Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries Readme File
October 2002
©
1998–2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This
file contains information to help you install, play, and troubleshoot
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries. You can find more information about MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries and Microsoft Product Support Services in the printed manual. For
more information about setting up a multiplayer server for use with MechWarrior
4: Mercenaries, see the SysOpReadme.rtf file.
CONTENTS
A. System Requirements
B. Installation
Installing
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries
Installing
Audio Compression
Installing
DirectX 8.1
Installing
Winsock 2.0
SafeDisc
Issues
About
the Goodies Folder
Getting
Help
C. Corrections
to Print and Online Documentation
D. DirectX Issues
E. Gameplay Issues
Multiplayer
Other
F. Configuration
Issues
Operating Systems
Display
Audio
Software
Hardware
G. Zone.com
Stats
H. 3D Card Issues
I. 3D Card Drivers and
Manufacturers
· Multimedia
personal computer with a 700 megahertz (MHz) or faster processor.
· Microsoft
Windows 98, Windows Millennium, Windows 2000, or Windows XP operating system.
· 128
megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) on your computer.
· 1
gigabyte of free hard-disk space.
· 8x
speed or faster CD-ROM or DVD drive.
· Microsoft
Mouse or compatible pointing device.
· Microsoft
DirectX application programming interface version 8.1 or later.
· Sound
card compatible with DirectX 8.1 or later.
· Advanced
Graphics Port (AGP) or Peripheral Component Interface (PCI) video card with
16 MB of video RAM that supports Direct3D and is compatible with DirectX
8.1 or later.
· Speakers
or headphones for audio.
· Super
VGA, 16-bit color monitor or better.
· Keyboard.
The
following are additional requirements for multiplayer gameplay:
· 56
Kbps modem, or local area network (LAN) with Transmission Control
Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) or Internetwork Packet Exchange (IPX)
protocol.
· Maximum
of 8 players on modem (narrowband), and 16 on a broadband connection.
· Internet
access for Internet play. Note: Such play may require payment of a
separate fee to an Internet service provider. Local and long-distance telephone
toll charges may apply.
· Microsoft
Internet Explorer 5.5 or later to play on Zone.com or record player game
statistics.
· Winsock
2.0 or higher.
This
section describes how to manually install the software components necessary to
play MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries in the event that they were not installed
automatically.
We
recommend you uninstall earlier beta or demo versions of the game before you
install the retail version.
To
uninstall beta or demo versions of MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries
· On
the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Programs, Microsoft
Games, and the appropriate beta or demo version name, and then select the
uninstall option.
–or–
· In
the root directory of the installed MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries beta or demo
version, double-click Uninstal.exe and follow the instructions that
appear on the screen.
To
install MechWarrior
4: Mercenaries manually
1. On the Windows taskbar,
click Start, and then click Run.
2. Type x:\setup,
where x is the letter of your CD-ROM or DVD drive.
For
example, if your CD-ROM drive letter is D, type d:\setup.
3. Click
Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Note: The game must be started
with either Disc 1 or Disc 2 in the CD-ROM or DVD drive. If you performed a
minimal installation, you need Disc 2 in the drive to play.
You
must have audio compression installed for sound files in the game to play
properly. Audio compression is installed by default in Windows 2000 and Windows
XP. If audio compression was not installed on a computer running Windows 98,
use the following procedure to install it.
To
install audio compression with Windows 98
1. On the Windows taskbar,
click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove
Programs.
3. Click the Windows Setup
tab.
4. In the Components box,
double-click Multimedia.
5. Ensure the Audio
Compression check box is selected.
6. Insert your Windows compact
disc into the CD-ROM or DVD drive, click OK, and then follow the
instructions that appear on the screen.
If
for some reason DirectX 8.1 was not installed with the game, use the following
procedure to install it manually.
To
install DirectX 8.1 manually
1. Insert MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries Disc 1 in the CD-ROM or DVD drive.
2. In Windows Explorer, click
the CD-ROM or DVD drive, click the DirectX folder, and then double-click
the DirectX folder.
3. Double-click Dxsetup.exe,
and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
You
must restart your computer when installation is complete.
If
you experience video or sound problems using DirectX, check with your video or
sound card manufacturer for the latest DirectX-compatible drivers, or go to
http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/ for the latest troubleshooting
information.
The
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries copy protection software is incompatible with some
hardware and software components. This section provides details about these
SafeDisc issues.
SafeDisc
is incompatible with some CD-ROM drives, which include the following.
Acer
CD-624a:
The drive fails when used with real-mode drivers. To fix this, install
protected-mode drivers.
