Games Design 1A

Design Document for

MechWarrior 4 Mercenaries

Andrew Clark (CV003707)

Page 1
Game Concept________________________________________________________6
Introduction________________________________________________________6
Genre_____________________________________________________________6
Platform___________________________________________________________6
Game mechanics_______________________________________________________6
Core gameplay______________________________________________________6
Rules____________________________________________________________6
Actors_____________________________________________________________7
Avatars__________________________________________________________7
Weapons________________________________________________________23
Armour_________________________________________________________27
Non-Mech Enemies_______________________________________________28
Actions:___________________________________________________________29
Behaviour_________________________________________________________30
Progression________________________________________________________30
Game flow:______________________________________________________30
Moves____________________________________________________________31
Modes of Play____________________________________________________38
Scoring_________________________________________________________39
Points________________________________________________________39
Collectables___________________________________________________39
Pilots_______________________________________________________39
Weapons:___________________________________________________40
Mechs:_____________________________________________________40
Life Management_______________________________________________42
Navigation______________________________________________________43
Balance_________________________________________________________43
Interface____________________________________________________________44
Flow chart_________________________________________________________44
Interface by screen__________________________________________________45
Main Menu______________________________________________________45
Instant Action Deployment__________________________________________46
MechLab (Generic)_______________________________________________47
Campaign command Centre_________________________________________47
Star Systems_____________________________________________________48
Orbital View_____________________________________________________49
Mission Deployment Screen_________________________________________49
MechLab (Campaign)______________________________________________50
Free Market_____________________________________________________51
Load___________________________________________________________51
Options_________________________________________________________52
Multiplayer connection setup________________________________________53
Select sever______________________________________________________53
Host setup_______________________________________________________54
Edit restrictions___________________________________________________55
Roster__________________________________________________________55
Credits__________________________________________________________56
Style_______________________________________________________________56
Story synopsis______________________________________________________57
Script_____________________________________________________________57
Page 2
Levels______________________________________________________________59
Mission 1: Eaton – Merc Alley________________________________________59
Concept:________________________________________________________59
Primary Objectives:_______________________________________________59
Secondary Objectives:_____________________________________________59
Maximum Number of Teammates Allowed_____________________________59
Pay:____________________________________________________________59
Enemies (Red Dots)_______________________________________________59
Group 1:______________________________________________________59
Group 2:______________________________________________________59
Group 3:______________________________________________________60
Mission specific entities. (Green Dots)______________________________60
Walkthrough_____________________________________________________60
Mission 2: Halloran V – Checkpoint____________________________________60
Concept:________________________________________________________60
Primary Objectives:_______________________________________________60
Secondary Objectives:_____________________________________________61
Maximum number of teammates allowed______________________________61
Pay____________________________________________________________61
Enemies (Red Dots)_______________________________________________61
Group 1:______________________________________________________61
Group 2:______________________________________________________61
Group 3:______________________________________________________61
Group 4:______________________________________________________61
Group 5:______________________________________________________61
Group 6:______________________________________________________61
Walkthrough_____________________________________________________61
Mission 3: Halloran V – Offshore______________________________________63
Concept:________________________________________________________63
Primary Objectives:_______________________________________________63
Secondary Objectives:_____________________________________________63
Maximum Number of Teammates allowed_____________________________63
Pay:____________________________________________________________63
Enemies________________________________________________________63
Group 1:______________________________________________________63
Group 2:______________________________________________________63
Group 3:______________________________________________________64
Group 4:______________________________________________________64
Mission Specific Entities___________________________________________64
Walkthrough_____________________________________________________64
Mission 4: Eaton Merc Alley A________________________________________64
Concept:________________________________________________________64
Primary Objective:________________________________________________65
Secondary Objective:______________________________________________65
Maximum Number of Teammates Allowed_____________________________65
Pay____________________________________________________________65
Enemies________________________________________________________65
Group 1:______________________________________________________65
Group 2:______________________________________________________65
Mission specific Entities:_________________________________________65
Walkthrough_____________________________________________________66
Page 3
 Mission 5: Halloran V – Industry Raid__________________________________66
Mission Concept:_________________________________________________66
Primary Objective:________________________________________________66
Secondary Objectives______________________________________________66
Maximum Number of Teammates Allowed_____________________________66
Pay:____________________________________________________________66
Enemies:________________________________________________________67
Group 1:______________________________________________________67
Group 2:______________________________________________________67
Group 3: (Black Cobra Unit)______________________________________67
Mission specific entities:_________________________________________67
Walkthrough_____________________________________________________67
Options_____________________________________________________________67
Difficulty level:____________________________________________________67
Multiplayer options:_________________________________________________68
Video/sound options_________________________________________________68
Video options:___________________________________________________68
Sound options____________________________________________________69
Support_____________________________________________________________69
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries – Cyberlore Studios, Inc._____________________69
Project Team_______________________________________________________69
Project Lead and Lead Designer:_____________________________________69
Lead Programmer:________________________________________________69
Lead Artist:______________________________________________________69
Producer:________________________________________________________69
Executive Producer:_______________________________________________70
Programmers:____________________________________________________70
Artists:_________________________________________________________70
Additional Artists_________________________________________________70
Designers:_______________________________________________________70
Sound Design and Engineering:______________________________________70
Content Manager:_________________________________________________70
Additional Content Manager:________________________________________70
Marketing:______________________________________________________70
Playtesting:______________________________________________________70
Additional Playtesting:_____________________________________________70
MIS Support_____________________________________________________70
Voice Talent:____________________________________________________71
Human Resources and Office Manager:________________________________71
Art Department Director:___________________________________________71
Programming Department Director:___________________________________71
Design Department Director:________________________________________71
FASA Studio, Microsoft Corporation___________________________________71
Studio Manager:__________________________________________________71
Executive Producer, BattleTech® Line_________________________________71
Program Manager:________________________________________________71
Art Director:_____________________________________________________71
Development Manager:____________________________________________71
Development:____________________________________________________72
Design:_________________________________________________________72
Competitive analysis__________________________________________________72
Page 4
 Comparing MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries to MechWarrior 3._________________72
Graphics:________________________________________________________72
Music__________________________________________________________72
Interface________________________________________________________72
Gameplay:_______________________________________________________73
Story:__________________________________________________________73
Gems___________________________________________________________74
Main tradeoffs in MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries__________________________74

Page 5
Game Concept

Introduction

MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries Is a 3d based team game in which players move around

a large terrain in a multitude of Mechs with the objective of destroying all of the
enemy units consisting of tanks, aircraft, boats and Mechs using a variety of
weapons.

Genre

MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries is 3d shooter that can be played in 1st or 3rd person

depending on your preference examples of this type of interface can be seen in the
previous MechWarrior games. MechWarrior 4 is a mission based game where the
player can lead a team of up to 8 Mechs into over 50 different missions with
objectives ranging from protecting a convoy to assaulting a dropship.

Platform

MechWarrior 4 was developed for use on windows 98 and requires the use of at least
a 16mb graphics card and 700 MHz of processing power

Game mechanics

Core gameplay
Foremost the main aim of MechWarrior 4 is to eliminate all enemy units on the map,
this aim can then be condensed down into 4 different mission types: Defending,
Attacking, Recon and Stealth. Normally any one mission falls under one of these
categories, although several missions can fall under several due to changes in the
primary objective or the addition of a secondary objective.
Defending missions normally consist of defending several key structures or escorting
a convoy from point A to point B while destroying any enemy Mechs or vehicles you
come across. Attacking missions will have attacking a base to take out key structures,
clearing a large force of Mechs stationed in an area or even taking out a dropship.
Recon missions consist of going progressively through several navpoints clearing
enemies as you find them. Lastly Stealth Missions involves getting to key structures
to upload data while often avoiding patrols (if you so wish).

Rules
In MechWarrior the only way to destroy enemy vehicles and Mechs is to attack them
with the weapons mounted on your Mech, as such there is no close combat attacks
Page 6
that your Mech can do, the exception of this is that you can step on small vehicles but
you take damage for doing so.
Also although friendly fire is on, the moment you destroy one of your teammates
your current mission is immediately aborted.

Actors
Avatars
Mech Description
Light Mechs
Cougar Although the
Cougar is not
able to go as
fast as the
Raven or Osiris,
it is one of the
most powerful
scout Mechs in
existence and
outguns both its
Inner Sphere
counterparts.

