============================== HEAVY GEAR II DEMO ============================== README.TXT (11/1/98) ================================== Minimum System Requirements ================================== *** 32MB RAM IS REQUIRED FOR SINGLE PLAYER GAMING *** *** 64MB RAM IS REQUIRED FOR MULTIPLAYER GAMING *** Pentium 166 CPU or higher Video accelerator card that supports Z-buffering DirectX 6.0 **** REQUIRED OR GAME WILL NOT FUNCTION **** ============================================= Accelerator Cards Verified for Functionality ============================================= The following cards have all been tested and verified to work with this demo. Other cards may function, but might have visual oddities or errors. Most of those issues will be resolved before the full game code releases. See the "Troubleshooting" section for details of issues you may experience with cards not listed below. Riva 128/TNT: STB Velocity 128, Velocity 128 ZX, Diamond Viper 330, Canopus Total 3D 128, Creative Labs TNT Voodoo 1: Diamond Monster 3D, Orchid Righteous, Voodoo Rush: Hercules Stingray, Intergraph Intense 3D, Jazz Adrenaline Voodoo 2: Diamond Monster II Voodoo Banshee: Creative Labs Matrox G200 cards ============================================= Like to Give Us Feedback on the Demo? ============================================= Please direct all e-mail to "HG2Feedback@activision.com". Thanks, in advance, for your comments. ================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS ================================== I. Game Synopsis II. Game Controls III. HUD Damage Codes IV. Targeting and Radar V. Space Combat VI. Single-Player Walkthrough VII. Squadmate AI VIII. Multiplayer Games IX. Troubleshooting X. Heavy Gear 2 Credits ================================== I. Game Synopsis ================================== The 01st Strike Recon Black Talons squad is being formed of the world's best Gear pilots to conduct covert operations and insurrectionist missions deep behind enemy lines on a hostile planet. The recent atrocities committed on Terra Nova indicate that Earth is returning to try and claim its lost colony once again. Your squad's mission is to slow them down, disrupt their plans, and otherwise buy time for your planet of Terra Nova to prepare for the coming war with its old nemesis, Earth. To do this, you'll engage hostiles in the vacuum of outer space, the polar ice caps of a thin atmosphere world, sprawling mining complexes, dense urban jungles and asteroid belts. Your Gears are some of the best ever produced, but you'll be cut off behind enemy lines, with no means of resupply and no reinforcements. You must fend for yourself, achieve your objectives, forage for ammunition, and live by your wits in order to survive this assignment. ================================== II. Game Controls ================================== The demo comes with five sets of game control definitions. When the official game comes out, you will be able to fully customize your keysets, input devices (joysticks, rudders, etc), but for now, you'll only be able to load one of these two sets. The current sets are described below. The demo defaults to the "Mouse and Keyboard" set. In order to change which set you are using, hit ESCAPE at any time between starting the game and launching into a mission. This brings up an ESCAPE OPTIONS MENU. Choose CONTROL CONFIGS and then LOAD. You can then select between the two definition files. Accept the choice you make and then begin playing. Only three configurations are detailed below. Others are available to load. To examine them, go to the CONTROL CONFIGS section, load the appropriate control set and examine the options by switching between the category groups. Of course, you'll need to calibrate and set up any joystick you choose on your own in Windows' Control Panel Game Controllers. ********************************** QUITTING THE GAME ********************************** Regardless of your input device settings, hitting F4 will always quit the sim and return you to the shell. (ALT-F4 will quit the application entirely and return you to the desktop.) ********************************** KILLING YOURSELF ********************************** Sometimes life is just too hard and you need to end it all. Here's how you do it: a) Hit "`" to bring up the console display window. b) Type "KILL" and hit enter c) That's it. You're dead. Enjoy the afterlife. ********************************** MOUSE AND KEYBOARD CONFIGURATION ********************************** This is the default configuration for Heavy Gear II. MOVEMENT "Steer Right" "NUMPAD 6" "Steer Left" "NUMPAD 4" "Forward" "NUMPAD 8" "Backward" "NUMPAD 2" "Side Step Left" "NUMPAD 7" "Side Step Right" "NUMPAD 9" "Increase Throttle" "NUMPAD +" "Decrease Throttle" "NUMPAD -" "Roll Left" "NUMPAD 1" "Roll Right" "NUMPAD 3" "Crouch" "PGDN" "Stand Up" "PGUP" "Wheels" "BACKSPACE" "Jump Jets" "NUMPAD ENTER" TARGETING_HUD "Weapon Fire" "MOUSE BUTTON 0" "Weapon Cycle" "MOUSE BUTTON 1" "Target ReticleX" "MOUSE X-AXIS" "Target ReticleY" "MOUSE