Memorex
CD-RW2224:
The drive is incompatible with the current version of SafeDisc.
Sanyo
CRD-256P: The
drive enters a not-ready state after several attempts to start the game. This
drive is incompatible with the current version of SafeDisc.
Sony
CDU77E:
Early 1.0 firmware versions of this drive fail if the drive is configured as a
slave on the integrated device electronics (IDE) bus. To fix this, reconfigure
the drive as a master.
Yamaha
2216E, 4416SX, and CDR6416S-VK: These drives are incompatible with the current
version of SafeDisc.
SafeDisc
is also incompatible with some software, which includes the following.
McAfee
(Network Associates) Nuts & Bolts: Nuts & Bolts causes the game to fail if the
Bomb Shelter utility is in a certain configuration. To use SafeDisc-protected
products with Nuts & Bolts, use the following procedure:
1. Maximize Bomb Shelter.
2. In the Bomb Shelter dialog
box, click Properties.
3. In the Error Protection
group, click Advanced.
4. On the Advanced
Properties tab, clear the Write Protect VMM check box.
5. Click Apply or OK,
and then click OK on all subsequent screens.
Included
on MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries Disc 2 is the Goodies folder, which contains
utilities and other tools you might use while playing the game.
To
access the Goodies folder and its contents
1. Insert MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries Disc 2 in the CD-ROM or DVD drive.
2. In Windows Explorer, click
the CD-ROM or DVD drive, click the Goodies folder, and then double-click
the file or click the folder you want to open.
Using
Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can view and print the .pdf file version of the Field
Reference manual and also the Equipment Specifications online
library, Specs.pdf.
To
install Adobe Acrobat Reader
·
In the Goodies folder, double-click Ar505enu.exe, and then
follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
The
Manual folder contains Manual.pdf, a .pdf file version of the Field
Reference manual that was included with the game. You can view or print
this file using Adobe Acrobat Reader. With Adobe Acrobat Reader installed,
double-click the file and it automatically opens.
The
Manual folder also contains Specs.pdf, the Equipment Specifications online
library. Equipment Specifications includes default equipment
specifications and descriptions for each BattleMech, weapon, vehicle, and
terrain in MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, and also a glossary of game terms and
acronyms. You can view or print this online library using Adobe Acrobat Reader.
With Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, double-click the file and it automatically
opens.
The
Machine folder contains the Machine.exe and Machine.ini files. The Machine.exe
file displays hardware and system information for your computer. The
Machine.ini file contains all the settings that configure Machine.exe. To view
the Machine.ini file, use Notepad or another text editor.
Rollover
text Help is provided for most user interface
screens in the form of rollover text. As you pass the mouse pointer over any
screen feature, Help text is displayed in the ComStar Information Network box
in the lower part of the screen.
Tutorial To learn how to play MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries,
click Training on the Main Menu.
Manual The printed manual, Field Reference, provides
information on how to play the game and a table that you can use to compare
BattleMech default loadouts.
Equipment
specifications For additional details on
BattleMechs, weapons, vehicles, and terrains included in the game, see Equipment
Specifications, the Specs.pdf file in the Goodies folder on MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries Disc 2.
Information
on the Web To learn more about
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries or other games developed by FASA Studio, see
http://www.fasastudio.com.
The
following changes were made after the manual and the Specs.pdf file were
completed.
On
page 17, the manual incorrectly refers to Zone.com as the Microsoft MSN Games
site. The correct name is Zone.com. Also on page 17, the manual lists the
Zone.com Web site as www.zone.msn.com. The correct Web site is www.zone.com.
On
page 24, the Specs.pdf file incorrectly states that Small X-Pulse Lasers have a
range of 250 and that Medium X-Pulse Lasers have a range of 450. The correct
ranges are 200 for Small X-Pulse Lasers and 400 for Medium X-Pulse Lasers.
If
you have any video or audio problems, see “Display” or “Audio” in Section F,
“Configuration Issues.” For issues related to your 3D card, see Section H, “3D
Card Issues.” For other problems, see the latest DirectX troubleshooting
information at http://support.microsoft.com/support/directx/.
The
following are the known gameplay issues for MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries.
Multiplayer
games hosted behind a firewall are not accessible to players outside the
firewall, and outside games are not accessible to players behind the firewall: The only exception to this
rule is if a demilitarized zone (DMZ) is enabled on the firewall (that is, a function that places one computer outside the firewall).
Enabling a DMZ can be a security risk because it puts an unprotected computer
on the Internet. To find out whether a DMZ is enabled, ask your network
administrator.
