Patch Review: August, 2014

Welcome back, my friends, for another candid take on the state of the game that we like to call Patch Review.  Here we are, another month rolled by.  Oh, but so very many new things added this month.

August saw a lot of neat features come into play, and a few new Hero 'mechs as well.  A lot of folks have been waiting a long time for a couple of these new toys to put in the sandbox.  I think here in the second month of irregular patches we might have seen the end of 2-week patch intervals until the entire CW project is rolled out.

Patch Notes:  August 5th, 2014

Well, the Battlemaster Hero "Hellslinger" and a Kintaro Champion 'mech in this patch.  However, I was made very happy by this patch...my Spiders now have full visual customization!  Also, the "Target Destroyed" feature is nice.  Good things all around at the start of the month.

Patch Notes:  August 19th, 2014

Well.  Module changes were the big news here for me.  I had a field day with my 40+ 'mechs.  Also, at some point they slipped in a Spider Hero 'mech...something I had dearly wanted.  So...I got one.  I like the Anansi, it's a bit of a hybrid betwixt some of the other Spider variants.

Yeah, the Vindicator hero came out too.  Too bad I can never buy one - something about it's name was dirty and distasteful.  I forget exactly what it was called...

Patch Notes:  August 26th, 2014

Yesterday, the Community Warfare module dropped.  It's interesting, but it's not yet ready for the Gatekeepers.  It's all mercenaries, though...and we fight for something other than C-Bills.  Let those without honor warm the waters for us - we'll wait for our proper faction, thank you.

Other than that, looks good to me these days.  However - there were so many things wrong with the Liao faction challenge I can't begin to count them.  Numero Uno was the fact they made us drop solo - for 50 wins - if we wanted to complete the challenge.  That's truly bothersome, but oh well.

However, I will say that after spending that 6.5 million C-Bills (so quick I didn't notice it) on what seemed like very little ... it probably wasn't worth the effort.  In the future, these challenges will have to have some serious prizes to demand 50 solo wins from us.  I mean, let's face it - it's entirely random if you will win or lose in a public solo drop.

That's enough from me this month.  I'll see you in Actual, Gatekeepers.

This Clan Thing is Over

Coming this week, the first Community Warfare module will be dropping on us.  Many of you have been concerned how this is going to work for us, and rightly so.  We're not sure what the future holds, but I can tell you one thing:  our loyalty to the Confederation will gleam quite brightly, even if we are the only ones who are keeping track of such things.

PGI is not allowing us (at first) to create anything other than a Mercenary unit.  That means no proper Liao faction, only faction mercenaries.  As you all know, we are not mercenaries and we do not hire them.  That also means that we will not whore ourselves out as mercenaries to our own faction.  House Liao Gatekeepers remain proud, and so will not be participating in Community Warfare Module 1.

Yet that doesn't mean we won't be taking part in Community Warfare.  Far from it, actually - but we will wait until we can wear proper faction badges and fight not as mercenaries, but as patriots.  We will discuss more of it then, but one thing I can assure you is that CW will cost a great deal of C-Bills.

Let's get on with the point of this entry.

Clan 'mechs are no longer an option in Company Practice or Competition.  No reason to practice with them if you cannot use them with us in CW.  I'll take that one step further - the Zhong-Shao doesn't want to see ANY Clan 'mechs AT ALL when you are in a group with him.  Other officers can do as they wish in the public drops, but they are encouraged to discourage using any Clan 'mech.

None of these are House Liao or even Inner Sphere.

I understand a handful of us have bought the Clan packages.  To you, I say I'm sorry it has to be this way.  Blame PGI and their ham-fisted money grab.

Nobody wanted a Gold anything.

We will focus on the 'mechs that have brought us this far.  Our skill in these, using our formations and maneuvers, has increased exponentially since they were made our 'official' 'mechs.  We will be expanding the overall number of 'mechs we are looking at to include more mediums and lights as well.

The Pain Train is still valid, and HBK-4G's are king of that maneuver.

All in all, don't be sad.  PGI has announced you can't use the Clan 'mechs in CW...and that seems to be what most members want to focus on.  So take a deep breath, and let them go.

Your options aren't very manifold.

1. Sell your Clan 'mechs for C-Bills.
2. Hide them in your mechbay from the officer cadre.
3. Refrain from CW (not really an option).
4. Drop faction and join a Clan.

