A SUPPLEMENTAL BRIEFING
****CLASSIFIED COMMUNIQUE**** Commander, as I stated in the vidcom, I am canceling your orders to return home. I know this is very tough on morale—you and your men deserve some R&R after your distinguished service in the attacks on the Clan Homeworlds. But I know that you understand the need to finish the job: to eliminate this threat to the Inner Sphere once and for all. On a positive note, Battalion has sent some new ’Mechs and weapons your way that should help bolster spirits some.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 1 GETTING STARTED Please follow the instructions below to install MechCommander Gold. References in the manual to “MechCommander Desperate Measures” should be read to mean “MechCommander Gold.
2 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES INSTALLING MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES You do not need to have the original MechCommander game installed on your computer in order to install MechCommander Desperate Measures. To install MechCommander Desperate Measures 1 Place the MechCommander Desperate Measures disc into your CD-ROM drive. 2 If AutoPlay is enabled, click Install MechCommander Desperate Measures, and then follow the instructions that appear on the screen.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 3 THE MISSION EDITOR The Mission Editor lets you design your own MechCommander missions. Place buildings, set mission objectives, landscape the terrain—you control everything. After you’re finished creating your mission, share missions with friends or play theirs. INSTALLING THE MISSION EDITOR If you did not install the Mission Editor when you installed the game, you will need to install the Mission Editor manually.
4 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES CREATING A NEW MISSION When creating a mission, keep the following in mind • Make the objectives fun and create multiple ways to achieve each objective • Compartmentalize battles so they don’t run into each other • Create terrain that assists and challenges the commander, such as mountains, cliffs, bridges, etc.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 5 9 To place at least one Drop Zone for your units, select Drop Zones from the Mission menu. If you are creating a multiplayer mission, place three Drop Zones each for Team 1 and Team 2. 10 To save your mission, select Save from the File menu and type a name for your mission no longer than eight characters. For more information about how to use the Mission Editor, select Help Topics from the Help menu.
6 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES • Drag View moves the map as you drag the cursor. • Zoom In magnifies the map. • Zoom Out reduces the map view. • Spray Trees randomly places assorted trees in a 9-tile area. • Erase deletes objects on the map. It does not delete map objects that were placed from the Terrains palette. The cursor will look like an eraser when placed over an object it can erase. If the object cannot be erased, the eraser will be all red.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES • Repair fixes damaged overlays and structures. The Standard Toolbar • Display Grid either shows or hides the gridlines on the map. • Undo reverses the last command you made or deletes the last item you placed on the map. Click Undo repeatedly to undo to the point of the file’s last save. • Redo reverses the Undo command. • Set Height adjusts the height of a selected map area. First, select an area on the map by clicking the Select Area button on the toolbar.
8 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Mission Objectives In order to successfully complete the mission you design, players must complete the objectives you set. Select Objectives from the Mission menu to set up to four primary objectives, each with up to three parametres. Selection icon 1 Select an objective, such as Move to Area. 2 In the Description box, type an explanation of the task for the player (such as “Move to compound centre”).
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 9 Mission Settings Select Settings from the Mission menu to adjust the following settings for your mission: • Small Artillery is the maximum number of small artillery per mission (5 is the maximum). • Sensor Probes is the maximum number of sensor probes per mission (5 is the maximum). • Time Limit sets the time limit to complete a mission (3 minutes is the minimum and zero means no limit).
10 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Drop Zones Select Drop Zones from the Mission menu to display the Drop Zones cursor. Then click on the map to set landing points for each player’s or team’s forces. Solo missions must contain at least one Drop Zone. Multiplayer missions must contain three Drop Zones per team. A solo mission or Team 1 Drop Zone is indicated by a green and yellow icon. A Team 2 Drop Zone is indicated by an orange and red icon.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 11 NEW ’MECHS ComStar’s intelligence has done its work and obtained the specs for three new Clan ’Mechs. BattleMech manufacturing concerns throughout the Inner Sphere have independently responded with three new Inner Sphere ’Mechs. Get to know these specs: You’ll need them. Payload capacity is the total tonnage available for components (including weaponry). Reminder: Sensors, active probes, and electronic measurement systems are limited one per ’Mech.
12 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES STILETTO INNER SPHERE LIGHT 35 TONS VARIANT COST WEIGHT ARMOUR 22420 WEAPON JUMP PAYLOAD CAPACITY VARIANT A/J: 17.5 VARIANT W: 20.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES BUSHWACKER INNER SPHERE MEDIUM 55 TONS PAYLOAD CAPACITY VARIANT A/J: 29.5 VARIANT W: 33.
