View manual text
Affidavit of Gideon Braver Vandenburg
Copies of this Affidavit shall be sent to the major news outlets on the capital planets of the five Houses in
the event of my untimely death.
This testimony was sworn on March 3, 3024 A.D. on Ander's Moon, in the Draconis March of the Federated Suns.
I hereby swear that all facts given in this statement are true, upon my honor as a Vandenburg.
I must set down these facts lest the truth remain forever hidden, should the McBrin family's plot succeed. I
dictate this statement before I must leave Ander's Moon - before the McBrins find me and have me executed on
some trumped-up charge.
The story really begins in 2137, when Clan Vandenburg and Clan McBrin jointly settled the world known as
Ander's Moon. Ander's Moon sits on the border between Kurita space and Davion space, occupying a position of
no great strategic importance in relation to a planet with no unusual natural resources. Due to the tremendous valour of Ander's Moon warriors in the Succession War, Prince Davion rewarded Ander's Moon with a Dukedom. This was, and always has been, a cause of bitter rivalry between Clans Vandenburg and McBrin. Since the
Council of Representatives elects the new Duke upon the death of the old Duke, control of the Dukedom has
passed from Clan to Clan over the centuries. The investiture of a new Duke is an occasion of great ceremony,
wherein the Duke is anointed with oil from the sacred Chalice of Herne, an ancient relic from old Terra. The
Chalice has come to symbolize the office of the Duke, and it is impossible to legitimize the rule of a new
Duke without the Chalice of Herne.
But enough of ancient history. Two days ago, I left Castle Vandenburg to examine some of my father's holdings. While I was gone, a lance of bandit Mechs dropped on Castle Vandenburg and smashed it to rubble. My
father. Duke Cameron Vandenburg, was slain in the assault, as were my mother and my sister. For some reason,
the sensors gave no warning of the attack — I suspect a traitor among the technicians must have sabotaged the
equipment. No one identified the bandit Mechs, and no one tracked them off-planet. They have vanished into
the trackless reaches of interstellar space.
According to witnesses, Jarris McBrin appeared and drove off the bandits before they could wreak more havoc.
His timely appearance was seen by the populace, since a video news team just happened to arrive at the same
time as McBrin. He explained to the camera team that he was nearby "on maneuvers" when he picked up the
raiders on his sensors, and naturally he raced to assist, but unfortunately he was to late to save the Duke.
Lying son of a snake! He must have bribed the news crew to arrive at the right moment to witness a McBrin
saving Vandenburgs from pirates, so that the world would think him a hero.
When I returned and dug through the rubble to retrieve the bodies of my family, I found that someone had taken
the symbol of rule of Ander's Moon, the sacred Chalice of Herne, from its place of honor in the great hall.
And emptied the Vandenburg vaults of all the Clan's treasure. As I questioned the servants who had survived
the attack, they all spoke with vivid terror of a strange and powerful image: a skull with bat wings, which
they had seen emblazoned on the marauding bandit Mechs. Nothing more could they tell me.
The next day the Council of Representatives held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the events at Castle
Vandenburg and elect a new Duke. To my astonishment, Jarris McBrin denounced my father, Cameron Vandenburg,
as a traitor, claiming that he was in league with the pirates. According to Jarris, my father tried to
double-cross the pirates and so they destroyed him. Worst of all, Jarris presented "proof" to back up his
claims — documents allegedly signed by my father, holotapes showing my father dealing with the pirates, and
other such material. I tried to stop his lies, but I was held back by the sergeant-at-arms. Jarris went on
to denounce the Vandenburgs for losing the Chalice of Herne. At the peak of his tirade, he called for a
freeze on the remaining Vandenburg assets, which was overwhelmingly approved. McBrin announced that he would
use his own resources to track down the pirates and recover the Chalice.
McBrin's motion to elect a new Duke failed by a narrow margin. The Council voted to hold off the election
until I reach legal adulthood on my 23rd birthday - April 8, 3029. At that time, the Council will decide
whether Jarris McBrin or Gideon Braver Vandenburg becomes the new Duke of Ander's Moon.
As I left the council chambers, I was still in a state of shock over the whirlwind of events that had overturned my life. My family dead, home destroyed, fortune stolen - everything I knew was lost. I must have
been in a daze, for I had no inkling of being followed until a starry explosion burst into pain inside my
head. As I remember them now, the next few minutes are a blur of repeated blows and pain. I know now that I
was the object of an expert beating - though care was taken not to leave any permanent marks on my body. As I
lay on the ground, gasping for breath, the leering face of Jarris McBrin rose before my eyes.
"You'll never be the Duke," he gloated. "I've made sure of that. The Chalice is hidden light-years from
here, where you'll never find it. And if you don't have the Chalice, you can't become the Duke, no matter
what the Council decides. But of course, I'll be there, having fortunately recovered the Chalice from the
pirates. How graciously I'll accept the Dukedom that the cheering populace will demand I be given! Who would
deny the Dukedom to Jarris McBrin, the valiant hero who tracked down the pirates and destroyed them, ending
the Vandenburg's vicious conspiracy against Ander's Moon?"
"The Dukedom will never be yours, Jarris,"
I said, fighting for breath.
"I'll
stop you.'
He laughed. "No, my dear Gideon, you'll die a pauper on some distant world. I'd rather dispose of your body
right now — but I might have to answer some awkward questions. A pity you weren't at home when my friends
'dropped in' on your miserable family . . . but no matter." His eyes narrowed. "You have 24 hours to get
off the planet. Pray that I never run across you again, or you too will wish that you had died with your
family." And with that he and his goons disappeared into the darkness while I struggled to get to my hands
and knees.
Somehow, I managed to stumble to a combooth. I realized that there was nothing further I could do on Ander's
Moon, and the only way I could defeat Jarris was to lay low for a while. I needed help, and there were
precious few people that I could turn to in my hour of need. I called Jordan Rowe, leader of the Vandenburg
faction in the Council. He took me to his home, where we talked late into the night as he nursed my wounds.
Jordan's belief is that Jarris couldn't be the brains behind this operation - it's too big, too well-funded
for his brand of petty thievery. Jordan mentioned certain information he had come across, rumors of radioactive mineral deposits in the highlands, and of Kurita's need for such fuel for their insatiable war machine.
He speculated that Kurita was behind the whole plot, and that eventually their machinations would be exposed.
But I remain unconvinced - there's no proof of Kurita involvement, though Jordan said he will try to find it.
Jordan has provided me with an old Jenner Mech and some C-bills, as well as passage off-planet. He suggested
that I travel under the abbreviated name of Gideon Braver, to avoid any "complications'" that might arise
because of the Vandenburg name. I'm not even"sure where this old space scow is taking me, but it doesn't
matter. I'll find where Jarris has hidden the Chalice. But it must be guarded, and guarded well, so I'll
need to recruit a lance of Mechs to help me in the battles ahead. But first I need money - and for that, I
have to become a mercenary, selling my war skills to the highest bidder. Jordan has given me a copy of an old
mere's manual, which should tell me all I need to know.
Jarris McBrin, I am coming back, and not all the Mechs in the Star League are enough to stop me.
(signed) Gideon Bravar Vandenburg
PD-204-04
MechWarrior
Designed by John A.S. Skeel, Paul Bowman, Terry Ishida. Damon Slye
Programming by Paul Bowman, Pete Fokos
Graphics by Peter Mitchel-Dayton. Caitlin Mitchel-Dayton, Cyrus Kanga, Mark
Brenneman, Steve Snyder, Ron Winnick, Chuck Austen, Kobi Miller
Music and sound effects by Russell Lieblich, Bryce Morcello, Michael Latham
Produced by John A.S. Skeel. Steve Ackrich
Product management by Kelly Flock
Playtesting by Tom Bellamy, Stew Perkins, Larry Weissenborn, John Van
"Affidavit of Gideon Braver" and Mercenary's Handbook by Steve Peterson. Design
and production by Leslie Roth. Production management by Sally Locke and Nancy
Waisanen. Editorial management by Steven Young.
For technical help, call Consumer Services between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Pacific
time Monday through Friday: 415 329-7630.
For recorded game hints and information about our newest software, call
415 329-7699 any time from a touch-tone phone.