It's time to turn our disdain for this whole situation on it's nose and make it work for us.  Get mad!  Kill those filthy Clanners and their cursed machines!

For the Chancellor and the Confederation!

House Liao is the choice of true patriots.

Lance Tactics: Engagement

In our series of articles so far, we've explored how we build and refer to lances.  Many of the individual 'mech designations have their own lance tactics, focusing on that particular type of loadout and playing to it's strengths.  Examples are Front Line lances or Fire Support lances, wherein multiple 'mechs with the same build guidelines execute specific battlefield missions.  Today we explore the last the formations we will be training in, the ubiquitous Engagement lance.

What is an Engagement lance?  There are no 'mechs listed as Engagement, not according to the Tactical Manual.  Simply put, an Engagement lance is a group of battlemechs that either has an eclectic blend of weapons, or a lance that has predominately Hunter-Killer or Close Support 'mechs in any configuration.

In our original lance build article from last year, we mentioned Hunter-Killer lances as a basic lance type.  Hunter-Killer lances are now folded into the Engagement category for ease of reference.  Below, we explore several possible Engagement lance formations and how to employ them on the battlefield.

Lance / Mission Types

• Close Support Lance
• Consists of 3-4 Close Support Engagement 'mechs and up to 1 supporting Recon or Fire Support 'mech.
• Missions Range:  Ambuscade and Point Attack
• Hunter-Killer Lance
• Consists of 3-4 Hunter-Killer 'mechs, with up to 1 supporting Recon, Close Support or Fire Support 'mech.
• Mission Range:  Ambuscade, Point Attack and Reaction.
• Escort Lance
• Consists of 1 Heavy or Assault Fire Support or Front Line 'mech with 2-3 Close Support Escorts and up to 1 supporting Recon or Hunter-Killer 'mech.
• Mission Range:  Ambuscade, Escort Detail, Point Attack and Reaction
• Attack Lance
• Any arrangement not falling into one of the above categories that contains at least 2 Close Support or Hunter-Killer 'mechs with no more than 1 of any other type of battlemech.  Attack lances are designated as such only when it cannot be classed anywhere else.
• Mission Range:  Any

Mission Details

• Ambuscade
• Close Support
• Unit waits at a grid point, covered by friendly ECM and guarded by the rest of the company.  Unit attacks on command once enemy engages at Close Range.
• Hunter-Killer
• Unit waits at a grid point, covered by friendly ECM and guarded by the rest of the company.  Unit attacks on command once enemy engages at Close Range, focusing on target weight class.
• Escort
• Unit bands around the heavy / assault 'mech (the Escort) to protect it.  The Escort (usually a Front Line or Missile Artillery Battery in this configuration) remains hidden until ordered into combat, but the Escort Detail focuses on any 'mechs within that approach within 500m, especially enemy Recon or Close Support units closing on the Escort.
• Escort Detail
• Escort
• Unit bands around the heavy / assault 'mech (the Escort) to protect it.  The Escort is a military asset and will either support the Front Line or remain behind our lines to bombard with missiles.  Direct Fire 'mechs are unsuitable to be The Escort in this configuration.  The Escort calls targets during combat, but the Escort Detail focuses on any 'mechs within 500m, especially enemy Recon or Close Support units closing on the Escort.
• Point Attack
• Close Support
• Unit moves into called grid attack zone on command, as the second wave behind a Front Line lance or Front Line Escort lance.  Unit coordinates fire to bring down closest threats to the formation.  Unit must remain in attack zone (grid) and not pursue enemies unless ordered.
• Hunter-Killer
• Unit moves into called grid attack zone on command, either from a flank or as the second or third wave of a frontal attack.  Unit coordinates fire to bring down lights attempting to disrupt the attack formation.  Unit must not pursue enemies outside of the called grid unless ordered.
• Escort
• Unit moves into called grid attack zone on command, and conducts attacks according to the type of Escort and the 'mechs in the detail.  In Company formation, this will always be a Front Line or Fire Support Escort.  Front Line Escort Details move into an area to secure it, coordinating fire with the Escort.  Fire Support Escort Details move into an area where the Escort can deliver it's payload, while the 'mechs in the detail avoid incoming fire and intercept 'mechs attacking the Escort.
• Reaction
• Hunter-Killer
• Unit waits in a called grid or within company formation with the other lances.  Unit protects the other lances from Disruptors, Vultures and other Hunter-Killers while the other lances deliver damage.  Reaction units will also double as Point Attack lances during pushes, but the main objective is the destruction of enemy lights near or among our own formations.