Y-AXIS" "Change Weapon" "RIGHT SHIFT" "Throw Grenade" "G" "Target Cycle" "T" "Previous Target" "R" "Nearest Enemy" "E" "Target Friendly" "F" "Drop Marker" "Q" "Radar Zoom" "Z" "Active Radar Config" "A" "HUD Display ON-OFF" "X" "HUD Color" "CAPSLOCK" SQUAD_NETWORK "Tactical Map" "TAB" "General Chat" "F1" "Stats Display Toggle" "F2" MISCELLANEOUS "External Tracking" "C" "Camera Left" "RIGHT ALT + LEFT ARROW" "Camera Right" "RIGHT ALT + RIGHT ARROW" "Camera Up" "RIGHT ALT + UP ARROW" "Camera Down" "RIGHT ALT + DOWN ARROW" "Zoom In" "HOME" "Zoom Out" "END" "Console Display Toggle" "`" ********************************** ACTION CONFIGURATION ********************************** This configuraton is designed to be more familiar to folks that play games like Quake II. MOVEMENT "Steer Right" "RIGHT ARROW" "Steer Left" "LEFT ARROW" "Forward" "DOWN ARROW" "Backward" "UP ARROW" "Side Step Left" "DELETE" "Side Step Right" "PGDN" "Increase Throttle" "NUMPAD +" "Decrease Throttle" "NUMPAD -" "Roll Left" "INSERT" "Roll Right" "PGUP" "Crouch" "RIGHT CTRL" "Stand Up" "RIGHT SHIFT" "Wheels" "BACKSPACE" "Jump Jets" "NUMPAD 0" TARGETING_HUD "Weapon Fire" "MOUSE BUTTON 0" "Weapon Cycle" "MOUSE BUTTON 1" "Target ReticleX" "MOUSE X-AXIS" "Target ReticleY" "MOUSE Y-AXIS" "Change Weapon" "NUMPAD 0" "Throw Grenade" "G" "Target Cycle" "T" "Previous Target" "R" "Nearest Enemy" "E" "Target Friendly" "F" "Drop Marker" "Q" "Radar Zoom" "Z" "Active Radar Config" "A" "HUD Display ON-OFF" "X" "HUD Color" "CAPSLOCK" "Imaging System" "L" SQUAD_NETWORK "Tactical Map" "TAB" "General Chat" "F1" "Stats Display Toggle" "F2" MISCELLANEOUS "External Tracking" "C" "Camera Left" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 4" "Camera Right" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 6" "Camera Up" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 8" "Camera Down" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 2" "Zoom In" "HOME" "Zoom Out" "END" "Console Display Toggle" "`" ************************************ JOYSTICK AND KEYBOARD CONFIGURATION ************************************ **** NOTICE **** This joystick config is set up for a standard FOUR-BUTTON, TWO-AXIS joystick only. If you experience any problems with this config, you should change your config to four-button, two-axis joystick settings in the GAME CONTROLLERS control panel for best results. MOVEMENT "Steer Right" "RIGHT ARROW" "Steer Left" "LEFT ARROW" "Forward" "DOWN ARROW" "Backward" "UP ARROW" "Side Step Left" "NUMPAD 7" "Side Step Right" "NUMPAD 9" "Increase Throttle" "NUMPAD +" "Decrease Throttle" "NUMPAD -" "Roll Left" "NUMPAD 1" "Roll Right" "NUMPAD 3" "Crouch" "PGDN" "Stand Up" "PGUP" "Wheels" "BACKSPACE" "Jump Jets" "NUMPAD ENTER" TARGETING_HUD "Weapon Fire" "JOYSTICK BUTTON 1" "Weapon Cycle" "JOYSTICK BUTTON 2" "Target ReticleX" "JOYSTICK X-AXIS" "Target ReticleY" "JOYSTICK Y-AXIS" "Change Weapon" "RIGHT SHIFT" "Throw Grenade" "JOYSTICK BUTTON 3" "Target Cycle" "T" "Previous Target" "R" "Nearest Enemy" "JOYSTICK BUTTON 4" "Target Friendly" "F" "Drop Marker" "Q" "Radar Zoom" "Z" "Active Radar Config" "A" "HUD Display ON-OFF" "X" "HUD Color" "CAPSLOCK" SQUAD_NETWORK "Tactical Map" "TAB" "General Chat" "F1" "Stats Display Toggle" "F2" MISCELLANEOUS "External Tracking" "C" "Camera Left" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 4" "Camera Right" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 6" "Camera Up" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 8" "Camera Down" "RIGHT ALT + NUMPAD 2" "Zoom In" "HOME" "Zoom Out" "END" "Console Display Toggle" "`" ************************************ ADVANCED CONFIGURATION ************************************ MOVEMENT "Steer Right" "NUMPAD 6" "Steer Left" "NUMPAD 4" "Forward" "NUMPAD 2" "Backward" "NUMPAD 8" "Side Step Left" "NUMPAD 7" "Side Step Right" "NUMPAD 9" "Increase Throttle" "NUMPAD +" "Decrease Throttle" "NUMPAD -" "Roll Left" "NUMPAD 1" "Roll Right" "NUMPAD 3" "Crouch" "NUMPAD 5" "Stand Up" "NUMPAD /" "Wheels" "NUMPAD 0" "Jump Jets" "NUMPAD ENTER" TARGETING_HUD "Weapon Fire" "MOUSE BUTTON 0" "Weapon Cycle" "MOUSE BUTTON 1" "Target ReticleX" "MOUSE X-AXIS" "Target ReticleY" "MOUSE Y-AXIS" "Change Weapon" "ENTER" "Throw Grenade" "G" "Target Cycle" "T" "Previous Target" "R" "Nearest Enemy" "E" "Target Friendly" "F" "Drop Marker" "Q" "Radar Zoom" "Z" "Active Radar Config" "A" "HUD Display ON-OFF" "X" "HUD Color" "CAPSLOCK" SQUAD_NETWORK "Tactical Map" "TAB" "General Chat" "F1" "Stats Display Toggle" "F2" MISCELLANEOUS "External Tracking" "C" "Camera Left" "LEFT ARROW" "Camera Right" "RIGHT ARROW" "Camera Up" "UP ARROW" "Camera Down" "DOWN ARROW" "Zoom In" "HOME" "Zoom Out" "END" "Console Display Toggle" "`" ************************************ PALEX CONFIGURATION ************************************ This is the configuration Jack Mamais uses. MOVEMENT "Steer Right" "F" "Steer Left" "S" "Forward" "D" "Backward" "E" "Side Step Left" "W" "Side Step Right" "R" "Increase Throttle" "NUMPAD +" "Decrease Throttle" "NUMPAD -" "Roll Left" "NUMPAD 1" "Roll Right" "NUMPAD 3" "Crouch" "NUMPAD ." "Stand Up" "NUMPAD /" "Wheels" "Q" "Jump Jets" "NUMPAD ENTER" TARGETING_HUD "Weapon Fire" "MOUSE BUTTON 0" "Weapon Cycle" "MOUSE BUTTON 1" "Target ReticleX" "MOUSE X-AXIS" "Target ReticleY" "MOUSE Y-AXIS" "Change Weapon" "BACKSPACE" "Throw Grenade" "G" "Target Cycle" "T" "Previous Target" NOT IMPLEMENTED "Nearest Enemy" NOT IMPLEMENTED "Target Friendly" NOT IMPLEMENTED "Drop Marker" "B" "Radar Zoom" "Z" "Active Radar Config" "A" "HUD Display ON-OFF" "X" "HUD Color" "CAPSLOCK" "Imaging System" "L" SQUAD_NETWORK "Tactical Map" "TAB" "General Chat" "F1" MISCELLANEOUS "External Tracking" "C" "Camera Left" "RIGHT ALT + LEFT ARROW" "Camera Right" "RIGHT ALT + RIGHT ARROW" "Camera Up" "RIGHT ALT + UP ARROW" "Camera Down" "RIGHT ALT + DOWN ARROW" "Zoom In" "HOME" "Zoom Out" "END" "Console Display Toggle" "`" ********************************** GREY HAWK CONFIGURATION ********************************** This is the configuration that Dave Georgeson uses. MOVEMENT "Steer Right" "NUMPAD 6" "Steer Left" "NUMPAD 4" "Forward" "NUMPAD 2" "Backward" "NUMPAD 8" "Side Step Left" "NUMPAD 7" "Side Step Right" "NUMPAD 9" "Increase Throttle" "NUMPAD +" "Decrease Throttle" "NUMPAD -" "Roll Left" "NUMPAD 1" "Roll Right" "NUMPAD 3" "Crouch" "PGDN" "Stand Up" "PGUP" "Wheels" "BACKSPACE" "Jump Jets" "NUMPAD ENTER" TARGETING_HUD "Weapon Fire" "MOUSE BUTTON 0" "Weapon Cycle" "MOUSE BUTTON 1" "Target ReticleX" "MOUSE X-AXIS" "Target ReticleY" "MOUSE Y-AXIS" "Change Weapon" "RIGHT SHIFT" "Throw Grenade" "NUMLOCK" "Target Cycle" "NUMPAD /" "Previous Target" "R" "Nearest Enemy" "INSERT" "Target Friendly" "F" "Drop Marker" "NUMPAD *" "Radar Zoom" "Z" "Active Radar Config" "DELETE" "HUD Display ON-OFF" "X" "HUD Color" "CAPSLOCK" SQUAD_NETWORK "Tactical Map" "\" "General Chat" "F1" "Stats Display Toggle" "F2" MISCELLANEOUS "External Tracking" "C" "Camera Left" "RIGHT ALT + LEFT ARROW" "Camera Right" "RIGHT ALT + RIGHT ARROW" "Camera Up" "RIGHT ALT + UP ARROW" "Camera Down" "RIGHT ALT + DOWN ARROW" "Zoom In" "HOME" "Zoom Out" "END" "Console Display Toggle" "`" ================================== III. HUD Damage Codes ================================== When your Gear is damaged (and it will be, trust us ), then your HUD will display damage codes in red letters. These codes are described below: FC Fire Control systems have been destroyed LRet The leading reticle has been destroyed Mag Magnetic sensors have been destroyed Man Your ability to move has been affected Motn Motion sensors have been destroyed Mov Your Gear has lost some of the ability to walk. SMS no longer function. Rdr Radar no longer functions SEN Sensors no longer function Snpr Sniper Systems have been destroyed SPD Speedometer has been destroyed TGT Target designator is destroyed and will not function TOR Torso is damaged and will not respond to commands WpnDsp Weapons indicator has been destroyed ================================== IV. Targeting and Radar ================================== To target the nearest available enemy, hit "E" on your keyboard. This displays a "lock-on" square around your chosen target. Once you have successfully locked onto an enemy, you can then fire any guided weapons (like LGMs) and they will home in on that position. GUIDED MISSILE NOTE: Some weapons (like LGMs) are guided. Guided weapons WILL NOT FIRE unless you have a lock on a target. (You have been warned.) ROCKET NOTE: Rockets fire in "swarm" mode so as to confuse targeted enemies with their random, twisting flight paths. In order to ensure that the "swarming" rockets impact on their target, you must lay your targeting reticle directly on your chosen impact point when firing. This allows the targeting laser to calculate distance to target and program the rocket's on-board programming with the correct targeting info to home in on that spot. You can also cycle through all available targets by repeatedly hitting "T" on your keyboard. Your radar is equipped with sophisticated systems which allow your Gear to distinguish between friends or enemies. When an object or vehicle is picked up by the radar it will appear as a blue icon. After your NeuralNet (NNet) determines whether or not it is hostile it will color code the contact. If the contact appears red it is considered to be hostile, green designates a friendly. Your Gear radar has two basic modes of operation. In the active configuration, your radar sends an electronic pulse which is used to scan the surrounding environment and report any signals within your operating range. This scan is usually very dangerous to use because it makes your Gear very easy to detect on the battlefield. Passive radar, on the other hand, only acts as a receiver of signals. You can detect limited engagements without drawing attention to yourself. As a Strike Recon Gear pilot, it will be very important for you to operate with as much stealth as possible. For this reason, it is advised that you learn how to operate on passive mode in all but the most dire of circumstances. ================================== V. Space Combat ================================== The most challenging of all hostile enviornments you will face is the void of space. Your Gear has been outfitted with a specially designed cockpit to allow extended operation in the vacuum. Ceramic alloys were used to coat the outer skin of your Gear preventing damage from micrometeorites and hazardous radiation. Air processors will maintain a correct breathing mixture so you can survive in the airless void. And, thrusters have been installed to enable the Pilot to operate the Gear in three dimensions. The basic thruster can provide forward and reverse thrust. (Numpad "+" and Numpad "-" for accelerate and decelerate respectively.) Maneuvering thrusters mounted all over the Gear provide full pitch, yaw and roll. Up arrow and right arrow to pitch forward and back. Left arrow and right arrow to pivot left and right. Numpad "1" and Numpad "3" to roll left and right, respectively.) Be careful! You can build up a head of steam out there in space. You'll need to use the Numpad "-" key to decelerate or you'll find yourself "ping-ponging" off surfaces instead of landing on them (or hurtling off into the inky depths...) The feet of your Gear are specially treated with advanced polymer adhesives which allow your vehicle to maintain traction on any object. To detach yourself from an object (like the hull of a spaceship), simply command your Gear to jump (Numpad "Enter"), or walk off a sharp-edged object to all into space, and your thruster controls will automatically activate. To reattach to a hull, just orient your feet toward the hull and touch down on the hull surface. (If your feet aren't oriented toward the hull, you'll simply bounce off when you hit.) ================================== VI. Single-Player Walkthrough ================================== ******* WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! ******** ******* SPOILER ALERT! ******** If you don't want to spoil the surprises of the single-player mission, then DO NOT read this. However, if you want some tips on how to sneak through the enemy defenses and complete the mission the way that General Auschenbach wants you to complete it, then read on, m'friend. 1) You can't sneak around the radar tower by going left. The infantry will see you. Peel off right instead and hug the mountains all the way around to the pass. This works (almost) every time. 2) Keep an eye on your squadmates. Maulliaux in particular likes to take off and attack targets of opportunity. If they start to wander, then bring them to heel quickly with a REGROUP or MOVE command off the Tactical Map. Without some care (or luck) your squadmates will end up tipping off the enemy to your location. 3) The buildings are the key to whether you are detected or not. If you can QUICKLY (emphasis on the quickly part) destroy the radar building at the start of the mission, then you don't have to sneak around it. Instead, you can stomp all over those smarmy infantry, make them go splat, and no one will be the wiser. However, if you take too long, and they get a signal off (from the intact radar building), then the jig is up and the warning goes out to the Striders. 4) The Pass is the next big hurdle. There are turrets at the other end of the gap that will peg you hard if you just try to storm through. They will also sound the alarm. However, if you destroy the generator building (to the right of the turrets as you come through the pass), then the turrets will be deactivated. If you destroy the tower (behind the generator building), then no warning will go out either. WARNING! You must destroy these buildings from long range or the warning will go out too quickly for you to stop. This one is very tricky to pull off. (SIDE NOTE: Since you have to come back this way...and you usually are under serious pressure when you return...you should probably kill those turrets before you leave the area. They can't turn around and are particularly vulnerable from the rear.) 5) Gears, infantry and trucks don't report your presence immediately, so you can usually fight them without fear of activating the Striders...once the radar buildings are destroyed. 6) Be warned! The central isle is a deathtrap! The laser turrets will attack you from one side, the Gears stationed there will attack you from the other...and those Striders are going to show up eventually if you start a firefight there. If you're trying to sneak into the Striders, stay away! (But come back later...this area is fun.) 7) When you come through the gap, follow the gravel path to the right, past the factories. This bends around until you get to a bridge over the river (the bridge that is NOT protected by turrets). Crossing this bridge and the hills beyond it will bring you to a ring of buildings where the Saggitarius striders will be IF you managed to sneak all the way here. IF you did sneak successfully here, they will be deactivated and easy prey for your guns. If you DID NOT sneak successfully here, you'll know it soon. Striders make mean foes. 8) Once you kill all four Striders, you ain't out of the woods yet. You've got to get back through the gap and back to your starting point. Why? That's where the Fury dropship is waiting for you. And, oh by the way, did I mention that you really pissed off the raiders by destroying their Striders? They're going to be gunning for you all the way back. Since you killed the Pass turrets on the way in (you DID read that "side note" above didn't you?) you shouldn't stop to fight if you can avoid it, but rather, zigzag your way back to the dropship as quickly as you can. (Be careful of leaving Gears to your rear though...their weapons are powerful and many of your chassis have the flaw of "Weak Rear Armor".) 