for Battlezone PC game by Activision
by Orlando C. Fernando (ocfernan@rochester.rr.com)
Version 4.0
Updated: July 9, 1999
This guide shows some tips, strategies from my war adventures in Battlezone.
This FAQ will grow as I gain more experience and receive any corrections. This
guide also will try to
explain how to do some fundamentals not explained or explained badly (in my
opinion) in the manual. :) Cheat tactics, mapmaking techniques, and advanced
software/hardware
troubleshooting are beyond the scope of this guide.
This guide assumes you are already familiar with Battlezone enough to play the
training missions and a few of the first planets missions. It also assumes you
have played in multiplayer a
few times and are familiar with "ping" and "lag". It is based on playing the
game with the 1.4 patch in Windows 95 with a Diamond Voodoo1 3dfx I card and the
large assets patch in
Windows 95 with a 3dfx Voodoo 3 2000 PCI card (although other patches will be
referenced in the guide).
UPDATE FROM 3.0: Large assets patch described; gamepad & music tips.
UPDATE FROM 2.0: Add-on maps and more multiplayer map and strategy tips.
UPDATE FROM 1.1: More multiplayer map tips.
This FAQ is also available at http://www.orlandofernando.com/bztips.html.
Table of Contents
1.Single Player Activity
1.1 How can I skip the cinematic videos during the missions?
1.2 Why don't I get all the vehicles as in the multiplayer with each mission?
1.3 Can I save the game during a mission?
1.4 Will these missions improve me for multiplayer?
1.5 What is Instant Action?
2.Multiplayer Activity in General
2.1 Why don't I get all the single player units in multiplayer?
2.2 What bizarre things happen in Battlezone with bad ping?
2.3 How do I talk to only one person on the text screens?
2.4 How do I talk during a live game?
2.5 How do I talk to only one person during a live game?
2.6 I get a "version mismatch" error when joining a game. Why?
2.7 I get an error of missing some strange file when joining a game. Why?
2.8 I get a "Can't join..." error when joining a game. Why?
2.9 If I leave a live game, can I come back?
2.10 I get "connection to game server lost" during a game periodically.
Should I exit?
2.11 How can I get new multiplayer maps?
3.Multiplayer Strategy Activity
3.1 Why is it called "strategy"?
3.2 How do I join forces (ally) with someone?
3.3 How do I break up with them (unally)?
3.4 What defense building units need geysers and what doesn't?
3.5 What buildings/structures need s-powers and what doesn't?
3.6 My gun towers/s-powers are destroyed too easily. How can I optimize them?
3.7: My scavengers and I are constant victims of minelayers/mine fields.
How can I cross them safely?
3.8 I heard a sudden rumble/thunder, but my base seems intact and I get no
warnings.
What happened?
3.9 I heard a sudden rumble/thunder, and suddenly I'm losing units left and
right!
What happened?
3.10 I host a game. What's the pro/cons of each of the hosting options?
3.11 My scavengers won't pick up anything! Why?
3.12 My scavengers report no more scrap. Is that really it?
3.13 I defeated all lives of an enemy, but his leftover units are still
around.
Don't they always blow up when he/she is done?
3.14 I joined a game and already no scrap is available! How can I survive?
3.15 I host a game and enter it. No one yet arrives.
What preparations could I do while waiting?
3.16 I left an empty vehicle near my barracks. Why won't a pilot come out to
use it?
3.17 Any tips for Corner Pocket?
3.18 Any tips for Purgatory?
3.19 Is there any general etiquette when playing strategy?
4.Multiplayer Deathmatch Activity
4.1 Why is it called "deathmatch"?
4.2 How do I join forces (ally) with someone?
4.3 My ship blew up. Where's my respawn vehicle when I land from an ejection?
4.4 Is every powerup in every map? Where are some of these powerups?
4.5 I can only pick pilots for some games. Why?
4.6 Any tips for Mar's Rally?
4.7 Any tips for Coliseum?
4.8 Any tips for Odin's Eye?
4.9 Any tips for Rings of Fire?
4.10 Any tips for PacMan DM (add-on map)?
4.11 Any tips for Titan Turmoil (add-on map)?
4.12 Is there any general etiquette when playing deathmatch?
4.13 What are some popular deathmatch variations?
5.Sniping
5.1 How exactly does this sniping work?
5.2 I can never snipe attempt in some of my games. Why?
5.3 I keep aiming and I can't successfully snipe a vehicle in multiplayer!
Why?
5.4 Am I ALWAYS subject to 3 bullets until my next life?
6.Weapons Tips
6.1 I can't use my gun in my turret/howitzer/eagle lander! Why?
6.2 I can't fire my image shadower/hornet. Why?
6.3 How do I use this Phantom VIR? Don't notice anything.
6.4 How do I use this RED Field? Don't notice anything.
6.5 How do I group weapon hardpoints/fire more than 1 weapon?
6.6 I get this bizarre sound when getting a powerup & can't get it. Why?
6.7 Things keep hitting me from above! What weapon is hitting me?
6.8 How do MITS mines work vs. M-Curtain mines?
7.Miscellaneous
7.1 What Battlezone directories should I backup?
7.2 What joystick configuration do you suggest for gamepads?
7.3 How do I get and use extra maps?
7.4 What is this large assets patch I hear about?
7.5 Can I play CD-ROM music while playing Battlezone?
Section 1: Single Player Activity
1.1: How can I skip the cinematic videos during the missions?
During the animations both at the beginning of a mission (when the narrator
speaks) and during any point in the middle of a mission, you can skip it by
hitting the ESC key once it starts.
1.2: Why don't I get all the vehicles as in the multiplayer with each mission?
It's the game creator's intention. If you pay attention to the cinematic videos
between missions along with the mission intro texts, they'll explain why you
only have the few mobile units you
are provided, especially in the early NSDF missions. Likewise for building
certain units (for example, you won't be able to build walkers until the NSDF
discovers the enemy walker
technology on Venus. Seems logical.)
1.3: Can I save the game during a mission?
Yes. The entire mission does not have to be complete in order for you to save
it. In fact, you could save the game just after the first few seconds of the
mission if you wanted to (including
during a battle). Just hit ESC to go to the SAVE GAME screens. This is where you
can also load an existing game if you feel you can't go on with the current one.
