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MechWar Version 1.0 Klaus Breuer, 1992 Dedicated to: Simone du Toit Legal Notice: This text is full of trademarks, most of them probably belonging to FASA Corporation. The others belong to their respective owners. 1 Very quick start Hi! Just for those of you who hate reading .DOC files (like me), here's a short introduction: Unzip all files into a single Subdirectory. Make sure you used the -d Option, like this: PkUnzip -d Mech10. If you didn't, create a subdirectory called SPRITES and copy these files into it: *.NFO *.CSP Start the MechDesigner by typing MDESIGN. Press [F1] to get help, look around, have fun. Then come back here, because MechDesign just a small part of the package... 2 Legal Stuff Well, what can I say. I have written to FASA Corporation for permission to use their names (I simply don't know if there is a TradeMark on terms like 'Mech, Marauder, and so on), but haven't received any reply yet. Since I'm not going to sell this program, or ask any money for it, I hope it's ok. Please tell me if I'm doing something illegal (gasp), then I'll go about changing names, and the like. Thus I don't even have a Copyright on the program. I do, however, have a Copyright on the code itself :-) 3 What you'll need Computer You'll need an MS-DOS computer. I don't know how fast it should be; after my trusty 286 died, I scimped and saved until I've finally got a 486/50 -- great for program development, but I don't know how fast the program runs on your machine. I do know that loading all 159 Mechs into the selection list can take 10 seconds on an AT, thus keep as few Mechs in your datafile (MECHS.DAT) as possible. You can load more Mechs in later using the READMECH Program (see below), or reading them in one by one with the Import/Export Functions of MechDesign. A disk buffer can really work wonders, by the way. The loading of the graphics title screens can also be a little slow -- feel free to delete the .GIF files, the program won't miss them. RAM You should be ok with 640KB, I haven't tested it with 512Kb yet. Deleting the *.GIF files frees up - 2 - some RAM for you, if necessary (also see the SetUp utility further on). EMS is supported by the MechWar program. Simply copy MECHWAR.EMS to MECHWAR.EXE. Using EMS will enable you to run the program in less RAM. Make sure that no other program (disk buffer, etc) use the EMS... EGA is required for GroundDesign, ConflictDesign and for MechWar (see below). Hard Drive You might just be able to run the whole package on a 720Kb Floppy, but that would be reeeaal slow. MS-DOS Personally, I'm using MS-DOS 5.0. It should work with all versions of DOS (maybe even 2.11), though. If anyone of you runs into trouble with his configuration, please tell me about it so I can either do something about it or at least warn others in the manual, ok? 4 What's MechWar? 1 Some time ago, FASA Corporation brought out a game by the name of BattleTech. The game centers about 12m high humanoid robots packed to the brim with all kinds of destructive weapons, trying to stomp each other into the ground. I know this sound a lot like the Transformer Junk, but believe me, it's lots of fun. Evidentially I'm not the only one who thinks so: the game is a huge success and is now also available as a role playing game. The only disadvantage, in my eyes, is that you need other people to play it, and they might not be prepared to spend 15h per day on it... Also, I wanted to find a quick way of testing new Mechs and new strategies, and thus I started looking for a computer version. I found several, but they were either Role Playing Games (Infocom) or Arcade Games (Activision). Thus I decided to write a straight translation of the board game. The MechWar package consists of several modules: MechDesign The second most important module, it allows you to design every possible Mech, also giving you information like Damage Curves, Maximum Heat Buildup, Combat Efficiency Factor, Cost, etc. It _________________________________________________________________ 1. FASA Corporation, P.O. Box 6930, Chicago, IL 60680, USA - 3 - can also print out a Mech List or a Record Sheet. Filename: MDESIGN.EXE WarriorDesign Here you can put together your own Mechwarrior. Only a small subset of the capabilities of the 1st edition are supported, as I'm going to rewrite it completely for the new edition (which I only got just now). Filename: WDESIGN.EXE GroundDesign allows you to create a 26x16 playing map, complete with buildings, mines, water, hills, forests and so on. Filename: GDESIGN.EXE ConflictDesign Here you put together a war scenario for MechWar itself. You merely state which Map to use and place the Mechs on it. MechWar This is the most important part: it allows two people to play the game against each other. As this is the most Beta in the whole package, it's probably still full of bugs (sigh). Filenname: MECHWAR.EXE Convert This small Utility allows you to convert your Mechs designed with earlier Versions of MechDesign. Note that newer Mechs with the same name will be overwritten. Filename: CONVERT.EXE ReadMech This imports the new *.me1 and *.me2 files (created by the Export function of MechDesign into your MECHS.DAT file. The only reason I have included it is that it supports wildcards, so you can read in lots of Meachs in one go. Filename: READMECH.EXE SortMech This will sort your MECHS.DAT file. Caution! On a standard AT this can take ages. I don't know why - it runs in 8s on my computer, and so I didn't notice it till just now -- I'll work on it. Probably a bug in the writing routine... :-) Filename: SORTMECH.EXE SetUp In this small utility you can change three things: The message delay (pause after each message in ms) Sound (toggle the beeps on and off) GIF Titles (toggle the GIF titlescreen) Mechs I have included 158 Mechs (all I could find from 3025, including all 'officially' known variants) in here, so you can immediately get ready modifying them (which -- in my eyes -- is most fun of all). Note that MechDesign can slow down quite a bit when confronted with so many Mechs, so you might want to build your own file using the - 4 - Import/Export function of MechDesign. Filename: MECHS.DAT Maps I have included a few maps, many of which were written by others (see below). I will add any other maps I get into this archive. Thanks, Guys! Filename: MAPS.ZIP - 5 - 5 Technology Base For those of you who