MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat

MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat

Developers
	Activision
Publishers
	Activision
Engines
	MechWarrior 2
Release dates
DOS	July 24, 1995
Windows	September 1995
Mac OS (Classic)	July 1, 1996
Taxonomy
Monetization	One-time game purchase, Expansion pack
Modes	Singleplayer, Multiplayer
Pacing	Real-time
Perspectives	First-person, Third-person
Controls	Direct control
Genres	Vehicle combat
Vehicles	Robot
Art styles	Stylized
Themes	Sci-fi
Series	MechWarrior

MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat is a singleplayer and multiplayer first-person and third-person vehicle combat game in the MechWarrior series.

The game received two expansion packs, Ghost Bear's Legacy in November 1995 and the standalone Mercenaries in September 1996, each with their own campaigns and new 'Mechs. The multiplayer component, named NetMech, was incomplete at the time of the game's launch, and was later released both as a free download and as a purchasable disc.

The game had several different releases; see Version differences.

On modern systems, the DOS version of the game is commonly played via MechVM. However, the Windows-native versions do not work on Windows 8 and later unless DxWnd is used.

General information

BattleTech Wiki - A massive wiki for everything BattleTech related

MechWarrior 2 Resource Forum

Local Ditch Gaming - A good source for tips.

Availability

Source	DRM	Notes	Keys	OS
Retail		Mac OS version is a separate release. DOS and Windows versions are packed together except in the earliest releases.

Free demo versions are available from Archive.org: original, updated.

Version differences

The Titanium Trilogy is a complete edition including both expansions and MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries. Note however it is based on the Mercenaries' engine and thus has different stats and textures to the original as well as a cut-down music score.

The DOS version uses software rendering. This version can be played in DOSBox.

The Windows 95, Pentium, Diamond Monster 3D, 3Dfx, Battlepack and Titanium versions can be played using MechVM. 95 and Pentium can be converted to be Glide capable with these files.

The ATI Rage, Matrox Mystique, PowerVR, S3 ViRGE and STB Velocity versions are not usable on modern systems.

There are many visual differences between the hardware-accelerated versions; see the 3D Acceleration Comparison for details. Also see MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat - DOS/Win95/3DFX/PS1/Saturn and Different Versions of MechWarrior 2.

Monetization

DLC and expansion packs

A standalone follow-up, MechWarrior 2: Mercenaries, is also available.

Name	Notes
Ghost Bear's Legacy	Sold separately or bundled with later releases.
NetMech	Online multiplayer service for MechWarrior 2. Was incomplete at the time of game release so was later released as an "expansion".

Essential improvements

MechVM

MechVM cannot run Windows versions on Windows 8 and later; choose the DOS version when prompted (not included with all Windows versions).

Use MechVM
Download MechVM and extract it. Run mechvm.exe and install the game through it. Go to the directx folder on the game disc. If dplay.dll exists, copy it to <path-to-game>. Set mech2.exe to run in Windows 95 compatibility mode. For versions with 3dfx renderers (3dfx, Diamond Monster 3D, Titanium) use nGlide.

DxWnd

DxWnd can run the Windows version on Windows XP all the way up to Windows 11.

Pentium Edition

Insert the CD in your drive. Install WineVDM v0.8.1 or newer. Set START.EXE to run with Windows 95 compatibility settings from the Properties menu. Running START.EXE, click on the INSTALL button to start installation. After installation finishes, copy the DPLAY.DLL from the DIRECTX folder of the CD to the game directory. Download and install the MechWarrior 2 v1.1 patch. After installation finishes, download DxWnd v2.05.81 or newer. Download this attachment for the Pentium Edition. Install the .sdb file given in the attachment. Open DxWnd and use import the profile given attachment. Set the executable path through DxWnd.

Titanium Edition

Insert the CD in a disc drive. Install WineVDM v0.8.1 or newer. Set Setup.exe to run with Windows 95 compatibility settings from the Properties menu. Running Setup.exe, click on the INSTALL button to start installation. During installation, choose the HARDWARE ACCELERATION option which installs the Titanium Edition of the game. After installation finishes, download DxWnd v2.05.81 or newer. Rename Mw2win.exe to Mw2tit.exe. Download this attachment for the Titanium Edition. Install the .sdb file given in the attachment. Open DxWnd and use import the profile given attachment. Set the executable path through DxWnd.

Patches

Install the latest Patch to fix various issues. Battlepack and Titanium versions are already patched.

Skip intro videos

Use replacement MINTRO.SMK
Apply this intro skip.

Game data

Configuration file(s) location

System	Location
DOS
Windows	<path-to-game>\
Mac OS (Classic)

Save game data location

System	Location
DOS	<path-to-game>\mw2reg.cfg
Windows
Mac OS (Classic)

Video

In-game general settings.

