Hawken: Invasion patch adds new mech and mode - details and screens inside

Hawken developer Adhesive Games has outlined the shooter's new 'Invasion' patch, which throws a new mech and modes into the mix. We've got some exclusive screens inside for you to check out.

In a press release sent to VG247 today, publisher Meteor Games confirmed the addition of a new co-op horde mode called 'Co-Op Bot Destruction' that sees up to four players battling waves of enemy bots, culminating in a boss round after every five waves. The difficulty increases as teams progress.

New mech 'Predator' is a medium-sized rig that specialises in ambush combat. You can read more about it in the patch notes below. We've also got screens at the bottom of the page.

Full patch notes are as follows:

Special Notices

• We've noticed several occurrences of sluggishness in the UI. If you experience this behavior, please submit a bug report.
• The party voice chat feature was removed as we continue to troubleshoot its ongoing problems.
• Several adjustments and fixes to our auto-balancing system have been implemented, including:
  • Instances of team imbalance not being detected when the imbalance occurs before the match starts.
  • Several issues resulting from players in a party who were switched to the other team as a result of auto-balancing.
  • Auto-balancing logic glitches.
  • An issue that caused matchmaking to not get updated properly when a player switched teams due to auto-balancing.
  • The "Teams are unbalanced" message that continued to loop in game chat after end of match if teams on the scoreboard were imbalanced has been removed.
  • A logic error that caused leaders of a party that switched teams due to auto-balancing to be counted twice.
• The ability for parties to join on friends has been removed. This was a difficult decision for us, because we're very aware that this was crucial for our competitive clans and players to organize events. However, removing this feature was a necessary step for the game's continued improvement. Stay tuned for more information on this decision and the steps we're taking to support our competitive scene following this change.

Features

NEW Game Mode: Co-Op Bot Destruction

Before the outbreak of the Hawken Virus, Crion had been experimenting with a dangerous new form of artificial intelligence. However, before this new AI could be completed, Crion was destroyed by the Hawken Virus and all traces of the AI were assumed eradicated.

However, disturbing rumors have arisen that this AI was not destroyed, and has in fact become self aware. The latest reports seem to suggest that the intelligence has taken control of one of Crion's hidden mech production facilities and begun producing an army of its own. To combat this new threat, Prosk and Sentium have formed special task forces with the sole objective of eliminating the AI before it overwhelms the battered human population of Illal.

• Team up online to take down up to 25 waves of rogue AI bots.
• Each wave will grow progressively more difficult and pilots will be forced to use every skill they have to achieve victory.
• As the game progresses, players will be able to gather EU from fallen AI enemies to upgrade their core systems.
• Pilots will gain XP and HC for participating in this game mode.
• Co-Op Bot Destruction can be accessed from the PLAY menu.

NEW Training Mode: Offline Bot Training

Offline Bot Training is a single-player version of Co-Op Bot Destruction that can be accessed from the TRAINING menu. In this mode, you fight alongside AI companions to defeat up to 10 waves of rogue AI bots. No XP or HC is earned offline, but it's a great place to practice.

Mechs

NEW Mech: Predator

The Predator's Patrick model was originally created to be a successor to the Infiltrator's Boot chassis. Building upon the core systems of the Infiltrator, its engineers found that with the additional load-bearing capabilities of the Class-B frame, they were able to vastly improve the technologies required for full-frame camouflage. These advanced stealth capabilities, coupled with state-of-the-art infra-red visor modifications, have led the Predator to become a favorite amongst pilots for high-profile recon and ambush missions.

“Those Sentium big-wigs tell us we’re expendable assets, and then reprimand us whenever we waste one of their expensive vehicles. What they can't seem to understand is that Prosk has some new technologies that we've just never encountered before. Every time we go out there on a reconnaissance mission, it's like the whole jungle is alive, crawling with those scumbags.”

-C. S. Vince.