know the game (or plan to buy it): I'm using the 3025 technology. Yes, I know, I have been asked by several people already to include the 3050/3055 technology, but frankly, I don't like it and none of the modules was designed for it. It'll come in a later version, ok? However, I have included some nice ideas from the Inner Sphere, like the Anti Missile System or the Pulse Lasers. Also, I have included a massive, heavy Gauss Rifle (meant as alternative to the Arrow IV Artillery System). Look below for more info... 6 MechDesign This Module is rather straightforward. Just type MDESIGN, press any key as soon as the title screen appears and you'll see that Main Screen, where most of the information is located. Generally, using the program is easy: use the highlighted key to select an option, use the cursor keys to cycle through information, press the space bar to confirm an action or [Esc] to abort it. Pressing [F1] will pop up a short help screen. I suggest loading a Mech (use the [F3] key to select one), and just fiddling around with it, until you get the general idea. 6.1 A short overview of the displayed data If you have trouble with any of the displayed information, look it up here: 6.1.1 Name The Name of your Mech. It will be used to reference it in the game itself, and thus should be definite. For example: MAD-3R Marauder. On all the example Mechs, I have included the code of the Mech as well (MAD-3R in the above example), so the different variants can be recognized. 6.1.2 Max. Weight The weight class of your Mech, in steps from 10t to 100t. The primary characteristic of your Mech, it determines (amongst other things) the strength of your internal structure. - 6 - 6.1.3 Current Weight How much your Mech currently weighs. You're not allowed to save the Mech if this exceeds the maximum weight. 6.1.4 Reactor size The size of the fusion reactor powering your Mech. The bigger this thing is, that faster you Mech will go -- usually. 6.1.5 Walking The walking speed of your Mech (in hex per turn). This is determined by the current weight and the engine size. 6.1.6 Running A direct function of your walking speed. 6.1.7 Jumping If your Mech is equipped with Jump Jets, shows the maximum distance (in hex) he can jump. You can never jump further than you can walk. 6.1.8 Heat Sinks The number of Heat Sinks of your Mech. They control the heat generated while moving or shooting. Heat is the biggest enemy of a Mech - heat up too much and your aim worsens, your speed drops, your Mech shuts down, your ammo blows up... Every engine has 10 free Heat Sinks built into it, so you can't 2 go below that value . Since the program distributes the Heat Sinks for you, I suggest you leave them till last. 6.1.9 Gyroscopes Every Mech has a Gyroscope to keep it upright. Its weight is a function of the engine size -- bigger engines need bigger Gyros. 6.1.10 Cockpit That's where you sit. Every Mech has one, and it always weighs 3 tons. _________________________________________________________________ 2. I know, I was told this morning that this is not quite correct -- it'll be fixed in the next version. - 7 - 6.1.11 Jump Jets The number of Jump Jets you have. These allow you to fly short distances (building up quite a bit of heat in the process, though). They can only be mounted in the legs and torso. Since the program distributes the Jump Jets for you, I suggest you leave them till last (just before you enter the Heat Sinks). 6.1.12 Armour Value The amount of armour your Mech carries around. Your weight class determines how heavily the internal structure is armoured, and you can only bolt on twice that much as external armour. Only the head is always allowed nine external armour points. The torso can additionally have armour on the rear (so 9/4 would mean 9 points on the front and 4 on the back). Each point of armour weight 500kg, and the total weight of the external armour is shown in the right top of the screen. 6.1.13 Max. Heatbuildup The heat generated by your weapons if you fire a full salvo while standing still. A good indication of how many heat sinks you'll need... 6.1.14 Offensive Range The distance at which your Mech can cause damage, shown as min-- max. Note that the minimum range of all weaponary is actually 1 (adjacent hex), but some weapons will have problems shooting at such close ranges, and thus their minimum is displayed. (For example, a PPC has a minimum range of 3 and a maximum range of 18, so a Mech armed with only PPCs would show 3--18). 6.1.15 Price The exact price of your Mech in C-Bills. You can get an accurate breakdown by pressing [B] for Bill. 6.1.16 Combat Efficiency Factor (CEF) This is something I'm still playing around with (meaning it'll change in the next version). It is an approximate measure of how good the Mech is, taking into account things like size, heat efficiency, jump capability, etc. I have adapted it from the magazine BattleTechnology, which I can highly recommend (even if I can't find its address at the moment -- sorry, I'll include it in the next release). - 8 - 6.1.17 Weapons/Ammo A list of the equipment carried by your Mech. Currently, you can 3 only fill 20 slots (one piece of equipment will fill one slot) . It is, however, sufficient for every Mech I've come across, even the STK-3F Stalker needs only 14 slots... 6.2 A short command summary 6.2.1 [*] -- Max Out Armour A quick way to build Mechs from scratch, this option sets the external armour to maximum. Note that the rear armour is set to zero -- you'll have to decide yourself how much to take from the front and paste onto the back :) 6.2.2 [Ins] -- Add Weapon With the [Ins] or the [W] key you can add a weapon or a piece of equipment. The program will show the weapon just above your equipment list in the following format: <Name> <Heat> <Damage> <Minimum> <Range> <Weight> <Slots> Name The name of the weapon (a shorthand is used in most of the game, for example LRM-10 instead of Long Range Missile (10)) Heat The Heat generated when firing the weapon. Damage The maximum damage caused by it (if you hit). Minimum The minimum effective range. Note that you can fire all weapons at targets below their minimum range, but the accuracy suffers as a result. Range The Short, Medium and Long range for this weapon, written as S/M/L. Weight The weight in tons. Slots The number of slots taken up in the Mech (not the number of slots taken up in your Equipment List - that's always one slot