MechWarrior Online update adds three mechs, one map, and much more

Mechwarrior Online has been updated with a huge pile of new content.

The major drawcard of this update is Conquest Mode, which populates a map with five capture points and awards points over time for holding territory.

Piranha has given rewards a bit of a shake up, so that trial mechs give the same number of C-Bills as regular mechs, and a new Cadet Bonus offers extra cash to new players; having completed 25 matches, cadets will have earned an additional bonus of just under 8 million C-Bills. Veterans will receive this amount as a lump sum.

Assault wins are now worth 25,000 C-Bills and losses grant 10,000, while kills give 5,000; destroyed components offer 2,500; assists give 7,500; and spots award 2,000. It should bee easuier to earn some oft hese, too, as damage has been increased 25 fold.

Two new Hero Mechs have arrived - the Twin Dragons. One is designed for close range, and the other for distance, making them a formidable team. The Dragon DRG-FLAME has a medium laser, AC/2, LRM-5 and an ER Large laser. The Dragon DRG-FANG has two medium lasers, an SRM 6 and an AC/10.

The newest standard mech is the Stalker. It weighs in at 85 tons and is an assault type with five variants, all of which have "bull-hooves for feet and more missile and energy slots than you can shake a stick at".

To mark the holiday, Pianha has also added a bunch of New Year's Eve cockpit items: 3050 Balloons, 3050 Banner, Ice Bucket, Classy Mech, Holo Year, Champagne, Hat.

A new map has been added, too - River City Night, a new version of the MMO's first urban map.

Finally, projectile speed of all ballistic weapons except the gauss and AC/2 has been increased, and Piranha has made a bunch of performance fixes. See the full patch notes for more information.