MECHWARRIOR 2 31ST CENTURY COMBAT: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Last Updated on Monday, August 14, 1995 TABLE OF CONTENTS: ABOUT THE MECHWARRIOR 2 FAQ QUICK SOLUTIONS : TOP 6 QUESTIONS ANSWERED INSTALLATION --Minimum System Requirements --Memory Requirements --Crashes During Installation --Operating Systems --Disk Compression --Uninstalling MechWarrior 2 LOCK-UPS/CRASHES PERFORMANCE VIDEO -- What Is A VESA Driver? AUDIO --Miles Design Audio Drivers --Common Questions INPUT DEVICES -- Mouse -- Joystick NETWORK AND MODEM DEMO -- Network -- Null Modem -- Modem GAME PLAY QUESTIONS ONLINE REGISTRATION CONTACTING CUSTOMER SERVICE CREDITS VENDOR LIST ABOUT THE MECHWARRIOR 2 FAQ This is the MechWarrior 2 Update document discussed in the Install Guide. In this document, we will attempt to explain in detail the various tips, tricks and troubleshooting techniques we have learned during our rather exhaustive test period to really get this game to sing. MechWarrior 2 is a state of the art simulator. As such it is subject to very specific needs in order to run on the average PC. One of the first things that you should be aware of is that you may experience problems with the program that are not covered in this document. That is why we have assigned a team of testers to continually update this document. Any issues that we become aware of after the program is released will be covered in newer updates each week. This file will be made widely available on all of the online services we currently support. It will only be available via the online methods listed below and under Customer Service. The majority of the feedback on our programs is coming from our Website, the Internet and information services like Microsoft Network, America On-Line, Prodigy, CompuServe and our Bulletin Board System. We felt that the easiest way to get the maximum amount of information to our users would be via this text file that can be downloaded from these services (Prodigy excluded). If you have a problem with MechWarrior 2, or if there is something in the manual that is not covered, we will try to cover it here. Keep those comments and suggestions coming. We hope this will help to decrease the level of frustration many users feel when they encounter difficulties with a new program under DOS. If you really like MechWarrior 2, we would really appreciate it if you would write to us, or your favorite games magazine and let them know. Positive and negative comments are appreciated, since they help us to learn what you like and don't like! One point we want to make before we proceed -- you should read the Codes and Procedures manual, the Install Guide and this file to understand the features and usage of MechWarrior 2. Many customers can save themselves some time and money by just reading the information provided before calling for assistance. We love hearing from you and we are always happy to help, but we would appreciate it if you would try this before calling, as it allows us more time to research other issues involving MechWarrior 2 and to help customers who need help with issues not covered here. QUICK SOLUTIONS : TOP 6 QUESTIONS ANSWERED Q: I get a "Fatal Error #29" message when I try to launch a mission. A: Try the following: 1: Remove Smartdrive and all other disk caching utilities in the Config.sys and Autoexec.bat. Also disable any caching switches in your CD-ROM driver line in the system files. 2: Try disabling either the joystick or the mouse...one may be conflicting with the other. (press [ESC] in the shell and edit your cockpit control screen). 3: Try using the UNIVBE VESA driver instead of the one that came with your video card. This is available for downloading from our Activision BBS or any of our on-line locations. Refer to the "Contacting Customer Support" section for details. 4: Try disabling the MIDI music. 5: Update your mouse, video and VESA drivers. Newer drivers are often available from your hardware manufacturer. 6: Delete current installation, scan the hard drive for bad sectors and/or viruses, and re-install the game. Q: When I type "MECH2" to run the game, the computer freezes at a blank screen, reboots, or locks up and starts beeping . How do I fix this? A: Follow these troubleshooting steps in order until you find the problem: 1. Make sure you have disabled SMARTDRV or any other disk cache 2. Try running without a memory manager (including EMM386 and QEMM) 3. Make sure your VESA driver is loaded correctly...refer to video section for information. 4. Make sure you have a mouse driver loaded for DOS. 5. Try making a boot disk as outlined under the ÒMEMORYÓ section of this document. 6. Run the MW2SETUP program in the \Mech2 directory and select "No MIDI Music" and "No Digital Audio" under Configuring Sound Devices. ...if this works, refer to audio section for more help. 7. Try deleting the game and reinstalling, or try a different size installation. Q: My computer freezes after completing the 1st mission. What can I do? A: Try these solutions, one of them should help you. 1: Eject and reinsert CD. 2: Disable joystick by going to the Controller Configuration screen by pressing the [ESC] key in the Clan Hall and selecting "Controller Configuration". 3: Disable SMARTDRV or any other disk caching utilities. 4: Run the game without a memory manager. 5: Try disabling MIDI music. Q: My computer has 8 megs of RAM, but I cannot free enough memory to run game. A: In order to run MechWarrior 2, you need over 6.8 MB of free exteneded memory. 1: We first recommend running the Boot Disk-maker utililty supplied with the game. Please read the MW2INFO.TXT file (in Mech2 directory) for instructions on how to create and optimize your bootdisk. 2: Remove Smartdrve and any other caching utilities. This will free a mininum of one megabyte. 3: When using MS-DOS 6.x and loading EMM386.EXE, you will need to have EMS size set to NOEMS. See your DOS manual for information on how to do this. 4: Disable any cache on your CD-ROM driver by removing the switch. Refer to the CD-ROM documentation for more information. Q: I am having trouble using the Cockpit controls. How do I use it? A: You can access the Cockpit Controls from anywhere in the game except the simulator (where you are actually in battle.) Press ESC and you'll see a menu with a number of choices. With your mouse, choose Cockpit Controls. From here, you can select which controllers you will be using. Selected controllers are in red, unselected in white, and disabled controllers will show up in grey after four controllers are made active. Remember that you can select a controller even if it isn't present in your system. Make sure that you are only selecting one type of joystick. If you are using a joystick, you might want to deselect the mouse.. To define your own set of controls, choose the controllers you want to use and click on Custom Configuration. In the Custom Configuration, you can edit the current controls or load a pre-defined set of controls. Four pre-defined sets of controls are provided for you when the game is installed. You can save your custom set of controls by choosing one of the Save Custom entries representing each of the four configuration save slots available. They are located below the load slots on the left of the screen. You can assign fuctions of the current controllers to any of the game functions displayed in the center of the screen. Keep in mind that you can assign up to four ways to access any of these game functions. You can access alternate configurations for the current set by clicking on the words "Primary Controls" at the top of the screen. This will change to "Secondary Controls", "Tertiary Controls", "Quaternary Controls", and back to primary. This is a major source of controller problems since command can conflict with each other. A common problem is that the Turret L/R are configured by the user for the Thrustmaster L/R on the flightstick, while the original settings are still active on the tertiary and quaternary pages of the default config. This causes a conflict in the controls where the turret and chassis are controlled by both the L/R of the stick and the L/R of the rudder pedals (using the Thrustmaster system as an example.) When customizing a control for a keyboard operation, click on keyboard on the upper left hand corner of the screen. This will bring up a list of available keyboard keys on the bottom right. Available keys show up in white, unavailable keys in grey. Since there are more keys than can be displayed, there are scrolling arrows provided for you to browse through the keys on the keyboard. The other controllers won't have these arrows since their controls will fit on the screen. Q: In the NetMech Demo, only 1 player is able to get into the simulation, the other is stuck at the "Launch Screen". The player that is in the sim can see the stuck player's 'Mech. How can I get around this? A: This is usually a conflict with the joystick: Try playing without the joystick selected in the "Cockpit Controls" screen. Q: My joystick won't calibrate correctly. It seems to have a "drift" effect. How do I correct this? A: Try the following: 1) Re-calibrate the joystick. Make sure that you wait for the dot to appear before proceeding with the joystick calibration. 2) Adjust your joysticks trin controls (if it has them.) You'll find these on the base of the joystick. 