If you have a modem, you can contact Activision Entertainment Software through
our Product Support electronic Bulletin Board System at 415 329-7684.
For information about our products, write to:
Consumer Services
Activision Entertainment Software
P.O. Box 3048
Menlo Park. CA 94025
For the best service, be sure to note the subject of your inquiry on the outside
of the envelope.
Please do not make ILLEGAL COPIES OF THIS SOFTWARE
The software you are using was produced through the efforts of many people:
designers, artists, programmers, distributors, retailers, and other dedicated
workers.
The costs of developing this and other software programs are recovered through
software sales. The unauthorized duplication of personal computer software raises
the cost to all legitimate users.
This software is protected by federal copyright law. Copying software for any reason
other than to make a backup is a violation of law. Individuals who make unauthorized copies of software may be subject to civil and criminal penalties.
as a member of the Software Publishers Association (SPA), supports the industry's
effort to fight the illegal copying of personal computer software.
Report copyright violations to:
SPA, 1101 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 901
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Software ©1989 by Dynamix, Inc. Packaging and documentation (c) 1989 Activision
Entertainment Software. All rights reserved. MECHWARRIOR and BATTLETECH are
registered trademarks and Mercenary's Handbook, BattleMech and Mech are trademarks of FASA Corporation. Board game design, characters, and universe (c) 1988
FASA. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft Corp. All other trademarks and brand
names are the property of their respective holders.
The Developers of MECHWARRIOR
Damon Slye, simulator design overview. Previous projects with Dynamix:
Stellar 7™, Arctic Fox™, Abrams Battle Tank™, and many other simulations. Quote: "It's morning. . . guess I'll go home now."
Mark "The Coller" Brenneman, world creation. Previous projects with
Dynamix: F14 TOMCAT™, DEATHTRACK™ , A-10 Tank Killer™, and others.
Quote: "Gimme de Uzil" (Mark's having an Identity crisis.)
Paul Bowman, simulation design and programming. Previous projects
with Dynamix: Crimson Crown™, Arctic Fox, Project Firestart™, and
Abrams Battle Tank. Quote: "Go ahead. Mech my day." (Paul's a funny
guy.)
Cyrus Kanga, 3-Space™ animations. Previous projects with Dynamix:
Abrams Battle Tank, F14 TOMCAT, David Wolf: Secret Agent, and A-10
Tank Killer. Quote: "Work late? Sorry, I've got two dates
"
Kobi Miller (not pictured), artist. Previous projects with Dynamix:
Abrams Battle Tank and A-10 Tank Killer. Quote: "Hey, how come I'm
not In the picture?" (Artists don't show up on black and white photos.)
The LCT-IV Locust joined the production team for the photo at its own
request.
"We spent some time in design meetings, pre-production meetings, team
meetings, and post-pre-production meetings. Having thus decided on
the best color for our team shirts, we went ahead and created MECHWARRIOR. Paul programmed the simulation, Mark created the terrain, and
Cyrus spent a great deal of time walking like a locust—to get the proper
animation sequence down. Damon 'supervised,' so he really didn't have
an excuse for the way he was walking. In the meantime, we mostly just
slaved over our work."
Special thanks to Terry Ishida for lots of great ideas.
Scanned and compiled by Underdogs
Home of the Underdogs
http://www.the-underdogs.org/
MERCENARY'S
HANDBOOK
Notice: This handbook is entirely unofficial, and is under interdict in multiple
systems. Do not reveal its contents, or
even talk about its existence, to anyone
whom you don't completely trust. A healthy
dose of paranoia will add to your life expectancy in this universe.
This handbook has been distilled, like
quanga nut liquer, from the experiences of
many meres over hundreds of years. Here
you'll find all the essentials for being a
successful mercenary — how to negotiate
contracts, how to get and keep the best
Mechs, and the basics of how to operate a
Mech.
Of course, there's no substitute for experience. Once you've spent a few years on
the mercenary trail, gunning your Mech
through a rain of shrapnel and bolts of
laser lightning, you'll have a knowledge of
what it's like that no book can give you.
Maybe you can pick up a pointer or two from
these pages that will help you through some
of the rough spots. No guarantees, though.
In this universe, you're oh your own.
Contents
The Years 2014—3024 A.D
The Successor States
Getting Started
Your Authorization Code
The Mercenary's Life
Blazing Aces
Mech Complex
Contracts
Travel.................................................
The Bar
Game Options
Mechs
Mech Controls
Command Screen
Damage Screen
In Battle
Jumpjets..
Combat Tips
BattleMech Descriptions
Glossary
Appendix
Making Back-Up Copies
Options at Start-Up
Centering the Joystick
9
10
13
14
14
14
16
18
21
22
23
24
26
31
33
34
34
35
35
40
44
44
44
45
The Years 2014 — 3024 A.D.
After the Western Alliance enforced a world peace in 2014, the
unification of the world under its banner was inevitable. By
2086 most of the world belonged to the Western Alliance. The
development of faster-than-light travel in 2108 launched an era
of interstellar colonization. As the cost of FTL travel dropped,
colonization proceeded apace, so that by 2235 there were more
than 600 inhabited worlds. In 2236 the colonies rebelled against
the dominion of Terra, and by 2242 Alliance holdings had
shrunk to a sphere less than 60 light years across. Over the
next 50 years, the Exodus of Earth's population took place and
more than 1500 new planets were settled.
With the collapse of the Terran Alliance in 2314, hostilities broke
out. The establishment of the Terran Hegemony as a replacement sparked years of war. In fact, the period until 2550 was
marked by an almost continuous series of small battles under
the peculiarities of the Ares Conventions. The BattleMechs
became the standard instrument of the highly ritualized warfare
during this time. The founding of the Star League in 2571
sparked the Unification War; when that war ended in 2597, a
period of relative peace began. The Star League developed the
first FTL transmitters, cutting the average communication time
from Terra to the Periphery from 1 year to less than five months.
The Star League went on for over 150 years in peace before it
was torn apart by treachery and rebellion. In 2785 the First
Succession War raged through known space, as the five lords of
the High Council all declared themselves ruler of the Star
League. The Ares Conventions were cast aside, and hundreds of
millions perished in the brutal warfare that ensued. For the next
several hundred years, a series of Succession Wars brought the
technology to a level barely above that of the 21st century. The
Warlords of the Successor States, unable to manufacture the advanced computers, fusion plants, and starships that their civilization depended on, took to cannibalizing existing equipment to
maintain their armies.
Now that the Third Succession War is over, the new alliance
between the Federated Suns and the Lyran Commonwealth
portends a new era of peace and trade among the Successor
States.
—from The Succession Wars: A History,
by Dr. B. Banzai, New Avalon
Institute of Science
'Don't bet on it. The smart credits are betting on more employment
for meres than ever. It's just the calm before, the storm, pal. Keep
your batteries charged, and your eyes open.
The Successor States
While you may have learned some of this in school, it's
good to have it repeated. Know your employer — and your
enemy. They may be one and the same.
BANDIT
House Steiner
The Lyran Commonwealth
KINGDOMS
The
House
Kurita
Draconis
Combine
House Davion has earned a reputation among meres for
being very fair in contract negotiations and treating meres
quite well. However, Hanse Davion isn't known as The
Fox" for nothing. His tricky battle strategies have put
some lances in unexpected situations. Mercs should look
for possible twists in the contract offered them before
accepting a Davion mission.
The Lyran Commonwealth
THE
CIRCINUS
FEDERATION
MARIK
COMMONWEALTH
ABBEY
DISTRICT
PRINCIPALITY
OF REGULUS
RIM
COMMONALITY
DUCHY OF
ANDURIEN ST. IVES
COMMONALITY
House Marik
The Free Worlds League
House Davion
The Federated Suns
TIKONOV
SARNA COMMONALITY
COMMONALITY
CAPELLA
COMMONALITY
House Liao
The Cappellan Confederation
The Federated Suns
Founded in 2317 by Lucien Davion, then
Prime Minister of New Avalon. A member of
the Davion family has led the Federated
Suns for over 700 years. Much of Davion's
expansion in the last centuries has been at
the expense of Liao's Capellan Confederation. Recently, Hanse Davion (Duke of New Avalon and
ruler of the Federated Suns) has formed an alliance with
the Lyran Commonwealth and is skirmishing heavily with
Kurita's Draconis Combine. The ambitious Michael
Hasek-Davion, brother-in-law to Hanse, is Duke of New
Syrtis and ruler of the Capellan March.
