Please note that with the arrival of Mechwarrior 3 (and now 4! - Andy 2001) this page may be of nostalgia value only, but I'm leaving it in place for old time's sake. I'm also pretty much out of this multiplayer scene so things may well have changed in terms of activity levels. That said, the new game may renew interest in the old, so... Have a look at The Mechwarrior Registry for more current information. I had thought the group I used to play for, the Free Worlds League, had died, but their website does seem to exist.

Netmech is, arguably, the best way to get into mutiplayer gaming on the Internet. Why? Because it's free. You can download Netmech from Activision's website. After that, it's just a question of finding a gaming service that supports an IPX network link and making sure that your system has TCP/IP up and running on it. There are 2 versions of the original Netmech, one for DOS and one for Windows 95. Net players tend to use the DOS version for compatibility's sake. There's also the close cousin of Netmech, Mercnet, which came with the sequel to Mechwarrior 2, Mechwarrior 2:Mercenaries, but I won't deal with that here. There also graphically enhanced versions of the original mutiplayer programmes around now, for use with 3dfx cards and similar.

In case you don't know, Mechwarrior 2 is a giant robot fighting game based on the FASA Battletech universe. Mechwarrior 2 deals with a War of Refusal between two genetically engineered Clans, Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcon. These and others are returning home to conquer Terra, but Clan Wolf is out to protect Terra while Falcon is set to conquer it. The Clans battle on a bidding system - more honour is gained by using fewer resources in battle. This aims to limit bloodshed and quickly resolve conflicts.

Up against the Clans are the forces of the Inner Sphere. Their technology is substantially inferior to the Clans as they have tech from a pre-apocalyptic era which the Inner Sphere is only now recovering from. Fortunately an organisation known as ComStar, with control over long distance communications, retained a degree of lost knowledge and managed to negotiate a proxy battle for Terra. Through superior tactics the combined forces of the Inner Sphere drove the Clans back in the proxy battle and gained themselves a few short years of peace in which to prepare for the renewed Clan offensive.

Mechwarrior 2 allows you to play as either Clan Wolf or Clan Jade Falcon following this proxy battle as they fight on Inner Sphere worlds to determine whether or not the Clan offensive will restart early. Mechwarrior 2:Mercenaries starts before the arrival of the Clans and ends with the battle on Tukkayid which halted the Clan invasion, with you in the role of an Inner Sphere mercenary pilot.

The Internet Leagues

The main league I play in, TKZ Netmech, deals with the situation post Tukkayid, with the Clans holding certain planets in the Inner Sphere. I belong(ed - Andy 2001) to an Inner Sphere house, House Marik, a member of the Free Worlds League. Our aim is to remove the Clans from the Inner Sphere, and to this end we fight for possession of worlds along the border of our territory. As Netmech only caters for Clan tech, unlike Mercnet, we tend to use a more limited number of Mechs (some Clan Mechs are the upgraded versions of Inner Sphere Mechs) but with the same weapons capability as the Clan Mechs. It's not perfect as far as realism is concerned, but what it comes down to in the end is just good piloting, really. We generally use 80 ton Mechs (maxium 100) called Warhammers - they stand like a man and offer a good combination of speed and toughness.

Although TKZ Netmech is quite an active league, there are others, such as the Grand Council and Registry. The Grand Council in particular has a unique set of rules on how you can configure your Mechs; the general aim is to avoid 'missile boats' - Mechs which just require you to get a lock at long range and then pound the enemy. The TKZ Netmech rule is called Level 3 - a maximum of 3 locking missile racks, and no more than 30 points damage per type of missile - LRM or SSRM. More on this later.

Where and How to Play

One of the most active gaming arenas for Netmech is Kali. For a one off fee, you get unlimited upgrades and a fully active version of the Kali software which allows you to connect to many servers where you can meet others to play. This is the software I use to play in the TKZ Netmech leagues and as far as I know all the serious American leagues use Kali as their client software. You don't need to be a tech head to install it. As long as your connection's set up right, it'll even do its best to find the games you have installed.

Another arena I have experience of is the Zone - a Micro(spit)Soft site which offers a free service for older games. Playing here is a little less automatic, and I've found that the company isn't quite as pleasant as on Kali, but all it requires is a Web browser and the download of the client software and you're away. Still, it's not bad, and a good place for beginners to cut their teeth.

Finally, in the United Kingdom (and Australia, I believe, although they're not linked player-wise) there's Wireplay, a gaming service run by British Telecom. This is very good in terms of having very little lag, but you do have to pay for the privilege. Client software is good, but at a premium rate per minute or ten UK pounds a month and normal local call rates you should think hard before using it. It can also be a long wait getting players for a Netmech game in particular, although the advent of the official club should start to change the situation.

