This is a patch for the DOS version of the NetMech multiplayer expansion for MechWarrior 2: 31st Century Combat.
The file NMPAT_B1.EXE contains a beta version of the first update to NetMech DOS. Please do not download this file after July 30th, 1996.
WHO SHOULD DOWNLOAD THIS PATCH?
Anybody who needs pulse dialing during modem games, or anybody who has
an internal modem on a non-standard IRQ port (for instance, COM3 IRQ5).
Or: Anybody who can't get modem or null modem games to work.
Or: Anybody who uses the 'M' key to recenter the legs to the torso
may want to install this patch.
WHO SHOULD NOT DOWNLOAD THIS PATCH?
People who have used the "maximum" installation option in MechWarrior 2 will find that their animations run from CD-ROM instead of hard disk after the patch, and may prefer to wait for the final patch.
WHAT NEW FEATURES WILL THIS PATCH ENABLE?
1. Clicking on "no" when quitting from modem config screen now works properly.
2. NetMech animations now kept in SNK folder instead of SMK. This fixes a problem when running MechWarrior 2 DOS and NetMech in the same directory.
3. Command line parameter "-Kpulse" for pulse dialing with modems.
4. Command line parameter "-Kirq=5" for internal modems set to IRQ5, etc. The "modem" section of NETINFO.TXT has been updated to reflect the new -Kpulse and -Kirq features.
5. Modem driver now creates MODEM.LOG. This may help Tech Support in debugging modem problems.
6. The 'M' key now works properly in the sim.
7. The 'S' key now works properly in the sim.
8. You are now warned if you use -Kirq and pick an IRQ in use by the mouse.
9. The modem driver no longer locks up when the com port IRQ is wrong.
10. The modem driver no longer takes so long to abort if it can't reset the modem initially.
11. For people playing on multisegment IPX networks, IPXADR.EXE now creates a batch file JOINGAME.BAT which you can send to your friends via floppy or e-mail so they can connect to games hosted on your computer. The "network" section of NETINFO.TXT has been updated to deal with this.
12. The null modem driver now creates SERIAL.LOG. This may help Tech Support in debugging null modem problems.
13. To help Tech Support diagnose problems where the modem connection seems to work, but no other players are visible, start both players' copies of NetMech with
NETMECH -Ktest
This will force the modem and null modem drivers to test the connection by sending a block of test data. Errors, if any, are noted in the log file after the line "Sent 256 byte ramp, read 256 bytes.". For the loopback test to work with the null modem driver, both players must click on "Accept" at about the same time.
INSTALLATION
1. At the DOS prompt, type CD \MECH2 and press Enter.
2. At the C:\MECH2> prompt, type NMPAT_B1 -y and press Enter.
3. VERY IMPORTANT: if you haven't already done so while installing a previous patch, rename your SMK folder to SNK. At the C:\MECH2> prompt, type MKDIR SNK and press Enter, then type MOVE SMK\*.* SNK and press Enter.
COMMON PROBLEMS
If you forget to move the files from SMK to SNK, you will get an error message when you try to start netmech.
WHAT FILES DOES THE PATCH REPLACE?
IPXADR.EXE
NETMW2.EXE
NETSHELL.EXE
NETMECH.EXE
NETINFO.TXT
NETINFO.HLP
README.TXT
DLL\IPX.DLL
DLL\DWANGO.DLL
DLL\SERIAL.DLL
DLL\MODEM.DLL
