Meteor Entertainment is working to bring you a new experience in Hawken by releasing a massive update. The update is set to change the way players level up, gain xp and unlock upgrades for both the pilot and the mech. The biggest change is set to happen with player progression giving the player much more control and customisation thus giving better rewards. Some new additions to the game include;
- Parties
- Time based achievements
- Refer a friend system
The new player progression update is being split in two with Mech progression and Pilot progression. This means any XP earned in the game will now go to both the mech and the pilot equally. Both the mech and the pilot will be able to gain levels and from that have more streamlined rewards with levelling. In the original version of the game, each mech must be upgraded individually for players to unlock Pilot skills. Now, a pilot’s progress can be utilized with any underlying Mech they use.
There will be 30 pilot levels and each 10 pilot levels will be in a separate tier. At level 30 pilots will be given global cosmetic unlock to show their hard earn work and show off their level. The tier system is also there to help balance online matches and stop high level players bullying low levels.
Tier 1 – Level 1-10
Tier 2 – Level 11-20
Tier 3 – Level 21-30
Pilot Progression Rewards include
- Additional Optimization Points (one per level)
- Access to new equipment (i.e. Internals and Items)
- Access to higher levels of equipment (i.e. larger slot items and internals)
- Items available in Tier 1 are two slot items
- Items available in Tier 2 are three slot items
- Items available in Tier 3 are four slot items
- Unlocks to specific Mechs to give variety in gameplay
Mech Progression System
Tiers and Upgrades – Mech Progression is broken up into five major Tiers. The process of moving from one Tier to the next is called Upgrading a Mech
- At the start of each Tier, the Mech is granted a number of strong rewards which directly correlate to a Mech’s strength. As the player continues to play with the Mech, it gains XP and eventually gains enough XP to reach the end of that Tier
- At the end of each Tier the Mech is granted a number of rewards and incentive players to move to the next Tier
- When a Mech reaches the end of a specific Tier’s progression, the Mech must be upgraded before it can continue to progress. Upgrading costs HC or MC.
- Any XP gained with the Mech at the end of a Tier is automatically transferred to the XP Overflow Pool. The XP Overflow Pool can then be used for any other Mechs in a players garage. This means that players will continue to accrue useful XP that can be applied to other mechs while playing with their favourite upgraded mechs.
Mech Progression Rewards include:
- New Mechs
- The ability to carry more and larger Items
- The ability to carry more and larger Internals – internal slots now organized in a much easier to use and understand slot system, similar to Diablo’s backpack or Resident Evil 4’s suitcase.
- Access to extreme Optimization options
- Unique visual customizations
- 2-slotted global starting item
Changes for Current HAWKEN Players
Current players will not lose any of their progression. Current players will keep their Internals and Items inventory as they now stand and their unlocked Mechs will keep their progression levels. Pilot XP will be calculated to translate into the new “Player Progression” system.
Player Progression Update Tough Q&A
“What does Player Progression add to HAWKEN?”
The new “Player Progression” update will offer players more control and customization in gameplay and provide more robust rewards for playing. Additionally new features including Parties, time based achievements (global and regional) and “Refer a friend” rewards will be available with the new update.
“How does Player Progression affect new players coming into the game?”
New players of HAWKEN will experience a more rewarding and customizable gameplay experience with the new Player Progression update. As players level up over time new Mechs unlocks, upgrades, items and abilities will be available, offering players a choice to create specialized roles and new gameplay styles.
“What is XP Overflow?”
When a Mech reaches the end of a specific Tier’s progression the Mech must be upgraded before it can continue to progress. Upgrading costs HC or MC. Any XP gained with the Mech at the end of a Tier is automatically transferred to the XP Overflow Pool. The XP Overflow Pool can be used on other Mechs or Pilot Progression upgrades. If a player decides not to upgrade their Mech to the next Tier, the excess XP will continue to accumulate into the XP Overflow Pool and can be used on any other unlocked Mech available.
You can see the Hawken Face Sheet over at Play Hawken written by the producer.
Also coming in the new update is a new jungle match and updated HUD design. Have a look at the images below.
What do you think of the new update? Are you going to play now because of the update? Let us know what you think in the comments below.