3) Use a dedicated game card (available at most major computer dealers) and disable all other game ports on your computer. INSTALLATION --Minimum System Requirements This is the minimum hardware configuration required to run MechWarrior 2. If you do not meet every one of these minimums, the game will most likely not operate correctly. Please make sure you meet these requirements: IBM PC or 100% compatible 486DX2/66 MHz processor 8 MB RAM (7 MB of free Extended memory) Double-speed CD-ROM drive (300K/sec transfer rate) Hard disk drive with 45 MB of un-compressed space available VESA Local Bus (VLB) or PCI video 256 color SVGA (640 x 480) MS-DOS 6.0 100% Microsoft® compatible mouse and driver 100% Sound Blaster compatible sound card (Digital and FM/MIDI audio) --Memory Requirements MechWarrior 2 requires a minimum 8 MB of system memory (RAM), with at least 7 MB of FREE extended memory. On some machines, even if you have the required 8 MB, MechWarrior 2 may report that you do not have enough free extended or conventional memory. If this is the case, your best alternative is to create a boot disk. See the "Making A Boot Disk" section of this section for more information on creating a boot disk. NOTE: The Install Guide mentions that the installer for MechWarrior 2 requires 500K of free memory to run. This is incorrect. The installer will work in 400K or more of memory. --Insufficient Memory Q: My computer has 8 megs of RAM, but I cannot free enough memory to run game. A: In order to run MechWarrior 2, you need over 6.8 MB of free exteneded memory. 1: We first recommend running the Boot Disk-maker utililty supplied with the game. Please read the MW2INFO.TXT file (in Mech2 directory) for instructions on how to create and optimize your bootdisk. 2: Remove Smartdrve and any other caching utilities. This will free a mininum of one megabyte. 3: When using MS-DOS 6.x and loading EMM386.EXE, you will need to have EMS size set to NOEMS. See you DOS manual for information on how to do this. 4: Disable any cache on your CD-ROM driver by removing the switch. Refer to the CD-ROM documentation for more information. ---Making A Boot Disk--- If you experience problems playing MechWarrior 2 or receive messages that you do not have enough memory to play, you will probably need to create a boot disk. A boot disk lets your machine boot from a floppy disk and will not load memory-eating programs, freeing more memory up for MechWarrior 2. ---Letting MW2 Make One For You--- We have included an option that will automatically create boot disks for you in this package. To create a boot disk, first go to the \MECH2 directory. For example if you installed MechWarrior 2 to C:\MECH2, you would type 'CD MECH2' and press [ENTER]. Then type MW2SETUP and press [ENTER]. Select "Make a Boot Disk". Follow the on-screen prompts, and the program will create a boot disk for you. Still not enough memory? Sometimes even a boot disk creator can't get you past the memory limit required to run a program. In the event you find our automatic boot disk creator doesn't do the job, we have provided the following sample CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files to assist you in getting MechWarrior 2 up and running quickly. ---Creating Your Own--- If you are starting from scratch to create a boot disk, start at Step 1. If you have already used the automatic boot disk creation utility in the MechWarrior 2 installer, start at Step 3. NOTE: In the examples below, the text shown is exactly that, examples. Your system may vary as to the path names used in your PATH statement or to find files or the installed directory of a certain driver. It is best to use our boot disk maker and then edit the resulting boot disk to your satisfaction, leaving only the bare minimum of TSRs needed to run MechWarrior 2. Step 1: Place a diskette in your A: drive. The next step will destroy any data on the disk, so a brand new blank floppy disk should be used. Make sure that the disk is the same density as the drive (Use a 1.44 MB disk in a High Density 3.5" drive, etc.). Step 2: At the C: prompt, type FORMAT A: /S and press [ENTER]. The DOS Format utility will format the disk and add the necessary DOS files required to boot from the floppy disk. Step 3: Change to drive A by typing A: and pressing [ENTER]. Then type EDIT CONFIG.SYS and press [ENTER]. The DOS Edit program will appear. If you used our Boot Disk maker then just make sure these lines, or similar lines, in the [CONFIG.SYS] example below, are in your CONFIG.SYS file and type REM and a space in front of all other lines not listed. If you are making your own Boot Disk manually, then type in the lines following [CONFIG.SYS] in the example below. When you are finished typing the lines, press ALT-F to bring up the File menu, and then press X to Exit the DOS Edit program. When it asks you if you want to save your file, choose Yes. [CONFIG.SYS] DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS DOS=UMB FILES=40 BUFFERS=15,0 STACKS=9,256 DOS=HIGH DEVICEHIGH=C:\CDROMDRV\D011V109.SYS /D:MSCD000 In the CONFIG.SYS file shown above, replace the last line in the example with the line from your current CONFIG.SYS file on drive C: that runs your CD-ROM drivers. It is important that you use your CD-ROM line and not our example, otherwise your CD-ROM drive will not function properly. You may also have special lines in your C:\CONFIG.SYS file that help your sound card to function properly. It is very important that you copy those lines into this new file on A: so your sound card will work. Place the appropriate lines from your CONFIG.SYS file at the end of the example shown above. Step 4: Type EDIT AUTOEXEC.BAT and press [ENTER]. The DOS Edit program will appear. If you used our Boot Disk maker then just make sure these lines, or similar lines, in the [AUTOEXEC.BAT] example below, are in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and type REM and a space in front of all other lines not listed. If you are making your own Boot Disk manually, then type in the lines following [AUTOEXEC.BAT] in the example below. When you are finished typing the lines, press ALT-F to bring up the File menu, and then press X to Exit the DOS Edit program. When it asks you if you want to save your file, choose Yes. [AUTOEXEC.BAT] @ECHO OFF PROMPT $P$G SET PATH=C:\DOS;C:\VIDCARD;C:\SNDCARD LH C:\DOS\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD000 SET SOUND=C:\SBPRO SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 T4 C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.EXE C: CD\MECH2 MECH2 In the AUTOEXEC.BAT file shown above, you would replace line 4 with the line from your current AUTOEXEC.BAT file on drive C: that loads your CD-ROM drivers. It is important that you use your CD-ROM line and not our example, otherwise your CD-ROM drive will not function properly. You may also have special lines in your C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT file that help your sound card to function properly. It is very important that you copy those lines into this new file on A: so your sound card will work. Replace the examples on lines 5 and 6 with the appropriate lines from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. Additionally, if your graphics card requires a VESA driver it should go here as well. (See the following section on VESA video drivers.) Step 5: Reboot your system with the boot disk still in drive A. The game should start and everything should be working properly. NOTE: Once this boot disk is finished and functioning properly, and if you still do not have enough memory free, use it to boot up your system and then run the DOS MEMMAKER utility with the boot disk in the drive. MEMMAKER will ensure that you have squeezed every little bit of RAM out of the boot disk. Run the DOS command MEM before and after running MEMMAKER to see what kind of memory increase you get from this step. --Common Questions Q: Is MechWarrior 2 compatible with QEMM operating in Stealth mode? A: If you are running QEMM in Stealth mode, MechWarrior 2 may fail to recognize your VESA driver built into the video card BIOS. In order to correct this problem you will need to run in Frame Mode as opposed to Page Mode. To do this, change the "ST:M" parameter in your QEMM statement to "ST:F". See your QEMM manual for more information on how to do this. We actually recommend that you do not run QEMM in Stealth mode while playing MechWarrior 2. Q: Do I need Expanded memory for MechWarrior 2? A: No. MechWarrior 2 uses Extended memory to cache it's data. Q: How do I create a boot disk with Stacker or DoubleSpace? A: Before we explain the solution to this issue, we would like to point out that MechWarrior 2 DOES NOT support the use of disk compression software. If you must run MechWarrior 2 on a compressed drive, you will most likely experience performance problems, and there are no solutions other than using a non-compressed drive. Stacker version 3.0 and earlier require certain drivers to be loaded in the CONFIG.SYS file in order to mount the compressed hard drive. When creating a boot disk with Stacker 3.0 and earlier you must include two lines in the CONFIG.SYS file. The exact path is dependent upon where you installed Stacker on your hard disk, but here we will provide the path for the default installation of Stacker. The two lines needed in your CONFIG.SYS file are: DEVICE=C:\STACKER\STACKER.COM C:\STACVOL.DSK DEVICE=C:\STACKER\SSWAP.COM C:\STACVOL.DSK These lines will load Stacker and mount your compressed drive when booting from the boot disk. DoubleSpace/DriveSpace and Stacker 3.1 or later do not require that lines be added in the CONFIG.SYS file as they copy hidden files to the boot disk when using the "SYS A:" or "FORMAT A: /S" command. Make a boot disk according to the normal instructions for creating a boot disk as discussed above. If you do not feel comfortable creating a boot disk under Stacker or DoubleSpace, contact STAC Electronics or Microsoft for technical support. --Crashes During Installation-- Q: The MechWarrior 2 install program crashes. Why? A: This is probably a conflict with a loaded memory resident program. Try making a boot disk as per the instructions in this file. Ignore the "Bad Command or Filename" message that