Hawken Reborn (Steam) Version 0.3.0.0 (2024 February 27)

FEATURES

• Multiplayer co-op is now enabled with a new lobby system that allows players to create private sessions of up to 3 total pilots.
• The Patrol Mode gameplay loop has been overhauled with a time-capped play session that features a wide array of challenges in varying difficulty to earn resources and level up.
• All players will have a starting loadout featuring a mech of each type equipped with two weapons and one thruster.
• Vex, Aerial, and Bulwark combat types have been added as identifiers for how corresponding weapons and thrusters can be assigned to them.
      [V] = Shotguns, Sub-Machine Guns, Compact Cannons
      [A] = Grenade Launchers, Assault Rifles, Sniper Rifles
      [B] = Beam Weapons, Machine Guns, Missile & Rocket Launchers
• The Threat Level system has been normalized to values between 1 - 100 across all areas that utilize this numeric system to indicate power level correlations.
• RNG has been removed from all areas of the modding system and replaced with one that yields consistent stats when points are assigned.

PATROL MODE

• Private Patrol Mode session invites can be facilitated by creating and sharing a lobby ID or inviting Steam friends by activating the Steam community overlay with Shift + Tab.
• Radio Missions and Random Encounters have been removed temporarily while our new gameplay mechanics are implemented and tested.
• Patrol Mode now has a 40-minute timer.
• A new Enforcer mech unit type will now spawn into Patrol Mode at the final 10 minutes of a Patrol Mode session. If you see it, RUN.
• Some locations will spawn enemies at higher TLs to increase the risk of engaging them.
• Loot caches have been added around the map that drop various resources and Scrip currency that scale based on the World TL.
• Causing a nearby faction to turn hostile towards you by attacking them or their property will cause nearby members of the same faction to also turn hostile.
• Factions have their banners placed in locations that they have control over.

GAMEPLAY

• The new Meteor Burst SMG Drone and Asteroid Gun Drone have been introduced as new aerial enemy types.
• Enemy units now scale in both difficulty and stats based on the number of players in the multiplayer co-op session.
• Drones now fly through the air more fluidly with improved spatial and navigational awareness.
• Tracers on projectile weapons have been reworked to have clearer and better visuals.
• Improved aim assist to target the closest enemy unit instead of a random one.
• The crosshair reticle will now expand when sustaining fire to visually communicate the weapon bloom.
• All shielded enemies will now visually show their shields popping when depleted.
• Enemy accuracy has been rebalanced after the implementation of our recoil system.
• Assault and Sharpshooter infantry retreat behaviors and animations have been improved.
• Added a little more grit to infantry to be braver against mechs before running for their lives.
• Rebalanced the Rocketeer thruster to have better handling.
• Components and platforms have been updated with a new socket-locked system in line with our new Vex, Aerial, and Bulwark combat types.
• Faction hostility towards pilots has been changed to the following categories:
      Hostile - Prosk & Sentium
      Neutral - Burning Flag
      Friendly - Dawning
• TL scaling has been reworked to factor in co-op gameplay, time, and other variables.
• Mission rewards now give better and more resources based on Threat Level.
• Persistently getting too up close and personal with neutral factions will cause them to turn hostile towards you.
• Enemies with Threat Levels that are 100+ will have a skull icon above them.

AUDIO

• Various areas of game sounds have been remixed for a better audio experience.
• New sound effects were added when shields and hulls take damage from various weapon types.
• Weapon audio should feel more balanced against the combat music that plays in the background.
• Several weapons have had their sound effects reworked including the Kalituhan, Tornado, Shershen, Gieren, Kettie, Deadeye, and Rasiseri.

GRAPHICS

• Improved destructibility across various objects in Zone A (Refuge).
• Fixed various structures around the world that created collision issues causing players to get stuck.
• Can you fly, Bobby? Infantry now has more realistic physics effects applied when being shot, crushed, or sent hurling into the air by a mech.
• Sent a maintenance crew out to the Any Weather Wharf in Zone B (Wyndham Moors) to fix some structures that made it a bit cumbersome to engage in combat.

QUALITY OF LIFE

• End of session screen has been reworked in various areas for better visibility and quality of life changes such as scrollable resource lists of collected resources and schematics.
• The enemy area of engagement has been decreased to avoid hostiles from a substantial distance from attacking the current combat zone of a pilot.
• Increased the minimum distance required to spawn enemy encounters to avoid having too many instances that can cause combat encounters to overlap.
• Connecting to an MTP will put pilots in an invincible state while interacting with it.
• Enemy sniper laser sights are now only activated while they are aiming at a target.
• It's now easy to equip and unequip items in the hangar making swapping items between slots much more fluid.
• Schematic drop rates increased to make crafting components quicker and easier.
• Scrip and Credits are no longer available as a purchasable currency to avoid any potential Pay to Win scenarios.
• Repairs are now done with Credits instead of Credits or Scrip.
• Resource nodes have been repositioned to make it easier to reach in certain areas.
• Enemy nameplates are updated with subtle animations and have clearer color indicators to indicate their danger levels relative to a pilot.
• Faction flags have been added to name plates above non-player characters.
• In Camp Valac, an MTP portal has been moved to ground level for better accessibility.
• Resource icons have been updated to better communicate their types and rarity colors.

UI / TEXT

• Some resources now come from multiple types of nodes so their descriptions have been updated to reflect this change.
• Link to the Official Hawken Discord (https://hwkn.link/discord) has been added to the Patrol menu to better direct traffic to our server for sharing lobby IDs and joining our multiplayer co-op section.
• Once an item or mech unit has reached its maximum TL level, it will be marked by a skull icon.
• All components in the hangar will now have a V, A, or B icon to indicate their Combat Type.
• Some weapon and component descriptions have been updated to reflect some reworks to their abilities and stats.
• Post-mod stats are now visible in the modding menu before deciding to craft.

BUGS

• Volta beam weapon should no longer continue to fire after releasing the trigger.
• Removed instances where an enemy spawns as a friendly and then becomes hostile.
• Weapons should no longer stop firing for no reason.
• Some zone notification pops no longer constantly trigger unnecessarily or appear in places where they should not have.
• Fixed idle state for some Drones that were stuck in water.
• Heat weapons should now clearly display how their heat management works in the HUD ammo indicator.
• Weapons no longer stay pointing up during certain collisions with the environment.
• Enemy mechs should no longer sit idle when being shot at.

MISCELLANEOUS

• Asked Neil the poet to take a breather to make way for new combat encounters where he’d normally lament about his sorrows.