Flea Made popular

by Wolf’s
Dragoons, the
Flea is a
versatile 20-ton
mech. Speed
makes it good
at
reconnaissance,
and it has
enough
firepower to
excel in
antipersonnel
and antivehicle
capabilities.

Page 7
 Osiris Unmatched
speed and
manoeuvrability
of the Osiris
makes it one of
the premier
scout Mechs.

Owens The Owens is

primarily a
scout Mech.
Combined with
its speed it
carries an
unusual amount
of electronics
gear. Its design
integrates Clan
Omni-
technology,
allowing it to
pack more
punch than
other light
Mechs.
Puma Unlike most
light Mechs, the
Puma is not for
scouting. It has
an exceptional
amount of
firepower and is
used for fire
support. It is a
match for many
Inner Sphere
medium Mechs.

Page 8
 Raven Not quite as fast
as the Osiris,
the raven
carries an
electronics
package that
makes it a very
effective scout.

Uller Even more

manoeuvrable
and faster than
the Osiris, the
Uller is one of
the best scout
Mechs
available. It
also packs a
considerable
punch for its
weight.

Wolfhound Although slow

for it weight,
the wolfhound
has excellent
armour and can
carry many
beam weapons.
It has more
stamina in a
firefight than
other light
Mechs.

Page 9
 Medium Mechs
Bushwacke With its low
r profile, the
Bushwacker is
hard to notice
on the
battlefield, this
serves it well,
because the
Bushwacker
favourite tactic
is to snipe from
range with its
LRM’s and
Autocannon

Chimera A new design

based on
general
purpose, the
chimera is
capable in any
role without
being a standoff
in one specific
area.

Page 10
Hellhound The hellhound
is a Clan Jade
Falcon medium
Mech. It can
outrun
practically
anything it
can’t outgun.
This ability
adds to its
reputation as
one of the most
effective
medium Mechs
in operations.

Hellspawn At 45 Tons, the

Hellspawn is a
bit heavy for a
scout design,
but it does fine
in a scout
command role.
Mostly a
missile Mech, it
has enough
beam and
ballistic
hardpoints to
give it a well
rounded stature.

Ryoken Fast, adaptable,

with a large
weapon
payload, this
Mech gained
the respect of
the Inner
Sphere on the
field of battle.

Page 11
Shadow Cat With a wide
array of
weapons, good
armour, jump
jets, and decent
speed, the
Shadow Cat is
one of the most
flexible Mechs
in its class.

Uziel Manoeuvrable
with food
firepower and
decent armour,
the Uziel is the
epitome of the
medium class
Mech capable
of filling any
job in a pinch.

Page 12
 Heavy Mechs
Argus Capable of
carrying
missiles,
ballistic, and
beam weapons
in good number,
the Argus has
been called the
smallest assault
Mech in
existence. It
works well in a
frontal assault
role.

Black A new chassis

Knight integrating clan
technology, the
Black Knight is
competitive with
other Clan
heavy Mechs. A
mix of beam and
Omni hardpoints
make it versatile
and deadly.

Page 13
Catapult One of the best
missile Mechs
in the Inner
Sphere arsenal,
the Catapult
excels in a fire
support role. Its
ability to mount
jump jets helps
it escape
dangerous
situations.

Loki With a large

number of
ballistic and
beam
hardpoints, the
Loki is an
excellent toe-to-
toe combatant. It
is especially
effective when
teamed with a
fire support
Mech such as
the Vulture

Page 14
Mad Cat A bland of
firepower,
armour, speed
and
manoeuvrability
, no Mech
portrays the can
idea of military
superiority as
the Mad Cat
does, its only
weakness is that
you can’t install
jump jets.

Nova Cat Based on beam

weapons and not
ammunition
based systems,
the Nova Cat
excels at
extended
performance.
Unfortunately,
all of those
beam weapons
means it has a
serious problem
with
overheating.

Page 15
Thanatos The Thanatos
mounts a pair of
LRM racks, but
heavy Mech
also thrives up
close. Its LAMS
lets it get in
close where its
firepower is
most effective
and it can
devastate an
enemy Mech in
seconds.

Thor An offset
cockpit and
rounded missile
tube makes the
Thor look
unique. With a
large number of
hardpoints for
its weight it can
be outfitted in a
variety of ways
to keep the
enemy guessing.

Page 16
Vulture The Vultures
high missile
capacity to
tonnage ratio
makes it an
excellent choice
in the fire
support role for
its size.

Assault Mechs
Atlas Slow,
ponderous, and
100 tons, the
atlas isn’t hard
to spot. It has
more armour
than any other
Mech and it
carry’s LAMS,
lending it battle
longevity. Its
vast firepower
makes it the
centre of a
battle.

Page 17
Awesome With three
PPC’s the
awesome is
capable of
taking out most
Mechs with a
few well-placed
shots. Thick
armour helps it
survive battle
but heat
problems and
low top speed
limit its
usefulness.

Daishi Even with low

manoeuvrability
, slow speed,
and 100 tons, no
other Mech,
Clan or Inner
Sphere, can
outgun a Daishi.
Evan an Atlas
can’t carry equal
firepower. In
battle it is the
focus of combat.

Page 18
Fafnir The Fafnir is
Defiance
Industries
showcase Mech.
Capable of
mounting twin
Heavy Gauss
Rifles, this
assault Mech
can hold the line
in any
battlefield.

Gladiator The Gladiator

seemed
unstoppable
during the Clan
invasion, an
assault Mech
with jump jets,
it is also fast and
manoeuvrable.
Some say that in
one-on-one
fights it is the
king of the
battlefield.

Page 19
Hauptma The Hauptman
n is one of the
Lyran alliances
first Mechs to
integrate Clan
OmniMech-
Technology. It
has both deadly
power and
adaptability,
making it a
dangerous
addition to
Steiner Forces.

Longbow The Longbow is

an assault Mech
designed to be a
missile
platform.
Capable of
mounting a
dizzying number
of LRM’s, the
Longbow is a
prime candidate
for support roles
in large
engagements.

Page 20
Mad Cat The Mad Cat
Mark II Mark II is like
the Mad Cat, but
larger and more
powerful.
Added jump jets
eliminate one of
its weaknesses
but has
decreased its
speed and
manoeuvrability
.

Mauler At 90 tons, the

Mauler lives up
to its name.
With a good
blend of
firepower and
armour thicker
than any except
the Atlas, the
Mauler is more
than powerful
enough to tip the
scale of battle.

Page 21
Sunder A streamlined
design based on
Clan tech, the
sunder carries a
heavier arsenal
than many
assault Mechs.
An impressive
torso twist range
makes it
manoeuvre like
a lighter Mech
in close combat.

Templar The Templar is

the result of
Kallon
industries effort
to introduce
Omni-
Technology to
Davion assault
Mechs. A
phenomenal
success, the
Templar is a
lethal addition
to Prince Victor
Davion’s
Forces.

Page 22
 Victor Named after
Prince Victor
Davion, the
Victor has a
wide variety of
armaments. It is
one of the
premier assault
Mechs in
Davion forces.

Al the above Avatars you can choose all have exactly the same actions; the only
difference between them is in their stats as shown in the collectables section.
Also each Mechs colour scheme is customisable
How accurate and efficient the Mechs are in general are determined by which pilot
they have been equipped with, the list of pilots and their ability scores can also be
found in the collectables section.

