Difference between revisions of "MechCommander"

Latest revision as of 13:37, 29 December 2023

MechCommander
Subseries of BattleTech
MechCommander	1998
MechCommander 2	2001

MechCommander is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person and third-person strategy game in the MechCommander series.

The game was re-released in September 1999 as MechCommander: Gold, featuring the content of the would-be expansion pack Desperate Measures with a new campaign, mechs, terrain and an editor. The Gold release would later be released as freeware.

General information

BattleTech Wiki - A massive wiki for everything BattleTech related

MechCommander Gold Wiki - A small wiki for the game

Mechcommander Gold on TheGameEngine.org - solving some technical issues.

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail
Publisher website		Freeware download.

A free demo version is available from Archive.org.

Version differences

MechCommander: Gold is an expanded re-release which contains the Desperate Measures campaign, new mechs, new terrain and an editor.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

Name	Notes
Desperate Measures	Included with MechCommander Gold. Not available separately, despite original plans to the contrary.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\PREFS.CFG^{[Note 1]}

Save game data location

System	Location
Windows	<path-to-game>\data\savegame^{[Note 1]}

Video

Graphics feature	State	Notes
Widescreen resolution
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		Toggle with `Alt`+`↵ Enter`.
Borderless fullscreen windowed		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Anti-aliasing (AA)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
60 FPS and 120+ FPS

Input

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support

Controller types

Audio

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls		Music, Voice, Sound FX
Surround sound
Subtitles		Affects radio chatter and video briefing
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost		Can't `Alt`+`Tab ↹`.
Royalty free audio

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
German
Italian
Russian				Fan translation, download

Network

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		6	IPX, TCP/IP, Serial/Modem.
Online play		6	The official MPlayer.com and MSN Gaming Zone services have been shut down. Supported by GameRanger

Connection types

Type	Native	Notes
Matchmaking
Peer-to-peer
Dedicated
Self-hosting
Direct IP

Issues fixed

Running the game on 64-bit Windows

Although the game installer is 16-bit, the actual game is 32-bit.

Setting up the game manually^{[citation needed]}
Create a new folder called where the game will be contained. Copy the contents of the MechCommander CD and paste them into that folder. Set `MC.exe` / `MCX.exe` to run in compatibility mode for Windows XP SP3.

Use higher resolutions in game

Set higher resolutions^{[citation needed]}

Go to the installation folder.
Open PREFS.CFG.
Add the line l Resolution=X at the bottom of the file.
Replace X with:
- 0 for 640x480 (default)
- 1 for 800x600
- 2 for 1024x768
- 3 for 1280x1024.
With the game running in higher resolution, you can use the zoom in feature (press '+') to play in highest detail with slightly more battlefield visibility that the game offers by default in the unzoomed state.

Notes

Menus are fixed to 640x480. In game resolution can be increased, but menus will not stretch to fill the screen.

Rainbow color problem on Windows Vista/7

Check DirectDraw troubleshooting for a proper fix.

Other information

API

Executable	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Multiplayer	MPlayer.com, MSN Zone

System requirements

Windows
	Minimum	Recommended
Operating system (OS)	95	98
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 133 MHz
System memory (RAM)	32 MB	64 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	200 MB	600 MB
Video card (GPU)	SVGA compatible 2 MB of VRAM

Notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

References

[gamedir-1] 1.0 ^1.1 When running this game without elevated privileges (Run as administrator option), write operations against a location below %PROGRAMFILES%, %PROGRAMDATA%, or %WINDIR% might be redirected to %LOCALAPPDATA%\VirtualStore on Windows Vista and later (more details).

