PC
VERSIONS |
Problem
I have a 3D enhanced version of Mech
Warrior 2, and it will not run on my DOS system.
Solution
Our 3D enhanced games only run in Windows
95. Explanation
N/A
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Problem
I have the Matrox Mystique 3D version of
Mech Warrior 2 Windows 95 and I can't get the simulation
to start. I get the Drop Procedure Initiated screen and
then the game quits and I end up back in Windows. Solution
Disable Bus Mastering in your MGA setup
program (in the performance area). For more information
on how to do so, please contact Matrox. Also make sure
your refresh rate is set to 70hz or greater.
Explanation
The following is taken from the Matrox
website : "If I have the bus mastering switch
enabled, Windows 95 or my 3d games refuse to run or crash
randomly. How can I fix this?" "There are only
a couple of issues to look at here. This is frequently
caused by an interrupt not being assigned to the
Mystique. In order for bus-mastering to operate
correctly, an interrupt must be assigned. You can either:
change the slot for the Mystique which forces the system
bios to select a different interrupt for the Mystique, or
manually set one with the irqset program. It is probably
better to allow your system to select the interrupt, just
in case the one you set manually is already in use by
another device. Some motherboards make a distinction
between bus mastering slots & slave slots. Verify
your system manual to see if this is true in your
situation. If so make sure that the Mystique is inserted
into a bus mastering slot. In rare cases you may need to
change the irq even if you change the slot, so if you
still have the problem after changing the slots, try
using the irqset program."
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Problem
My mech 2 3D RAGE edition won't run on my
computer. I just bought the 3D RAGE video card or a
computer that came with one.Solution
Reinstall the ATI 3D rage drivers.
Explanation
Go to the Windows control panel and select
SYSTEM, then DEVICE MANAGER. Remove anything that is in
the DISPLAY ADAPTERS folder. Close the DEVICE MANAGER and
select ADD NEW HARDWARE from the control panel. Instead
of having Windows search for any hew hardware, click on
NO and then on HAVE DISK. Insert the disk that has the
ATI 3D drivers and allow Windows to install the video
card for you. If you did not get such a disk with your
video card, please contact ATI and ask for their latest
3D Rage drivers.
(Make sure
you are using drivers from ATI, not the generic ones that
are included with Win95/98/etc. The generic drivers do
not include the ATI3DCIF.dll file, which allows the Rage
IIx and Rage Pro cards to run games specifically ported
for them. If you have installed drivers from ATI, fully
uninstall them, reboot and reinstall them. Make sure they
are the most recent available)
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Problem
I have MechWarrior 2: Enhanced for the S3
ViRGE. When I try to launch a mission (or Cadet Training,
or Trials of grievance) I get this error - MW2.exe -
Fatal Error #50 syserr_vfxdriver: error finding or
loading vfx driver(dll) error profiling video modes. Solution
In Combat Variables, select a resolution
other than 512x384.
Explanation
In this version of MechWarrior 2, the
default resolution for the combat sections is 512x384.
Unfortunately, some monitors do not support this
resolution, and will return an error. To fix these
problems, do the following: Inside any non-combat portion
of the game, move your mouse to the menu bar and select
"Options". Pull down to "Combat
Variables" and select it. Click on the number to the
right of "Resolution". Select any resolution
other than 512x384. Click the right-hand mouse button to
leave the Combat Variables screen.
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Problem
I am trying to play the ATI 3D Rage
edition of Mechwarrior 2. When I try to launch a mission,
I get a black screen. Solution
Make sure that you have the ATI 3D Rage
video card installed on your system. Also, make sure you
have the correct drivers loaded for that card
Explanation
The ATI 3D Rage version of Mechwarrior 2
will only work on systems that have the 3D Rage video
card installed. You will get a black screen in the sim if
you do not have one installed. You must also have the
correct video card driver installed on your system. Some
programs, like those that use DirectX, will install
compatible drivers if you don't have them. The
installation may not install the correct driver.
Reinstall the drivers that came with your video card, or
contact ATI for the latest drivers.
