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Snow Blind (Bane) - (1) Don't build much more than an upgraded extractor, two turrets and maybe a scout. Get to the convoy as quickly as possible thereafter. (2)When caved in and must return to the dust off site as last objective, travel the high hills west of the path to help you safely get there. Avoid the path of enemies and you'll save much time and anguish.

On Thin Ice (Bane) - (1) To guide the recycler through the ice, tell it to follow you and do this cursor trick. Tell it to deploy and just keep your cursor aimed to the ground. The red and green spots are safe to cross. Switch to a far-out view and guide it slowly. If enemies threaten, deploy it in a legal spot directly in front of you.
Knock out enemies and repeat. (2) Having trouble getting your transport to the dust off site as last objective? I did it with gun towers protecting the base, two upgraded extractors (closest to base), gun towers protecting it, and a relay bunker.
Put the transport east of your base because enemies always come from the west on the dust off site path. Go into the bunker. Now build a turret "chain" lining up the path from the recycler to the drop ship. This means constantly making turrets and deploying them one after the other along the path to freedom. You must be fast with the group keys because you'll constantly need to make more F-key space for new ones.
Several will get destroyed, but the chain will eventually overwhelm them. Once you get it close to the dropship. Logout and order the transport to go to the dust off nav beacon.
Defend it along the way.

Section 3: Multiplayer Activity in General

3.1: What are the multiplayer games in Battlezone 2?
Team Strategy - A battle between two teams to conquer the opposing enemy recycler. One or many people can be on each team.
Strategy - A battle between one-person teams to conquer the other enemy recyclers.
River4 and Ground4 maps allow normal strategy with 4 players maximum.
Deathmatch - A free for all battle.
Team Deathmatch - A free for all battle organized into two teams. One or many people can be on each team.
Capture the Flag - Teams fight to capture the opposing team's flag.
Loot - A free for all in downtown Pleasantville. Enter various banks in the map as a pilot to steal cash bags for 100 points. Cash bags regenerate over time.

3.2: Why don't I get all the single player units in multiplayer?
The host for your current game has only allowed certain vehicles to launch with. If he only allowed ISDF vehicles, it won't be possible to form a Scion team in strategy or team deathmatch. You can ask the host to enable your favorite vehicle if the host has not launched yet. Remember in strategy that you will have the opportunity to build your favorite vehicle from the recycler or factory.

3.3: What bizarre things happen in Battlezone with bad ping or lag?
Frequently on the game server, it will enter "gamestate" in which the server will try to correct poor signals. At that point, all (or most) players in the game will be frozen for a limited period of time. Another server behavior is to have you be temporary frozen until the lag corrects itself. Unfortunately, it leaves you very vulnerable to enemies unstuck. Be careful giving commands at this point because there is a keyboard delay as well. When you become unfrozen, prepare to have been possibly killed. :( Too much lag might cause the player to be kicked off the server. When in gamestate status, you can still chat with others via the ENTER key or the ESC key. (The ESC menu shows ping count of each player in the game as well as the amount of lag that person is experiencing. To get your ping, ask someone else to check your name on their ESC menu. To help counter high ping as a host, you can prevent high ping players from joining the game. Lower the
MAXPING setting on the game preparation screen.

3.4: How do I talk on the text screens?
Select CHAT W/ ALL, TEAM, or ONE at the bottom. Then type in your text in the lower left bar of the screen and hit ENTER. You will stay chatting with them until you choose another chat button, even when you launch into the live game.

3.5: How do I talk during a live game?
Either (1) hit the ENTER key, type your chat and hit ENTER again or (2) hit ESC to bring up a full chat screen, complete with history of conversations. You can change who you chat to by selecting CHAT W/ ALL, TEAM, or ONE. Enter your chat in the space provided and hit ENTER.

3.6: In the game preparation screen, can I chat with players already launched?
Yes. You can chat with players already engaged in the live game and vice versa.

3.7: If I leave a live game, can I come back?
For the most part, yes (assuming everyone hadn't left the game by the time you returned).
You might find the game full while you were away. Or the game server can simply be too full to handle any more user joins. If you do make it back into the preparation screen, you will need to select your appropriate vehicle and/or team then ENTER GAME again.

