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Upcoming Patch - Tuesday, May 16th @ 10AM – 1PM PDT
Patch Number: 1.4.115
Standalone Client Patch Size: ~213 MB
Steam Client Patch Size: ~400 MB
Please note that due to compression differences the Steam patch size may be larger than the standalone client patch size.
Quick Links
• Glossary• Refund & Progress Transfer Ledger• Skill Tree Economy• Skills• Navigating the Skill Tree
• Trial 'Mechs and the New Skill Tree
• Equipment & Weapon Changes• 'Mech Mobility/Engine Desync• Quirks
• Balance under the New Skill Tree
Greetings MechWarriors,
The Javelin has arrived, and is now en-route to the MechBays of eligible MechWarriors. Built around a blend of mobility and firepower, the Javelin was originally designed as a mobile scout with enough firepower to deter or punish pursuit. Over its 300 years of active service within the military's of the Inner Sphere, the Javelin has gained a reputation as a premier ambush and strike 'Mech.
After a number of iterations, delays, and Public Test Sessions, the all-new Skill Tree is finally arriving in this patch, offering pilots greater control over how their 'Mechs are optimized according to their Loadout and desired role. The Skill Tree section of these Patch Notes is quite extensive, so we'll save you a bit of reading in the intro here. Check out the associated section for all the details!
A number of gameplay-related tweaks are also featured in this patch, such as the decoupling of agility-related stats from your equipped Engine size (otherwise known as 'engine desync'). With the release of engine desync in this patch, 'Mech agility stats are now determined by the overall tonnage of the chassis itself, not the size of its equipped Engine. It is important to note however that the Speed of your 'Mech will not be impacted by this; speed remains tied with Engine size. For full details on this change and its impacts, check out the associated sub-section of these notes.
In addition to the usual 'Mech-related Decals, seven of the original Clans are also receiving emblem and word Decals in this patch. We'd like to thank all Clan pilots for their patience waiting for these long-requested Decals. We'd also like to note that Decals for the five remaining Clans active in the current timeline are already complete and will be released this June, along with the missing word Decal for Clan Star Adder.
As part of the Skill Tree release, the Cadet Bonus 25 Achievement will now provide the player with 48,000 GXP in addition to the existing reward for that Achievement of 200,000 C-Bills. This GXP reward has also been retroactively provided to all players who have already achieved Cadet Bonus 25 at the time of this patch.
Rounding out the patch we have the MC release of all Clan Wave 1 Hero 'Mechs, missile weapon retrofits for the Quickdraw and Victor 'Mechs to provide them with accurate weapon visuals according to Loadout, and a small number of general fixes and changes.
We would also like to alert everyone that the downtime required during this patch window will be longer than normal to perform some necessary database work as part of the player account transfer process into the new Skill Tree. We are expecting this patch downtime to last ~3 hours in total.
Read on for all the details of the May patch, and we'll see you on the battlefield!
- The MechWarrior Team
Welcome to the all-new Skill Tree, MechWarriors!
The Skill Tree marks a major shift from the previous Skill system. At its core, the current Tree you'll see in this patch essentially aims to address two fundamental goals:
• Provide greater depth and control to the player over the customization and specialization of their 'Mechs
• Address the heavy 'progression walls' seen under the previous Skill system by removing the Rule-of-3 variant leveling system and integrating Modules directly into the Skill Tree
The primary purpose of the Skill Tree feature is to enable a level of customization for 'Mech capabilities not available under the previous system, with a heavy focus toward 'Mech specialization. We additionally wish to move away from the previous Module-based system.
We have paid great mind to the cost-benefit ratio of the more heavily-desired Skills, and have attempted to balance the Skill Tree accordingly. At the heart of supporting the above point is the way the Tree Nodes are structured, arranged in a non-linear arrangement. This structure forces players to make real and impactful choices about how they approach the Skill composition of their 'Mech. We are taking this approach to help mitigate a 'min-max' approach; high-value Skill Nodes will require a serious commitment.
The Nodes within the Skill Tree have been arranged and balanced around the overall number of Nodes it takes to maximize any given Skill type. As an example we'll take a look at the Weapon Cooldown and Weapon Heat Gen Skill nodes within the Firepower Tree.
While containing different Node counts, and wide distribution throughout the Tree, the Cooldown and Heat Gen Skill types require around 28 Nodes of investment to maximize any one of those two Skills. To achieve this you need to sacrifice 30% of your total Active Skill Point allotment for a 'Mech.
Due to the non-linear arrangement of the Tree, subsequent investments in other Nodes becomes much more cost efficient. While maxing either Cooldown or Heat Gen requires an investment of around 28 Nodes, proceeding to max both of those Skill types only requires 11 additional Nodes. This works toward our goal of a greater degree of give and take within the Skill system through specialization.
Beyond the 3-variant system required for Mastery under the previous Skill system, the previous system required a heavy amount of grind for very little gain to the average player. Unlocking Speed Tweak or achieving full Mastery could see an average player spend large amounts of time in-game for very little substantial gain. The new system aims to make the leveling process much more rewarding for the average player by having Skill advancement and 'Mech 'leveling' come at a much steadier rate, with more noticeable steps along the way, providing a greater sense of accomplishment and progress.
Beyond these primary goals, the fundamental changes to 'Mech potential facilitated by the new Skill Tree will inevitably introduce new challenges and balance questions. We've taken care to address a few balance components in this patch, but as with inherent 'Mech Quirks the state of balance under the new Skill Tree will be an ongoing process of iterative improvements.
We want to assure everyone that balance remains a core focus of the design team, and we will be working heavily to monitor and improve it after the release of the Skill Tree in May, the release of new tech in July, and on into the future.
We want to assure everyone that balance remains a core focus of the design team, and we will be working heavily to monitor and improve it after the release of the Skill Tree in May, the release of new tech in July, and on into the future.
Before we run through all the details of the new Skill Tree there are some key terms that need defining to better explain how the Skill Tree works.
Skill Tree
Technically refers to the Skill system as a whole. In casual usage this will also likely be used when referring to Skill Classes, such as "the Firepower Skill Tree".
Skill Class
Classes of Skill Nodes encompassing a specific set of Skills.
• For example: The Firepower Skill Class contains weapon-based Skill Nodes.
Skill Node
A single Node within a Skill Class. Most Skill Nodes are part of a set; you'll need to acquire the full set to receive the full Skill benefit for the equipment or ability the Node relates to.