Formed in 2341 by a combination of three
small leagues: the Tamar Pact, the Federation of Skye, and the Protectorate of Donegal. The Lyran capital is currently located
at Tharkad. Since the early 2400s the
Lyran Commonwealth has been ruled by
the Steiners. While the Lyrans have been losing territory
to the Draconis Combine, the Commonwealth remains a
major power due to the extreme wealth of some of its
planets. Most recently, their pact with the Federated Suns
has resulted in the recapture of several planets held by
Kurita. The Lyran Commonwealth is ruled by the Archon
Katrina Steiner; her daughter Melissa is rumored to be
betrothed to Hanse Davion, promising the formation of a
powerful alliance.
House Steiner offers generous contracts to mercenaries,
using their great wealth to attract some of the best meres
around. However, the Lyran Commonwealth suffers from
a great deal of infighting, which reduces the Lyrans'
military effectiveness. Often forced to withdraw during
combat, the Lyrans just as often yield little good plunder.
The Archon is striving to improve the quality of their
military leadership, but it remains to be seen how successful such efforts will be.
The Capellan Confederation
The Capellan Confederation was created in
2366 by treaty agreement among five
smaller areas. The early days of the Confederation were marked by vicious internal
debates and factionalism. Eventually,
Franco Liao managed to pull things together as a compromise leader; his descendants have consolidated their
power over the major worlds of the Capellan Confederation. The Capellans have always fought fiercely with the
Free Worlds League. Over the centuries of bitter warfare,
the Capellan Confederation has come out on the short
end. losing many of its most valuable territories to House
Davion and House Marik. However, the now much
shrunken Capellan realm is heavily fortified, and they
have been mostly peaceful for the last fifty years. Maximilian Liao currently rules the Capellan Confederation,
spending much effort in shrewd diplomatic maneuvering
designed to bring the lost glory back to Capella and especially to House Liao.
has maintained a strong trade with the Successor States.
The Captain-Generalship of the Free Worlds League has
become a hereditary post held by House Marik. The Free
Worlds League suffers from increasing balkanization, and
Janos Marik (current Captain-General) faces mounting
difficulties as he tries to hold things together from his
capital on Atreus.
Contracts are common in the Free Worlds League, as the
internal bickering constantly erupts into combat. There
are often good contracts and rich plunder available, but
the unstable political situation makes it a dangerous
playground for the unwary merc.
For meres, it's enough to know that the Capellans are the
weakest among the Successor States. While they tend to
offer excellent terms when contracts are available, there
are many stories of Capellan contracts that looked good at
the start but soon turned sour. When dealing with the
Capellans, more than one merc has found himself unable
to collect on a technicality or two.
Your package includes four 5 1/4-inch floppy disks and
two 3 1/2-inch floppy disks. Make back-up copies of
these disks before you begin play—see the appendix for
instructions on making back-ups.
The Draconis Combine
Also see the appendix for configuration options available
to you when loading MECHWARRIOR.
Founded in 2319 after a brutal military
campaign led by Shiro Kurita. The vast
reaches of the Draconis Combine are
controlled by Kuritas to this day; Takashi
Kurita is the current iron-fisted ruler.
Luthien is now the capital world, but New Samarkand still
wields great power as the home base for the Internal
Security Force (ISF).
House Kurita issues many mercenary contracts, but they
have a widespread reputation for being ruthless and
arrogant. They don't like to dicker, and they drive a hard
bargain. Nonetheless, they do have a way of winning,
which keeps the meres coming back for more contracts.
The Free Worlds League
Created in 2271 by the Treaty of Marik,
which unified the Grand Duchy of Oriente,
the Principality of Regulus, and the Marik
Commonwealth. Largely based on merchant organizations, the Free Worlds League
Getting Started
To load MECHWARRIOR from floppy disks:
1. Turn on your computer and monitor and load DOS.
2. Insert your backup copy of disk 1 in drive A and
switch to that drive by typing A: and pressing Enter.
3. At the A prompt, type mw and press Enter.
You may use the spacebar or fire button to skip past the
credits. At this point you will be asked to enter an authorization code. See below for details.
JIM
To install MECHWARRIOR on a hard disk:
1. Insert your backup copy of disk 1 in drive A and
switch to that drive by typing A: and pressing Enter.
2. Type install followed by the hard drive designation (for
example, C:) and press Enter.
This will create a new directory, called mechwar, and copy
all the files from the floppy disk into that directory on the
hard drive. You'll be prompted to insert the other disks as
required.
To start from the hard drive, switch to the mechwar
directory by typing CD mechwar and pressing Enter.
Then, to begin the game, type mw and press Enter.
Your Authorization Code
Each time you start MECHWARRIOR, you'll be asked for an
authorization code that matches the code check pattern
for a particular Mech shown on the screen. The codes are
included for each Mech in the section "BattleMech Descriptions" on page 35. Enter the correct code, then press
Enter. Failure to enter the correct code 3 times in a row
will result in your returning to DOS.
Once you've entered the correct code, you'll be dirtside.
Check out the following section for the options available to
you.
The Mercenary's Life
There are many things you need to know to be a successful mercenary—more details than there's space for here.
Besides, you'll learn the details yourself through (sometimes bitter) experience. These pages cover only the
essentials of what you can do dirtside.
Whenever you're moving around dirtside, you can use
either a joystick, a mouse, or the arrow keys on your
console keyboard to move the pointer to one of the icons. ,
Press the joystick fire button (button 1), the mouse button, or the Enter key to enter the section represented by
the selected icon.
The instructions that follow refer only to the keyboard
commands, but the mouse or joystick can be used equally
well anywhere dirtside.
Blazing Aces
This is your personal database. Of all your
basic personal data, perhaps the most important item is your wealth. Like all meres, you
have a software agent who synthesizes data
off the NewsNet and posts readings of how the
various families feel about you. These atti-
tudes, based on previous contracts you've handled for
them, will of course affect your contract negotiations. Play
it smart, pal. Keep your eye on these readings and don't
expect too much from the families that hate you.
Crew
This is your Lance command roster. When you highlight
the word and press Enter, you'll see your current crew
roster along with their gunnery and pilot ratings, their
wages, and the Mech they've been assigned by you. Of
course, if you're the only one in your lance, then you're
the only one that shows up. You can change the Mechs
assigned to each crew member, or even dismiss a crew
member if you're not happy with his performance. Whenever you buy a new Mech, you'll have to assign it to a crew
member (including yourself); otherwise it won't be utilized.
Changing Mech assignments is simple. Move to each
pilot's Mech and highlight it, then press Enter and use the
up or down arrow keys to choose among the Mechs you
have (one of the choices always available is to Dismiss the
crew member). Once you have the Mech you want to
assign to that pilot, press Enter again. Note that if that
Mech is already assigned to some other pilot, then the two
pilots swap Mechs. Use the down arrow to highlight the
Done button, then press Enter to leave the Crew roster.
NewsNet
This is your access to news items of interest selected by
your Comstar news filter on the interplanetary telecommunications network. Personal messages for you can also
be found here. The information you find here can be
crucial to getting the best contracts by finding out where
the action is. If you have any other goals in mind, your
news filter is also selecting news items that can help you
achieve your goals.
Use the arrow keys to highlight your choices, and press
Enter to execute each choice. Previous shows you any
messages you've had before; Next shows you the next
message (if any); and Done takes you back to your personal database.
Done
Exit from your database and get back to wandering
around dirtside.
Mech Complex
This is where you go to view, repair, buy, sell,
and re-arm your Mechs. Of course, things are
different on every planet. Prices change depending on local availability of supplies. You
won't be able to get Mechs on some worlds.
The parts you need to repair your Mech might
not be available. So make the most of what's available, because you might not be able to get it when you need it.
Those C-bills in your bank account won't do you any good
when you're staring down the muzzle of a PPC and wishing
you'd repaired that frontal armor.