Bear in mind that when
you reload a previous game, the exact same situation does not always happen. For
example, on one reload, an enemy can suddenly attack from their base, while
another time, an enemy
may not attack for a few minutes. So be wary at what point in the game you want
to save. I do not advise saving in the middle of a battle.
1.4: Will these missions improve me for multiplayer?
Definitely. Several people advise beginners to play the first few missions (not
just the training exercises) before playing multiplayer. You will slowly get the
gist of using the different mobile
units and attacking the enemy as well as getting used to your
joystick/keyboard/mouse controls. You run no threat of enemies sniping you when
you destroy their vehicle. Also, some
enemies (including scavengers) don't exactly have the common sense to retreat
when you clearly outnumber and outgun them. You have less activity to deal with
at once. I highly advise to
listen to all the dialogues and read all the texts as they will go a long way in
explaining the purpose of many of the units. Many people also report (because of
some recon bugs in the
game) to turn strategy help off.
1.5: What is Instant Action?
Instant Action is another type of single player strategy which consist of only
one mission and likely several objectives. It is basically like playing one
normal single player mission. The retail
game itself, to my knowledge, does not provide any instant action scenarios.
However, you can download these add-on mission maps made by others. BzArmory 2
web site has a
handful among many other web sites. See section 7 for instructions on
downloading add-on maps.
Section 2: Multiplayer Activity in General
2.1: Why don't I get all the single player units in multiplayer?
Several of the units would be redundant for the multiplayer arena. The wind and
lightning powers are simply offshoots of the s-power. Field HQs are variants of
the supply units. Relics, of
course, have little use other than for design & aesthetics in multiplayer since
there are no recon missions. With the number of different units you need to
manage and operate, keeping the
units limited and simple is a micromanager's dream. :)
2.2: What bizarre things happen in Battlezone with bad ping?
An enemy with bad ping won't affect the activity of your vehicle and units, but
that of the enemy. Ships of players with bad ping will tend to stay in place and
go in circles then suddenly
disappear. You may suddenly see a walker in one spot then suddenly "zip" over to
another spot 50m away. If you fire at them with direct guns, damage may take
time to register on their
vehicles (assuming you actually hit them and not their "lag" appearance). Lock-
on guns (rockets and missiles) may be hard to lock onto someone and/or suddenly
lose their target upon
travel. I have had reports of high ping players also having trouble firing at
the other enemies. Stationary units, on the contrary, will stay in place. I
believe that when you attack them, their
damage still occurs quickly (can someone confirm this?). From my experience, I
can chat to a high ping player during a live game.
Chatting, however, may be affected when in the chat rooms. (Check to see if they
have a ping either very high or of zero, which could also be attributed to the
server performance.)
People usually ask high ping players in a game to exit and return, which
sometimes corrects it.
2.3: How do I talk to only one person on the text screens?
Select the person to talk to in the lower left box of people on-line. Type your
text in your chat box, then click on the W box underneath the people on-line
box.
2.4: How do I talk during a live game?
Hit the accent/tilde key (the key left of the 1 key on English keyboards) to
open a one-line chat box. Type away and hit ENTER to send.
2.5: How do I talk to only one person during a live game?
Hit the accent/tilde key (the key left of the 1 key on English keyboards) to
open a one-line chat box. Push the up or down arrow key to scroll through the
direct player or team to chat to.
Type away and hit ENTER to send. It will remember the last person you talked to
the next time you try to chat. To go back to chatting with everyone, use the
up/down arrow key to
select TO ALL the next time you chat.
2.6: I get a "version mismatch" error when joining a game. Why?
You don't have the same version of Battlezone as the person hosting that game.
As of this writing (Oct 14 98), version 1.4 is the most up-to-date patch
available for the game (1.5 for
some with certain configurations). I highly advise downloading the latest patch
from the web, as most hosters tend to always use the latest patch available. (If
you are upgrading from
1.31, be sure to uninstall the anti-cheat patch if you have one before
installing 1.4.)
If, however, you already have the latest patch and get this error, the hoster's
game version is out-of-date. Better to move on to another hosted game with your
patch.
2.7: I get an error of missing some strange file when joining a game. Why?
Did you also notice that there was no normal S, D, or P labels before the game
name? The hosted game requires an add-on map which could be obtained from the
web (if you wish to
play it).
2.8: I get a "Can't join..." error when joining a game. Why?
Some causes are unknown. But one probable cause is that someone suddenly joined
the game just seconds before you which closed the game up (the maximum number of
game players
are reached). After accepting the error, watch if the max is reached when the
screen refreshes. You may even find yourself exiting a game and reentering it
only to encounter this error
too! (very frustrating)
2.9: If I leave a live game, can I come back?
For the most part, yes (assuming everyone hadn't left the game by the time you
returned). You may occasionally get the dreaded "Can't join..." error for which
there's nothing that can be
done. :(
2.10: I get a "connection to game server lost" during a game periodically.
Should I exit?
No. You're merely losing the connection to the machine responsible for chatting
in the chat rooms. It doesn't have an effect on your game. Once you start a
game, it doesn't require
constant interaction between the players and the server. I do hear that it does
break your connection if you get this message in the chat rooms (unconfirmed).
2.11: How can I get new multiplayer maps?
Many web sites have multiplayer maps. The Bz:Armory2 site is among my favorites.
The files required for a particular map are conveniently zipped up into one
file. Instructions are
normally given in the zipped file's readme file. You basically unzip the files
into your /BATTLEZONE/ADDON directory. You will also need to add a line at the
bottom of your netmis
file (located in the /BATTLEZONE root directory) so your game recognizes the
map. The line should also be contained in the readme file. (If you have the
utility program MapAdder, you
can use this program instead to automatically manipulate the netmis file.) Once
this is done, the map will then be available in your multiplayer game
preparation screen (the one in which
you choose your tank).
Section 3: Multiplayer Strategy Activity
3.1: Why is it called "strategy"?
This game mode closely resembles some of the single player missions involving
the recycler. The goal of the game is to defeat all the enemy players' lives.
You will have full access to your
recycler to build offenses, defenses, utilities, etc. to build a force to attack
or defend from the enemy. The player list during the game (accessed by pressing
the M key) displays the
people participating, their team numbers (valuable for allying with them), their
deaths, kills, and remaining lives. Deaths are the number of times that player's
units, including themselves, are
destroyed (not sure for APC pilots killed though). Kills are the number of times
that player has destroyed a unit or other player. You lose a life if you
yourself are killed on foot. So a
typical strategy game doesn't run as quickly as you may think. It can range from
30 min. to even 4 hours depending on the map size, player skills, # of
latecomers joining, and scrap
availability.