(Same as
above: Make sure you are using drivers from ATI, not the
generic ones that are included with Win95/98/etc. The
generic drivers do not include the ATI3DCIF.dll file,
which allows the Rage IIx and Rage Pro cards to run games
specifically ported for them. If you have installed
drivers from ATI, fully uninstall them, reboot and
reinstall them. Make sure they are the most recent
available. This goes for other cards/versions as well!
Generic Windows drivers do not included the necessary
files to run these games. Also, when using
"unauthorized" reference drivers, you may have
a problem as well. My Monster 3D would not run MW2 3Dfx
when I used certain 3Dfx Reference drivers.)
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Problem
I have MechWarrior2 for Windows 95, and I
cannot get the 3D enhanced options to come up. Solution
You do not have the enhanced 3D version of
the software.
Explanation
There is a regular version of MechWarrior2
that will work with most video cards, and there are the
3D enhanced versions of MechWarrior2 that only work with
the specific cards they were written for. I.E. there is
one for the ATI 3D Rage, Matrox Mystique and the Diamond
Stealth 2000 3D cards. The 3D version has textured
ground, sky, mountains with smoke trails from missiles
etc., all of which are not in the regular version of
Mech2.
NOTE: The 3d
versions of the game will not work with any other card
than the ones they were written for. So you cannot use
the ATI 3D Rage edition of MechWarrior 2 with any other
3d board.
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Problem
In the missions, I can see my radar
screens, but not the background scenery. Solution
Go to the windows control panel, select
system then device manager. Under "display
adapters", make sure you have the ATI 3D Expression
driver loaded. If you have the wrong driver loaded, your
3D chip will be inaccessible, and the game won't work
properly. Depending on which RAGE-based you you own, the
correct driver will either say "ATI Tech
Enhanced" or RAGE II. Contact your hardware
manufacturer for details.
(See
previous yellow text above )
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Problem
Mechwarrior 2 Enhanced for the PowerVR
returns a Fatal Error 50 when trying to Launch a mission.
Solution
Reload the manufacturer's video drivers
that support DirectX v2.0.
Explanation
DirectX , during installation, overwrote
your previous video drivers and installed incompatible
ones. Reloading the correct drivers supplied form your
manufacturer that supports DirectX resolves the problem.
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Problem
When trying to launch a mission in the
Virge edition of Mechwarrior 2 on my Compaq Presario, I
get the following error message: Failed to open
sglmid4dll - unable to find midas board. Solution
This means you need to reinstall your
video drivers. Try downloading the apocalypse drivers
from www.videologic.com.
Explanation
The following is from Compaq technical
support : When the game is installed it replaces our
driver if you say YES (to directx installation). Once the
drive has been replaced you will get the Midas Board
error, because it can no longer find it. So it just has
to be reinstalled. You can download the certified video
drivers on the internet from
http://www.s3.com/bbs/325drv/index.htm. The filename is
w9530104.zip. It was at the top of the list the last time
I looked. Compaq will provide these drivers on our
website in the future. When installing the drivers you
want to select 'S3 Inc ViRGE PCI.' Installing the video
drivers is very easy. The file is a zipped file. Unzip
the file into a directory that you can easily remember.
Then click: Start > Settings > Control Panel.
Double click the 'System' icon in the window that
appears. Click on the 'Device Manager' tab. Double click
on the words 'Display Adapters.' It should show you S3
ViRGE PCI. Double click on the line and a new window will
appear. Click on the 'Driver' tab and click the 'Change
Driver' button. It will show you what is compatible with
your system. The drivers you downloaded are not listed
there yet. You need to click on the 'Have Disk' button
and browse to the directory where you unzipped the new
drivers. Select 'S3 Inc ViRGE PCI' and click OK. It will
be self-explanatory from then on. If the installation of
DirectX mentions anything about replacing files, make
sure you replace the files that it changes using the
method above.
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Problem
When launching a mission using the ATI 3D
Rage edition I get scrambled video. Solution
Your monitor may not support the 512x384
mode that the game switches to for 3D enhanced mode. This
usually happens with older models or if you are using one
other than what shipped your computer.
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Problem
I have one of the 3D versions of the game.
Ever since I installed the 1.1 patch, my game won't run. Solution
The 1.1 patch is only for the standard
version of the game.
