HAWKEN REBORN News

[h2]General[/h2]

• Combat music now triggers in game across all locations.
  
• Enemies now react to the player trying to destroy the water pipes in the mission “Toxic Behaviour” and will turn hostile towards the player when attacked.
  
• Made the Micro-Missile Auto Launcher (MMAL) full auto to correctly match the weapons item description.
  
• Neutral factions guarding checkpoints at their territory borders now react to the player ‘hopping the fence’ and will turn hostile.
  
• Added a new Enforcer screen into the codex to inform the player of the spawn requirements for each Enforcer.
  
• Tripled the range at which the player is able to pick up loot drops.
  

[h2]Mech Balancing[/h2]
Vex

• Updated the player Hornet (Vex) base Shield Regen Delay to be 1.4 seconds (Previously 0.9).
  
• Updated the player Nimbus (Vex) base Shield Regen Delay to be 1.7 seconds (Previously 1.2).
  

Aerial

• Increased the player Apex (Aerial) Max Shield to 2710 (Previously 2520)
  
• Reduced the player Apex (Aerial) Shield Regen Delay to 6.87 seconds (Previously 7.47)
  
• Increased the player Shark (Aerial) Max Shield to 2420 (Previously 2230)
  
• Reduced the player Shark (Aerial) Shield Regen Delay to 6.3 seconds (Previously 6.9)
  

Bulwark

• Increased all Bulwark sprint speeds.
  

[h2]Enemy Balancing[/h2]
Enforcers

• Increased the shield regen delay on all Enforcers.
  
• Swapped around the Platforms of the Guerilla Enforcer and Knee-Breaker Enforcer.
  

The Huntsman Enforcer

• Updated the Sentium Huntsman Enforcer weapons – The Volta has now been removed from them as it was causing an unseen amount of destruction and has been replaced with a Sniper Rifle.
  
• Increased the Sentium Huntsman Enforcer’s Ultra Rapid Fire SMG damage.
  

The Knee-Breaker Enforcer

• Updated the Knee-Breaker Enforcer’s Micro-Missile Auto Launcher (MMAL) projectile to deal damage – previously was doing 0 damage upon impact.
  

[h2]Bug Fixes[/h2]

• Ensured the Lobby UI disables ‘find party’ when you create or are part of a party.
  
• Removed the currency icon from the repair button in the Hangar Screen.
  
• The rebuild button is no longer blocked by the dialogue triggered the first time a mech is destroyed on a Patrol run.
  
• Fixes to the Stat Comparison screen to correctly show the icons for increase/decrease for the corresponding stats.
  
• Made all in-world forcefields indestructible to prevent accidental logic breaks of content by shooting the forcefields and breaking various events.
  
• Missions now correctly remove themselves from the mechpad menu when completed/failed/abandoned.
  
• Removed friendly turrets from the Mission “Defence Core Deliver” that caused issues with attitude changes and wouldn’t wake up when in combat.
  
• All Faction attitudes have been reviewed across Refuge and Wyndham Moores to better represent how they react around the player.
  
• Made the spawned hostile Payload destructible in Bratticeloft entrance and made it spawn loot too!
  
• Removed the Orbital Laser VFX from triggering when Interacting with the payload in some pieces of content.
  
• Adjusted geometry in Wyndham Moores Junkyard to prevent the Enforcer getting stuck on an extractor fan when spawning in.
  
• Removed a concrete block and other assets causing navigation issues for enemy AI.
  
• Made some places in Discretion Reclamation Plant inaccessible to AI to prevent them getting stuck in isolated locations where they couldn’t escape.
  
• Various crash fixes.
  

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:

1. Unlock the next Mark II level of your component by filling up the CXP BAR.
   
2. Required Schematics for the next Mark II component will now be collectible through combat and farming.
   
3. Once all Schematics and materials are acquired, build each completed item.
   
4. 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

Hawken Reborn Patch Notes
Version 0.4.0.0

Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 introduces new ways to enjoy PVE co-op with improved matchmaking tools, adds new layers of combat complexity against enemy mechs, and a range of quality of life enhancements to make your time on Illal more enjoyable!