Weapons
Name Clan Weigh Cost Range Damag Heat Recharge Picture
t e
Lasers
Large Laser No 5 650 7.5 6 6

Medium No 1 300 2 1.5 3

Laser
Small Laser No 0.5 150 1.25 0.85 2

ER Large Yes 4 800 7.5 9 5

Laser

ER Medium Yes 1 400 2.45 2.5 3

Laser
ER Small Yes .05 200 1.6 1.15 2
Laser
Large Pulse No 7 650 4 5 0.75
Laser

Medium No 2 300 1.1 1.25 0.5

Pulse Laser
Page 23
Small Pulse No 1 150 0.45 0.4 0.25
Laser
Large X- No 5 700 5.75 7 1.75
Pulse Laser

Medium X- No 3 400 2.25 2.6 0.75

Pulse Laser
Small X- No 1.5 200 0.8 0.85 0.3
Pulse Laser
ER Large Yes 6 800 4.5 5.6 0.75
Pulse Laser

ER Medium Yes 2 400 1.2 1.35 0.5

Pulse Laser
ER Small Yes 1.5 200 0.55 0.6 0.25
Pulse Laser
PPC No 7 850 12 11 6

ER PPC Yes 6 1000 16 16 8

Flamer No 1 150 1 4 4

Flamer Yes 0.5 150 1 4 4

Missiles
LRM5 No 3 1000 4 0.8 4
LRM10 No 6 1000 8 1.6 4

LRM15 No 8 1000 12 2 4

LRM20 No 11 1000 16 2.4 4

LRM5 Yes 2 1000 4 1.2 6

LRM10 Yes 3.5 1000 8 2.4 6

Page 24
LRM15 Yes 4.5 1000 12 3 6

LRM20 Yes 6 1000 16 3.6 6

MRM10 No 5 400 9 2.4 5

MRM20 No 8 400 18 4.8 5

MRM30 No 11 400 27 6 5

MRM40 No 13 400 36 7.2 5

SMRM10 Yes 5 400 7 2.4 7

SMRM20 Yes 8 400 14 4.8 7

SMRM30 Yes 11 400 21 6 7

SMRM40 Yes 13 400 28 7.2 7

SRM2 No 2 250 3 0.4 2

SRM4 No 3 250 6 0.6 2

SRM6 No 4 250 9 0.8 2

STRK2 Yes 2 250 3 0.6 3

STRK4 Yes 3 250 6 0.9 3
STRK6 Yes 4 250 9 1.2 3

Page 25
Arrow IV No 18 1200 32 7 10
Cluster

Arrow IV No 14 1200 28 7 6.5

Thunderbol
t

Ballistic Weapons
AC5 No 8 750 2 0.2 1
AC10 No 13 600 9 0.6 3

AC20 No 16 400 18 1.8 5

LBX AC10 No 12 450 14 1 4

LBX AC20 No 15 350 28 2 6

LBX AC10 Yes 10 450 14 1 4

LBX AC20 Yes 12 350 28 2 6

Rotary No 8 900 1.85 0.15 0.25

Autocannon
2
Rotary No 10 550 22.35 0.2 0.3
Autocannon
5
Ultra AC2 No 8 1000 2.5 0.1 1
Ultra AC5 No 10 600 4 0.15 1.5
Ultra AC10 No 16 500 18 0.75 4

Page 26
Ultra AC20 No 20 350 36 1.5 6

Ultra AC2 Yes 6 1000 2.5 0.11 1

Ultra AC5 Yes 8 600 4 0.15 1.5
Ultra AC10 Yes 13 500 18 0.75 4

Ultra AC20 Yes 18 350 36 1.5 6

Light Gauss No 13 1200 12 0.8 6

Rifle

Gauss Rifle No 16 800 17 1 8

Heavy No 18 600 27 2 8
Gauss Rifle

Gauss Rifle Yes 13 800 17 1 8

Machine No 2 150 0.35 0 0.3

Gun Array
Machine Yes 2 200 0.4 0 0.3
Gun Array
Long Tom No 20 1000 35 20 7
Artillery

Armour – see life management

Page 27
Non-Mech Enemies
Vehicle Weapon Amount Picture
Ground
Vedettes Ultra AC5 1
1 Machine Gun Array 1

Bulldog Large Laser 1

Machine Gun Array 1
SRM2 1

LRM Carrier LRM10 3

SRM Carrier SRM6 3

Myrmidons PPC 1
SRM6 1

Mobile turret Ultra AC5 1

Demolisher 2 AC20 1
LBX AC20 1
Machine Gun Array 1

Quad Panzer Large Pulse Laser 4

Air
Peregrine SRM4 1
Machine Gun Array 1

Page 28
 Nightwind Large Pulse Laser 1
LRM10 2

Night Shades SRM2 1

Navy
Harasser SRM4 3

Condor Medium Laser 2

AC5 1
Machine Gun Array 1

Patrol Boat Ultra AC5 1

Barge N/A

Destroyer LRM20 2
Long Tom Artillery 4

Actions:
Each Mech in MechWarrior 4 is able to do the following actions:
 Run
 Walk
 Twist torso left
 Twist torso right
 Pitch torso up
 Pitch torso down
 Shutdown/start-up
 Fire Weapon
 Get up (when knocked down)
 Fire jump jets

Page 29
Behaviour
Teammates
Primary goal: follow player and attack any enemies that come into range.
Teammate command goals:
Attack my target: changes attacking target to the same as the player at the time the
command is given.
Defend my target: follows the targeted friendly unit and attacks any enemies that
come into range.
Form on me: moves to players position attacking any targets in range on the way.
Hold fire: will not shoot at anything until ordered to do so or until command is
cancelled.
Go to my navpoints: moves to targeted navpoints attacking any enemies that come
into range on the way.
Stop: stops whatever teammate was doing but will still fire on enemies in range.
Shutdown: Stops whatever teammates was doing and immediately shuts down
Attack nearest threat: changes attacking target to the closest enemy unit
Repair at nearest repair bay: moves towards the nearest repair bay (if any) and enters
for repair while attacking enemies which come into range on the way. If there is no
repair bay present on the map teammate will ignore command

Progression
Game flow:
After picking the next mission that I want to undertake I’m presented with usual
deployment screen. After picking which of my teammates I want to take with me on
this mission and which Mechs they’ll be using, I decided to modify my Mech by
going into the MechLab and swapping out the 2 large lasers installed for another ER
PPC and used the spare tonnage left to install more heat sinks.
Exiting the MechLab screen I was brought back to the deployment screen. After
replaying the objectives of the mission which was to head to 3 navpoints in turn
eliminating any enemies found while at the same time looking for a clan dropship in
the area.
The mission starts off at the southern most part of the map on a beach. I tell both
lances (teams) of Mechs to follow and I then proceeded to head north towards
navpoints alpha. 400m or so away from the first navpoints radar picks up a lone Thor
Mech approaching. Using the nearby trees as minor cover I move to the side and
flank the Thor. Once behind I then proceeded to fire all 3 ER PPC’s fitted on my
Mech at once at the back of the Thor, the shots were a second to late and missed the
chest completely and instead hit the Thor’s right arm doing enough damage to
destroy the arm along with whatever weapons were fitted on it. Chasing the moving
Mech several missile salvos hit the Thor, fired from one of ma teammates Mechs still
coming up from beach area where we started. I see the recharge bar in the weapon
box on the HUD finish its progress, signifying that the 3 ER PPC’s were finished
recharging and were ready to fire again. With the use of the zoom I once again aimed
for the chest armour and fired all 3 ER PPC’s at once, this time the shot hit and had
enough force to knock the Thor over. The HUD starts to flicker and several shutdown

Page 30
warnings play showing that my Mechs heat level is reaching a critical level, in
response to this I activate the water coolant using up half of the onboard water to
fully cool the Mech down. With the Thor on the floor it started to get back up but
with its mobility momentarily gone it was hit by several laser shots from several of
my teammates destroying the chest section causing the Thor to fall back over and
blow up. After reaching navpoints alpha we then proceeded to head towards
navpoints beta. About 600m from navpoints beta radar picks up a Puma Mech at
close range, the mission coordinator then warns me that there a full team of Clan
Mechs approaching, all of which are using passive sensors. This causes the radar to
only pick them up within 600m. While attempting to get a clear shot on the Puma,
radar picks up the rest of the team of Clan Mechs consisting of 2 Shadow Cats, a
Ryoken, a Cougar and an Uller.