per piece of equipment or ton of Ammo). Using the Cursor keys, cycle through the weapons until you find one you like. Then press [Space Bar] to select it. _________________________________________________________________ 3. That also puts an end to those 30MGs Mechs :) - 9 - The program will ask you where to place this weapon in the Mech itself; again, use the cursor keys and the space bar to select a mounting place. Note that some weapons can only be mounted in certain places (a Hatchet must be in one of the arms) and need enough space (the Autocannon/20, for example, requires 10 free slots). You can mount a weapon to the rear (Torso and Head locations only) by answering the pop-up question with Yes. 6.2.3 [A] -- Add Ammo Here you select ammunition for those weapons needing it (like Autocannons and missiles). Note that some weapons can fire several types of ammunition - for example, the Short Range Missile Launcher (2) can fire both normal and Inferno missiles. 6.2.4 [Del] -- Remove Weapon/Ammo Similar to the Add Weapon option, you first select which weapon in the equipment list to remove. Then you select, from where in the Mech it is to be removed (for example, do you want to remove the laser in the left arm or in the right torso?). 6.2.5 [PgUp] -- View Damage Chart This gives you the Damage Distribution Graph for your Mech. Range is shown at the bottom, while the bars represent maximum possible damage at this range. This is useful for determining 'holes' in your defense. Note, also, that below-minimum weapon range is not counted, thus a PPC would only register as causing damage in the range from 4 to 18. Weapons mounted in the rear are not counted in this display. Pressing any key returns you to the Main Screen. 6.2.6 [PgDn] -- View Mech Load This will show you where each weapon is mounted on the Mech. Note that some slots are already filled with rather important things like engines and your cockpit. Press any key to return to the Main Screen. 6.2.7 [B] -- View Bill This displays the bill for your Mech so far. This information can be rather useful if you're role playing the game. It will be even more useful in future version of this game, as you'll initially have a limited budget... As usual, pressing any key will return you to the Main Screen. - 10 - 6.2.8 [D] -- Delete Mech This option will permanently remove the current Mech from the MECHS.DAT File. Note that the Program searches for the name given in the upper left -- make sure it's really the one you want to delete... 6.2.9 [I] -- Import/Export Mech This pops up a Menu where you can import and export the current Mech: Save MechFile This will create two files, <name>.me1 and <name>.me2, containg all information on the current Mech. Useful for swapping Mechs, or uuencoding them and sending them over the Net. Load MechFile This will pop up a selection window, where you can read in the files created with the Save MechFile option. Note that Mechs in your datafile having the same name will simply be overwritten. Mech To List After entering a filename (the usual 8 characters), the program will generate a one-line description of the current Mech, appending it to the file if it already exists. This option is useful for discussing designs over the Net, or just creating a quick-reference list of your Unit. Record Sheet This will print out a complete Record Sheet for the current Mech. The printer must support the IBM extended character set (little lines and corners), otherwise your Record Sheet is going to look a little weird. 6.2.10 [F5] -- Toggle Left Hand This option will add/remove the left hand of your Mech. Some weapons require a hand, and physical attacks are so much easier if you actually have a fist... 6.2.11 [F6] -- Toggle Left Lower Arm This option will add/remove the lower left arm of your Mech. With it, you can mount a hand (with all its advantages), without it you can flip your arms back and fire into your rear arc. 6.2.12 [F7] -- Toggle Right Lower Arm Same as [F6], but for the other arm. 6.2.13 [F8] -- Toggle Right Hand Same as [F5], but for the other hand. - 11 - 6.2.14 [F1] -- Help Pops up a short help window, if you're stuck. 6.2.15 [F2] -- Save Mech Saves the Mech into your datafile MECHS.DAT, if it is not too heavy. 6.2.16 [F3] -- Load Mech This will pop up a selection window with all the Mechs in your datafile. Select a new Mech with the cursor keys, load it with the space bar. Since it can take up to 10 seconds to load 158 Mechs into the selection list, I suggest keeping as few Mechs as possible in your datafile unless you have a disk cache or (even better) a fast computer. 6.2.17 [F4] -- Test Mech So far, this option only tests if the Mech is within its weight allowance -- it will probably be used for diagnostics in later versions of the game. 6.2.18 [F10] -- New Mech This starts you off on a clean slate (after confirming, of course). 6.2.19 [Esc] - Leave Program This option returns you to your operating system. 7 WarriorDesign This program is used in exactly the same way as MechDesign -look there for more information or press [F1] for help. Note, however, that you can't 'resell' Skill points - these can only be increased. I will upgrade this program to the new edition of the role playing game soon, then the whole generating process will change (yes, I'll also include packages like University). 7.1 A short overview of the displayed data 7.1.1 Name The Name of your Warrior. Try to keep it short, as the program will reference you with it. - 12 - Currently it is possible to use the same warrior in all eight Mechs, but that will change in future versions... 7.1.2 Experience The experience gathered by your character. Not currently used. 7.1.3 CP Your Character's Character Points. You can use these to purchase Attributes and Skills. 