Difference between revisions of "How to Install MWLL"

Latest revision as of 22:45, 12 September 2023

The install process for Mechwarior: Living Legends (MWLL) is undergoing some rapid changes. To help developers and you, this guide will explain the process for version 0.8.6.

NOTE: This guide will focus only on Windows. The base Crysis Wars game was not designed to work with any other OS, although it can be run, with some success, in Linux using Wine.

Minimum System Requirements

• CPU: Intel Pentium 4 2.8 GHz, Intel Core 2.0 GHz, AMD Athlon 2800+
• RAM: 1.5 GB
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT, ATI Radeon 9800 Pro (Radeon X800 Pro for Vista)
• VRAM: 256MB of Graphics Memory
• Storage: 10 to 15GB (new maps take additional space)
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
• OS: Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Microsoft Vista
• DirectX: DX9.0c or DX10

Recommended System Requirements for 60 FPS+ smooth gaming

MWLL is built on CryEngine 2, it prefers a CPU with the fastest single-thread performance. You'll get the best FPS on the most recent and fastest Intel 13600K+ or AMD Ryzen 7600X+. The fastest CPU now in 2023 for MWLL is the Ryzen 7800X3D. Its large 64 MB level 3 cache makes it on average 70% faster than a Ryzen 3700x (which is already a fast CPU) during CPU intensive battles.

• CPU: Intel Core i5 4000 series (4670+) 3.4 GHz base clock or higher, AMD Ryzen 3000/5000/7000 series
• RAM: 4 GB +
• Video Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti or faster, AMD/ATI Radeon RX470 or faster for 1080p (1920x1080) resolution
• VRAM: 4 GB + of Graphics Memory
• Storage: 10 to 15 GB (new maps take additional space)
• Sound Card: DirectX 9.0c Compatible
• OS: Microsoft Windows 7 or later
• DirectX: DX9.0c or DX10

Note: The Action Mapper tool that is used to change keybindings requires 32-bit Java, which is available here

Preparation and Known Issues

If you had MWLL installed previously, a clean profile is recommended. Should you have any pre-0.9.0 build of MWLL, it is highly recommended to delete the whole profile folder found in %USERPROFILE%/Documents/My Games/Crysis Wars

The launcher is able to update any pre-0.9.0 version to the latest version automatically.

Due to engine limitations, playing on a resolution higher than 1080p might cause more frequent crashes.

When making a new install, avoid installing into Program Files (x86) or Program Files. Instead, install into c:\games\mwll or similar. This is in order to prevent potential permissions issues in the future.

Please review the MWLL Troubleshooting Wiki for details on how to solve issues.

Online Install - Download MWLL Launcher Installer

Note: The Online Install will install the MWLL Launcher and upon first run will download all the MWLL content automatically.

1. Go to the official download page at https://mechlivinglegends.net/#downloads
2. Download the MWLL Installer by clicking the "MWLL + Crysis Wars installer" link
3. Install by running MWLL-Installer.exe and follow the directions.
4. Once the MWLL Launcher is installed, double click its icon to start it. Click 'Update' to start the download of the latest MWLL content.
   • If you find your download through the Launcher is taking too long, try downloading the Offline Full Installer mentioned below from several alternative locations, which should provide faster download speeds.
5. If you are coming from an old install, we recommend that you delete the My Documents\My Games\Crysis Wars folder, as the 0.8.0 installer creates an outdated profile that can cause issues when starting the game for the first time. It can be found by entering "%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\" in the Windows Start Menu Run field or via File Explorer.

Offline Full Install - Alternative Downloads

Note: The Offline Install will install a full version of MWLL v0.16.x ready to play with the Launcher and all the content.

1. Offline Installer through mechlivinglegends.net
   1. Enter this directory on the mechlivinglegends.net infrastructure
   2. Download the files MWLL-Offline-Installer.exe and MWLL-Offline-Installer-1.bin through MWLL-Offline-Installer-4.bin into the same folder
   3. When you have all four parts, run MWLL-Offline-Installer.exe and follow the instructions there.
      
2. Offline Installer through 12th VR Infrastructure
   1. Download the following files MWLL-Installer.exe and MWLL-Installer-1.bin through MWLL-Installer-4.bin into the same folder
      • MWLL-Offline-Installer.exe
        
      • MWLL-Offline-Installer-1.bin
        
      • MWLL-Offline-Installer-2.bin
        
      • MWLL-Offline-Installer-3.bin
        
      • MWLL-Offline-Installer-4.bin
        
   2. Instructions:
      
      • Ensure you've placed all of the above MWLL-Offline-Installer files in the same directory.
        
      • When you have all four parts, run MWLL-Offline-Installer.exe and follow the instructions there.
        
3. Offline Installer through ModDB
   1. Access MWLL's Downloads page on ModDB
   2. Download the files MWLL 0.16.0+ Offline Install - Installer.exe and MWLL 0.16.0+ Offline Install - Part 1 of 4 through MWLL 0.16.0+ Offline Install - Part 4 of 4 into the same folder
   3. When you have all four parts, run MWLL-Offline-Installer.exe and follow the instructions there.
      

Run for the first time

Run the MWLL Launcher. Agree to UAC dialogue if prompted. Click 'Update' or 'Verify' in the middle of the Launcher to make sure you're updated to the latest version of MWLL. Choose your in-game name. Where it says "Profile name:", click in the white area where "MechWarrior" is and enter your chosen name. Then click Save Profile. This will automatically generate a user profile. Click 'Launch' to start the game. The game will often take a bit of time to load upon being run for the first time. You may get a "modified files" error and the game closes - just start the game again. If that doesn't solve it, you can click on Verify Install on the MWLL Launcher. Once the game has loaded into the Main Menu, press the Escape key to remove the console.

Updating from a previous version

1. Run the MWLL Launcher shortcut from start menu or desktop.
   • Agree to UAC dialogue if prompted.
2. Click 'Update' to install the latest version of MWLL.
   • The launcher might prompt you to delete any stray files that are no longer needed. Click 'Yes'. A second prompt will ask you to confirm. Click 'Yes".
3. The launcher will verify your game install and download any game files that have changed from the previous version.
4. Once the update is finished, click 'Launch' to start the game.

The game will often take a bit of time to load upon being run for the first time. You may get a "modified files" error and the game closes - just start the game again. If that doesn't solve it, you can click on Verify Install on the MWLL Launcher. Once the game has loaded into the Main Menu, press the Escape key to remove the console.

Connecting to a server

Select Multiplayer from the main menu Select Internet Game Once in internet Games Tab you will be shown a list of active servers. Double-click a server to connect to it. After everything loads, you're ready to play!

It's not working! Where can I get help?

If you're having trouble getting the game to install or run, you can check the Troubleshooting page or join the MWLL Discord server using the link in the Launcher - ask for help in #tech_support or #mwll_general.

A note about profiles: if you change profiles while in-game, you will need to restart the game for the change to properly take effect.

What's Next?

If you're new to MWLL, reading the MWLL Basics Guide will help orient you with the interface and how to play the game. The other guides shown below are very useful as well, even if you played a previous version of MWLL.

Otherwise, join a game in progress and have fun!