Mech Overview:

• Description: Ambush vehicle, specialized in tracking and deadly ambushes.
• Weight: Class-B Medium
• Body Model: Patrick

Ability:

• Name: Stalker
• Description: When Stalker mode is activated, the Predator will become permanently invisible and gain the ability to see through walls. However, overall vision range is greatly reduced. Using any action that generates heat or consumes fuel while in Stalker mode will trigger a Break Cooldown that will cause the ability to deactivate for a short period of time. At the end of the Break Cooldown, the ability will automatically reactivate.

  Taking damage or manually deactivating Stalker Mode will trigger the longer, standard cooldown.

• Ability Statistics
  • Break Cooldown: 3.5 seconds
  • Standard Cooldown: 20 seconds
• Ability Upgrades
  • Rank 1 – Decrease Standard Cooldown by 1 Second
  • Rank 2 – Increase Stalker vision range by 5 Meters
  • Rank 3 – Decrease Standard Cooldown by 3 Seconds
  • Rank 4 – Increase Stalker vision range by 10 Meters
  • Rank 5 – Decrease Break Cooldown by 0.5 Seconds

Primary Weapon

• Name: Breacher
• Function: A chargeable, multi-function cannon.
  • Tapping the fire button fires a FLAK SHOT.
  • Holding down the fire button charges a penetrating RAIL SHOT.
• Weapon Statistics
  • FLAK SHOT:
    • Damage per Shot: 27
    • Heat per Shot: 18
    • Traces per Shot: 6
    • Rate of Fire: 2.0
  • RAIL SHOT
    • Damage per Shot: 100
    • Heat per Shot: 12
    • Rate of Fire: 1.25

Secondary Weapon

• Name: EOC Predator
• Function: Proximity mine trap layer.
  • Fires one mine at a time as opposed to the burst of mines fired by the EOC Repeater.
  • Up to 10 mines can be active at once.
  • Detonate active mines using the middle mouse button.
• Weapon Statistics
  • Damage per Mine: 65
  • Damage per Mine (Direct Hit): 70
  • Heat per Shot: 12
  • Mines per Shot: 1
  • Rate of Fire: 0.94

Alternate Primary Weapon

• Name: T32-Bolt
  • Function: A versatile, quick-loading trinity shotgun. Hold down the fire button to charge.

Prestige Weapon

• Name: EOC Repeater
  • Function: Chain fires explosive pucks that stick to surfaces. Hold down the fire button to charge.

Tuning Modifications Available

• Weapons Loader
• Heatsinks
• Armor
• Boost Thrusters
• Generator
• Hydraulics
• Radar

Starting Item

• Name: ISM Disruptor MK-I
• Function: A large, top-like projectile that explodes, sending out disruptive radio waves that impair vision. The closer a mech is to the shockwave, the longer the effect lasts.
• Item Statistics
  • MK-I
    • Cooldown: 45 seconds
    • Max Duration: 3 seconds
    • Min Duration: 1.5 seconds Min Duration: 1.5 seconds
  • MK-II
    • Cooldown: 45 seconds
    • Max Duration: 4.5 seconds Max Duration: 4 seconds
    • Min Duration: 2.25 seconds Min Duration: 2.25 seconds
  • MK-III
    • Cooldown: 45 seconds
    • Max Duration: 6 seconds Max Duration: 5 seconds
    • Min Duration: 3 seconds Min Duration: 2.8 seconds

Customizations

NEW Chassis Art

• Light Mech Chassis Art
  • Zos Ace
• Medium Mech Chassis Art
  • Res Monkey
• Heavy Mech Chassis Art
  • Bunker Yakuza Demon

NEW Chassis: Patrick (Medium Mech)

