Mercs Windows 1.2 Patch Project

Issues with mercs? Post it up here!
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1. OS & Service Pack.
2. Version of Mercenaries that is being used.
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4a. If you are using DOS have you read the install guide?
4b. If you are using 95 have you watched the 95 install video?
5. What were the steps that you did after the initial installation? (if applicable)
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CommanderHunter
I.S. Mech Washer
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 8:20 am

Mercs Windows 1.2 Patch Project

Post by CommanderHunter »

Hello, MechWarriors! I am calling to you all for help in a project I'd like to begin: the Mercs 1.2 Patch.

The main goal of this patch is to fix game-breaking and particularily annoying bugs and problems within the 1.1 version of the game. Here's a list of the goals and secondary objectives:

(this post will be updated to include any bugs found later on or other objectives to complete)



Game-breaking bugs to fix (Primary Objective 1):

Broken A.I. trackpaths due to Activision changing level geometry for maps, causing unbeatable missions and broken A.I. (e.g. Dropship never reaching dustoff site in some missions)

Shots from weapons phasing through target when fired in rapid succession, making weapons with quick fire times close to useles (e.g. Pulse Lasers, Ultra Autocannons)



Annoying bugs and missing features (Primary Objective 2)

Missing mission rewards due to dynamic salvage (e.g. no Star League caches rewarded in related missions)

No way to check current date, requiring you to memorize the end date of your last completed mission/campaign

Small Pulse Lasers having no hit detection due to bug in weapon's effective range

Not being able to mount IS weapons on Clan 'Mechs and vice versa (I can't remember exactly what version this bug belongs to, it might not even affect 1.1)

Weird, broken Thermal Optics



Game rebalancing and additions, miscellaneous bug-fixing (Secondary Objective)

Rebalance weapons (e.g. nerf missiles, improve speed of Gauss Rifles and PPC's)

Fix other major and minor bugs not listed/discovered




I cannot possibly do this alone, so please, lend a fellow a hand on this! Let's fix Mercenaries together!
Last edited by CommanderHunter on Sun Nov 10, 2019 1:20 pm, edited 2 times in total.
slickrcbd
I.S. Mech Washer
Posts: 22
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2019 9:41 pm

Re: Mercs Windows 1.2 Patch Project

Post by slickrcbd »

CommanderHunter wrote: Fri Nov 08, 2019 5:49 pm Shots from weapons phasing through target when fired in rapid succession, making weapons with quick fire times close to useles (e.g. Pulse Lasers, Ultra Autocannons)
One work-around here could be to slow down the RoF for weapons.
Small Pulse Lasers having no hit detection due to bug in weapon's effective range
I have the Titanium edition, and I found that it was the small laser, not the small pulse laser that had that issue. It had something like a 5 meter effective range that was about a step and a half away from the target. Two steps and you collide with the target (and take a point of damage to your armor), one step forward or backwards and the weapon loses effectiveness.
Not that the IS small pulse laser was much better, the range was absurdly short, but at least it had one that would work.
Rebalance weapons (e.g. nerf missiles, improve speed of Gauss Rifles and PPC's)
I'm not sure regular missiles need to be nerfed. Infernos are extremely strong, but regular missiles are fine. Remember that you have to take on an absurd number of enemy units with no reloads. The bigger problem is that autocannons of both LB-X and Ultra variety are practically useless. They don't do enough damage per ton of ammo. Gauss are slightly better, but I can't complete a single mission in MW2 or GBL with the Mad Dog C configuration, even if I give it endo steel and ferro-fiberosis armor, drop the heat stinks down to 10, and only add extra ammo with the weight saved.


I cannot possibly do this alone, so please, lend a fellow a hand on this! Let's fix Mercenaries together!
I'm not a true programmer, or I'd offer to help.
CommanderHunter
I.S. Mech Washer
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 8:20 am

Re: Mercs Windows 1.2 Patch Project

Post by CommanderHunter »

Thanks for replying!

I had already planned to turn down the weapon fire rates for the autocannons, but I'm trying to find the bug at its source to fix it.


Thanks for notifying me about the small lasers, though.


By nerf missiles, I don't mean turn down their damage. They have a nasty habit of doing crazy Tony Hawk Pro Skater 180-spins to reach their target, a problem present in all versions of Mercs. Activision "fixed" it by adding a minimum range that affects when the missiles start tracking their target (not to be confused with the minimum range for locking on to enemies, which actually didn't help (What I'm speaking of is the fact that in 1.1 the missiles have to reach a certain distance before they turn in their target's direction).

All of the above things can be fixed if I can just figure out where the weapon stats files are.


Also, the biggest things I would need help with would be the salvage, A.I. trackpaths, and adding a way to check the date (that last one is unlikely to happen tbh).


I as well know zilch about coding, but the thing is there's literally hundreds of posts here left behind by members knew and old containing clues, hints and tutorials that teach about the MechWarrior 2 code and how it works. If we were to work together on this, I'm sure we'd have a chance.


Of course, I understand if you don't have time for such a project as this, or aren't all that interested, I don't mind. But if you do think you'd at least like to dig a bit with me, then let me know. Thanks!
CommanderHunter
I.S. Mech Washer
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 8:20 am

Re: Mercs Windows 1.2 Patch Project

Post by CommanderHunter »

viewtopic.php?f=18&t=1230


Weapons Editior for MechWarrior 2. Might work with Mercs as well!
CommanderHunter
I.S. Mech Washer
Posts: 19
Joined: Fri Apr 26, 2019 8:20 am

Re: Mercs Windows 1.2 Patch Project

Post by CommanderHunter »

Weapons Editor doesn’t work with Mercs. Back to the drawing board...
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