front console will look like)?
We have not yet started any work on changing out the cockpit geometry or materials.
- Is Hit Scan still going to be used?
- Yes
- Will we see in increase of Secondary weapons?
Over time, yes
- Would it be possible to have a global unlock option or possibly a shared inventory for all the Items and Internals so the game feels less grindy?
Yes, but the technicalities of implementing it have not been solved. However, there are no plans for this as of yet.
- Why make any changes at all?
Quite simply put, the Hawken design did not generate enough revenue to sustain ongoing development. The only choice in this situation is to try to make significant enough changes to the design in the hopes that users will find it "stickier" and find it more enjoyable to spend money on it. The line we had to toe was that between making sure every purchase was satisfying vs purchases provide too much of a competitive advantage. Previously, the universal feedback was that when you made a purchase you really could not tell that it made much of a difference. Capnjosh can go into more detail in the future; there's no reason to really avoid this topic, so feel free to ask and discuss.
If you're still upset and want to discuss things further with CapnJosh, I'll be scheduling 15 minute interviews with him. You'll need to sign an NDA and provide a Government ID. Just contact support with Interview request and I'll start the ball rolling on that.
If you have any other questions just reply below and I'll try to get them in front of the team.
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