Readme File for Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak and Vengeance Patch 3 and Black Knight Patch 1
© 2000-2002 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
This document contains information pertaining to Microsoft MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak and the MechWarrior 4: Vengeance Patch 3 and MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Patch 1.
NOTE: If MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak came installed on your computer as an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) version, contact the manufacturer of the computer or other hardware it was bundled with for product support. Refer to the documentation that came with your computer or hardware for the product support telephone number.
CONTENTS
Section 1: MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak
A. System Requirements
B. Installation and Removal
Installation
Removal
C. New Game Features
BattleMechs
Weapons
Electronic Components
Multiplayer Maps
D. Technical Support Options
E. Credits
Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
FASA Studio, Microsoft Corporation
Section 2: Vengeance Patch 3 and Black Knight Patch 1
A. Installation
B. Changes and Improvements
C. Troubleshooting Messages for Errors During Patch Installation
Section 1: MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak
This ’Mech Pak is an add-on that gives you new ’Mechs, weapons, electronic components, and multiplayer maps for use with MechWarrior 4: Vengeance and MechWarrior 4: Black Knight. You can find more information about MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak on the MechWarrior 4 Web site, http://Microsoft.com/games.
A. System Requirements
System requirements for this ’Mech Pak are the same as MechWarrior 4: Vengeance with the following exception:
• 60 MB of available hard disk space required.
B. Installation and Removal
Installation
If your computer does not automatically install MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak after you insert the compact disc into the CD-ROM or DVD drive, perform the following procedure.
NOTE: MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak is an add-on pack based on MechWarrior 4: Vengeance. Installation of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance on your computer is required before the Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak will run.
IMPORTANT: If you install MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak and then install MechWarrior 4: Black Knight, the content from MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak will not be available in MechWarrior 4: Black Knight. To remedy this situation, uninstall Inner Sphere 'Mech Pak, and then reinstall it.
To install MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak manually
1. On the Microsoft 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 or DVD drive letter is D, type “d:\setup”.
3. Click Install, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
Removal
There are two means for uninstalling MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak: from the Autorun menu and from your desktop.
IMPORTANT: If you uninstall MechWarrior 4: Vengeance or MechWarrior 4: Black Knight before you uninstall MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak, removal of the ’Mech Pak must be performed from the Autorun menu.
To uninstall MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak from the Autorun menu
1. Insert the ’Mech Pak disk into the CD-ROM or DVD drive.
2. Click the Add/Remove button on the Autorun menu.
3. Click Uninstall, and if you want to remove your saved games, click Remove saved games?, and then click OK.
To uninstall MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak from your desktop
• From the Start menu, select Programs/Microsoft Games/Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak, and then click Uninstall Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak.
As noted, this technique does not work to uninstall the ’Mech Pak if you have already uninstalled MechWarrior 4: Vengeance or MechWarrior 4: Black Knight.
C. New Game Features
This section describes the new game features that come with MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak.
BattleMechs
The information provided for the ’Mechs is for default configurations.
Hunchback
Easily identified by its oversized shoulder-mount Autocannon (AC), the Hunchback is a tough brawler armed for short-range combat.
Chassis class: Medium
Gross weight: 50 tons
Armor (weight): Ferro-Fibrous (9.5 tons)
Internal structure: Endo Steel
Top speed: 98 KPH
Electronic components: ECM; Light Amplification
Jump Jets: No
Weapons loadout: LBX AC20; two Medium Lasers; SRM6
Dragon
A speedy all-around frontline striker and a favored ’Mech of House Kurita commanders.
Chassis class: Heavy
Gross weight: 60 tons
Armor (weight): Ferro-Fibrous (8.5 tons)
Internal structure: Standard
Top speed: 85 KPH
Electronic components: None
Jump Jets: No
Weapons loadout: Heavy Gauss Rifle; AC5; LRM10; Medium Laser
Zeus
A classic Inner Sphere design, the Zeus is an extremely reliable long-range assault ’Mech.
