COMMAND KEYBOARD JOYSTICK Look left LEFT ARROW Hat left Look right RIGHT ARROW Hat right Look down UP ARROW Hat up Look back DOWN ARROW Hat down Toggle reticle zoom Keypad 0 Button 4 Change camera view V Pause game ESC Toggle radar zoom R + 2 Toggle radar/map view SHIFT+M Toggle active/passive radar CTRL+R Override autoshutdown SHIFT+O Shut down/start up S + B Flush coolant F + C Show objectives O Chat to all (multiplayer) U Chat to team (multiplayer) Y Toggle crouch/stand C Amplify light L Self-destruct CTRL+Z Use SHIFT functionality SHIFT button www.fasastudio.com Get the strategy guide from Sybex! 0802 Part No. X08-89989 SAFETY WARNING CONTENTS ABOUT PHOTOSENSITIVE SEIZURES INCOMING MESSAGE 2 A very small percentage of people may experience a seizure when exposed to certain visual images, including fl ashing lights or patterns that may appear in video games. Even people who have no history of seizures or epilepsy may PREBATTLE CHECKLIST 3 have an undiagnosed condition that can cause these “photosensitive epileptic INSTALLING AND LAUNCHING THE GAME 3 seizures” while watching video games. GETTING HELP 3 These seizures may have a variety of symptoms, including lightheadedness, altered vision, eye or face twitching, jerking or shaking of arms or legs, disori- OPERATIONAL SCREENS 4 entation, confusion, or momentary loss of awareness. Seizures may also cause loss of consciousness or convulsions that can lead to injury from falling down ROSTER 4 or striking nearby objects. MAIN MENU 5 Immediately stop playing and consult a doctor if you experience any of these COMMAND CENTER 6 symptoms. Parents should watch for or ask their children about the above symptoms—children and teenagers are more likely than adults to experience STAR SYSTEMS 7 these seizures. ORBITAL VIEW 8 The risk of photosensitive epileptic seizures may be reduced by taking the fol- MISSION VIEW 9 lowing precautions: FREE MARKET 10 • Play in a well-lit room. SOLARIS VII ORBITAL VIEW 11 • Do not play when you are drowsy or fatigued. SOLARIS VII MISSION VIEW 12 If you or any of your relatives have a history of seizures or epilepsy, consult a doctor before playing. Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is UNDERSTANDING THE COCKPIT 13 subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the example companies, orga- nizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted herein are fi ctitious, and no association with any real company, organization, FINDING SOME ACTION 16 product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. CAMPAIGN 16 Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means INSTANT ACTION 17 (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, with- MULTIPLAYER 17 out the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation. Microsoft may have patents, patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intel- MULTIPLAYER GAME TYPES 19 lectual property rights covering subject matter in this document. Except as expressly provided in any written license agreement from Microsoft, the furnishing of this document does not give you any license to these patents, trademarks, copyrights, or other intel- BATTLE STRATEGIES 20 lectual property. © & p 1998–2002 Microsoft Corp. All rights reserved. BattleTech material © 2002 WizKids LLC. BattleMech, BattleTech, ’Mech, and BATTLEMECH SPECIFICATIONS 23 MechWarrior are trademarks or registered trademarks of WizKids LLC and/or Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Microsoft, Direct3D, DirectX, FASA Studio, MSN, and Windows are either registered trademarks or trademarks of WORKING IN THE MECHLAB 32 Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. 1 INCOMING MESSAGE PREBATTLE CHECKLIST DATE: 17 DECEMBER 3064 INSTALLING AND LAUNCHING THE GAME TO: MERCENARY COMMAND APPLICANT NO. 7912 Insert Microsoft® MechWarrior® 4: Mercenaries video game Disc 1 into your CD-ROM drive. When the Setup screen appears, FROM: MERCENARY REVIEW AND BONDING COMMISSION (MRBC) click Install, and then follow the instructions on the screen. You’ll be SUBJ: APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP given the option to place an icon on your desktop. For subsequent play, double-click the icon to start the game. CONGRATULATIONS, your application for membership in the MRBC is If Setup does not begin automatically, or for other pertinent approved. You are hereby granted an interim license to do business information, refer to the Readme fi le on MechWarrior 4: as a MechWarrior mercenary company with the same privileges Mercenaries Disc 2. afforded a full member. You are authorized to proceed under the following condition(s): GETTING HELP 1. (A) You must fi nd a sponsor to underwrite your company and provide guidance during