I hate Mechwarrior 4: Mercenaries.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2004-10-28 11:13pm

Just bought it, installed, and it refuses to go past the splash screen. I just get a big black window that gobbles all my system resources. From what I understand it's my DVD-ROM (Hitachi GD-5000) interacting with their SafeDisc copy protection. Can someone PM me how to defeat SafeDisc and get the game to run? I know piracy is technically frowned upon here, but since I actually paid for this piece of shit, who's pirating?

Terr Fangbite · Post by **Terr Fangbite** » 2004-10-29 01:03am

My brother had a similar problem. He had to get a new cd-rom drive for it to work, then it took him hours of fiddling to work. Come on, this game was made by Microsoft, you'd think it'd work on Microsoft's operating system.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-29 01:47am

Get the No CD crack, or the MekPak 2 which i think disables the Safe Disc.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-29 03:40am

Does the intro video play ?

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-29 03:50am

If safedisc fails it usualy generates an error message at the splash screen. Seems like an unusual problem.

Get the No CD crack, or the MekPak 2 which i think disables the Safe Disc.

The no CD crack is good but it inhibits multiplayer play. As for Mech Pak it requires either the original version or a cracked MW4 exe.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-29 06:58am

The Shadow wrote:If safedisc fails it usualy generates an error message at the splash screen. Seems like an unusual problem.

Get the No CD crack, or the MekPak 2 which i think disables the Safe Disc.
The no CD crack is good but it inhibits multiplayer play. As for Mech Pak it requires either the original version or a cracked MW4 exe.

Not the Mech Pak, but the Mekpak, an unofficial addition.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2004-10-29 08:59pm

I bow to you, Ace, for MekPak 2 did indeed correct my problems. Now I just need to go look up what else it does, because it seems harder than the original MW4. I hopped in a Marauder and took on a pair of UrbanMechs on Recruit difficulty and barely won. Granted I'm way out of practice, but still...

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-30 01:34am

Ace Pace wrote:
The Shadow wrote:If safedisc fails it usualy generates an error message at the splash screen. Seems like an unusual problem.

Get the No CD crack, or the MekPak 2 which i think disables the Safe Disc.
The no CD crack is good but it inhibits multiplayer play. As for Mech Pak it requires either the original version or a cracked MW4 exe.

Oops

Confused the Microsoft Mechpacks with Mektek's Mek Paks.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-10-30 04:47am

GrandAdmiralPrawn wrote:I bow to you, Ace, for MekPak 2 did indeed correct my problems. Now I just need to go look up what else it does, because it seems harder than the original MW4. I hopped in a Marauder and took on a pair of UrbanMechs on Recruit difficulty and barely won. Granted I'm way out of practice, but still...

Seemed to me to be one of the easier Mechwarrior games... the final battles certainly were easier than the final battle in Vengeance.

And I'm sorry, but if you had a hard time defeating a pair of fusion-powered trashcans(i.e., UrbanMechs), it's time to hang up the stirrups.

The hardest fight in the game for me was that bitch of an Assault Class Tournament on Solaris. Turn left and the guy on the right unloads into your back. Turn right and the guy on your left unloads into your back.

And when you get to the end, remember this... only a real MAN has the guts to take on the Wolf Clan in a hot pink Fafnir.

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-30 05:12am

Petrosjko wrote:Seemed to me to be one of the easier Mechwarrior games... the final battles certainly were easier than the final battle in Vengeance.

And I'm sorry, but if you had a hard time defeating a pair of fusion-powered trashcans(i.e., UrbanMechs), it's time to hang up the stirrups.

The hardest fight in the game for me was that bitch of an Assault Class Tournament on Solaris. Turn left and the guy on the right unloads into your back. Turn right and the guy on your left unloads into your back.

And when you get to the end, remember this... only a real MAN has the guts to take on the Wolf Clan in a hot pink Fafnir.