Of course, unlike the single player missions, YOU call the shots as to how you
want to confront the enemy. Do you put out a full force of tanks on them? Do you
partner up with someone
and build a dual fortress of a base? Do you spy on the enemy on foot to see what
they got? Do you go in major scavenge and explore mode for a while? An
assortment of preparations
and outcomes can happen.
3.2: How do I join forces (ally) with someone?
Make sure you are in the live game (not the game chat screens). Hit the M key to
show the player list. Note the team number of the person you want to ally with.
Hit Y then the team
number. If you had reassigned the Y key to do something else, you could use CTRL
[ instead.
On the player list, the ally player statistics should turn blue, along with his
units on radar and (in most cases) his flag above his units. Then, the other
players will get a message that you
allied with a certain team number. Your friendlies will not attack your ally's
buildings and units (including gun towers and turrets) although you are capable
of it yourself (should you be so
mean and dishonorable). You can enjoy the benefits of their supply, hangar, and
armory powerups but not their comm towers or scavengers. You cannot order their
units nor order your
units to their nav beacons.
Be aware that it takes two to tangle. The other person must ally with you too
and you need to look for their chat message "ALLY WITH [your team number]". If
you do not see that, they
have not allied with you. This would make them capable of attacking you and your
base with your units not able to do anything about it (unless you unally, refer
to next section).
You can ally with more than one person (everyone in the game, if you prefer).
However, once again, make sure they had all allied with you too.
If you hit the ally key by mistake and didn't intend to ally with anyone, enter
0 as a team number to complete the command and cancel the alliance.
3.3: How do I break up with them (unally)?
Once you are allied with someone, you remain so unless you manually unally with
them, one of you leaves the game, or the game is over.
To unally, make sure you are in the live game (not the game chat screens). Hit
the M key to show the player list. Note the team number of the person you want
to unally with. Hit U then
the team number. If you had reassigned the U key to do something else, you could
use CTRL ] instead.
On the player list, the other player statistics should turn back to red, along
with his units on radar and his flag above his units. Then, the other players
will get a message that you unallied
with a certain team number.
3.4: What defense building units need geysers and what doesn't?
Recyclers, factories, and armory units require geysers. Constructors do not.
3.5: What buildings/structures need s-powers and what doesn't?
Gun towers and comm towers require s-powers. Supply units, Hangars, barracks,
and silos do not.
3.6: My gun towers/s-powers are destroyed too easily. How can I optimize them?
Be aware of 2 major characteristics of gun towers: (1) they can safely be
destroyed long range by bombers and (2) CCA gun towers are pre-loaded with mere
chainguns. With these
flaws in mind, be sure to have an armory boost the powers of your CCA gun
towers. Consider flash cannons and/or blast cannons. Position s-powers between
gun towers and your base
or a wall. Try to not position gun towers in open fields where bombers can
clearly take them out hundreds of meters away undetected. Place them so that in
order for bombers to start
firing at them, they'd have to come within gun firing range, such as around a
bend in a path. Set more than one s-power per gun tower and try to have each s-
power serve more than one
gun tower. If you are chasing an enemy toward your base, try to chase them into
one of your proud gun towers. :)
3.7: My scavengers and I are constant victims of minelayers/mine fields. How can
I cross them safely?
Look for the red dots on your mini map display (with CAPS LOCK). If you see
them, order your scavengers either back to base or to follow you before they hit
the mines. Another
possible giveaway of mine attacks are getting emergency beeps with your radar
units blinking red, but only in 5-30 second spurts. Stepping on enemy mines
counts as an enemy attack
according to your radar system. Mines can be destroyed by gunfire. I prefer to
toss mortars since you can lob them over other mines and take out a set of close
mines in one shot. Make
sure you keep back as your removing each one.
3.8: I heard a sudden rumble/thunder, but my base seems intact and I get no
warnings. What happened?
Another player has used the dreaded day wrecker on someone. The rumble occurred
just as it dropped on its target. You may have seen it followed with a few or
several status
messages that various units of the victim player are destroyed. Be lucky it was
not you!
3.9: I heard a sudden rumble/thunder, and suddenly I'm losing units left and
right! What happened?
You were the victim of the dreaded day wrecker, a truly devastating weapon.
Before the boom, you might have seen some sort of red object coming down (likely
on your recycler).
That's the one! It spreads out significant damage over a certain meters radius
of its target, including so many meters in the air. It is like a light nuclear
bomb. If the enemy hasn't attacked
until this point, be prepared for a possible battle. Unless your units were in
bad shape to begin with, one day wrecker usually can't finish off many of your
units (but certainly put good
damage on them). A wise enemy will follow up with an attack of units. Sometimes,
after an enemy attack, they may also decide to drop this hellish present, so
beware!
3.10: I host a game. What's the pros/cons of each of the hosting options?
SYNC JOIN - This prevents anyone from entering the live game until the last
person in the prepare screen launches a la MechWarrior 2 style. Red squares
beside players on the Player
Status box indicate that they have not launched. When they do so, the square
becomes green. Use this option if you are certain people will join your game
soon and you want to start
everyone on fair ground scrapwise. The downside is, of course, having to wait by
your computer for someone to come before starting to launch.
Having it off allows people to come and go as they please, a la Quake 2 style.
It definitely guarantees latecomers that may have less scrap to hunt for and
choices of base placement. If
you want an early game advantage, turn this off. Usually latecomers will decide
for themselves based on the game time that has passed and the amount of scrap
they see available whether
or not they will stay. Most people usually don't mind entering a non-synced
game.
COMM TOWERS - Turning this off prevents building of communications towers by the
constructor, making it difficult to spy on enemy units or plant a day wrecker
from a very long
distance. It will force players to move closer to enemy quarters to plan their
attacks.
BARRACKS - Turning this off prevents building of barracks by the constructor.
Players will have to closely regulate the number of attack units to produce
since they are limited to the
pilots from the recycler (and factory if made). Once those pilots are killed,
there's no way to have more.
PLAYER LIMIT - Fewer people means more time to concentrate on the building of
units and planning attacks. More people can create more fun or nightmarish chaos
as there will be
more fighting for scrap and likelihood of surprise attacks from neighbors.
