One you have installed the game to your hard drive. Exit the CD Gamer interface
and login to the directory where you installed the game. Type SETUP <ENTER>
from the DOS prompt to configure and trun the demo.
-- Minimum System Requirements --
In order to run the MechWarrior 2 demo successfully, your system must
meet the following minimum 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)
Note: Although not required for the demo, you will need this
for the full product.
* Hard disk drive with 22 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)
* Dedicated game card highly recommended for joystick
-- Memory Requirements --
In order to run MechWarrior 2 you need over 6.8 MB of extended memory.
If you have between 6.5 MB and 6.9 MB of extended memory, the demo will
play, but the mission will run slower. For optimal performance it is
best to configure your memory so you have over 6.9 MB of extended
memory. This can be attained by removing (REMming out) unnecessary lines
in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, like SMARTDRV and RAMdisks.
-- Boot Disks --
If you experience problems playing MechWarrior 2 demo 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 demo.
The information listed below should help you to create a boot disk that
will allow MechWarrior 2 demo to run on your system.
NOTE:
In the examples below, the text shown is exactly that, examples.
Your system may vary as to the pathnames used in your PATH
statement or to find files or the installed directory of a certain
driver.
Step 1:
Place a disk 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.
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.
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\MW2DEMO
MW2DEMO
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.
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 demo 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.
-- Memory Managers --
When using MS-DOS 6.x and loading EMM386.EXE, you will need to
have the EMS size set to NOEMS. See your DOS manual for
information on how to do this.
If you are running QEMM in Stealth mode, MechWarrior 2 demo 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.
-- Installation Procedure --
To install the demo, simply change to the CD-ROM drive and change to the
directory containing the MechWarrior 2 demo files. Type:
INSTALL [drive to install from] [drive to install to]
Example: if your CD-ROM is located in drive D:, and you wish
to install MechWarrior 2 demo to drive C:, you would type the
following: INSTALL D: C: and press ENTER. This demo will be
installed to C:\MW2DEMO.
NOTE: The demo requires that it be installed in C:\MW2DEMO.
If you move the demo to another directory, some options
in the SETUP program (a DOS batch file) may not work properly.
If you want to move the demo to another directory or drive,
you can edit the batch file (at your own risk) and change
only the references to C:\MW2DEMO to the new drive and
directory where you moved the demo.
-- Setup --
After you have installed the MechWarrior 2 demo, you must
run the SETUP program located in the C:\MW2DEMO directory.
It will be started for you automatically after the MechWarrior 2
demo files have been installed on C:. The SETUP program will
display the following main menu:
1 = Change Input Device (Joystick/Mouse/Keyboard)
2 = Select Sound Card
3 = View MechWarrior 2 Demo Technical Information
4 = Print MechWarrior 2 Demo Technical Information
5 = Start Game or Exit
When you select option 1, you are given the choice of the following
items:
1 = CH Flightstick
2 = Thrustmaster Flight Control System
3 = Microsoft SideWinder
4 = Standard joystick
5 = Microsoft compatible mouse
6 = Keyboard
7 = No Change
Select the input device that is appropriate for your system.
Select option 2 from the Main menu to configure the sound options for
your system.
Options 3 and 4 allow you to view or print this information file.
Option 5 will take you to an additional menu where you can choose to
launch the game in either VGA or SVGA mode or exit the SETUP program.
USING THE DEMO
You may begin the demo in two ways. One way, select either "Standard VGA"
or "SVGA Mode" from the SETUP menu. The other way is from the DOS prompt of
the demo directory. Here, enter MW2DEMO. This will launch the demo in
standard VGA mode (320x200x256). Or, If you have a faster machine, you can
launch the demo in SVGA (640x480x256) mode by entering MW2DEMO -SVGA.
After the intro movie and a brief disclaimer and credits screen, you
will come to the MechWarrior 2 demo "LAUNCH" screen. You will be asked to
LOGIN: type in a name and press ENTER.
Next you will be asked if you want to play a One Player or a Network/modem
game. If you select one player, a 'Mech will appear at the bottom left
of your screen. If you choose Network/modem play, you may need to refer to
this information file for setup information. WARNING: If you select N for
Network play, make sure to press ENTER to be able to select your 'Mech. In
Network play, pressing other keys before pressing ENTER will end the demo.
Now, select a 'Mech chassis by pressing on the large arrows right and left
of "MECHS". If you like, you may choose one alternate weapons configuration
for each basic 'Mech by pressing the small arrows. Once you are satisfied,
click on <LAUNCH>.
The following list of controls will tell you how to use the game in both
the "LAUNCH" screen and the simulation. When you are in the "LAUNCH" screen,
you can press F1 for a graphical set of help screens.