EXCEPT... Mekpak 2 is more then just adding TONS of mechs (the marauder comes from it), it also changes some balences.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-30 05:24am

The hardest fight in the game for me was that bitch of an Assault Class Tournament on Solaris. Turn left and the guy on the right unloads into your back. Turn right and the guy on your left unloads into your back

The Solaris assault class tournament is easy, if you know the right tactics. Hardest battle in Mercenaries is probobly the Clan Wolf Trial of Position in the Steiner ending. Defeating 5 clan Mechwarriors all by yourself is no easy feat.

LordShaithis · Post by **LordShaithis** » 2004-10-30 02:15pm

Wolf trial whaa...? Thanks for the spoiler warning, wanker.

Hey, when I eventually finish this game, can I still use my built up merc unit for anything? Or is everything I developed just gone because I "won?"

Ace Pace · Post by **Ace Pace** » 2004-10-30 02:17pm

GrandAdmiralPrawn wrote:Wolf trial whaa...? Thanks for the spoiler warning, wanker.

Hey, when I eventually finish this game, can I still use my built up merc unit for anything? Or is everything I developed just gone because I "won?"

I think you can still do the solaris stuff.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-10-30 07:02pm

The Shadow wrote:The Solaris assault class tournament is easy, if you know the right tactics. Hardest battle in Mercenaries is probobly the Clan Wolf Trial of Position in the Steiner ending. Defeating 5 clan Mechwarriors all by yourself is no easy feat.

Actually, it's ridiculously easy if you take an uberwank Fafnir with the twin heavy gausses, stroll up and leg 'em. I found the other ending to be a bit more difficult, given the sheer number of mechs involved.

And no, sorry Prawn... once you're done, you're done. Despite the advertising, the game is fairly linear. You have various missions, and your only real choices in the matter involve which order you choose to do them in, and which side you end up picking. Once you pick a side, you do missions for them until you hit the final battles, and then you get a nifty ending movie.

The ending where you go on Victor's side is fun because it totally revises Battletech history and directly contradicts Coleman's novel Endgame. It's very blunt about it, too... the voiceover says something like "Others may tell a different story about what happened that day, but what do we care? We got paid."

White Haven · Post by **White Haven** » 2004-10-30 11:17pm

I prefer a Daishi with twin- LB-20s and an Ultra-20. Sucks for range, but one salvo and most mechs are stripped of armor, another and they're staring at Saint Peter saying 'What the fuck?'

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-31 04:45am

Actually, it's ridiculously easy if you take an uberwank Fafnir with the twin heavy gausses, stroll up and leg 'em. I found the other ending to be a bit more difficult, given the sheer number of mechs involved.

My favorite ending would be the rogue ending. It has the biggest battle seen in any Mechwarrior game. The battle is big but if you fight well as a team it is easy to win.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-10-31 11:06am

The Shadow wrote:My favorite ending would be the rogue ending. It has the biggest battle seen in any Mechwarrior game. The battle is big but if you fight well as a team it is easy to win.

There's a rogue ending? I did not know this. I'll have to reinstall the game sometime.

Sarevok · Post by **Sarevok** » 2004-10-31 11:22am

Petrosjko wrote:
The Shadow wrote:My favorite ending would be the rogue ending. It has the biggest battle seen in any Mechwarrior game. The battle is big but if you fight well as a team it is easy to win.
There's a rogue ending? I did not know this. I'll have to reinstall the game sometime.

There are three endings, Fed ending, Steiner ending and rogue ending. To get to the Rogue ending play as a Steiner Mercenary. After Steiner missions are completed go to the second star system (Defend Griffin base) instead of travelling to clan space.

Petrosjko · Post by **Petrosjko** » 2004-10-31 01:56pm

The Shadow wrote:There are three endings, Fed ending, Steiner ending and rogue ending. To get to the Rogue ending play as a Steiner Mercenary. After Steiner missions are completed go to the second star system (Defend Griffin base) instead of travelling to clan space.

Yeah, I've done the other two... hmm hmm hmm, I will have to reinstall and play it through to do the other one, though.

Thanks.