NEW Repair Drones

• RD-B00 – Limited Time Rental
• RD-SQD

NEW Thruster

• Cinder

NEW Camouflages

• CLR-SKRA
• CLR-RED
• CLR-BLK

Weapons

• Seeker
  • Decreased heat per shot from 7.63 to 6.75.
  • Increased homing effectiveness from 7,000 to 7,500.
  • Increased lock range from 2 meters to 3 meters.
• Point-D Vulcan
  • Decreased max spread from 0.112 to 0.095.
• Flak Cannon
  • Decreased Heat per Shot from 14.8 to 14
• EOC Repeater
  • Increased heat per shot from 4.625 to 4.92.
  • Decreased EOC damage per mine from 20 to 18.
• Heat Cannon
  • Decreased heat per shot from 18.5 to 13.
  • Increased charged projectile explosion radius from 13 meters to 17.3 meters.
• Reflak
  • Increased ricochet distance from 30 meters to 40 meters.
• Repair Torch
  • Slightly restructured the way this weapon works. Armor reconstruction is significantly less effective while the target is taking damage. Once the target has not taken damage for 2.5 seconds, the reconstruction rate goes back to normal.
  • When target is taking damage, the repair rate on the target has been decreased from 45 to 35.
  • When target is not taking damage, the repair rate on the target has been increased from 45 to 55.
  • Decreased self-repair rate when taking damage from 15 to 10.
  • Increased self-repair rate when not taking damage from 15 to 20.

Developers Note: This is a start to how we want to address and balance the repairing ability of the Technician. By splitting into two values, it allows us to make it effective but at the same time make it easier to overcome the repairing by brute forcing it and out damaging the repairs. This will create more interesting play choices. Stay to fight and risk being nuked down, or take cover and get repaired faster. The current values are what we think feel good right now but it doesn’t mean additional balance changes won't be necessary.

• Hellfire Missiles
  • Adjusted the way Hellfire Missiles predict their target's movement. Quick dodges and high speeds will make them less likely to go crashing into the wall or floor. Players should now see fewer grossly obvious misfires.

Items

NEW Item: ISM Disruptor

• Function: A large top-like projectile that explodes, sending out disruptive radio waves that impair vision. The closer a mech is to the shockwave, the longer the effect lasts.
• Item Statistics
  • MK-I
    • Cooldown: 45 seconds
    • Max Duration: 3 seconds
    • Min Duration: 1.5 secondsMin Duration: 1.5 seconds
  • MK-II
    • Cooldown: 45 seconds
    • Max Duration: 4.5 secondsMax Duration: 4 seconds
    • Min Duration: 2.25 secondsMin Duration: 2.25 seconds
  • MK-III
    • Cooldown: 45 seconds
    • Max Duration: 6 secondsMax Duration: 5 seconds
    • Min Duration: 3 secondsMin Duration: 2.8 seconds

Item Balance

• Rocket Turret MK-II
  • Increased damage from 27 to 32.
• Rocket Turret MK-III
  • Increased damage from 36 to 43.
• Portable Scanner MK-II
  • Increased effective radius from 115.5 meters to 138.6 meters.
• Portable Scanner MK-III
  • Increased effective radius from 138.6 meters to 166.3 meters.
• Radar Scrambler MK-II
  • Increased effective radius from 105 meters to 126 meters.
• Radar Scrambler MK-III
  • Increased effective radius from 126 meters to 151.2 meters.
• Blockade MK-I
  • Increased armor from 350 to 500.
  • Increased duration from 9 seconds to 10 seconds.
• Blockade MK-II
  • Increased armor from 550 to 800.
  • Increased duration from 12 seconds to 13 seconds.
• Blockade MK-III
  • Increased armor from 750 to 1100.
  • Increased duration from 15 seconds to 16 seconds.
• Hologram MK-II
  • Decreased cooldown from 15 seconds to 14 seconds.
• Hologram MK-III
  • Decreased cooldown from 10 seconds to 8 seconds.

Internals

• Light Failsafe
  • Increased damage reduction from 30% to 45%.
• Failsafe
  • Increased damage reduction from 60% to 90%.
• Air Compressor
  • Increased fuel cost of Air Dodge from 6 liters to 10 liters.

