WarThunder goes GreenLight

In yesterday's press release, Gaijin studio announced that they are opting-in for STEAM GreenLight program:

Following numerous requests from the War Thunder community we decided to take part in Steam Greenlight to bring the game to more players who value massive online combat action, realistic and dynamic gameplay and hi-end graphics.
During the Beta Test more then 500 000 players had participated in more then 60 million fly-outs, spending tens of million of hours in the game; and the game has received more then thousand of updates, constantly adding new features and increasing quality of the game.
War Thunder offers a highly detailed and personalized aviation experience, giving players access to hundreds models of planes with detailed cockpits, dozens of upgradable weapons, and flying skills that can be honed and improved with each mission. The massive historical battles featured in War Thunder cannot be fought by aviation alone, so the game will also expose players to combat on land and at sea. Now, at the current stage of development all ground and naval forces are controlled by AI but later during the beta we are going to make them available for players as well as aircrafts.

I fully support their decision to release the game on the STEAM platform via the GreenLight program.

Following this link, you can vote for them - please do!

WoT 0.8.2 - chinese tanks postponed

WarGaming announced today that the chinese tank branch won't make it into 0.8.2 release due to further need of proper balancing - source.

One word: FAIL!

The other changes and additions will be published with this update, like the 2nd branch of US heavy tanks, the new premium tanks and the reworked maps.


PS: I'm currently playin' some StarWars: The Old Republic. For the story, the PvP aspect it rather boring and unimaginative.

MWO failed terribly to impress or wanting me to spend time and/or money on it, although I'm a huge MechWarrior fan.

PlanetSide 2 - has some issues, played it a bit in CBT. After I'll get my SWToR "fix" this is the next game to play on my list.

WoT 0.8.2 - Chinese tanks video overview

MWO - small guide to mech XP trees

I saw quite a few people having trouble understanding how the mech Xp tree works. I had my own questions at the begging, but reading the forums helped a lot. So I'm putting this small guide together to help you understand (hopefully :) ).

1st things 1st
trial mechs do not earn Xp! not mech Xp, nor GXP (a.k.a. global Xp); at this point they only serve one purpose - earn C-Bills.

One more thing: the units in MWO are split into mechs , mech variants (also known as chassis variant of the same mech) and classes (light, medium, heavy and finally assault). More information here.

The only mechs that earn Xp and GXP are the ones you bought and own. At this time I do not know the percentage of how much of the earned Xp at the end of the match is converted into GXP.

Ok .. let's begin. The mech Xp trees are divided into basic, elite and master:

Now, for unlocking the elite tree you will need to unlock the basic tree on 3 chassis variants of the same mech.
Take for example the Atlas (because I like playing it):

currently I own only 2 of the 4 chassis variants of this mech. And, as you can see in the screenshot below, I only unlocked one variant (working on the 2nd).
Once the master tree is unlocked, it will double the efficiency of the basic tree skills on the chassis you own(!).

For unlocking the master, you will need to unlock 3 elite mechs from the same class. It does not have to be the same mech(!), this gives you the ability to mix it up a bit; it can be 2 Atlases and one Awesome. Hope this is understandable.

Note: Mastering, like basic and elite, is done per mech variant, mastering one mech variant will unlock a module slot.

After unlocking the master tree you can now proceed to unlocking the pilot module for your owed mech variant, and they require GXP (only !).


Note: you must keep 3 elite variants in order to receive your mastery module slot. If you sell a variant,even a mastered one, it will still allow you to research mastery on the remaining variants but you will NOT receive the actual module slot. This is an issue currently being investigated by PGI.

I somehow I didn't made it clear enough, please ask, or head to this forum topic.
Also, if you spotted an error, do not hesitate to notify. Thank you!



Edit
17 nov - added a note on master

[UPDATE] Piranha addresses some of the MWO's issues

Today, the Creative Director and Co-Founder of Piranha Games, Bryan Ekman has shed some light on the issues reported about MWO's gameplay and mechanics.


WEAPON BALANCING

This is a list of what is being tuned in the immediate future. There are no set dates for this. This is just a FYI as to what is coming down the pipe. 

In Current Development: 

Projectile speeds on AC rounds can use a buff:

• AC/2 is fine where it's at

• AC/5 is pretty close to where it should be

• AC/10 needs a boost

• AC/20 needs a fairly big boost

• UAC/5 will be the same as AC/5

Gauss Rifle is going to become very fragile:

• The Gauss Rifle is going to have it's internal health dropped substantially

• Once armor surrounding a Gauss Rifle has been removed, there is going to be a high probability that the Gauss Rifle will detonate via critical hits when that component gets hit by enemy fire

LRM/SRM/SSRM/ARTEMIS:

• Artemis is fine where it is at the moment.

• SRMs are fine where they are at the moment.

• SSRMs will spread damage across LT,CT,RT instead of always just hitting CT. On moving targets, limbs will be hit as well.

• LRMs will get a 0.1 damage buff

PPCs are being investigated:

• Heat balance?

• Projectile Speed?