Moves

Ref Key Move

Numbe
r
1 NUM4 turn left
2 NUM6 turn right
3 NUM2 pitch torso up
Page 31
 4 NUM8 pitch torso down
5 NUM7 torso twist left
6 NUM9 torso twist right
7 = accelerate
8 - decelerate
9 Backspace toggle forwards/reverse
10 J fire jump jets
11 1 set throttle to 0%
12 2 set throttle to 20%
13 3 set throttle to 30%
14 4 set throttle to 40%
15 5 set throttle to 50%
16 6 set throttle to 60%
17 7 set throttle to 70%
18 8 set throttle to 80%
19 9 set throttle to 90%
20 0 set throttle to 100%
21 Space centre torso to legs
Shift + Space centre legs to torso
22 Enter fire selected weapon
23 \ change firing mode
24 P select next weapon
25 [ select previous weapon group
26 ] select next weapon group
27 Insert fire group 1
28 Home fire group 2
29 page up fire group 3
30 Delete fire group 4
31 End fire group 5
32 page down fire group 6
33 E target next enemy
Shift + E target nearest enemy
CTRL + E target previous enemy
34 Q Target object under reticule.
35 W target next friendly
Shift + W target nearest friendly
CTRL + W target previous friendly
36 NUM1 look left
37 NUM3 look right
38 NUM0 Toggle Zoom Window
39 V toggle 1st/3rd person view
40 R toggle radar range
CTRL + R toggle radar active/passive
41 M Look Down
42 O Show Mission objectives
Shift + O override auto shutdown
43 S shutdown/start-up Mech
44 X shutdown Mech
45 B Start-up Mech
Page 32
 46 F Flush coolant
47 N Select Next Navpoint
CTRL + N select previous Navpoint
48 Y general chat
49 U team chat
50 C Crouch
51 G Get up
52 A Toggle Light Amplification
53 L Toggle Searchlight
54 CTRL + Z Eject
55 I Look Back
56 Alt + H Toggle HUD modes
57 TAB show multiplayer scores
58 F1 select lancemate one
F1 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: attack my
selected target
59 F2 select lancemate two
F2 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: defend my
selected target
60 F3 select lancemate three
F3 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: Form on me
selected
61 F4 select all primary lancemates
F4 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: Hold Fire
selected
62 F5 select secondary lance
commander
F5 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: Go to my
selected selected Navpoint
63 F6 select secondary lancemate
one
F6 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: Stop
selected Moving
64 F7 select secondary lancemate
two
F7 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: Shut Down
selected
65 F8 select secondary lancemate
three
F8 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: attack
selected nearest target
66 F9 select all secondary
lancemates
F9 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: repair at
selected nearest repair bay
67 F10 select all lancemates
F10 when at least one lancemate is lancemate order: Capture
selected Flag (Multiplayer only)

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Ref number Move
1 Fire selected weapon
2 Toggle mouse yaw
3 Unbound
4 Select next weapon group
5 Select previous weapon
group

Page 34
Turn left

Turn right

Twist torso
left

Page 35
Twist torso
right

pitch torso
up

Pitch torso
down

Page 36
Fire jump
jets (if
fitted)

Fire
Weapon

Shutdown
off/on

Page 37
 Crouch

Toggle
Zoom

Toggle
Night vision

Modes of Play
There are 4 different modes of play available in MechWarrior 4, these are as follows:
Waves, Mission Play, Campaign and Multiplayer.
Waves, is only accessible in instant action mode and involves you and up to 2 teams
of allied Mechs facing off against waver after wave of enemy units with the numbers
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and quality of enemies increasing each wave. The main objective of this mode is to
survive as many waves as possible before your Mech is destroyed.
Campaign mode puts you in charge of a Mercenary unit with the objective being to
complete missions to gain money to upgrade your Mechs with and increase your
Units rating unlocking more missions.
Mission Play allows you to play any of the missions from the Campaign mode
without the constraint of money or Mech/Weapon/Pilot availability.
Multiplayer Mode pits you against other players across the internet with the main
type of game being a simple death match but also attacking and defending games are
possible

Scoring

Points – N/A

Collectables

Pilots
Name Picture Cost Commander Gunnery Piloting Sensors Blind
*2 Fighting
Rufus 321,200 No 50 40 50 30

Angel 289,300 No 48 35 50 30

Shredder 445,225 No 68 50 60 37

Rubius 460,900 Yes 72 51 50 35

Mags 437,800 No 78 40 50 35

Hannibal 596,200 Yes 80 62 70 45

Bull Dog 443,300 Yes 62 55 50 35

Mustang 693,000 Yes 95 80 80 50

Claymore 488,400 No 84 60 60 40

Spirit 282,700 No 51 35 80 30

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 Goof 237,600 No 55 30 50 30

Bullseye 583,000 No 95 70 80 50

Gator 552,200 No 85 82 70 45

Beowulf 629,200 Yes 88 80 70 45

Goat 464,200 Yes 75 62 60 40

Goblin 222,200 No 62 32 50 25

Blackjack 405,900 Yes 65 45 50 30

Scooter 226,600 No 58 42 50 30

Scrapper 490,325 No 95 65 60 37

Blaze 535,425 Yes 90 82 60 37

Buzz 435,600 No 85 52 50 35

Falcon *1 0 Yes 100 100 70 42

*1: Falcon is only available after the completion of the mission “Beach Attack”
*2: Commander Status means that that pilot is able to lead the secondary lance you
can send into battle with you on some missions

Weapons:
See Actors

Mechs:
Name Cost Tonnage Top Speed Tech Per Cycle Cost
Light
Cougar 5,035,032 35 132 Clan 67,199
Flea 1,663,006 20 150 Inner 23,599

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 Sphere
Osiris 3,378,283 30 140 Inner 43,199
Sphere
Owens 3,906,223 35 102 Inner 55,999
Sphere
Puma 5,171,832 35 83 Clan 67,899
Raven 3,026,619 35 125 Inner 43,049
Sphere
Uller 3,785,300 30 141 Clan 46,499
Wolfhound 3,223,987 35 120 Inner 40,249
Sphere
Medium
Bushwacker 5,996,343 55 106 Inner 91,299
Sphere
Chimera 4,120,404 40 117 Inner 59,199
Sphere
Hellhound 7,347,613 50 98 Clan 94,999
Hellspawn 5,525,611 45 118 Inner 78,299
Sphere
Ryoken 9,248,305 55 105 Clan 125,399
Shadow Cat 7,044,716 45 117 Clan 98,999
Uziel 6,331,634 50 113 Inner 92,999
Sphere
Heavy
Argus 6,174,159 60 97 Inner 97,799
Sphere
Black Knight 12,804,404 75 99 Inner 198,749
Sphere
Catapult 8,096,913 65 104 Inner 122,199
Sphere
Loki 4,120,404 65 118 Clan 156,649
Mad Cat 13,817,595 75 100 Clan 196,499
Nova Cat 11,493,053 103 103 Clan 153,299
Thanatos 9,972,535 75 93 Inner 148,499
Sphere
Thor 9,487,759 70 109 Clan 144,199
Vulture 8,971,798 60 105 Clan 122,399
Assault
Atlas 15,337,890 100 81 Inner 245,999
Sphere
Awesome 8,159,059 80 95 Inner 119,199
Sphere
Daishi 17,860,770 100 76 Clan 265,999
Fafnir 16,433,758 100 53 Inner 247,999
Sphere
Gladiator 17,621,628 95 67 Clan 270,749
Hauptman 16,225,254 95 58 Inner 245,099
Sphere
Longbow 11,453,066 85 69 Inner 179,349

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 Sphere
Mad Cat Mark 15,981,170 90 93 Clan 247,499
II
Mauler 10,755,457 90 90 Inner 172,799
Sphere
Sunder 16,915,266 90 89 Inner 249,699
Sphere
Templar 13,393,589 85 74 Inner 206,549
Sphere
Victor 11,424,694 80 72 Inner 175,199
Sphere
For more information see Actors

Life Management
There are no pickups whatsoever in MechWarrior 4, as such if you are badly
damaged that damage will stay with you for the rest of that particular mission
When customising your Mech you can use up available tonnage to give your Mech
more armour to different parts on the Mech, allowing them to take more damage
before that part is destroyed.
The maximum armour values available to the different Mechs are as follows

Mech Head Right Left Right Centr Left Rear Right Left
Arm Arm Torso e Torso Torso Leg Leg
Torso
Light
Cougar 9 18 18 24 36 24 12 36 36
Flea 9 12 12 18 27 18 9 30 30
Osiris 9 12 12 18 36 18 12 30 30
Owens 9 18 18 24 33 24 15 36 36
Puma 9 18 18 24 36 24 12 36 36
Raven 9 18 18 24 33 24 15 36 36
Uller 9 12 12 18 42 18 12 30 30
Wolfhound 8 18 18 24 48 24 14 36 36
Medium
Bushwacker 9 30 30 42 51 42 21 54 54
Chimera 8 18 18 30 38 30 14 42 42
Hellhound 9 30 30 36 51 36 15 54 54
Hellspawn 9 24 24 30 42 30 18 48 48
Ryoken 9 30 30 42 51 42 21 54 54
Shadow Cat 9 24 24 30 42 30 18 48 48
Uziel 9 30 30 36 45 36 21 48 48
Heavy
Argus 18 36 36 48 54 48 24 54 54
Black 18 42 42 54 63 54 27 66 66
Knight
Catapult 19 36 36 48 60 48 24 60 60
Loki 18 36 36 48 60 48 24 60 60