• For example: The Range 1 Skill Node within the Firepower Skill Class. There are ten Range Skill Nodes in total, all within the Firepower Skill Class.
Locked Skill Node
A single Node within a Skill Tree that you have not yet acquired.
All Skill Nodes start as locked by default, and must be unlocked/acquired by purchasing the Node with a Skill Point.
Locked Nodes possess an orange lock icon.
Once a Skill Node is acquired it is immediately made Active.
• For example: The player has not yet acquired the Laser Duration 1 Skill Node within the Firepower class.
Active (Equipped) and Inactive (Unequipped) Skill Nodes
When a Skill Node is Active its benefit is being applied to the 'Mech.
When a Skill Node is Inactive its benefit is not being applied to the 'Mech.
Active Nodes are visually highlighted; Inactive Nodes are not.
De-activating a Skill Node has no cost associated with it.
Re-activating a Skill Node requires 400 XP. You do not need to spend another Skill Point to re-activate a Skill Node you previously acquired.
• For example: The player has acquired the Range 1 Skill Node. That Node is currently Active. The player has previously acquired the Range 3 Skill Node, but that Node is currently Inactive.
SP (Skill Points) 
Purchased per-'Mech using a combination of C-Bills and XP, Skill Points are used for purchasing Skill Nodes. Once a Skill Node has been purchased it is considered 'owned', and can be de-activated or re-activated later at any point without needing to acquire a new Skill Point.
• Purchasing 1 Skill Node requires 1 Skill Point.
• All 'Mechs possess a maximum of 91 active Skill Points.
• Skill Points are only required for the initial purchase of a Node.
GSP (General Skill Points) 
A general form of Skill Points. General Skill Points work much the same as regular Skill Points, but they are not locked to any specific variant. You can use General Skill Points to purchase Skill Nodes for any 'Mech you wish. General Skill Points can not be purchased; they are currently only received as part of the refund/transfer process from the old Skill Tree.
HSP (Historic Skill Points) 
Historic Skill Points carried over from your account prior to the release of the new Skill Tree. Historic Skill Points are a 'transition' currency to account for Skill Statuses from the old Skill Tree. Put simply, the Skill status of a 'Mech under the previous system is converted into an associated number of Historic Skill Points (HSP). You can then assign any amount of HSP to a specific variant or its duplicates for use in the Skill Tree.
XP ('Mech XP) 
A 'Mech-specific experience type.
• 'Mech XP can only be used toward the purchase of Skill Points for the specific 'Mech on which that 'Mech XP is present.
GXP (General XP) 
A general experience type.
• GXP can be used toward the purchase of Skill Points for any 'Mech.
HXP (Historic XP) 
Historic XP carried over from your account prior to the release of the new Skill Tree.
• 'Mech XP from the previous Skill Tree (whether spent or unspent) will be returned to the associated variants as a shared HXP pool.
• GXP spent on 'Mech Skills from the previous Skill Tree will be returned to the associated variants as a shared HXP pool.
• HXP must be converted into 'Mech XP before it can be used for Skill Unlocks. There is no cost associated with converting HXP into 'Mech XP.
• You can find a more complete rundown on HXP and how it relates to the new Skill Tree in the Navigating the new Skill Tree section of this post.
Respec
Performing a respec refers to the act of un-equipping one or more Skill Node on a chosen 'Mech for the purpose of 'respecing' it with new Skills.
The Refund Ledger outlines all pertinent details of the transition and refund of your 'Mech and Pilot Skills, experience, 'Mech Modules, and Consumables. We've taken great care to ensure that none of your Skill progress is lost and that your existing Module inventory has been accounted for.
You can also view your Refund Ledger data from your website profile! Access it through your standard Profile page here: https://mwomercs.com/profile, then click the 'View Skill Tree Refund Ledger' text.
In this section we'll run through each component of the Refund Ledger using an example account.
The Refund Ledger data for your account will reflect your account status and inventory as it appeared on May 16th at approximately 10 AM PST.
Upon your initial login after this patch you will be presented with your Refund Ledger.
You can click the circular information icon in the top left of the Ledger for summaries of each Ledger component, as seen in the image below.
Once closed the Refund Ledger can be accessed through the 'View Ledger' button within the 'Mech Enhancements window of your Skill Tree screen.
Each section of the Refund Ledger is expanded by default, and you can collapse and expand sections by clicking the associated header. Each section provides full itemized details for the associated refund components.
Modules purchased after December 3rd 2016 - the date of the original Skill Tree announcement at Mech_Con - are being refunded in the form of C-Bills.
Modules purchased prior to December 3rd 2016 are being refunded in the form of General Skill Points (GSP), which can be consumed to unlock Skill Nodes for any 'Mech you wish.
Let's run through each of the entries you may see in your Refund Ledger, depending on your account. Note that some entries may not be populated in your Ledger if your account inventory doesn't apply to the items being addressed. For example, if you have no MC Consumables in your Inventory.
REFUND FROM CONSUMABLES (CB)
This is the total refund in C-Bills you are receiving for all of the Owned C-Bill Consumables present in your Inventory as of May 16th 2017. Due to changes we've made to Consumables in this new Skill Tree any Consumables in your Inventory have been removed and their purchase values have been refunded in full.
This is a 1:1 refund of the original C-Bill purchase value for all your Owned C-Bill Consumables! If applicable you'll also receive purchase value C-Bill 'refunds' for any Owned C-Bill Consumables you acquired without purchase, such as through special events.
REFUND FROM CONSUMABLES (MC)
This is the total refund in MC you are receiving for all of the Owned MC Consumables present in your Inventory as of May 16th 2017. Due to changes we've made to Consumables in this new Skill Tree any Consumables in your Inventory have been removed and their purchase values have been refunded in full.
This is a 1:1 refund of the original MC purchase value for all your Owned MC Consumables! If applicable you'll also receive purchase value MC 'refunds' for any Owned MC Consumables you acquired without purchase, such as through special events.
REFUND FROM MODULES (GSP)
This is the total refund in General Skill Points (GSP) you are receiving for all of the Owned (Non-Consumable) Modules in your Inventory as of May 16th 2017 (if they were acquired prior to December 3rd 2016). Modules acquired after that date are being refunded to you in full in the form of C-Bills.