Multiplayer
games fail on a player’s computer if the player has more than 20 dial-up
networking connections: To avoid this situation, do not create more than 20 dial-up networking
connections. Delete dial-up connections that you are no longer using as
follows.
To
delete a dial-up connection
1. On the Windows taskbar, click Start, point to Settings,
and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Network Connections.
3. Right-click the connection you want to delete, and then click Delete.
4. Click OK.
ZoneMatch
chat is limited to 20 messages every 45 seconds: For ZoneMatch chat, to
prevent sending junk e-mail the number of messages you can send is limited to
20 messages every 45 seconds.
Zone.com
statistics are listed under your Zone.com account name, not the name set under
multiplayer options, if those names differ: If you create a Zone.com account with the
name Mercenary1, but on the Multiplayer tab of the Options screen you
set the name Mercenary2, ZoneStats are collected under Mercenary1.
You receive the error message “Your account was
unable to connect to the ZoneStats server” when your account’s connection has
been severed: You may receive this error message when your connection to the ZoneStats
server has been severed, as well as when a connection cannot be established. To
reestablish your connection to the ZoneStats server, on the Main Menu click Multiplayer,
and then click Connect.
Dial-up
client computers are unable to reconnect quickly to a digital
subscriber line (DSL) server hosting ZoneMatch: If you use a modem to
connect to a ZoneMatch multiplayer game hosted on a DSL server, and you
disconnect and reconnect quickly, you receive the error message “Cannot join
the selected game. There may be networking problems or the server may be gone."
This issue is related to DirectPlay. If you wait one to two minutes, you can
reconnect.
Spectator
camera becomes the default camera after player’s ’Mech dies: When a player’s ’Mech dies
in a no-respawn multiplayer battle, the spectator camera becomes the default
camera. The spectator camera selects the highest point scorer or the ’Mech
responsible for the most recent damage and focuses on that ’Mech as the “hero.”
The camera includes in the scene the ’Mech having the most interaction with the
hero. If the hero dies, the camera switches to focus on the ’Mech that killed
the hero and that ’Mech’s main opponent. If no action is observed for the hero
for 20 seconds, the camera switches to the current highest scoring ’Mech and
its main opponent.
To
view a ’Mech other than the hero, press ENTER. By pressing ENTER
repeatedly, you can cycle through all ’Mechs currently in the game.
Camera
Ship controls are available: The Camera Ship feature can be selected by all
players in the multiplayer game lobby. It allows players to view any part of
the map from many different angles. Camera functions are as follows.
|
Camera function |
Keyboard or joystick |
|
Pan
up |
ALT+W |
|
Pan
down |
ALT+S |
|
Rotate
left |
ALT+D |
|
Rotate
right |
ALT+A |
|
Zoom
in |
ALT+E |
|
Zoom
out |
ALT+Q |
|
Elevation |
Joystick
forward or back |
|
Pivot |
Joystick
left or right |
|
Zoom
in or out |
Throttle
up or down |
Limited-lives
games allow players to rejoin game after losing all lives: To prevent a player from
rejoining a limited-lives game after being kicked out, disable the Join in
Progress option on the server or set a time limit for joining a game in
progress.
ZoneMatch/LAN
games list shows wrong game or map type: If the game type or map type is changed in a game
that appears as both TCP/IP and LAN-GUN and the games list is updated within 20
seconds of the change, the games list shows the earlier game or map type.
Because LAN updates are instantaneous and the query server pings (checks) the
game server every 20 seconds, wait at least 20 seconds before clicking Update
List.
Details
option appears to hang: In a LAN or Direct IP game, if you are using the Details option in the
multiplayer server browser and are trying to get information on a server and
the host drops out, you receive the following message: “Receiving Player
Info... .” The message goes away a short time later.
Custom
decals take a long time to load by modem: If custom decals are used in games run on
modem servers, missions might take a long time to load. Administrators of modem
servers should disable the use of custom decals in the Host Setup screen,
reached by clicking Multiplayer on the Main Menu and then clicking Host.
’Mech
variants and pilot profiles created for MechWarrior 4: Vengeance or MechWarrior
4: Black Knight cannot be used with MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries: If you copy and paste a
‘Mech variant from MechWarrior 4: Vengeance or MechWarrior 4: Black Knight into
the MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries Variants folder, and then start MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries, and then click MechLab on the Main Menu, MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries fails. To create ’Mech variants for MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, use
the MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries MechLab. Similarly, pilot profiles from
MechWarrior 4: Vengeance or MechWarrior 4: Black Knight cannot be copied for
use in MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries.