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 Mad Cat 18 42 42 54 63 54 27 66 66
Nova Cat 18 42 42 54 62 54 26 60 60
Thanatos 18 42 42 54 63 54 27 66 66
Thor 18 42 42 54 63 54 27 60 60
Vulture 18 36 36 48 56 48 20 54 54
Assault
Atlas 27 66 66 72 78 72 30 90 90
Awesome 27 48 48 60 66 60 30 72 72
Daishi 27 66 66 72 75 72 33 90 90
Fafnir 27 66 66 72 78 72 30 90 90
Gladiator 27 60 60 66 75 66 27 90 90
Hauptman 27 60 60 66 75 66 27 90 90
Longbow 27 54 54 60 72 60 24 78 78
Mad Cat 27 54 54 66 72 66 30 78 78
Mark II
Mauler 26 54 54 66 72 66 30 78 78
Sunder 27 54 54 66 72 66 30 78 78
Templar 27 54 54 60 69 60 27 75 75
Victor 27 48 48 60 69 60 27 72 72

For damage values from weapons see actors

Navigation
Pre-mission map: before each mission you are shown a large map of the mission, on
this map the different navpoints (objectives) and the location of the drop zone
(mission start) are shown
Radar: the radar shows the location of any enemies within 900m unless the enemy is
using passive sensors in which it can’t pick them up until 600m, your radar can be
switched to passive mode where enemies can’t pick it up till 600m but you can’t pick
up enemies until they are within 600m as well. Any navpoints in range of the radar is
also shown on the screen.
Compass: at the top of the screen a compass is show which states which way you are
facing in compass terms, also the direction to the next navpoints is show on the
compass along with the distance to it.
In mission map: by pressing Shift+M you can bring up the minimap, while this is
open it covers the radar, heat gauge and speed gauge. The minimap quite literally
shows the pre-mission map only scaled down to fit on your HUD, and it also shows
your LOS (Line of Sight) and the position of enemies. It won’t pick up Navpoints
though.

Balance
One of the driving points behind MechWarrior 4 is the balance of the different
weapons against armour and speed in the customisation of your Mech. There are
many choices you are faced with when customising your Mechs:
 How you balance your firepower against your armour, so whether you want to be
able to take lots of damage and take out your opponent slowly with a few
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 weapons, or put lots of weapons on your Mech and try to take them out quickly
before they can hit you much.
 How fast you want your Mech to be able to run at or whether you’ll sacrifice your
Mechs speed for more armour/weapons
 What types of weapons you’ll mount onto your Mech: whether you’ll go for laser
weapons which have no ammo but generate a lot of heat from each shot, missile
weapons which have a low damage rating but have homing capabilities, or
ballistic weapons which in general have a higher damage rating than the other two
groups but will run out of ammo.
 What range you want to be fighting at, do you want to be sniping the enemy
Mech from a great distance, moving into a medium range to attack or moving
point blank to deal a large amount of damage, or even do a mix of these 3
 Whether you’ll add some of the Mech options such as LAMS or IFF blocker onto
your Mech or sacrifice these for more weapons/armour
 How efficiently you want your Mech to be able to cool down, so by increasing
the amount of heat sinks the rate at which your Mech can naturally cool down is
increased
 Whether you’ll go for normal armour or specialised armour which half the
damage received from one type of damage but is heavier
All of these choices are left up to the player while he’s customising his Mech.
Customising a Mech uses a system based on weight, each Mech has a certain amount
of weight points it can carry, these points can then be spent to add weapons, options,
armour, or engine size (top speed). Each of the options and weapons has a weight
value which takes away that amount of weight points off the Mech. When the number
of available weight points reaches zero, it has reached its maximum load and
therefore more weapons/armour/options/etc. cannot be added unless things are taken
off to free up weight points.

Interface
Flow chart

Page 44
Interface by screen

Main Menu

This is the main menu screen for MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries. From here you have
several options:
 You can access the general training mission by clicking on training; this takes you
straight to the tutorial mission, in which you are taught the basics of the controls
for MechWarrior.
 By clicking instant action you are taken to the instant action deployment screen
 On the selection of Campaign you can resume your current campaign from when
you last exited it taking you to the Campaign command centre screen.
 Clicking Multiplayer will take you to the Multiplayer connection screen
 By clicking MechLab you are taken to the MechLab (generic) screen
 The roster button takes you to the roster screen
 Options takes you to the options screen
 To view the credits you press the credits button

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Instant Action Deployment

From the Instant action deployment screen you can play any mission from the
Campaign with no restrictions on the cost or availability of your Mechs and you can
freely customise how strong the AI of your teammates is. You can also fight against
an endless amount of waves of enemies and try to see how many waves you can
survive. From this screen you can go back to the main menu, or go to the MechLab
(generic).

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MechLab (Generic)

From the MechLab (Generic) Screen you can customise any Mech of your choice
available in the game without constraints on how available that weapon is on the free
market or how much they cost. You get access to an unlimited amount of all the
weapons which appear in the Campaign and several which don’t appear.
From this screen you can go back to the previous screen with the use of the close
button.

Campaign command Centre

This is the command centre for the Campaign; from here you can access your stats
and see the latest sector news. From here you can also see your current amount of
credits (money) and how much the upkeep of your Mechs is per month. Your MRBC
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rating is also shown; this increases in ranks as you complete missions allowing access
to later and harder missions which give more money on completion than earlier
missions. From this screen you can go the star system, orbital view, free market,
MechLab (Campaign) and Load Screens.

Star Systems

At the star systems screen you can change the star system you are currently located
in, this allows you to move to other star systems with more missions when you
complete all the missions from your current star system, making a jump costs money
which is displayed along with how many weeks the jump will take, both of these are
displayed on the left hand side of the screen along with a summary of the different
missions available in that star system at the time.
From this screen you can go to the orbital view screen of your current star system, go
back to command centre screen or return to the main menu.

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Orbital View

From the Orbital View screen you can select mission that you want to undertake, in
the system. When you highlight one of the available missions a summary of the
mission is shown at the bottom of the screen. Recent news can also be seen on the left
hand side of the screen. Greyed out missions are missions which have already been
completed, the only way to replay these missions is to either load to a save point
before you completed that mission or through the mission play option in instant
action. From this screen you can go to the star system screen, to the command centre
screen or back to the main menu

Mission Deployment Screen

This is the Campaign Mission Deployment screen; from here you choose which
Mechs you want to take into the mission with you and which pilots will control them
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(can only take Mechs and pilots you own in Campaign). On several missions its
possible to deploy a second lance of Mechs along with your primary lance, the
secondary lance on the above screenshot isn’t available on this particular mission so
it’s greyed out. Also the pre-mission map in the centre shows important information
about the mission as stated above in navigation. In each mission depending on how
heavy your lance of Mechs is, you will have to pay a drop fee to start the mission.
Also changing the mission time between day and night can be done with the
dropdown menu in the lower centre of the screen.
From this screen you can go to the MechLab to edit your Mechs quickly pre-mission,
go back to the command centre or return to the main menu.

MechLab (Campaign)

This is the MechLab for campaign mode. Its slightly different from the generic
version as you are only able to edit Mechs you own and can only put in weapons
which you own, for example if you only own 2 large lasers, you cant then put 3 on
your Mech as you only own 2. There are 2 ways that you can acquire new
Mechs/Weapons and they are to either get them from salvage from the completion of
a mission, or to buy them from the free market.
A few other differences between this and the generic version of the MechLab are that
your account balance and Mech value for the Mech you’ve selected is shown along
with a status. When one of your Mechs is damaged a lot during a mission you have to
repair them in the MechLab before you can use them again, these will take 1 cycle if
its lightly damaged or 2 cycles if its crippled.
From this screen you can return back to the previous screen with close or go the free
market to buy or sell Mechs/Weapons/Pilots

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Free Market

The free market is where you can buy new Mechs, weapons or pilots, or sell any
excess Mechs/Weapons/Pilots. The inventory on the left hand side of the screen is
your inventory and shows what Mechs, weapons and pilots you currently own, and
vice versa the right hand side shows what you can buy from the market. By dragging
items from the right hand side into the middle you can buy items just like how if you
drag items from your inventory to the middle you can sell them for credits.
By pressing the close button you are taken to the previous screen you were on.