appears when using the boot disk for installation. Also try running the INSTALL program with no mouse driver loaded. See your mouse manual for information on disabling the mouse. --Operating Systems-- -----OS/2----- Q: Will MechWarrior 2 run under OS/2? A: We have tested MechWarrior 2 under a DOS session in OS/2 but it did not work properly. OS/2 is not supported by Activision Studios at this time. If you have OS/2 and are able to run MechWarrior 2 under MS-DOS but not under OS/2, please call IBM Technical Support. -----PC DOS----- Q: Is MechWarrior 2 compatible with PC-DOS? A: MechWarrior 2 is verified compatible under MS-DOS based computers. However, successful (but not extensive) testing has been conducted on PC-DOS 7.0 based systems, so proceed at your own risk. -----Windows 3.1x----- Q: Will MechWarrior 2 under Windows 3.1 or Windows 3.11? A: MechWarrior 2 was developed to run in MS-DOS. We do not support it with Windows 3.1 or 3.11. It is possible to run it under Windows, but performance will almost certainly suffer. We HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you DO NOT RUN IN WINDOWS. -----Windows 95----- Q: Will MechWarrior 2 function under Windows 95? A: Windows 95 was still under development during the creation of MechWarrior 2 and has not been released as of the date of this document. Consequently, MechWarrior 2 does not officially support Windows 95. However, MechWarrior 2 has successfully run under some beta versions of Windows 95. If you have any problems, reboot to DOS or, if you have a dual boot, bypass Windows 95 and run MechWarrior 2 under DOS. Activision plans to release a specific Windows 95 version of MechWarrior 2 by the end of 1995. Q: When I try to run certain missions in Windows 95 I get a Page Fault error message. What's wrong? A: We do not have a solution for this at this time. Like we said, Windows 95 is not supported in this version of MechWarrior 2. -----Windows NT----- Q: Will MechWarrior 2 under Windows NT? A: MechWarrior 2 has not been developed to run within Windows NT. It must be run under DOS. If you have a dual boot set up, boot to DOS and run from the DOS prompt. --Disk Compression MechWarrior 2 DOES NOT support the use of disk compression software. If you must run MechWarrior 2 on a compressed drive, you will most likely experience performance problems, and there are no solutions other than using a non- compressed drive. We recommend that you don't run the game using Stacker/Drivespace/Doublespace/etc.! Q: I use STACKER on my hard drive. When I installed the program, it reported that I had plenty of free disk space, however, the install terminated before completion and I only had 84000 Bytes left. Is this a Bug? A: No. STACKER reports the estimated amount of disk space free, if the files being copied to the hard disk can be compressed. Since our files come compressed already, it messes up Stacker's estimate. To install MechWarrior 2 on a stacked drive, we don't recommend installing to a drive that has less than 60 MB to 200 MB of free disk space depending on which installation option your choose, but then again, we recommend that you don't run the game using Stacker/Drivespace/Doublespace/etc.! --Uninstalling MechWarrior 2-- Q: I would like to erase MechWarrior 2 from my hard drive. How do I do that? A: Well, if you are really sure that's what you want to do, we'll tell you how to do it. Using the "deltree" DOS command, delete the MechWarrior 2 directory. For instance, if you installed MechWarrior 2 into your root directory using the default directory "MECH2", you would enter the following at the DOS prompt: CD\ DELTREE MECH2 REMEMBER: ALL DATA IN THIS DIRECTORY AND EVERY SUBDIRECTORY THEREIN WILL BE LOST FOREVER. ANY 'MECH CONFIGURATIONS OR CAREERS WILL BE LOST. NOTE: If you want to save your pilot careers, make a copy of MW2REG.CFG before deleting the \MECH2 directory. After installation, copy this file back into the directory where you installed MechWarrior 2. LOCK-UPS/CRASHES Q: When I type "MECH2" to run the game, the computer freezes at a blank screen, reboots, or locks up and starts beeping . How do I fix this? A: Follow these troubleshooting steps in order until you find the problem: 1. Make sure you have disabled SMARTDRV or any other disk cache 2. Try running without a memory manager (including EMM386 and QEMM) 3. Make sure your VESA driver is loaded correctly...refer to video section for information. 4. Make sure you have a mouse driver loaded for DOS. 5. Try making a boot disk as outlined under the MEMORY section of this document. 6. Run the MW2SETUP program in the \Mech2 directory and select "No MIDI Music" and "No Digital Audio" under Configuring Sound Devices. ...if this works, refer to audio section for more help. 7. Try deleting the game and reinstalling, or try a different size installation.-- Q: My computer freezes after completing the 1st mission. What can I do? A: Try these solutions, one of them should help you. 1: Eject and reinsert CD. 2: Disable joystick by going to the Controller Configuration screen by pressing the [ESC] key in the Clan Hall and selecting "Controller Configuration". 3: Disable SMARTDRV or any other disk caching utilities. 4: Run the game without a memory manager. 5: Try disabling MIDI music. Q: Why are parts of my 'Mech and other objects on the screen disappearing and re-appearing? A: You are running low on memory. Try some of the steps listed above in the MEMORY section to increase your available RAM. PERFORMANCE ----------------------- MechWarrior 2 has features that were designed to support a wide range of computers. When you initially configure MechWarrior 2 for play, MechWarrior 2 will make several default settings regarding which features should be used and which should be turned off. The trade-offs are different for each user, so we allow any machine to run any options, but please keep in mind that the higher the level of detail, the more demanding the machine requirements. We recommend that all 486 owners use low resolution. 486-66's and up with very fast video sub-systems can run in 640x480, but most of the graphic options should be turned off. Video cards also vary dramatically - many cards are optimized for extremely high performance in Windows, but can actually be very slow for use in DOS. The best way to determine this is by running MechWarrior 2. Start with a resolution of 320x200, and select whatever options best match your machine's capabilities and your desire for realism. Machine and graphics card allowing, move up to a higher resolution, and adjust graphic options until you reach a satisfactory balance. You make the call. Try making the following changes, to increase the game's performance: Terrain Textures: Try turning these off. Object Textures: Try turning these off. Display Detail: Try switching to LOW. Object Density: Try switching to LOW. Chunk Explosions: Try turning these off. Resolution: Reduce to the next lower resolution. These changes should be sufficient to get the game running reasonably on any machine. Other options can be left on, as their performance cost is low. Q: Can MechWarrior 2 make use of a math co-processor? A: No. All math in the program is integer based. A math co-processor would not help. Q: I have a 486-66 computer with 8 MB of RAM, how will MechWarrior 2 run on my system? A: Your computer meets the minimum requirements for the program. While it will run adequately on your system, the program performs best on a Pentium based system. (How's that for a pat answer?) Q: Will the reported mathematical error in the Pentium chip affect the performance of MechWarrior 2? A: MechWarrior 2 does not use floating point arithmetic. The performance of the game will not be affected by any floating point arithmetic flaws that exist in the Pentium processor. Q: The movies have skipping audio or skip frames on my computer. A: Due to the almost infinite combinations of computers, sound cards, CD-ROM drives and video cards, it was not possible to optimize the video for all systems. The performance of the video depends on the transfer rate of your CD-ROM drive, the speed and type of processor, the quality of your sound card and the DOS performance of your video card. Certain video cards have low DOS benchmark scores and will be unable to play the videos without some skipping (even in Pentium systems with six-speed CD-ROM drives). Some MGA chipset cards (Matrox and Q-Vision) are an example of this. On the other hand, even the fastest video card and highest quality sound card will be unable to improve the quality of video played off of a CD-ROM drive that cannot maintain a transfer rate close to 270,000 BPS. And, of course, stuttering in sound and/or video in such systems is more noticeable on a 486 based computer than a Pentium. Q: The movies don't run very smooth on my machine. What can I do to make them run better? A: If you have the disk space available, try the Full Blown installation. This will run the movies from your hard disk which will vastly improve their performance over running them from the CD-ROM drive. This does not affect play during the 3D simulation however. Q: Why is my frame rate choppy? A: Frame rate is based on a number of factors. The easiest (and less expensive) way to increase the frame rate during missions is to turn off the detail levels in the escape menu of the game. The DOS performance of your video card and its bus type also affect your frame rate. For this reason, MechWarrior 2 requires a VESA Local Bus video card. Additionally, many of the video cards specifically designed as Windows accelerators neglect DOS performance and the performance of MechWarrior 2 will suffer accordingly. Lastly, your processor will greatly affect the frame rate. Upgrading a 486 to a Pentium will make a great difference in performance and will allow you