Review Mechs
This shows a listing of the Mechs you own, with the pilots
assigned to them. Select a Mech and press Enter to take
a closer look. A picture of the Mech appears with its basic
armaments and speed listings. Here you can choose to do
the following things:
Repair: This shows a complete listing of the Mech's
systems and their current operational status. As you
cycle through the systems, if a repair is required the cost
is shown at the bottom of the screen. If you want to
repair that system, press Enter. Otherwise, press the up
or down arrow key to move to another system. Note that
each time you repair a system it gets a little better, moving
up one damage class (from Junk to Heavy Damage to
Light Damage to Functional). So if a system is Junk, the
cost shown is one-third of what it takes to make it fully
operational. Sometimes, the parts needed to repair a
system won't be available, and you'll have to wait for some
to come in or try another planet. Or take your chances
and go into battle anyway. Sure, it's a risk, but so's life.
Repair All: You can use this option to automatically repair
all damaged systems without having to select each one.
Note that the repair cost displayed on this screen is only
an estimate of the actual total repair cost and the final bill
may be lower or higher than estimated. This function
works like the regular Repair function: if you don't have
enough money or the parts aren't available, you're out of
luck.
Reload: If you're fully loaded, you'll be told that your
ammo bay is full when you press Enter. If you need
ammo, the cost of reloading is shown; you can choose to
reload and pay the cost, or cancel without reloading.
Sell: If you want to sell your Mech, choose this item and
press Enter. If there's an offer, it appears before you.
You can accept or reject the offer. The price offered for
your Mech depends on its condition and on the demand
for Mechs on that particular planet. Some meres can
make a tidy sum just by buying Mechs where they're
cheap, maybe fixing them up a bit, and selling them where
they're scarce. Of course, if you're not careful the transportation costs will eat you alive. Best to leave trading to
the merchants and concentrate on the business of war.
Done: Gets you back to the Review Mechs choices.
Extra Ammo
While your Mechs can carry a full combat load of ammunition, when you're going on a long campaign you'll need to
stock extra ammo if you can afford it. On an extended
campaign, you may go through several combats before you
can get back to a civilized place to repair and reload.
You'll feel more than foolish if you use up all your ammo
during your first combat, only to face another — you'll feel
dead. So spend some C-bills on extra ammo before heading out on one of those extended campaign contracts.
Extra Ammo shows a display of the different kinds of
ammo available for the different Mechs (if you own one of
the Mechs listed, it will be highlighted). As you scroll
down the list, the types of Mechs that can use that ammo
are displayed. If you press Enter, the ammo is purchased
and stored for future use. You can sell back any extra
ammo by using the right arrow key to highlight the ammo
stored in the hold; the prices change to show what you
will get if you sell. Press Enter to sell the ammo. Select
Done and press Enter to return to the Mech Complex
choices.
Buy Mechs
Request Mission
When you select this item, a list of the Mechs currently
offered for sale is displayed. (Of course, sometimes there
just aren't any Mechs for sale at all.) Select any Mech and
press Enter to check out the price and condition. You'll
see a picture of the Mech and its operational ratings.
Choose Damage Levels to see the condition of the Mech,
and just how much repair it's going to take before you can
haul it onto the battlefield. Select Buy to acquire the
Mech for the price shown. Select Done to return to the
Mechs For Sale listings. When you're finished shopping,
choose Done to return to the Mech Complex choices.
Don't be surprised if the choice of Mechs is limited or even
nonexistent. After all, these things are scarce and valuable, and not every podunk planet has Mechs for sale.
The bigger Mechs are even harder to find.
The smart merc will notice that Mechs are cheaper on
some worlds. When a world is small and there's a shortage of Mechs, the price is higher—it may be a great place
to sell an extra Mech. Keep your eye on the prices, and
don't let some backwater planet charge you too much.
Buy your Mechs when they're cheap. Remember, every Cbill you save could save your life by enabling you to buy a
little more ammo or some repairs.
Here's where you get your contracts. Any current contracts available on the planet are displayed one at a time.
Of course, contracts are not always available, so you can
either wait around till one shows up or haul mass to
another planet with better opportunities. Check the
NewsNet for some idea of where the action can be found.
If you've got a contract offer, don't leap at it right away —
that's the mark of a real amateur. First, check out all the
contracts being offered by selecting the Next button and
pressing Enter. If you don't see anything you like, select
Leave and press Enter to go back to your other dirtside
activities. Look carefully at the odds. Balance your forces
against the enemy forces. Sure, you know your crew is
good, but take care not to bite off too big a job.
Once you've found a contract you like, then it's time to get
the best price. You can negotiate over the price, the
percentage of the confiscated equipment you'll get (assuming you win, that is), and how much up front money you'll
get for outfitting. Since all haggling over contracts is
conducted via computer, all you do is use the arrow keys
to point to the item you want to negotiate and press
Enter. The item turns yellow; use the up arrow key to
increase the number, and use the down arrow key to
decrease the number. When you've got the number you
want, press Enter again. When you've modified all the
figures to your satisfaction, highlight the Submit button
and press Enter. The figures change to show the counteroffer. If the counter-offer is not to your liking, change the
figures again and re-submit the contract.
Some families don't have a lot of patience, and they may
just withdraw the contract if you haggle too much. And of
course the terms vary depending on the job and the
reputation you have with the individual family. Experience can guide you on just how flexible each House will
be, and what kind of terms you can expect.
Done
Select this item to return to your other dirtside choices.
Contracts
On many planets (but not all), you'll find merc
contracts offered by the ruling House. Select
Contracts to see the latest contract postings.
Sometimes there's only one contract being
offered; at other times or places, there may be
more. Read each one carefully, and don't get
in over your head. No matter how tough, experienced, and
well-armed you are, there's always somebody better.
Mission Types
There are several different types of missions that might be
outlined in the typical mercenary contract. The payoff
conditions (what NewsNet types like to call "Victory") are
different for each type, so pay careful attention when you
negotiate each contract.
A few missions, like suppressing a rebellion or eliminating
enemy forces, are simple, clean, and not too hard to
figure—immobilize all enemy Mechs, and you win. That's
all there is to it.
When an enemy base is involved, things get more difficult.
You may be asked to capture an enemy base—in order to
rescue a kidnap victim, say, or retrieve captured equipment. On such missions, you'll have to fight your way to
the base and ram it with one of your Mechs; as soon as
you breach the walls, surrender is immediate, and you
should be able to collect on your contract. When your
mission calls for you to destroy or disable an enemy base,
you'll have to fight your way through opposing Mechs and
pound the hostile base with several rounds of high-powered ammo.
If a contract calls on you to defend a base against enemy
forces, you must immobilize all enemy Mechs that don't
permanently flee the scene. On missions that involve
crossing territory, like a reconnaissance raid, you must
move all the Mechs in your lance across the line indicated
on the Mission Briefing screen, fighting off enemies as you
go, in order to collect. Conversely, some types of contracts, such as the relief of engaged forces, require that
you prevent enemy forces from crossing a dashed line
indicated on the Mission Briefing screen (also shown on
the Command Screen)—again, you'll have to immobilize
any hostile Mechs that don't flee.
Extended campaigns are the most difficult. Each one
involves two or three separate encounters; in between
them, you'll have a chance only to re-arm with any extra
ammo you bought at the start of the campaign, and to
make field repairs to your Mechs. There will be no chance
to return to a civilized area for extensive repairs—unless
and until the campaign is successfully concluded.
Leave
Get back to your other dirtside business.
Travel
For those farm boys out there who may not
know the ins and outs of interstellar travel.
Someone should lay out the basics for you.
First, there are jumpships and dropships. Dropships are those metal beasts you see standing
on every launch pad throughout known space.
They take you off planet and carry you out to the Jump
points where the jumpships sit. The distance from a
planet to its system's Jump point varies depending on the
size of the star, position of the planet in the system, and
velocity of the dropship. That means it can take you
anywhere from a few days to three weeks to get there.
Once the dropship gets to the jump point, it links up with
a jumpship. Jumpships use the Kearny-Fuchida drive
system to make near instantaneous jumps to another
jump point. Jumpships are limited to single jumps of
around 30 light years. So to travel to a system 60 light
years away requires two jumps. The jumpship must
recharge its engines in between jumps with a device called
a jump sail. The recharge process takes about one week.