The amount of GSP you receive for your Owned Modules is determined by the Total Purchase Value of all your Owned Modules divided by 45,000 (the C-Bill cost of a Skill Point). For example, a total Purchase Value for all your Owned Modules of 50,000,000 C-Bills would result in you receiving 1,112 General Skill Points (the final value is rounded to to the nearest decimal).
These General Skill Points can be consumed to unlock Skill Nodes for any 'Mech you wish without needing to spend the usual 45,000 C-Bill and 800 XP cost associated with purchasing a standard Skill Point directly.
As a result, the Module > GSP refund process provides you with a great deal of free XP integrated into the GSP conversion. In the above example, 889,600 free XP has essentially been provided to the player in the form of their 1,112 GSP.
Any eligible LTD Modules acquired as a bonus item from a Clan Wave 1 purchase made before December 3rd are being refunded in the form of GSP. For example, a single LTD Radar Deprivation Module (with an assigned value of 8,000,000 C-Bills) converts to 177.8 GSP.
REFUND FROM MODULES (CB)
This is the total refund in C-Bills you are receiving for all of the Owned (Non-Consumable) Modules in your Inventory as of May 16th 2017 (if they were acquired after December 3rd 2016).
These Modules are being refunded as C-Bills due to our original intent to provide full C-Bill refunds for all Owned Modules. We understand some players made Module purchasing decisions based on that original statement, so all purchases made after that statement are being refunded as C-Bills.
This is a 1:1 refund of the original C-Bill purchase value of your Owned Modules acquired after December 3rd 2016! If applicable you'll also receive purchase value C-Bill 'refunds' for any Owned Modules you acquired without purchase, such as through special events.
Any eligible LTD Modules acquired as a bonus item from a Clan Wave 1 purchase made after December 3rd are being refunded in the form of C-Bills, at the purchase value of their standard counterpart plus an additional 2,000,000 C-Bills in value.
REFUND FROM PILOT NODES
This is the total refund in GXP you are receiving for all Pilot Nodes you unlocked with GXP under the previous Skill system.
This is a 1:1 refund of all your GXP previously spent for unlocking Pilot Nodes!
Any unspent GXP on your account remains as unspent GXP.
'MECH MASTERY BREAKDOWN
This is the transfer of Skill Progress from all of your 'Mechs under the previous Skill system. The 'Overall Progress' column in your Refund Ledger refers to the total number of Skills you had unlocked for a listed 'Mech.
Put simply, the Skill status of a 'Mech under the previous system is converted into an associated number of Historical Skill Points (HSP). You can then assign any amount of HSP to a specific variant or its duplicates for use in the Skill Tree.
Each Skill from the previous system is converted into a specific HSP value. For example, Cool Run (Basic) equates to 1 HSP, while Fast Fire (Elite) equates to 10 HSP.
|
Basic |
Original XP Cost |
Skill Point Refund |
|
Cool Run |
750 |
1 |
|
Kinetic Burst |
1000 |
2 |
|
Twist X |
2500 |
4 |
|
Heat Containment |
1000 |
2 |
|
Hard Brake |
1500 |
2 |
|
Twist Speed |
2500 |
4 |
|
Arm Reflex |
1500 |
2 |
|
Anchor Turn |
3500 |
6 |
|
Total Basic |
14,250 |
23 |
|
Elite |
Original XP Cost |
Skill Point Refund |
|
Quick Ignition |
4000 |
6 |
|
Fast Fire |
6000 |
10 |
|
Pinpoint |
3000 |
5 |
|
Speed Tweak |
8500 |
13 |
|
Total Elite |
21,500 |
34 |
|
Master |
Original XP Cost |
Skill Point Refund |
|
Module Slot |
21,500 |
34 |
|
Grand Total |
57,250 |
91 |
The HSP value is determined according to the XP investment required to unlock the Skill under the previous system; for every 630 XP you spent to acquire a Skill under the previous system you'll receive 1 SP (rounded up).
Full Basic status equates to 23 HSP.
Full Elite status equates to an additional 34 HSP.
Full Master status equates to an additional 34 HSP. A fully Mastered 'Mech therefore receives a base amount of 91 HSP in return. Those 91 points can then be used to acquire full 'Master' status under the new Skill system without needing to spend any C-Bills or XP to unlock the Skill Nodes.
Additionally, the amount of HSP received from the Skill status of a 'Mech under the previous Skill system is multiplied by the number of duplicate variants you own of that 'Mech.
For example: A player owns three CDA-2A 'Mechs, and had achieved full Elite status for the CDA-2A chassis under the previous Skill system. As part of their transition and refund process they would thus receive a total of 171 HSP for use with their CDA-2A 'Mechs (57 HSP * 3 variants).
To purchase a Skill Node you'll first need to acquire a Skill Point using a combination of C-Bills and XP. If you have any 'legacy' SP from your Refund Ledger, in the form of GSP or HSP, you can use those instead of spending any C-Bills or XP.
To purchase Skill Points for your current 'Mech click the "Add SP" button located inside the 'Mech Enhancements window.
1 Skill Node = 1 Skill Point
1 Skill Point = 45,000 C-Bills and 800 XP (of any single type)
Deactivating a Skill Node = No cost
Reactivating a Skill Node = 400 XP
Purchasing a full 'Mastered' complement of 91 Skill Nodes would cost 4,095,000 C-Bills and 72,800 XP.
Purchasing all 237 Skill Nodes for a 'Mech would cost 10,665,000 C-Bills and 189,600 XP. However, keep in mind that only 91 Skill Nodes can be Active at once.
When a Skill Node is purchased with a Skill Point it is immediately Unlocked and Activated, and is considered owned. Once owned you can deactivate and reactivate Skill Nodes at your discretion. There is no cost associated with deactivating a Skill Node. Reactivating a Skill Node requires 400 XP.
Once you have activated 91 Skill Nodes your 'Mech is considered Mastered, and no additional Skill Nodes can be activated. You can however continue to purchase additional Skill Nodes, deactivating existing Nodes to respec your 'Mech.
While only 91 Skill Nodes can be active at one time, you can purchase all 237 available Skill Nodes in the Skill Tree.
Clicking the 'Add SP' button located in the 'Mech Enhancements window will bring you to the associated Skill Point purchase windows.
If you possess any amount of GSP or HSP as a result of your account refund and transfer you will first be prompted to choose whether you wish to draw from that pool of available GSP or HSP, or whether you wish to purchase a Skill Point outright using C-Bills and XP.