9) Some specific tactics --- Hunter: On the bounce, soldier. You've got jumpjets. Use them. It's hard to hit a bouncing target. Cheetah: You've got the sniper scope and a very fast chassis. Try hit and run tactics. Pick off the radar towers from long range if you can. Conserve your ammo for the Striders if at all possible and let your squadmates do most of the killing. Jaguar and Black Mamba: You're versatile, general mayhem producers. Use your squadmates to supplement your ammo loadout and try to avoid too many head-to-head confrontations. Conserve your rockets for the big guys (Striders) and for quick kills on Gears. Cobra: You're massive and heavily armed. Keep your pace slow and destroy all comers. Protect your wingmates keep them alive to add their firepower to your own. Mow down the Striders. But don't get too cocky... a well-placed missile can get even you... ================================== VII. Squadmate AI ================================== *** Using Squadmates in the Demo*** 1) They will follow you in formation and can transmit enemy positions to you automatically via your HUD. 2) They can be given orders to change formations and to go to specified NAV points of your choosing. 3) They can perform simple tasks such as defending and scouting areas. The main differences between the two is that a scouting mission will engage active radar with the purpose of uncovering enemy units. Defense is a passive sensor guard mode designed for stealth. 4) When engagement occurs in any setting your squadmates will attempt to destroy all hostiles. Working their way down from the most threatening enemy unit to the least threatening. Trucks, buildings, and non-offensive units are ignored. 5) Individual squad mates can be given separate orders or the squad can be ordered as a whole. *** Advances Planned for the Full Release Version *** Here are some of the ways that the squadmate controls will be changed for the full release: 1) You will have better control of combat situations through a Combat Prefs button on the tactical map. You will be able to control engagement decision making options such as targeting, tactics, and engagement methods (ie: assault, seek cover, hold ground, retreat, etc.) 2) They will follow user-designed paths as well as going to checkpoints 3) There will four squad mates instead of two. They will be broken into two fire teams which you can control individually. 4) They will chatter and give you aural feedback of developing situations. 5) User will have control over squad, fireteam, and individual unit sensor settings for customized recon and stealth. 6) More intelligent weapons usage. *** Workarounds for Demo Limitations *** As you will notice when you play the game, the squadmate artificial intelligence is still under construction. Although they can be very handy in a fight and are quite aggressive, they will still occasionally do things like get caught on buildings or refuse to obey commands. This is something we are very aware of and will fix before the full release of the game comes out. However, for the demo, there are a few workarounds you can utilize to heighten their usefulness to you right now: 1) Your squadmates are very aggressive. If they see an enemy on their scope, they feel compelled to go kill it. If you are trying to sneak around in the game, then try to keep your squadmates clear of any potential enemies by using the MOVE command on the tactical map to direct their movements. 2) Probably the easiest way to keep your squadmates with you is to decimate the ranks of the enemy. If you play aggressively and kill everything that moves, then they'll follow you loyally. 3) If a squadmate gets stuck on a tree or building, then use the MOVE command to tell them to move directly away from that obstruction. Once they're clear, then use other MOVE commands to get them around the object before telling them to REGROUP. 