Chassis class: Assault
Gross weight: 80 tons
Armor (weight): Ferro-Fibrous (15 tons)
Internal structure: Standard
Top speed: 70 KPH
Electronic components: Beagle Active Probe (BAP)
Jump Jets: No
Weapons loadout: Two LRM15; Large Laser; Heavy Gauss Rifle
Highlander
A massive, jump-capable assault ’Mech and signature ’Mech of the Northwind Highlanders mercenary unit.
Chassis class: Assault
Gross weight: 90 tons
Armor (weight): Ferro-Fibrous (16 tons)
Internal structure: Standard
Top speed: 67 KPH
Electronic components: AMS
Jump Jets: Yes
Weapons loadout: Heavy Gauss Rifle; Gauss Rifle; two Large Lasers
Weapons
Heavy Gauss Rifle
The Heavy Gauss Rifle hits harder than the standard Gauss Rifle, but at the expense of tonnage and range.
Class: Ballistic
Slots required: 4
Heat: 2
Damage: 25
Range: 600
Weight: 18 tons
Recycle time: 8
Electronic Components
The following new component is available for loading onto select ’Mech chassis in the MechLab.
IFF Jammer: A defensive unit added to a ’Mech’s sensor system that creates confusion in enemy systems for the identification of friend or foe (IFF). The IFF Jammer causes enemy heads-up displays (HUD) to display the ’Mech as a neutral entity.
Multiplayer Maps
MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak includes two new multiplayer maps, as follows.
Coliseum: ’Mechs duke it out in the Solaris system’s most infamous stadium as throngs of bloodthirsty fans cheer them on.
Gagetown: Set in the forested surroundings of the walled city Gagetown, ’Mechs do battle among the trees. This map is based on an original design by Chris "Wolverine" Beckingham.
D. Technical Support Options
For all of our support offerings, visit http://microsoft.com/support/. In Canada, visit http://microsoft.ca/support/. To get started, try the following:
• For articles targeted at specific issues, visit the Microsoft Knowledge Base at http://microsoft.com/support/.
• To work with a Microsoft Support Professional over the Internet, submit your issue at http://support.microsoft.com/directory/onlinesr.asp.
• For your product’s general support policy, visit http://support.microsoft.com/directory/productsupportoption.asp.
Phone Support: For toll-free support in the U.S., call (425) 637-9308. In Canada, call (905) 568-3503 (toll charges may apply). These numbers are for technical issues only -- do not use them to request game hints, codes, or cheats.
TTY Users: Microsoft text telephone (TTY/TDD) services are available at (425) 635-4948 in Washington State, (800) 892-5234 in the U.S., and (905) 568-9641 in Canada.
Worldwide: Support outside the U.S. and Canada may vary. For regional contact details, visit http://microsoft.com/support/.
Conditions: Microsoft’s support services are subject to then-current prices, terms, and conditions, which are subject to change without notice.
E. Credits
Cyberlore Studios, Inc.