14 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES MAULER INNER SPHERE VERY HEAVY 90 TONS PAYLOAD CAPACITY VARIANT A/J: 63.5 VARIANT W: 76.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Inner Sphere ’Mech Comparison Chart BattleMech Weight (tons) Speed (m/sec) Commando 25 27 Firestarter 30 27 Raven 35 27 Stiletto 35 36 Hollander II 45 24 Centurion 55 18 Bushwacker 55 24 Catapult 65 18 Jagermech 70 18 Awesome 80 18 Mauler 90 15 Atlas 100 15 STILETTO VARIANT COST WEIGHT CLASS SPEED ARMOUR STRUCT JUMP ARMOUR 22420 35 Tons Light WEAPON 22070 35 Tons Light 36m/sec Mod Mod Long 36m/sec Light Mod JUMP
16 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES SHADOW CAT CLAN MEDIUM 45 TONS PAYLOAD CAPACITY VARIANT A/J: 29.0 VARIANT W: 36.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES NOVA CAT CLAN HEAVY 70 TONS PAYLOAD CAPACITY VARIANT A/J: 54.0 VARIANT W: 58.
18 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES TURKINA CLAN HEAVY 95 TONS PAYLOAD CAPACITY VARIANT A/J: 74.5 VARIANT W: 81.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Clan ’Mech Comparison Chart Weight (tons) Speed (m/sec) Uller 30 27 Cougar 35 27 Shadow Cat 45 27 Hunchback IIC 50 18 Vulture 60 24 Loki 65 24 Thor 70 24 Nova Cat 70 21 Mad Cat 75 24 Masakari 85 18 Turkina 95 15 BattleMech SHADOW CAT VARIANT COST WEIGHT CLASS SPEED ARMOUR STRUCT JUMP ARMOUR 39650 45 Tons Med WEAPON 42000 45 Tons Med 27m/sec Mod Mod Med 27m/sec Light Mod JUMP 40870 45 Tons Med Med 27m/sec Light
20 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES NEW WEAPONS As I mentioned earlier, we have new weapons for your forces. FedCom engineers continue to refine weaponry to replace aging Inner Sphere weapon systems in all three armament types: ballistic, energy, and missile. Field modification kits have been issued and the new weapons are available from regimental inventory. Ammo conservation mode software has been retrofitted in all deployed ’Mechs. For information on mode use, review the Tactics technical information.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES LB-X AUTOCANNONS COST Light Medium Heavy 3560 8480 12850 LOAD VAL 9.5 14.5 19.5 RECYCLE 1.75 sec (v fast) 4 sec 6 sec DAMAGE 0.5 (v light) 2 5 RANGE Long Medium Short The light version of the LB-X Autocannon fires at a faster rate than the Light Autocannon. The heavy version fires a massive short-range, shotgun-like round capable of striking multiple armour sections simultaneously. All variations carry limited ammo.
22 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES LARGE X-PULSE LASER COST 19570 LOAD VAL 13 RECYCLE .075 sec (very fast) DAMAGE 1.5 (light) RANGE Long This rapid-firing energy weapon has the fastest recycle rate of any component available and is capable of striking targets at long range. LIGHT GAUSS RIFLE COST 7110 LOAD VAL 13.5 RECYCLE 5 sec (slow) DAMAGE 5 (heavy) RANGE Long This new Inner Sphere design fires a smaller slug out to long range. It carries limited ammo.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 23 NEW VEHICLES Military research and development BattleMech advancements have yielded upgraded support vehicles: five new combat vehicles and one new utility vehicle. Vehicle manufacturers have readily adopted BattleMech power plant and ferro-fibrous armour improvements. Don’t underestimate the effectiveness of vehicles at the front: The Battle of Tukayyid demonstrated the cost effectiveness of fielding support vehicles in combination with ’Mechs.
24 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES MANTICORE HEAVY TANK First issued to the Lyran Royal Guard units, the Manticore has seen combat throughout the Inner Sphere. It is an impressive heavy tank, affording excellent armour protection and effective, accurate firepower. Long regarded as a powerful infantry weapon, the Manticore provides mediumrange armoured firepower with excellent fields of fire from the missile packs’ location in the turret.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES AMMO TRUCK The Ammo Truck is a small, reasonably fast, vulnerable vehicle capable of replacing a ’Mech’s ammunition on the battlefield. Deploy it as you would the Refit Truck; move it near a ’Mech until the Repair Icon (a wrench) appears, and then click that ’Mech to reload its ammunition. Clever MechCommanders have used its combustible payload as an offensive weapon.
26 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES TACTICS Lastly, Commander, you have no doubt seen the media’s recent focus on the evolution of modern military tactics. As hinted in the reports, Inner Sphere military establishments developed strategies that enable frontline commanders, such as yourself, to more effectively deploy forces and resources under their command.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 27 To create a minelayer waypoint (mines are laid as the vehicle follows the move path), press and hold CTRL+F while you click the waypoint location on the main screen. 2 Repeat step 1 as necessary for each waypoint you want. Notes • You can assign a move path to any number of units at one time, using the standard selection methods. If a group of units is selected, the lead unit will move to the waypoints first.