Now that we have defined the parameters of all our lance types and designations, we'll begin to show how we can use them within a company.  We'll publish a sort of "cheat sheet" for designations and missions to show how commanders can use the Tactical Manual to put together new and inventive strategies in short order.  So, while this is the last of the main lance types we will explore in Exomecha Tactica it's literally just the beginning for the House Liao Strategos.

Whether or not you agree with the above tactics and strategies, these are the ones we will be practicing and employing on the battlefield.  If you feel something should be changed, bring it up in the Command Tower with your superior officers.  However, many of your concerns can be assuaged by changing the designation of your lances, and the configuration of the 'mechs within it according to the material put forth in our Tactical Manual.

It's time to get serious about this nomenclature and the use of our tactical and strategic material.  For the time being we will focus on what has already been published, but rest assured we have much more for you to consider.  House Liao is far from over.  Together, we will build a powerful and disciplined Gatekeepers Battalion.  

Patch Review: July 2014

Well, just like the last time it's been a moment since we've last reviewed the state of the game in a segment we call "Patch Review".  I've been super busy here at home, but we've managed to keep the reviews coming at least once per month.  If you're interested in being our Patch Review correspondent, Contact Maskirovka or otherwise let me know and we'll be able to double down on the amount of content we can offer our members.  In any case, on to the first of three (yes, three) patches we had during the month of July.

July 02, 2014 Patch Notes

So we're going to hit the highlights.  The big thing early this last month was the new matchmaker.  While I think it has done a great thing for group drops and the community at large, the solo queue should now be known as the "hide behind a rock" queue.  Here's hoping it won't be too hard to get new players in, despite the wall this has erected.

Fall damage is now scaled according to 'mech weight class and falling speed.  This is a nice change, with the jump jet changes from June.  The only other item besides bug fixes that bears thought is the addition of targeting computer and command console functionality...which to this date we still haven't really experimented much with.  Expect more data on future Intramecha Tactica entries.

July 16, 2014 Patch Notes

The patch here was mostly bug fixes, but it did serve as a second stage patch for a lot of other systems.  First the "Rejoin" button was enabled, allowing us to recover from losing a pilot on connection to a game.  As well as this, Clan LRMs now scale damage to 180m.  That is to say, they don't do full damage until 180m of flight.

Jump Jet heat was enabled as well.  I actually felt this one, shutting down a few times in one of my rather sprightly Spiders.  It took a a moment to get used to, but after a few matches I was good to go.  The rest of this patch worked a lot of bugs that had cropped up since the 2nd of July.

July 29, 2014 Patch Notes

Big changes to the module system, and a few others.  Other than the matchmaker patch earlier this month, this patch has the potential to be the one to really be noticeable in the game.  Modules are now split into three categories, and what do you know?  Only one of my configurations was deemed unacceptable.

The Clans now have weapon range modules as well, and since weapon modules have their own category now there may be a reason to install them on your 'mechs now.  However, I really can't think of something you could spend 3 million C-Bills on that's less useful than a weapon module - nevermind the GXP.

Auto-Refill is a blessing, and the implementation is a nice fit.  It's kinda been something we've been waiting for a long time though, so it's more of a relief than anything else.  Still good to be getting these things we've been waiting a while for.

A few IS 'mechs were given interesting quirks.  I like the armor boost on the Centurions and the increased gun protection for Hunchbacks especially, but now I'm going to be taking my Dragons for a spin to check out that ballistic buff.  Good ol' Inner Sphere 'mechs.

That's enough from me this month.  Overall, the game looks and feels a lot better than it did just last month.  The guys at PGI must be working hard, since we've started to see some real improvement over the last few weeks.  They have their work cut out for them, since we are all eagerly waiting to see what happens in the next few months.  See you in Actual.

ISC League Preparation

No more Friendly Kittens.

We've come a long way, Gatekeepers.

As a battalion, we're well along the road to being what we set out to be.  The team has really come together since our company level practices begin, and even now we still have more than a full battalion of pilots loyal to Liao and to our vision for the future.  Just to be clear, we want to be more active in a broad spectrum of competitive events, not the least of which will be the fabled Community Warfare of MWO itself.