[Note 1]

@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
 |engines      =
 |release dates=
-{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|March 31, 1998}}
+{{Infobox game/row/date|Windows|June 24, 1998}}
+|taxonomy     =
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/monetization      | Freeware }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/microtransactions | }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/modes             | Singleplayer, Multiplayer }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/pacing            | Real-time }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/perspectives      | First-person, Third-person }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/controls          | Multiple select, Point and select }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/genres            | Strategy }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/sports            | }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/vehicles          | Robot }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/art styles        | }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/themes            | Sci-fi }}
+{{Infobox game/row/taxonomy/series            | MechCommander }}
 |steam appid  =
 |gogcom id    =
+|hltb         = 5761
+|lutris       = mechcommander-gold
 |strategywiki = MechCommander
-|mobygames    = mech-commander
+|mobygames    = 334
 |wikipedia    = MechCommander
 |winehq       = 301
 |license      = former commercial
 }}
-{{Series|MechCommander}}
-'''Key points'''
+{{Introduction
-{{++}} MechCommander Gold re-released as a free download.
+|introduction      =
-{{--}} Installer is 16-bit only, but a workaround is available. See [[#Running the game on 64-bit Windows|Running the game on 64 bit-Windows]]
+|release history   = The game was re-released in September 1999 as '''''MechCommander: Gold''''', featuring the content of the would-be expansion pack '''''Desperate Measures''''' with a new campaign, mechs, terrain and an editor. The ''Gold'' release would later be released as freeware.
+|current state     =
+}}
 '''General information'''
 {{mm}} [http://www.sarna.net/wiki/Main_Page BattleTech Wiki] - A massive wiki for everything BattleTech related
-{{mm}} [http://mechcommandergold.wikia.com/wiki/MechCommander_Gold_Wiki MechCommander Gold Wiki] - A small wiki for the game
+{{mm}} [https://mechcommandergold.fandom.com/wiki/MechCommander_Gold_Wiki MechCommander Gold Wiki] - A small wiki for the game
 {{mm}} [http://www.thegameengine.org/mechcommander-gold/ Mechcommander Gold on TheGameEngine.org] - solving some technical issues.
@@ Line 30: / Line 48: @@
 {{Availability|
 {{Availability/row| Retail | | disc | | | Windows }}
-{{Availability/row| Publisher|http://www.thegameengine.org/mechcommander-gold/mechcommander-gold-freeware-download/|DRM-free |Freeware download.| | Windows }}
+{{Availability/row| Publisher | http://www.thegameengine.org/mechcommander-gold/mechcommander-gold-freeware-download/ | DRM-free | Freeware download. | | Windows }}
 }}
+{{ii}} A free demo version is available from [https://archive.org/details/MCDEMO Archive.org].
+===Version differences===
+{{ii}} '''MechCommander: Gold''' is an expanded re-release which contains the Desperate Measures campaign, new mechs, new terrain and an editor.
+==Monetization==
 {{DLC|
-{{DLC/row| MechCommander: Desperate Measures | Included with MechCommander Gold. | Windows }}
+{{DLC/row| Desperate Measures | Included with MechCommander Gold. Not available separately, despite original plans to the contrary. | Windows }}
 }}
@@ Line 45: / Line 68: @@
 ===Save game data location===
 {{Game data|
-{{Game data/saves|Windows|}}
+{{Game data/saves|Windows|{{p|game}}\data\savegame}}
 }}
-==Video settings==
+==Video==
-{{Video settings
+{{Video
 |wsgf link                  =
 |widescreen wsgf award      =
@@ Line 73: / Line 96: @@
 |antialiasing               = false
 |antialiasing notes         =
+|upscaling                  = unknown
+|upscaling tech             =
+|upscaling notes            =