to run in high resolution modes. Q: Occasionally during the missions, the screen freezes for a second without explanation. This is sometimes a problem when in the heat of battle. A: The pause is due to the CD resetting to the beginning of the audio track for the mission you are running. It should last less than a second. However, if you find this annoying, you can turn off the CD music. Simply slide the music slider all the way to the lowest volume and the CD will turn off. No more skip, but no more music either. VIDEO MechWarrior 2 was designed to take advantage of some of the higher resolution video modes on your computer. The pre-mission launch portion of the program (i.e. the "shell") runs in 640x480 SVGA mode, and the Simulation portion of the program runs by default in 320x200 standard VGA mode. The 3D simulation can also run in 640x480 and 1024x768 mode using an SVGA video card (NOTE: To use the 640x480 or 1024x768 HiRes modes, you should have a Pentium 90 or 120 with a fast video card and 16 MB of RAM). In some cases MechWarrior 2 will detect and work with your video card just fine. However, some video cards may require that a VESA video driver be loaded in order for the video card to work properly with MechWarrior 2. -- What Is A VESA Driver? -- VESA stands for Video Electronics Standards Association. It is a standard that allows software companies to write programs that work on many video cards without having to know how each card works. The VESA driver is the program that handles this. Almost every video card available today has VESA drivers available for it. These drivers may be stored in a chip on the video card, or they may be a program that the user has to load by hand (or with a batch file). Some cards (such as the Diamond Viper) have the driver on the video card, but need the user to run a special program to activate the driver. If the VESA driver is an external program, it will probably be found on the disks that accompanied your video card. If you don't have a VESA driver you should contact your video card manufacturer. We have included a list of Customer Service and BBS numbers for major manufacturers at the end of this document. Using most 'external' (programs that you must run) VESA drivers is as easy as typing the name of the driver at the DOS prompt. For instance, if the driver was called VVESA.COM, you would type "VVESA.COM" and then press [ENTER]. If you have any difficulty running MechWarrior 2 at a higher resolution, contact the maker of your video card for the latest VESA driver for your card. The next few sections explain some problems and solutions that we encountered during our testing with various video cards. -- ATI -- Usually located within the MACH32 or ATI directory on your hard drive (or the directory into which all of your video drivers were installed) should be a file called VVESA.COM. (If it is not there, it should be on your ATI driver diskettes which came with the card.) This file must be run prior to launching MechWarrior 2. There are two solutions: 1. Type "VVESA" prior to running MechWarrior 2, each time. 2. Include the following statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT: C:\MACH32\VVESA.COM This should allow you to run the "shell" without any video problems. -- Diamond Video Cards -- Q: My screen goes blank after I have started the game. A: If you have a Diamond Stealth 64 video card, the problem is probably with the Diamond Power management system that was installed with your video card. In some machines, the activity of the MechWarrior 2 game does not register as activity with this power management system. To solve this, type the following command before running MechWarrior 2: C:\>S64DDPMS U If DOS gives you a bad command error, the Stealth 64 driver directory must not be located in your path. Change to that directory (for Stealth 64 DRAM users, that directory is typically S64D), and retype the command. If you do not have a Stealth 64 video card, determine if you have a DOS power saver loaded for your video card. If you do, disable it prior to running MechWarrior 2 -- Diamond Viper Cards -- The Diamond Viper has its VESA driver on the card, but you need to run an external program to activate it. This program is called VPRMODE.EXE. To use VPRMODE to activate the VESA driver, type: VPRMODE VESA [ENTER] The VPRMODE program should have been installed by the software that came with the Diamond Viper card. Q: I have a Diamond Stealth/Viper and I get funny lines on my display. Why? A: This is a problem with MechWarrior 2 and some early versions of the Diamond drivers. There are software patches available for both the Stealth and Viper to alleviate this problem. The Stealth patch is available as a software program called STLBIOS.EXE or as a hardware upgrade. For the Diamond Viper, a software upgrade called VPRM202.EXE will contain a patch. All of these are available directly from Diamond. -- MATROX -- Located within the MGA or MATROX directory on your hard drive (or the directory into which all of your video drivers were installed) should be a file called MGAVESA.COM. (If it is not there, it should be on your video card driver diskettes.) This file must be run prior to launching MechWarrior 2. There are two solutions: 1. Type "MGAVESA" prior to running MechWarrior 2, each time. - OR - 2. Include the following statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT: C:\MGA\MGAVESA.COM This should allow you to run MechWarrior 2 without any problems with video. -- OTHER VIDEO CARDS -- If you do not have one of the cards listed above, try to locate the VESA driver for your video card in your video card's directory on your hard drive, or on the disks supplied by the card's manufacturer. Run the VESA driver as shown above each time before you start MechWarrior 2 or put it in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. --Common Questions-- Q: Objects are disappearing from my screen when I run the missions. What's the problem? A: MechWarrior 2 will run on computers with 8 MB's of RAM. However, you will need to have about 7 MB 's of free extended memory. If you have SMARTDRV loaded, or TSR's that take up significant amounts of memory, more than likely you will not have the required memory. When MechWarrior 2 begins running out of memory, it will stop loading objects. The result is that some objects or parts of objects may disappear from your screen. A system with more than 8 MB's of memory would be optimal. However, making more memory available via a boot disk should solve this problem. If you still have problems, turn off some of the detail levels in the escape menu. Q: When I try to run missions in 1024x768 mode, I get a Divide Overflow error and I drop back to the debriefing screen. Why can't I run the missions? A: We believe this is a problem with certain VESA video drivers. It occurred most frequently on ATI Mach32 video cards. Also, some video cards don't support this resolution, ot they may require a video memory upgrade in order to display this mode. Consult your video card manufacturer for newer VESA drivers. They may correct this problem. Q: My screen goes blank or is garbled after the intro movie. Why? A: MechWarrior 2 is designed to operate with any SVGA video card that supports standard VESA video modes. Most, if not all, video cards support VESA, either directly in the video hardware or through an external driver. Some of these cards require you to load a VESA driver prior to starting MechWarrior 2. In these cases, the drivers will most likely be found in the directory into which all of the video card files were installed. If you do not have a VESA driver for your video card, you will not be able to run the game until you obtain one. Q: How do I change the resolution? A: Access "Combat Variables" through the ESC option in any non-battle segment. you should be able to enable cheats, toggle heat management, change the difficulty setting and increase the game's resolution there. Q: Game play is very choppy. How can I improve the playability? A:Try these options: 1: Switch to a lower resolution. 2: Turn off some of the graphic detail options. Q: My monitor is turned to it's brightest setting, but my screen is still too dark. A: Try one of these options: 1: If you are in a night mission, you will have to enable Low-Light Amplification to see anything clearly. Refer to your Cockpit Control Reference card for how to. 2: Hit your right mouse button while in the game, pick Cockpit Controls, move to Monitor Brightness and adjust as needed. AUDIO The MechWarrior 2 installer will attempt to automatically detect what kind of sound card you have in your machine and select the proper driver. However, on some machines you may need to pick your sound card out of the lists provided. The installer will then try to verify the presence of that sound card in your machine. If your sound card is not shown and is 100 percent Sound Blaster compatible, you should be able to install for "Creative Labs Sound Blaster or 100% compatible" and hear sound and music within the game. --Miles Design Audio Drivers-- MechWarrior 2 sound support is accomplished through the use of the John Miles Design AIL audio driver libraries. Like VESA drivers, these help software companies support many different sound cards without having to know how each card works. The Miles Design Drivers are automatically installed when you select which sound card you wish to use for digital audio and MIDI in MechWarrior 2. --Common Questions Q: I have an Ad-Lib/Ad-Lib Gold card, and I can't get any digital Sound FX to play. How come? A: An Ad-Lib card does not have a DAC (Digital Audio Converter) to play digital effects, therefore you will only hear synthesized musical effects. Q: How come the music volume control does not affect the volume of the music I hear while playing the game? A: Some CD-ROM drivers do not have the ability to raise or lower the volume. For these drivers the sound is either on or off. In these instances, the volume slider for music will be non-functional except to turn it on and off. Q: The volume levels of my music, sound effects and/or game voices are too low for me to hear. What can I do? A: Check your speakers to see if the volume can be turned up. This is the easiest solution. However, if this cannot solve your problems, try adjusting the volume sliders in the escape menus of the game. Finally, your sound card may have a volume or mixer utility that can raise the volume of your sound output or the volume know on the back of some sound cards. Consult your sound card manual for more information. Q: I do not have any sound in the game. What do I do? A: There are a number of things that may cause this problem: 1: Ensure that your speakers are properly plugged into your sound card and are turned on. 2: Type "MW2SETUP" in the C:\MECH2 directory and choose the appropriate sound card in "Configure Sound Devices". Make sure that you have the appropriate settings. Consult your sound card user manual and run any diagnostic utilities that the manufacturer supplies. 