your initial year. ROLLOVER TEXT Help is provided for most user interface screens in the form of rollover text. As you pass the mouse pointer over any (B) As a courtesy, we provide you with the following names of screen feature, Help text is displayed in the ComStar Information mercenary regiments that have expressed interest in sponsoring Network box in the lower part of the screen. you. Please make contact at your earliest convenience. TUTORIAL To learn how to play MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries, click WOLF’S DRAGOONS Training on the Main Menu. INFO ON THE WEB To learn more about MechWarrior 4: NORTHWIND HIGHLANDERS Mercenaries or other games developed by FASA Studio™, visit KELL HOUNDS http://www.fasastudio.com. GRAY DEATH LEGION EQUIPMENT SPECIFICATIONS For further details on BattleMechs, weapons, vehicles, and terrains included in this game, see the Specs.pdf fi le in the Goodies folder on MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries POSTSCRIPT: Disc 2. Given recent events (to wit, the Federated Commonwealth Civil War), the need for experienced BattleMech® pilots will likely increase in the Lyran sector. TRANSMISSION OVER... 2 3 OPERATIONAL SCREENS ROSTER MAIN MENU On the Roster screen, you create new pilot profi les and company TRAINING Learn how to play MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries. names or edit existing ones. When creating a new profi le, you INSTANT ACTION Play individual scenarios. Victory and defeat have must choose from one of four sponsors: Wolf’s Dragoons, no effect on other scenarios. Northwind Highlanders, Kell Hounds, or Gray Death Legion. A brief description of each is provided, so you can compare the benefi ts and CAMPAIGN Become part of the MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries story. consequences of selecting one over another. Once you have aligned What happens to you on the battlefi eld affects future missions. a pilot with a sponsor, that pilot maintains the association with that MULTIPLAYER Engage others in online combat. sponsor for the duration of the game. MECHLAB Customize your ’Mech®. ROSTER Create a pilot profi le and select a mercenary sponsor for your unit. OPTIONS Edit game settings for graphics, audio, controller, and multiplayer play. 4 5 OPERATIONAL SCREENS COMMAND CENTER STAR SYSTEMS The Command Center shows your account balance and the status of Seek work as a mercenary in various planetary systems. Each your reputation. system has its own campaign—problems that could use talent like yours. One system in particular offers you the chance to earn money MRBC RATING Check your rating in the MRBC’s system, which ranks by entertaining the masses. For more on that opportunity, see mercenary units’ capabilities and professionalism. “Solaris VII Orbital View,” page 11. NEWS Read up on current events. You never know what you Before you commit to action, check the readout on the left side for an might learn. overview of each campaign. If you need to travel to a different system UNIT STATS Track your statistics, such as ’Mech kills, C-Bills than you’re in, you’ll have to pay a jump fee. The fee is automatically earned, and so on. deducted from your account when you launch the campaign. 6 7 OPERATIONAL SCREENS ORBITAL VIEW MISSION VIEW Each planetary system has its own set of troubles. The Orbital The Mission View screen provides mission briefi ngs and lets you View screen provides summaries of the missions within a given select pilots for your primary and secondary lances. A lance is a unit star system. of up to four ’Mechs. Before jumping in, read up on mission particulars. Check the MISSION BRIEFING Mission goals and objectives are displayed in ComStar Information Network box at lower left for details. To learn the ComStar Information Network box, and the Mission Map shows about current events, check the news feed at upper left. key locations such as drop points and navigation (or nav) points. PILOT SELECTION It is your task to select pilots from the duty roster and assign each a ’Mech. Most missions let you deploy a primary lance. In some, you can also deploy a secondary lance; to do so, you’ll need a pilot who is qualifi ed as a lance commander. DROP WEIGHT The combined tonnage of your lances cannot exceed the total weight of the drop. DROP FEE You pay a drop fee for each mission undertaken. 8 9 OPERATIONAL SCREENS FREE MARKET SOLARIS VII ORBITAL VIEW In the Free Market, you can hire and fi re personnel and buy and sell Solaris VII is not a mission so much as an opportunity—an ’Mech chassis and weapons. Get rid of a deadweight pilot, or make a opportunity for you to make some serious C-Bills fast. Ever thought few quick C-Bills by selling materiel.