This information is provided to help players understand why errors can occur in a game or installation. If you have problem with any map hosted here please provide feedback or question to admin@ctftimberliners.com. We want this to be as painless as possible.
Provided all files are in the correct location and built or patched for use in the respective game you should receive no errors. Problems occur when the installation of the files or patch to specific files are not applied.
You don't have this mission....Popup Redirect
Attempt To Read/Write to xxxxx Crash when launching a game
Game crashes when launching after viewing MAPS tab in Lobby
This is an error that you don't have the TERRAIN file installed. Originally created by not having a full install (terrain files copied to your HD) and not having CD2 in your computer for Vengeance. Vengeance CD2 has a Resource\Maps folder that contains all the developer Vengeance terrain files. However you can get that same error if you don't have a CUSTOM terrain in place as well. When receiving the CD2 error, you need to find the terrain file(s) for the mission being run and place it in your \resource\maps folder on your HD. If it requires patching, that also must be done prior to joining a server or hosting a game with that map. All BK Terrains must be patched. In Vengeance Polar Tundra terrain requires a special rename/patch approach as identified below.
Pretty clear eh? Except, it could be that you have installed the file in your \Resource\Missions folder instead of your \RESOURCE\USERMISSIONS folder.
When you connect in multiplayer mode, the server identifies the MAP (mission), the version of the map it's running and the path in which it's running on the server. If the set of files does not exist in the same relative path your running the game under, or match the version hosted by the server you get the popup. Most errors occur in CUSTOM maps as the installations from CD do not set developer missions into the USERMISSIONS folder. First validate you're running the most current version of the 'map' and then if you need, check to make sure it didn't land in the MISSIONS folder.
Your game always looks in MISSIONS folder first and if it finds it there first and doesn't match up with what the server says, you get the popup. Even if you also have it in USERMISSIONS. If the server is running it from USERMISSIONS, that's the only way you should have it installed.
Sorry, no way to identify for conventional users how to see what the server says, just understand why you may see the popup.
This error can occur for more than this reason, so we'll address on instance we can confirm will generate it. Your terrain file is corrupt or not valid for the given gametype. 90% of the time it's a Black Knight Terrain file in the Mercs Resource\Maps folder that hasn't been patched. While the file is there the game will crash on a BK file that has not been patched. Remedy, patch it so that it's compatible with Mercenaries.
This problem occurs on CUSTOM maps where a user sitting in the lobby selects the MAP tab and the game description text does not show up. This is a SERVER HOST problem. In the NFM there is a line that identifies the TEXT file that should be sent to the client when it views the MAP tab. If that line is not present of the SERVER/HOST does not have that text file to provide information to the clients, you risk clients crashing when they view the map tab. Doesn't matter if you do a quick look and come back or if you're on that feature when you launch. Once you look, you'll crash.
Generally if you don't view the map tab, you can avoid this type of error. However, should you see it occuring, you should let the ADMIN know so they can correct the problem in their NFM file. The line in question should read something like
scenariotext=resource\missions\ctf.txt (where CTF.TXT is a text filename on the server describing the game type being played)
This error is seen by the host server, causes the game to crash and clients to timeout once the game launches. To our knowledge only seen in CUSTOM gametypes and because the entry is missing in the NFM file or is invalid. The line in question should read something like
scriptname=Content\Missions\BigCity Dev\Scripts\CTF.ABL (may be different based upon the map maker)
This one varies from map to map. In general map creators should package up their custom maps and attempt to do as much work for the end user as possible leaving no error to where files get installed. When the map making community started out even the developers got this one wrong. i.e. Hogsback download from the Mechwarrior4 site still is a problem. It was done as a zip file but unless your careful the files get placed within a folder nested under the folder they should be in.
The more conventional installer looks up a registry value on your machine. In this location will be a setting (Drive, Path) for where your MW4 game is installed. There's one each for Veng, BK and Mercs.
This is the top level of the specific game type. Those building the installer than create the structure so that when it installs pointing at that location it ends up in the correct subdirectory location. i.e. resource\maps and resource\usermissions
Normally the user is provided the option to change the path and where a user repoints the installer can be a problem. If you have multiple instances of a gametype installed (i.e. Mercenaries PR1 version and Mercenaries MP1 version) repointing may be required. But changing the path to point to anything beyond the top level of the game (i.e. C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Mercenaries) will create files in the wrong location. Unless you have multiple instances, do not change the path.