FEATURES
12 brand new radio missions have been added giving pilots a more guided experience through Patrol Mode and the ability to earn in-game currencies as their rewards.
New players will be added to an active Patrol session making experiencing multiplayer coop easier for all players. This feature can also be disabled by the host in case they want to play solo sessions.
Additional Critical Points system now incorporates a visible armor system on enemy mechs to increase degree of strategy in combat.
New Component XP system allows items to be leveled up from Mark I to V by destroying enemies in battle.
Enemy AI has been improved in combat to make their combat engagement against players more challenging.
New Codex has been added to the Mercnet in the hangar with tutorials for several important features of Hawken Reborn.
A new tutorial tooltip (circle with ? icon) have been added across the hangar to give a brief overview of various elements and mechanics.
GAMEPLAY
Enforcers (mini boss towards end of Patrol session) now start spawning at TL 25. If defeated, a new enforcer will spawn at additional TL thresholds with increasing difficulty at later and higher TL thresholds.
New enemy type added: Sniper Turret
Coop Threat Level scaling improved in areas of difficulty and quantity depending on the number of players presently in a session.
GRAPHICS
The Nanite swarm at the end of a Patrol session has been visually improved to better convey the urgency of heading back to the hangar before your imminent destruction.
Various locations have had their visuals and geometry polished for improved gameplay.
QUALITY OF LIFE
Repairs in the hangar no longer cost any currency.
Rewards improved across various areas such as enemy encounters, resource nodes, loot crates, and mission completion currencies.
Reloading weapons now have an Advanced Reload option allowing players to hold R and then pulling the trigger on the weapon they'd like to reload vs pressing R to reload both weapons at the same time.
New Thruster Activation Mode gives pilots the option to keep thrusters engaged or toggled when jumping.
New damage number indicators pop up in a dedicated location near the crosshair with damage numbers + color coding to indicate various types of damage.
Additional gamepad settings added to improve Look Controls.
Additional camera viewing options lets players choose between in-cockpit 1st person view and left/middle/right 3rd person view.
Pilots can now control who enters their play session by creating a lobby with 4 new party type options: Open, Friends Only, Invite Only, & Single Player
Current and selected component stats can be directly compared before equipping them.



Summary:
Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 introduces new ways to enjoy PVE co-op with improved matchmaking tools and a bunch of quality of life features. Learn more in our latest patch notes!


Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 is currently getting its final adjustments before going live at the end of the month and introduces new ways to enjoy PVE co-op with improved matchmaking tools, adds new layers of combat complexity against enemy mechs, and a range of quality of life enhancements to make your time on Illal more enjoyable. Here's what else we've been cooking over these last few months!

Hawken Reborn Update 0.4 is currently getting its final adjustments before going live at the end of the month and introduces new ways to enjoy PVE co-op with improved matchmaking tools, adds new layers of combat complexity against enemy mechs, and a range of quality of life enhancements to make your time on Illal more enjoyable. Here's what else we've been cooking over these last few months!

[h2]FEATURES[/h2]
- 12 brand new radio missions have been added giving pilots a more guided experience through Patrol Mode and the ability to earn in-game currencies as their rewards.
- New players will be added to an active Patrol session making experiencing multiplayer coop easier for all players. This feature can also be disabled by the host in case they want to play solo sessions.
- Additional Critical Points system now incorporates a visible armor system on enemy mechs to increase degree of strategy in combat.
- New Component XP system allows items to be leveled up from Mark I to V by destroying enemies in battle.
- Enemy AI has been improved in combat to make their combat engagement against players more challenging.
- New Codex has been added to the Mercnet in the hangar with tutorials for several important features of Hawken Reborn.
- A new tutorial tooltip (circle with ? icon) have been added across the hangar to give a brief overview of various elements and mechanics.