So, to travel to a system 60 light years away requires at
least one week for the jump, plus the amount of time
needed to travel to and from the jump point in the
dropship.
Using the Star Map
You're shown a map of the major planetary systems
throughout known space—it's very helpful in making your
travel decisions. Here you can make your travel arrangements, find out a bit about the planets you're traveling to,
determine the cost of your journey, and go.
The name of the highlighted planet is shown in the upper
left corner. The type of planet (for example, tropical or ice)
is shown to the right of the name, and the population is
shown in the upper righthand corner. Below this is a brief
description of the planet as found in Stoner's Galactic
Travel Guide, 4th edition. The icon of the ruling House for
the planet is shown on the righthand side. Below this
icon appears the cost in C-bills to travel to a designated
planet.
Note that travel costs are based on several factors: number of Mechs, crew, extra ammo being transported, and
distance traveled. You pay by the jump. A planet two
jumps away doubles the cost (mechs, personnel, ammo).
Your current wealth is shown below the cost.
Use the up and down arrow keys to highlight either the
name of the planet in the upper left corner, or the Travel,
Planets, or Cancel button.
The left arrow key will move the cursor off the current
planet selection and free it up so you can use all four
arrow keys to move the cursor around on the map. Placing
the cursor on a planet and pressing Enter causes that
planet to be selected. All the data on the screen will
change to reflect the new choice.
Travel
And of course all the best merc pilots hang out here
between jobs.
Order Drink
Sometimes, the bartender will slip you a little information
and maybe some answers to your questions. Go ahead, be
friendly — it could save your life.
Recruit Crew
If there are any merc pilots looking for work, you can bet
they'll be here at the bar. Check out their references, look
over their skill ratings. Watch their pay rates, and remember that you'll have to shell out that much every
month. And when you're just a rookie, don't expect the
best pilots to sign up with you. If you want to hire a
particular merc, just say Yes. Saying No puts you back
into circulation at the bar.
When you've chosen your destination, highlight this
button and press Enter to travel there. Your wealth will be
reduced by the amount displayed under cost.
Leave
Planets
Game Options
Use this button to find a particular planet. Highlight this
button and press Enter to get a list of the different
Houses. Select the House you want using the arrow keys,
then press Enter. A list of available planets in that House
appears. Select your destination using the arrow keys;
press Enter when the planet you want is highlighted.
You can also locate a planet directly. When Planet Name
is highlighted, press Enter, and the box will clear. Type in
the name of the planet you're looking for and press Enter.
If the name you typed in is not recognized, the currently
selected planet will reappear in the box.
Here's where you can take care of some housekeeping matters, like storing data or altering
your personal data environment.
Cancel
Return to dirtside activities.
The Bar
Here you can get some refreshment and maybe
catch some useful rumors — the kind of things
that don't appear on the NewsNet.
Go outside and look for other dirtside activities.
Save Game
If you want to check out of reality and enter a simulation
of 20th-century Earth life, choose Save Game. You'll be
asked to enter a name for your "saved game." This will
effect the storing of all current data on your career, and
you can use the same name as your "password" when you
want to return to the reality of the 30th century, just the
way you left it. You can save and resume up to 12 separate "games."
Restore Game
Brings you back to the real world of the 30th century.
Choose the "game" that you want to "restore" and press
Enter.
Restart Game
Choose this to start your career as a merc all over again.
Turn Sound Off/On
Controls the sound output to your cockpit when you're in
a Mech, and any other incidental music.
Detail Level
Allows you to adjust the complexity of the combat simulation display to suit your particular computer console.
Especially on slower computers, it's important to match
the simulation level to the speed of your processing hardware for maximum control and maneuverability. Your
choices are High, Low, and Med. A High detail level
shows all landscape items such as mountains and ridges.
Choosing Low will remove these items from the display,
allowing for faster updates to the screen.
Exit To DOS
Leave the program and visit the mysterious dimension of
MS-DOS. See "Getting Started" to get back to reality.
Continue
Return to normal dirtside activities.
Mechs
Here are the basics of owning and operating a Mech. And
no, they don't teach you this stuff in school, so don't think
you know it all.
BattleMechs 101
First, a quick refresher course. BattleMechs, the most
powerful war machines ever built, dominate the battlefields of the Succession Wars. These huge man-shaped
vehicles are faster, more maneuverable, better armored,
and carry heavier weaponry than any other combat unit.
Equipped with particle projection cannons, lasers, rapidfire autocannons, and missiles, these behemoths pack
enough firepower to flatten everything but another Mech.
Mechs break down into four basic categories: light, medium, heavy, and assault. Light mechs range in weight
from 20 tons to almost 40 tons. They are the most inexpensive and common type found on the battlefield today.
Light Mechs are used mostly in reconnaissance. Their
speed and jump capability usually allow them to skirt
heavy fighting to get a look at enemy formations or to
perform deep penetration raids.
Medium Mechs are the real workhorses of the armies of
the Inner Sphere. They range in weight from 40 tons to
almost 60 tons. They provide a wide variety of design and
usually end up doing the real dirty work.
Heavy Mechs range in weight from 60 tons up to 80 tons.
They are usually piloted by commanders and the most
experienced warriors and are the major force on the
battlefield. With their capacity to give and take enormous
amounts of damage, their deployment and use in combat
is critical.
Assault Mechs are the lords of the battlefield. Although
rare, and hence often kept out of battle altogether, one assault Mech is equal to a whole lance of other Mechs. They
range in tonnage from 80 to 100.
Mech Controls
Keyboard Controls
When you're in the cockpit of your Mech, you'll be able to
control your weapons, move your Mech, get status
readouts on yourself and your opponents, and control the
other Mechs in your lance.
ESC retreat or eject from Mech
1-10 select specific weapon (numbered from 1 at top of list)
AWS
INDICATOR
P pause
O remove/attach particular weapon to AWS
U get up (when your Mech is knocked down)
T Topographical Screen, toggles between elevation map and radar
R changes the range of radar
E damage readings for targeted Mech (enemy or friend)
W Automatic Weapons System (AWS) turned on or off
Q quit from Command Screen or Damage Screen to cockpit
TAB fire all weapons linked to AWS
A auto-align torso and feet
Enter targets Mechs
or bases in view
S sound on/off
D damage readings for your Mech
I
H changes color of Hud
I
|
J activate jump jets (not all Mechs have these)
\
Spacebar fire; also,
exit Command Screen
> twists torso to the right
and Damage Screens
< twists torso to the left
C Command
Screen
M moves targeting cursor up
SENSORS
GYROS
ENGINES
LIFE SUPPORT
INDICATORS
Z zoom level, changes
main view (and Command Screen detail)
Joystick Controls
forward, left
N moves targeting cursor down
ALT J centers joystick (see appendix)
8 move forward
I
9 forward, right
forward, right
7 forward, left
move left
move right
4 move left
reverse, left
reverse, right
1 reverse, left
- previous weapon
+ next weapon
3 reverse, right
6 move right
The Cockpit
The top area of the screen shows the battlefield as displayed through the external video sensors of your Mech.
The image display can be sped up by selecting a lower
Detail Level through the Options menu (see above); this
removes the mountains and ridges from the screen,
resulting in a faster screen display.
The Direction Indicator or compass is shown in the display area, marked off in 5-degree increments for a full 360
degrees. The top arrow indicates the direction of your
Mech's torso, while the bottom arrow shows the direction
of your Mech.The Enter key on the combat keyboard
controls your targeting rectangle. Each time you press
Enter, a new target is acquired and displayed, showing
current damage levels as detected by your sensor array.
There are two targeting rectangles around a friendly
Mech, one targeting rectangle around an enemy Mech.
This is important enough to repeat: One rectangle, their
Mechs—two rectangles, our Mechs. In a military organization, forgetting this kind of information is a court-martial
offense.
The display may be magnified by a factor of 1X, 2X, or 3X
by pressing the Z key. When your view is magnified the
targeting cursor will be disabled.
The crosshairs may be moved by pressing M or N, to move
the cursor up and down, or > and < to twist the Mechs
torso left and right. Also, the left and right arrow keys may
be used to pivot or steer your Mech in those directions. If
you need to get straightened out in a hurry, the A key will
auto-align the feet and torso of your Mech.