If you do not possess any GSP or HSP you will be taken straight to the standard Skill Point Purchase window shown in an image further below.
In the example directly below the player is looking to allocate or purchase Skill Points for one of their Warhammer WHM-BW Black Widow 'Mechs.
They have a total of 14,378 GSP from their Module refund, along with 273 HSP available to all WHM-BW variants as a result of their Master Skill status under the original Skill system.
Using GSP or HSP will require that you transfer those Skill Points to your specific 'Mech variant for use in its Skill Tree. Once GSP or HSP has been transferred from the pool to a specific 'Mech it cannot be reverted.
In the example image below the player is looking to transfer a total of 91 Skill Points from their pool of WHM-BW HSP to one of their three WHM-BW variants. While all eligible Nodes can be purchased, only 91 Skill Nodes can be Active at once. This player is intending to acquire 28 Nodes in this session, as indicated by the Current SP Requirement area of the window.
In this example the player is only using some of the HSP available with their WHM-BW chassis for this transfer, choosing to reserve the more versatile GSP pool for other 'Mechs.
If the player has no GSP or HSP from which to draw they will instead be taken straight to the standard Skill Point purchase window after clicking the 'Add SP' button inside the 'Mech Enhancements window. From here the player will determine how many Skill Points they wish to acquire using their current pool of 'Mech XP, GXP, and if applicable, HXP.
You can increment the number of Skill Points per-XP type by using the plus and minus icons, or by dragging the slider itself. Doing so will increment the amount of XP spent by 800 for each Skill Point. The amount of C-Bills required will update automatically according to the number of Skill Points you're purchasing.
In the example below the same player is instead looking to use a combination of HXP and GXP to acquire 91 SP for this WHM-BW variant. Note however that they still only have 28 Nodes currently selected for purchase; this player is intending to use the rest of their SP later.
Once a Skill Node has been purchased it is considered owned, and is immediately made Active. Once purchased, Nodes can be deactivated and reactivated at any time.
Deactivating 1 Skill Node = No cost
Reactivating 1 Skill Node = 400 XP
There are two methods by which you can deactivate your Skill Nodes: you can reset your entire Skill Tree and deactivate all Active Nodes en-masse, or you can deactivate individual Nodes.
Full Respec
• You can perform a full Respec through the associated button inside the 'Mech Enhancements window.
• Performing a full Respec on a 'Mech will deactivate all Active Skill Nodes. To commit your changes you'll then hit the Apply Changes button.
• There is no cost associated with deactivating Skill Nodes through a Full Respec.
Individual Node Respec
• Instead of performing a full Respec for your whole Skill Tree you can deactivate individual Skill Nodes by clicking an Active Node you wish to deactivate. To commit your changes you'll then hit the Apply Changes button.
• There is no cost associated with deactivating individual Skill Nodes.
While the layout and content of Skill Trees are identical between Clan and Inner Sphere 'Mechs (and between weight classes), there are minor differences in the values used for certain Skill Nodes.
In the following section we'll run through all of the available Skill Tree types.
Please note that the 'Mech used for the purposes of demonstration in the images below is the Warhammer, an Inner Sphere Heavy 'Mech.
As mentioned above, the physical layout and core content of all Skill Trees are identical between Clan and Inner Sphere 'Mechs and between weight classes.
Any differences in Skill Node values will be displayed in a table below each section when applicable.
The Firepower>Weapons Tree contains all weapon-specific and universal weapon Skills. The Skills in this Tree will unlock the maximum potential of your firepower capabilities.
Universal Skill types
Cooldown
Increases the cooldown efficiency of all weaponry.
Heat Gen
Decreases the amount of heat generated by all weaponry.
Range
Increases the range of all weaponry.
Velocity
Increases the velocity of ballistic projectiles, missiles, and PPC fire.
Weapon-specific Skill types
Laser Duration
Decreases the duration of time required before a laser deals its full amount of damage.
High Explosive
Increases the amount of critical damage dealt if a Missile causes a critical hit.
Missile Rack
Provides extra Missile ammo per ton.
Missile Spread
Reduces Missile spread.
Gauss Charge
Increases the amount of time your Gauss can maintain a full charge.
LBX Spread
Reduces the spread of LBX projectiles.
UAC Jam Chance
Reduces the chance of an Ultra AutoCannon jam.
Magazine Capacity
Provides extra ballistic ammo per ton.
|
Universal Nodes + Laser Duration | ||
|
RANGE |
Single Node Value |
Total Node Value |
|
Inner Sphere |
|
|
|
Energy Range |
1% |
15.0% |
|
Ballistic Range |
1% |
15.0% |
|
Missile Range |
1% |
15.0% |
|
Clan |
|
|
|
Energy Range |
1% |
15.0% |
|
Ballistic Range |
1% |
15.0% |
|
Missile Range |
1% |
15.0% |
|
COOLDOWN |
|
|
|
Inner Sphere |
-0.75% |
-12% |
|
Clan |
-0.60% |
-9.6% |
|
VELOCITY |
|
|
|
Inner Sphere |
|
|
|
PPC Velocity |
2% |
10% |
|
Ballistic Velocity |
2% |
10% |
|
Missile Velocity |
2% |
10% |
|
Clan |
|
|
|
PPC Velocity |
2% |
10% |
|
Ballistic Velocity |
2% |
10% |
|
Missile Velocity |
2% |
10% |
|
HEAT GEN |
|
|
|
Inner Sphere |
-0.75% |
-10.5% |
|
Clan |
-0.75% |
-10.5% |
|
LASER DURATION |
|
|
|
Inner Sphere |
-3.75% |
-15% |
|
Clan |
-2.50% |
-10% |
|
IS Ballistics |
Magazine Capacity (per Node) |
Clan Ballistics |
Magazine Capacity (per Node) |
|
AC2 |
+8 |
C-AC2 |
+8 |
|
AC5 |
+3 |
C-AC5 |
+6 |
|
AC10 |
+2 |
C-AC10 |
+6 |
|
AC20 |
+1 |
C-AC20 |
+4 |
|
LB10X |
+2 |
C-LB10X |
+2 |
|
UAC5 |
+3 |
C-UAC5 |
+6 |
|
Gauss |
+1 |
C-Gauss |
+1 |
|
Total Values |
20 t |
25 t |
... |
95 t |
100 t |
|
Skeletal Density |
41% |
40% |
... |
26% |
25% |
|
Armor Hardening |
26% |
25% |
... |
11% |
10% |
|
Per Node Values |
20 t |
25 t |
... |
95 t |
100 t |
|
Skeletal Density |
4.1% |
4.0% |
... |
2.6% |
2.5% |
|
Armor Hardening |
2.6% |
2.5% |
... |
1.1% |
1.0% |
Weight Class Difference Tables (Torso Speed)
|
Torso Speed (per Node) |
Light |
Medium |
Heavy |
Assault |
|
IS and Clan |
+5% |
+4% |
+3.5% |
+3.5% |
Unlocking Skills in the Jump Jets>Jump Capabilities Tree will help ensure your 'Mech can utilize the full potential of its equipped Jump Jets.