Poor
performance and instability under Windows 98 or Windows Millennium: If your computer
experiences poor performance and stability running the game with Windows 98 or
Windows Millennium, make sure you have direct memory access (DMA) enabled.
Enabling DMA greatly improves performance and stability.
To enable DMA
1. Close
all open applications.
2. Click
the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
Panel.
3. Double-click
the System icon.
4. Click
the Device Manager tab, and then double-click Disk Drives.
5. Select
IDE/Disk (hard drive), and then click Properties.
6. Click
the Settings tab, and then select the DMA check box.
7. To
restart your computer with DMA enabled, click OK.
Enabling
numeric keypad controls: If you want to use keys on the numeric keypad, or num pad, for control,
press the NUM LOCK key.
Disabling
the mouse Y axis: If you want to use the mouse to steer the ’Mech, you must add the
following line in the [Special Commands] section of the Options.ini file to
disable the Y axis on the mouse:
mousey=[true,
false]
True
is the default, and false means to ignore the mouse Y value. You can find the
Options.ini file in the folder where MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries is installed.
Mapping
mouse buttons to controls: You can map the mouse buttons to controls, but you must first assign
each button to a key with the mouse software. For example, button 4 is the K
key, so that when you press button 4 you are remapping K to whatever control
you want. Mapping works only for mouse buttons 4 and up.
Options.ini
error message: If you start the game and receive the error message “options.ini is a
required page!” you might have accidentally deleted your Options.ini file or
reinstalled the game to a new directory. To fix this problem, in the folder
where the game is installed double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe. Doing so
creates an Options.ini file for you, and you can then successfully start the
game.
Known
hardware and operating system configuration issues are listed in this section.
For issues with specific 3D cards, see section F, “3D Card Issues.”
The
following describes Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) and other Network Address
Translation (NAT) support for MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries with different
operating systems. The operating system in question must be running on your
router computer (the one actually connected to the Internet) for the following
to apply.
Windows
98 Second Edition A single client running
behind an ICS host running Windows 98 Second Edition (Windows 98 SE) can join a
client-server session hosted outside of the ICS host. However, multiple clients
behind a Windows 98 SE ICS host cannot join the same client-server session
hosted outside of the ICS computer, although they can join different external
client-server sessions. In other words, multiple clients behind a Windows 98 SE
ICS host can all play MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries multiplayer games hosted on
the Internet, but they must play games hosted on different servers.
Clients
may encounter problems connecting to a multiplayer game hosted on a Windows 98
SE computer. To avoid these problems, disconnect the ICS hosts locally.
External clients cannot connect to a game hosted behind a Windows 98 SE ICS
computer.
Windows
2000 Clients behind an ICS host running Windows
2000 cannot join multiplayer games hosted on the Internet. However, the Windows
2000 ICS computer itself can join multiplayer games hosted on the Internet.
Clients
may have problems connecting to a multiplayer game hosted on a Windows 2000 ICS
computer. To avoid these problems, disconnect the ICS hosts locally. External
clients cannot connect to a game hosted behind a Windows 2000 ICS computer.
Windows
Millennium Internal clients behind a Windows
Millennium ICS host cannot connect to a game hosted behind another ICS host.
Otherwise, no issues should arise with Windows Millennium ICS and multiplayer
games. External clients that are not behind another ICS host can connect to a
multiplayer game hosted behind a Windows Millennium ICS computer. A Windows
Millennium ICS host itself can join client-server sessions on the Internet,
whether or not they are hosted from behind another ICS computer. Multiple
clients behind a Windows Millennium ICS host can join the same or different
games on the Internet.
Windows
XP Professional and Windows XP Home Internal
clients behind a Windows XP ICS host cannot connect to a game hosted behind
another ICS host. Otherwise, no issues should arise with Windows XP ICS and
multiplayer games. External clients that are not behind another ICS host can
connect to a multiplayer game hosted behind a Windows XP ICS computer. A
Windows XP ICS host itself can join client-server sessions on the Internet,
whether or not they are hosted from behind another ICS computer. A Windows XP
ICS host can also join client-server sessions on the local LAN. Multiple
clients behind a Windows XP ICS host can join the same or different games on
the Internet.
An
administrator must accept the game end-user license agreement (EULA) on first
use: On a
computer running Windows XP Professional, a user with administrator privileges
must start the game and accept the EULA before other types of users can play
(that is, people in the Backup Operators, Guests, Network Configuration
Operators, Power Users, and Users groups, and so on). If an administrator does
not accept the EULA and any other type of user tries to start the game, the
game fails.