-- Game Controls --
"LAUNCH" SCREEN CONTROLS
Move to next option TAB
Select 'Mech Left or Right Arrows
Select 'Mech Variant [ or ]
COCKPIT WEAPON CONTROLS
Fire SPACEBAR
Select Weapon/Group ENTER
Chain-Fire/Group-Fire Toggle \
Add Weapon to Group 1, 2, 3 SHIFT + 1, 2, 3
Fire Group 1, 2, 3 Num Lock, /, * (Keypad)
Jettison Ammunition K
Cycle Through All Targets T
Previous Target R
Target Nearest Enemy E
Target Friendly (Starmate) F
Target Object Underneath Reticle Q
Inspect Targeted Object I
Targeting OFF CTRL + T
HUD SYSTEM CONTROLS
Cycle Through Multi-Function Display F1
Displays
Radar Display (Normal/Full Screen) F2
Wire-Frame Damage Display F5
HTAL (Head/Torso/Arms/Legs) F6
Armor Damage Report F6
Enable/Disable HUD F11
Systems Status U
Objectives/Briefing Summary F12
Cameras
Target View F4
Rear View F7
Down View F8
Weapon View F9
Weapon View (Full Screen, After Launch) F10
MECH PILOTING
Direct Throttle (Stop to 100%) 1 to 0
Increase/Decrease Throttle +/-
Steer Left and Right Left & Right Arrows
Reverse Direction BACKSPACE
Torso Twist < and >
Recenter Torso /
Recenter Legs to Torso M
Jump Jet (on applicable Mechs) J
Jump Jet Steering
and Turning 6-Key "Home" Keypad
Select NAV Point N
Autopilot ON/OFF A
MASC ON/OFF V
Manual Shutdown/Restart S
Override Automatic Thermal Shutdown O
Pilot Ejection CTRL + ALT + E
Auto-Ejection ON/OFF CTRL + E
Self-Destruct CTRL + ALT + X
Commanding Starmates CTRL+ F1 or B
Command Point 1, 2 CTRL + F2, F3
PILOT VIEW CONTROLS
Zoom In Z
Zoom Out SHIFT + Z
Reset Zoom Magnification CTRL + Z
Glance Left, Right Keypad 7, 9
Pilot Eye Control CTRL + ARROWS
Low-Light Amplification ON/OFF L
Enhanced Imaging ON/OFF W
Satellite Uplink ON/OFF F3
Radar/Satellite Uplink Zoom In X
Radar/Satellite Uplink Zoom Out SHIFT + X
External Tracking Camera (XTC) ON/OFF C
External Camera Controls CTRL + ARROWS
NON-GAME CONTROLS
Options/Battle Parameters ESC
Pause ALT + P/PAUSE
Snap a Screenshot CTRL + P
Abort/Exit Mission to Clan Hall CTRL + Q
PLAYING YOUR OWN COMPACT DISC DURING COMBAT
With MechWarrior 2 demo, we have included a limited
ability to play your favorite CD as your soundtrack.
To play your CD, just place it in your computer's CD
carriage and then enter MW2DEMO and begin playing.
Once you enter combat, your CD will begin to play.
In single player, you will hear the third track on
your CD. In multi-player, you will hear the second
track on your CD. Choose your music carefully.
Your enemy will not be forgiving.
Note: some systems require that you have a CD in your
computer's drive. If your system will not run this demo
and reports a "MW2.EXE - Fatal error #53" make sure to
play the demo with a CD in your drive. If you don't want
to play music, any computer CD will solve your problem.
DEMO SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Q: Where can I buy the game?
A: At your local computer software retailer.
Q: How much memory do I need?
A: 6.9 MB free extended memory.
Q: Do I need Expanded memory for MechWarrior 2?
A: No. MechWarrior 2 uses Extended memory to cache its data.
Q: My computer has 8 megs of RAM, but I cannot free enough memory to
run the game.
A: In order to run MechWarrior 2 demo, you need over 6.8 MB of free
extended memory.
1: We first recommend making a boot disk as outlined under INSTALLATION section
of this document.
2: Remove SMARTDRV 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.
Q: What do I type to run the demo?
A: Basically, run INSTALL from the MechWarrior 2 demo directory
on the CD. This will install the demo on your hard disk. (You
will need at least 22 MB of uncompressed disk space.) Run SETUP
program to select your soundcard and your joystick or mouse.
Lastly, enter the game through SETUP or type MW2DEMO from the
DOS prompt of the demo directory on your hard disk.
Q: I started the game and then changed my mind. I don't want to play
right now. Can I leave?