3: Music during simulations plays directly from the CD, so make sure you have a cable that connects the cd line out to your sound card's line in. 4: CD audio volume is at 0. Refer to your sound card documentation for information on how to adjust. 5: Some CD-ROM drives may have the volume level for Redbook Audio (CD music) set too low or off in their CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you are not hearing music in the game, consult your CD-ROM driver manuals or the manufacturer of your CD-ROM drive for assistance. You may simply need to make a small change to a command in your startup files to fix the problem. Q: Why is the sound fuzzy on my Sound Blaster Pro 2 sound card? A: This may be due to a compatibility problem between the Sound Blaster Pro 2 and certain video cards. We discovered it with an Orchid Kelvin card installed. A small amount of distortion plays near the beginning and ends of sound effects. We have no solution for this at this time. Q: Can I listen to the MechWarrior Soundtrack on my audio CD player? A: Yes. The mission music is spooled from the CD. Tracks #2 - 26 are regular audio tracks that will play on an audio CD player. INPUT DEVICES MechWarrior 2 supports a wide variety of input devices. The following section will cover many of the most common issues encountered with these controllers. We will be adding more input devices to the current list in the near future. Look on our BBS or any of the on-line services that we currently support for updates which will allow you to use new devices with MechWarrior 2. Some future additions will be the Spaceball Avenger and the CH Virtual Pilot Pro. To activate input devices perform the following operations. Press ESC from the Clan Hall. Select Cockpit Controls. The input devices are listed along the left side. Active inputs (keyboard and mouse) are white. Click on your particular input device and assign functions accordingly. When complete, save your configuration. -- Mouse -- MechWarrior 2 requires a Microsoft-compatible mouse to run. Most mice today (including Logitech, Mouse Systems, and Kensington) are Microsoft-compatible. In order for the mouse to work properly in MechWarrior 2, a mouse driver must be loaded before running the game. The mouse driver must also be fairly current and VESA compatible. Contact the manufacturer of your mouse or the dealer who sold the mouse to you to see if your driver is the most current available. -- Joystick -- Check the documentation or the system requirements label on the box for details of supported input devices. --Common Questions Q: Joystick Drifts (Autopilot disengages prematurely, Mech will not stop.) A: Try these: 1) Make sure that you have calibrated your joystick from within Mech II. 2) Disable the mouse in the Cockpit Controls. 3) Adjust your trim controls on your joystick (if it has them) to compensate for miscalibration. 4) Install and use a dedicated game card and disable the game port on your sound card. We recommend the Thrustmaster ACM game card. Q: My computer freezes when calibrating or does not calibrate the joystick properly. A: The problem results from conflicts in some sound card game-ports. One possible solution to this problem is to plug the joystick cable into a Y- adapter plugged into your sound card game port. The best alternative is to install and use a dedicated game port on a separate I/O card and disable the game port on your sound card. Q: The Thrustmaster Mark I Weapons Control System (WCS) does not function. How can I get it to work? A: The Mark I WCS should function with MechWarrior 2, but it will not be programmable. The only way we have found, so far, to use the Mark I with Mech II is to set the DIP switches on the Mark I to emulate a game with similar controls. Then go into the "Cockpit Controls" screen by pressing [ESC] in the Clan Hall. Configure the keyboard to use the keypresses generated by the Mark I to enable the functions you want. Q: My joystick is programmable, but I can't get the programmable functions of the joystick to work properly. How do I do this? A: See CFGS directory on the game CD. Configurations have been provided for several popular programmable joysticks. MechWarrior 2 provides configurations for all of the supported programmable input devices. (Note: The C:\MECH2\ CFGS directory on your hard disk will not have these files. They are only on the CD) Q: I made a custom configuration in the "Cockpit Control" screen, but now the commands don't work properly. Why? A: You can assign a game function to up to four controller functions, and so there are four pages of config. settings. Click on the heading "Primary Config" to cycle through the four (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, ect.) You'll find the arrows assigned to torso elevation on the 2nd or 3rd page. Q: I got the message, "Error: Mouse Not Found" when I tried to load Mech II. What does this mean? A: Some possible causes: 1) A MS-DOS compatible mouse driver has not been loaded. MechWarrior 2 needs a DOS mouse driver to run (as opposed to a Microsoft Windows mouse driver). This driver along with instructions on how to load it should have been included with your mouse. 2) The less likely problem is that the mouse driver is being correctly loaded, but it is an older version that is not supported. You should contact the manufacturer (or dealer) of your mouse to get a more up-to-date mouse driver. Q: No rudder pedal selection in the controller configuration. A: Select appropriate joystick (CH or Thrustmaster) and the pedals will be available for assignment in configuration. Try using the Thrustmaster Mark II if you have another brand with rudder control, such as the Gravis Phoenix. NETWORK AND MODEM DEMO Note: The multi-player demo included with Mechwarrior II is just that, a demo. It's not guaranteed to work on your system, it only intended to give you a taste of what is yet to come. We have, however, provided some common solutions that we discovered after the product shipped. Most of the problems that are encountered are problems with modem or null modem play. All settings that aren't specific to the hardware are changed from within the game. Some of these options are controller settings, detail levels, and resolution settings. -- Network -- -----Getting Started----- To participate in head-to-head play over an IPX or Netbios compatible network, you must first make sure you have all the proper network cards and software installed on the computers you will be using. First, go to the directory that contains your network files. Type NETBIOS and press [ENTER]. If everything is working correctly, you will get the message that Netbios has been installed successfully. You must then go to the MechWarrior 2 directory and type NETB2 and press [ENTER]. You will then be taken to the network communications screen. Type a message to your opponent to ensure you are properly connected. Once both opponents see their messages, press [ESC] and you will be returned to the DOS prompt. At the DOS prompt, type NETDEMO and press [ENTER]. You will be taken to the MechWarrior 2 combat screen. Type in your name and press Enter until you see a picture of a 'Mech appear in the lower left window. Choose your 'Mech by selecting the right or left arrow. You can choose different variations of 'Mechs by pressing the first four function keys (F1, F2, F3, or F4). Please keep in mind that not all 'Mechs have four variations. The next step is to select the type of terrain in which you will be fighting. Your current choices include desert mesas, ice flats and a battle arena. You can type messages to your opponent by clicking your mouse in the small black window below the different terrains. Simply right click in the window, type your message and press [ENTER]. Now you're ready to fight! Just click on the LAUNCH button and prepare for battle! -----Common Questions----- Q: How do I select the input device I want to use in the NetMech DEMO? A: Enter the main game, press ESC, and select your preferred device under Cockpit Controls. These settings will be used in the NetMech DEMO as well. Q: Only 1 player is able to get into the simulation, the other is stuck at the "Launch Screen". The player that is in the sim can see the stuck player's 'Mech. How can I get around this? A: This is usually a conflict with the joystick: Try playing without the joystick selected in the "Cockpit Controls" screen. Q: I don't have enough memory to load the demo. How can I free more memory? A: Try making a boot disk or multi-config for the net demo that loads only the necessary memory