You may have noticed a tightening of direction in the last two weeks.  This is because the battle for the Inner Sphere has begun in earnest.  We are now a part of the Inner Sphere Coalition League.  ISC rules can be found here.  Start date for the League is July 21st.  From now on, you may notice a more military simulation (milsim) feel to company level drops on Fridays and Saturdays.  That is to say, we are going to be conducting military operations, not playing a video game.

I will submit a final roster to the ISC this Friday night.  This roster will include everyone who is a Gatekeeper of Sao-Wei rank or higher.  I salute you, Gatekeepers.  This week is the last training before the war truly begins.

So, this brings us to our now stricter selection of who we allow to drop with us.  Only pilots either sworn to the Gatekeepers or actively seeking recruitment will be allowed to drop on our TS or in our lances, for a great many reasons which I am sure you are all aware of.  This is non-negotiable.

In addition, the Liao flag means something to us.  We have a monumental task set ahead of us if we ever want to wipe the stain of the "goons" from memory, and give House Liao a better name for all time.  No more flip-floppers, no more cross-unit pollenization.  Only united under one banner will we succeed.  I ask you to put aside your differences, and put your lives on the line under Gatekeeper Command not only for the glory of House Liao, but for the continued resistance of Davion oppression and terrorism on the Fringe.

Purvo Actual is open to all Liao players, but consider connecting to TS your application.  Only those actively seeking recruitment will be allowed to stay, as stated previously.  Also, House Liao is now a more "hardcore" unit focused on winning military engagements through group strategy and practiced tactics.  Casual players are welcome, but will still be asked to formally join the unit if they wish to continue with the Gatekeepers.

I'd like to hear more opinions on this shift.  Some people want to be more competitive than others, but I think all of our players like the idea of prevailing over a well-disciplined enemy team, time and again.  To that end, we have adopted the milsim structure, albeit loosely.  Some people have expressed distressed on the way were handling one thing or the other in the shift, but everyone I talk to personally generally wants the team to be more competitive.

As far as how it stands now, the vast majority of Gatekeepers seem to support the shift.  We used to be casual.  They asked for more.  We're no longer casual.  I understand if that turns folks off, but again - no need to actually play in competition matches to drop with the Gatekeepers, as long as you are a Gatekeeper.

New Gatekeeper Action Items

Greetings, Gatekeepers.  We've had a large influx of new recruits, and a few of them have been sworn into the battalion proper as Sao-Wei of the Liao Cháng-Chéng.  Rather than have to go over what achieving that rank affords you, the Command Tower thinks it best if we put all the info that newly minted Gatekeepers may need in one spot.  So, let's go over it.

You are entitled to have your personal nameplate put up on the Battalion Information tab.  This nameplate can be used as a MWO forum signature as well.  Submit to the Zhong-Shao a photo you'd like used on your nameplate, either in email or just a link in the TS.  Try to find a photo that can has a strong focal point, as the final resolution will only be 55 pixels tall to conform with the forum's allotted space.  Once you've got the URL for your nameplate, take a moment and sound off in our official Recruitment Nexus on the forum and sport that new bling, as well as give a strong show of support for the Gatekeepers Battalion.

The Gatekeepers are an RP unit, pretty hard.  You don't have to keep up with the RP if that's not your thing, but if you'd like to see your MechWarrior "character" represented in the ongoing Gatekeepers narrative you should supply us with a few items.  First, we ask for two adjectives to describe your MechWarrior, such as "loyal" or "mischievous" - just a few descriptors to guide our writers in portraying you in the text.  Also, members can have specific jobs in the battalion for the purposes of the RP narrative.  Although certainly "MechWarrior" is listed for most members, some are given nifty positions like "medic" or "technician".

We'll also need to get your preferred 'mech type (according to the Tactical Manual designations) and preferred weight class.  You won't be guaranteed this spot on any particular drop, but it will aid our officers in setting up lances for both drills and actual sorties.  This information is general types - for instance: (Direct Fire Support / Assault) or (Close Support / Medium) - not specific 'mechs.

The Zhong-Shao will also need an email to contact you with.  All members should have a Facebook account to interact with the House Liao Facebook, but it's optional for Sao-Wei.  It is a useful tool, and if you are otherwise averse to Facebook you can create an account in your MWO MechWarrior's name for no other reason than to keep up with the Keepers.

With all of that complete, you're on the upper-deck, soldier.  Welcome to the Gatekeepers.  We're probably too into this, but it's not just a game.  It's a lifestyle.