Heat Shielding
Reduces the amount of heat generated while Jump Jetting.
Vent Calibration
Increases the burn time of your Jump Jets.
Vectoring
Increases the forward thrust provided by your Jump Jets.
Lift Speed
Increases the amount of initial boost provided by your Jump Jets.
Unlocking Skills in the Operations Tree will help ensure the fundamental systems of your 'Mech are running at their full potential.
Quick Ignition
Speeds up the start-up and shut-down sequences.
Improved Gyros
Reduces the amount of screen shake when hit by enemy fire.
Speed Retention
Retains 'Mech speed after being legged (capped at 50 km/h).
Heat Containment
Increases the maximum heat threshold before your 'Mech shuts down.
Hill Climb
Reduces the rate of deceleration when navigating slopes.
Cool Run
Increases your heat dissipation efficiency.
Unlocking Skills in the Sensors Tree will help ensure the various sensor systems of your 'Mech are running at their full potential.
Target Info Gathering
Decreases the duration of time required for gathering detailed target information from an enemy 'Mech.
Sensor Range
Boosts the range of your sensors.
Target Decay
Increases the duration of time a 'Mech can be tracked after it leaves line of sight.
Target Retention
Allows retention of target information when the enemy moves behind your 'Mech.
Advanced Zoom
Enables the use of a picture-in-picture long range zoom.
Seismic Sensor
Enables the detection and identification of enemy 'Mechs via ground vibrations. Your 'Mech must be stationary for this to function.
Radar Deprivation
Reduces the duration of time you remain targeted after breaking line of sight against the enemy.
Enhanced ECM
Decreases the maximum range at which a friendly 'Mech being protected by your ECM can be targeted.
Unlocking Skills in the Auxiliary>Misc Tree will help to maximize the efficiency of your equipped Consumables and increase the number of Consumables your 'Mech can equip.
As of this patch, all 'Mechs now only possess a single inherent Consumable Slot. Additional Slots - up to five in total - can be unlocked by investing into the Auxiliary Tree.
Under the new Skill Tree all C-Bill and MC Consumables of the same type are now evenly matched in their fundamental capabilities. A C-Bill UAV and an MC UAV will both possess identical Range and identical Duration, for example. Both will of course benefit from unlocking UAV Skill Nodes, as will all other Consumables benefit from their own associated Skill Nodes.
Consumable Slot
Adds an extra Consumable Slot to your 'Mech.
UAV Duration
Increases the duration of your UAV.
UAV Range
Increases the detection range of your UAV.
Extra UAV
Enables you to bring an additional UAV into the fight (consumes its own slot).
Advanced Salvos
Increases the duration of Air and Artillery Strikes.
Expanded Reserves
Enables you to bring an additional Strike into the fight (consumes its own slot).
Enhanced Spotting
Increases the accuracy of Air and Artillery Strikes by 20%.
Capture Assist
Increases the rate at which you capture objectives.
Enhanced Coolshot
Increases the cooling efficiency of Cool Shot by 25%.
Coolant Reserves
Enables you to bring an additional Cool Shot into the fight (consumes its own slot).
Coolshot Cooldown
Reduces the cooldown duration before another Cool Shot can be used.
Enhanced NARC
Increases the velocity of a NARC projectile and its duration of effect.
Skill Trees are now accessed per-'Mech within MechLab itself. The previous Skills button in the top toolbar has been removed.
Upon entering MechLab and clicking the Skills button from the list of MechLab options on the left of your screen you will be taken to the Skill Tree for your currently selected 'Mech.
In the image below you can see an example of this, with some of the elements of the Skill Tree interface highlighted and defined.
How to Navigate the Skill Tree:
• Click and Drag: Move your view of the Skill Tree
• Mouse Wheel Up/Down: Adjust your zoom level
The 'Mech Enhancements window contains everything you need for tracking your currently-applied Skills, your total number of unlocked Skills, your current experience values, and any pending purchase details within the Skill Tree.
Purchasing Skill Points, performing a full Skill Respec, converting 'Mech XP, and transferring any available HXP are also conducted through buttons located in the 'Mech Enhancements window.
In the example below, the player has already purchased a total of 36 Skill Nodes for this 'Mech, 35 of which are currently Active or pending purchase. They are are now evaluating the purchase of six Nodes in the Auxiliary tree to increase their allotment of Consumable Slots and improve the capabilities of their UAV.
The six Skill Points they are allocating to these upgrades are denoted by the Allocated section of the Enhancements window.
The amount of available Skill Points they have to spend is conveyed in the Available SP area.
The number of Active Skill Nodes they'll have on this 'Mech, including the Nodes they are about to purchase, is conveyed in the Nodes Active area.
The total number of Skill Nodes they've purchased on this 'Mech, including the Nodes they are about to purchase, is conveyed in the Skill Nodes Unlocked Area.
This pool of HXP is locked to the variant on which it was spent, but can be assigned as you desire to all duplicates of that variant in your possession.
For example: Under the previous system you spent a combined total of 50,000 experience points (XP and GXP) on your SDR-5D.
With the release of the new Skill Tree, all SDR-5Ds in your MechLab will possess a shared pool of HXP equal to the amount of experience you previously spent on that variant. From the above example, the HXP pool for all SDR-5D variants in your MechLab would thus be 50,000 HXP.
Historical XP can then be transferred to any SDR-5D variants in your collection. You could transfer 25,000 Historical XP into 'Mech XP for one 5D, and 25,000 HXP into 'Mech XP for the other.
There is no cost associated with transferring HXP into 'Mech XP. However, keep in mind that HXP transfers are permanent. Once you transfer HXP to a specific 'Mech you cannot reverse that transfer.