4) Keep in mind that all this time spent on the tactical map is quite dangerous. If you're attacked while giving orders, you may be dead before you know what hit you. ================================== VIII. Multiplayer Games ================================== *** YOU MUST CONNECT TO THE INTERNET BEFORE STARTING THE GAME *** INTERNET PLAY (T1, T3, or Cable Modem) --- Up to 10 players INTERNET PLAY (28.8 kps modem) --- Up to 4 players INTERNET PLAY (over 28.8) --- Up to 7 players LAN PLAY --- Up to 10 players Currently, if you exceed the above limitations or try to join a game where you are exceeding the number of player allowance, you will receive either a "Unable to Join Session" message or you may timeout and return to the Lobby or you may experience interrupted connections. For the demo, most of the game types have been temporarily disabled. The only game available is Deathmatch. Which, obviously enough, is a free-for-all, everyone-against-everyone game. Two terrain types are available to play. The SWAMP terrain is a boggy, tree-filled, gloomy affair filled with stilt-legged shacks, and stagnant water. The SPACE mission is set in an asteroid field between two Type 2 Gateships and is a zero-g, free-floating, magnetic-booted fracas. Games can be played in one of two connection types: 1) Internet --- This is a connection over the internet to the ActiveLink servers (a modem, T1, cable modem, or other connection is required to access the internet). A minimum connection of 28.8 kbps is required to play Heavy Gear 2 over the net. 2) LAN (UDP) --- This is the TCP/IP mode intended for use on local area networks. Most Win95/98 users should select this option when playing on a LAN. After making a connection (and selecting a server if playing on the Internet), you will enter a Lobby where other players have gathered. You can chat with them, review their player info, and check out the games in progress or ready to be launched. You can also CREATE (host) games here. Joining a game is as easy as clicking on the game name and then hitting the JOIN button. If the game is private, you will be prompted to enter a password to join the game, but otherwise you'll join right in. Creating a game allows you to set up various game options. NOTE: Only Deathmatch is available in the demo. (Strategic (team), historical (coop), capture the flag, duelist, and steal the beacon games will be available in the full release of the game.) Once you have created/joined a game, you will enter the LAUNCH screen. There, you will see other players who are ready to launch (or have already launched) into the game. ************************************************************** YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH CHASSIS YOU ARE USING BY SELECTING YOUR PLAYER NAME AND HITTING THE "SELECT GEAR" BUTTON. (Use the pull-down menu there to select the chassis you desire.) ************************************************************** After choosing your chassis, you can then hit LAUNCH to enter the game. SCORING NOTE: You can only be certain of receiving credit for kills caused by direct hits of weapons. Kills caused by collateral damage may not be credited correctly (in the demo) as the sim makes a best guess about who got the kill. ================================== IX. Troubleshooting ================================== Q: My buddy set up a multiplayer game a while ago and people are still playing in it, but I can't see it when I join the Lobby. What's going on? A: If the Host (your buddy) set up the game, played a while and then quit, then even though other people are still playing, you won't be able to see the game anymore. In other words, if the Host quits, no one else can join the game...even though anyone else in the game can continue playing. ------------------------------ Q: When playing a multiplayer game, I sometimes see other players locked into a frozen position and they can't be killed. Sometimes they are even constantly firing at nothing. After a while, they seem to disappear. What is this? A: We call them "ghosts". They are caused when a player disconnects abruptly (loss of connection, power failure, or system crash). Our software tries to reconnect with them for 40 seconds, and during that time, they stay frozen in place (or doing the last thing they were doing...like firing). They time out after the 40 seconds though and should disappear. Just try to ignore them. ------------------------------ Q: When playing the space multiplayer mission, I can't seem to change my main weapon when floating in space. A: This is a temporary issue that we'll fix for the full release. You CAN change your main weapon if you are in contact with a surface (spaceship, asteroid, etc.), just not while floating. NOTE: This in no way affects cycling between hardpoints, so you'll be able to use all your rockets, missiles, etc., as well as grenades, if available, even while floating. ------------------------------ Q: When playing a multiplayer game, I sometimes get credit for a kill that I did not make. Why? A: This issue deals with collateral damage. The sim makes the best guess as to which player made the kill. ------------------------------ Q: When I press the forward button (on any control set), I move backwards, and when I press the backwards button I move forward. A: There is a bug in the DEF files where those two buttons are switched around. ------------------------------ Q: Using the camera controls in external view does not work. A: You must press the RIGHT ALT button in conjunction with the camera button. (Example: RIGHT