7.1.4 Attributes You can increase and decrease the attributes freely - by decreasing them, you'll gain CPs, while (obviously) you'll pay CPs to increase them. Body The strength and endurance of his body. Used in the game to determine how much damage the warrior can take before dying. Dexterity Influences the following Skills: Driver, Gunnery/Mech, Piloting/Aerospace and Piloting/Mech. Learning Influences all Skills except Driver. Charisma Not used so far. - 13 - 7.1.5 Skills These Character Skills can only be increased, so choose wisely: Driver Not used so far. Gunnery/Aerospace Not used so far. Gunnery/Artillery Used in Artillery bombardment, like the Arrow IV weapon. Gunnery/Mech Used to determine your accuracy with your Mechs weapons. Piloting/Aerospace Not used so far. Piloting/Mech Determines how good you are at avoiding falls and avoiding damage to yourself. Tactics Used to determine initiative at the start of each round. Technician Not used so far. 8 GroundDesign Typing GDESIGN will first load the title screen (yes, you can delete GDESIGN.GIF if the delay bothers you), and then load the sprites. This can take a few seconds if you don't have a disk cache. Once all the Sprites have been loaded (takes a few seconds), you can move the marker using the cursor keys (for turning and moving forward). Use [+] and [-] to choose your terrain (displayed in the top left corner of the screen), and use [Space Bar] to drop it. The default file loaded by ConflictDesign is called DEFAULT. Try it and see. 8.1 A short command summary If you didn't get enough Help from the [F1] Key, read on... 8.1.1 [Cursor Keys] -- Move about Move the small arrow marker using the cursor keys. The keys turn the marker left and right, as well as moving it forward. - 14 - 8.1.2 [+]/[-] -- Select Hex These keys select a hex from the many possibilities. The name of the hex is displayed in the top middle of the screen, while the hex itself is shown on the top left. 8.1.3 [Space Bar] -- Drop Hex The [Space Bar] will drop the hex displayed in the top left corner of the screen on the position currently occupied by the arrow marker. 8.1.4 [L] -- Toggle Light Building This will add/remove a Light Building at the current hex. 8.1.5 [M] -- Toggle Medium Building This will add/remove a Medium Building at the current hex. 8.1.6 [H] -- Toggle Heavy Building This will add/remove a Heavy Building at the current hex. 8.1.7 [R] -- Toggle Reinforced Building This will add/remove a Reinforced building at the current hex. 8.1.8 [X] -- Toggle Rubble This will add/remove Rubble (a broken building) at the current hex. 8.1.9 [1]..[5] -- Toggle Minefield This will add/remove a minefield of varying strength at the current hex: [1] Equivalent to the Thunder-5 (5 points) [2] Equivalent to the Thunder-10 (10 points) [3] Equivalent to the Thunder-15 (15 points) [4] Equivalent to the Thunder-20 (20 points) [5] Equivalent to the Arrow IV FASCAM (30 points) 8.1.10 [F] -- Toggle Fire This will add/remove fire at the current hex. At this time it is not possible to add a fire to a building, but later versions will rectify that. - 15 - Note that if you burn a wood, it will keep burning for the whole game. If you add fire anywhere else, it is assumed to be the result of an Inferno Missile and will only burn for 3 turns. 8.1.11 [S] -- Toggle Smoke This will add/remove smoke at the current hex. Note that smoke is automatically produced by fires, and doesn't go away. 8.1.12 [F1] -- Help This displays the Help Screen. Press any key to return to your map. 8.1.13 [F2] -- Save Map Saves the current map to disk with the extension .MAP. Don't add the extension. 8.1.14 [F3] -- Load Map Loads a map from disk without the benefit of a selection list - thus you must know the names by heart (sorry, will come in later versions). Again, do not enter the extension. 8.1.15 [F4] -- Generate Random Map This will create a random map containing some mountains and water. In later versions, the program will add forests, roads, rivers and buildings. You will also have more power over the parameters used in creating the map (Jagginess of the mountains, etc). 8.1.16 [F10] -- New Map Wipes the current Map clean, resetting everything to Grass (after confirming with you, of course). 8.1.17 [Esc] -- Leave Program This will return you to your operating system (after confirming with you). 9 ConflictDesign Here is where you design the War Scenarior for MechWar. After starting the program, wait for it to load all the sprites. As soon as it beeps, press any key to go on. Firstly, you will be asked to select a map from the current directory. - 16 - Then you can enter commands (see below) or press [F1] for a Help Screen. Here are the commands in detail: 9.1 Command Summary Press the keys [1] to [8] to select the appropiate Mech. All Mechs on the Blue Side have odd numbers (1,3,5,7) while the Red Mechs use the even numbers (2,4,6,8). If the Mech hasn't been loaded yet, you will be asked to enter the name of a Mech in your datafile. Note that this entry is case sensitive. Loading the Mech can take three seconds or so. Now you can move the Mech about using the [Cursor Keys], dropping it at the current location with the [Space Bar]. Here is a run-down of the controls: 9.1.1 [Cursor Keys] -- Move Mech You turn and move the Mech using the cursor keys. This way, you can position the Mech on any place on the battlefield, using any heading you want. 9.1.2 [ ] -- Drop Mech When you are satisfied with the location of a Mech, press the [Space Bar] to drop it. Now you can select the next Mech, or (of course) re-select the last one to move it somewhere else. 9.1.3 [Del] -- Delete Mech This key will remove the current Mech from the Map (after confirming with you). 9.1.4 [F1] -- Help Pops up a Help Screen. Press any Key to return to the Map. 9.1.5 [F2] -- Save Conflict This will save the conflict to disk, from where is can be used by MechWar, or uuencoded and sent over the Net. When spreading Conflicts, remember to include the Mechs used (if they are of your own design), as well as the relevant Map. You will be asked for a title of the conflict -- you can enter anything there, as long as it doesn't exceed 50 characters. Once you're beck in DOS, you should edit the corresponding .MWC file, as you can enter a storyline for the conflict in there. The story can have any length. Use a semicolon (;) in the first column to denote a comment; use an asterix (*) to center the line. - 17 - 9.1.6 [F3] -- Load Conflict This asks you for a Conflict to load from disk. It will, of course, replace the one you are currently working on. 9.1.7 [F4] -- Load New Map This Option will load a new Map from Disk. 9.1.8 [F10] -- Clear Conflict This will remove all Mechs from the Map, after confirming with you. 10 MechWar This is the program where it all fits together. The program itself takes up a lot of RAM -- if you run short, you can try to: o Remove all your TSR programs o Delete or switch off the display of the MECHWAR.GIF file o Use the EMS version by renaming MECHWAR.EMS to MECHWAR.EXE 10.0.1 How to start MechWar Here's a short