sound, CD-ROM, mouse, and network drivers. Use HIMEM and EMM386 with NOEMS for the EMS size. Make sure that all drivers are loaded into high memory. The Codes & Procedures manual has more details on this. Q: When will there be a real network game and what does it mean by "netbios" why not just run IPX like everything else that is networkable. A: There will be and. A multiplayer add-on that will enable you to play"head- to-head" over the modem or with up to 8 people on an IPX-compatible network will be released in the fall. This add-on will also contain special multiplayer missions. Q: Does the NetMech DEMO support Lantastic? A: NetMech DEMO should function properly on a Lantastic network or any other network that supports NETBIOS or 100% NETBIOS compatible software. Q: NETB2 is not connecting the two computers running NetMech DEMO. What the problem? A: You might be networked across a router. NETB2, and by necessity NetMech DEMO, will not connect across a router. We are currently working on a solution to this for our full network version. Q: Why won't NETB2 run? A: Ensure that you have loaded NETBIOS or 100% NETBIOS compatible software. NETB2 will not work without NETBIOS or compatible software loaded. Q: I cannot get NetMech DEMO to run on my Windows network. Why not? A: NetMech DEMO does not support Windows NETBIOS. Q: When I run NETB2 I get a message stating that other players are already registered. What does this mean? A: This message indicates that other people are currently playing NetMech DEMO on the network. Fortunately, NETB2 provides four sockets to connect through. To use a different socket type "NETB2 x" where "x" is the number of the socket (1 through 4). Unless there are four games going on, you should be able to find an open socket. Both players need to type in the same socket number to play against each other in NetMech DEMO. Q: I selected a Firemoth (or any other mech), but when I appeared onscreen I was in a Summoner. What's wrong? A: Occasionally an opponent will appear onscreen in a 'Mech they did not select. If this occurs, press [ESC] and re-launch the mission. If you attempt to play in this mode your damage and weapons may not work properly. Q: My frame rate in the NetMech DEMO is choppy and I get "memory low" messages on my screen. Why is this? A: In the heat of battle, sometimes more memory is required out of your computer due to the increased demands on the processor by the multiplayer version. If you are running the network version on an 8 MB machine, you may occasionally get memory low banners or experience choppy frame rates. Try to free up more memory to run the program. Ideally, the NetMech DEMO should be run in computer with more than 8MB. -- Null Modem -- -----Getting Started----- To play MechWarrior 2 in Null Modem Mode, connect two computers via their serial ports with a null modem cable. Switch to the C:\MECH2 directory and type COMIO 2 and press [ENTER]. You will be taken to a null modem communications screen, when both parties appear in the screen, press [ESC] and you will be returned to the DOS prompt. Type in NETDEMO and press [ENTER] You will see the MechWarrior 2 communications screen. Follow the directions below and you will soon be playing one-on-one MechWarrior 2, head to head! Once the two machines connect, you will see the chat/communication screen. Type a message to your friend to verify your connection and then press ESC. At the DOS prompt type NETDEMO and press [ENTER]. You will see the MechWarrior 2 communications screen. Select a slot and type in your name. Afterwards press ENTER twice and the two machines will connect again. Simply choose your 'Mech and your playing field and press Launch. You will then meet in your chosen machine at your chosen battlefield ready for intense head to head battle. -----Common Questions----- Q: I don't have enough memory to load the demo. How can I free more memory? A: Try making a boot disk or multi-config for the net demo that loads only the necessary memory sound, CD-ROM, mouse, and network drivers. Use HIMEM and EMM386 with NOEMS for the EMS size. Make sure that all drivers are loaded into high memory. The Codes & Procedures manual has more details on this. Q: I can't get the game to recognize the other player or that anything else is connected to the COM port. How do I fix this? A: Use a different COM port. Make sure that the COM port you want to use is unoccupied and that there is an external plug for the null modem connection. Make sure that your null modem is functioning properly. Q: I selected a Firemoth (or any other mech), but when I appeared onscreen I was in a Summoner. What's wrong? A: Occasionally an opponent will appear onscreen in a 'Mech they did not select. If this occurs, press [ESC] and re-launch the mission. If you attempt to play in this mode your damage and weapons may not work properly. Q: My joystick will not work properly in NetMech DEMO Null Modem games. What's wrong? A: We could not get joysticks working properly in the DEMO version of NetMech when using Null Modem. This will be repaired in the full NetMech product when it becomes available. If you are unable to get your joystick working properly in NetMech DEMO, we recommend using a combination of Keyboard and Mouse to play the game. (QA Manager Note: A Suncom SFX gamepad in keyboard mode is an excellent solution to this dilemma.) Q: My frame rate in the NetMech DEMO is choppy and I get "memory low" messages on my screen. Why is this? A: In the heat of battle, sometimes more memory is required out of your computer due to the increased demands on the processor by the multiplayer version. If you are running the network version on an 8 MB machine, you may occasionally get memory low banners or experience choppy frame rates. Try to free up more memory to run the program. Ideally, the NetMech DEMO should be run in computer with more than 8MB. -- Modem -- -----Getting Started----- To play MechWarrior 2 against an opponent via modem, make sure your modem is ON and switch to the C:\MECH2 directory, type MS and press [ENTER]. You will see the modem control window. Select a slot and choose E for Edit and type in your name or the name of the person you're going to call. Then choose the COM port your where your modem is installed, usually COM 2. Next, select a baud rate of 9600 and keep pressing [ENTER] until all menu items are chosen. If you are dialing your opponent, type in the phone number. If you are going to answer, press [ENTER] when you are asked for a phone number. After completing these steps, select C for connect and you will be dropped to a DOS prompt. At the DOS prompt, type in MODEM and press [ENTER]. The modem will either dial your opponents phone number for you or answer their incoming call depending on which mode you have chosen. Once the two modems connect, you will see the chat/communication screen. Type a message to your friend to verify your connection and then press ESC. At the DOS prompt type NETDEMO and press [ENTER]. You will see the MechWarrior 2 communications screen. Select a slot and type in your name. Afterwards press ENTER twice and the two machines will connect. Simply choose your 'Mech and your playing field and press Launch. You will then meet in your chosen machine at your selected battlefield ready for intense head to head combat. TECHNICAL NOTE: To play, you must have a 16550A UART chip on the COM port you are using to play. You can use the Microsoft Diagnostic (MSD.EXE) utility provided with Windows 3.1 and later to determine if you have this chip on your COM ports. -----Common Questions----- Q: My modem is not connecting. Why not? A: NetMech DEMO requires a connection through two 100% Hayes compatible modems at 9600 BPS and a 16550A UART chip on the COM port you are using to play. If you do not have a Hayes compatible modem or a 16550A UART, NetMech DEMO might not function properly, if at all. You can use the Microsoft Diagnostic (MSD.EXE) utility provided with Windows 3.1 and later to determine if you have this chip on your COM ports. If you do, try using a different COM port. Sometimes devices on COM 1 and COM 3 conflict. If your modem is on one of these, try settings it to COM 2 or Com 4. Q: I can't edit the init strings for my modem in the modem demo (MS.EXE) A: The very last init string is editable, or optionally you can directly edit the text file it saves out, MODEM.DIR. Q: Both modems connect properly, but the game locks after we launch a mission. A: Try connecting at 9600 and disable any data compression features of your modem. Refer to your modem's documentation for information on how to do this. You might want to try the modem initialization string for your modem provided in this document. Q: I selected a Firemoth (or any other mech), but when I appeared onscreen I was in a Summoner. What's wrong? A: Occasionally an opponent will appear onscreen in a 'Mech they did not select. If this occurs, press [ESC] and re-launch the mission. If you attempt to play in this mode your damage and weapons may not work properly. Q: My frame rate in the NetMech DEMO is choppy and I get "memory low" messages on my screen. Why is this? A: In the heat of battle, sometimes more memory is required out of your computer due to the increased demands on the processor by the multiplayer version. If you are running the network version on an 8 MB machine, you may occasionally get memory low banners or experience choppy frame rates. Try to free up more memory to run the program. Ideally, the NetMech DEMO should be run in computer with more than 8MB. ----- Modem Initialization Strings ----- TECHNICAL NOTE: Certain modems may not want to work properly with NetMech DEMO. Here is a list of initialization strings that may help you to get the Modem portion of the program working with your modem. There may be several strings