3.8: I am ready to enter the live game. Why can't I launch from the preparation screen?
If the host is still preparing the game options and has not entered the game herself, you will not have the ENTER GAME button enabled yet. Be patient, perhaps chatting that you are ready to launch.

3.9: Can I change my name in multiplayer?
Yes. Either at the preparation screen or live game, enter in a chat line /NICK [NEWNAME] where [NEWNAME] is what you want to call yourself. It should remember your new name for future games until you change it again.

3.10: How can I get new multiplayer maps?
There are no new maps publicized yet on the web nor by Activision, but that may change soon. However, Pandemic Studios has released separate documentation on how to create your own BZ2 instant action maps. Check their site. http://www.pandemicstudios.com/

Section 4: Multiplayer Team Strategy Activity

4.1: Why is it called "team strategy"?
This game mode closely resembles the instant action missions involving the recycler and/or matriarch.

The goal of the game is to destroy the enemy recycler and factories (if any). As a commander, you will have full access to your recycler to build offenses, defenses, utilities, etc. to build a force for your team to attack or defend from the enemy.
Unlike BZ1, several people will join one of two teams, so resources are shared among the team. On the preparation screen, you will pick what team side you want to be on by selecting JOIN TEAM 1 or JOIN TEAM 2. The Red Team (whether or not its squad name is renamed) will have all their units, vehicles, pilots, and chat text in red;
Blue Team in blue. The player list during the live game (accessed by hitting CTRL-ENTER) displays the people participating, team squad names (defaults are Red Team and Blue Team), their deaths, kills, and scores. Deaths are the number of times that player's units, including themselves, are destroyed (not sure for APC pilots killed though). Kills are the number of times that player has destroyed a unit or other player. A typical strategy game doesn't run as quickly as you may think. It can range from 30 minutes to even 4 hours depending on the map size, player skills, and number of latecomers joining. In the course of the game, you may change commander role or responsibilities of certain vehicles to get the job done. No two strategy games ever run the same.

4.2: How can I command or give up command of my team?
Your team must have a commander which will command the recycler, factory, armory, and constructor units. On the game preparation screen, hit the TAKE CMD button to become commander. To give up command, select one of your teammates on the team list then hit
GIVE CMD. The one in command will have a "C:" next to their name on the team list.

While on the battlefield, you can switch roles also. Hit ESC to bring up the full chat menu. The TAKE CMD / GIVE CMD button and team list works the same as in the preparation screen. If someone else is commanding your team, their icon on their F-key at the top of the screen will have a "C" next to it.

4.3: What is my role as commander?
As a commander, you need to build the units necessary to set up your base and prepare your armies for you and your teammates to use. There is much that can be done as commander, but the first is a must:
1) Deploy your recycler somewhere. Somewhere in your starting area is usually good.
2) Make scavengers and give them control to your teammates to set them up as extractors.
3) Be mainly a base guard and work on building a strong base.
4) Give your teammates ships when they are killed.
5) Give your teammates an army for an offensive attack.
6) Give them special orders to attack a particular target, follow you, defend a unit, etc.

4.4: Can I switch teams during the game?
No. You must leave the live game and reenter, picking the opposite team before re-launching.

4.5: How do I use the number/F keys on my top command line?
You operate the recycler with the 1 key, the armory with 2 key (unconfirmed), and the factory with the 3 key. Any new vehicles you build will be assigned to F1 - F9 keys
(F1 - F10 in instant action). You command these vehicles by pressing their function key.

Once you hit the first key, numbered commands will appear on the left. Hit the right number to do the appropriate command. If a command is not solid and a little ghosted, you cannot access it at the moment because you need more scrap to do it. If a command is very light colored, you are also missing another responsibility to make it happen (building a power, splitting a group, etc.). Some commands require a final step to pick the spot on the field where you want to do it. Use your mouse to aim your reticle at the spot and (if a legal spot) press the SPACE bar.

4.6: How can I group vehicles to command them as one F-key?
I encourage to group vehicles as much as possible, reason will be explained soon.
To group one vehicle with another, hold CTRL and hit the function key of the vehicle you will group then let go. Hit 1 key to highlight that vehicle, the only vehicle in that F-key's group list. Now hit the function key of the vehicle you want to group it to. Done. If you want to group an F-key of several vehicles with another F-key group, instead of hitting just the 1 key, you will want to hit all the number keys to highlight all the vehicles in the group list. That's the only difference. For e.g., to group F1's 2 turrets with F2's 3 turrets. You do CTRL-F1, 1, 2, F2.