Project Lead and Lead Designer
David “Praetorian” Fifield
Lead Programmer
Chris “Buzzcut” Tohline
Lead Artist
Seth “Smokin’ Wreck” Spaulding
Producer
Jon “Morphius” Clark
Executive Producer
Joe “Excalibur” Minton
Programmers
Adam Saunders
Aaron “Polgoli” Horne
Additional Programmer
John “Vice Monger” Scully
Artists
Bryant Johnson
David “Darktoad” Silverman
David White
Michael “Loki” Richard
Sean Wang
Designers
Corey “Freeze” Navage
Ferret “Ferret” Baudoin
Sound Engineer
Jack “SaucyJack” Cameron
Content Manager
Charles “Walrus” Lane
Additional Content Manager
Cara “Clever Trousers” McCormick
Marketing
Jay “Dr. Lucky” Adan
Playtesting
Erik “Who’s Your Daddy” Hawley
Additional Playtesting
Eric Marcoullier
Michael “Michelangelo” Pohoreski
MIS Support
Jonathan Wonson
Cyberlore Management Team
Human Resources and Office Manager
Clarinda Merripen
Art Department Director
Seth Spaulding
Programming Department Director
Matt Kimmel
Design Department Director
Tom Henderson
Vice President
Ken Grey
CEO
Joe Minton
Chairman
Lester Humphreys
FASA Studio, Microsoft Corporation
Studio Manager
Dave Luehmann
Senior Producer
tj wagner
Program Manager
Andrew Brown
Art Director
Heinz Schuller
Development Manager
John “Undead” Yovin
Development
Jacky Chan
Jerry “Splotch” Edsall
Design
David Abzug
Derek Carroll
Peter Mayberry
Sage Merril
Test Manager
James Mayo
Test Team
Tim Duzmal (Test Lead)
Bruce “Wiley” Carr (Volt)
Howie "ernie2" Catlin (Volt)
Richard “#Slicer” Croly
Jeff "DryHeaves" Kafer
Adam "azero" Maloy (Volt)
Prodipto "Death Sheep" Roy
Pete "Walking_Target" Stephens (Volt)
User Experience
Melanie Henry (Modis)
Robert Sillence (Volt)
User Testing
Bill Fulton
Eric Schuh
Product Support
Steve Kastner
Product Planner
Michael Ahn
Marketing
Darren Trencher
Lisa Krost
Michelle Jacob
Legal
Hubert Cheng
Jeff Koontz
Localization
Marco D’Amico
Greg Ward
Ji Young Kim
Robert Lin
Associate Program Manager
Michael Turner (ArtSource)
A special thanks to all of FASA Studio for creating the incredible original MechWarrior 4: Vengeance game and providing assistance with the Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak.
Section 2: Vengeance Patch 3 and Black Knight Patch 1
This section contains information about the most recent changes and improvements provided by the MechWarrior 4: Vengeance Patch 3 and MechWarrior 4: Black Knight Patch 1.
A. Installation
The appropriate patch is automatically installed onto your computer when you load MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak or MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak. Which patch your computer receives depends on whether you have MechWarrior 4: Vengeance installed alone or also have MechWarrior 4: Black Knight installed.
NOTE: The patches are region-specific. For example, the English version does not work with the French version of the game. You must install the patch for your region, or otherwise an error occurs.
B. Changes and Improvements
The patches add auto-updating functionality. When connecting to the Internet through MechWarrior 4, you are now automatically notified of any new version releases or other updates that are available for download. A location for downloading the updates is given. This updating process is not mandatory; you can refuse the update and play in a multiplayer session. However, each time you connect to the Internet for multiplayer play using MechWarrior 4, you will receive the notification again.
The patches modify the server browser screen to show all versions of the MechWarrior game (not just compatible games) to give a better picture of the MechWarrior community. For example, if you have installed MechWarrior 4: Vengeance and MechWarrior 4: Inner Sphere ’Mech Pak, with the patch you can also see MechWarrior 4: Black Knight games. The different game versions can easily be distinguished as follows: White games are compatible with the game version you have installed. Green games are newer versions, and red games are older versions.
The patches fix several instances of a bug that caused certain ’Mechs using Jump Jets to be significantly more difficult to hit than other ’Mechs.
The patches fix a bug that sometimes resulted in damage not being recorded correctly in multiplayer games. This behavior still appears occasionally as the result of games with high server lag, but the patches should reduce the instances of the problem significantly.
The patches fix several bugs in which the server browser screen displays an incorrect number of players (for example, full servers report having available slots, available servers report as full, and servers report an impossible number of players, such as 20/17). However, for performance reasons the game does not constantly update the number of players on a given server. Thus, it is still possible for the displayed numbers to be temporarily incorrect or out of sync, although this problem should resolve itself over a period of 10 to 20 seconds.
The patches fix a problem in which the game stops responding on dedicated servers that run the Microsoft Win32 application programming interface (API) when you select the Leave Slots for Human and Fill Game with Bots on Launch options.
The patches fix a divide-by-zero error in the file Mc_listboxes.script that sometimes caused multiplayer games to stop responding when a player entered the game.