AGP
aperture size and Windows 2000 stability: If you are experiencing stability issues
such as the system restarting or no longer responding while running MechWarrior
4: Mercenaries under Windows 2000, first make sure you have the latest Windows
2000 drivers installed for your motherboard and all other hardware. Also,
install the latest service packs for Windows 2000. Finally, try lowering the
AGP aperture size to increase the stability of your system. To find out how to
change your AGP aperture size, contact your motherboard manufacturer.
Windows
2000 and AMD Athlon and Duron processors: Stability issues might arise when playing
on a computer with an AMD Athlon or Duron processor. These processors use the
AMD 751/756 motherboard chip-set. Make sure you have the latest AMD software
drivers and patches installed on your computer. They can be found at
http://www.amd.com/support/software.html.
Game
stops responding in some Campaign missions: If the system stops responding while you
play missions reached by clicking Campaign on the Main Menu, try
installing Internet Explorer 5.
Game
minimizes when network connection is made: When the user interface is used to
establish a dial-up connection, the game minimizes after the connection is
established. To fix this, simply maximize the game from the Windows taskbar.
For
issues related to your 3D card, see Section H, “3D Card Issues.”
Game
difficulties after changing screen resolution: If you click Options on
the Main Menu, select the Video tab, and then set screen resolution in
the Screen Resolution list, it is possible to set options that your
video card does not support. If you experience game difficulties after changing
your resolution from the Options screen, reset your screen resolution using
Autoconfig_Mercs.exe. To do so, in the folder where the game is installed
double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe, click Advanced, and then
select the appropriate screen resolution from the resolution list box.
Video
performance issues with a minimum configuration: If you experience video
performance problems with a minimum game configuration, try using
Autoconfig_Mercs.exe to reduce your screen resolution to 640 x 480 x 16.
VIA
Technologies chip-set issues: Stability issues might occur with VIA motherboard
chip-sets when not using the latest drivers. For example, the game may stop
responding when a single game screen (such as the Star Systems or Orbital View
screen) is displayed for several minutes. To fix these issues, download and
install the latest chip-set drivers for your motherboard from
http://www.viatech.com/. In addition, you should flash-upgrade your computer’s
basic input/output system (BIOS). For instructions on how to do so, contact VIA
or the manufacturer of your motherboard.
AMD
Athlon and Duron processor issues: If your system experiences instability when
running the game on systems using the AMD Athlon and Duron processors, download
and install the latest AMD processor utilities and drivers for your operating
system from http://www.amd.com/support/software.html or
http://www.amd.com/products/cpg/athlon-duron/amd_win2k_patch.html.
Changing
screen resolution during setup: If you change the screen resolution while running
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries Setup, the installation screen is not fully visible.
To avoid this problem, do not change the screen resolution while Setup installs
the game.
Fonts
are hard to read when graphic detail is set to low: If your computer is
running Windows 98 or Windows Millennium and defaults to 640 x 480 screen
resolution, change your resolution in the game to 800 x 600 to be able to read
fonts properly.
Heads-up
display (HUD) font seems too large: By default, the text fonts in the HUD are set to
be large and legible, but this setting can cause them to bleed past the margins
in some screen resolutions. To make your font size smaller, in the folder where
the MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries is installed double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe,
click Advanced, select HUD Font Size, and then select a smaller
size from the list.
Audio
performance issues with Windows 2000 and Windows XP: If you experience audio
performance issues with Windows 2000 and Windows XP, try lowering the hardware
acceleration setting by using one of the following procedures.
To
lower your hardware acceleration setting for Windows 2000
1. Click
the Start button, point to Settings, and then click Control
Panel.
2. Double-click
the Multimedia icon, and then click the Audio tab.
3. Under
Playback, click Advanced Properties, and then click the Performance
tab.
4. Move
the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left by two settings, and then
click OK.
To
lower your hardware acceleration setting for Windows XP
1. Click
the Start button, and then click Control Panel.
2. Click
Sounds, Speech, and Audio Devices, click Sounds and Audio Devices,
and then click the Audio tab.
3. Under
Sound Playback, click Advanced Properties, and then click the Performance
tab.
4. Move
the Hardware Acceleration slider to the left by two settings, and then
click OK.
Vortex
2 audio chip-set (Turtle Beach Montego II, Diamond Monster Sound MX-300)
compatibility with Windows 2000: During the installation of MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries, you might experience choppy audio playback or other anomalies on
systems using this chip-set. The original manufacturer of the Vortex 2
chip-set, Aureal Semiconductor, has gone out of business. No driver updates are
available for Vortex 2–based sound cards running on Windows 2000, other than
the generic Vortex 2 driver included with Windows 2000. Contact your hardware
manufacturer for any updated drivers.