Weapon Status Board
Your weapon status board is shown next to the map
display. On some Mechs the weapon status board is on
the left, while other models place it on the right. Your
weapons are listed here. The lights next to each weapon
show whether the weapon is attached to the AWS (see
below), and the one for the currently selected weapon Is
lit. Pressing the trigger (spacebar or fire button) will fire
this weapon.
Ammo (if the weapon requires it) is listed with its current
status next to the weapon name. The final letter Indicates
the range of the weapon—Short, Medium, or Long. When
the target is out of range, these letters are black. When
the target is at long range for the weapon, the letters
change to red; at medium range, yellow; and at short
range, blue.
Weapons that are reloading or recharging have their
names shown in red, and cannot be fired during this time.
A weapon shown in black is unusable, due either to
damage or lack of ammo. To select a weapon, you may
either press the corresponding number key (1 for the first
weapon, 2 for the second weapon, and so forth), or press
the - and + keys on the number keypad to cycle back and
forth through the listed weapons.
Pressing W will toggle the Automatic Weapons System on
and off. AWS does two things: it automatically chooses the
next available weapon after the current weapon has been
fired, and it provides a second trigger.
When the system is on, the letters AWS appear in the
display over the weapons list, and all weapons attached
to the AWS are surrounded by a highlight box. These are
the weapons the AWS will look at when choosing the next
weapon to fire.
To remove specific weapons from AWS control, use the +
and - keys to advance to the weapon to remove and press
O. The highlight around the weapon will disappear and
the AWS will skip over the weapon. To attach a weapon to
the AWS, use the same process. The letter O works as a
toggle for on and off.
The Tab key works as a second trigger for the AWS weapons. Pressing Tab will cause all of the available weapons
under AWS control to fire at once.
To override the AWS and select a specific weapon, press
that weapon's corresponding number key. You may also
use the + and - keys to advance, or back up to the next
weapon regardless of whether it's AWS controlled or not.
Map Display
At the center of your cockpit is your map display. Toggle
between a topographical map view and a radar view by
pressing the T key. The topo map shows the terrain with
elevations (the highest points in red), your Mech as a
black dot (always in the center), other Mechs on your team
as white, and enemy Mechs as red dots. The topo map
orientation always has North (0 degrees) at the top of the
display, regardless of your Mech's orientation. The radar
map shows you the Mechs in your front arc. Pressing the
R key zooms the radar display.
Sensors and Damage Indicators
Just above the map display are a set of indicator lights
which give you information about the status of your major
systems. From left to right they are Sensors, Gyros, Engines, and Life Support. These lights change color for
different levels of damage: green—functional, yellow—light
damage, red—heavy damage, and black—destroyed. A
warning tone is sounded when one of these systems becomes damaged.
Sensors are for targeting and detecting damage of other
Mechs. When damaged, your sight will not always be
visible and you will not always be able to target other
Mechs. Also, the topo map will not be visible when your
sensors are completely damaged.
Gyros are for balance during movement. When they're
damaged you move slower; when they're destroyed, you
stop moving.
I
Engines drive everything. If they become damaged heat
buildup is increased, and if they're destroyed you shutdown. During shutdown your only option is the Command
Screen to lead your lance or retreat (Esc).
Life Support keeps the heat level in the cockpit down,
and lets you breathe. Although you can survive with this
system damaged you'll die without it, no matter how long
you can hold your breath.
extreme importance in combat. If your heat build-up is
too great (when you've fired your weapons too fast or are
under heavy fire, or when you've overused your jumpjets—
see page 34), your fusion reactor will shut down to prevent
a catastrophic meltdown. A shutdown means you can't
move, fire, or do much of anything (except use the command and damage screens) until your heat has fallen to
workable level. Experienced pilots soon learn to pace their
weapon usage to avoid this condition. Of course, weapons
like machine guns, missiles, and autocannon contribute
little to heat build-up, while PPCs and lasers add vast
amounts of waste heat.
Your heat dissipates based on the number of working heat
sinks your Mech has. In arctic conditions your heat will
dissipate twice as fast.
Command Screen
Pressing C displays the Command Screen, where you'll see
a strategic overview of the entire area of engagement,
showing terrain features and the disposition of known
forces. From here you can command the other crew
members of your lance (provided you have some).
Your Mech is shown as a black or white square, depending
on the type and color of the terrain; your crew members'
Mechs appear as small icons (matching the icons shown
for each crew member to the right of their names on the
crew screens). Enemy Mechs are red; bases are blue.
When a hostile Mech disappears around the side of a
mountain and goes out of your radar's effective range, a
blinking red square marks its last known location until it
reappears.
(Note to CGA computer console operatives: Your Mech
and your bases will usually appear as white squares,
depending on the type and color of the terrain; enemy
Mechs will appear as black or contrasting squares.)
Heat Indicator
Mountains are multi-colored; ridges are one or two colors.
It's important that you distinguish between the two, since
Mechs can walk over ridges, but must go around—or jump
over—mountains.
Next to the map display is your heat indicator, which is of
From the individual Crew Screens, you can review the
members of your lance and issue them new Instructions. ?
The first three items (displayed in blue) provide general
information: crew member, Mech, and current status
(what he's doing.) The next two lines, displayed in white,
show the last order given to the crew member and his current target. The last two lines, shown in green, are weapon
and systems status for the crew member's Mech.
Use the arrow keys to move among the choices (right and
left for different crew members, up and down for options),
and press the Enter key to activate a choice. The options
available are described below.
Orders
Orders are activated by selecting the current order (such
as Act on Own) and pressing Enter. A list of possible
orders is then presented. Scroll through the list with the
arrow keys until the one you want is highlighted and press
Enter. Every order except Act on Own requires you to
specify a location or target. A line appears from the crew
member's Mech to its current target or destination, which
is highlighted by a targeting box. Use the arrow keys to
change the target. If it's a location (Ambush, Defend,
Move), the keys will move the targeting box anywhere on
the battlefield. If it's a Mech or base, the arrow keys will
cause the targeting box to jump between possible targets.
When the targeting box is where you want the crew member to go, press Enter.
Remember that your crew members are human. If you give
them a command that looks like suicide, they may back
out, or they may not be able to get to a location because of
superior firepower in the way. Know the limitations of your
crew and their equipment.
Act On Own: Your crew members are automatically set to
this order when they start a mission. When acting on this
command, they'll do their best to achieve the goals of the
mission. For example, if the mission is to destroy a base,
that base will be their main target and they will only engage enemy Mechs if they get in the way. You may change
their target under this command by highlighting the current target listed and pressing Enter. Use the arrow keys
to switch targets and press Enter when done. This will
cause them to immediately charge the enemy you select.
Ambush: Under this command the crew member will go to
the specified location and wait until the enemy is near or
until his Mech is spotted. He will then attack the nearest
enemy. This works best, of course, in a situation where
the Mech cannot be seen by the enemy (such as when it's
behind a behind mountain.)
Defend: A defend command directs the crew member to go
to the indicated location and wait. The mech may move in
a small patrol circle while waiting. When an enemy approaches the location the crew member will attack.
Attack Enemy: Causes the crew member to move toward
a specific Mech or base and attack when in range.
Move (attack): Under this command the crew member
will move toward a specified location, attacking any enemy
encountered along the way.
Move (avoid): This command is good for directing crew
members to get behind enemy lines to attack a base while
other Mechs draw the enemy away, or perhaps to get
across the territory as fast as possible with as little damage as possible. With this command the crew member will
move toward the indicated location, avoiding any enemy
engagements if possible.
Damage: This gives a status report on the crew member's
Mech's damage levels, showing the internal and external
condition and the condition of important subsystems like
the engines, gyros, sensors, and life support. The words
on the list change color to show different levels of damage:
green for functional, yellow for light damage, red for heavy
damage, and black for destroyed.
Weapons: This shows the current status of all weapons
systems.
Press Q or space to return to the Main Battle Screen.
Damage Screen
Press D to display a screen showing the damage to your
Mech. Damage levels are shown for all areas, and the
damage is shown visually to the right. You may press C to
get to the Command Screen or Q or space to return to the
cockpit display.