ALT + RIGHT ARROW to move the camera to the right.) ------------------------------ Q: The game looks bad (white trees, polygon outlines on objects, fire particles that have no color, etc.). What do I do? A: Go to your card manufacturer's web site and download the very latest drivers for your card. Install them and try again. This will fix most problems you might have with the game. ------------------------------ Q: I have reference drivers for my Voodoo II card installed, but the game is crashing. What do I do? A: Many folks use reference drivers for their Voodoo II cards. If this is the case, you may have the DirectX 5.0 reference drivers installed currently. Go to the 3Dfx web site and download the newer DirectX 6.0 drivers and install those. It may resolve your problem. ------------------------------ Q: What if the game crashes and I can't return to the desktop? A: This shouldn't happen to you. But if it does, then reboot the machine and perform a scan disk if necessary. ------------------------------ Q: I'm using a Rendition 2100 or 2200 chipset and the HUD appears grey and explosions have no color. Why? A: This is a driver issue that we're investigating with the Rendition folks right now. There is no fix currently. ------------------------------ Q: I'm using a Permedia chipset and the HUD appears greay and explosions have no color. Why? A: This is a driver issue that we're investigating with the Permedia folks right now. There is no fix currently. ------------------------------ Q: I'm using a Canopus card and their latest drivers, but the game crashes every time I try to run it. How do I fix this? A: The Canopus folks are working on new drivers now (slated for early November release) that might fix this problem. However, right now they recommend that you download the release drivers from 3Dfx for your card and use those instead. In the computers that we tried this workaround solution, this fixed the problem and we were able to run the game with Canopus cards. ------------------------------ Q: I'm using a Rendition 1000 chipset and I can see objects through other objects. It makes it hard to tell what's going on. How do I fix it? A: You can't. Your card does not support Z-Buffering (one of the minimum requirements for our game) and thus, the sorting of polygons is not being done properly. You should not play Heavy Gear 2 with a card that does not support Z-Buffering. ------------------------------ Q: I'm using a Helios V2 card and am using Voodoo reference drivers. When I launch the game the screen was blue, showing gridlines, with large symbols on the horizon similiar to that of a type set ball used with typewriters. What's going on? A: We are working with the Helios folks to resolve this issue. They intend to put new drivers out soon. Keep checking their website and see if new drivers are available. If so, download them and give them a try. ------------------------------ Q: The water looks completely non-transparent (opaque) and I'm using a 3Dfx card. What's the deal? A: You are probably using the new code release candidate reference drivers from 3Dfx. The VooDoo2 Software Kit v.3.01 (Release Candidate 1) currently has an issue that causes our water to look completely opaque and shiny. Company drivers (at this point in time: 10_30_98) do not have this problem. 3Dfx has been notified of this issue and we're working on it with them. ------------------------------ Q: I have two CD drives and every time I try to launch the game, it crashes? Can I fix this? A: Yes. Take the CDs out of the drives and you won't have a problem. This is currently an issue we need to fix where the game is trying to play Redbook Audio from your CD drive and is getting confused about which one to use. Removing the CDs prevents the problem from occurring. ------------------------------ Q: When I try to e-reg from the CD, I can't get "Direct Line" to correctly transmit my information. What can I do? A: Direct line registration will not work if you manually register from the CD. Choose e-reg from your game folder instead. ------------------------------ Q: When I load the "4BTN_2AXIS_JOYSTICK" config set in the shell, it displays options for Joystick Button 0 even though I don't HAVE a Joystick Button 0. My lowest numbered button is Joystick Button 1. What gives? A: There's a current issue with displaying the correct button number. DirectInput labels a four-button joystick as Joystick Buttons 0-3. The windows calibration routine shows them as Joystick Buttons 1-4. We need to change our shell so it shows Buttons 1-4, but haven't done that yet...so it's currently displaying the DirectInput values of 0-3. So...for now...just subtract one and you're fine. And, yes, this will be fixed for the full release. (Isn't releasing a demo before code releasing the game fun?) ------------------------------ Q: I have the STB Blackmagic board and am using the latest drivers, but the game doesn't seem to run on my card. What's going on? A: There is an issue with those drivers. We're working with STB now to try and determine a