Allies will probably form with 4 players or more (some add-on maps allow more
than 4 players in the game). In
fact, I encourage allying by that point since they'll be less scrap distribution
per player and too many people will be onslaught from wave attacks upon wave
attacks from various players.
PLAYER LIVES - Having few lives per person does not make the game very short as
you may think. Remember that many of your units can be killed constantly, but
ultimately it is the
kill of you the pilot that costs you a life. In fact, 5-life games can go on for
quite a few hours! Having only one or two lives significantly will affect what
units to produce and when to
attack. Protecting the recycler, in fact, becomes much less significant if there
is only one life to protect. More offensive and quick attacks are likely in such
a "sudden death" situation.
SNIPING - There's quite a few hosts that turn this off, which disables use of
your sniper rifle as a pilot on foot. In this scenario, once your ship gets
destroyed, returning to a friendly or
unmanned ship and/or your recycler becomes a high priority. Pilot run-over
deaths by enemy vehicles are significantly higher than when sniper-enabled.
Keeping this off is also
recommended for a game of beginner players, as it gets quite discouraging to
suddenly be sniped while sitting in your ship trying to slowly operate the
command unit interface. Purists such
as myself prefer to keep this on as it gives a fighting advantage for pilots on
foot vs. the powerful vehicles.
3.11: My scavengers won't pick up anything! Why?
Did they report "no more scrap"? If so, they will remain idle (refer to question
3.12) . Otherwise, they could have been sniped. See if you or another fellow
pilot can enter the vehicle.
What if they reported "there is no scrap storage"? Your recycler could be
undeployed and your silos could be full. A final most likely reason is that the
scrap storage is full (which will not
be reported). Look at your scrap number status. Once you produce more units or
silos (or order the scavengers elsewhere) they will move again.
3.12: My scavengers report no more scrap. Is that really it?
Not necessarily, especially early in a live game. There may only no scrap
visible to your radar. Once you venture out beyond your range to find more
scrap, or units within your radar
range get destroyed, the scavengers will go back to work.
3.13: I defeated all lives of an enemy, but his leftover units are still around.
Don't they always blow up when he/she is done?
When all the player's lives are lost, the player goes to the Game Stats screen,
where he can continue to chat with the other players. However, all his remaining
units will not wipe out until
he/she leaves this screen to return to the general chat lounge. As long as the
player is on the Game Stats screen (regardless of how many lives lost), his/her
remaining units are still quite
active, snipable, and destroyable.
If you are allied with this person, ask if he will stay in the Game Stats screen
long enough for you to use his supplies, hangar or maybe snipe out a few
vehicles to help you out. They may
not because while they are on the Game Stats screen, they cannot do much else
but chat, so rarely expect a yes.
If you are not allied with this person, try to snipe out some vehicles and
quickly enter in and out of them quickly before the player hits the lounge. The
vehicle will then be under your
possession. And because you claimed them quick enough, they won't go poof when
his other units explode!
3.14: I joined a game and already no scrap is available! How can I survive?
Always note the game time, maximum scrap available, and people list on the game
preparation screen (where you pick your tank) before launching. Game times more
than 30 minutes
and/or with light/moderate scrap and/or with several people in it are very
likely to have little or no scrap. Some add-on maps, however, like Big Ass Moon,
have a multitude of scrap,
allowing plenty of scrap if less than 4 people have joined the game for around
30 minutes.
So you decide, despite the odds, you want to join anyway. I personally like this
sort of challenge occasionally because it causes you to severely regulate your
scrap usage and evaluate
what units are most important for you in the game.
Among the odds working against you are (1) competing with well-established
armies, (2) leaving your recycler to a light or no defense, (3) a sudden attack
without warning, even right
after you launch, (4) high likelihood of very little scrap, probably from unit
destructions, (5) impracticality or impossibility of setting a comm tower.
Before I continue, I HIGHLY advise not bothering to linger in such a game if
either there are known cheaters, the map is very small with no volunteering
allies, or sniping is diabled. You'll
only waste precious Battlezone playing time suffering massive frustrations!
My plan launching into the game is to at least build an armory, then perhaps one
offensive vehicle, then to equip your tank and the other with an ideal weapon. I
would explore the
immediate area first to see if there's any scrap left before making a scavenger.
Otherwise, it's a waste of a unit. You may have to be prepared to leave your
recycler exposed. You may
even want to already pack it up so that in the event of an enemy attack, it's
ready to move.
Look at the player list to see someone that looks the least threatening (high
deaths, little kills, 1-2 lives left) and attack them. If successful, you'll
have new scrap to build some more (at
which point you can make a scavenger). Beware however, that better players may
have their eyes on the same target as you, so watch the periodic killings status
messages to see who's
killing who. And it doesn't hurt to consider allying with someone. (Losing
players are especially longing for allies.)
Each time you lose a life, you should have enough remaining scrap to make 1
fighter per life when you respawn. Of course, the odds are worse now as your
less likely to have enough
scrap to make your favorite weapons anymore.
Finally, be prepared to spend significant time in the game on foot, sniping
vehicles attempting to re-attack, or simply to escape. Escaping with a scavenger
wouldn't be such a bad idea
too!
3.15: I host a game and enter it live. No one yet arrives. What preparations
could I do while waiting?
Aaah. Unlike entering a game late, you now have the best odds in your favor. You
have the freedom to do whatever you want uninhibited by attacks or enemy
snipings.
For someone more the defensive type, I prefer to build chief units in this order
while alone: (1) 3/4 scavengers, (2) armory, (3) constructor, (4) s-powers, (5)
gun towers, (6) supply, (7)
silo, (8) barracks, (9) any offense/turrets with powerups. This assumes, of
course, that you have enough scrap available to make them all. Powerup the gun
towers if necessary.
For someone more the aggressive type, I prefer to build chief units in this
order while alone: (1) 3/4 scavengers, (2) factory, (3) some rocket
tanks/bombers/tanks with powerups, (4)
some turrets with powerups, (5) armory, (6) barracks, (7) constructor, (8)
hangar, (9) supply, (10) walkers, APC, or s-powers, (11) gun towers, (12) a nav
beacon in each corners of
the map, (13) enough scrap build for a day wrecker.
My intention here is to set up the immediate 6 or 7-manned destructive army
first, then have a 2nd wave of more powerful forces (the remaining offensive
units) to back them up. The day
wrecker could come just before or after your attack, and the set nav beacons can
help plot that.
