Multiplayer Match Screen

Multiplayer Options Screen

Change Vehicles

Map Selection Window

Game Options Window

This window allows you to send messages to other players in the game. Click on the text edit box with your mouse to begin typing a message. Press Enter to send the message.

Deathmatch

Deathmatch gameplay is probably the most common form of multiplayer gaming. Pick your vehicle and your map and jump into the fight!  Battlezone 2™ has some unique Deathmatch capabilities due to the wide variety of ships and weapons at your disposal. 

King of the Hill (KOTH)

King of the Hill games are available. The goal of this game is to remain on top of the hill the longest. When you on top of the hill, your points will increase. Kill your opponents and take the Hill to win this game. 

Loot

In the LOOT game, you can score points by stealing the bags of gold and returning to your ship.

Capture the Flag

In capture the flag games there are two teams, each with there own flag.  The objective is to capture a flag from the enemy's flag base and take it back to your flag at your flag base to score.  You only score in capture the flag when you carry the enemy's flag back to your own flag.  If both teams have the flag, neither team can score. 

You can pick up an enemy flag by driving into it.  If you pick up an enemy flag, you are objectified in the HUD of your teammates and your opponents.  When you have the flag you can expect other players to try to chase you down quickly so you probably want to get back you flag base as soon as possible. 

Scouts are great units in capture the flag games because they are so fast almost no other unit can chase them down besides other scouts.  Every team probably ought to have a fast unit such as a scout or units that are nearly as fast, sentries or mortar bikes.  Slower more powerful units may be useful to defend your own flag. 

Some teams try to use a really powerful unit, such as a Titan, Assault Tank or Walker to carry the flag.  It can take a long time to get to the flag in slow unit, but once you have the flag it will be difficult for the other team to stop you, especially if they are mostly driving scouts. 

Team Strategy

In team strategy multiplayer games two armies face each other.  Each army has one commander and as many as three other teammates of the commander.  When you join a team strategy game you must choose a team (the computer will default you to one) and your team must decide on who will begin the game in command.  As a default, the player will put the first person into a team in command.  The person in command can give up command by pressing the 'give command' button and then any of his teammates can take command with the 'take command' button.  You can switch off command in a similar way during the game.  A team strategy game can not begin unless there is a commander for any side with players. 

Team strategy is probably the ultimate version of Battlezone in terms of depth and strategic challenge.   Being an effective team requires planning and cooperation.  It can be the most enjoyable way to play Battlezone, but it isn't nearly as easy to jump into as a deathmatch game. 

In team strategy games the commander is the only player who can build things.  The commander can control any unit, but he/she always  controls the recycler, the factory, the armory and the constructors.   The wingmen of the commander can control combat units, scavengers, tugs, and service trucks. 

The responsibility of the commander is to keep resources generating and allocate them.  Since you are the only player who can build units, you should never forget to build them.  Because building is so important for the commander it is usually a good idea for the commander to stay close to the base, at least in the early game.  As commander you can hand off scavengers to your wingmen and on large maps you probably should.  Your wingman can easily spread out to capture far off scrap pools.  Also, late in the game they can take the responsibility of protecting roving scavengers, or using scavengers to collect the bio-metal left over from their battles. 

You can communicate with you teammates by using the F8, F9 and F10 keys, which are reserved for the player slots available for your team.  By looking at the icon in any of these buttons you can see what craft your wingman is currently driving.  By selecting the function key associated with each wingman and then the ~ key, you can see what units he has under his control.  You can also use the function keys as quick ways to send messages.  There are a number of messages you can send to your teammate by pressing there function key.  These messsages have several advantages over typed messages.  First off, the message you send will trigger a sound file that on the other persons computer that will repeat your message aloud.  That will allow the other player to hear your message even if his eyes are distracted by combat.  Second, the mesaage will appear as an objective over your craft, or your target (if the message is to protect or defend a target).  That will help remind the other player and it will help the other player keep track of who is saying what.  Also, the objective marking can be used to give important positional information.  So if you see an objective that says "follow me" you can easily see where your teammate wants you to go. 

Probably the most commonly sent messages are "I need service", "I need a ship" and "Follow Me".  Commanders should probably always build a service pod as soon as they get a "I need service message".  Otherwise they will soon be getting the less convenient "I need a ship" message.   "Follow me" is an extremely important message between wingmen.  One of the first things a good team will learn to do is to try to outnumber opponents in dogfights early in the game.  One of the best things you can do is surround a lone scout with two or three teammates to insure an easy kill.  Because of this it is often recommended that you travel around the map in formations of two or three so that you are not so easy to pick off. 

The key to team strategy for wingmen is force preservation.  The worst wingman possible is a wingman who plays as though he were in a death match, racing off alone to face enemies until his ship is blown up.  The sort of teammate will constantly be needing another ship, draining his team of precious resources.  Also, no matter how good a dogfighter he is sooner or later a good team will destroy him with superior numbers or higher quality units. 

Strategy teams rarely lose when all the players on the team have time to build up a well balanced force.   Just as in one on one strategy games, the players who attack decisively with a large force do better then those who fritter away units piece-meal.  Building up a force with your teammates takes discipline and communications. 

A good idea is to set up each wingman with a versatile force that can support itself such as a couple Assault Tanks, a Rocket Tank and a Service Truck.  A force like that can control areas of the map autonomously.  Another option is to give a particular wingman a large, specialized offensive force such as Maulers or APCs, which they can employ with a lot of care and attention.  Attacks in Battlezone work best when they are well planned and well timed, and that's just sort of micro-management that a wingman should handle. 

A good idea is to coordinate wingman so that each is responsible for a different area of the map, or different groups of scavengers.   In this way no front should go neglected.  Also, with good communications no attack on any front should be a surprise. 

A good commander should keep his wingmen supplied with units.  You can use the ~ key to see what units your wingman has.  

See you on the battlefield!

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