What we are planning:

• Special effect when you are hit by a PPC that is similar to EMP

• Getting hit by an AC/20 is going to rock you hard

• MG's will be getting a damage boost

• Flamers will be getting the heat generation on enemy scaled in a way that makes more sense. You're not going to overheat a Mech but you should be raising their temps to the point that if they fire anything they will shut down/overheat

NEW USER FLOW AND TRIAL MECHS

Lots of cool stuff to talk about.
Rule changes for Trial Mechs, Achievements, smoother, more fun, first user experience. All coming to an MWO near you.

 FARMING

We are addressing several known issues with farming.
Trial Mech Locking

• Trial Mechs will now work the same as any BattleMech, they are locked until the match ends. This ends the ability for a macro player to "churn" matches to maximize CB.

Quitting/Disconnecting Early - While Still Alive

• You will only receive rewards up to the point of disconnection.

• NOTE: If you are dead, you will receive earned rewards, plus match rewards.

Idle/AFK

• Players that fail to provide any input will be kicked from a match Although it does not prevent a macro player from simply putting in inputs, it forces them to LOOK like a bot.

FOUNDER'S PREMIUM TIME

We are working on a Premium Time redeem button. 

Late November Patch

• Your Founder's Premium Time will be reset to full.

• A redeem button will be available in the Front End of the Client.

• If you click the button and accept the prompt, your time will be injected in FULL and begin counting down.

• This is a one time permanent operation.

• This operation is not reversible or refundable.

MATCHMAKING

Phase 1: November 6th

Pre-made groups will be limited to a max of 4 players when playing in random public forums. This is a quick fix to ease the PUG vs PRE issues. We do not consider this a final, nor complete fix to matchmaking. 

Phase 2: November 20th 

Pre-Made groups will be able to match against other pre-made groups.

• Min group size: 5 players

• Max group size: 8 players

• Class Matching: No

• Uneven Teams: Yes

Phase 3: December TBD
Full implementation of our modified ELO matchmaking solution. Details forthcoming.

HEAT AND DOUBLE HEAT SINKS (DHS)

EHS' are not taking into consideration the DHS values of 0.2. Instead they are using regular heat sink value of 0.1. This is the bug, it has been fixed in the upcoming November 6th patch.
During the testing of the DHS bug we uncovered a long standing heat related bug. This is also going to be addressed in the next patch. Expect some widespread changes. I will fill you later when the exact numbers are tested. 

[02-11-2012]

Double Heat Sinks (DHS)

• Fixed a bug where DHS where Engine Heat Sinks were not be converted to DHS.
• Single Heat Sink = 1.0
• Double Heat Sink = 1.4

After fixing the EHS bug, and setting DHS to a cannon value of 2.0, we experienced anticipated result. Heat was no longer a concern, increasing DPS exponentially on certain types of mech loadouts. After testing a variety of standard builds, we settled on 1.4. This value maintains the spirit of both DHS and maintains the integrity of MWO's overall gameplay experience.
PGI will monitor DHS' closely and tune this number up or down depending on the telemetry data received from production servers.

Heat Bug

Testing revealed a long standing issue with how heat was calculated for some weapons.

• Total Generated was used as Heat Per Second.
• The fix now calculates Heat Per Second based on Total Generated Heat.

This affects Small, Medium, Large Pulses Laser, and Small Lasers. They will now produce more heat when fired and work as originally intended. 

Fixes for both issues will be in the November 6th Patch 

KNOWN ISSUES

Hit Detection/Network Movement Code
We are rolling back some networking code fixes. This will address many of the hit box issues currently in the live environment. The rollback does not fix the problem entirely, and we are working hard on improving the overall experience vs performance. This is a long term engineering task and a top priority internally.
HDR/Glowing Mechs
Screens fade to pitch black when looking at very bright objects, primarily glowing BattleMechs. Our engineers have identified and located the issue which has two parts. An adjustment to the HDR settings and a fix for the glowing damage texture. Expect a fix in the November 6th patch.

USER INTERFACE IMPROVEMENTS

Item Stats and Details 

As you can see below, we are making some minor/major tweaks and improvements to communicating item information to players.
Expected: Mid-Late November

NOTE: THIS IS A MOCK UP, not and actual in game shot.

UI 2.0 

Is currently in design and will be executed before launch next year. Target Jan/Feb 2013.

INTO THE LAB

Next Patch - November 6th

• New DHS values (1.4) applied to all heatsinks, including engines
• A fix for the glowing mechs and HDR blacking out screens
• A rollback of some netcode changes, hitbox detection improved, but still needs work on faster mechs
• Centurion CN9-D
• Artemis
• Cockpit Damage FX
• Missile Door Toggle/State Lights (Open, Closed, Destroyed)
• Trial Mechs act like purchased mechs and stay locked until match ends. Reduces suicide farming, AFK players
•  Phase 1 Matchmaking. Max pre-made group size is not (maybe "now"!?) set to 4

Future Patches

ECM 

We've had several internal playtests. Overall I'm excited to see this hit the battlefield, as it adds a very interesting tactical component. However, in its current state is very overpowered and makes certain mech builds even more useful (Gausspults). There was some general usability feedback, along making it a bit more obvious to your team, that ECM is equipped. We're keeping it in test until some HUD/BattleGrid changes help smooth out communication, along with making sure the ECM is no OP. For those wanting to hide from LRMs, this will be your must have item. 