As a host though, be careful not to be a scrap hog. Leave enough for others to
want to join. You can instruct scavs to come back to base if they are going into
a quadrant where other
players would launch (typically the other 3 empty corners of your map).
3.16: I left an empty vehicle near my barracks. Why won't a pilot come out to
use it?
I assume you have pilots remaining in your barracks to deploy. The problem is
you are standing too close to your barracks. Back up or move away some distance,
then you'll see a new
pilot pop out to commandeer the vehicle.
3.17: Any tips for Corner Pocket?
I highly recommend placing gun towers or turrets near your base since there is
such a narrow chokepoint entrance. This gives you freedom to attack/snipe
visitors from the opposite
chokepoint (directly across the "street" from your base).
3.18: Any tips for Purgatory?
Using the CAPS LOCK map view, regard the entire figure 8 map. You get a little
scrap close to your base. However, the vast areas of scrap are toward the middle
ends of the map. So
it will take quite a while for scavengers to retrieve considerable scrap. Use
this to your offensive advantage.
1) Place one or two gun towers at one of the middle ends of the 8 (where the top
and bottom side paths join).
2) At the other middle end, or at the center of the 8, place a nav beacon. Have
a minelayer lay some mines there.
3) Set a nav beacon halfway back to your base. Use this spot for the minelayer
to retreat for a while to conserve some mines until the existing ones disappear.
Send it back to lay more
afterwards if the territory is still enemy free. Won't the enemy scavengers be
up for some surprises when they arrive to the middle area to retrieve scrap!
3.19: Is there any general etiquette when playing strategy?
Here are general ones which most players will agree on.
1) If a player calls for taking a few minutes to build their units before
attacking them, respect them. It's usually because either everyone want to build
early in the game first or this player
had just joined in very late without much to start out with. Violating that will
guarantee a quick exit by that player. These sort of requests do not tend to
happened very habitually anyway.
2) If you kill a player's life yourself, then suddenly see him reappear as a
pilot, consider if that is that player's respawn point (the spot that a player
will reappear after he/she dies). If you
realize that is the case, back off of him or at least attack some of his/her
other units so the player can have at least a fighting chance to do some moving
or ordering. Mowing over a
respawned player 2 or more times may be considered cheap by some people. Use
your strict discretion, especially if they chat to you themselves to stop
attacking their respawn point.
3) If you want to ally with someone, call it first (either to everyone or just
that person) and wait for them to ally first. Take this from past experience.
Many people are not familiar with
how to ally so you may need to explain it. As a courtesy, you might want to tell
them you allied once you do so (they could tell from the status message, but
beginners may not understand
it). Conversely, if someone asks you to join them and you want to, ally with
them immediately.
3a) Do not be a traitor to your ally. This can cause great heat and anger. If
you made a general mistake attacking one of your allies (such as their pilots
since they can be difficult to
identify by flag and without radar), apologize immediately. If you want to
unally, tell them first. Very few people may be purposeful traitors to knock out
your gun towers without
retaliation. I've had an ally walker sit by my supply depot picking away at all
my defenses! If you suspect a cold traitor, declare it and immediately unally
with them.
4) Actually help your ally when you are allied. Don't be a lone wolf with a
little extra protection. You can help in minor ways such as telling your ally
your location so they can set their
base with you, giving them a spare vehicle if they are stuck on foot, making
them some powerups from your armory, or even just telling them that you have a
hangar or supply depot
available. If your base is pretty well fortified and defended, ask your ally if
you can defend their base (alone or with a little offense/defense). The more
active ways to help can involve
backing up your allied units attacking an enemy, protecting their scavengers, or
warning them of an enemy's weakness or incoming attack. If you nearly annihilate
a key enemy structure
(such as a recycler) before getting killed, alert your ally of that so that they
could possibly finish the job. Any of these simple courtesies will significantly
enrich both your gameplaying as
well as possibly making a new e-mail friend!
Section 4: Multiplayer Deathmatch Activity
4.1: Why is it called "deathmatch"?
It is a terminology highly adopted from the Quake games meaning "free for all".
All players are enemies. There are no allies (in most cases). Anyone can attack
anyone else at any time.
When your vehicle gets destroyed, you are auto-ejected and a new vehicle will
automatically respawn near your landing. If you are killed before entering your
respawn vehicle, you will
reappear where you first started the live game. Depending on the game options,
game ends after so many kills, time runs out, or you simply decide to leave. A
non-timed live game can
run forever.
4.2: How do I join forces (ally) with someone?
Unlike multiplayer strategy, you cannot (although the command will falsely
appear to work). You could ask around during the live game if you want to form
teams and just make sure you
always kill your enemy (use the T key to identify the player target you're
chasing).
4.3: My ship blew up. Where's my respawn vehicle when I land from an ejection?
If it's not in front of you, look behind you. If you are on a hill, it may be at
the top or bottom of the hill. Listen for the engine to guide you.
4.4: Is every powerup in every map? Where are some of these powerups?
Generally ammo and repair are on every map. The weapons powerups can be in some
out-of-the-way places on some maps, especially the more powerful ones. Look for
them on
hilltops or on the extreme corners of the map, even in lava! Note that some
powerups may take longer to reset than others, but they always appear in the
same spots on the map.
4.5: I can only pick pilots for some games. Why?
These are sniper only deathmatches. You start out and remain as pilots,
constantly trying to snipe out the other enemies. Most maps usually provide a
non-ammo vehicle just so you can
enter and hop out to reset your sniper ammo. You can also score kills, however,
by killing them with your standard plasma rifle (after many hits) or running
them over with a vehicle.
Usually, these alternative means are not the main focus of the game.
4.6: Any tips for Mars Rally?
If you go in as a rocket tank, you can't go wrong with a destructive Image
Shadower/Pop Gun combo! Once you make your way around the long "track" to the
main large area in the
northwest corner of the map, head east. At the west rock wall of the main area,
there's some slopes to help you get atop a high cliff path running north to the
northwest corner of the map.
Aside from some ammo, repair, and a splinter, you'll find a nice Pop Gun at the
corner. Hornets, I feel, are useless in deathmatch, so replace its hardpoint
with the Pop Gun. Group it with
the Image Shadower to be a lethal machine! Make sure you always run for the
ammo/repair powerups after each kill (because you only get about 14 shots. If
you are at the receiving end
of such a vehicle, get a Phantom VIR or RED Field to completely protect
yourself.