Load

In campaign the game autosaves every time you start a new mission and when you
complete a mission, you can also save at any time outside of a mission. From this
screen you can load any of these saves by clicking on the relevant save file and
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pressing load. You can also return to the previous screen by pressing the cancel
button.

Options

This is the options screen; from here you can change several of the features of the
game:
 From the game tab you can increase or decrease the overall strength of the enemy
AI with the difficulty option, you can also toggle some of the built-in cheats such
as turning heat off, being invincible or having unlimited ammo. From the game
tab you can also toggle the default view in-game between 1st and 3rd person
 From the video tab you can change the video quality of the game such as
increasing/decreasing the screen resolution and/or texture detail, etc.
 In the audio tab you can change how loud the music or sound effects are.
 In the controls tab you can change the different controls.
 The multiplayer tab allows you to set up your avatar and banner for online play

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Multiplayer connection setup

In this screen you select what type of connection you are going to use to play
multiplayer, whether it be LAN or dial-up. Once you’ve set up how you want to
connect you can click connect to go to the select server screen or press host to get to
the host setup screen. From this screen you can go to the options screen or back to the
main menu.

Select sever

From this screen you can see game servers online which you can join. From this
screen you can join a selected game, go to the options screen by pressing the options
button or go back to the multiplayer connection screen by clicking back.

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Host setup

This screen allows you to set up your game how you want it with options such as
force respawn and turning friendly fire on/off. From this screen you can go to the edit
restrictions screen or when your done setting up your game you can press start to go
to the game lobby screen. You can also return to the multiplayer connection screen by
clicking back.
Game lobby

This is the game lobby, this is where you wait for people to join your game, you can
still change the map, weather, visibility, battle type, time limits and Mech weight
restrictions, but you can’t change any of the options you chose in the host setup
screen. Once you have all your players you can press launch to start the game. You
can add bots if need be to balance out any teams if needed. You can still reach the

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MechLab (generic) from this screen to modify your Mech if need be. By clicking
disconnect you are returned to the multiplayer connection screen.

Edit restrictions

This is the restriction screen for the host setup; here you can ban the use of certain
Mechs or weapons to help customise your game more. By clicking ok any changes
you’ve made to the restrictions is saved and you are returned to the host setup screen.
If you click the cancel then your changes aren’t saved and you’re returned to the host
setup screen.

Roster

The roster screen is used for when you want to make, remove or edit a profile.
Profiles consist of a pilot name, a company name and a sponsor. The pilot name is
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used in instant action and multiplayer as your avatar name. The company name is
mainly used in campaign as what your mercenary company is called and the sponsor
defines what you start off with in a new campaign. There are 4 sponsors you can pick
from each gives you a different starting bonus, other than that which sponsor you
pick holds no significance except that their insignia appears on all your Mechs.
The starting bonuses the sponsors give are as follows:
Kell Hounds:
 Start off with better than average armaments
 Early access to Clan Technology

Grey Death Legion:

 More than average starting money
 Early access to powerful Lostech Weapons (X-Pulse Lasers)

Northwind Highlanders:
 Higher Rate of pay on all missions

Wolfs Dragoons:
 Start with Clan Technology
 Greater access in purchasing Clan Technology

Credits

The credits screen is accessible from the main menu and shows the credits of the
game, you can return to the main menu by pressing any button.

Style
The main style of MechWarrior 4 is mainly of a realistic battlefield, as such in all of
missions there is literally almost no music, also while there is some radio chatter
there isn’t much of it in mission, most of the speech in the missions are from the
mission co-coordinator informing of any changes in the mission objectives and
warning of any enemy squads heading towards you.
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There isn’t any particular back story behind any of the pilots which give more of a
people can come and go feel behind the missions, it’s also very hard to get attached to
any of the pilots you can buy as the most you’ll probably ever hear them say is
“affirmative” to your commands.
As there is hardly any music it lacks the intense atmosphere some games have in
battles, although during some missions there are sections where you enter into a
challenging fight such as when you’ve just been ambushed or you’re attacking a
heavily defended base. At times like this some atmospheric rock type music will start
playing giving the atmosphere of challenge.
Outside of missions there is a high tech type of music with radio chatter over it for
menu music giving it more of a military operation feel.

Story synopsis
The year is 3063, and the political backdrop is the civil war between the Federated
Commonwealth and the Lyran Alliance. The strife begins with Victor Davion’s call
to arms against his sister, Lyran Archon Katrina Steiner, following the murder of
their brother Arthur.
In this struggle, talented MechWarrior’s like yourself are in hot demand. The MRBC
has just authorized your new company for mercenary work. After securing the
required sponsorship from a full-fledged mercenary company—Wolf’s Dragoons,
Northwind Highlanders, Kell Hounds, or Gray Death Legion—your company has
ample opportunity to make a name for itself.

Script
Script from the mission “Beach Attack”

Pre Mission Briefing:

Castle (Mission Co-ordinator): Ok sir, if your serious about going through with this
trial of possession, I’ll broadcast your intent to the Clanners. I suggest outfitting both
of our Lances with the best tech available. Meeting the Clanners on their own terms
won’t be easy

Mission Start:

Aisa: attention this is Star Colonel Aisa Thastus of the Jade Falcons. I claim these
islands in the name of Khan Martha Pride. I bring to this trial of possession a
full binary of Mechs.

Spectre: This is Spectre 1, Commander of this Dragoons Company. I refute you claim
to this territory, I bring two lances of warriors to end this struggle.

Aisa: two Lances against two Stars of Jade Falcons, you underestimate us.

Spectre: Do you wish to rebid your position Star Colonel.

Aisa: Nay, you will suffer for your insolence.

Spectre: Well bargained and done. Come and get me.

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<Battle begins>

Castle: If I didn’t know you better, id say you were enjoying this a little too much sir.

Spectre: Facing down the Clans, outnumbered in the field of Honour, I was born for
this fight.

Castle: Just make sure you live to finish it.

Spectre: Roger I’m planning on it.

<When half of the Jade Falcon Mechs are destroyed and you have above half of your
Mechs left>

Castle: I mark their forces at 50% strength, we’re doing slightly better.

<When half of the Jade Falcon Mechs are destroyed and you have less than half of
your Mechs left>

Castle: I mark their forces at 50% strength, we’re doing slightly worse.

<On the destruction of all but 3 Jade Falcon Mechs>

Castle: Three Falcons remain, finish them off commander.

Spectre: I’m on it.

<On destruction of all Jade Falcon Mechs>

Aisa: Curse you Freamer.

Spectre: Star Colonel Thastus, I hereby claim you as my bondsman, you now serve
Wolfs Dragoons under my Direct Command.

Castle: Sir I object, you can’t be serious, Clanners cannot be trusted.

Spectre: At ease Lieutenant, I’m in command here, she might be a vicious Clan
marauder, but now she’s our vicious Clan marauder.

Castle: I don’t like it at all Sir.

Spectre: I don’t need you to like it Castle, Spectre out.

At mission completion screen:

Castle: well I hope it was everything you wanted sir. The Clanners have been beaten
on their own terms and Merc Net is abuzz with our achievement. Whenever a
Merc unit takes down Clanners it can’t help but be good for business.

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Levels
Mission 1: Eaton – Merc Alley
Concept:
This is an early ambush mission which could be interpreted as a mission to let the
player get used to the controls of the Mech due to there being no enemy Mechs
present in this map.
This map is mainly a large desert with dunes and a single large ridge. There is minor
cover from dunes in some parts of the desert and none in others.

Drop Off Point

Navpoint Gamma

Navpoint Beta

Navpoint Alpha

Primary Objectives:
Capture the Lyran Convoy by destroying its escorts
Eliminate all Lyran military forces

Secondary Objectives:
None

Maximum Number of Teammates Allowed: 3

Pay: 1,250,000

Enemies (Red Dots)

Group 1:
Vedettes x1
Bulldog x2
Harasser x1
LRM Carrier x2

Group 2:
Myrmidon x5

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Group 3:
Nightwind x5

Mission specific entities. (Green Dots)

1: Convoy Truck x6

Walkthrough
From the drop-off point the player proceeds towards Navpoint alpha where he is met
with group 1 followed by the convoy both travelling north. After the destruction of
group 1, the first primary objective is completed and the convoy stops moving.
The player is then informed of group 2 near Navpoint beta and that group 3 is
approaching directly from near Navpoint gamma. With the destruction of both of
these groups the second primary objective is achieved and the mission is complete.

