Hawken Reborn Developer Blog #7 - Update 0.4 AVAILABLE NOW

Six long months have passed since we last talked about coop coming to Hawken Reborn in Update 0.3 and the major changes that we’ve incorporated to hone in on features that worked while scrapping those that didn't. Gone are the handheld linear tutorial and story mode that didn’t quite stick where it needed and instead was a much more truncated experience that literally threw you into the fires of Illal’s dystopian battlefield without any training wheels.

Update 0.3 represents our commitment to keep chipping away at the game to gradually improve it, but also our limitations as a very small dev team that can’t move much faster than an Atlas’ walking speed. In the time since our last build, we’ve been continuing to define areas of improvement that can contribute to a stronger foundation for the game. Last week we released our full Update 0.4 Patch Notes that listed out all major areas of improvement we’ve been focusing on such as improving coop matchmaking and a bunch of subtle, but hopefully welcomed quality of life improvements.

Today, we’re proud to finally release Update 0.4 and let players get back into the pilot seat to see what we’ve been cooking all this time. Here’s a list of a few notable features that have been added to this latest build.

[h2]CODEX[/h2]

In the absence of a full tutorial that caused a lot of player frustration when first playing the game, we’ve added a new CODEX system that defines several important game mechanics and features that will make onboarding into the Hawken Reborn experience a little clearer. Some of the explanations are a bit long due to the nature of their fundamentals, but we’re hopeful this can be a good touch point that players can rely on when running into questions they might come across during their sessions.

[h2]COOP MATCHMAKING[/h2]

The game is meant to be played with other pilots and our previous implementation made it extremely clunky to find others so we’ve implemented an array of changes that make getting into the action with other mech pilots significantly easier.

For starters, you will no longer need to find a 32 character Lobby ID, DM it to a friend or Discord Server member, and then join a group lobby before finally getting into the combat. Instead you’ll be sent straight into a coop session if one already exists by default since every player session is technically a multiplayer game session.

If you prefer to play solo, you can choose to restrict the type of party to Open or Invite Only as well as the Threat Level of players that join your sessions.

[h2]CRIT SPOTS SYSTEM[/h2]

Previously we had a crit spot system that had no visuals to show players where to hit and instead relied on the color patterns that appeared as damage numbers sprayed out of enemy mechs. It was a very basic system with lots of room for improvement so one of the things we have focussed heavily on is trying to add layers of depth to the moment to moment combat with this system as a key ingredient.

As its next evolution, our new crit spots have manifested into a more visually representative system that will see enemies wearing plates of armor that will increase in quantity as Threat Levels increase. In addition, you’ll find some other visual accessories attached to the chassis that you’ll want to target in combat.

ARMOR PLATING fortifies certain spots on a mech and reduces the damage received by enemy mechs by 90%.

SHIELD AMPLIFIERS will increase the amount of additional damage a shield can absorb based on a mech’s Max HP. Be sure to knock these out ASAP to greatly diminish an enemy’s lifespan on the battlefield!

SHIELD BATTERIES and FUEL RESERVES are soft spots that when destroyed deal extra damage based on a mech’s Max HP. Fuel Reserves can’t be damaged while shields are up so be sure to target the batteries first!

[h2]COMPONENT XP[/h2]

Similar to our mention about confusion from new players and a need for implementing a CODEX guide book, we saw a lot of feedback in the Workshop where players were accidently crafting multiple items during the upgrade process. With the implementation of the new Component XP system, we hope to better decouple these two essential areas of our gameplay loop by changing how the upgrade process works.

Once a component (Mech Platforms, Weapons, and Thrusters) is in your inventory, the upgrading process is now as follows using a Mark I to Mark II crafting example:

Unlock the next Mark II level of your component by filling up the CXP BAR.
Required Schematics for the next Mark II component will now be collectible through combat and farming.
Once all Schematics and materials are acquired, build each completed item.
Assemble your Mark II component

Keep an eye on the left side of your HUD to see CXP earned when you deal a killing blow to an enemy as well as the end of the session screen that shows you how close you are to being able to upgrade each component.

[h2]RADIO MISSIONS [/h2]

With the change in how we approached combat in Patrol Mode, our Radio Missions were largely removed from the game and we’re excited to see their return in Update 0.4 with a total of 12 brand new Radio Missions. Six in each zone with some having objectives that span into other zones so be careful.

Also notable is that Radio Missions are now the only way of earning our soft currency Credits in the game and also have a chance of giving our hard currency, Scrip, as a completion reward.

As this is a completely new mission system that had to be changed due to the new core game changes, there are still a few kinks to iron out so let us know in our Discord channel of any issues you find.

[h2]UPDATE 0.4 IS OUT NOW[/h2]
There’s a lot more under the hood of Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 that new players may not notice, but for those of you who have been around since we ventured into Early Access, there have been quite a bit of changes that you’ve undoubtedly experienced and hope to keep rolling out through these updates. Though a slow development process, we hope these changes continue to help redefine the Hawken Reborn experience and would love to continue to hear from players both directly in our Discord Server and Reviews! See you on Illal!

Discord: https://HWKN.link/Discord

Reddit: https://Reddit.com/r/HawkenReborn

Twitter: https://Twitter.com/HawkenReborn

Facebook: https://Facebook.com/HawkenReborn

Instagram: https://Instagram.com/HawkenReborn

YouTube: https://YouTube.com/@HawkenReborn