[h2]GAMEPLAY[/h2]
- Enforcers (mini boss towards end of Patrol session) now start spawning at TL 25. If defeated, a new enforcer will spawn at additional TL thresholds with increasing difficulty at later and higher TL thresholds.
- New enemy type added: Sniper Turret
- Coop Threat Level scaling improved in areas of difficulty and quantity depending on the number of players presently in a session.

[h2]GRAPHICS[/h2]
- The Nanite swarm at the end of a Patrol session has been visually improved to better convey the urgency of heading back to the hangar before your imminent destruction.
- Various locations have had their visuals and geometry polished for improved gameplay.

[h2]QUALITY OF LIFE[/h2]
- Repairs in the hangar no longer cost any currency.
- Rewards improved across various areas such as enemy encounters, resource nodes, loot crates, and mission completion currencies.
- Reloading weapons now have an Advanced Reload option allowing players to hold R and then pulling the trigger on the weapon they'd like to reload vs pressing R to reload both weapons at the same time.
- New Thruster Activation Mode gives pilots the option to keep thrusters engaged or toggled when jumping.
- New damage number indicators pop up in a dedicated location near the crosshair with damage numbers + color coding to indicate various types of damage.
- Additional gamepad settings added to improve Look Controls.
- Additional camera viewing options lets players choose between in-cockpit 1st person view and left/middle/right 3rd person view.
- Pilots can now control who enters their play session by creating a lobby with 4 new party type options: Open, Friends Only, Invite Only, & Single Player.
- Current and selected component stats can be directly compared before equipping them.

REBALANCES
- All player bullet-based weapons have had their project speeds increased by approximately 100 m/sec excluding the Rasiseri shotgun.
- All Area of Effect weapons have had their base projectile speeds increased by approximately 50 m/sec.
- The Rasiseri's "Firing Spread Decrement" mod has been changed to "Vertical Recoil Reduction" and existing point assignments have been upheld.
- Following a damage falloff bug fix, weapon stats have been rebalanced for the Deadeye, Goddard, Kettie, Micro-Missile Auto Launcher, and Volta.
- Volta rebalanced following beam weapon collision and performance fixes.

GRAPHICS
- New Schematic icons have been added in various areas for better visual clarity.

PATROL MODE
- The caves in the Refuge have been split into two locations to allow for simultaneous events to trigger in the general area.

GAMEPLAY
- Drones will now activate their abilities at a lower health threshold. 40% for the Meteor and 50% for the Asteroid.
- Machine Gun Turret damage has been reduced by 25%.

QUALITY OF LIFE
- Within the Steam client, player status has been updated to identify where a player is current playing the game such as in the Hangar, Coop Lobby, or in a Patrol Mode session.

UI / TEXT
- Various adjustments to nameplates have been made to increase legibility including font changes and font size increases.
- Neutral units now have a yellow name plate indicator instead of orange for better clarity against red aggro units.
- Various item descriptions have had their naming and stats corrected.
- Removed missing "TEXT BLOCK" error and graphic from the warning pop up.

BUGS
- Volta bug preventing full damage when fired has been fixed.
- Load times optimized in instances where players with large inventories potentially had longer than expected load times in the game.
- Missions involving a payload have been added back after fixing a bug that caused a server crash upon their destruction.
- Fixed the collision detection of a few props in the game causing players to get stuck or clip through when interacting with them.
- Some Area of Effect and Beam weapons have had their damage falloff range adjusted due to an earlier bug applying them when they shouldn't have.
- Adjusted applicable maximum Weapon Recoil ranges to originally intended recoil range of 30º vertical and 5º horizontal. Previously bugged at 2.5º and 0.75º respectively.

MISCELLANEOUS
- Poet Neil’s supply crate has been returned, but sadly, he’s still missing.