If you go in as a tank with 2 cannon hardpoints, consider picking up the blast
cannon twice at the north section of the main area (near some narrow pointed
peaks) and have them
grouped together. Once again you'll have limited ammo for this setup, but with
well-placed blasts, you will reduce the enemy in 10 seconds! Each hit will do
roughly 20-30% damage on
an average enemy vehicle! Do NOT bother with getting two flash cannons because
it wastes ammo too quickly and requires a VERY steady fix on the enemy.
4.7: Any tips for Colloseum?
If you MUST be an eagle lander for this map, plant yourself either at the very
central top, or one of the extreme corners of the map. I've found these places
to be the best in terms of most
exposure to the area to fire and (in the case of the corners) least turning
involved. Those I think are the areas of best success rates (though still bad
relative to the other vehicles in the
game).
If you're always on the Pop Gun receiving end of an nightmarish walker perched
at the central top, consider getting a SITE camera. Use the site camera to
circle around the "stairs" find
the back of the walker and climb up the coliseum to it. Then start attacking
away, strafing to always work your way around the back of it. (Perhaps a RED
Field may be another Special
beneficial here?)
4.8: Any tips for Odin's Eye?
In the center crater of this moon map is a mighty killing machine which packs a
bolt buddy and SEVERAL comet-like missiles. The problem is getting the vehicle
out of the crater, which
over a dozen MITS mines protecting it. If caught in any of these MIT mines,
you're temporary missile or sniper bait until it explodes. And beware, they
reappear after a few seconds!
When heading into the crater, jump out of your vehicle (you're not going to need
it anymore anyway) and try to steer so you land right into the vehicle. Once in,
you'll find one ramp which
you can use to get out. You will highly likely be stuck on a MITS mine at the
foot of the ramp before exiting. Once at the top rim of the crater, make a left
and soon make a right into one
of the low gaps between the crater peaks. You will have to jump jet to assist
you. Once out, the fun begins. It turns into a contest to see how long you
survive in your vehicle while going
on the killing spree. I suggest sticking to the west or northwest plains of the
map since there's scattered ammo and repair power-ups to assist you.
The other region to well note is a collection of weapons, ammo, and repair
power-ups in a narrow east-west channel at the far southeast of the map. You may
even begin the game there.
4.9: Any tips for Rings of Fire?
Believe it or not, many battles will take place in the rings of lava themselves
(in which you gradually lose energy). When hunting for others or trying to
escape a final blow, drive around the
rings in either direction and you will constantly collect repair power-ups.
Beware that in the center of the rings is also lava, except for the outer
perimeters, just before you see the solid
red of the lava. Obtain the bolt buddy (in the southeast area of the lower ring)
as quickly as possible to gain substantial advantage.
Also, when ejecting as a pilot, ALWAYS land on the outer solid grey cliffs that
surround the rings. If you do not land near the top grounds of these cliffs,
you're respawn vehicle is likely
to roll down the cliff into the lava!
4.10: Any tips for PacMan DM (add-on map)?
Noticed that all the weapons powerups are up on the hills? Take note of it! If
you manage to grab the almighty Pac Tank APC, get two Flash Cannons. You will
fry the enemy, especially
with ammo always near by. If you are a vehicle on the receiving end of this
threat, pick up a Pop Gun and group it with your favorite cannon or missile
weapon to match its firepower.
4.11: Any tips for Titan Turmoil (add-on map)?
Credit goes to the creator of this map of mixed treats! There is a major variety
of vehicles and powerups on this Venus medium-sized map. Two relics are here for
target practice. ;)
Below gives you the flavor of the kind of things available:
Vehicles- AT-Stabber Walker (northwest), L.Tank w/ Sandbag & TAG (northeast),
standard Walker (in the southwest steel pit area atop one of the high
platforms), Bomber (another
platform).
Weapons- Comet (southwest corner; try not to get stuck in the narrow channel),
Bolt Buddy (northeast, north of the two relics), Pop Gun (north central), Solar
Flares (central), Splinter
(west central).
4.12: Is there any general etiquette when playing deathmatch?
Not really, due to the nature of the game. You may suspect that camping (a
Quake-adopted term for staying by a powerup for a long time to fill up on ammo,
repair, or weapons) may
be lame. It is not generally the case in Battlezone since (a) most players are
constantly on the move and you could be a target fairly quickly and (b) you are
an easy sniper target when
idle. If you choose to camp, pick a powerup spot away from the main grounds of
battle, such as the lower steps of Pyramid or the highest rows in Colloseum. The
center of the map,
especially the repair at the 4-pillar court in Pyramid is a hotbed of battle.
4.13: What are some popular deathmatch variations?
Sometimes hosts like to put some added rules into a deathmatch game, which
aren't enforceable by the hosting options themselves. It is left to the honor
system of the players to respect
that rule(s). Usually the rule is obvious from the title of the hosted game.
Below are approximate title names along with their rules.
Turrets vs. Walkers- Probably the most popular spin on a deathmatch these days.
You must either pick a turret or a walker. A US or Russian type does not matter.
Walkers can only
attack turrets and vice versa. Walkers have the advantage of high impact
weapons, immediate firepower and strong hull, while turrets have the mobility
and smaller size for hiding. Playing
this on the Leap of Faith map is especially challenging with the presence of the
rave gun weapon in the southwest area of the map. Top priority should be to get
the rave gun, then to work
your way to the center plateau on the map (far easier done with a turret than a
walker). From there you can target a wide variety of opponents throughout the
hills. Because of the rave
gun's amazing splash damage (damaging players near it's hit radius), you can
even take out a turret or walker peeking out or hiding behind a thin wall of
rock. It is generally the first player
who gets a rave gun and occupies the center that will have a HUGE killing
advantage, not to mention the plentiful ammo power-ups there. Take out any rave
gun opponents first. If a
walker, watch out for turret rave gun rays since due to the poor visibility of
the planet, you may not see the small turrets. If you cannot make it to the
center plateau due to another player
already controlling it, perch yourself on a cliffside or somewhere on the lower
banks. Do NOT stay at the clifftops where you are easy blast cannon and VERY
easy rave gun bait!
Cable Modem- The requirement is for all players to have cable modem service for
their network gaming, assuring a lower ping game than those that include
telephone modem players.