New Camo Spec 

Exciting stuff! Players can customize their mechs skin and pattern for MC. The system is very easy to use, select a skin, select up to 3 colors and hit the save button. Like a paint shop, changes are permanent and erase any previous pain schemes. There will be some free skins, CB only content, but mostly camo spec will require MC to make changes. 

Bitchin Betty

Currently in the game, available by .cfg command only. Will be turned on in November with new dialogue, which sounds freaking awesome. Anyone seen or heard our new trailer. Hint Hint. Answer: Yes.

Conquest Mode 

We've been play testing this for a few weeks now, things are coming along nicely! It's fun and requires lots of team coordination. We're fixing up some balance issues, resource/base locations, and general HUD/BattleGrid messaging to smooth out what's going on. We're taking a look at CB/EXP rewards, focusing on rewarding teamplay above all else. This means a reduction in kill/assist/damage done rewarding, and an increase in holding resources points. With a new mode, comes a new way to launch into matches. A new button will allow players to select/set their default mode to: Quick Play (random), Assault, or Conquest. 

DirectX 11 

Courtesy of Matt Craig:After integrating CryEngine 3.4 we noted a number of issues with the DX11 implementation that we didn’t feel were acceptable to push out to production. We have worked with our partners to address the key issues, thesehave now been resolved and we are enabling DX11 internally for testing. Once it passes QA it will be enabled on production, we appreciate the fans patience while we work to ensure the DX11 renderer is just as stable as the DX9 renderer.

Well, it's nice they are communicating with their player base and looks like they're receptive to the issues raised, at least the more pressing ones.
I will keep this post updated if anything changes, but expect a big patch on november 6th.

Source: MWO forums


EDIT: added "known issues"
01 nov - added UI improvements
02 nov - added more info on DHS bug
03 nov - added "into the lab" section
09 nov - added new sections to "into the lab"
09 nov - striked out section that were covered by recent patch
15 nov - added "weapon balancing"

[Continued] MWO Open BETA - failure to launch!?

Or just delayed reaction ...

Before I begin I would like to state that I'm not an statistician or analyst and what follows is not 100% accurate. But I believe in the data collected.

Tuesday, the 30th, I got this idea about monitoring the number or players that registered since Open BETA (a.k.a. OBT), since the number of active players in the game was removed (I will not discuss the reason) the only way was to monitor the number of total accounts created.

1st I had to verify that a new account is also given automatically a forum account, I did and it's verified.

I know it's 1 day late, but still ..

Also note that I didn't collect the data on regular intervals.

Starting on 30th 5PM my local time (GMT+2), the number of total users was 386256; to the moment of posting this, the number is 393378.

From that day, there are 7122 new user accounts created.

Now the growth per day is as follows, starting day 2 obviously:

• 983
• 873
• 576
• 777
• 1285
• 1082
• 892
• 654 (at the time of posting)

you can see a somewhat substantial increase during the weekend

this is how it looks from a daily perspective:

What do I make from all of this? two things:

• MWO OTB was launched prematurely
• PGI and IGP created a hype around the game and at the launch of the global open beta it did not lived to expectations.

The 1.81% that account for the users created since OBT started, from the total of accounts, is the sword MWO fell into.

I would not comment on what sould've been done differently or what PGI/IGP should do from now on, the damage is done and they need to "fix" it; damage control mode ON

Today is the patch day, and hopefully some of the issues will get addressed, and also maybe interest in the game will rise.

This is why I will continue to monitor the number of user accounts; I will return in 1 week with another batch of data collected starting today.

If you find an irregularity or have some comment, please do tell.

Continued - 15/11/2012

By the time I'm done posting this it's already the 15th for me

So .. I'm back with a new batch of data gathered from 6 (completing the day) to 15 of this month.
Nr of accounts to date are 399674, out of which 13418 were created since OBT launched - they now account for 3.36% of total registered users.

The number of new accounts created / day, starting with day 2 (30th of Nov) are as follows:

• 983
• 873
• 576
• 777
• 1285
• 1082
• 892
• 976
• 936
• 800
• 727
• 873
• 846
• 638
• 610
• 544

The number of new accounts created / day is "going down" and despite what Mr. Russ Bullock said in the N.G.N.G. podcast, it doesn't look encouraging at all !!
Maybe this is the real reason for pushing 3rd person view?! I would say yes.

Also you can notice that today (well yesterday for me) the DB hit a new low in nr of registrations.

MWO - 3rd person view ?!

In a recent podcast at No Guts No Galaxy, Russ Bullock said the 3rd person camera is coming to the game.
You can listen to the podcast here, jump to around time index 0h22m.

What he's basically saying it's that new players have a hard time adapting to the concept of torso and for PGI to tone down the learning curve, they decided to implement a 3rd person camera to the game. This is not exactly news because talks about this 3rd person camera emerged back in CBT, back then it wasn't clear if toy'll do it or not.
Also he talks about the possibility of matching against players who use same view settings, meaning you can play with and against players who use only 1st person, or a mix of both.
How exactly will this be implemented is unknown at this point.

Speaking for myself, I have mixed feelings about this issue.
At some point I really wanted to have a 3rd person view that would show me a wider field of view, because clearly it's an advantage and gives you the possibility to see what's and who's around you and where and not be limited by the max torso twist lock.
But then again, the most advantage it would give to the light scout mechs, they would have a blast navigating the map in this mode and cruise through enemy mechs.