guide to the controls: First start the Program and wait for the Sprites to load. Then you'll have to select a scenario (which are created by ConflictDesign) from the displayed list. After reading the selected scenario, the program will ask you to select Warriors for the different Mechs. Again you are offered a selection list, containing all Warriors in the current directory. Now, the currently active Mech is highlighted, and all possible Control Keys are displayed in a line at the top, with one exception: whenever you can use [I] to get Info on a Hex (such as Distance to your Mech, ground type, Building info, etc), you can also press [M] for Mech info. Use the Cursor Keys and [Space Bar] to select the Mech to look at. Always look at the display line at the top, it'll tell you what keys are currently available. Note that the [F1] key won't help you this time, but the next version will change that. Thus I'll explain the options in detail now: - 18 - 10.0.2 [W] -- Walk Causes your Mech to enter Walking mode. There you can move the Mech about, stand up or drop to the ground. The below for more information. Movement is taken according to your individual Initiative (a combination of luck and your Tactics Skill). 10.0.3 [R] -- Run Causes you Mech to enter running mode. You now have more movement points (MPs) to spend, but will build up more heat. Note that if you have a walking speed of 1, you will need to enter running mode to stand up, as that action requires 2 MPs. 10.0.4 [J] -- Jump Causes your Mech to enter Jumping Mode. This makes it easy to move in difficult terrain, but results in heavy heat buildup. 10.0.5 [ ] -- Wait Skips the Movement Phase and does nothing. 10.0.6 [I] -- Info Allows you to select any Hex on the Map using the [Cursor Keys] to move about and the [Space Bar] to select a Hex. A small window will pop up in the lower left, giving you information on the hex such as ground type, distance, wether you have LOS, weapon fire modifier foe that hex, building strength, and so on. If a Mech is standing on this Hex, his data will be shown as well (see below). Press [Esc] to stop looking at hexes. 10.0.7 [M] -- Mech Info Allows you to select a MEch using the [Cursor Keys] to toggle between the Mechs (note that you can view dead Mechs), and [Space Bar] to select a Mech. You will be given the following Information: No. The Number of the Mech (as shown when you entered a Warrior for it). Name The Name of the Mech. Heat The current Heat HS The number of operational Heat Sinks the Mech has available (including the 10 in the engine). Warrior The Name of the Warrior in the Mech. - 19 - Health The Health of the Warrior, written as (Current/Maximum). Note that the maximum depends on the Body Attribute of the Warrior. G/P The Gunnery and Piloting Skills of the Warrior CEF The current Combat Efficiency factor of the Mech. This does not yet take into account any critical hits taken in the Shoulders, Hips, etc. JJ Number of Jump Jets Weight Weight of the Mech Armour The Armour values of the Head, Left Arm, Left Torso, Center Torso, Right Torso, Right Arm, Left Leg and Right Leg. The Armour is displayed in the format Front/Inner/Rear. Critical Hits This is a list showing the critical hits taken by the Mech. They are written right next to the armour location of the relevant part. Shown are Life Support, Sensors, Cockpit, Shoulder, Arms (Upper and Lower), Engine, Gyros, Hip, Legs (Upper and Lower) and Feet. Green Letters mean the the Item is still ok, red means destroyed. Equipment List This shows a short list of the weapons, ammo and equipment carried by the Mech. Green writing means functional, red means destroyed. Written in brackets behind it is the location where the equipment is located (LA meaning Left Arm, etc). Press [Esc] to stop looking at Mechs. 10.0.8 [Q] -- Quit Aborts the game, after confirming with you. 10.0.9 [Cursor Keys] -- Movement Shown in the Movement Phase after selecting either Walking, Running or Jumping Mode, they allow you to maneuver your Mech about. A few notes: o Each keypress costs you at least one Movement point (depending on Terrain). Exception: When jumping, you can turn about as much as you like. o You cannot run backwards. o You can't walk up mountains backwards. - 20 - 10.0.10 [D] -- Drop Causes your Mech to lie down. This costs one MP, and won't damage your Mech. 10.0.11 [S] -- Try to stand up You need two MPs for this maneuver, which requires a Pilot Skill Roll. This is made more difficule by damage in the legs and hips. If you fail, your Mech will fall and get damaged. If you succeed, you can change your heading to any position you like. 10.0.12 Twist Twisting (after finishing your movement) will rotate your Arc of Fire by one direction. The heading of your Mech is not affected, however. At the begin of every Movement Mode, this rotation will be reset. 10.0.13 [E] -- Eject This will (after confirming with you) eject you from the Mech. You might need that to get out of a bad situation alive, although the Mech will try to eject you if it dies. You chances of surviving the ejection are much higher if you are concious and standing upright, preferably in water. 10.0.14 [T] -- Tag If you are equipped with Target Aquisition Gear, you can attempt to target a Mech in your Line Of Sight, which may not be further than 15 hexes away in any direction. A tagged target can be shot at by Long Range Missiles and the Arrow IV Homing Missile, without needing an Line Of Sight. Note that the Beagle Active Probe will negate any Tags within 8 hexes. 10.0.15 [F] -- Fire After everyone finishes the Movement Phase, you have the option of firing at a target, be it a Mech, a building, or even an empty hex. First, you will have to select a target, using the [Cursor Keys] and the [Space Bar]. Then you can select the weapons to fire. Again, use the [Cursor Keys] to move up and down the list, pressing [Space Bar] to toggle a weapon (Selected weapons are shown blue, damaged equipment is shown red, and non-selectable equipment is gray). The amount of ammunition remaining is shown just after the name of the ammo. Press [Return] to fire. - 21 - You will now be told what value you need to roll with two dice. Obviously, the computer does that for you, but it gives you an idea how likely you are to hit the target. This value depends on many values, including: o Your Heat o Your Actions in the Movement Phase o Your placement o The placement of the Target o The speed of your Target o Your C3 Computer (if you have one) might improve your accuracy -- see below. o Your Targeting Computer will help as well Press the [Space Bar] to fire, or [Esc] to abort. Now you will be shown what you rolled in the format have/need to give you an idea of how accurate you were. 10.0.16 [P] -- Punch After the Firing Phase, this allows you to punch at a Mech standing right next to you, if you haven't fired any weapons mounted in that arm this round. If you hit, you will cause 1 point of damage for every 10t your Mech weighs. Note that you can only use one kind of physical attack per turn (either Punching, Kicking or Pushing). 