Software
digital video disc (DVD) players: Certain display cards that come bundled with
software DVD players (for example, those in the Maxi Gamer Xentor family) might
experience problems when you start MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries. These problems
occur because the game’s opening movie is in Moving Pictures Experts Group
(MPEG) format. To correct this, contact your hardware manufacturer for updated
software. If problems persist, uninstall the software DVD player, and the game
should start and play as expected.
NetMeeting
and hardware acceleration: If NetMeeting is running or Remote Desktop Sharing is enabled, your
system does not have sufficient hardware acceleration to run MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries. This problem also happens when NetMeeting has improperly shut
down. To fix this problem, shut down NetMeeting from within the application or
disable Remote Desktop Sharing if it is enabled.
Microsoft SideWinder Force Feedback Pro: While playing some missions
reached by clicking Campaign on the Main Menu, you may find this
joystick occasionally becomes unresponsive for up to 20 seconds at a time. The
issue is related to audio card performance. To increase game performance, try
lowering your screen resolution using Autoconfig_Mercs.exe. To do so, in the
folder where the game is installed double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe,
click Advanced, and then select a lower screen resolution from the
resolution list box.
Microsoft
Dual Strike Joystick: To use this joystick, enable FX Mode in the Dual Strike software. For
instructions, see your software documentation. To use the free look ability
during gameplay, enable the mouse in the game’s Options menu, reached by
clicking Options on the Main Menu.
Through
Zone.com, game statistics and player ranking information are available
(http://stats.zone.com/). Additionally, with the Zone.com ZoneMatch matchmaking
service you can search for, find, and play games over the Internet from within
the game itself.
Use
the following procedure to set up statistical tracking for your games.
To track game statistics
1.
On the Main Menu, click Multiplayer, and then click Host.
2.
On the Host Setup screen, click to select the Report Game Stats to
stats.Zone.com check box, and then click Back.
3. On the Multiplayer screen,
click ZoneStats.
4. In the Set ZoneStats
Account Info dialog box, click to select the Report Game Data to
ZoneStats check box.
5. If you want to create a new
Zone.com account, make sure the Create New Account check box is
selected. Then type a unique user name in the User Name box, type a
password in the Password box, and retype the password to confirm it in
the Please reenter your password box.
–or–
If
you want to use an existing Zone.com account, click to clear the Create New
Account check box, and then type your user name in the User Name box
and your password in the Password box.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box.
At game end, you can go directly to specific player
statistics from within the game from the Scoreboard screen by clicking View
ZoneStats.
MechWarrior
4: Mercenaries only fully supports DirectX 8.1–compliant video cards. It is
good practice to always install the latest certified drivers for all of your
hardware.
3dfx
Voodoo 5 5500: Some operating systems have problems displaying the mouse cursor and
other pictures on systems using this video card. The original manufacturer of
the Voodoo 5 5500 video card, 3dfx, has gone out of business. No driver updates
are available for 3dfx sound cards. Contact your hardware manufacturer for any
updated drivers.
3DLabs
Permedia 2 chip-set: Graphics irregularities might occur on systems with this chip-set when
running the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest
reference drivers from 3Dlabs, http://www.3dlabs.com/.
AccelStar
II 3D Accelerator: Graphics rendering might be corrupted on systems with this accelerator
when running the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest
reference drivers from 3Dlabs, http://www.3dlabs.com/ or
http://www.accelgraphics.com/.
AOpen
PA3000: If
your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, it might stop
responding when you play the game. To fix this problem, download and install
the latest reference drivers from AOpen, http://www.aopen.com/, or NVDIA,
http://www.nvidia.com/.
ASUS
3DexPlorer 3000: If your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, brief
display corruption might appear when the game’s opening movie begins. To fix
this problem, download and install the latest drivers from ASUS,
http://www.asus.com/, or NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/.
ASUS
V2740: If
your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, textures might not
be rendered properly when running the game. In addition, when using this card
with Windows Millennium you may encounter access violations. To fix these
problems, download and install the latest reference drivers from Intel,
http://www.intel.com/.
Asus
V-6600: If
your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, starting a game
causes the system to stop responding. To fix this problem, contact ASUS for
updated drivers, http://www.asus.com/, or download the latest reference drivers
from NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/.
ATI
All-in-Wonder 128 Pro: When 32-bit color is enabled for this card, graphic instability might
occur in the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers
from ATI, http://www.ati.com/.