In the example below, the player owns three Warhammer 'Black Widow' Hero 'Mechs. Under the original Skill system these 'Mechs were treated as duplicates, and thus shared the same Skill status and 'Mech XP values.
Under the new Skill Tree, you are now able to set distinct Skills for all of the 'Mechs in your possession. These three variants are now considered distinct.
If a 'Mech has a pool of HXP from which to draw it will be marked with a new HXP icon in its Select 'Mech portrait, as seen in the example below.
When viewing the Skill Tree for a 'Mech possessing an amount of HXP, the 'Mech Enhancements window will contain a section dedicated to allocating any amount of that HXP onto the 'Mech you're currently viewing.
In the example below the player is intending to transfer 20,000 HXP from their pool of 43,218 total HXP for the WHM-BW variant.
With the individual variant structure of accumulating and applying 'Mech XP under the new Skill Tree, Trial 'Mechs no longer accumulate banked XP while being used. However, 48,000 GXP is now provided when achieving Cadet Bonus 25. This bonus is also being provided retroactively to all players who have already achieved Cadet Bonus 25.
The current selection of Trial 'Mechs remain unchanged in this patch, and as with the previous system do not have any Skill statuses applied.
Base Consumable Slots
The base number of Consumable slots for all 'Mechs in this patch has been reduced from 2 to 1. All 'Mechs will possess just a single Consumable Slot from the outset, with a grand total of five Consumable Slots achievable after full investment in the Auxiliary Skill Tree. We want Auxiliary to remain a potent Tree to invest in for those who wish to acquire its Skills, but we wish to add a bit more give and take to the Auxiliary Tree as a whole.
Target Info Gathering
• Base Short Range Target Info Gathering time increased to 2s (from 1s).
• Base Medium Range Target Info Gathering time increased to 4.5s (from 3s).
• Base Long Range Target Info Gathering time increased to 7s (from 5s).
• Target Info Gathering time can be reduced through Skill Tree advancement.
Target Info Gathering Design Notes: The introduction of the new Skill Tree prompted us to evaluate the various information warfare mechanics currently present in MWO in an effort to determine how those systems could be refined and improved; specifically in light of the new Skill Tree. For this patch we have opted to increase the base time required for gathering target information for two reasons:
• Increase the challenge of isolating vulnerable enemy components through a greater reliance on teamwork
• Reward players who wish to specialize in information warfare and boost their Target Info Gathering abilities through Skill Tree advancement
ECM
• Base Range of Detection Scrambling reduced to 30% (from 75%).
• The remaining 45% is now unlocked through the Skill Tree (22.5% per Node).
ECM Design Notes: In this patch we're attempting to address the low investment/high reward characteristics of ECM equipment in its new context under the Skill Tree. With the above reduction to its base range, utilizing ECM to its full effect will require focused advancement within the Skill Tree.
Ballistic Weapons
Clan UAC 2
• Jam Duration increased to 3.75 (from 3)
Clan UAC2 Design Notes: In the past, we provided the C-UAC2 with a generous Jam Duration setting due to the lack of associated Cooldown Modules for the weapon. With the weapon now fully able to benefit from both Cooldown and Jam Chance boosts through the Firepower tree, we are reigning in its Jam Duration to better align against the rest of the UAC lineup.
Missile Weapons
LRMs (IS and Clan)
• Range decreased to 900 (from 1000)
SRM 2 (IS and Clan)
• Heat reduced to 1.7 (from 2)
Streak SRM 2 (IS and Clan)
• Heat reduced to 1.7 (from 2)
LRM Design Notes: With the various changes and generous Range bonus' given through the new Skill Tree we wanted to reign in the inherent Range of the LRM weaponry. Getting full Range for LRMs will now require investment into the Firepower Skill Tree.
Missile Bay Doors
• Damage Reduction when closed increased to 20% (from 10%).
This change impacts the following 'Mechs:
• Archer
• Catapult
• Kintaro
• Stalker
Missile Bay Doors Design Notes: While this mechanic is only utilized for the above 'Mechs we wanted to make the benefit of the mechanic a bit more substantial for those pilots who take the time to manage the open/closed states of their Missile Doors.
Disassociating 'Mech Mobility Attributes from Engine Size
Engine selection has long been a balance sore-spot in MWO. Too much was gained by upgrading Engines to higher ratings, with little opportunity for providing a compelling give-and-take between the lighter, slower Engines against the heavier, faster Engines. The system also created a dynamic where baseline ‘Mech viability could be dramatically impacted by the inherent Engine restrictions of a 'Mech. These issues only compounded Inner Sphere and Clan imbalances, with Clan 'Mechs fielding much heavier Engines than their Inner Sphere counterparts - with no sacrifice to Loadout - due to fundamentally lighter equipment.
With the above issues in mind, we are breaking baseline Mobility characteristics away from Engines. Mobility will instead be determined by the overall tonnage of the chassis. It’s important to note that this will not affect the speed of a ‘Mech, which will remain tied with Engine size.
Affected Mobility Attributes
The following ‘Mech Mobility Attributes are no longer directly determined by your Engine:
• Acceleration
• Deceleration
• Turn Rate
• Torso Twist Speed
• Arm Speed
While Engine sizes no longer dictate core Mobility traits, larger Engines will still play a role in Acceleration, Deceleration, and Turn Speed in other ways, as we will explain in a later section of these notes.
Rather than being dictated by Engine size, the above Mobility attributes will instead be integrated as baseline attributes on an individual variant basis. These attributes have been primarily distributed based on tonnage values, and at a top-down level you can expect Mobility to now be roughly equal across tonnage lines.
As examples, while their speeds will differ an UrbanMech will now have the same Mobility attributes as an Arctic Cheetah, while a Kodiak will share the same Mobility attributes as an Atlas.
To illustrate the impact these fundamental changes to Mobility can have, the video below demonstrates before-and-after comparison for an UrbanMech equipped with a Standard 60 Engine.
Associated Mobility UI Updates
With Mobility attributes now being determined on a per-variant basis, the MechLab includes essential UI additions to clearly expose these values. These stats can currently be viewed in the detail window when hovering over a 'Mech portrait.
These values will factor in any relevant Skill Nodes or OmniPod Quirks the variant may currently possess. It should be noted however that these stats will only display the ‘average’ Mobility performance. Acceleration, Deceleration, and Turn Speed are still impacted by the current speed of your 'Mech relative to its Max Speed.