10.0.17 [K] -- Kick This allows you to kick at an enemy, if you have not fired any leg-mounted weapons this turn and have functioning Hips and Legs. If successfull, you will cause 1 point of damage for every 5t you weigh, and might cause your target to fall. If you miss, you might fall yourself, though. 10.0.18 [U] -- Push You can push a Mech forward, using both arms, if you have not fired any arm-mounted weapons this turn. If you are successfull, you will push the enemy one space forward and advance into his previous space. He might also fall down. 10.0.19 [C] -- Charge If you ran straight towards your target and didn't fire any weapons in the Combat Phase, you can now charge your opponent if he is straight in front of you. - 22 - This causes a lot of damage (1 point of damage for every 10t you weight, multiplied by the distance you ran), although it also damages you (1 point for every 10t your target weighs). Also, there's a chance that you might both fall. 10.0.20 Finishing MechWar The game is over if all Mechs from one side (or both sides!) are destroyed. The resulting Victory Screen does not display the correct values, however -- I'm working on it. 11 Some comments about the available equipment I have used primarily 3025 Technology, with some Inner Sphere 3050 technology thrown in. Currently, the following items are supported: Lasers Large, Medium and Light Lasers Pulse Lasers Have less range, but are more accurate PPCs The Particle Projector Cannon, my favourite LRMs Long Range Missiles, available in the handy 5, 10, 15 or 20 packs SRMs Short Range Missiles, available as 2, 4 or 6 packs OS Missiles One-Shot missiles, can be fired only once but obviously don't require a reload. Not yet available as SRM-2 Inferno, though (oversight on my part). Flamer Doing either damage or heats up the enemy; also useful for starting fires. Autocannons Available at AC/2, AC/5, AC/10 or AC/20 Ultra AC Ultra Autocannons (available as U AC/2 and U AC/5) have twice the ammo consumption, cause twice as much damage, but can seize up in the middle of the fight. LB 10X AC Akin to a shotgun, peppers a Mech with spread out hits. Has a higher chance to hit, but less range and usually does less damage. Machine Guns Why anyone bothers with these is beyond me :-) - 23 - 4 Gauss Gun Not the Munchkin low-heat-buildup-massive-range, but a heavy monster, using 12 critical slots and having the range of the AC/5. Currently it competes with the Arrow IV. Hatchet Size and damage depends on the size of the Mech, hand needed. Anti-Missile System Used to automatically shoot down incoming missiles, but has a very high ammo consumption. Anti-Personnel Pods Become interesting as soon as infantry is added. Arrow IV Artillery The ultimate range weapon, it needs 12 slots (not 15 as you might be used to, 'cause it wouldn't fit in otherwise), but causes heavy damage to several hexes at once. Beagle Active Probe To pick up hidden Mechs 3 C Computers Available in Master and Slave version, they allow Mechs to use each others aiming equipment (meaning you automatically use the range of the Mech standing closest to the target). CASE Cellular Ammunition Storage Equipment prevents an Ammunition explosion from spreading to other parts of your Mech and doing more harm. Can be mounted in arms and legs, as well - let me know if you want this limited to the torso only. 3 Guardiam ECM Jams Beagle Probes, TAG and the C Computer. TAG Target Aquisition Gear pinpoints Mechs for hidden LRM or Artillery bombardment - the firing Mech doesn't need a Line Of Sight to the target anymore... Targeting Computer Big and heavy, it increases your accuracy with direct-fire weapons. _________________________________________________________________ 4. Yes, it is still my Pet Hate :) - 24 - Myomer Whip Can be used to entangle opponents next to you and cause them to fall. I also got this idea from the BattleTechnology magazine. Inferno Missiles Only available for the SRM-2, they cause the target to heat up 8 points for the next three rounds. Also useful for starting fires. Homing Arrow Ammunition for the Arrow IV Artillery System, homes in on a single target and does much less collateral damage. Minefield Arrow Ammunition for the Arrow IV Artillery System, it lays down a big mine field in a single hex. Thunder Ammo Ammunition for the LRMs, it also lays down a minefield in a single hex. 11.1 Planned Improvements I very much welcome any ideas and suggestions, no matter how outlandish! o Add a Graphical Damage Chart to MechDesign. This would show the Mech standing in the middle, with differently colored hexes showing his damage potential in all directions. o Show how the selected weapon would improve your CEF in MechDesign. o Print out the Map from GroundDesign. o Dumping Ammunition in MechWar. o Death From Above attack. o Support 3055 Technology (sooner or later I'll have to). o Support some of the Solaris Rules (as soon as I get them). o Add Character Development, complete with Salvage, Repairs, Limited Budget, and so on. o A bigger Map (scrolling, perhaps?) o Aircraft o Infantry o Vehicles - 25 - o Adding a Graphic User Interface (anyone out there know a good one?) o Computer Opponents, with varying characters and strategies. 