Abilities

• All Turret Modes
  • Decreased turn rate by 20%.
• Fortified Turret(Brawler)
  • Slightly restructured the way this ability works. The armor regen is significantly less effective while taking damage. Once the Brawler has not taken damage for 2 seconds, the regen rate goes back to normal.
  • Increased armor per second regen rate from 18 to 20.
  • Decreased armor per second regen rate while taking damage from 18 to 10.
• • Rank 3 and 5 upgrades now give flat bonuses that apply both in and out of combat.

Developers Note: We like the ability and how useful it is. However, it sometime gets out of hand trying to kill one of these mechs. You pretty much need to brute force it to overcome the regeneration rate. By making two states of regeneration, we can balance the ability a bit better. It also creates a bit of strategy when using it. Do I fight and risk getting nuked down or retreat to try to build armor back faster? This in turn, creates strategy on how to play against it as well.

• Vanguard Turret (Vanguard)
  • Rank 5 upgrade reworded to cause less confusion. It now says: “+5% Front Damage Reduction.”
• Targeting Turret (Rocketeer)
  • Rank 5 upgrade reworded to cause less confusion. It now says: “+5% Front Damage Reduction.”
  • Rank 1 upgrade said: "+1.2 m/s Turret Move Speed," but was wrongfully upgrading Transformation Speed.
  • Rank 2 upgrade said: "+7% Transformation Speed," but was wrongfully upgrading Turret Boost Speed.
  • Rank 3 upgrade said: "+2 m/s Turret Boost Speed," but was wrongfully upgrading Turret Move Speed.
• Amplification (Technician)
  • When target is taking damage, the repair rate on the target has been decreased from 130 to 110.
  • When target is not taking damage, the repair rate on the target has been increased from 130 to 150.
  • Decreased self-repair rate when taking damage from 40 to 30.
  • Increased self-repair rate when not taking damage from 40 to 50.
• Weapons Coolant (CR-T Recruit, Assault)
  • Ability now removes all heat when activated while overheated.
• Damage Absorb (Bruiser)
  • Increased base damage absorption from 13% to 50%.
  • Decreased Rank 1 upgrade bonus from 12% to 10%.
  • Increased Rank 5 upgrade bonus from 15% to 20%.
  • Decreased ability duration from 9 seconds to 2 seconds.
  • Decreased cooldown from 70 seconds to 20 seconds.

Developers Note:We really like the Bruiser's ability, but it felt too linear in its old implementation. To make the ability more interesting, we heavily reduced the duration of the ability, but significantly increased the damage reduction during that time. This way, the ability becomes something used to mitigate a short burst of damage, rather than mitigating tons of damage over a long period of time. Now, the user will need to be more strategic in deciding the best time to use it.

• Camouflage (Infiltrator)
  • This ability is now tied to fuel.
  • The ability consumes 6 liters of fuel per second while active.
  • Decreased the cooldown from 70 seconds to 20 seconds.
  • Updated Rank 3 and Rank 5 upgrades to decrease fuel per second cost instead of duration.
    • Rank 3: Decrease Fuel per Second cost to 5.6 liters
    • Rank 5: Decrease Fuel per Second cost to 5 liters

Developers Note: This change makes the ability much more interesting and versatile. Players will be able to stay in the mode much longer if they do not boost. They can infiltrate from much farther away and then boost once they get close to the target. With cooldowns much shorter and tied to a resource, it creates more interesting choices in how to use the ability. It also gives a nice incentive to put tuning points into the Fuel Tank tuning system.

General Improvements

• Ongoing Improvements
  • Optimizations
  • Map Collision
  • Map Environments
  • VFX
  • Animations
  • Textures
  • SFX
  • Basically Everything!
• Oculus Rift
  • Made multiple UI and functionality improvements.
  • Added Oculus Rift options menu. It can be found in the Settings menu under Devices.
  • The F2 and Scroll Lock keys can now be used to center your view.
• UI
  • Made ongoing art updates and polish to all UI menus.