Pressing E when you're in the cockpit brings up a display
of the targeted Mech's damage levels (whether friend or
foe) as determined by your sensors and extrapolated by
your onboard computer systems. The controls are the
*
same as for your own Damage Screen.
In Battle
Once again, there's no substitute for experience when it
comes to learning the mere's trade. But you probably
won't live long enough to gain any experience if you don't'
learn quickly how to use your jumpjets, and pick up at
least a few basic techniques for surviving combat.
Jumpjets
Jumpjets enable you to avoid enemy firestorms and to
scale and traverse mountains. In other words, they can
mean the difference between collecting on a contract and
ending up a smoking ruin of mangled metal.
You control your Jumpjets from the cockpit. Press J to
activate jumpjets. The up and down arrow keys are your
thrust controls. Press the up arrow key and hold it down
to engage and maintain upward and forward thrust. Do
the same with the down arrow key to thrust straight up
into the air. While in the air, use the left and right arrow
keys to turn. To land, simply release the active thrust key
and use the down arrow key intermittently during your
descent to soften your landing.
Always keep an eye on the two gauges in the lower right
corner of the screen. The vertical bar indicates how much
power is available for using your jumpjets. The light
above the gauge glows red when there's insufficient power
available for activating jumpjets; when it glows green,
you're powered up to go flying. The hairline on the gauge
indicates the amount of power you need to activate the
jets.
Always take care to set your Mech down before your
available power runs out, indicated by the bar inside the
jump gauge—if you run out of thrust while you're airborne, you'll crash-land and damage your Mech.
Remember, too, that using your jumpjets contributes to
heat build-up in your Mech, which can lead to reactor
shut-down; see "Heat Indicator" on page 30.
If you land on top of a mountain, you won't be able to
walk around on top of it or to walk off it; you'll have to
wait for the jets to recharge and then jump off. The same
goes for landing on top of a base.
Combat Tips
Here are a few tips to help get you through your first few
missions—
• Aim for the head of enemy Mechs, or try shooting off
their legs. Either way, you'll have to aim carefully, but
the results can be more gratifying—and waste less
ammo—than simply hammering away at the heavily
armored torso of a hostile Mech.
• The rear armor on a Mech is weaker than that in the
front. This is true of both friendly and hostile Mechs.
So don't let enemy Mechs get behind you—and you
can bet your next contract that they'll try to—and do
get behind them (if you can) and blast away.
• Walking in one direction while turning your torso in
another direction makes it difficult for enemy Mechs to
draw a bead on you. If you charge straight on at a
hostile Mech, you're going to take a lot of firepower
straight on, too. So try the zig-zag approach, laying
down fire as you go.
• Use your AWS to put missiles and lasers on separate
triggers. If you fire a laser right behind a missile you
might destroy it in mid-flight and so waste both shots.
BattleMech Descriptions
A merc needs to know his equipment. If you want to
survive, you'll learn fast about the Mechs and their capabilities. The following technical readouts give you a good
idea of each Mech's capabilities.
LCT-1V Locust
One of the most common of all BattleMechs, the Locust
model is found almost everywhere. Originally designed as
a light recon vehicle, it's been pressed into service for
general warfare in many places. Lightly armed and very
swift, its weakness is its small size, making it vulnerable
to attacks and unable to carry heavier weapons. However,
many a larger Mech has been taken down by a well-piloted
Locust.
Mass: 20 tons
Cruising speed: 86.4 kph
Maximum Speed: 129.6 kph
Jumpjets: none
Jump Capacity: none
Armor: 1/Star Slab
Armament:
One medium Martell laser
Two Sperry/Browning machine guns
Manufacturer: Bergan Industries
Code Check
Authorization Code
Whiskey Delta Tango Night Stalker
Xray Zulu Charlie
Future Guard
Foxtrot Echo Delta Red Dawn
JR7-D Jenner
This Mech is a fast, agile workhorse with enough firepower
to mix with the heavier Mechs. Its jump capability makes
it extremely mobile and especially dangerous in fast hitand-run actions. Without hands, Jenners rely on their
SRMs for short-range punch.
Mass: 35 tons
Cruising speed: 75.6 kph
Maximum Speed: 118.8 kph
Jumpjets: 3 Smithson Lifters
Jump Capacity: 150 meters
Armor: Starshield
Armament:
Four Argra 3L medium lasers
One Thunderstroke SRM-4
Manufacturer: Diplan Mechyards
Code Check
Foxtrot Oscar Xray
Sierra Echo Xray
Juliet Alpha Sierra
Authorization Code
Duck Soup
Dragon Tail
Yellow Bird
PXH-1 Phoenix Hawk
The Phoenix Hawk is a common, versatile Mech that has
become a staple of Star League recon forces. Its armor is
heavy enough to withstand sustained combat, while its
array of lasers makes it a formidable opponent.
Mass: 45 tons
Cruising speed: 64.8 kph
Maximum Speed: 97.2 kph
Jumpjets: 2 Pitban 9000's
Jump Capacity: 180 meters
Armor: Durallex Light
Armament:
One Harmon heavy laser
Two Harmon medium lasers
Two Ml00 machine guns
Manufacturer: Orguss Industries
Code Check
Authorization Code
Tin Man
Papa Foxtrot
Black Witch
Echo Golf Alpha
Victor Victor
Red Arrow
SHD-2H Shadow Hawk
This medium-size Mech has diverse armament to make it
useful in a wide variety of battle situations. The Shadow
Hawk can handle both long- and short-range engagements
with equal facility. While its jump capacity is limited, it's
unusual to have any jump capability at all in a Mech this
large.
Mass: 55 tons
Cruising speed: 54.0 kph
Maximum Speed: 86.4 kph
Jumpjets: 3 Pitban LFT-50's
Jump Capacity: 90 meters
Armor: Maximillian 43
Armament:
One Armstrong J11 autocannon (20)
One Holly Long Range missile pack (5)
One Holly Short Range missile pack (2)
One Martel Model 5 medium laser
Manufacturer: Lang Industries Inc.
Code Check
Authorization Code
Slasher
Lima Golf
Romeo Alpha Zulu Glory Boy
Foxtrot Alpha Delta Bad Dream
RFL-3N Rifleman
This Mech was designed as a medium fire-support vehicle
with heavy armor and powerful long-range strike capability. Its comparatively low mass makes it less effective in
close combat against large Mechs, and the pilot is well
advised to avoid head-on confrontation with heavy Mechs
like the Warhammer.
Mass: 60 tons
Cruising speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jumpjets: none
Jump Capacity: none
Armor: Kallon Royalstar
Armament:
Two Magna MKIII heavy lasers
Two Magna MKII medium lasers
Two Imperator-A autocannon
Manufacturer: Kallon Industries
Code Check
Authorization Code
Charlie Charlie
Black Jack
Hotel Oscar Tango Red Lance
Foxtrot Alpha Romeo Sakhara
WHM-6R Warhammer
This Mech is one of the most dangerous and powerful
Mechs ever placed in the field. Its twin Donal PPCs give it
superb firepower against heavy weaponry, and its lasers
and machine guns make it a threat against infantry and
light support vehicles.
Mass: 70 tons
Cruising speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jumpjets: none
Jump Capacity: none
Armor: Leviathon Plus
Armament:
Two Donal PPCs
Two Martell medium lasers
Two Martell small lasers
One Holly short range missile pack (6)
Two Sperry/Browning machine guns
Manufacturer: StarCorp Industries
Code Check
Authorization Code
Tango India November
Grave Walker
Papa Bravo
Mad Dog
Whiskey Alpha Romeo
Silver Hawk
MAD-3R Marauder
This heavy attack Mech is one of the most effective fighting machines in existence. The Valiant Lamellor armor
provides excellent protection; unfortunately, the secret of
its manufacture has been lost, and replacement armor is
not as effective. The Marauder is equally effective close in
and at long range.