Mission 2: Halloran V – Checkpoint

Concept:
This is one of the first missions available where you fight enemy Mechs, as such you
only fight a few light Mechs so the difficulty of this mission is still quite easy.
The main focal point of this map is the large valley which snakes its way throughout
the map, the steep sides to the valley can only be traversed at a few points on the
map, otherwise its too steep to climb out, this potentially makes it very easy for the
player to be ambushed, and with little cover in the valley the player would be at a
significant disadvantage if such were to happen.

Navpoint Gamma

Navpoint Beta

Drop Off Point

Navpoint Alpha

Primary Objectives:
Destroy Hostiles at Navpoint Alpha
Destroy Hostiles at Navpoint Beta
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Destroy Hostiles at Navpoint Gamma

Secondary Objectives:
None

Maximum number of teammates allowed: 3

Pay: 2,115,000

Enemies (Red Dots)

Group 1:
Bulldog x1
SRM Carrier x1
Owens x1

Group 2:
Bulldog x2
SRM Carrier x1
Mobile Turret x2

Group 3:
Owens x1
Mobile Turret x2
Bulldog x1

Group 4:
Peregrine x5

Group 5:
Owens x1

Group 6:
Puma x1
LRM Carrier x1
Bulldog x2

Walkthrough
The player starts at the entrance to the valley at the drop-off point. Heading towards
Navpoint alpha the player picks up group 1 of enemies, who then charges at the
player. While fighting group 1, group 2 will move in to attack the player aswell. With
the destruction of group 1 + 2 Navpoint alpha will b clear, completing the first
primary objective.
The player then follows the valley towards Navpoint beta, half way to the Navpoint
the Owens and Bulldog from group 3 breaks away from their group and run onto the
Page 61
ridge above you where they attack you. Shortly after they attack the player group 4
appears on radar and attacks the player.
After the destruction of the enemies here the player proceeds along the valley to
Navpoint beta where the remainder of group 3 is located. With the destruction of
group 3 Navpoint beta is clear and the second primary objective is completed.
Carrying along the valley towards gamma a lone Owens ambushes the player from
the northern ridge. After dispatching this Mech, further along the path near Navpoint
gamma is the last group of enemies.
On annihilation of this last group the last primary objective is achieved completing
the mission

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Mission 3: Halloran V – Offshore

Concept:
This is the first defend mission available to the player so as such it’s hardly going to
be extremely challenging. This mission is set at a costal region so half of the map is
in water which slows down the players Mech quite a bit; this can hinder the player in
trying to get to defend certain points quickly as they wouldn’t reach the area as fast as
normal.

Navpoint Delta

Navpoint alpha

Drop Off Point

Navpoint Beta

Navpoint Gamma

Primary Objectives:
Defend offshore oil rig at Navpoint alpha
Defend offshore oil rig at Navpoint beta

Secondary Objectives:
Defend Fuel Industry Buildings and Vehicles (500,000 Credit Bonus)

Maximum Number of Teammates allowed: 3

Pay: 1,750,000

Enemies

Group 1:
Barge x1
Patrol Boat x6

Group 2:
Condor x6

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Group 3:
Nightshades x4

Group 4:
Destroyer x1

Mission Specific Entities

1: Oil Rig Beta
2: Oil Rig Gamma
3: Fuel Cells (Secondary Objective)

Walkthrough
The player drop-off point is at Navpoint Alpha; from here the player is warned of
group 1 moving on Oil Rig Beta. Moving to Beta the player then engages group 1
before they can destroy the Oil Rig there. After destroying group 1, the player is then
warned about group 2 moving on Oil Rig Gamma. The player then starts to head over
to gamma but due to water slowing will at best arrive when half of group 2 has split
off towards Navpoint Alpha and the Fuel Cells. Destroying the 3 Condor’s moving
on Alpha pretty much completes the secondary objective as no other enemy groups
try to attack alpha. After dispatching the rest of group 2 before they can take Oil Rig
Gamma, the player is informed about the Destroyer appearing and group 3
approaching. Group 3 will keep making bombing runs at the player until they are
destroyed. The player is given the new objective of dispatching the Destroyer, as the
destroyer mostly has very long ranged weapons by staying close to the destroyer its
easy to dodge its attacks while hitting it with your own, after a several shots the
destroyer should blow up completing the mission.

Mission 4: Eaton Merc Alley A

Concept:
Same map as mission map and objectives as mission 1 but only this convoy is much
more heavily guarded than the previous convoy, with more vehicles, a heavy and a
medium Mech among the escorts this is going to be a much tougher mission than the
previous ones.

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 Drop Off Point
Drop Off Point

Navpoint Beta

Navpoint Alpha

Primary Objective:
Capture the Lyran Convoy by destroying its escorts
Eliminate all Lyran military forces

Secondary Objective:
None

Maximum Number of Teammates Allowed: 5

Pay: 1,350,000

Enemies

Group 1:
Demolisher 2 x2
Vedettes x1
Myrmidon x3
Bulldog x4
LRM Carriers x5
Harasser x1
Argus x1
Chimera x1

Group 2:
Nightwind x3

Mission specific Entities:

1: Convoy Truck x6

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Walkthrough
From the player drop-off point the player heads towards Navpoint Beta, then heading
towards alpha the player meets a very large group 1, acting as the convoy escort this
time. When the player engages group 1, group 2 appears and joins in the fray. If the
player is able to destroy both of these groups of enemies before the convoy can exit
the mission area at the top of the map then both primary objectives are achieved,
which ends this simple yet challenging mission

Mission 5: Halloran V – Industry Raid

Mission Concept:
This will be the player’s first stealth mission, the focus on this map being sneaking
through a blind spot in a bases turret grid to disable their power grid taking the base
defence’s offline. This map is set in a half mountainous half plains setting with the
mountainous region being the place where the player sneaks round the back of the
base, this mission also has your first morale choice in that you can choose to engage
and destroy another mercenary group stationed at the base in the mission or avoid
them and complete the primary objectives without engaging them.

Navpoint Alpha
Drop Off Point

Navpoint Beta

Navpoint Gamma

Primary Objective:
Destroy the Generator at Navpoint Beta
Destroy the Large Factory at Navpoint Beta
Destroy the Factory at Navpoint Gamma
Find and Destroy Fuel Supply

Secondary Objectives
Destroy all Black Cobra Mechs (Discretionary)

Maximum Number of Teammates Allowed: 3

Pay: 2,455,000

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Enemies:
Group 1: Large Amount of Base Turrets

Group 2:
Myrmidon x5
Quad panzer x4

Group 3: (Black Cobra Unit)

Chimera x2
Bushwacker x2

Mission specific entities:

1: Generator
2: Large Factory Beta
3: Factory Gamma
4: Fuel Cells

Walkthrough
The mission starts with the player at the drop-off point at the top left of the map; from
here the player has a choice. He could either head straight to the base taking out
turrets on the way to gain access to the base, or he could head to Navpoint Alpha and
bypass the defence turrets. If the player chooses to storm the base then he would head
straight to gamma through group 1 and 2 to get to the buildings before meeting group
3 (black cobras). Alternatively the player can use the stealthier route of heading to
Navpoint alpha; this takes him around the defence turrets and brings the player into
shooting distance of the bases generator. After a few hits on the generator it explodes
taking the base defence’s offline and completing the first primary objective. From
here the player can head into the base. Once again there are two methods to complete
the rest of the mission. The first is to run in and destroy the objective buildings; this
causes the black cobras to retreat when all 3 remaining buildings are destroyed.
Otherwise by destroying all the units around the buildings including the black cobra
unit, then destroying the objective buildings you will also complete the mission,
which choice you pick can affect you later in the game.

Options
Difficulty level:
The difficulty of MechWarrior 4 can be changed in the options screen, from that
screen (as can be seen in the interface chapter) you can toggle the difficulty between
novice, regular, veteran and expert. The only difference between these different
modes is the strength of the enemy AI, so the enemies will be hitting more accurately
more often the harder the difficulty becomes.