12 Frequently Asked Questions I get asked a lot of questions, many of which can be answered right here: Q: What happened to the Gauss Gun? A: The Gauss Gun was heavily penalized by me. I shortened its range, lessened its damage and increased its size. It is still a highly potent weapon, but at least the game is now somewhat better balanced. Q: Looks like the LB-10X can only fire cluster ammo. A: That's right. Who would buy an AC/10 otherwise? Q: Why don't you support all of 3055 Tech? A: Because I a) don't like it much and b) never planned it initially, making reprogramming difficult. It will probably be supported in future versions (some kind soul suggested allowing only the computer to use 3055 Tech, hehe). Q: Why isn't Death From Above supported? A: Because I was too busy to put it in :) It will be included in later versions. Q: Why isn't (real good fancy idea) supported? A: Because you haven't told me about it. Let's hear from you! Q: Why did you take so long for the bugfix update? A: It took a week because my neighbours cat insists on sleeping on my lap while I work, somewhat slowing my typing speed. Q: I've written some nice Mechs/Maps/Scenarios. How can I send them to you so you'll include them in the next version? A: uuencode and mail it. You can also try a floppy in SnailMail... Q: Are you going to write an Amiga/Atari/C64/ZX 81/Cray version? A: No. Q: Where can I ftp this game? A: Well, it's on several ftp servers. You could try 131.188.1.43 in /pub/pc/incoming (Europe) wuarchive.wustl.edu in /pub/MSDOS_UPLOADS (USA) I'll also try to feed it into FIDO's SDN network, so it'll show up on the BBS systems. - 26 - Q: I'm running an ftp server. Can I put your program up here? A: Yes! Sure! Of course! Be my guest! (I wonder why I get asked this :) 13 Your Input Wow, I'm quite staggered by all the replys and interest from the Net. Thanks, everyone! If this continues, I'll have to put this chapter in its own .DOC file :-) I am completely dependant on you people to supply me with ideas, comments and general feedback. Only if you tell me what you want, what you like and dislike can I really improve the game. Let's also have your Mech designs and especially your maps. I need lots of maps! Given enough input, I might even be able to periodically release 'add-on' packs, containing more Mechs, more Maps, Scenarious, etc. 14 Supporters Many people have mailed me with ideas, suggestions and improvements. While I can't implement tham all immediately, I'm working on it. I'm afraid this list is rather incomplete (my list got lost in a floppy crash, I'm keeping it on paper now). Also, many ideas were proposed by several people (like the Mech Selection List in ConflictDesign): Jens Carlberg y88jenca@und.ida.liu.se Using subdirectories for the sprites. Brian Davis bkdavis@eos.ncsu.edu By far the biggest feedbacker, he added more ideas than I can shake a stick at, most of which are by now implemented (I think...) Christopher Gaeth cgaeth@brl.mil Together with his friend Brad Graper, he sent me very long and exact bug reports and suggestion lists. Looks like they really spent a lot of time playing this game :) Brad Graper graper@amsaa-cleao.brl.mil The guy working together with Cristopher Gaeth -- plenty of good ideas from that end. - 27 - Timothy Hagensick sntph@acad3.alaska.edu Sent some good ideas (sound toggle!) and bug reports. Scott Hutchens EESAH%umsvm.bitnet@relay.eu.net Sent in a plea for 3055 technology (Double Heat Sinks, ugh :), convincing me that I will have to support them in later versions. Jim Knepley knepley@cs.colostate.edu Sent some ideas about graphics, and volunteered (!) to design the next generation of sprites (once the GUI is out). Glen Miller t-glenm@microsoft.com Sent several short bug reports. Thomas Müller tsmueller@faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de It's all his fault! Not only did he introduce me to BattleTech, he also encouraged me to write this package by pumping me full with ideas! Wayne Quennell s9000938@cumulus.csd.unsw.os.au Pointed out some flaws, especially a small nasty bug in ConflictDesign. Sent me some Maps, which are included here. (Hi Jacqueline!). Markku Wachter wachter@cc.helsinki.fi Send very complete bug reports and pointed out several incorrectly implemented features. He's also responsible for about 50% of the maps. Brett Waldick baw@raz.csc.ncsu.edu Sent me long, very complete bug reports and suggestions. I wish everyone would be as specific. PS: My toughest Mech had 466464.45 CEF (after a bug :) The InterNet rec.games.board, rec.games.frp.misc Plenty of good ideas, both in Mech Designs (which I will bring out later in a special package) and general advice. All the others on the net As said, I had a list of all the supporters on disk, and it crashed. Thus many people are unmentioned, I'm sorry about that! (Who was the guy who suggested the [*] Max Out Armour option in MechDesign?). - 28 - 15 Contacting the Author I can be reached in several ways: SnailMail Klaus Breuer Rudelsweiher Str. 6b 8450 Erlangen Germany VoiceMail (09131) 25227 (Telephone Answering Machine) NetMail kabreuer@faui09.informatik.uni-erlangen.de (by far the best method) FIDOmail 2:2400/22.70 EchoMail rec.games.board rec.rpg.* JunkMail /dev/nil 16 Registering Well, registering won't currently bring you much (except for me to know that I have your support), and it won't give you anything extra in the future, either. I am not going to half-cripple this program to get people to register, and I'm not writing GuiltWare either. I am, however, writing CardWare. So, if you like this program, please send me a post card from your city, so I know where this program is spreading to. Everyone registered will be added to The Hall Of Heros, to be displayed at startup of the program. Note that I release this program as ShareWare, not as Public Domain. That means, please do copy this program and give it away, but the code is (C)1992 by me. 17 The Files Here's a list of all files contained in the distribution Package MECH10B.ZIP: CDESIGN.EXE The ConflictDesigner CONVERT.EXE The Convert Utility - 29 - EGAVGA.BGI Borlands EGA/VGA Screen Driver GDESIGN.EXE The GroundDesigner HEROS.TXT The list of all people who have registered so far (how come there's only one name in it?) MAPS.ZIP Archive containing all the maps, except for DEFAULT.MAP MDESIGN.EXE The MechDesigner MECHS.DAT Mech Datafile, containng 158 Mechs from 3025 MECHWAR.EXE MechWar itself MECHWAR.CFG This is where SetUp stores its configuration data. The file will be created if it is not found initially. READMECH.EXE The ReadMech Utility SETUP.EXE The SetUp Utility SORTMECH.EXE The SortMech Utility WDESIGN.EXE The WarriorDesigner *.CSP, *.NFO Sprites. They all belong into the SPRITES subdirectory. I would love to include them in their own datafile, but I lost the source code to my sprite editor, so have patience -- they will be re-done as soon as the GUI arrives. *.GIF The title screens. They can be deleted, if you want. *.MAP Maps, created by the GroundDesigner *.MEW MechWarrior Data Files *.MWC MechWarConflict Files, created by the ConflictDesigner. They are actually just textfiles, containg Map Name, No Of Mechs, Mech Number, Mech Position (x,y) and Mech Heading, each on a seperate line. You can easily make quick changes with any editor, especially as you can include a short story or mission goal in there. - 30 - 18 Warranty I don't know why everyone puts a disclaimer in his software; I guess there's a legal reason for it. So here's mine: No warranty. At all. If the program breaks in two halves, you own both halves. - 31 - Contents 1 Very quick start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 2 Legal Stuff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 What you'll need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 4 What's MechWar? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 5 Technology Base . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6 MechDesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6.1 A short overview of the displayed data . . 6 6.1.1 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6.1.2 Max. Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 6.1.3 Current Weight . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.4 Reactor size . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.5 Walking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.6 Running . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.7 Jumping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.8 Heat Sinks . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.9 Gyroscopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.10 Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 6.1.11 Jump Jets . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6.1.12 Armour Value . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6.1.13 Max. Heatbuildup . . . . . . . . . . 8 6.1.14 Offensive Range . . . . . . . . . . 8 6.1.15 Price . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 6.1.16 Combat Efficiency Factor (CEF) . . . 8 6.1.17 Weapons/Ammo . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 6.2 A short command summary . . . . . . . . . 9 6.2.1 [*] -- Max Out Armour . . . . . . . . 9 6.2.2 [Ins] -- Add Weapon . . . . . . . . . 9 6.2.3 [A] -- Add Ammo . . . . . . . . . . 10 6.2.4 [Del] -- Remove Weapon/Ammo . . . . 10 6.2.5 [PgUp] -- View Damage Chart . . . . 10 6.2.6 [PgDn] -- View Mech Load . . . . . 10 6.2.7 [B] -- View Bill . . . . . . . . . 10 6.2.8 [D] -- Delete Mech . . . . . . . . 11 6.2.9 [I] -- Import/Export Mech . . . . . 11 6.2.10 [F5] -- Toggle Left Hand . . . . . 11 6.2.11 [F6] -- Toggle Left Lower Arm . . 11 6.2.12 [F7] -- Toggle Right Lower Arm . . 11 6.2.13 [F8] -- Toggle Right Hand . . . . 11 6.2.14 [F1] -- Help . . . . . . . . . . . 12 6.2.15 [F2] -- Save Mech . . . . . . . . 12 6.2.16 [F3] -- Load Mech . . . . . . . . 12 6.2.17 [F4] -- Test Mech . . . . . . . . 12 6.2.18 [F10] -- New Mech . . . . . . . . 12 6.2.19 [Esc] - Leave Program . . . . . . 12 7 WarriorDesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 i 7.1 A short overview of the displayed data . 12 7.1.1 Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 7.1.2 Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.1.3 CP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.1.4 Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 7.1.5 Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 8 GroundDesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 8.1 A short command summary . . . . . . . . 14 8.1.1 [Cursor Keys] -- Move about . . . . 14 8.1.2 [+]/[-] -- Select Hex . . . . . . . 15 8.1.3 [Space Bar] -- Drop Hex . . . . . . 15 8.1.4 [L] -- Toggle Light Building . . . 15 8.1.5 [M] -- Toggle Medium Building . . . 15 8.1.6 [H] -- Toggle Heavy Building . . . 15 8.1.7 [R] -- Toggle Reinforced Building . 15 8.1.8 [X] -- Toggle Rubble . . . . . . . 15 8.1.9 [1]..[5] -- Toggle Minefield . . . 15 8.1.10 [F] -- Toggle Fire . . . . . . . . 15 8.1.11 [S] -- Toggle Smoke . . . . . . . 16 8.1.12 [F1] -- Help . . . . . . . . . . . 16 8.1.13 [F2] -- Save Map . . . . . . . . . 16 8.1.14 [F3] -- Load Map . . . . . . . . . 16 8.1.15 [F4] -- Generate Random Map . . . 16 8.1.16 [F10] -- New Map . . . . . . . . . 16 8.1.17 [Esc] -- Leave Program . . . . . . 16 9 ConflictDesign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 9.1 Command Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9.1.1 [Cursor Keys] -- Move Mech . . . . 17 9.1.2 [ ] -- Drop Mech . . . . . . . . . 17 9.1.3 [Del] -- Delete Mech . . . . . . . 17 9.1.4 [F1] -- Help . . . . . . . . . . . 17 9.1.5 [F2] -- Save Conflict . . . . . . . 17 9.1.6 [F3] -- Load Conflict . . . . . . . 18 9.1.7 [F4] -- Load New Map . . . . . . . 18 9.1.8 [F10] -- Clear Conflict . . . . . 18 10 MechWar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 10.0.1 How to start MechWar . . . . . . . 18 10.0.2 [W] -- Walk . . . . . . . . . . . 19 10.0.3 [R] -- Run . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 10.0.4 [J] -- Jump . . . . . . . . . . . 19 10.0.5 [ ] -- Wait . . . . . . . . . . . 19 10.0.6 [I] -- Info . . . . . . . . . . . 19 10.0.7 [M] -- Mech Info . . . . . . . . 19 10.0.8 [Q] -- Quit . . . . . . . . . . . 20 10.0.9 [Cursor Keys] -- Movement . . . . 20 10.0.10 [D] -- Drop . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10.0.11 [S] -- Try to stand up . . . . . 21 10.0.12 Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10.0.13 [E] -- Eject . . . . . . . . . . 21 10.0.14 [T] -- Tag . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10.0.15 [F] -- Fire . . . . . . . . . . . 21 10.0.16 [P] -- Punch . . . . . . . . . . 22 10.0.17 [K] -- Kick . . . . . . . . . . . 22 10.0.18 [U] -- Push . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ii 10.0.19 [C] -- Charge . . . . . . . . . . 22 10.0.20 Finishing MechWar . . . . . . . . 23 11 Some comments about the available equipment . 23 11.1 Planned Improvements . . . . . . . . . 25 12 Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . 26 13 Your Input . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 14 Supporters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 15 Contacting the Author . . . . . . . . . . . 29 16 Registering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 17 The Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 18 Warranty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 iii