Cheaters Welcome- Cheating is allowed in the game. This also implies an
assumption for games not titled for cheaters: If a game title or host does not
somehow specify cheating
allowed, ASSUME cheating is not allowed! It saves major headaches and anger from
us non-cheating players, thank you. :)
Scouts Only- Having only US and Russian scouts encourages a generally high
cannon, low missile game, relying on precision firing and quick strafing rather
than lock-ons.
Bombers Only- Provides a slower combat version of Scouts Only. With slower
movement and turning radius, it makes the game feel like a chess game full of
rooks.
[A Clan] vs. All- The host and some fellow players are part of a Battlezone clan
(team of players agreeing to train and fight together on a routine basis). They
are challenging anybody
else to attack them and only them to score points. Since clans are usually
highly skilled players, the game winds up being quite a combat zone!
Walkers Only- US or Russian Walkers only. Probably the closest variation to
resembling a Mech Warrior game. With very predictable behavior involved, the key
is to land all your
damaging shots on the enemy before they destroy you. A game more of quick direct
firepower rather than evading and precision.
Landers Only- One of the less popular and strangest variations of a deathmatch
game. Aside from somewhat predictable behavior from the landers, you have some
players flying very
high, then jumping out to do some "skydiving" shooting with other pilots. A
strange and surreal experience.
Section 5: Sniping
5.1: How exactly does this sniping work?
Sniping works in all variations of single player and multiplayer games in the
same way. While on foot, you can use a sniper rifle to instantly kill another
pilot on foot or in certain units.
Then, you can steal their unit for your own use. To snipe a unit, switch to your
sniper rifle and aim in the general direction of your target. Look in your
sniper monitor and pinpoint the
glowing yellow dot on the unit or at the heart of the pilot on foot. That's your
target. Shoot the target accurately, and it's success. If the unit was moving at
the time, it will suddenly stop. If
you were playing the single player, the bright dot will turn a quick red before
disappearing and you'll hear a light gushy sound of the pilot's organs being
terminated. :) If you were playing
multiplayer, you'll also get a status message indicating you sniped someone.
Players being targeted for a snipe receive no warning in any way. They have to
find your little pilot self on their viewing screen to realize what you are up
to. And to my knowledge,
computer pilots never snipe.
It could also be your savior when a vehicle tries to run you over and you have
no safety ground. With enough practice and bravery, its much worth the risk to
face the vehicle head on
with the sniper rifle aimed at hand. That little "dot" becomes MUCH bigger as
the target vehicle approaches you. You do run the risk, of course, of being run
over before getting the shot;
even after the shot if you are too close to it at the time (the vehicle would
run you over as it grinds to a stop and you would both lose a life).
I have survived 2 out of 4 successful vehicle rundowns this way (the other two
resulted in both of us getting killed :) A smarter vehicle driver would have
killed the pilot with a weapon
such as a mortar or cannon while approaching.
5.2: I can never snipe attempt in some of my games. Why?
The host has disabled sniping.
5.3: I keep aiming and I can't successfully snipe a vehicle in multiplayer! Why?
Make sure you are aiming at a manned unit that has a snipe "dot". Building units
such as factories and armory aren't snipable. Additionally, some vehicles such
as walkers cannot be
sniped. If it is a vehicle that is snipable, that means it's unmanned. So no
need to snipe it! Just take it away!
It is harder to snipe vehicles from long distance as the "dot" is much smaller.
This is even more difficult if the multiplayer has bad ping. Their units will
zigzag on the screen to much to have
a steady "dot" target. For them, consider going for a stationary target or seek
another enemy.
5.4: Am I ALWAYS subject to 3 bullets until my next life?
Not if you can find any unmanned vehicle to enter then hop out of again.
Entering vehicles replenishes your bullets and repair.
Section 6: Weapons Tips
6.1: I can't use my gun in my turret/howitzer/eagle lander! Why?
You need to deploy it first. That means hitting the K key to plant yourself on
the ground and set up your guns. The eagle lander takes a significant while to
prepare (about 8-10 seconds)
so allow plenty of time. The howitzer preparation time is somewhat shorter,
followed by the turret. Once set, you will be able to turn your aim again and
start firing.
6.2: I can't fire my image shadower/hornet. Why?
These are lock-on rockets which require you to hold the mouse button and aim at
your target. Get into range of your target and click and hold the mouse button
at the target. Once you
keep on your target long enough (the hornet is more sensitive than the shadower)
for your reticle to become red, release the mouse button to fire. If you turn
around after a lock-on, it's
still fixed on, so it's OK to release it. The rockets have been known to fail
when going around some solid walls. Also, be careful not to aim your reticle at
your armory when getting more
ammo. It might accidentally fire on it.
6.3: How do I use this Phantom VIR? Don't notice anything.
Phantom VIR makes you invisible to other players and lock-on weapons. Be
cautious though that they can see your blue jets when you move around and jump,
and they can still target
you with the T key to track if you are in front of them.
6.4: How do I use this RED Field? Don't notice anything.
RED Field scrambles with the enemy's lock-on so they can't target you. They must
resort to cannons, specials, or mortar tossing at you.
6.5: How do I group weapon hardpoints/fire more than 1 weapon?
The manual and reference cards explanations may sound confusing, but it is not
that hard to get accustomed to. Your weapons display on the lower right of your
screen as 5 possible slots
to put various weapons. CTRL - F8 through CTRL - F12 turn on or off those 5
slots (or hardpoints) in descending order (CTRL - F8 for the top slot, CTRL - F9
for the second slot,
etc.)
Simply hit CTRL - F8 to activate the weapon in the 1st hardpoint. (CTRL - F9 to
activate the 2nd hardpoint, etc.). You basically pick which hardpoints you want
to group together. If
you hit the same command again, you'll turn it off. (Use this, for example, to
fire only one of a twin weapon like chainguns.) If the 5th slot does not have a
weapon available, hitting CTRL
- F12 would have no effect.
6.6: I get this bizarre sound when getting a powerup and can't get it. Why?
If it is an ammo or repair powerup, you are already full and do not need any
more.
If it is a weapon, you do not have a hardpoint to carry that weapon. For
example, you cannot pick up a RED Field if your vehicle does not have a Specials
hardpoint.
6.7: Things keep hitting me from above! What weapon is hitting me?