WoT - gold ammo

Have you seen this? No? take a look and then we talk

So .. yeah! Rejoice World of Tanks players, gold ammo is not for the benefit of the player but to promote e-sports. It is not for aiding the starting clans to fight an roughly same plane field as the long term established clans on the global map (CW). It's for e-sports!

Before the introduction of gold ammo, the units were balanced in their own way, although there were some issues; but on general terms it was balanced. Now as you clearly hear the piece of shit talking the video, he sais something like if a tank benefits too much from gold ammo usage we'll nerf it.
So yeah! they will basically re-balance tanks based on the gold ammo performance and not the standard AP rounds available to everyone from the get-go. It will make players that use standard AP ammo in their tanks the laughing stock.
This will ultimately drive the standard players out of the game because they can't afford the running cost of gold ammo.

If take a look at the pool I started here, it clearly shows that gold ammo users are the ones who either have at least one premium tank and/or have a premium account. That leave the standard players running for the hills.
Before gold ammo for Cr was introduced, the usage of gold ammo was scarce and most prominent from players that belong to clans, and less regular Joe.
Gold ammo is now more Pay-to-Win than ever before.


Mark my words: if WG does not restrict gold ammo usage in random battles and allows it only in training, team company and CW, this is the beginning of the end - WarGaming will kill WoT with their own hands.

StarTrek OnLine Season7 - ready to launch next week

StarTrek OnLine Season 7 will be launched next Tuesday, on the 13th.
Players will be given the opportunity to explore New Romulus and aid the Romulans with building their new home; will be accessible by both the Federation and Klingon Empire players.
Season 7 will also feature end-game content in form of new STF missions and fleet actions.
LV50 Federation and Klingon officers will gain access to new daily quests, a new reputation progression system that unlocks unique ground and space combat perks. Fleets will have the ability to establish an embassy on New Romulus that will offer it's own rewards.

Federation embassy interior

Federation Vesta class

Source: PCGamer.com

Star Wars: The Old Republic - F2P next week

It's not like it's really news to anyone, it was known for a while now that BioWare plans to switch their MMO from a subscription service to a Free2Play model.
November 15th the game will allow everyone to reach lvl50 at no cost. You will still be able to buy a subscription and that will grant you some extra features unavailable or limited to f2p users. Check out this chart to find out more, also there is a F.A.Q.

Enter BattleMech #11: CATAPHRACT

It is confirmed - Cataphract will be added to the game on November the 20th this year.

CATAPHRACT CTF-3D concept art

The Cataphract is a heavy BattleMech and one of the first original designs since the start of the Succession Wars, though it had inauspicious beginnings. When the Capellan Confederation lost the world of Carver V to the Free Worlds League in 2953, it also lost its main heavy and assault 'Mech production lines. Unable to build anything bigger than a Vindicator and desperate for a heavy 'Mech, the Capellans designed the Cataphract from spare parts they could still manufacture. Using components from the Marauder, Shadow Hawk and Phoenix Hawk, they were able to field prototypes which were functional, if not aesthetically pleasing, and more importantly reproducible. Dubbed a FrankenMech for its appearance, the Cataphract was set to become the Confederation's standard heavy 'Mech and a limited production run had already begun when the Federated Suns captured Tikonov and its Cataphract factory during the Fourth Succession War. This embarrassing defeat was further compounded as many Davion units, including the Crucis Lancers, adopted the Cataphract as their own. It wasn't until 3032 that the Confederation finally replaced the lost factory with one on Betelgeuse, producing their own Cataphracts in time for the Andurien Crisis.
Shortly after 3025 the Federated Commonwealth began work on the CTF-3D, intended to stand toe-to-toe with an assault 'Mech and be as versatile as possible. This included the use of formerly lostech autocannons for impressive firepower while eleven tons of armor allowed the Cataphract to easily absorb damage. Sixteen heat sinks kept it cool while four HildCo Model 12 jump jets gave it a jumping distance of one hundred and twenty meters; room for these improvements was made by using a GM 280 XL Engine. Despite the upgrades the CTF-3D was only marginally deployed by the AFFC and eventually relegated to the Crucis March Militia as an insult to the Capellans. The onset of the Clan Invasion caused everything still in production, including the Cataphract, to be rushed to the front lines. For their part the Capellans were able to produce the CTF-3D from stolen plans and went about creating their own variant, the CTF-3L, which would go on to make up twenty-five percent of all their newly-acquired heavy 'Mechs during the 3050s. In the years afterwards use of the design would wane, though a few new variants would continue to be produce as new technology and new demands arose. [source]



Technical specifications

Mass: 70 tons
Chassis: Earthwerk CTF
Armor: 11 tons of Kallon Royalstar
Engine: GM 280 XL
Communications System: CommuTech Multi-Channel 10
Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: HildCo Model 12
Armament:

• 1 x LB-X Autocannon/10
• 1 x Ultra AC-5
• 4 x Medium Lasers

BV (1.0): 1266
BV (2.0): 1325

Note: BV stands for battle value



Variants

• CTF-1X - The original prototype of the Cataphract, the 1X model is armed with a Ceres Arms Smasher PPC as its primary weapon, which is backed up by an Sarlon MaxiCannonAutocannon/10 with one ton of ammo and the four medium lasers. Additionally, since the 1X was built before the discovery of the Helm Memory Core, it lacks any advanced Star League technology and is built with a standard VOX 280 engine. The 'Mech also lacks the jump jets of the 3D model. BV (1.0) = 1092, BV (2.0) = 1316
• CTF-2X - Another prototype of the Cataphract design, the 2X is armed with a much more diverse weapons mix. The PPC has been replaced with a FirMir MaxiLaser Large Laser and the arm-mounted medium lasers replaced with Hovertec Quad SRM-4 in the left arm. While the Autocannon/10 torso-mounted medium lasers are kept, the latter now fire forward. An extra ton of autocannon ammo is carried, while two heat sinks have been replaced for two additional tons of armor. BV (1.0) = 1035, BV (2.0) = 1344
• CTF-3L - Produced by the Capellans based on stolen Davion designs, the 3L is an upgraded version of the Cataphract that follows more in line with the prototype 1X model. It is propelled by an XL Engine with MASC instead of jump jets allowing it to reach speeds of 86.4 km/h in short bursts. While it is also armed with an LB-X Autocannon/10 as its primary weapon this is instead matched with a Ceres Arms Warrior ER PPC for powerful striking capabilities at long range. Other differences include the use of four Medium Pulse Laser and double heat sinks in place of the standard models. This design was produced by the Confederation at Grand Base following the ascension of Chancellor Romano Liao. BV (1.0) = 1302, BV (2.0) = 1545
• CTF-3LL - This basic refit of the 3L replaces the PPC with a Plasma Rifle. Tonnage is freed up for its three tons of ammunition by swapping out the two forward-facing pulse lasers for ER Medium Lasers. The reduced heat load gives the 3LL the luxury of not building heat before it is damaged. BV (2.0) = 1,664
• CTF-4L - A Capellan upgrade produced during the 3060s, the 4L is built using a standard fusion engine and utilizes thirteen and a half tons of Stealth Armor along with a Guardian ECM suite for protection. The 'Mech is armed with a Gauss Rifle and an ER PPC as its primary weapons, giving it a powerful long-range punch. For close range defense, the 'Mech carries two ER Medium Lasers. Produced in the wake of the Xin Sheng movement and the recapture of Tikonov, the CTF-4L was intended for the growing number of Shadow Lances within the CCAF. BV (1.0) = 1634, BV (2.0) = 2037
• CTF-4X - The 4X is a Federated Suns prototype produced following the capture of Tikonov, but never saw use due to a lukewarm reception. The Large Laser of the 2X is retained, but all of the other weapons are removed in favor of two Autocannon/5s and an LRM-5. In order to fit all of this equipment, the top speed is lowered to 56 km/h. In a strange twist of fate, the copious ammunition bins for the autocannons became popular with the creation of special munitions, making this design much more well-liked than it had been in the past. BV (2.0) = 1216
• CTF-5D - This upgrade of the 3D removes the weapons and is powered by a Light Fusion Engine along with enough improved jump jets to leap up to one hundred and eighty meters. This enables it to bring its Plasma Rifle and Light Autocannon/5 to bear, though a one-ton ammunition bin for the autocannon limits its ability to use special munitions. Two ER Medium Lasers provide backup in case an enemy closes with the Cataphract. The inclusion of a Small Cockpit allows for the armor to be increased to eleven and a half tons worth. BV (2.0) = 1510

Custom Variants

• CTF-2X Cataphract George - Taking a 2X variant Cataphract salvaged after the 7th Crucis Lancers capture of Tikonov to replace his aging Warhammer, in the lead-up to the War of 3039 Fox's Teeth member George Lytton's Lucky Thirteen was outfitted with an experimental NAIS Mk. III ER Large Laser prototype to replace the standard model and corrosive coolant Double Heat Sinks. BV (2.0) = 1,367
• CTF-3X Cataphract Sara - Salvaging her father's 'Mech after his death fighting Clan Jade Falcon on Wotan in 3051, fellow Fox's Teeth member Sara Lytton had Lucky Thirteen fully upgraded prior to the FedCom Civil War. Adopting a modern take on the 2X variant's weapons load-out, the now production grade ER large laser is joined by two ER Mediums in the torso while the SRM-4 is swapped for a ammo-efficient Streak SRM-4 and single ton of reloads, with the standard autocannon replaced with a advanced Rotary AC/5 supplied with three tons of ammo. Mounting Ferro-Fibrous armor allows a ton less to be carried to be devoted to CASE in each torso, while switching all its heat sinks to doubles improves its heat dissipation.
• CTF-5MOC Cataphract Naomi - Magestrix Naomi Centrella's customized variant used during Jihad battles on Sian and later Canopus IV, the 'Mech has been equipped with a Heavy PPC in its right torso and a Plasma Rifle with 2 tons of ammo found its right arm. Also, it has 4 one-shot Ten-Tube Rocket Launchers mounted into both torsos. As secondary weaponry, it has been given a Medium Pulse Laser in its left torso and Extended Range Medium Laser in the right arm. To handle the heat load, the 'Mech has 15 Double heat sinks. Protecting the hull of the wife of the Chancellor, 'Mech is encased with Stealth Armor with it required Guardian ECM Suite. To give it mobility, the customized machine has four Jump Jets mounted into its torsos. BV (2.0) = 2104

Source: BattleTech Wiki

Confirmed in-game variants: [source]

• CTF-1X
• CTF-2X
• CTF-3D
• CTF-4X

[UPDATE] WoT 0.8.2 - changes

There are few rumors circling around that WG will announce tomorrow the next update, 0.8.2.