As I've already mentioned, all you need to play is a copy of the Netmech DOS software, and you should select the IPX option on starting it up. You should probably also have the TCP/IP protocol on your system. The person hosting the game will need the original Mechwarrior 2 CD, but normally someone can dig it out! Whoever's on-line with you should be able to tell you how to carry on. Basically, the host chooses the mission scenario, you choose sides if it's a team game, then choose a Mech to use, then go to Dropship and click on Launch.

Mech Control

I suspect the Netmech archive will have the keys listed on it somewhere, but briefly:

• Number keys control speed, and backspace will reverse the direction you move in
• Enter toggles between weapons, and shift+number key groups weapons (3 groups max)
• # toggles between group fire (simultaneous fire all grouped weapons) and chain fire of weapons in group
• Z and X, and shift combinations zoom in/alter radar range (if it's on!)
• O for Owl will override a heat shutdown, K will jettison useless ammo
• W will switch a wireframe view mode on, ctrl alt e will eject you
• The Insert, Home cluster of keys will jet you around on the ground, use J to go up (requires a jump jet equipped Mech)
• Q targets buildings or Mechs if radar's off if sight's on them, T will toggle through targets, E for nearest enemy Mech
• C for external viewpoint

One of the most important control aspects is your ability to torso twist, using , and . keys. If you charge someone head on, you're liable to die. Instead, torso twist 90 degrees and cirlce them - 'the circle of death'. Your ability to hit your opponent will depend on your estimation of...

Lag

Lag is the great leveller in Netmech. Those who can master it, will rule. You see, it's all very well having a dozen large lasers (unlikely, BTW!) but if you can't hit anyone with them, you're dead. Lag is a result of the delay in transmission and reception of data between the computers involved in the game. This means that your enemy is not where he appears to be. You should therefore aim to lead laser and gun fire, to aim at a point where the player will be rather than where he is. So if you are running parallel, you should aim in front of him. How far in front will be dependent on conditions. Someone charging directly at you is just plain stupid because lag will not be a factor in that situation. Missiles don't care about lag, of course, if they're of the homing variety. And missiles don't last forever. Virtually every game will come down to who can find the lag point first. You should therefore aim to be unpredictable in your movements, to throw off their estimation of the point. Often easier said than done.

Weapons

If you only have Netmech, you won't be able to customise your Mechs. You can get Mechs from others though. Regardless, you may want to know what to expect from your Mech choice. I'm not going to go into huge detail here, but to give you a basic idea:

• Lasers - small, medium, large: increasing in range and damage potential, but also heat
• Pulse Lasers - as above, but machine gun style fire, slightly less range and far more heat
• PPC - slow moving balls of plasma, good damage and range, but big heat penalties
• ACs and LBXs - Heavy calibre machine gun style weapons, AC20 has a shorter range than AC2, but 10 times the damage per bullet, wholly ammo dependent, can be quite hot due to rapid fire rate
• LRM - long range (1000m) locking missiles, 1 damage point per missile, fire in volleys, LRM20 reloads slower than LRM5
• SSRM - short range (500m) locking missiles, 2 damage per missile and can lock on Mechs closer than LRMs, faster reload times (generally) than LRMs
• SRMs - short range rockets, not commonly used due to lag and ammo considerations

There are also jump jets for air manoeuvres, and heat sinks which affect how fast your Mech cools down. Packing a lot of heat intensive weapons can lead to overheats, shutdowns and ammo explosions. To be avoided.

Tactics

Keep moving. Use cover. If you join a league they'll train you up (hopefully).

Scenarios

Netmech DOS contains quite a few scenarios, for team play and free for alls. The host can affect things like gravity and temperature so keep an eye out before launching and choose your Mech carefully.

Any Questions?

If you have any queries on any of the above, feel free to get in touch with me. Any suggestions for additions to this page would be welcome, but it is only supposed to be a general introduction. The Leagues and the teams tend to run their own training programmes, and they'll bring beginners up to speed themselves.

Due to my current situation, I don't tend to play anymore, so you're not likely to see me about. I'm also very rusty and not up on current events - most of the above is of historical value only now that MechWarrior 3/4 is out. Sadly my current machine isn't fast enough to play it, hence my sticking with StarCraft which I can play at any time of day and which works OK on my now quite aged system. If you're in the US, or can be up very early, Netmech's still a very good introduction to online gaming.

Last updated 31 January 2002