The patches fix a bug that caused the game to stop responding in certain unusual instances when using the advanced firing technique called chain fire.
The patches fix a bug that caused the game to stop responding in extremely rare circumstances when scrolling through items in the MechLab.
The patches fix a bug that allowed duplication of weapons in Campaign mode. This duplication could happen without your choosing duplicate weapons and caused the game to stop responding in certain circumstances, with the error message “Access Violation in MW4x (0x16ACD8).”
The patches fix several bugs related to running a server using a minimum installation of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance with MechWarrior 4: Black Knight installed. Despite these fixes, it is still recommended that you use a full installation of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance if you intend to run on a multiplayer server.
The patches fix a bug with Win32 dedicated servers running MechWarrior 4: Black Knight that caused issues with displaying MechWarrior 4: Black Knight ‘Mech names.
The patches fix a bug that prevented client inquiries verifying connection (or pings) from being displayed in the multiplayer server lobby for Win32 dedicated servers running MechWarrior 4: Black Knight.
The patches fix a bug in which navigation points in multiplayer games disappeared under certain circumstances.
The patches fix a bug where rules added for bots in the MechWarrior 4: Black Knight editor only loaded once.
The patches fix a bug in which bot rules in the MechWarrior 4: Black Knight editor did not load all parameters. Bots populated, but the tonnages and minimum and maximum AI levels entered as bot rules did not load.
The patches fix a bug in the MechWarrior 4: Black Knight editor that disallowed new rules when using new game types such as Absolute Attrition, Giantkillers, and Clan vs. Inner Sphere.
The patches fix a bug in the MechWarrior 4: Black Knight editor that caused the game to stop responding when you made a bot rule that created bots with tonnages not allowed under team rules. One example is if Team 1 only allowed 30-60 ton bots, but the bots that your rule automatically generated for Team 1 were 70¬-90 tons.
The patches fix a bug with the Black Knight Win32 dedicated server where client pings were not being displayed. Client pings now appear to the right of each player's name in the Multiplayer Game Lobby.
C. Troubleshooting Messages for Errors During Patch Installation
The following error messages may appear during installation of the patches.
0001: Illegal Input Option '<Option>'. Either the specified option is an invalid option, or you do not have the appropriate user level to use the option.
0002: Insufficient Memory. Insufficient memory is available to run the patch. The patch needs more memory free for its internal tables.
0004: Specified Update Directory '<DirName>' does not exist. A directory to update was specified that does not exist.
0005: Specified [Update|Backup] Directory '<DirName>' is not a valid directory. A directory name was specified for either the Update or the Backup directory that is not a valid directory name. An existing file with the same name as the specified directory can cause this message.
0006: Cannot Find Patch File '<FileName>'. The patching utility executable file (MW4.exe or MW4x.exe) was not able to locate the specified patch file.
0007: Error Opening Patch File. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was able to locate the patch file but could not open the file to read it. A corrupted disk can cause this error.
0008: MW4.EXE and Patch File incompatible - Need to update MW4.EXE. The current version of MW4.exe or MW4x.exe and the patch file are incompatible. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe can update patch file versions older than itself but not newer versions. You need to obtain a later version of MW4.exe or MW4x.exe to apply this patch.
0009: Invalid Patch File '<FileName>'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to read correct information from the specified patch file. The file is either not a patch file or has been corrupted. Obtain a new copy of the patch file and then rerun the patch.
0010: Failure Creating Backup Directory '<DirName>'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to create the specified backup directory.
0013: Failure Opening Backup Destination File '<FileName>'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to open a new file to copy the original file to.
0014: Failure Writing Backup File '<FileName>'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to write the original file to the backup version.
0015: Old File does not exist. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe needs information from the existing version of a file in order to create a new file and was unable to locate the old file.
0016: New File already exists. A file with the same name as the new file being created already exists. The existing file is copied to the backup directory if the Backup option for MW4.exe or MW4x.exe is on.
0017: Failure Opening Old File: 'filename'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was able to locate the old version of a required file, but the open operation on the file failed. Try rerunning the patch.