Here are the some changes to expect:


Tech Tree

• distance between tanks decreased, will now be able to fit on one screen at HD resolution
• link "Back to tech tree" replaced with button with nation's flag
• will now be able to see how much experience/credits needed to unlock/buy next tank

Optimizations

• fixed some conditions in the render that will increase FPS in sniper view, as well as on any map with lots of trees
• improve performance of South Beach and Highway

Aiming

• fixed a bug that affected entering and exiting sniper mode (editor: unclear translation)
• rocking back and forward when hanging on a thin obstacle (railway for example) has been reduced

Gameplay

• account for fallen trees in the visibility scheme (editor: fallen trees will offer cover?)

Penetration/No-penetration

• fixed couple bugs related to round disappearing after penetrating spaced armor

Interface

• destroyed modules will now show an indicator with time left until they are repaired.

Source: http://world-of-kwg.livejournal.com/90900.html

Also thanks to Sturmtiger_304, from EU forums, for most of the translation.


[edit 08/11/2012]

Introducing the Chinese branch of tanks:

• Light tanks: Renault NC-31, Vickers Mk.E Type B/T26, M5, 59-16, WZ131, WZ132
• Medium tanks: Type 97 Chi-Ha, T-34, Type 58, T-34-1, T-34-2, Type 59 (WZ-120), 121
• Heavy tanks: IS-2, 110 (IS-2U), 111 1/2/3, 111 4/5

New tanks in the US tree line:

• Light tanks: T21, T71
• Medium tanks: T69, T54E1
• Heavy Tank: T57

New premium tanks:

• French heavy tank tier8 - FCM 50
• British heavy tank tier6 TOG II
• British tank destroyer tier7 AT-15A

Maps that got a redesign:

• Prokhorovka
• Redshire
• Erlenberg
• Ruinberg

Source: WoT RU portal

HAWKEN - CBT stage 2 patch notes

As I mentioned in a previous post, stage 2 of the Closed BETA testing will soon start (today!).
The servers will open today around 20:00PM GMT and will be closed next week, on the 13th, at 19:59PM (GMT).
If you participated in Closed Beta Event 1, you're all set and do not need to uninstall or download again. The launcher should update the game and you'll be able to join as soon as we're live.

Meteor has released the patch notes for this build:

New Features

• The amount of HAWKEN Points (HP) awarded to players at the end of a match has been doubled. Now your battles will twice as sweet
• Fire ze missiles! The Sahara map now features Missile Assault mode
• Your mech’s armor points are now visible on the HUD while repairing, using turret abilities, or using sabot rifle’s zoom mode. Know when it’s time to flee!
• Leveling up your mech is now on a curve. The amount of Experience Points (XP) required to reach the next level progressively increases
• We now have a Game Chat window in pre-match, the escape menu, and in the post-match screen. Feel free to talk amongst yourselves
• Do you hear that? We’ve added new sound effects for your listening pleasure
• The refresh rate cap has been increased from 60Hz to 120Hz

Bugs Squashed

• HAWKEN Points (HP) are now properly awarded for each match.
• We found and killed the bug that would crash the game at the post-match results screen.
• Key bindings are binding. They no longer reset after patching.
• Audio and video settings are no longer reset after patching.
• Friend requests are no longer sent in duplicates. They heard you the first time.
• The settings screen no longer locks up at the post-match result screen.
• Your newly purchased mech parts are now immediately equipped. You’re good to go.
• The user interface will no longer disappear after ALT-TABbing.
• Changing scale and saturation in the Paint Shop no longer clears your paint job. Paint ‘em up

MWO BattleMech #18 - BlackJack

Today, Piranha announced the 18th BattleMech that will be present in MechWarrior OnLine, the BlackJack.
Link.

concept art

BlackJack is a medium class BattleMech, weighing 45tons. Build by General Motors, it's primary role is a close combat street fighter. Initially designed to carry flamers, the production model was fitted with 2 light autocannons. Entered service in year 2757.