A: Cowardice is always an unfortunate option. Press ESC at any time to
leave the demo.
Q: What do I do after reading the ever-important disclaimer?
A: Press the SPACEBAR to enter the "LAUNCH" screen. You're just about
ready to play, but first, you'll need to register as a MechWarrior.
Notice the flashing green cursor just below "MESSAGES" and directly
right of the green "LOGIN:". Type your name and press ENTER. You may
now choose between "Network/Modem game" and "One Player" by pressing N
or O; however both Network and Modem play requires that you have first
operated separate commands from outside the game (see the question on
how to begin two-person play).
Q: I have selected one-person play, and unless staring at a picture of
a 'Mech and reading mission objectives is a game, I haven't started
playing. What should I do?
A: Once you have read your mission briefing (below "MESSAGES") and
selected your 'Mech, just click on <LAUNCH>.
Q: How do I change 'Mechs?
A: From the "LAUNCH" screen, you can select one of four 'Mech chassis.
Click on the large arrows farther right and left from the "MECHS"
heading. The 'Mechs available in this demo are the Jenner, the
Summoner, the Timberwolf and the Marauder. In the complete MechWarrior 2,
you have access to over a dozen 'Mechs.
Q: When I click on the small arrows beside the word "MECH", why does the
'Mech name change and what does "(Alt. config A)" mean anyway?
A: I didn't tell you to click on that, but you'll need courage and guts
for MechWarrior 2, so I forgive you. In the complete MechWarrior 2, you
can customize your 'Mech to carry your favorite gear. To give you an
feeling of this, we have provided two varieties of each 'Mech, with
different weapons combinations. Of course, in the complete game, you
may also vary your jump jets, armor, heatsinks, engine and even add
specialized gear.
Q: When I look at the 'Mechs in the "LAUNCH" screen, I don't understand
the weapon information. Could you explain it?
A: Mechs wield ten different types of weapons. You can test nine of
them in this demo:
LLASER, MLASER, SLASER -- Large, medium and small lasers. Accurate and
fast, the laser produces a lot of heat, but in bursts can tear through
the thickest 'Mech armor.
LPLAS, MPLAS, SPLAS -- Large, medium and small pulse lasers. Firing in
burst of two, these lasers produce less damage and less range than their
cousins, but also produce less heat.
MGun -- Machine gun. This is the only weapon that produces no heat. A
short range wonder, the machine gun does little damage per shot, but
delivers a repeated and sustained assault.
SRM6 -- Short range missile with pods of six missiles. The old standby,
the short-range missile packs twice the punch of a long-range missile,
but without radar tracking or range. While not as accurate as lasers,
the explosion from a near miss can do considerable damage to friend or
foe.
SSRM 4,6 -- Streak short range missile with pods of four or six. An
advanced version of the SRM, the streak missile uses radar to lock on
and home into any target, unfortunately, the added radar equipment adds
weight and takes up valuable space on the mech.
LRM5, 10, 15, 20 -- Long range missiles with pods of five, ten, fifteen
and twenty missiles. These radar-guided missiles can turn open fields
into 'Mech graveyards. While pods of twenty provide a deadly punch,
they
require considerable time to reload, potentially leaving a 'Mech
vulnerable. For advanced pilots, try unloading a LRM20 into a wall from
point-blank range to learn the meaning of "splash damage."
PPC -- Extended range particle projection cannons. The PPC delivers a
massive punch of both heat and energy. Unfortunately, it is a slow
punch. Most 'Mechs will dodge the PPC at long range; at short range,
the
concussive force of its explosion is as dangerous to the shooter as to
the target.
GAUSS -- The Gauss rifle. A distant relative of cartridge weapon of the
twentieth century, the formidable Gauss uses an electro-magnet railgun
to accelerate a shell to deadly speeds. With unmatched range and
damage, the Gauss is only limited by its massive weight and bulk.
xAC10 -- For those who love the machine gun's speed, but find it
reminiscent of a swarm of bees, annoying but not fatal, the Auto-Cannon
will cure your blues. Delivering a killing punch at close range, only
weight and bulk limit its field use.
Of these weapons, only PPC and lasers require no ammunitions. You
should take note of this for two reasons. First, while a pistol can be
used to beat someone to death, pistols tend to be deadlier when filled
with live rounds, so conserve your ammo. Second, when thrown into a
fire, ammo will often explode. In an overheating 'Mech, ammo explosions
can cause as much damage as enemy fire, so remember, ammunition is not
popcorn.
Q: What are the differences in the Mechs' armor?
