Has anyone tried making a VM for the power vr version of mech2?

Sghettikus wrote on 2026-05-28, 14:09:

Has anyone tried making a VM for the power vr version of mech2?

PowerVR version would need an SGL wrapper first. Iirc this same configuration would work till the GDI part.

does the gui installer no longer work? I tried it so many times with different ver. of mech2, it always close itself when it to powershell window but it only last like a sec. using original OP installer worked fine.

Not sure.
Personally I think the one in my sig is complete enough, tested enough and simple enough that it doesn't really need a gui.
It's nice, of course.

I had some half finished rewrites too. The problem is that the time investment for neat code and a better ini file/error handling is far higher than the 2 minutes anyone will actually use it for - the majority of which is just waiting for the file copy.

this one here right? mw2Installer06052025
also if you don't mind me asking here, since the thread I'm supposed to ask is archived and I can't dm no one yet,
here the thread in question Mechwarrior 2 PowerVR Edition
2nd post, this person said something about mech2 win95 convert to powervr sgl, something like from DOS version to 3dfx
and the file for that 'Mech2_PowerVR_files.zip'. I'm not sure if it possible to convert 3dfx into powerVR without the wrapper itself first but would love to know what this person did, or maybe I'm just wrong about it, although I think there is another thread here a new person just released its own powervr wrapper which is in beta wip, PowerVR-SGL-Wrapper v0.3.0 for Windows

I vaguely recall many years ago that people figured out which files were different between the versions and because bandwidth was expensive/slow made "patches" as it were.

Ie you replace 5 files from x and it becomes Y.

Beyond that, I don't really know anything else.

It's easy to zip your folder, try it, and if it fails delete and restore. Takes less time than searching for ancient scrolls.

I tried it with mech2_pvr_files.zip, the game boot up but can't go into any missions, training nor instant action. it always go back to sub menu.

Yes the files were supposed to convert the game to use SGL. However the SGL wrapper isn't complete, so that's why it doesn't enter there. I think I made it enter with the actual PowerVR release, but it didn't display properly.

Besides the original game needs a DPLAY.DLL in the game folder, or else it gets kicked to the menu, maybe you need that too

I'm using myne's mw2Installer06052025, I think the game already been configured with necessary dll's,

myne wrote on 2026-05-09, 01:45:

Try mine. It's ugly, sure. But it's been tested longer.

I wouldn't say it's ugly. I've seen some real terrible console UX made in PowerShell, your script doesn't even rate. 😀
But 100% #FACT on testing. I tried to make sure I didn't mangle the steps or their order, the meat of it is largely unchanged and I tested with every edition I have; but that's still not all of them.

If you PM me your GH handle, I'd love to give you access to the repo.

Just testing the waters here.. I went and slop/vibecoded a decomp of Mechwarrior2 and after a bunch of back and forth, I have a build that builds on modern Linux/Mac systems. I've fed it all the various 3D render files, so you can switch between 3dfx/powervr/ati/s3/matrox.. there's an enhanced version that is basically the 3dfx with powervr fog.

Still working out some bugs with mission completion and sounds.. but I'd guess it's easily 3/4 complete. Would you guys want to check it out? (again, knowing it's 1000% slopcoded).

Mikeyy00 wrote on Yesterday, 14:48:

Just testing the waters here.. I went and slop/vibecoded a decomp of Mechwarrior2 and after a bunch of back and forth, I have a build that builds on modern Linux/Mac systems. I've fed it all the various 3D render files, so you can switch between 3dfx/powervr/ati/s3/matrox.. there's an enhanced version that is basically the 3dfx with powervr fog.

Still working out some bugs with mission completion and sounds.. but I'd guess it's easily 3/4 complete. Would you guys want to check it out? (again, knowing it's 1000% slopcoded).

Nothing wrong in sharing I guess. It becomes a problem when maybe an AI slop is arguing to be better than handwritten code (which in this case doesn't exist)

Mikeyy00 wrote on Yesterday, 14:48:

Still working out some bugs with mission completion and sounds.. but I'd guess it's easily 3/4 complete. Would you guys want to check it out? (again, knowing it's 1000% slopcoded).

You've certainly got my attention, AI reverse engineering has been getting spooky lately!
(I noticed the Magic Carpet games have been getting some similar treatment.)
I might be incredibly naive about it but I would love seeing all the old Mechwarrior games being made native for x64.

Github here:
https://github.com/BatMahn/MW2-Port

Still having Claude clean up a few minor issues, but the port is playable fully. No Netmech (and likely never will be).

Mikeyy00 wrote on Today, 18:17:

Github here:
https://github.com/BatMahn/MW2-Port

Still having Claude clean up a few minor issues, but the port is playable fully. No Netmech (and likely never will be).

Current buglist as of 10-08-26:

Low, but noticeable if you look closely

Dead mech left standing. When a kill leaves the mech upright, it freezes in its last pose. I haven’t checked in DOSBox whether the original plays a collapse animation for head or cockpit kills.
Ejection. The DOS edition’s flat-coloured ground from high up and its palette change on the way out aren’t reproduced.
Start-up and shutdown animation. The target display and viewport contents aren’t drawn clipped inside the moving box during the 1-second sequence.
Yellow Jacket top speed is 92 kph against 90 in DOS.
AI group behaviour. Lance members are chosen in lance order rather than by the engine’s loadout rating. Enemy stars pick up their targets all at once instead of one per tick.
Out of weapons. The AI never takes its self-destruct option.
Collisions. Hitting terrain uses a once-per-contact damage latch where the engine cuts your speed. When one mech lands on another, it’s set down beside it instead of pushed out on the next tick.

These are fixed, but Ive found a bunch of others. I'm out of tokens, so no updates until Monday.