ATI
RADEON 7000 or 7500: If your system uses either of these cards, runs Windows Millennium, and
has game screen resolution set to 640 x 480 or 1600 x 1200, starting gameplay
causes the system to stop responding. This problem occurs with both the retail
and latest drivers. To fix this problem, reset your screen resolution using
Autoconfig_Mercs.exe. To do so, in the folder where the game is installed
double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe, click Advanced, and then
select a screen resolution other than 640 x 480 or 1600 x 1200.
ATI
Rage Fury Maxx: If your system uses this card, game graphics might be corrupted. To fix
this problem, download and install the latest drivers from ATI,
http://www.ati.com/.
ATI
Rage II+:
If your system uses this card, slight texture corruption might occur in the
game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from ATI,
http://www.ati.com/.
ATI
Rage Pro Turbo: If your system uses this card, some graphics irregularities might occur
in the game. To fix this problem, download and install the “Special Released”
drivers from ATI, http://www.ati.com/.
ATI
Xpert 128:
If your system uses this card, texture corruption might occur in the game. To
fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from ATI,
http://www.ati.com/.
Creative
Blaster Riva TNT: If your system uses the latest reference drivers for this card from
NVIDIA (that is, version 6.31), the system stops responding when running the
game. Contact the hardware manufacturer for updated drivers,
http://www.creative.com/. Also, lowering your AGP aperture size might help. For
more information on doing so, contact the hardware manufacturer.
Creative
Labs 3D Blaster Savage4: If your system uses this card, changes in screen resolution might give
unreliable results when running the game. To fix this problem, download and
install the latest drivers from Creative Labs, http://www.creative.com/.
Diamond
Fire Pro GL:
If your system uses this card, graphics might appear corrupted in the game.
Contact the manufacturer for updated drivers at http://www.s3.com/.
Diamond
Monster Fusion: If your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, texture
corruption might occur when running the game. Contact the manufacturer for
updated drivers at http://www.s3.com/.
Diamond
Monster II 3D: With driver version 2207 from the Diamond Web site, your system might
not recognize this card when running the game. Contact the manufacturer for
updated drivers at http://www.s3.com/.
Diamond
Stealth II G-460: If your system has the retail drivers for this card installed,
textures do not appear when running the game. Contact the manufacturer for
updated drivers at http://www.s3.com/.
Diamond
Viper II Z200: If your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, graphics
irregularities might occur when running the game. To fix this problem, download
and install the latest drivers from S3, http://www.s3.com/.
Diamond
Viper V330: If
your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, the system stops
responding when you click New on the Roster screen. To fix this problem,
download and install the latest drivers from S3, http://www.s3.com/, or the
NVIDIA Riva ZX reference drivers from http://www.nvidia.com/. Minor graphics
corruption occurs when using the latest and reference drivers for this video
card, but gameplay is not otherwise negatively affected.
Diamond
Viper V550:
If your system uses this card, texture corruption might occur when running the
game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from
http://www.s3.com/.
Diamond
Viper V770 Ultra: If your system uses this card, graphics corruption might occur and the
system might stop responding when running the game. To fix this problem,
download and install the latest drivers from S3, http://www.s3.com/, or
reference drivers from NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/.
Elsa
Gladiac:
If your system has certain drivers for this card installed (version.6.34), the
system stops responding or the video card is unrecognized when running the
game. To fix this problem, download the latest reference drivers from NVIDIA,
http://www.nvidia.com/.
Guillemot
3D Prophet GeForce: If your system uses this card, slight graphic irregularities might
occur when running the game. To fix this problem, download and install the
latest drivers from Guillemot, http://www.guillemot.com/.
Guillemot
Maxi Gamer Phoenix 2: If your system uses this card, sporadic menu corruption might occur in
the user interface when running the game. To fix this problem, download and
install the latest display drivers from Guillemot, http://www.guillemot.com/.
Intel
810 graphics chip-set: If your system uses this chip-set, download and install the latest
drivers from Intel, http://www.intel.com/.
Matrox
Marvel G-400: If your system uses this card and experiences stability problems such
as no longer responding when playing the game in 32-bit color, download and install
the latest drivers from Matrox, http://www.matrox.com/, or run the game in
16-bit color. To do so, in the folder where the game is installed double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe,
click Advanced, and select a 16-bit color mode.
Matrox
Millennium G200 AGP: If your system uses this card, texture flashes might occur when running
the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from
Matrox, http://www.matrox.com/.
Number
Nine Revolution IV: If your system uses this card, texture corruption might occur when
running the game, causing the system to stop responding. If you experience
problems with a Number Nine card, it is recommended that you upgrade your card.