 |vsync                      = false
 |vsync notes                =
@@ Line 85: / Line 111: @@
 }}
-==Input settings==
+==Input==
-{{Input settings
+{{Input
 |key remap                 = false
 |key remap notes           =
@@ Line 149: / Line 175: @@
 }}
-==Audio settings==
+==Audio==
-{{Audio settings
+{{Audio
 |separate volume          = true
 |separate volume notes    = Music, Voice, Sound FX
@@ Line 163: / Line 189: @@
 |eax support              =
 |eax support notes        =
+|royalty free audio       = always on
+|royalty free audio notes =
 }}
@@ Line 170: / Line 198: @@
   |interface = true
   |audio     = true
+ |subtitles = false
+ |notes     =
+}}
+{{L10n/switch
+ |language  = German
+ |interface = true
+ |audio     = unknown
+ |subtitles = false
+ |notes     =
+}}
+{{L10n/switch
+ |language  = Italian
+ |interface = true
+ |audio     = unknown
   |subtitles = false
   |notes     =
@@ Line 193: / Line 235: @@
 |lan play modes       =
 |lan play notes       = IPX, TCP/IP, Serial/Modem.
-|online play          = false
+|online play          = true
 |online play players  = 6
 |online play modes    =
-|online play notes    = Required MPlayer or MSN Zone.
+|online play notes    = The official [[MPlayer.com]] and MSN Gaming Zone services have been shut down. Supported by [https://gameranger.com/games/ GameRanger]
 |asynchronous         =
 |asynchronous notes   =
@@ Line 204: / Line 246: @@
 |matchmaking        = false
 |matchmaking notes  =
-|p2p                = false
+|p2p                = true
 |p2p notes          =
 |dedicated          = false
 |dedicated notes    =
-|self-hosting       = false
+|self-hosting       = true
 |self-hosting notes =
 |direct ip          = false
@@ Line 223: / Line 265: @@
 {{Fixbox|description=Setting up the game manually|ref={{cn|date=July 2016}}|fix=
-# Somewhere on the computer (ex. the Desktop), create a new folder called "MechCommander".
+# Create a new folder called where the game will be contained.
-# Copy the contents of the MechCommander CD and paste them into the folder that was created before.
+# Copy the contents of the MechCommander CD and paste them into that folder.
-# When everything has finished copying, go into the installation folder and right click on the MC.exe (or MCX.exe).
+# Set {{file|MC.exe}} / {{file|MCX.exe}} to run in [[Windows Compatibility Mode|compatibility mode]] for Windows XP SP3.
-# Go to the "Compatibility" tab and enable Compatibility Mode (set it to "Windows XP (Service Pack 3)").
-# Run the MC.exe (or MCX.exe) file to play the game.
-'''Notes'''
-{{ii}} This will not run full screen.{{cn|date=March 2016}}
 }}
@@ Line 249: / Line 286: @@
 }}
-===Rainbow color problem===
+===Rainbow color problem on Windows Vista/7===
-{{ii}} When running on fullscreen in Windows Vista and 7 only may trigger the rainbow color problem.
+{{ii}} Check [[Glossary:DirectX/DirectDraw troubleshooting|DirectDraw troubleshooting]] for a proper fix.
-Check [[Rainbow color problems in older games]] for a proper fix.
 ==Other information==
@@ Line 280: / Line 314: @@
 |windows 32-bit exe     = true
 |windows 64-bit exe     = false
+|windows arm app        = unknown
 |windows exe notes      =
-|macos 32-bit app       =
+|macos intel 32-bit app =
-|macos 64-bit app       =
+|macos intel 64-bit app =
+|macos arm app          = unknown
 |macos app notes        =
 |linux 32-bit executable=
 |linux 64-bit executable=
+|linux arm app          = unknown
 |linux executable notes =
+}}
+===Middleware===
+{{Middleware
+|physics          =
+|physics notes    =
+|audio            =
+|audio notes      =
+|interface        =
+|interface notes  =
+|input            =
+|input notes      =
+|cutscenes        =
+|cutscenes notes  =
+|multiplayer      = Mplayer, MSN Zone
+|multiplayer notes=
+|anticheat        =
+|anticheat notes  =
 }}

Developers

	FASA Interactive
Publishers
	MicroProse
Release dates
Windows	June 24, 1998
Taxonomy
Monetization	Freeware
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Multiple select, Point and select
Genres	Strategy
Vehicles	Robot
Themes	Sci-fi
Series	MechCommander