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Problem
The game won't run on my DOS system. Solution
The enhanced version of this game only run
in Windows.
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Problem
MechWarrior 2 (the S3 ViRGE Edition)
freezes at a black screen when launching a mission. Solution
- Check DirectX driver Certification
- Go to COMBAT VARIABLES in the
game. Make sure that the screen resolution is NOT
set to 512x384, since that mode is incompatible
with many monitors. Try setting it to 640x480.
- Upgrade your S3 ViRGE drivers to
the latest available from the Manufacturer (even
if they certify with DirectX! - SEE BELOW!)
- Set the desktop to High color 16
bit 640x480 before starting the game.
Explanation
Mechwarrior 2 S3 Virge for Windows 95 uses
Microsoft DirectX drivers to interface with Windows 95.
Almost all problems with this version of the game are
caused by a Windows 95 driver that does not support
DirectX. You can check your system for DirectX support by
double clicking on the My Computer Icon.
Using your right mouse button, click on
the CD-ROM drive. From the menu that appears, choose
"Install DirectX". It will bring up a window
telling you which DirectX hardware components are
"certified." If one or more of the items does
not say "certified," this is most likely
causing the problem you are having. The drivers that are
most often not certified are Display driver and Audio
driver. Most manufacturers of video cards and sound cards
are releasing updated drivers for Windows 95 to meet the
DirectX standard.
You will want to contact the
manufacturer of any component that is not supported and
ask them about obtaining drivers that support DirectX. If
any component says "Not Installed", then
DirectX is not fully installed. In this case, just click
on the "install DirectX" button.
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Problem
The graphics shrink after launch during
the gameplay. Solution
- Make sure you have the latest
video card drivers from the manufacturers'
websites.
- Set your desktop settings to 640
by 480 and 256 colors.
1. Click on Start, go to Settings, and click on
Control Panel.
2. When the Control Panel comes up, double-click
on the Display icon.
3. Click on the Settings tab.
4. Modify the Color Palette to say 256 colors and
the Desktop Area to 640 by 480.
5. Click on the Apply button once the changes
have been made and follow the on-screen prompts
to finish the process.
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Problem
How do I view .888 screenshots? Solution
An image in .888 format can be opened only
by using a paint program that lets you open custom file
formats, such as Adobe Photoshop or Jasc PaintShop Pro.
Simply open the file as 8-bits per pixel. The header
information is two WORDS.
(IMO, this
is not worth the trouble, because the screens still end
up distorted. For the majority of the 3D Editions, you
can use just plain printscreen + the clipboard, which you
can then paste into a paint program. Better yet, download
Hypersnap from Hyperionics, which is an
excellent screenshot utility. Unfortunately, the 3Dfx
Voodoo version will not work with Hypersnap, because it
uses a very early version of Glide and will require a
3Dfx specific screen utility (and only the older ones
seem to work). I recommend Snap3Dfx which is available
from many download site, just do a search for
"Snap3Dfx."The most recent version is v1.2)
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Problem
Can I get the S3 ViRGE Edition of the
game? Solution
No, this version is not available for
purchase. It was only came bundled with the Virge video
card.
(Incorrect,
but irrelevant)
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Problem
How can I play with the new 3D graphics? Solution
The Windows does not contain 3D graphics support. You
will need to acquire the Titanium edition of the game.
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MACINTOSH
VERSION |
Problem
How can I get the 3D enhanced version? Solution
The 3D Rave edition is no longer
available.
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Problem
I have a video card which uses the RAVE 3D
accelerator chip. I have heard about a version of the
game which was written to take advantage of this. Is
there some way I can get one? Solution
The 3D version of Mechwarrior 2 for the
Macintosh was only available with the PowerMac 6500.
(Again,
incorrect but irrelevant)
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Problem
When trying to launch a mission I get the
following error: "Failed to create rave draw
context." Solution
This error happens when you are using a
SVGA monitor with a Mac adapter. The refresh rate that
the game uses is not supported by the current settings of
your adapter. You will need to adjust the settings of
your monitor adapter using the dip switches or dials on
the device to find a mode setting that supports the
correct refresh rate. Check the documentation that came
with your adapter to determine which settings can be
used. Most adapters will work with multiple settings.
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