by Orlando C. Fernando
Created: July 19, 1998
This guide shows descriptions and suggestions for the Free For All (FFA) and Team missions for the MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries Mercnet game. Mercnet is the multiplayer network software companion to Mercenaries to allow network play either over modem, IPX, or PC-to-PC connection (null modem). This does not include custom missions that various players have made from time to time, only the standard missions that came with the Mercnet install. This should benefit both those who want to host specific games and players that join games so that they know what they're getting their mechs into. :)
This guide assumes you are already familiar with Mercenaries and Mercnet (how to access the menus, how to host a game, and of course how to play the game). This FAQ is based on playing the game with the 1.1 patch in Windows 95 with a Diamond Voodoo1 3dfx card.
|
FFA MISSION |
CLAN OR IS MECHS |
TERRAIN |
WEATHER |
COMMENTS |
|
Hallowed Ground |
Both |
Arena |
N/A |
|
|
Valor |
Clan |
Urban area, green plains, unbounded |
Clear |
|
|
Sandbox |
Both |
Rolling Hills |
|
|
|
Death-Dance |
Both |
Green plains w/ cratered Vaccuum |
Clear |
|
|
Plasma Crown |
Both |
Mesa (high small plateau) |
Cloudy fog |
Game over for all if leave mesa. |
|
Lost Hills |
Both |
Hills |
|
|
|
Berzerker |
Both |
Indoor Arena (red flashing strobe effects) |
|
Max of 4 people. |
|
Lowball |
Both |
4-Pyramid Arena |
Clear |
Max of 4 people. |
|
The Iron Skull |
Both |
Bounded valley w/ large skull arena |
Night |
Max of 4 people. |
|
Rat Trap |
Both |
Canyon Maze |
Cloudy fog |
|
|
Curious Gorge |
Clan |
Desert grounds; high plateaus connected with bridges |
Cloudy fog |
|
|
Urban Riot |
Both |
Urban area like Valor |
Overcast |
|
|
TEAM MISSION |
CLAN OR IS MECHS |
BASE SCENARIOS |
TERRAIN |
COMMENTS |
|
Commander's Honor |
Clan vs. Clan |
2 Bases |
Valley |
Valley slopes are accessible |
|
Eye for an Eye |
IS vs. IS |
2 Bases |
Canyons |
|
|
Scarlet-Flame |
IS (left team) vs. Clan (right team) |
1 Base (right team defends) |
Canyons |
|
|
Iron Seige |
IS vs. IS |
2 Bases (on each plateau) |
Desert Scrub w/ 2 high plateaus |
Jump jets highly recommended. |
In free for all missions, every player is for him/herself. Any player is welcome to annihilate the others. Depending on clan etiquette, some players request that they pair off to attack each other, so that each player is only attacking one other. If there is an uneven number of players, the odd person out would wait until one in a fighting pair is killed, then would attack the survivor.
A tricky predicament common in FFA battles is where you regenerate (known as re-spawn in the Quake 2 world) after you are killed. After you die, either by a kill, overheating, manual ejection, or self-destruct, you always reappear in the same place as where you started the game. Some players will take advantage of this by attacking a regenerating mech (generally considered dishonorable). If you experience this regeneration annoyance either (1) alpha strike the attacker to death (P key), risking an overheat but badly damaging the attacker since at close proximity or (2) run or jump jet over as far away from the regeneration spot as possible. This will draw the attacker away from that spot and give you breathing space again after you get killed (and you will soon).
If you are in a game in which regeneration is off and you die, you are welcome to watch the battle from any player's point of view. The spacebar and CTRL+arrow keys are used to change your views. You cannot talk nor see chats while you are watching a battle unless you quit (CTRL+Q) to the Mission Results screen. From there, you can talk back and forth to anyone still in the game AND the Mission Results screen. You cannot talk with other battle watchers though until they also come to the Mission Results screen.
Hoster's Tips- It's strongly recommended as a host that you limit the maximum number of players to 5 or 6. 7 or 8-player battles have been notorious for taking a long time to wait for remote players when launching and disconnecting at least one person during the game. In some cases, disconnects are immediate!
In team missions, players divide into 2 teams of a maximum of 4 each. Teams may be uneven. Each team's purpose is generally to defend their bases while destroying the opponent's. Destroying the base (it is a small satellite dish familiar from the single player games) is relatively easy to do and succeeds the mission. Many players and/or hosters may elect to just try to destroy the other team. They may ask "mechs or mission?" or "base or kills?" as etiquette. This team game variation is prevalent on mercnet. This variation is ESPECIALLY preferred if regeneration is set to off. No regeneration can substantially affect team strategies and outcomes.