in this list for your modem, so if one does not work, try another. ----------------------------------------------------------------- AT&T Dataport 2001: AT &F%VFX7S62=0%VG9\Q2\N0&W AT&T Dataport: AT &F X7 S62=0 \Q2 \N0 &W ----------------------------------------------------------------- Boca AT &Q6 %C0 &K0 Boca 14.4 Fax/Modem AT S46=0 S37=9 N0 &Q0 &D2 &K4 Boca 14.4k AT S46=0 S37=9 N0 &Q0 &D2 &K0 %C0 Boca 14.4 internal AT &C0 S37=9 N0 &Q0 &K0 W0 S36=3 S48=128 %C0 Boca 14.4k (external) AT &F S0=1 S36=0 &K0 &Q6 N0 S37=9 &D2 Boca M1440i (internal) ATS48=0S37=9S46=136%C0%E0%M0&K0&Q0&R1&C1&D2\G0\N1N0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Cardinal AT &F W0 &Q0 &D2 Cardinal 14.4k AT &F N0 S37=9 &Q0 &D2 \N1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Peripherals 14.4 AT &F S37=9 S46=0 N0 &Q0 &K0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Digicom Systems (DSI) (softmodem) AT Z \N0 &D2 &K0 S48=48 Digicom Systems Scout Plus ATZ*E0*N3*M0*S0*F0&D2 Digicom connection 96+Softmodem: AT \N1 &d2 %c0 s37=9 &K0 Digicom connection 96+Softmodem: AT Z \N0 &D2 &K0 S48=0 Digicom connection 96+Softmodem: ATZ*E0*N3*S0*M0*F0&D2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- GVC 14.4k (internal) AT &F B8 \Q0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Gateway Telepath AT &F S37=9 %C0 &K0 &Q6 \G0 Gateway Telepath 14.4k AT S46=0 S37=9 N0 &Q0 &D2 &K0 %C0 Gateway Telepath I: AT S0=1 &N6 &K0 &M0 Gateway Telepath I: AT &F S37=9 &K0 &Q0 %C0 N0 \G0 &D2 S46=0 S0=1 Gateway Telepath II AT S0=1 S37=9 %C0 &Q0 &K0 Gateway Telepath II: AT &F &K0 &M0 &N6 S0=1 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Generic 14.4k Fax/Modem AT S46=0 S37=9 N0 &Q0 &D2 %C0 \G0 &K0 Generic v.32bis 14.4k AT \N0 %C0 B8 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Hayes 28.8k V.FAST Modem AT &Q6 &K S37=9 N %C0 \N0 Hayes Optima 28.8/14.4 AT &F S37=9 N0 &Q0 &K0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Infotel 144I: AT &Q0 S37=9 N0 &D2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Intel 14.4k AT \N0 %C0 \Q0 B8 Intel 14.4k (internal) AT Z B8 Q1 \C0 \N1 %C0 \V Intel 400/i Fax/Modem: AT Z\N0 %C0 "H0 S31=9 &Q0 &D ----------------------------------------------------------------- Macronix AT S36=3 S37=9 &K0 %C0 \G0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Microcom QX/4232bis AT %C0 \N0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- NOKIA ECM 4896M TRELLIS V.32. AT Z %C0 /N0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Netcomm M7F AT &E &K0 B0 \V0 X4 &D2 \N1 \Q0 #J0 #Q9 %C0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Nokia ECM 4896M Trellis V.32. AT Z %C0 /N0 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Practical Peripherals 14400FX v.32bis AT S46=0 &Q0 &K0 &D2 Practical Peripherals 14400FX v.32bis AT Z S46=0 &Q0 &D2 ----------------------------------------------------------------- Supra AT &F0 S46=136 %C0 SupraFaxModem 14.4: AT &K0 &Q6 &D2 \N0 %C0 Supra (external) AT &K0 &Q0 &D0 \N1 Supra 14.4k v.32bis AT &F0 S46=136 &Q0 &D2 SupraFaxModem 14.4: AT S37=9 &Q0 &D2 N \N1 &K SupraFaxModem 14.4: AT \N0 &D2 &K0 S48 = 8 SupraFaxModem: AT &F0 N S37=9 Supra AT N0 Q0 V1 W1 &K0 \G0 \N0 \%C0 %M0 S37=9 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Telebit 3000/Worldblazer AT S50=6 S180=0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Telepath 14.4k AT &F &M0 &K0 &N6 &H0 S0=1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Turbo Modem Plus AT &F B8 %C0 /N1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ USR Sportster 9600 AT &M0 &K0 &N6 USR 14.4k AT &K0 &H0 &D0 &I0 &R1 USR 14.4k AT &F0 B0 S34=1 &N6 &K0 &I0 USR Sportster AT &F0 &K0 &M0 &B1 S34=1 &N6 &I0 USR 14.4k AT &B1 &M0 S27=16 &H0 &I0 &K0 &N6 USR 14.4k AT &M0 &K0 &N8 &D0 B0 USR 14.4k AT &A0 &B0 &D0 &H1 &I0 &K0 &M0 &N6 &R1 S34=1 USR Courier 16.8: AT &A0 &M0 &K0& N6 B0 S0=0 X7 USR Courier v.32bis AT E1 Q0 V1 S7=60 &C1 &D2 &K0 &N6 &A3 &H0 &M0 USR Sportster 14.4k AT E1 Q0 V1 S7=60 &C1 &D2 &K0 &N6 &A3 USR Sportster 14.4k: AT &F0 &K0 &M0 &A0 USR Sportster 14.4k AT &F0 &M0 &K0 &N6 &H0 USR Sportster 14.4k AT &F0 &K0 &M0 &N6 &H0 &I0 &B1 &R1 USR Sportster 14.4k: AT &K0 &M0 &N6 &H0 &I0 &B0 &R1 USR Sportster 14.4k: AT &N6 &K0 &M0 &B1 &H0 &I0 USR Sportster 14.4k: AT B0 X4 E1 Q0 V1 &M0 &K0 &R1 &N6 &A3 &H0 &I0 USR Sportster 14.4k AT S7=60 E1 Q0 V1 &C1 &D2 &K0 &N6 &A3 &M0 &H0 USR Sportster 14.4k: AT S7=60 E1 Q0 V1 &C1 &D2 &K0 &N6 &A3 USR 14.4k Dual Standard AT B0 X4 Q0 &R1 &B1 &N6 &A0 &D2 &H0 &I0 &K0 &M0 M1 USR DS v.32bis v.42bis AT &M0 &N6 &A0 &R1 &H0 &K0 &I0 &S0 &B1 X1 USR Courier HST/DS 16.8k AT X4 B0 &A0 &B0 &H2 &I0 &K0 &M0 &N6 ------------------------------------------------------------------ ViVa 14.4k AT &F &Q6 \N0 %C0 &D2 N0 S37=9 Viva 14.4 Fax/Modem: AT S11=50 S37=9 S95=52 L0 N0 S46=0 &Q0 &D2 \N1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Wang 14/14 modem: AT S46=0 S37=9 N0 &K0 %C0 %M0 &Q0 &D2 \N1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Zoom Init AT &F &Q6 S37=9 N0 &K0 %C0 Zoom Init AT &F &Q0 S37=9 N0 &K0 S46=0 Zoom 14.4k VFX AT &Q6 S37=9 N0 %C0 \N0 Zoom Init AT &Q6 S37=9 N0 &K0 S46=136 S36=1 S48=128 %C0 Zoom OEM Modem AT &Q6 S37=9 N0 &K0 Zoom: AT &Q6 S37=9 N0 &K0 %C0 Zoom: AT &Q0 S37=9 N0 &K0 %C0 Zoom: AT &Q6 &K0 &D2 \N0 %C0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Zyxel (E+): AT &N3 &K0 Zyxel U-1496E+ AT Z &N4 &K0 GAME PLAY QUESTIONS Q: There is one mission I just can't beat. Is there any way to go past it? A: Try these: 1: We highly recommend completing the Cadet Training drills before launching combat missions. 2: Before you launch the mission press [ESC] and select Combat Variables. In the Combat Variables menu, switch from Hard or Medium mode to Easy. You will find those enemy 'Mechs a lot easier to kill now. You can use this trick for specific missions or an entire career. 3: To complete a tough mission, try practicing them in Altered Reality first. (refer to the Codes and Precedures manual under Combat Variables for more details). 4: Or call the Mechwarrior II hintline. In the U.S. just dial 1 (900) 680- HINT ($.95 per min.) or in Canada call 1 (900) 451-4849 ($1.25 per min.). Q: Why is my 'Mech really difficult to turn at higher throttle settings? A: When moving at a faster speed, your 'Mech is less maneuverable. Real-world physics apply here. It isn't easy getting something that weighs in at 100 Tons and traveling at 40 KPH to make a 90 degree turn. You might want to pay better attention to speed to get the optimum turn performance out of your 'Mech. Q: After I complete a mission, the debriefing screen keeps saying I did not destroy the targets of opportunity. I killed everything that moved! Where are they? A: There might be one or more buildings that you overlooked and did not destroy. Be sure to be within close range to inspect all likely targets. To target, press 'q' while the targeting reticle is over one of the buildings. Then press 'i' to inspect it. The screen will then indicate if it is a target of opportunity. (When in doubt, destroy it.) Q: Why are my jump jets harder to maneuver in some missions? A: The varying gravitational and atmospheric conditions of planets can either supplement or limit the jump jet capabilities. For example, a planet with low gravity will enable a 'Mech to jump higher and longer than a planet with a high gravity. Thin air will impair the efficiency of the jets, giving you less thrust...etc. Q: How do I target objects other than 'Mechs to inspect them? A: On the Cockpit Control Reference card, look in the Targeting section at "Target Object Underneath Reticle" and "Inspect Targeted Object." Q: I can't seem to get my 'Mech to come to a complete stop. A: Be sure to have the throttle at complete stop (press "1" on the keyboard). Also: Make sure your joystick isn't drifting out of calibration. The slight turn input will cause your 'Mech to move forward to compensate for the turning. Q: What does the message "Enemy Power Up Detected" mean? A: This message means that an enemy 'Mech was hidden nearby in a state of shut-down and has just activated it's fusion reactor. Remember, if you or the enemy 'Mech is in 'shut down' mode you will not be visible on radar. Q:How can I just fire one weapon and not have it switch automatically to others? A: Create a weapon group with one weapon in it. Then select that group and everytime you fire, only that weapon will fire repeatedly. Q: Should the MECH2\MEK\ directory be completely empty? A: Yes. The MEK directory is where user-created BattleMech files are stored. If you have not created any custom BattleMechs, this directory will be empty. Q: Why doesn't my starmate join up when I tell him to? A: If your starmate is engaged in battle, he will not break combat. He is bound by honor to finish the battle. Q: The autopilot function runs my 'Mech into walls and buildings. Is this intentional? A: MechWarriors are known for their piloting and gunnery skills. Use of autopilot as the exclusive means of travel between navigational points is considered dishonorable among the ranks of the MechWarrior, although you will not be penalized for its use. Consequently, development of sophisticated autopilot computers has not been a concern of the clans. The best use of autopilot is as a directional aid. Selecting a NAV point and hitting autopilot will turn your 'Mech in the direction of the NAV point. Q: When pressing "a" to activate the autopilot, it immediately disables. A: Your joystick is probably out of calibration. Even a slight turn input from the joystick will disable the autopilot. See the section on "Input Devices" for information on calibration. Q: Why does my light amplification not function sometimes? -OR- Why do my satellite map and other displays flicker during the missions? A: When your 'Mech takes damage from enemy fire, your systems began to shut down. Eventually you will lose certain systems in your HUD and other displays. Screens will begin to flicker and eventually go dead. The solution is simple: Kill or be killed. Q: I killed twelve 'Mechs in my last mission and the mission summary screen only said I killed nine. Am I getting cheated out of those three kills? A: The clans will only reward direct kills. You must be precise with your shots to receive credit and honor. 