We've also tried to implement some very rudimentary routines to copy files (terrains from Vengeance/BK) from known locations (default paths on the HD) to help in installations. You need to watch the DOS dialog box carefully to see if you receive any errors. While we believe these routines help out the general community they are by no means bullet proof. In addition the actual PATCH application may generate an error that requires the user to take corrective action. If you can slow down just a bit and read the text as it's presented, you could save yourself a world of frustration.
We could package everything up (*patched terrains, mission files) but we're backing off on a couple fronts.
1. We haven't asked or received permission to distribute developer Terrains (legal issue we don't have interest in doing this)
2. The terrains average about 24MB for a 4x4 map. Dialups are hit hard and the storage and bandwidth to support the community it a bit more than we want to support.
So the easiest way to help end users is to require them to have the old terrains and then provide the tools/installers they need to make the terrains and missions available to them..
The paths provided below are based upon DEFAULT settings. These could have been altered during installation for a custom install of the games.
If Vengeance is installed first, there will be a directory called
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Vengeance
If Mercenaries is installed there will be a directory called
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Mercenaries
If Vengeance is installed after Mercenaries it will be installed in a directory called
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Games\Mechwarrior Mercenaries\MW4
Black Knight is always installed in the same folder as Vengeance.
Multiplayer games for MW4 consists of Terrain Files and Mission Files. The confusion is that most call the collection a MAP. When in reality there are a group of files that make up a map. To further complicate things, the mission files can be in two locations. To be clear, Custom or User created missions belong in USERMISSIONS folder while developer created missions belong in the MISSIONS folder. Each of these files is actually a collection of files created in a compressed ARCHIVE (zip like format) that carries information used within the game engine to create the environment a user sees and plays in.
Files are installed within the game directory under the following subdirectories
Resource\Maps
Terrain files are the description of the land/water locations, the topology of the terrain and how images/textures are applied. Sometimes the sky textures are included in the terrain files.
Resource\Missions
Mission files are associated to a given terrain file and contain the objects and their placement, SP sounds, light information, scripts for objects and games and optionally textures that can be positioned to coordinates on the map. These files are DEVELOPER CREATED files and are installed with the game.
Resource\Usermissions
Same description as above however these are CUSTOM missions created by users. While users can create custom terrains and place their terrains within Resource\Maps folder, their mission must reside within the Resource\Usermissions folder.
Each game (Vengeance, Black Knight, Mercenaries) has it's own editor. The editor created a signature within a completed terrain/mission that identifed what gametype the file was compatible with. Vengeance created Terrain are compatible with Black Knight and Mercenaries. Black Knight Terrains must be patched to be used in Mercenaries. Mercenaries created terrains are only useful in Mercenaries (as of this writing).
One special carve for Vengeance Terrain is ARCTIC05.MW4. This file has the same name as a Terrain file in Mercenaries. As these terrains files are different, a special procedure to copy the terrain file, rename it to POLAR.MW4 and then patch the file (every terrain file also carries it's own name within the file itself which needs to match in order to use it).
BK Terrain files need the same type of change but for signatures placed within a number of file in the archive tagging it for use in Black Knight. The BK Terrain Patch does that modification so that the archives can then be used in Mercenaries.
Developer terrains are generally 1 file with a .MW4 extension. i.e. Urban01.mw4 is the terrain for Big City.
Custom terrains are 2 files. A .MW4 file and .DEP file. i.e. Fort Apache mission has FortApache.DEP and FortApache.MW4 in the \Resource\Maps folder.
Note: the terrain name can be completely different as Big City used urban01.mw4 while Fort Apache use FortApache.mw4/.dep
Each map within MW4 should be created by the editor to be compatible within that MW4 gametype. While Vengeance based missions do work in Black Knight, missions created in Black Knight are not seen in Vengeance.
Mission files for Black Knight and Vengeance have been recreated (through a set of procedures) for Mercenaries use.
The files consist of a .MW4, .DEP, .TGA and .NFM (note .NFM for Mercs, .NFO for Vengance and .NFX for Black Knight)
i.e.
FortApache - FortApache.DEP, FortApache.TGA, FortApache.MW4, FortApache.NFM
BigCity Dev - BigCity Dev.DEP, BigCity Dev.TGA, BigCity Dev.MW4, BigCity.NFM
Unfortunately, the BK conversions require that the in game MINIMAP (SHIFT M) be a seperate. This is normally included in the installer and has a name that cannot be changed. These files are TARGA format images 256x256x24 format. If you're on a BK map that was ported to Mercs and when viewing the in game MINIMAP and get a white square, this is why. Either the image got renamed or is not in the path identified in this section. Path, Name, format are all very important.