Bugs Fixed

• Players received a "Find Match Failed" error message when attempting to join a friend's match if they were already in a queue. Now, players who attempt to join a friend or accept a game invite while in the matchmaking queue (or being deployed) will receive a prompt asking if they wish to join their friend. Clicking Yes will remove them from their queue or cancel their deployment and connect them to their friend's game instead.
• Crash when game is minimized immediately.
• Soft lock when attempting to view a friend's profile while in the Style section of the Garage.
• Changing resolution and then checking fullscreen/windowed reset resolution.
• Using alt+enter to enter/exit full screen while set to 1920x1080 changes the resolution to 1680x1050.
• Windowed + Maximize not holding settings properly when the window is moved/altered.
• Settings not changing correctly when player changed multiple settings.
• Resolution video option getting reset if you changed the full screen or borderless check boxes.
• New Key Binding window getting stuck open after killcam transition; blocked you from rest of the UI until game was closed.
• Players not informed when they were kicked from a party.
• When matchmaking with party failed, notification read "The Party Leader stopped matchmaking."
• Connection timeout taking longer than expected.
• Fixed a bug where putting tuning points into Radar systems would show walking/running enemies on the radar even when they were not within sight.
• When players left a match after rolling over to a new map, they remained as "Pilot Connecting" on the scoreboard for a long time.
• Team imbalances not being detected when the imbalance occurred before the match started.
• Several issues resulting from players in a party whom switched teams as a result of auto-balancing.
• Auto-balancing logic glitches.
• Issue that caused matchmaking to not be updated properly when a player switched teams due to auto-balancing.
• "Teams are unbalanced" message continuing to loop in game chat after end of matches if teams were imbalanced.
• Logic error that caused leaders of a party that switched teams to be counted twice due to auto-balancing.
• Instances where there could be three teams in a match due to parties.
• Players being dropped from a party when deploying to a match.
• When a member left the party while matchmaking, matchmaking halted and an inaccurate message was displayed.
• The Emergency Broadcast message was displayed when selecting No to a party invite message when that party no longer existed.
• When matchmaking or deployment is cancelled a reason can now be specified that is broadcast to all party members.
• Player was unable to click Play button after being kicked from Party.
• Players could hear the enemy team in voice chat.
• Players being put on the wrong voice channel.
• Switching from windowed to fullscreen caused MC Button to disappear and HC button to move off-center.
• Removed debug text from featured items in Marketplace.
• Quick Match Siege button had an empty scroll bar in larger resolutions.
• Long Hitching/Lag on player death on low-end machines.
• When joining a match in progress, bars for base health displayed as full before players spawned.
• All client logs were filled with garbage.
• Portable Scanner called out repair orbs from dead enemies as enemies.
• Heat Cannon projectile did not always show effects.
• Two copies of destroyed mech models appearing when blown up with an explosive.
• After XP was totalled on the post-match screen, the number for the player's XP total reverted back to the amount the player had at the start of the match.
• Toggle button in the weapons panel of the mech purchase dialog did not show detailed view.
• First card that showed up for a new player and first card after leaving training said "Text."
• Unlocalized text when leaving a party.
• Unlocalized text when a player tried to add a feature in the market.
• Fixed a tooltip on the Earnings panel that said "Blalalalal."
• On the post-match screen, ability icons flashed huge on the Scoreboard tab for one frame just after switching to it, then reverted to their normal size.
• VFX for bullet impacts were blue on Low, yellow on Medium.
• Lots of menu noise when a player first logs in.
• Missile Silos CaptureMesh reference none.
• Firing your TOW and boosting forward at the same time caused the firing animation to play, but the rocket would not actually fire. When you stopped boosting it would then fire the rocket instantly.
• Being able to add two tunings when double click is assigned to a button.
• Mech post-match was not showing total of new XP when finishing the animation.
• Friendly AI bots were getting stuck.
• Repair Cam transition popping.
• Scrollbars showing in matchmaking even when resolution was high enough to not show one.
• Server crashes.
• DirectX crashes.
• Crashes on Origin.
• Scaleform crashes.
• Out of memory crashes on Last Eco.