Number
Nine SR-9 Pro: If your system uses this card, it might experience periodic instability
or stop responding. If you experience problems with a Number Nine card, it is
recommended that you upgrade your card.
NVIDIA
Detonator 4: If your system uses this card and runs Windows 2000, it might go into
software mode and the game might not start a second time if you change video
modes by pressing ALT+ENTER or ALT+TAB while running the game. To resolve this,
update the motherboard drivers or switch to a 16-bit desktop resolution. To
switch to a 16-bit desktop resolution, right-click the desktop, and then click Properties.
Click the Settings tab, and use the slider under Screen Resolution to
select the correct resolution and color depth.
NVIDIA
GeForce 256:
When attempting to launch certain missions while in 1600 x 1200 x 32
resolution, systems using this card might restart.
NVIDIA
GeForce2: If
your system uses this card and runs Windows 98 SE, you might experience
graphics corruption on the Main Menu screen. To work around this problem, press
ALT+TAB to switch to the desktop and then ALT+TAB again to switch back to the
game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest drivers from NVIDIA,
http://www.nvidia.com/.
NVIDIA
GeForce2 GTS: If your system uses this card, a split screen might occasionally occur
with some monitors when changing video modes. To work around this problem,
press ALT+TAB to switch to the desktop and then ALT+TAB again to switch back to
the game. To fix this problem, download and install the latest reference driver
from NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/, or contact your hardware manufacturer for
updated drivers. Also, make sure you have the correct drivers installed for
your monitor.
NVIDIA
GeForce2 MX: If your system uses this card, you may encounter graphics corruption at
1600 x 1200 screen resolution with the ultra high graphics setting. As you
continue to play, the graphics corruption problem goes away. To fix this
problem, try resetting your screen resolution using Autoconfig_Mercs.exe. In
the folder where the game is installed, double-click Autoconfig_Mercs.exe,
click Advanced, and then select a screen resolution other than 1600 x
1200.
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 200: If your system runs Windows
XP and uses this card, you may encounter graphics corruption at the 1280 x 1024
x 32 or 1600 x 1200 x 32 screen resolution with the ultra high graphics
setting. To fix this problem, download and install the latest reference drivers
from NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/.
NVIDIA
TNT, TNT2, and GeForce cards: If your system runs Windows 2000, the game does
not run in accelerated hardware mode with the NVIDIA display drivers for these
cards that come with the operating system. To fix this problem, download and
install the latest reference drivers from NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/, or
contact your hardware manufacturer for the latest drivers.
S3
Savage 4:
If your system runs Windows 2000, the game does not run in accelerated hardware
mode with the display drivers for this card that come with the operating
system. To fix this problem, download and install the latest reference drivers
from S3, http://www.s3.com/, or contact your hardware manufacturer for the
latest drivers.
STB
BlackMagic 3D: If your system uses this card, slight graphics corruption might occur
when running the game. Contact your hardware manufacturer for any updated
drivers.
STB
Velocity 128: If your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, the game
might stop after the opening movie or graphic irregularities might occur. To
fix this problem, download and install the latest reference drivers from
NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/.
STB
Velocity 4400: If your system has the retail drivers for this card installed, the game
might stop responding during the opening movie or occasionally in other places.
To fix this problem, download and install the latest reference display drivers
from NVIDIA, http://www.nvidia.com/. If doing so does not correct the problem,
contact your hardware manufacturer for driver updates or new system settings.
To
run MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, make sure that you have installed the latest
drivers from the manufacturer of your video card. Many video issues are
resolved if you do so. If your video card drivers are not DirectX
8.1–compliant, the game might not detect your card properly. If this problem
occurs, contact your video card manufacturer for updated drivers or install the
latest reference drivers available. Note, however, that many reference drivers
are not supported by chip-set manufacturers.
Listed
here are some common video card manufacturers' Web sites. MechWarrior 4:
Mercenaries might not support some or all of the cards produced by a particular
manufacturer.
3Dlabs:
http://www.3dlabs.com/
Asus;
http://www.asus.com/
ATI:
http://www.ati.com/support/
Canopus:
http://www.canopuscorp.com/
Creative
Labs: http://www.americas.creative.com/
Gateway:
http://www.gateway.com/
Guillemot:
http://www.guillemot.com/
Hercules
(see Guillemot): http://www.guillemot.com/
Leadtek:
http://www.leadtek.com/
Matrox:
http://www.matrox.com/
NVIDIA:
http://www.nvidia.com/
S3:
http://www.s3.com/
Silicon
Integrated Systems Corporation (SiS) http://www.sis.com.tw/
VIA
Technologies: http://www.viatech.com/