In-Game Mobility and the MechLab Performance Curves
While this update does remove the core link between Engine size and Mobility, this change will not eliminate the impact of higher Engine sizes on Mobility attributes altogether. Mobility attributes are now merely influenced by Engine size, rather than being directly rooted to it. 'Mechs will continue to handle differently depending on how fast they are currently going relative to their Max Speed.
While present under the previous Mobility system, under the Engine Desync system we have expanded its use. At its heart, some Mobility attributes will be affected by how fast you are going proportional to your Max Speed, with easing off of the throttle resulting in more pronounced Acceleration, Deceleration, and Turn Rates for a 'Mech.
The image below shows information for a Warhammer WHM-BW.
While the raw Mobility attributes across this curve are now primarily determined by tonnage, the practical impact of this curve on the battlefield will still be influenced by the Max Speed/Engine Size of your ‘Mech. Put another way, while ‘Mechs with identical baseline Mobility stats will keep those stats regardless of Engine size, ‘Mechs with larger engines will still benefit from better Acceleration, Deceleration, and Turn Speed due to the higher Max Speed provided from the Engine.
While you will not see this behavior affect overall Mobility to the degree that the previous system compounded on these advantages, we did want to express that despite baseline attributes being more closely associated with a Mech’s baseline stats, larger Engines will still allow 'Mechs to boost their inherent Mobility attributes through the performance curve at lower speeds.
Deceleration
We also want to make a special note about Deceleration rates due to its unique implementation. While it may not be common knowledge, Deceleration rates are primarily influenced by the tonnage of a ‘Mech, with additional attributes contributing to its total performance curve as mentioned in the section above.
As a result of this behavior, inherent Deceleration attributes may seem a bit out of sync with the other Mobility attributes. This is behavior that is consistent with how it is implemented in the main game; we just wish to highlight that it is there due to the UI now displaying its influence.
In this patch you'll see a focus toward ramping down Offensive Quirks, and a complete removal of baseline Mobility Quirks from all Inner Sphere BattleMechs and all Clan OmniMech Center Torso's to coincide both with the Skill Tree and and the Engine Desync. However, non-CT OmniPod and Set of 8 Mobility Quirks do remain.
Defensive Quirks have only seen a handful of adjustments made.
Many ‘Mechs previously balanced around superior Mobility Quirks have instead seen those Quirks integrated into the inherent Mobility attributes of the 'Mech. Those inherent Mobility attributes have then been evaluated and adjusted against similar 'Mechs within their tonnage bracket. For example, the Phoenix Hawk will have a base turn rate of 80.21 degrees per second, while a Blackjack will have a base turn rate of 57.86 degrees per second.
This was done to increase the impact of various Skill Tree nodes on Mobility-based stats. With higher baseline Mobility stats, the Phoenix Hawk will gain greater benefits from Mobility-based nodes then the Blackjack does.
It's important to note that this also applies for 'Mechs with existing Armor or Structure-based Quirks. Quirks in these cases are being factored into the percentile bonus' of the Survival Skill Tree. So an Atlas with native Armor bonus' gains more bonus Armor through the Survival tree then a Dire Wolf with no Armor-based quirks.
In some cases, enhancements received from a Skill Node will overlap with enhancements received from an inherent Quirk. For example, unlocking a Torso Speed Skill for a 'Mech which already possesses an inherent Torso Speed Quirk.
In such cases, bonuses received from Skills and Quirks are both added to the base value. For example, a 10% Torso Speed Skill bonus and a 10% Torso Speed Quirk bonus will result in a 20% overall boost to base Torso Speed.
When a Weapon-suite is benefiting from an applied Skill the bonus values will now be conveyed in the Weapon stat tooltip.
Base-level balance is the focus of what we are working towards. To give you guys a sneak peek as to what is coming, these are some of the things currently being worked on to better balance the game in coming patches:
• June will see an extensive balance pass performed on Energy weapons, which will touch nearly every weapon currently in the energy lineup. This balance pass will focus on two major points:
• Beyond this, Quirks are being extensively re-evaluated as we get data from Skill Tree release. We will be immediately focused toward those IS chassis’ receiving new Hero variants in June. We’ll possibly also see new Quirk passes on existing standard variants along with those Hero releases. In addition to this, we are looking at introducing new non-weapon Quirk types to add more variety to the way we currently Quirk mechs, though at this time, there is no ETA on the new Quirk types.
• The Skill tree will be monitored heavily after release. We will have new nodes introduced with the new tech in July, and we will continue to refine the overall Skill Tree balance as we move towards introducing the nodes for that new tech.
• The final balance point we can briefly highlight now involves Engine types. Better balance across the Standard, XL, and Clan XL Engine types is a major change that we are evaluating for a future patch. We are still in the very early stages of this evaluation, with gameplay and technical considerations to be made; the impact of a change to Engine type dynamics has the potential to be a significant and positive change, but it is also a delicate one. At this time, there is no solid ETA on the planned release for this change.
Although these are the only things that we are able to address now, many more things are being looked into behind the scenes as the design team continues to prioritize balance as a whole. We want to assure everyone that balance remains a core focus of the design team, and we will be working heavily to monitor and improve it after the release of the Skill Tree in May, the release of new tech in July, and on into the future.
First built in 2751 by Stormvanger Assemblies for the Star league and its member states, the Javelin had barely begun its integration into the Star League Defense Forces when the Amaris Civil War broke out. After the collapse of the Star League the Javelin found its way into each of the Successor States, where it would become a mainstay of the Succession Wars; particularly among the AFFS of House Davion, where the 'Mech can be found in nearly every active 'Mech regiment.
Built around a blend of mobility and firepower, the Javelin was originally designed as a mobile scout with enough firepower to deter or punish pursuit. Over its 300 years of active service within the military's of the Inner Sphere, the Javelin has gained a reputation as a premier ambush and strike 'Mech.
Release Date for MC: August 8th 2017
Release Date for C-Bills: September 5th 2017
Javelin Variants
• JVN-10N [S]
The JVN-10N [S] is a Special version of the JVN-10N, featuring a unique Pattern and a 30% boost to C-Bill earnings. The JVN-10N [S] is only available through the Collector Javelin Pack, and will not be made available for purchase in-game.
• JVN-10N
The JVN-10N is the standard version of the JVN-10N [S]. It does not possess the 30% C-Bill boost or the unique Pattern of its [S] counterpart. Until its release date for in-game purchase the standard JVN-10N is only available through the Standard Javelin Pack.
