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 Edition 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

Edition differences

The original retail releases are software rendered and have three main variants:

• DOS only: Initial releases, labeled IBM CD-ROM
• Windows only: labeled Windows 95 CD-ROM - Pentium Processor Edition
• Windows & DOS: labeled MS-DOS/Windows 95 CD-ROM (no multiplayer), Windows 95/ MS-DOS (no multiplayer), or Windows 95/ MS-DOS - Includes NetMech (with multiplayer)

The Windows 95 - Pentium Processor Edition sold as part of the UK Megapak 8 is actually a variant of Windows 95/ MS-DOS - Includes NetMech.

A retail S3 ViRGE edition was available for purchase directly from Activision.

The BattlePack edition is based on the Mercenaries engine and thus has different stats and textures compared to the original as well as a cut-down music score. Single player is Windows only; NetMech has both DOS and Windows variants but is not compatible with the original NetMech. The pack includes the base game and the Ghost Bear's Legacy expansion.

The Titanium Edition includes a software rendered option (based on the BattlePack edition) and a Direct3D accelerated option. The Titanium Trilogy is a complete pack, including the base game and both expansions.

The hardware accelerated editions are Windows only.

The DOS, software-rendered Windows, 3dfx, Battlepack and Titanium editions can be played using MechVM, however only DOS editions are properly supported on modern windows. The 31st Century Combat - Windows 95/Pentium edition can be converted to be Glide capable with these files.

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

There are many differences between the editions; see 3D Acceleration Comparison, MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat - DOS/Win95/3DFX/PS1/Saturn, MechWarrior 2 3D FAQ and Different Versions of MechWarrior 2.

Demo versions

Early production, "MechWarrior 2: The Clans": 1.0, 2.0
Final game: MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat Demo

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

Patches

The latest patches for various editions of base game are available from ModDB.

The latest patches for Windows 95/Pentium and Battlepak of Ghost Bear's Legacy Expansion are available from ModDB.

Be sure to use the correct patch version for your release (DOS or Windows 95, Pentium, Titanium, Battlepak, etc.).

MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat v1.1 (Windows 95 / Pentium Edition)
Patch for the Windows 95 version of MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Not compatible with the DOS version. Download it from here.

MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat v1.1 (DOS)
For the DOS version, use this patch instead of the Windows 95 patch above.

MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat v1.05 Patch (Battlepack Edition only)
Patch for the Battlepack Edition of MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Do not use it on standard DOS or Windows 95 or Pentium versions. Download from here.

Ghost Bear’s Legacy v1.1 (Windows 95 / Pentium Edition)
Patch for the Windows 95 version of Ghost Bear’s Legacy. Not compatible with the DOS version. Download it from here.

Ghost Bear’s Legacy v1.05 Patch (Battlepack Edition only)
Patch for the Battlepack Edition of Ghost Bear's Legacy. Do not use it on standard DOS or Windows 95 Pentium versions. Download from here.

Jump Jet Fuel Fix Patch

Jump Jet Fuel Fix Patch (DOS versions only)
Patches v1.1 required for MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Fixes jump jet fuel not recharging at high framerates (above 45.5 FPS). Available patches: anpage’s patch for MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat. Najip’s patch for Ghost Bear’s Legacy. Allow proper fuel recharge even when using DOSBox cpu cycles set to auto or max.

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.

Software-rendered Windows Edition

Install WineVDM v0.8.1 or newer. On the game CD, set START.EXE to run with Windows 95 compatibility setting from the Properties menu. Run START.EXE and click the INSTALL button. After installation finishes, copy the DPLAY.DLL from the DIRECTX folder of the CD to the game directory. If applicable, install the MechWarrior 2 v1.1 patch. Download DxWnd v2.05.81 or newer. Download this attachment. Open DxWnd and import the .sdb profile from the attachment. Set the executable path through DxWnd.

Titanium Edition

Install WineVDM v0.8.1 or newer. On the game CD, set Setup.exe to run with Windows 95 compatibility setting from the Properties menu. Run Setup.exe and click the INSTALL button. During installation, choose the Hardware Acceleration Only option. Rename Mw2win.exe to Mw2tit.exe. Download DxWnd v2.05.81 or newer. Download this attachment. Open DxWnd and import the .sdb profile from the attachment. Set the executable path through DxWnd.

Skip intro videos

Use replacement MINTRO.SMK
Apply this intro skip.

Remap unavailable keys

A fair amount of keys is not available for rebinding in-game, being grayed out in settings. This is because the controls they are mapped to (listed in GAMEKEY.MAP) normally cannot be customized. Notably, this applies for the W, A, and S keys, making "classic" movement problematic.

These reserved keys may be used by prefixing them with an asterisk (*) when editing INPUT.MAP.

Functions available for remapping are listed in KEYBOARD.MAP.

The left curly brace ({) must follow a function name on the same line, separated by at least one space.

Edit .MAP files
Edit INPUT.MAP and set up your keybinds. (Optional) Edit GAMEKEY.MAP and remap conflicting keybinds, if any. Save changes and run game.

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

Controller types

XInput-compatible controllers

DirectInput-compatible controllers

PlayStation controllers

Nintendo controllers

Other controller(s)

Additional information
Controller hotplugging
Input prompt override
Haptic feedback
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. Classic Gaming Arena is recommended for online play with the original DOS version, as it includes mod downloading/uploading support and easy match setup. Otherwise, see DOSBox IPX emulation.

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 do not recharge at high framerates (above 45.5 FPS), especially on modern CPUs running DOSBox with high cycles.

Use framerate-independent patch
See the Jump Jet Fuel Fix Patch section for recommended patches that fix this issue in DOS versions of the game.

Alternative workaround
Limit DOSBox CPU cycles to fixed 100000 via configuration or runtime hotkeys. Ctrl+F11 and Ctrl+F12 can also be used to adjust during gameplay. May cause erratic frame pacing or gameplay speed.

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
Direct3D		Titanium edition
DirectDraw		Software-rendered Windows editions
Glide	2.11	3Dfx Voodoo Edition, Titanium edition
Software renderer
DOS video modes	CGA, VGA, SVGA

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

ATI CIF: Rage edition
PowerSGL: PowerVR edition
MSI: Matrox edition
S3D: Virge edition
Macintosh RAVE: Quickdraw Edition

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
Storage drive (HDD/SSD)	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
Storage drive (HDD/SSD)	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
Storage drive (HDD/SSD)	40 MB
Sound (audio device)	Sound Manager 3.1
Other	2x CD-ROM drive