Mass: 75 tons
Cruising speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jumpjets: none
Jump Capacity: none
Armor: Valiant Lamellor
Armament:
Two Magna Hellstar PPCs
Two Margna Mk II medium lasers
One GM Whirlwind autocannon
Manufacturer: General Motors
Authorization Code
Code Check
Renegade
Bravo Alpha Delta
Small Room
Mike Alpha Sierra
Zulu Alpha Romeo Black Baron
BLR-1G BattleMaster
This Mech is one of the largest and arguably the most
powerful ever fielded. Its firepower is staggering, particularly at close range. While the BattleMaster is slow, it's
virtually unstoppable by lightweight Mechs, and it poses a
difficult problem even for heavy Mechs.
Mass: 85 tons
Cruising speed: 43.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 64.8 kph
Jumpjets: none
Jump Capacity: none
Armor: Star Guard IV
Armament:
One Donal PPC
Six Martell medium lasers
One Holly short range missile pack (6)
Two Sperry/Browning machine guns
Manufacturer: Hollis Industries
Authorization Code
Code Check
Charlie Alpha Tango Snow Fire
Hotel Oscar Tango Screaming Eagle
Bravo Alpha Bravo Grim Jim
Glossary
AFFS: The Armed Forces of the Federated Suns.
Autocannon: Cannon with a high cyclical rate of fire of
explosive projectiles.
Autopistol: Rapid-firing projectile weapon.
BattleMech: A large military vehicle using two "legs" for
its main mode of ground movement, often in more or less
humanoid appearance. BattleMechs have been in use for
hundreds of years, and are the main instrument of ground
forces throughout the Star League. Armament, size, and
other capabilities can vary considerably.
Black Widows: Famous mercenary company of Wolfs
Dragoons, led by Natasha Kerensky (also known as the
Black Widow).
Chalice of Herne: Symbol of rulership on Ander's moon.
Said to be the actual chalice used by Herne the Hunter, an
ancient forest god of old Terra. The chalice is used in the
ceremony in anointing a new Duke on Ander's Moon.
Comstar: The interstellar communications network,
founded by Jerome Blake in the late 2700s.
Davion: Ruling House of the Federated Suns.
DCMS: Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery.
Dropship: A spaceship used for ground-to-orbit travel.
Eridani Light Horse: A mercenary group dedicated to
preserving the ways, traditions, and honor of the Star
League Armed Forces. They work only with those they
admire and who also keep alive the old ways. They are
currently in service to House Davion.
Gyroslugs: Self -propelled projectiles fired by gyrojet
weapons. The gyrojet or "cone" rifle is a recoilless projectile weapon more closely related to a rocket launcher. It
fires projectiles that do not drop off in velocity over distance and deliver explosive shells at their destination.
Hanse Davion: Ruler of the Federated Suns.
Hansen's Roughriders: A mercenary unit serving House
Steiner for the last seven years.
Heat Sinks: Cooling devices that pass heat built up inside
operating Mechs through the armor to the outside air,
where it is usually cooler. Heat sinks may be located
anywhere on the Mech, but usually occupy the torso or
legs.
Holovid: Holographic video, or three-dimensional television.
House: Refers to one of the five noble houses whose
members control the Successor States.
HUD: Heads-up display.
ISF: House Kurita's Internal Security Force.
Jumpship: A spaceship capable of interstellar travel.
Kurita: Ruling House of the Draconis Combine.
Lance: A group of fighting Mechs and their pilots.
Laser pistol: Small laser weapon with high power output
weighing about 1000 grams.
LAW: Light Anti-vehicle Weapon. A development of the
Portable Rocket Launcher and similar support weapons,
LAWs and V(Very)-LAWs can fire only once, after which
they are discarded.
LCAF: Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces.
Liao: Ruling House of the Capellan Confederation.
Lostech: The lost technology of the Star League.
LRM: Long-Range Missiles.
Marik: Ruling House of the Free Worlds League.
Mech: See BattleMech.
Mech complex: An industrial area where Mechs are
repaired and serviced.
Merc: Short for Mercenary.
Mercenary: A free-lancer who hires out his military
services to various organizations.
MIIO: The Ministry of Intelligence, Investigations and
Operations is the name given to various departments and
secret agencies that the Davion government has created
over the centuries to gather information and to act
covertly against their enemies.
MI6: The name given to teams of elite saboteurs and
terrorists who conduct missions into enemy realms. These
"hit teams" carry out missions ranging from abductions
and assassinations to demolitions and random murders to
terrorize civilian populations. Any use of the hit teams
requires Prince Davion's approval. Because the Federated
Suns' peace-loving propaganda is so successful, few
outside the MI6 or MIIO realize to what extent Davion
condones terrorist activities.
Natasha Kerensky: Leader of the Black Widows.
Needlegun: One of the most vicious weapons ever developed. Instead of firing a single bullet or burst of energy, it
fires a spray of plastic flechettes. Needlegun ammunition
consists of a small block of plastic that the gun shreds
and fires out at high velocity.
Periphery: Hundreds of worlds on the edge of the star
systems of the Inner Sphere; many have fallen into barbarism.
PPC: Particle Projection Cannon. A particularly powerful
long-range weapon mounted on some Mechs.
Quintus Allard: Head of Davion counter-intelligence.
Smithson's Chinese Bandits: Famous mercenary unit
currently working for House Marik.
Solaris VII: The gaming world, where Mechs compete for
sport and profit.
SRM: Short-Range Missiles.
Star League: The ruling interstellar government from
2571 to 2751.
Steiner: Ruling House of the Lyran Commonwealth.
Stun Lance: A full-size martial arts lance that delivers a
powerful neural impulse on impact, designed to render the
target unconscious.
Subhash Indrahar: Director of the ISF (Kurita internal
security force).
Successor States: The five main governments formed
after the collapse of the Star League: the Federated Suns,
the Lyran Commonwealth, the Capellan Confederation,
the Draconis Combine, and the Free Worlds League.
Takeshi Kurita: Ruler of the Draconis Combine.
Team Banzai: Mercenaries and expert techs under longterm contract to House Davion.
Theodore Kurita: Prince of Luthien and heir-designate of
House Kurita.
Vibroblade: A bulky version of a standard sword or other
blade. When activated, it vibrates at an extremely high
frequency, making it a very effective cutting tool.
VTOL: Vertical take-off and landing aircraft.
Wolf's Dragoons: The most widely renowned mercenary
regiment in the Successor States.
Appendix
mode by typing one of these options after mw:
Making Back-Up Copies
2=TGA
(Tandy 1000 series, 16 color)
To make backup copies of your MECHWARRIOR disks—
3=CGA
(Composite Graphics Adaptor, 4-color)
On a single floppy system:
Note: CGA will only work in certain areas of the program.
The program must be run with an EGA compatible card.
1. Boot your system and load DOS.
1=EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adaptor, 16-color)
2. At the A> prompt, type Diskcopy A: A: and press
Enter.
For example, typing
3. Follow the screen prompts—the source disk is your
original MECHWARRIOR disk and the target disk is a
blank disk.
and pressing Enter will load the game with 16-color EGA
graphics.
Repeat this procedure for each original MECHWARRIOR disk.
On a double floppy System:
mw (Space) 1
Sound and music options: To force MECHWARRIOR to
recognize a particular sound board, type the following
after mw:
1. Boot your system and load DOS.
A=Adlib Board
2. At the A> prompt, type Diskcopy A: B: and press
Enter.
T=Tandy MT-32
3. Follow the screen prompts—the source disk is your
original MECHWARRIOR disk and the target disk is a
blank disk.
S=PC Speaker
Repeat this procedure for each original MECHWARRIOR disk.
Options at Start-Up
Depending on your system configuration, you may encounter problems loading MECHWARRIOR or, after loading
the game, with its performance or appearance. Or you
may want to set up the game to perform in a certain way
on your system. Follow this procedure every time you load
MECHWARRIOR.
Graphic Mode Options: To select a different graphics
mode, enter one of the options below after typing mw.
The game automatically selects the best graphics mode for
you. If you like, however, you can manually select the
R=Roland
Any of the above options can be combined when starting
up MechWarrior. For example, typing
mw (space) 3 (Space) A
and pressing Enter will load the game in CGA's 4-color
mode and force the program to look for an Adlib board.
Centering the Joystick
If you find that your Mech is moving when the joystick is
centered, simply push the joystick in the direction the
Mech tends to move and press Alt and J simultaneously
to correct the problem. For example, if the Mech is drifting to the left, push the joystick to the left and press Alt J.