• JVN-10F
Until its release date for in-game purchase the JVN-10F is only available through the Standard or Collector Javelin Pack.
• JVN-10P
Until its release date for in-game purchase the JVN-10P is only available through the Standard or Collector Javelin Pack.
• JVN-11A (Reinforcement Add-On)
Until its release date for in-game purchase the JVN-11A is only available as a Reinforcement Add-On to an existing Standard or Collector Javelin Pack.
• JVN-11B (Reinforcement Add-On)
Until its release date for in-game purchase the JVN-11B is only available as a Reinforcement Add-On to an existing Standard or Collector Javelin Pack.
• JVN-HT "Hi There!" (Hero Add-On)
The JVN-HT is the Hero variant of the Javelin, featuring a unique Hero Pattern and a 30% boost to C-Bill earnings. Until its release date for in-game purchase the JVN-HT is only available as a Hero Add-On to an existing Standard or Collector Javelin Pack.
The Javelin release also brings with it three new Colours available for purchase with MC in-game:
• Splat Green
• Stamp Blue
• Punk Purple
You can check out the Javelin Quirks as part of our Countdown to Release post here.
Known Issue (Javelin):
• When equipped, Streak SRM2 weaponry will have the appearance of an LRM 10. This will be resolved in the June patch.
Along with their complementary delivery to eligible Javelin owners, the following Cockpit Items are also now available for purchase in-game:
Helmet (Javelin Standing Cockpit Item): 750 MC
Javelin Head (Javelin Hanging Cockpit Item): 500 MC
Shield (Javelin Warhorn): 750 MC
Javelin In the Box (Javelin Early Adopter Standing Cockpit Item): 750 MC
Javelin Standard Pack (and Collector Pack)
"Tip of the Spear"
Javelin Collector Pack
"The Olympian"
These Titles and Badges are only available through their associated Javelin Pack. The Collector Pack comes with both.
16 Decals are arriving in this patch, featuring 2 Javelin Decals and 14 Clan-related Decals.
Basic (180 MC)
• Hi There!
• Skull With Sunglasses
• Coyote (Word)
• Diamond Shark (Word)
• Goliath Scorpion (Word)
• Hell's Horses (Word)
• Nova Cat (Word)
• Steel Viper (Word)
• Snow Raven (Word)
Special (500 MC)
• Clan Coyote Emblem
• Clan Diamond Shark Emblem
• Clan Goliath Scorpion Emblem
• Clan Hell's Horses Emblem
• Clan Nova Cat Emblem
• Clan Steel Viper Emblem
• Clan Snow Raven Emblem
In addition to other Decals, Decals for Blood Spirit, Burrock, Cloud Cobra, Fire Mandrill, and Ice Hellion will be released in the June patch, along with the missing Word Decal for Clan Star Adder.
All Wave 1 Clan Heroes are now available for direct in-game purchase with MC.
• Kit Fox KFX-PR "Purifer": 2815 MC
• Adder ADR-CN "Cinder": 3285 MC
• Nova NVA-BK "Breaker": 4690 MC
• Stormcrow SCR-LC "Lacerator": 5160 MC
• Summoner SMN-PD "Pride": 6565 MC
• Timber Wolf TBR-WAR "Warrant": 7035 MC
• Warhawk WHK-NQ "Nanuq": 7970 MC
• Dire Wolf DWF-UV "Ultraviolet": 9375 MC
• The End of Round One-Time Premium Time Booster will now update your C-Bill and XP Reward earnings in the Match Results to reflect the applied Boost.
• The 'Cadet Bonus 25' Achievement now provides the player with 48,000 GXP in addition to the existing reward for that Achievement of 200,000 C-Bills. This GXP reward has been provided retroactively for all players who have already achieved the Cadet Bonus 25 Achievement at the time of this patch.
• Mastery references have been removed from Mastery Bundles.
• 3050 Balloons Mounted Cockpit Item: Fixed clipping and obstruction issues with various 'Mechs.
• Adder (all variants): Standing Cockpit Items no longer hang off the edge of the Cockpit surface.
• Thunderbolt TDR-9S/9S [S]/9S [C]: Fixed an issue where shots fired would not be effected by reticle shake caused by Jump Jetting.
• Game Modes can now be weighted by our event staff for selection in the voting screen, enabling greater flexibility and reliability for any mode-specific Events.
• Game Modes can now be weighted by our event staff for selection in the voting screen, enabling greater flexibility and reliability for any mode-specific Events.
Victor and Quickdraw Missile Retrofit
The Victor and Quickdraw 'Mechs have undergone a retrofit for Missile weaponry. Missile tube counts will now appear correct according to the type of Missile weapon equipped.
You can see examples of these changes for the two 'Mechs in the images below, but please note that all Missile weaponry for these two 'Mechs will be affected; not just the ones shown in these examples.
Note that in some cases these retrofits will amount to more than purely cosmetic changes. A CT-mounted SRM6 on the Quickdraw for example is now located considerably closer to the cockpit, with the individual pods more tightly clustered. Pod arrangements are also more tightly clustered for certain LT-mounted Missiles on the Victor. These 'Mechs will now also benefit from single-volley launches for some Missile types, rather than previously staggered volleys.
Patch Files (Direct Download)
To make the patching process easier for players with limited download caps, we'll be providing direct download links for the patch file(s) that comprise this patch. This will allow you to download the patch file(s) elsewhere, for manual injection into the MWO patcher through a Patch Cache folder.
Aside from allowing you to download the patch file(s) elsewhere, on another connection, there are no additional benefits to performing the patch this way; the patching process itself will be the same.
This direct patch download process will only work for players running the standalone client. It does not apply to players running MWO through Steam.
How to use these patch files
• Download the above file(s)
• For sake of ease we recommend creating a dedicated folder for the patch file(s), such as 'MWO Patch Cache'
• You do not need to unzip or unpack the patch file(s)
• Launch the standard MWO launcher
• Click the gear icon in the top right of the launcher window
• Choose the 'Specify Patch File Cache' option
• In the field that appears, paste or enter the location in which you saved the patch file(s) and hit OK
• For example, C:\Users\<username>\Documents\MWO Patch Cache
• Click the blue Patch button
• The launcher will now check the Patch Cache folder you defined. If it locates the required patch files, it will unpack and use those files to apply the patch.
• Once the patch is complete, launch the game