Technical specifications

Mass: 45 tons
Chassis: GM BJ-I
Armor: Durallex Medium
Engine: GM 180
Communications System: Dalban Micronics
Speed: 64.8 km/h
Jump Jets: Whitworth Jetlift
Armament:

• 2 x Autocannon/2s
• 4x  Medium Lasers

BV (1.0): 795
BV (2.0): 949

Note: BV stands for battle value



Variants

• BJ-1DB - The 1DB Blackjack is a variant intended to increase the 'Mech's lethality. The two autocannons have been replaced with two Large Lasers and several heat sinks have been added to the design to handle the extra heat load. BV (1.0) = 881, BV (2.0) = 1015
• BJ-1DC - The 1DC Blackjack sacrifices the 'Mech's jumping ability in order to add two Small Lasers and additional heat sinks to deal with the additional heat load. BV (1.0) = 718, BV (2.0) = 917
• BJ-2 - The BJ-2 upgrade of the Blackjack upgrades the 'Mech with two Diverse Optics Sunbeam ER Large Lasers and four Hovertec Streak SRM-2 launchers. This variant also upgrades the heat sinks to double strength versions. [note, the BJ-2 was errata'd to use double heat sinks by FASA Corporation after its release] BV (1.0) = 858, BV (2.0) = 1148
• BJ-3 - The St. Ives Compact upgraded their Blackjacks to this configuration when they were still a part of the Capellan Confederation, during the Fourth Succession War. The 'Mechs carry two Ceres Arms Smasher PPCs and four Medium Lasers and used double heat sinks to dissipate the extra heat. The majority of the BJ-3 models were turned over to the Federated Suns by the Compact after the Fourth Succession War. BV (1.0) = 1099, BV (2.0) = 1271
• BJ-4 - Many Blackjacks in the Federated Suns were upgraded to this model during the FedCom Civil War. A half-ton of armor is removed, though it is upgraded to Light Ferro-Fibrous, resulting in almost the same amount of armor protection. All the weapons of the BJ-2 were stripped out and a Light Fusion Engine was included to free up additional mass. Each arm mounts a Light Autocannon/5 and an ER Medium Laser. CASE-protected magazines provide enough ammo bins to allow the BJ-4 to make use of special munitions. A Targeting Computer makes all the weapons more accurate. BV (1.0) = ??, BV (2.0) = 1,063

Source for data: BattleTech Wiki

WoT 0.8.2 - Chinese tank invasion

HAWKEN - Closed BETA stage 2 is a go

Meteor Entertainment announced today the 2nd stage of the closed BETA testing for HAWKEN.
This stage will be held from 8th to 13th this month. All previous testers, alpha and stage 1 CBT, are automatically enlisted for stage 2.

Meteor will grant a new set of keys for those who are not already enlisted. Follow FaceBook, Twitter, Google+, Raptr and Reddit for news about the BETA and key giveaways.

Also Meteor is announcing the possibility to buy pre-sale bundle packages, they will be called Vanguard Initiative.
The packages will be priced at 5$, 15$, 30$ and 60$ and will be available in the pilots's hangars on the Open BETA date, December 12.

Binding your WoT account to your personal phone

It's finally here!

This feature was available to the RU players for quite a while now, when the PlaySpan database hack, I personally inquired about this feature to be implemented, this was about 3 weeks ago.

By linking your game account to a mobile phone, you will always be able to regain access to your account should there be a problem. If you have activated this feature, you can change your password to a new one, by requesting a verification code to your mobile phone, thereby saving account safe from scammers.

When you bind your account to your mobile phone, the number will only be used to send you a SMS with the codes. We will never use your phone number to send spam, either from ourselves or any third party companies.
Activating the feature to bind your account to a mobile phone does not require spending any money – it is a completely free service.

If you are interested in extra protection for your WoT account (EU server) follow these steps - from the WoT EU portal.


Linking your account to your phone gives you the following:

• A higher level of security for your account, absolutely free
• The ability to quickly regain control of your account should your password or email be compromised by a virus or keylogger
• Mobile confirmation for important account security actions (such as password changes), or purchases made through WoT EU portal

Source

So .. MechWarrior OnLine launched

Yes, I said launch; although Piranga and IGP will claim 'Open BETA' there are 2 facts that support the actual release of the game:

1. there will be no more database wipes
2. IGP/PGI are accepting cash payments for MC purchases

The MWO 'open beta' launch was the most idiotic and rushed I ever saw a game company do, ever.
If the game tanks after few months I won't cry over it one bit, I have spent no $ and I will not spend money ever again on a BETA product after WoT and BF3.

The community raised the MM issue for a very very long time as the games was in CBT and Piranha did nothing, well they did laid out a plan on how MM would look like but actually implementing it in the game ... nope.

Before the launch and whatnot I had the impression that they will also patch the game to correct the overgrown repair bills and the junk that still is the Mech Lab - the patch on the 29th was non-existent. Maybe the patch that is planned for today will solve some of the issues, hopefully.

Will MWO hit rock bottom, or it will survive? either way, I blame the founders who let Piranha run wild and do things to the franchise none did before them.
The founders, instead of voicing concerns and push Piranha into addressing them, they praised the game and give them a free hand.

Piranha also bluntly lied to their community and to their potential customers that the game would not offer premium (for $) tactical advantage, the YEN-LO-WANG does exactly that - pay2win, you bet your ass.
To make matter worse, they removed the chassis of the similar mech from the game, claiming it was nothing more that an test bed for the premium mech - this is a lot like WarGaming did with the PZ4, took it out of the game and made it a premium tank.

I advise you to not spend cash on the game unless you feel that your purchase is warranted.

Even with it's faults I will still try and play MWO, I desperately need a distraction from WoT.

MechWarrior OnLine goes OPEN BETA [edit]

Good news everyone!
Piranha Games announces that MWO OPEN BETA will start 29th of October, around 19:00PM GMT.