'Mechs that die as a result of "splash damage" (damage resulting from nearby explosions of 'Mechs or weapons and overheating) will not be counted towards your total kills. The clans also do not reward you for deaths caused by internal ammunition explosions. So although it may appear that you blew that last Marauder to pieces, remember that his demise may not always be your doing. Q: Jump jets do not work in close proximity to other mechs. A: Your 'Mech is probably just stuck on the opposing 'Mech. ONLINE REGISTRATION MechWarrior 2 is the first Activision product to offer our new Online Registration program that uses your modem to call in to our Registration Server and register your product. If you choose to use the ONLINE registration feature and cannot get it to work properly (overloaded phone lines, etc), please print out the registration information and mail it in to Activision Customer Service or use the provided registration card in your MechWarrior 2 package. CONTACTING CUSTOMER SERVICE If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about MechWarrior 2, or any other Activision product, you can contact us at (310) 479-5644 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time) Monday through Friday, with the exception of holidays, or contact a customer service representative through the following on-line services: Activision BBS: (310) 479-1335 * Available 24 hours a day * Up to 14,400 baud * Settings: 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit (8, N, 1) CompuServe 76004,2122 or [GO GAMEPUB] in the Game Publishers Forum B Prodigy: ACTI10B Genie: ACTIVISION America On-Line: Use the keyword "ACTIVISION" to locate the Activision forum. Send Email to MEDIAJAKE@AOL.COM Internet: support@activision.com World Wide Web (Activision Home Page): http://www.activision.com For information on how to use our listserver, please send email to CSbulletins@activision.com with the word "help" in the subject line. If you're already familiar with listservers, send email to the same address with the word "index" in the subject of your message for a list of files available from this service. For customer service in Australia and the Pacific Rim, please refer to the following: ACTIVISION AUSTRALIA AND PACIFIC RIM P.O. Box 873 Epping, NSW 2121 Australia Phone: (61) 2 869 0955 For ordering information, call the direct ordering line at (800)-477-3650. CREDITS The MechWarrior 2 FAQ was written and is periodically updated by Members of Activision Studio's Customer Support, Quality Assurance and Production Departments. We Are: Dave Arnspiger Jon Doellstedt Sean Espinosa John Lafleur Sean Lally Jack Mamais John Mamais Tim McMahon Tim Morten Josh Resnick John Spinale David Tulo Sung Yoo The Activison Quality Assurance Department would also like to thank XXCal, Inc. Testing Laboratories for their assistance in the testing of this project. Thank you for purchasing MechWarrior 2. We hope you will enjoy playing it as much as we enjoyed creating it! VENDOR LIST -- Hardware Manufacturers -- Listings for System, Sound Card, Video Card, and CD-ROM manufacturers. Wherever possible, we have tried to include the Technical Support and BBS numbers for each company. Activision has made every effort to ensure that these numbers are correct, however, you may want to consult the documentation for your PC, video card, sound card or CD-ROM drive for more up-to-date information on each company. ----- System Manufacturers ----- Acer Technical Support (800) 733-2237 BBS (408) 428-0140 BBS (800) 833-8241 AST Research Technical Support (800) 727-1278 BBS (714) 852-1872 Compaq Technical Support (800) 652-6672 BBS (713) 378-1418 Dell Technical Support (800) 624-9896 BBS (512) 728-8528 Epson BBS (310) 782-4531 Gateway Technical Support (800) 846-2301 BBS (605) 323-2224 or 232-2109 Download Service (800) 846-7562 Hercules Computer Technology Inc. Technical Support (510) 623-6050 BBS (510) 623-7449 (V.32 bis) (510) 623-7034 (9,600 baud) (510) 623-7142 (2,400 baud) IBM Technical Support Multimedia (908) 329-7131 Technical Support PS/1 PRO (800) 765-4747 Technical Support Valuepoint (800) 772-2227 Technical Support Valuepoint (213) 621-5576 Intel Technical Support (800) 538-3373 BBS (503) 645-6275 Leading Edge Technical Support (800) 225-2283 BBS (503) 836-3971 Micronics Technical Support (510) 651-2323 BBS (510) 651-6837 Packard Bell Hardware Support (800) 733-4411 Software Support (801) 579-0161 BBS (801) 250-1600 BBS (818) 773-7207 Tandon Technical Support (805) 523-0340 Tandy Computer Technical Support (817) 878-6875 Toshiba Technical Support (800) 999-4273 BBS (415) 656-5159 Zenith Technical Support (800) 227-3360 BBS (800) 888-3058 ----- Sound Card Manufacturers ----- Advanced Gravis Technical Support (206) 881-6945 ATI Technologies Inc. Technical Support (905) 882-2626 BBS (905) 764-9404 Aztech Technical Support (800) 886-8879 Boca Research Inc. Technical Support (407) 241-8088 BBS (407) 241-1601 Cardinal Technical Support (717) 293-3124 BBS (717) 293-3074 Creative Labs Technical Support (408) 428-6622 BBS (408) 428-6660 Diamond Technical Support (408) 736-2000 BBS (408) 524-9301 Logitech Technical Support (510) 795-8100 BBS (510) 795-0408 Media Vision Technical Support (800) 638-2807 BBS (510) 770-0968 Microsoft Technical Support (206) 637-7096 BBS (206) 936-4082 BBS (206) 936-6735 Reveal Technical Support (800) 473-8325 Roland US Technical Support (213) 685-5141 Turtle Beach Technical Support (717) 843-6916 BBS (717) 845-4835 ----- Video Card Manufacturers ----- Actix Systems Technical Support (408) 986-1625 BBS (408) 970-3719 Advanced Integration Research Technical Support (408) 428-0800 BBS (408) 428-1735 Advanced Micro Technology Technical Support (909) 598-6120 BBS (909) 594-5770 Alpha Systems Lab Technical Support (800) 576-4275 Altech International Technical Support (800) 882-8194 BBS (408) 946-2227 Artist Graphics Company Technical Support (800) 627-8478 BBS (612) 631-7664 ATI Technologies Technical Support (905) 882-2626 BBS (905) 764-9404 Atlaz Intl., Limited Technical Support (516) 239-1854 Boca Technical Support (407) 241-8088 BBS (407) 241-1601 Cache Computers, Inc. Technical Support (510) 226-9922 BBS (510) 226-7486 Cardinal Technical Support (717) 293-3124 BBS (717) 293-3074 Celerite Graphics, Inc. Technical Support (510) 226-6390 BBS (510) 226-7851 Cirrus Logic Technical Support (510) 435-8808 (510) 623-8300 West Coast (508) 470-3380 East Coast BBS (510) 440-9080 Colorgraphic Communication Technical Support (404) 455-3921 BBS (404) 452-8238 Cornerstone Technology Technical Support (800) 562-2552 x306 BBS (408) 435-8943 CSS Laboratories, Inc. Technical Support (800) 966-2771 BBS (714) 852-9231 Diamond Computer Systems, Inc. Technical Support (408) 325-7100 BBS (408) 325-7175 (14,400, 8,N,1) (408) 325-7080 (2,400, 8,N,1) Edge Technology, Inc. Technical Support (800) 438-3343 ELSA America, Inc. Technical Support (800) 272-3572 BBS (415) 588-6286 Focus Information Systems, Inc. Technical Support (510) 657-4586 BBS (510) 657-9451 Genoa Technical Support (408) 432-8324 BBS (408) 943-1231 Headland (Video Seven) Technical Support (800) 553-1850 BBS (415) 656-0503 Hercules Computer Technology Inc. Technical Support (510) 623-6050 BBS (510) 623-7449 (V.32 bis) (510) 623-7034 (9,600 baud) (510) 623-7142 (2,400 baud) Identity Systems Technology Technical Support (800) 723-8324 BBS (214) 705-7213 IOcomm Intl., Corp. Technical Support (800) 998-8919 Liberty Electronics USA Technical Support (800) 497-8324 Matrox Electronics Systems Limited Technical Support (800) 462-8769 BBS (514) 685-6008 Metheus Corporation Technical Support (503) 690-1550 BBS (503) 690-1559 MicroStep, Inc. Technical Support (818) 336-8991 BBS (818) 961-9992 Mirage Computer Systems Technical Support (310) 440-1460 National Design, Inc. Technical Support (512) 329-5055 BBS (512) 329-6327 Number Nine Computer Corporation Technical Support (617) 674-0009 BBS (617) 862-7502 Nth Graphics Technical Support (800) 624-7552 BBS (512) 832-1964 Oak Technology Technical Support (408) 737-0888 BBS (408) 524-9014 Orchid Technology Inc. Technical Support (510) 683-0323 BBS (510) 683-0327 Paradise Technical Support (800) 832-4778 BBS (415) 968-1834 Sigma Designs Technical Support (510) 770-0100 BBS (510) 770-0111 SixGraph Computing, Limited Technical Support (800) 561-2892 BBS (514) 336-4169 STB Systems Technical Support (800) 234-4334 (214) 234-8750 BBS Phone (214) 437-9615 or 237-9615 SuperMac Technology, Inc. Technical Support (408) 245-0646 BBS (408) 773-4500 Swan Technologies, Inc. Technical Support (800) 468-7926 BBS (814) 237-6143 Trident Microsystems Inc. Phone (415) 691-9211 BBS (415) 691-1016 Tseng Labs Technical Support (215) 968-0502 BBS (215) 579-7536 Video Logic, Inc. Technical Support (617) 494-0530 BBS (617) 494-4960 Video Seven Technical Support (800) 553-1850 BBS (510) 656-0503 BBS (415) 656-0503 VidTech Microsystems, Inc. Technical Support (800) 752-8033 BBS (612) 780-3564 Willow Technical Support (212) 402-9500 ----- CD-ROM Manufacturers ----- Hitachi Technical Support (800) 241-6558 Mitsubishi Technical Support (800) 344-6352 BBS (714) 236-6286 Mitsumi Technical Support (408) 970-9699 NEC Technical Support (708) 860-0335 BBS (508) 635-6328 Panasonic Technical Support (800) 222-0584 BBS (201) 863-7845 Sony Technical Support West (714) 826-6410 Technical Support East (201) 368-3774 BBS (408) 955-5107 Teac Technical Support (213) 726-0303