Any player is welcome to annihilate others on the opposing team, but a preplanned strategy and teammate communication is very important here. A player will commonly tell the other teammates the enemy they are going to attack. If teams are uneven, one strategy may be for the extra teammates to just stay back and defend their base. If one enemy is especially powerful, several teammates may "gang up" on the superior one.
If an enemy attacks your unguarded base and you are far away, highly consider manual ejecting (CTRL+Alt+E). That way, you will regenerate right next to your home base so you can defend. If you are so far away that you are near/next to the enemy base, consider self-destructing instead (CTRL+ALT+X). There is a little longer delay than ejecting, but hopefully the splash damage will take out part or all of their base as well!
Another popular strategy for attacking the base is to put the base between yourself and the enemy defender. You now have the luxurious choice of attacking the enemy circling around the base while additionally attacking the base. Furthermore, the enemy must watch out not to fire at his/her own base. Even more fortunately, if you do get killed, splash damage may kill their home base as well!
If you are the defending enemy in the scenario above, highly consider using flamers. I believe flamers do not inflict damage on bases so you can safely use it just against the attacker.
Bear in mind, however, that if one team has only one player, a kill on the loner ends the mission, with success to the conquering team. This includes if the loner lost his/her teammates due to them quitting or disconnecting from the game ("Player ABC has exited the game"). The best strategy if you are the loner and are not skilled or brave enough to take on the enemy force, is to go quickly for their base.
Hoster's Tips- It's strongly recommended as a host that you limit the maximum number of players to 4 (if not, absolutely 6). 6 to 8-player battles have been notorious for taking a long time to wait for remote players when launching and disconnecting at least one person during the game. In some cases, disconnects are immediate!
One of the simplest levels to navigate around with no hiding spots or obstacles except for a deep crater in the center of the field. The crater is shallow enough to easily jump jet out of but deep enough to hide a medium-sized mech.
Everyone starts all around the mesa in close range and clear view of each other. The scene resembles Curious Gorge without the other cliffs and bridges. The quickest kills come from this mission as there's nowhere to fly off and nowhere to hide. Anyone who either falls off or flies off the mesa ends the mission. It's both fun and a nightmare!
Hoster's Tips- Bringing up the gravity will make it more difficult to jump jet off the mesa and encourage more ground battles. Turning the radar off may have a minor effect on gameplay strategy, but not much since everyone is in clear view.
Those who play the single player game will easily recognize this level from the triple-match Championship contract. You are in a small indoor arena which each mech starting at the 4 doorways on the perimeter of the arena. The flashy strobe and ray effects really show off your 3dfx card's capabilities. It may hurt your eyes after overexposure though. The four central columns can be used to duck and dash around to avoid fire. Many quick deaths could occur here (like in Plasma Crown).
Those who play the single player game will easily recognize this level from the triple-match Championship contract. Not a highly popular mission for hosters. Each mech begins at the valley of one of the four pyramid box areas. Battling here is tricky and fun. You can duck into one of the valleys to avoid enemy fire from the main grounds. Fighting mechs up and down the slopes of the pyramid is challenging. Don't stand atop one of the pyramids as you are too visible a target.
Those who play the single player game will easily recognize this level from the triple-match Championship contract. This exciting mission takes place at night, where thermal optics are a must! 3dfx cards show off the lighted grounds and walls when a mech fires a weapon. Each mech starts all around the outer perimeter of the Iron Skull arena, a high indoor arena with "teeth" entrances and "eyes" and "nose" alcoves to stand in. You can also stand at the top of the skull, but requires all your jump jet energy.
Hoster's Tips- Turning off radar makes for a mysterious night battle! Bringing down the gravity to .75 or .5 makes it easier for mechs to jump jet to the alcove or the top of the skull.
Hoster's Tips- Bringing down the gravity to .75 or .5 makes it easier for mechs to jump jet to the building tops. Do not put it too low or it will become very easy to jump jet quickly into the fields away from the city and get lost!
At opposite ends of a long valley are the two bases where the teams start, which are enclosed in small forts. Bases are not in direct view of each other, so you'll need to cross the valley to find the opposite one. The hills on either side of the valley, though high and very slopy, are walkable at the top (jump jet to the very top of them without going over). There is an "other side" to the hill. The various fort structures could be destroyed, but it's the bases that are important to win.
This is the only team battle with one base. Depending on which team you are on, you either attack the base or defend it (right side squad defends). Check your objectives with F12 during battle if you're not sure. Attackers may need to use their NAV points to find the enemy base, as it's quite a distance.
The bases are located on two high plateaus, so you will need very good jump jet power to approach the enemy base. You can walk along the bottom slopes of both plateaus as well as on the wide desert grounds.
Hoster's Tips- Bringing down the gravity to .75 or .5 makes it easier for mechs to jump jet to the enemy bases.
Copyright 1998 by Orlando C. Fernando. This page is for personal use only. It may be openly distributed for non-profit in wholeor part, but authorship must be credited.