28 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES AMMO CONSERVATION MODE To give the commander greater control over his resources in combat, he can order units to fire energy weapons only, conserving precious ammunition until it is truly needed. Energy weapons are those with an unlimited supply of shots—for example, Pulse Lasers, Heavy Flamers, and Particle Projector Cannons. Ammo weapons are those that fire a limited supply of shots or salvos—for example, Gauss Rifles, Autocannons, and Missile Packs.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 29 KEYBOARD COMMANDS Combat/Tactical To Press Assault from current location C+Left mouse button Assault from long range L+Left mouse button Assault from medium range M+Left mouse button Assault from short range S+Left mouse button Attack head 8+Left mouse button Attack left torso 7+Left mouse button Attack right torso 9+Left mouse button Attack centre torso 5+Left mouse button Attack left arm 4+Left mouse button Attack right arm 6+Left mouse button At
30 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Fire Support Fire support gives the commander greater control over his combat resources. Launch small artillery strikes, large artillery strikes, sensor probes, and camera drones by pressing a key on the keyboard (not the numeric keypad) and clicking the mouse on the target—no wasting time moving the cursor to the multifunctional display (MFD).
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Unit Control To Press Reassign Force Groups CTRL+F1 through F4 Select all units in battlefield view E Deselect all units Right mouse button on battlefield view Get information on unit I+Left mouse button Moving Units To Press Move half-power Left mouse button Move full-power SPACEBAR+Left mouse button Jump (jump-enabled ’Mechs only) J+Left mouse button Create walk waypoint CTRL or F9 Create run waypoint CTRL+SPACEBAR or F10 Create jump waypoint CTRL+J
32 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES Multifunctional Display (MFD) To Press Open/close MFD ALT Open MFD (Briefing Active) ALT+B Open MFD (Information/ Briefing Active) ALT+D Open MFD (Map Active) ALT+M Open MFD (Salvage Active) ALT+S Open MFD (Chat Active) (multiplayer missions only) ALT+C Open/close MFD (Command Palette) TAB Tactical Map To Press Scroll down CTRL+DOWN ARROW Scroll up CTRL+UP ARROW Scroll left CTRL+LEFT ARROW Scroll right CTRL+RIGHT ARROW Zoom in CTRL+PLUS SIGN Z
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 33 CREDITS FASA Interactive/Microsoft Producer Mitch Gitelman Lead Developer Frank Savage Lead Designer Mike Lee Lead Artist Tom Burlington Product Planner Jon Kimmich Technical Art Director Jamie Marshall Composer/Sound Designer Duane Decker Programming Glenn Doren Heidi Gaertner Jon Marcus Frank Savage Design Mitch Gitelman Mike Lee Denny Thorley John Whitmore TJ Wagner Jordan Weisman Mission Design David Abzug Mike Lee Rob Nicholls Joe Sislow Multiplayer Mission Design
34 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES CUSTOMER SERVICES If you have problems and require assistance you can contact our Customer Services: Phone: Hours of operation: Fax: +44 (0) 1454 893900 0900-1730 GMT/BST, Monday to Friday +44 (0) 1454 894296 Note: Phoning this number costs the same as a standard rate call no matter where you call from in the UK. If you do telephone the Technical Support line, if possible please be sitting in-front of your computer and have a pen and paper at the ready.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 35 NOTICE/WARRANTY 1. LICENCE The software and all images, photography, animations, video, audio, music and text contained on the enclosed CD-ROM and this manual, (together, 'the Product') are protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights which are owned by or licensed to Hasbro Interactive Limited of 2 Roundwood Avenue, Stockley Park, Uxbridge, UB11 1AZ ('Hasbro').
36 MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES HASBRO INTERACTIVE’S WEB SITES Hasbro Interactive has exciting, full and active web sites dedicated to ensure you get the most out of your new games. You can visit us at: http://www.hasbro-interactive.com ■ Technical Support ■ Hints and Tips ■ Software Upgrades ■ Demos ■ Interaction ■ Interviews ■ Competitions and much more. We are constantly updating our web sites so stop by and visit us frequently. With events and new additions planned, you won’t want to miss out.
MECHCOMMANDER DESPERATE MEASURES 37 NOTES
MECHCOMMANDER KEYBOARD FUNCTION CHART i COMBAT/TACTICAL Assault from current location Assault from long range Assault from medium range Assault from short range Attack head Attack left torso Attack right torso Attack centre torso Attack left arm Attack right arm Attack left leg Attack right leg Order ammo conservation mode C+Left mouse button L+Left mouse button M+Left mouse button S+Left mouse button 8+Left mouse button 7+Left mouse button 9+Left mouse button 5+Left mouse button 4+Left mouse button 6+Lef