That would be the work of a pop gun. You probably heard a distant launch of some
object, then suddenly a whoosh of air coming toward you. If you looked up, you
would notice the
pop gun rocket up the air, then suddenly drop from the sky towards you!
.
6.8: How do MIT mines work vs. M-Curtain mines?
MIT mines attract any vehicle, pilot, bullet, missile, or rocket that comes
toward it, temporarily magnetizing its contents. The attraction lasts several
seconds. An enemy trapped at one
can only fire at itself. Use this to your advantage to fire away at a stuck
enemy. If you set one, be sure to leave its close vicinity within a few seconds
or you will be drawn into it yourself.
M-Curtain mines repel any bullet, missile, or rocket that comes toward it.
Firepower essentially "ricochets" off the mines to the left or right. A ship
behind or surrounded by a good set of
M-Curtain mines fairly safe. The mines last several seconds.
Section 7: Miscellaneous
7.1: What Battlezone directories should I backup?
Within your Battlezone directory, these are the chief files/directories to
backup. (This list is NOT exhaustive, but the materials that I definitely know
should be backed up):
netmis.txt- file containing all your maps general configurations (including any
add-on maps)
/GIDDI- subdirectory containing all your joystick configurations. Especially
important if you made your own customized configurations.
/SAVE- subdirectory containing all your saved single player missions and instant
action missions.
/ADDON- subdirectory containing all your downloaded instant action, strategy,
and deathmatch maps. Includes the actual map designs, characteristics, and
special accompanying sound
files and bitmaps and special vehicles (such as for PacMan DM).
Most other files, in the event of an emergency reinstall of Battlezone, should
be rejuvenated through the new install or re-obtained from the web. Please feel
free to contribute to this
question if I had left any other uniquely critical files/subdirectories out.
7.2: What joystick configuration do you suggest for gamepads?
I use a PC Power Pad Pro 6-button gamepad. (Somehow I just cannot get into
joysticks for computer games!) For my style I only use 3 of the buttons, then
use the mouse for the rest.
Gamepad buttons I use are for forward, stop & back, and jump. The forward
throttle is conveniently my trigger button under the gamepad. The left and right
pad directions are for my
turn left and turn right. I use up and down pad directions, believe it or not,
for strafe left and strafe right. It allows me to push diagonal directions to
circle an enemy while facing them
to fire. You get accustomed to it after a couple of training missions, trust me.
The mouse movement will aim my target recticle. Left mouse button is to fire
weapon. Right mouse button is
to select weapon.
I have found only two disadvantages of this configuration: you will circle an
enemy slower close range when in a vehicle with slow strafe speed (like a bomber
or rocket tank); and I have
to take my right hand off the mouse when jumping in order to steer better,
hindering my ability to fire.
Send me an e-mail if you wish to have a copy of my joystick configuration file.
7.3: How do I get and use extra maps?
BzArmory2 among tons of other Battlezone web sites have custom made maps for
multiplayer strategy, multiplayer deathmatch (vehicles and sniper only), and
single player instant action.
(To my knowledge, the game itself does not provide any instant action
scenarios.)
1) Download from the web site the collection of files for a particular map,
usually in one zip file and named after the map.
2) Unzip the files into your Battlezone /ADDON subdirectory.
3a) (Either) add an extra line in your NETMIS.TXT file so the map will be
recognizable by the game (many map authors provide you the line to type in in
their README file).
3b) (or) use the MAPADDER.EXE program, providing the map name when prompted, so
the map will be recognizable by the game. You can also obtain MAPADDER from the
BzArmory2 web site.
4) Perform any further installation instructions asked by you from the map
author's README file. (There rarely is further instructions to do, but in some
add-on map cases like
PacManDM, there are sky textures and vehicle "skins" that need to be
additionally installed.)
Then to run your new map, simply pick the new map when playing multiplayer (if a
multiplayer map) or use the Bz Control Panel program (also available from the
BzArmory2 site. See a
pattern?) to run your instant action maps. Bz Control Panel could also be used
to run your multiplayer maps, but you'll be playing alone and you may see odd-
looking "spawn" beacons
and no power-ups (what fun is that?). However, it may be handy if you just want
to test their existence before playing them "live" with others.
7.4: What is this large assets patch I hear about?
For players fortunate enough to have a Voodoo or 3dfx video graphics card of
(edition) 2 or better, you can download an addtional Battlezone patch called
large assets (some refer to it
as version 1.5) so that you can get enhanced effects from your card. I believe
that players of any second generation or later 3d card (like Riva TNT 2) can
also take advantage of this
patch, but I have not confirmed that. If you have no idea what I'm talking
about, you probably do not have that card in your computer. Some quite
remarkable effects compared to the
1.4 version are listed below:
1) After the single player/multiplayer ready screen, you launch into the game
much quicker (i.e., much less time to wait for the level to load).
2) The vehicles are better textured and several of them show light under their
jets when they travel. Try following the scavenger in the first single player
mission.
3) When you shoot successfully at vehicles with projectile weapons (cannons,
mortars, etc.), small fragments will chip off the vehicle where you aimed. A
welcome addition for multiplayer
games.
4) When vehicles are severly damaged, trailing engine smoke is thicker.
5) Vehicle destructions are much more explosive! Ships break up into parts more
dramatically than the recycler does, leaving trailing black clouds of smoke that
linger for quite a while.
Fiery explosions even also cause a spectacular ground swell which tosses your
ship a bit if near the impact!
6) Your pilot now does a somersault in the air after you are ejected from a
destroyed ship. The sky twists in a roller coasterlike effect.
7) Solar flare weapon powerup blinks. I do not believe all other special weapons
do this.
8) Certain powerful enemy fire (like rockets) will cause your vehicle to spin
around 180 degrees or so if hit medium/close range.
7.5: Can I play CD-ROM music while playing Battlezone?
By CD-ROM music, I am referring to other computer CDs, such as game CDs, that
have music tracks on them. I have not been successful in playing music CDs while
playing Battlezone.
It just plays nothing.
You can play CD-ROM music as long as you do not host a multiplayer game nor play
the singer player game. The game intro and credits are disabled. All other
functionality is intact. The
CD-ROM will even change tracks during your multiplayer game.
----
Copyright 1999 by Orlando C. Fernando. This page is for personal use only. It
may be openly distributed for nonprofit in whole or part, but authorship must be
credited.