NOTE: You can only group together vehicles of the same class. You can't join turrets with scavengers. You can't join regular tanks with assault tanks. You can't join ISDF turrets with Scion guardian turrets (unconfirmed).

Now why bother grouping vehicles? Two major advantages: (1) to make it easier to command an army to do one task, such as to attack a matriarch; (2) to free up room on the F-keys to put newer classes of vehicles. You cannot make more vehicles if all your function keys are assigned.

4.7: How can I order single vehicles in a F-key group?
You can select a particular vehicle on your visual sights with the SPACE bar. Another way is to split groups up back to singles so you can command them individually with the F-keys again..

4.8: Why can't I make any more vehicles?
Your F-key assignments may be full. Group like vehicles to free up space. There may also be a unit limit set on the game (unconfirmed).

4.9: How do scavengers and extractors work?
Scavengers pick up little bits of scrap around the area to fill its biometal supply.
Biometal supply builds your various units and buildings. The recycler already comes with 40 scrap. Each scavenger holds a maximum of 20 scrap, but they can be made much more resourceful. Send them to a biometal pool (silver square pools scattered throughout the map) and they will constantly mine scrap from these everlasting pools. At this point, they become extractors which you needn't command anymore. Constructors can then upgrade the extractors so they mine the scrap much quicker. Your current scrap count is at the bottom of your scrap indicator. The indicator bar is divided into segments for the number of scavengers and extractors that you have. Green bars indicate scavenger power; yellow bar for normal extractor; red bar for upgraded extractor. Upgraded extractors will always pump up your new scrap first, making your reserves rich in a short time. Then the others follow. Because of their high value to your base, many battle for control of biometal pools near the enemy lines.

4.10: My scavenger is not scavenging anymore. Why?
Unless it finds new scrap or a biometal pool (unconfirmed), it will hold until further orders. At this point, you should order it to an available biometal pool if possible.

4.11: How does the constructor work?
Created by the recycler, the constructor makes all the other building units in the game. In addition, it upgrades extractors to their full potential power. You always order the constructor to build a new unit on a green square usually somewhere around your base. Some units require a power building or a relay bunker to be built first.
Then a unit could be built adjacent to it on a green square.

4.12: Why can't I make "" weapon with the armory?
- To make a laser, pummel, pulse stab, or plasma, you need a service bay built first.
- To make pilot weapons or a MAG cannon, you need a technical center built first.
- To make blast, you need both a service bay and technical center.

4.13: Why can't I build health/ammo supplies with the armory?
Although possible in the single player mission, it may not be available in multiplayer (unconfirmed). As a substitute you can have the recycler make supplies to replenish your health and ammo together. You can also produce a service bay or service truck to repair vehicles. Note that the truck can also repair gun towers.

4.14: I keep forgetting what unit builds what! Help!
1) The manual has wonderful build tree tables on pages 50-51.
2) Even if a building option on the command interface is not solid colored, hit that number key anyway. A message will tell you what you need to make that unit.

4.15: How does a tug work?
A tug can help you transport an empty vehicle to a training center so that one of your pilots can man it. Order a tug to pick up an empty friendly or enemy vehicle.
Order it to bring it to the training center then drop it off. A pilot will automatically come out and occupy it.

4.16: How can I build a gun tower?
Build a power first. You will then get a lightning icon on your top right display with a number indicating the number of powered buildings you can currently build. Add more powers to increase capacity. You can then build a power somewhere along the base, not necessarily near a power. In fact, if you build a relay bunker in a distant area, you may even be able to build a gun tower there. There seem to be some exceptions.
For e.g., on the A Bridge Too Far map, you can build gun towers on either end of the far bridges, even without a nearby relay bunker!

4.17: What buildings can I enter as a pilot for further functionality?
Recycler - Change standard weapons for recycler-made vehicles. More weapons are available if you build an armory, service bay, and/or technical center. It doesn't change the weapons on vehicles already made. Some weapon changes will cost the recycler more scrap to produce such an equipped vehicle.

Factory - Change standard weapons for factory-made vehicles. More weapons are available if you build an armory, service bay, and/or technical center. It doesn't change the weapons on vehicles already made. Some weapon changes will cost the factory