In-game movie playback settings.

Graphics feature	State	WSGF	Notes
Widescreen resolution			See the WSGF entry.
Multi-monitor
Ultra-widescreen
4K Ultra HD
Field of view (FOV)
Windowed		By default.
Borderless fullscreen windowed
Anisotropic filtering (AF)		Install nGlide and force in the graphics card control panel.
Anti-aliasing (AA)		Install nGlide and force in the graphics card control panel.
High-fidelity upscaling		See the glossary page for potential workarounds.
Vertical sync (Vsync)		For DOSBox use an unofficial build (see the glossary page for other workarounds).
60 FPS and 120+ FPS
High dynamic range display (HDR)

Widescreen resolution

The 3dfx edition can be played in widescreen (see the WSGF entry); other versions with 3dfx renderers can be run at higher resolutions using nGlide (choice of stretched or pillarboxed 4:3).

Use nGlide[citation needed]
Install nGlide. Run the nGlide configurator from the Start screen/Start menu. Set the preferred resolution. Change aspect ratio to "4:3" for the correct perspective or "fit to screen" for a stretched output. Select the 3dfx renderer in-game.

View Distance

A patch to increase the game's view distance is available here.

Input

In-game key map settings.

Keyboard and mouse	State	Notes
Remapping
Mouse acceleration
Mouse sensitivity
Mouse input in menus
Mouse Y-axis inversion
Controller
Controller support
Full controller support
Controller remapping
Controller sensitivity
Controller Y-axis inversion

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers

PlayStation controllers

Generic/other controllers

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Haptic feedback
Digital movement supported
Simultaneous controller+KB/M		Joystick interferes with keyboard aiming.

Audio

Audio feature	State	Notes
Separate volume controls
Surround sound
Subtitles
Closed captions
Mute on focus lost
Royalty free audio
Red Book CD audio		On Windows, CD music might not play correctly; see the troubleshooting guide for solutions.

Localizations

Language	UI	Audio	Sub	Notes
English
German				MechWarrior 2: Kampfspiel im 31. Jahrhundert. The ingame computer lore files are all in English; all other text is written and dubbed in German. MechWarrior 2: Erweiterungs-Set Ghost Bear's Legacy also has a German translated/dubbed version available.
Japanese				メックウォリア2.
Brazilian Portuguese				MechWarrior 2: Combate no Século 31.

Network

Multiplayer requires the Netmech expansion (sold separately or bundled with later releases).

Multiplayer types

Type	Native	Players	Notes
LAN play		8
Online play		8	Official servers have been shut down.

Connection types

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

Issues fixed

No music

The disc must be inserted in CD-ROM 0; see this page for details.

Joystick not detected in Ghost Bear's Legacy

Copy missing giddi/giddiwin files
Open the giddi folder on the CD. Copy the contents to giddi in the installation folder. Open the giddiwin folder on the CD. Copy the contents to giddiwin in the installation folder.

Jump jets not recharging

Jump Jets don't recharge if the computer is too fast.

Reduce DOSBox cycles
Can be set on command line or batch file, config -set cpu cycles 100000. Ctrl-F11 or Ctrl-F12 can also adjust the game speed until jumpjets can recharge.

Audio quality issues

The DOS version is sensitive to an incorrect Sound Blaster choice.

Change audio settings
Open mw2setup.exe. Choose "Configure Sound Devices", and "Select and configure digital audio driver". Choose the correct sound card. DOSBox uses the Sound Blaster 16 by default. If you are unsure, pick "Creative Labs Sound Blaster or 100% compatible".

Other information

API

Technical specs	Supported	Notes
DirectDraw		Availability varies (see Version differences).
Glide	2.11	Availability varies (see Version differences).
Software renderer		Availability varies (see Version differences).
DOS video modes	SVGA

Executable	PPC	16-bit	32-bit	64-bit	Notes
Windows
Mac OS (Classic)

ATI CIF: Rage version
PowerSGL: PowerVR version
MSI: Matrox version
S3D: Virge version

Middleware

	Middleware	Notes
Audio	Miles Sound System
Cutscenes	Smacker Video Technology

System requirements

DOS

Windows

Mac OS (Classic)

DOS
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	5.0
Processor (CPU)	Intel 486 66 MHz
System memory (RAM)	8 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	45 MB
Video card (GPU)	SVGA 256 Color

Windows
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	95
Processor (CPU)	Intel Pentium 100 MHz
System memory (RAM)	16 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	195 MB
Video card (GPU)	Direct3D or 3dfx compatible

Mac OS
	Minimum
Operating system (OS)	7.5
Processor (CPU)	PowerPC 601
System memory (RAM)	16 MB
Hard disk drive (HDD)	40 MB
Sound (audio device)	Sound Manager 3.1
Other	2x CD-ROM drive