Piranha Games president, Russ Bullock, had this to say:

I would like to address this to the core community of MechWarrior Online. You guys are absolutely the most loyal community in all of gaming, intense! But far and away the most loyal. To explain what I mean by loyal let me start out with a huge thanks to all of our Founders. The program was quite obviously a huge success, in fact at 5.2 Million it has set a new high bar for these types of programs. That is a huge statement to just how amazing the MechWarrior franchise and it’s unique and exciting play mechanics are, and now a whole new generation of gamers are about to learn that. These founders have made it possible for us to make the game better and to make better choices these past 4 months, with each of those choices leading to a better overall product.

Head here for a complete statement.

What does it all mean for existing CLOSED BETA testers.
Open Beta is the final reset. Once it happens, won't be any other reset ever again. They will be resetting C-Bills, MC, XP, GXP, mechs, and inventory. The only thing you get to keep is the friends list. However, if you have a Founders pack, everything will be added from that pack. Also anything you’ve purchased (with MC) will be added back.
Piranha will also add a founder's premium account button. What this does, the premium account swill be reset once OPEN BETA hits; the button, once pressed will start the clock on the premium account. It is a once time deal, once started it can't be reversed, so use it wisely.


[following part was added oct 28th]

What to expect on Monday the 29th:


Servers will go down between  4-5PM GMT and will come back up between 7-8PM GMT.


A New Website

• A complete overhaul of the existing website is coming
• New Forum Structure
• Beta Forums will be closed. Content will be saved
• New players will gain immediate access to the game
• New content such as the training grounds and BattleMech details

All BETA Players

• Your stats will be reset to 0
• All of your items and BattleMechs will be removed from your inventory
• All Mech XP and GXP will be removed
• All Mech and Pilot Trees will be reset
• All C-Bills will be reset to 0
• All premium time will be reset to 0

For the Founder Player

• Premium Time restored to full
• MC restored to full
• 1-4 BattleMechs injected
• 1-4 MechBays injected

NOTE: Premium Time will be ticking down again. You will receive one final reset in the near future to restore your premium time to full. When this happens, a time inject button will be made available. This button will allow you to chose when your Founder's Premium Time begins. More details to follow in the coming weeks.


For the BETA Player who purchased MC (mwomers.com/buy)

• For each MC transaction made, your MC will be reset to full

Example: If you purchased 1250 MC for $6.95 and 3000 MC for $14.95, you will receive 4250 MC after the reset.
NOTE: All purchases made with MC (Premium Time, MechBays, and BattleMechs) will be removed.
SPECIAL NOTE: For players who purchased the $9.95 MC Package, you will receive MC appropriate to that level (which is more than originally injected). The $9.95 package has been replaced by a $6.95 package.


A Small Economy Tweak and Other Fixes

• On Monday, there will be a tweak to address some of the repair bill issues
• Double Heat Sinks will be fixed between the 29th and November 6th. Details forthcoming
• A tweak to MechLab UI is coming ASAP to address concerns over the Loadout/Upgrade tab. This tweak will allow you to fully spec your BattleMech before committing to a purchase/change

MWO after yesterday's patch

After the utter failure of delaying this patch 3 days, Piranha finally deployed it - one step closer to the OPEN BETA.

With this patch, they wiped out the mech bays and returned the founder's mechs, the XP gained from 18th of September and 75% of the C-Bills earned since same day. It's good, I actually had the chance to by my 1st Atlas and have a go with it. I like how it plays, you actually feel like a fucking killing machine and not the meat in the grinder.

The ugly part of this patch .. they went nuts and did something people are hating them for.
1st of all, they split the Mech Lab into 4 sub-sections:

• Loadout - you customize your mech's weapon loadout

• Modules - you purchase and equip extra command modules that give speciffic bonuses or abilities

• Upgrades - you upgrade your mech's internal structure, armor and heat sinks

• Visual customization - change paint scheme, buy cockpit decorations

I don't see the problem you may ask, the problem is that every time you switch from one section to another, you have to save the config, thus paying C-Bills. The problem is that you're unable to see how all fits with Endo-Steel, Ferro Fibrous Armor and Double HeatSinks versus a standard config - you have to waste C-Bills. I'm not happy about this and others aren't also.
One other thing ... you have to pay again when switching from an upgrade to a standard structure vs Endo-Steel (for example) you think you already own it, the fact is you don't!


They've put out for sale their 1st premium mech, the YEN-LO-WANG hero mech

based on a customized Centurion chassis, and offers a 30% C-Bill income boost.

The ugly thing about this is they broke a promise of theirs, they said they won't offer exclusive premium content (namely weapons and mechs).
Although this mech is not better than his chassis brothers (there are some reports saying this mech have some special abbilites that the standard chassis versions do not have), it's the 1st drop towards pay-to-win content. I'm not happy about this one bit!
And there's the cost of it, 30USD, doesn't even come with it's own bay slot(!). Man, I pay less for my monthly internet bill (and includes fiber link 100Mbps internet connection, cable TV and phone services).

What were they thinking!?

MMOBOMB.com giving away HAWKEN BETA keys

As it was announce earlier this week, HAWKEN closed BETA will start soon.
Interested in having a peek at the gameplay for yourself? go to MMOBOMB.com and grab your key.

At the time of posting: 3068 KEYS LEFT!