0018: Failure Opening New File: '<FileName>'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to open the named file while attempting to open it to create a file for the updated version of the game. A disk or network error can cause this error. The existence of a directory with the same name as the file that the patching utility is trying to open can also cause this error.
0019: Failure Writing to File. An error occurred while MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was trying to write information to a new file.
0020: Failure Reading from File. An error occurred while MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was trying to read information from an old file.
0021: Failure Seeking to Position in File. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to find a specified position within a file. A corrupted disk probably caused this problem. Try rerunning the patch.
0022: Failure Renaming File. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to rename a file. A corrupted disk probably caused this error. Try rerunning the patch.
0024: New File already exists. The specified file has already been patched. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe does not need to patch this file.
0025: Verify of New File Failed. Possible Internal Error. The file that MW4.exe or MW4x.exe created is not valid.
0026: Failure Creating Overflow File: 'FileName'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to open a file for its overflow information. A full disk drive probably caused this error.
0027: Overflow File Write Failure. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to read from the overflow table it created to hold data that did not fit in its internal tables. A corrupted disk or insufficient room on the disk for the file probably caused this error.
0028: Overflow File Read Failure. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to read from its overflow table. A full disk probably caused this error.
0029: Insufficient Disk Space to Apply Patch - You need at least <Size> bytes free on drive <DriveLetter> for <Feature>. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe needs at least the specified number of bytes free to perform the patch process. If the Undo or Backup option is selected, the patching utility needs room to back up all of the files making up the original game and also room to create the patched version of the game. If both Undo and Backup are not selected, the patching utility only needs room to back up the biggest of the files being patched.
0030: Error opening serialization file '<FileName>'. Either MW4.exe or MW4x.exe could not find the serialization file, or the open operation on that file failed. Try rerunning the patch.
0031: Error reading serialization file '<FileName>'. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe cannot find the correct position in the serialization file or read the correct number of bytes from the file. Possible causes are invalid positions and lengths specified while running Patchbld.
0032: Failure Setting File's Time/Date Stamp. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to set the time-date stamp for an updated or backed up file. A disk failure or network file-sharing problem probably caused this error.
0033: Failure creating temporary file. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to create a temporary file to hold a new file or overflow information. Try rerunning the patch. If rerunning the patch does not work, reduce the number of temporary files required by disabling Backup and Undo on the MW4.exe or MW4x.exe command line.
0034: Neither command line parameter specified is an existing directory. Multiple parameters were given on MW4.exe or MW4x.exe command line that were neither valid patching utility options or existing directories. If multiple parameters are specified, at least one must be a valid existing update directory.
0035: Only one file and one directory may be specified on command line. More than one patch file and one update directory were specified on MW4.exe or MW4x.exe command line.
0036: Old file not found. However, a file of the same name was found. No update done since file contents do not match. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe was unable to locate an exact match for a file to be updated, although the patching utility was able to locate a file with the same name as the original file. However, the file found did not have either the same size or checksum as the file that the patching utility is seeking to update. A checksum is a count of bits done for comparison purposes.
0037: Error opening error message file. MW4.exe or MW4x.exe could not open the file MW4.err or MW4x.err for storing error messages. Try rerunning the patch, or specify the NOERRORFILE option on the MW4.exe or MW4x.exe command line.
‘This is impossible’ error message. A server is being run on a minimal installation of MechWarrior 4: Vengeance. A server should only run on a full game installation.
‘Failure opening New File c:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\MechWarrior: Vengeance\resource\RTxxxxx’ error message (xxxxx = random numbers or letters). Insufficient free disk space exists to install the patch. The patch requires a minimum 230 MB of free disk space. After increasing memory capacity, rerun the patch.
If you experience an internal page fault (IPF) error while installing the patch on a computer running Windows 98, make sure your virtual memory is active. To do so, right-click My Computer, click Properties, click the Performance tab, and click Virtual Memory.
You might experience a 0036 error when installing the patch on a Swedish game. If you encounter this error, uninstall and reinstall MechWarrior 4: Vengeance and rerun the patch.
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