A: In the demo version, there are four types of armor light, medium,
heavy and assault. The Jenner has light armor, the Summoner and
Timberwolf both are protected by heavy armor, while the Marauder is the
sturdiest of them all with assault armor.
Q: What are JUMP JETS?
A: Imagine strapping a jet engine to your back and turning up the
throttle. If you are human, this will doubtless cause you to die. If
you are a Battlemech, you will appear to fly. Using jump jets to
maneuver and even to execute a death from above (DFA) can radically
alter the shape of a battle. Press the J key to gain altitude, and the
home keys to change direction and to propel the 'Mech forward. Remember
to land softly by pressing the J key for a gradual touch down.
Q: What are HEAT SINKS?
A: Heat sinks are the 'Mech's form of a radiator. Without heat sinks,
a 'Mech's engine would overheat and melt down, which is bad for a car with
an internal combustion engine, and even worse for a 'Mech with a fusion
reactor. Because of the danger presented by overheating, your 'Mech
will try to shut down if heat levels become critical. You can override a
shutdown by pressing O; true, shutting down makes you a sitting target,
but blowing up makes you a dead one.
Q: What causes heat?
A: Heat is created by firing weapons, by using jumpjets, and by taking
damage from lasers or explosions. Of your weapons, particle pulse
cannons (PPC) create the most heat per salvo, followed closely by large
lasers (LLASER). Gauss rifles create the least heat, but only machine
guns (MGun) create no heat. Without memorizing the exact numbers, you
can also figure that for all weapons except lasers, doubling the size of
the weapon (LRM5 to LRM10) will also double the heat you generate. With
lasers, each step up in size approximately doubles maximum damage and
triples the heat per salvo. Also, rapid and continuous weapon fire
tends to overheat 'Mechs and force shut down. Accuracy pays.
Q: Is there any way to stop the shut down process if I do begin to
overheat?
A: Skilled pilots have been known to fearlessly override the shutdown
process by pressing O during combat. While this will keep your 'Mech
running, only time and heat sinks will return your 'Mech to safe heat
levels.
Q: How fast can my 'Mech go?
A: You can get a general idea of this by reading TOP SPEED figure next
to each 'Mech, but environmental factors (gravity, terrain, etc.) will
affect this. Comparatively though, the Jenner will always be the
fastest, the Marauder the slowest. But then a Marauder has never been
known to flee from battle.
Q: What if I want to login as a different warrior?
A: To change your login, guide the mouse to the thin rectangle just
under the WARRIORS designation, which shows in white capital letters
either your name, or ANONYMOUS if you didn't select a name when entering
the shell. Press BACKSPACE until you have erased this name; type your
new moniker, and then press ENTER.
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 opponent and I both selected Jenners, and he clicked on <LAUNCH>.
Then, I changed my mind and selected a Timber Wolf, but when I started the
game, my 'Mech was badly damaged. After the battle, my opponent told me that
on his screen, I looked like a Jenner. Is this supposed to happen?
A: No. You've found a rare, intermittent bug in the demo. You'll be lucky
to repeat it, but if you do, just make sure not to change your selection once
one of you has pressed <LAUNCH>.
Q: The enemy 'Mech disappears from my enhanced targeting screen sometimes,
so I can't get a missile lock on him. When I press T or E, I still can't
target him. What can I do, or is this some sort of stealth feature?
A: Next time you get your enemy in your target reticule, press Q. This will
allow your radar to acquire your target.
Q: How many missions are there?
A: That would depend on whether or not you survive. Actually, one in
one player mode, one in the two player mode. A VERY small fraction of
all the missions in the regular game.
Q: Okay, I'm playing the first mission...I've started on top of some
mountain. How do I go anywhere?
A: Press 0 on your keyboard.
Q: I followed your directions and ran off the mountain at full speed
damaging both of my legs. Is that what's supposed to happen?
A: Only if you press 0. More cautious players press 2 or 3, walk to
the edge of the mountain, then turn sideways so that they are walking
almost parallel to the mountainside when they walk over the edge. This
way, they come down the mountain in small drops.
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: Jump jets do not work in close proximity to other mechs.
A: Your 'Mech is probably just stuck on the opposing 'Mech.
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 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. As
we said, Windows 95 is not supported in this version of MechWarrior 2.
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: 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: My screen is really dark. Is there something I can I do?
A: Well, first try turning on the power to your monitor. This
will solve most "blank screen" problems. (Just kidding) In the
escape menu of the simulator, under the "Device Calibration"
option, you can increase the brightness of the display using the
monitor slider. This should solve any brightness problems. If
not, adjust the settings on your monitor.
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.
Q: The autopilot function runs my 'Mech into walls and buildings.
Is this intended?
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.
