MechWarrior (Documentation)
After you load up Mech Warrior you will see a screen with six boxes (icons), they are as follows:
The "Blazing A" Symbol located in the upper left corner
This is your personal database. It shows your wealth, status, enemies and your allies. You have three options:
CREW. Select this and it will show your crew (at first its just you) their abilities and their fee's. You can assign mechs to members of your crew by highlighting their name and using the arrow keys. The up arrow key dismisses them.
NEWS NET. Select this to get information on current events and personal messages.
DONE. Obvious, is it not?
The "Mech Complex" Symbol in the middle left
This is where you review, repair, buy, sell, and re-arm mechs, you have four options:
REVIEW MECHS. Select this to get a listing of the mechs you own. Highlight a particular mech and you can REPAIR (all), RELOAD, or SELL it.
If you highlight REPAIR ALL it will be done for you, assuming you have the cash, or if you select REPAIR highlight the particular item you want fixed.
EXTRA AMMO. Highlight this and buy more ammo, you'll need more ammo if you go on extended campaigns. Use the arrow keys to select ammo and the enter key to buy it.
BUY MECHS. Select this and use the arrow keys to select a mech. After you select one use the arrow keys to select buying it, or looking at the amount of damage it has.
The "Contract" Symbol (In the lower left, symbol of what kingdom you are in)
This is were you get your missions.
Select REQUEST MISSION.
You will have three options, ACCEPT, NEXT, or DONE.
Assuming you feel the price isn't good enough you can use the up arrow keys to "bargain." Go to either the K C bills, or either of the two percentages you get and hit enter to select them. Use the arrow keys to raise or lower them accordingly. You can bargain three times then your out.. After you have bargained the ACCEPT key will read SUBMIT, if it's accepted you'll be able to continue.
There are several different mission types:
The suppression of a rebellion, or elimination of enemy forces type missions are simple: wipe out all the enemy mechs.
When an enemy base is involved you can either destroy that, or all the enemy mechs.
The guard and defensive missions you simple defeat the mechs before they get to your base.
Extended campaigns are the most difficult. You have to fin a series of battles with very little time to re-arm and fix your mechs.
The "Space Ship" (TRAVEL) Symbol in the upper right corner
This is were you fly to other areas.
You can do this one of two ways: select PLANETS for a list of planets, then select a city in that particular planet. Then select TRAVEL. You can do this with the arrow keys as well, first hit the left arrow key to move the white square off the city you are at, then move it to a different city and hit return. Then select TRAVEL.
The "Bar" Symbol in the middle right
The bar is were you can recruit members for your crew or hear rumors.
Select ORDER DRINK and the bar tender might give you a little rumor, select RECRUIT CREW and if anyone is around they'll proposition you to be in your team. Select YES or NO accordingly.
The "Game Options" symbol in the bottom right
This is were you can SAVE (up to 12) games, RESTORE, RESTART, turn SOUND off/on, alter the DETAIL LEVEL, or EXIT to dos, or CONTINUE with your adventure.
CONTROLLING THE MECH
Keyboard Controls:
1-0: keys select a specific weapon
TAB: fires all weapons
ESC: retreat
E : damage reading for targeted mech
R : change the range of radar
T : Toggle between map and radar
W : AWS/Automated Weapons Systems (on or off)
O : remove/add weapon to AWS
U : get up after you've been knocked down
P : pause
A : auto align torso and feet
S : sound on/off
H : change color of HUD
J : activate jump jets (not all mechs have them)
Z : Zoom
C : Command Screen
N : Move target cursor down
M : Move target cursor up
< >: Pivot torso right or left
SPACE: Fire a weapon
The cursor pad keys move how you would expect, up/down/right/left/angles. The + and - keys select weapons
A few notes: On the "dash board" the letters S, G, E, and L are your damage indicators on Sensors, Gyros, Engines, and Life support.
When you use the jump jets use the arrow keys to fuel them, you have a limited supply of fuel.
A few people think the arrow keys should move the target, they don't they move you forward and backward, use N and M to move the target.
The heat indicator is the little level on the right of the window, you can over heat and then your a sitting duck.
The Command Screen (letter C) lets you give orders to your crew, select/deselect items with return.
A combat tip: shoot the legs off, it makes life easier and you get more salvage.
The MECHS
The Locust: Common, small, fast and frail. 2 machine guns, one medium laser
The Jenner: Fast, agile, enough fire power to mix with heavier mechs. 4 medium lasers, 1 SRM-4, jump jets.
The Phoenix Hawk: Versatile, good fire power. 1 heavy laser, 2 medium lasers, 2 machine guns, jump jets.
The Shadow Hawk: Better than the Phoenix, but more of the same. 1 autocannon, one long range missile pack, one short range missile pack, one medium laser, jump jets.
The Rifleman: Medium fire support vehicle. No jump jets, 2 heavy lasers, 2 medium lasers, 2 autocannons.
The Warhammer: One of most powerful, my favorite. No jump jets. 2 PPC's (high power long range laser type things), 2 medium lasers, 2 small lasers, one missile pack (holds 6), 2 machine guns.
The Marauder: Another powerful mech. No jump jets, 2 PPC's, 2 Medium lasers, one auto cannon. NOTE: The replacement armor is not as affective as the original.
The BattleMaster: King of the battle field, slow as all hell. No jump jets, total armor, 1 PPC, 6 medium lasers, 1 missile pack (holds 6), 2 machine guns.
Anyways thats it-- this is an awesome game with alot of challenge.