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Multiplayer options:
Also found in the options screen is the options for multiplayer. In this screen you can
customise your online options such as changing your multiplayer name, changing
what your player insignia is and also what your faction is called along with having
the option of adding in your own custom insignias that you could show off online.

Video/sound options

Video options:
In the video options you are able to change the game resolution between 600x480,
800x600, 1024x768 or 1280x1024
You can also adjust the gamma to make the picture brighter if need be

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Sound options
In the way of sound options you can toggle how loud you want the music when it
plays and the sound effects. You can also toggle whether your Mech says warnings to
you, such as when you’re out of ammo or when you’re about to shutdown due to
overheating.

Support
MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries – Cyberlore Studios, Inc.

Project Team

Project Lead and Lead Designer:

David Fifield

Lead Programmer:
Chris Tohline

Lead Artist:
Seth Spaulding

Producer:
Jon Clark

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Executive Producer:
Joe Minton

Programmers:
Adam Saunders, Aaron Horne

Artists:
Bryant Johnson, David Silverman, David White, Michael Richard
Sean Wang

Additional Artists
Mark Champigny

Designers:
Corey Navage
Ferret Baudoin

Sound Design and Engineering:

Jack Cameron

Content Manager:
Charles Lane

Additional Content Manager:

Cara McCormick

Marketing:
Jay Adan

Playtesting:
Erik Hawley

Additional Playtesting:
Alex Michaud, Eric Marcoullier, Mark Champigny, Michael Pohoreski

MIS Support
Jonathan Wonson

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Voice Talent:
Alan Maynard, Brian J. Wozniak, Daniel J. Rossi, David Dellecese, Devon A. Mason
McArdle, Frank Aronson, George Ledoux, Gilbert Mcauly, Hanna Rechtschaffen,
Heather Crocker, Jarice Hanson, Jessican Kirgy, John Haag, John Saulman, Joseph
Loftus, Lisa Abend, Mike Duignan, Peter Carlson, Rob Murphy, Stephan Eldridge,
Steve Henderson

Cyberlore Management Team

Human Resources and Office Manager:

Clarinda Merripen

Art Department Director:

Seth Spaulding

Programming Department Director:

Matt Kimmei

Design Department Director:

Tom Henderson

FASA Studio, Microsoft Corporation

Studio Manager:
Dave Luehmann

Executive Producer, BattleTech® Line

Tj Wagner

Program Manager:
Andrew Brown

Art Director:
Heinz Schuller

Development Manager:
John Yovin

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Development:
Jacky Chan, Jerry Edsall

Design:
David Abzug, Derek Carroll, Pete Mayberry, Sage Merrill

Competitive analysis

Comparing MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries to MechWarrior 3.

Graphics:
 There’s a visible improvement overall in the graphics for MechWarrior 4.
 Both games are played in 3d but the texture detail is at a much higher quality in
MechWarrior 4 although the graphics still lacking when compared to other
shooter games which were out around the same time.
 The splash screens on MechWarrior 4 look much more colourful and less
confusing to use.
 In-game the Mechs more and turn much more smoothly than they did in
MechWarrior 3.
 Ballistic/lasers/missiles looks more realistic than in MechWarrior 3.

Music
 Almost nonexistent in-mission in MechWarrior 4, loses atmosphere MechWarrior
3 had but makes it feel slightly more realistic.
 A lot more sound effects in MechWarrior 4 than MechWarrior 3 had.
 In MechWarrior 4 the main character talks as opposed to MechWarrior 3 which
has a silent protagonist.
 MechWarrior 4 some spot effects whereas MechWarrior 3 had none present.

Interface
 Coolant is more sparing in MechWarrior 4 and will decrease the heat at an
increased rate to the usual rate, whereas in MechWarrior 3 it cools down fully the
instant you activate the coolant. This makes MechWarrior 4 more realistic.
 The MechLab is much easier to use in MechWarrior 4 than in MechWarrior 3
mainly due to all the weapons are colour coded along with the hardpoints they
can go in. in MechWarrior 3 the MechLab is much more complex, this allows the
Mechs to be customised more than they can be in MechWarrior 4.
 MechWarrior 4 has a tutorial level which tells the player the basis of all the
controls whereas in MechWarrior 3 you are catapulted straight into the action,
this makes MechWarrior 4 a more “newbie” friendly.

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 MechWarrior 4 has much less game controls than MechWarrior 3 has, this makes
MechWarrior 4 much simpler and to play well but limits what your Mech can do,
in MechWarrior 3 you have less of a limit on what you can get your Mech to do.
 In MechWarrior 4 there are more teammate commands you can give, this gives
you more freedom in ordering around your teammates than you had in
MechWarrior 3.

Gameplay:
 The AI in MechWarrior 4 is much stronger than that of MechWarrior 3, this
means their not as idiotic in trying to destroy the enemies so they won’t often sit
there trying to shoot through a hill at the enemy on the other side and wondering
why the enemy isn’t taking damage. Though saying that the AI still isn’t perfect
as sometimes they stop and wont move from that position and other times they’ll
stop listening to you if you’re a certain distance away.
 MechWarrior 4 is much more fun in my opinion as there’s something extremely
satisfying about running up to an enemy Mech then unloading several PPC’s into
one section of the enemy and watch them fall over from the force of the hit. This
is slightly harder to do in MechWarrior 3 as the heat system is much more
sensitive so several small lasers can send you into overheating.
 In MechWarrior 4 its harder to hit the enemys, this can be both a good and a bad
thing depending on who you are, in MechWarrior 3 the aiming system was quite
literally a point and click firing system so made a lot of the light Mechs obsolete
online as their extra speed didn’t help avoid shots, this was changed in
MechWarrior 4 as to aim you have to move the Mech torso which moves at a
much slower speed than the guns did in MechWarrior 3. This balanced out
different Mech types greatly making the game a lot more realistic.
 Also in MechWarrior 4 when hit it will make the crosshairs momentarily from the
force of the blast, makes it harder to aim under fire and therefore add more
realism.
 Making better Mech builds can become slightly addicting as you can customise
your Mech to run in and hit things up close, but these are then weak against long
range types, so you can then customise it around a bit more so its not as weak
against that long range types but still be good at what it was originally made to
do.
 In MechWarrior 4 the weapons and Mechs are much more balanced making the
larger Mechs not as powerful as they were in MechWarrior 3 but the overall
gameplay of MechWarrior 4 much more fun and tactical

Story:
 The story in MechWarrior 4 is almost nonexistent, there’s a rough story going on
as you play through campaign but for the most part of the game you’re not
involved with it. Every now and again you may get mentioned for certain events
caused by the completion of a mission but you only really become a part of the
story in the last few missions when you choose a side in the conflict, and even
then you don’t play a big part in it. This in itself adds to the realism that your
character isn’t some big time hero who goes around saving babies from
crocodiles or something like that, but just a commander who’s in charge of a
mercenary group so you do what mercenaries do, take missions from people
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 hiring. In MechWarrior 3 you are set on a linear storyline in which you complete
each mission given to you to further the storyline.
 All the characters who you hire don’t have a back story or any sort of story
related to them on that matter, this is the same in MechWarrior 3 only your
teammates talk more.
 You also never see the characters in-game the most you see of them is their
picture when you equip them to a Mech, it’s the same in MechWarrior 3 only you
don’t see a picture either.
 In both MechWarrior 3 and 4 the main character doesn’t go on any sort of journey
in a way of personality as in MechWarrior 3 he never speaks and in MechWarrior
4 he doesn’t get involved with the story for the most part.
 There isn’t much in the way of script both MechWarrior 3 and 4, in MechWarrior
3 most of the talking comes from mission briefings and from your teammates, in
4 it mainly comes from the mission co-ordinator aswell as from the main
character giving out orders and occasionally talking to the mission co-ordinator

Gems
 As I stated earlier there’s something very satisfying about firing several weapons
into one point on an enemy Mech and watch as it falls over from the force at
which when it gets back up you knock it over again often destroying maybe one
of its arms or legs in the process
 Its also surprisingly fun to sadistically destroy an enemy Mechs limbs and
weapons one by one then watch it limp around unable to attack you

Main tradeoffs in MechWarrior 4: Mercenaries

 The story pretty much taken out in exchange for greatly increasing the quality of
the gameplay making MechWarrior 4 much more fun
 The interface has been made much simpler than it was in MechWarrior 3 to make
it easier to play which makes MechWarrior 4 much easier to get into.

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