fix, but in the meantime, you should be able to play just fine if you use the 3.01 3Dfx reference drivers available on the 3Dfx web page. ------------------------------ Q: When my modem gets disconnected while playing, the game minimizes to the Window's Start Bar. But when I enlarge it again, the colors are all corrupted and I can't play. What can I do? A: This only happens with a few graphics cards (currently only the ATI Rage Pro, but we assume there are others). However, we don't have a solution for the demo. All you can do right now is quit the game and restart. A more graceful solution will be in the final game. ------------------------------ Q: When I use standard Windows commands to minimize the game (ALT-TAB) or quit the the application (ALT-F4), the game corrupts, or my hard drive thrashes a lot with the memory cleanup. Am I doing something wrong? A: No. It's just that those standard commands are NOT supported in our game. In fact, they will be disallowed in the final version of the game and you won't be able to use them. Please don't use them now...you may experience problems if you do. ================================== X. Heavy Gear 2 Credits ================================== Director Jack Mamais Producer Dave Georgeson Lead Programmer Jean-Marc Morel Lead Designer Dave White Art Director Danny Matson ----------------- TECHNOLOGY ----------------- AI Programmer Clancy Imislund Network Programmer Jeff Grabner Shell/Tool Programmer Smith Surasmith Special Effects Programming Johnathan Kranc Physics/Special Effects Programming Brent Oster Network Shell Programming Christian Grunca Installer Programmer Jeff Matsushita ----------------- PRODUCTION ----------------- Associate Producer Christian Astillero ----------------- DESIGN ----------------- Game Designers Dave Nash Doug Pearson Robert Berger Story by Dave White Jack Mamais Ted Peterson Dream Pod 9 Written by Robert Berger Ted Peterson ----------------- ART ----------------- Animation Paul Waggoner Danny Matson 3D Models Junki Saita 2D Art John Rheume Robert DePalma Juan-Carlos Rodriguez Shell Design Dave Georgeson Shell Design Consultant Larry Paolicelli Cinematics by Digital Freaks ----------------- AUDIO ----------------- Sound Design Jack Mamais Christian Astillero Audio Engineer Michael Schwartz Audio Editing Brian Bright Music Composed and Conducted by Albert Olsen Sound Produced by EFX EFX Sound Design Mike Kamper Sound Consultant Harry Cohen EAR Technology Credits -------------------- ACTION/SIM DIVISION -------------------- VP, Production Frank Evers Production Manager Ryan Moos Associate Producer Tyler Scott Lead Production Tester Rick Omori Production Tester Frank Stankowski Chris Scaglione ----------------- LOCALIZATION ----------------- Associate Producer Brian C. Diggs Linguistic Assistant Axel Wippich UK Office: Localization Manager Ed Bainbridge Miami Office: Product Manager Salvador Fernandez LA Office: International Publishing Coordinator Heather Maxwell German Localisation: Natascha Conrad Effective Media M & S Music ----------------- DREAM POD 9 ----------------- World Background (Caprice) Lucien Soulban Artwork (color drawings) Ghislain Barbe, with Normand Bilodeau and Charles-Emmanuel Ouellette Artwork (logos and technical drawings) Ghislain Barbe, Normand Bilodeau, Jeff Fortier, Charles-Emmanuel Ouellette, Pierre Ouellette. Writing Philippe R Boulle Marc-Alexandre Vézina ----------------- CAST ----------------- Primary: Allison Biszantz Vesping Perry Zombolas Maillaux Amanda Winn Lee Pinter Ralph Votrian Aschenbach Christian Gossett Kage Deborah Sale Pulciano Jonathon Blake Wallis Christina Rumbley Temple Keith de Brunner Sobec Simon Prescott Petrus Secondary: Tom Wyner Robie Bray Amanda Winn Lee O'Neil Ralph Votrian Nulf Jason Lee Fury Pilot Tom Wyner Liberati Guy Jason Lee Liberati Engineer Christian Gossett Tech Boy Amanda Winn Lee Female Computer Keith de Brunner TN Gate Station Commander Internal: Sarah Cigliano Instructor 3 Brian Diggs Trainer 1 Tim Harrison Trainer 2 Jonathon Eubanks Security Jim Hudson South Guy Daniel Hagerty North Guy Jack Mamais Tower Robert Berger Pilot John Harris Marauder ----------------- SPECIAL THANKS ----------------- Marshall Robin, Eveline M. Cureteau, Amy King, Charlie Hill, Alan Gershenfeld, Pierre Oulette, Jens Anderson, Matt Candler, Mason Demming, Adam Goldberg, Rick Baumgauter, Chichi, Goku, Rei Ayanami, James Cameron, Stanley Kubrick. ----------------- TESTING ----------------- VP of QA/CS Jim Summers QA Manager Dave Arnspiger Senior Lead Eric Zala Leads John Sherwood Matt Powers Testers Samantha Lee Tim Harrison Ron Weibel Chad Siedhoff Jeff Poffenbarger Tom Bernard Peter Muravez Kenneth Chia Michael Harris Ilya Tchak Glenn Ige Compatibility John Fritts Jennifer O'Neal Visioneer Coordinators Jonathan Moses Emily Moher -------------------- MORE SPECIAL THANKS -------------------- Special thanks go out to the Visioneers who downloaded this almost every night so that they could help us ensure that it was the best it could be. Your dedication is appreciated.