MIDNIGHT CLUB 2: CAPTURE THE FLAG GUIDE by Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM Initial Version Completed: April 19, 2003 Version 1.0 Completed: April 19, 2003 ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== JOIN THE FEATHERGUIDES E-MAIL LIST: To be the first to know when my new and updated guides are released, join the FeatherGuides E-mail List. Go to http://www.coollist.com/group.cgi?l=featherguides for information about the list and to subscribe for free. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTENTS Spacing and Length Permissions Introduction Vehicles Options Rules Tips for Beginners Contact Information ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== SPACING AND LENGTH For optimum readability, this driving guide should be viewed/printed using a monowidth font, such as Courier. Check for font setting by making sure the numbers and letters below line up: 1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz ============================================== PERMISSIONS Permission is hereby granted for a user to download and/or print out a copy of this driving guide for personal use. However, due to the extreme length, printing this driving guide may not be such a good idea. This driving guide may only be posted on: FeatherGuides, GameFAQs.com, f1gamers.com, Games Domain, PSXCodez.com, Cheatcc.com, gamesover.com, Absolute-PlayStation.com, GameReactors.com, RedCoupe, InsidePS2Games.com, CheatPlanet.com, The Cheat Empire, a2zweblinks.com, Gameguru, CheatHeaven, IGN, cheatingplanet.com, RobsGaming.com, Infogrames Australia, neoseeker.com, ComputerUnderground.com, ps2fantasy.com, and vgstrategies.com. Please contact me for permission to post elsewhere on the Internet. Should anyone wish to translate this game guide into other languages, please contact me for permission(s) and provide me with a copy when complete. Remember: Plagiarism in ANY form is NOT tolerated!!!!! ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== INTRODUCTION When I learned that a sequel to the original Midnight Club: Street Racing was in the works, I knew that I would buy it, as I had purchased the original game at the North American launch of the PlayStation2 and absolutely loved it :-) Fortunately, the gameplay mode I loved most about the original Midnight Club: Street Racing has returning in Midnight Club 2: the excellent Capture the Flag Mode. Some changes have been made to Capture the Flag Mode, naturally, but while not all these changes are good (obviously a subjective statement), they are rather refreshing for the Midnight Club series nonetheless. Please note that since I do not have online access, this guide only covers single-player Capture the Flag Mode. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== VEHICLES The vehicles permitted for use in Capture the Flag Mode are those the player has unlocked while working through Career Mode. This means that if the player has yet to win any vehicles in Career Mode, then only the Cocotte can be used in Capture the Flag Mode... and this is admittedly not a very good car to be using in ANY gameplay mode. Most vehicles in the game have at least one Nitrous available; the Nitrous can be quite handy at key moments in Capture the Flag Mode, especially when carrying a flag with opponents closing in from behind. Midnight Club 2 introduces motorcycles into the Midnight Club series. Motorcycles are excellent for their maneuverability through traffic, and their almost-paper-thin width permits them to slip easily through tight spaces, such as very narrow alleyways or between lanes of traffic. However, they also require an expert touch (especially when cornering), and they do not have Nitrous. ============================================== OPTIONS Capture the Flag Mode in Midnight Club 2 has many more customizable options than in the original Midnight Club: Street Racing. Within each city, the player can select from the use of a full city map or a small specific area of the city (so for Tokyo, for example, the player can select between all of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace area, Shibuya, or the wharf) Power-ups can be turned on or off; if activated, power-ups are located in sets of three at various points on each gameplay map. The player can also select the weather (clear, foggy, or rainy), time (dusk, midnight, or dawn), level of traffic, and optional pedestrians. These represent the general options. Another page of options constitute the true 'battle' area of Capture the Flag Mode. This is where the player can select between the number and type(s) of CPU opponents, the weight of the flag, the capture limit, and the time limit for each game/battle. Note that if Heavy Flag is used, then the vehicle currently carrying the flag receives a weight penalty. This is important because it will greatly slow that vehicle. Therefore, the use of Nitrous must be EXTREMELY judicious, cornering must be absolutely precise, and the player's knowledge of the current city/map needs to be flawless to know where all the jumps and alleyways and tunnels are located. ============================================== RULES Capture the Flag Mode pits the player against one or more CPU opponents in the chosen city (or sector of a chosen city). Each match begins with the player and the CPU opponent(s) in the same location each time; however, the placement of the flags and the delivery points are all randomized. The rule is to grab each flag (by driving through or very near to the green searchlights containing the flag) and deliver it to the delivery point (by driving through or very near to the larger mass of green searchlights). Fortunately, one is not required to be the first to grab each flag in order to gain maximum points at the delivery area. If a CPU vehicle has a flag, the player need only ram the CPU vehicle to gain possession of the flag. On the other hand, a player can lose the flag if rammed by a CPU vehicle. Ramming can also have other consequences. Any vehicle (CPU- or player-controlled) can lose a flag by ramming anything with sufficient velocity. This can be disastrous when driving against traffic, through a grove of trees, or when out of control while cornering in these 'concrete jungles.' In any case, the CPU vehicles are always designated by a down-pointing green triangle, to help the player to distinguish the opponent(s); this is especially useful at a distance, to 'see' the opponent(s) far down a long straight road or sometimes even 'through' buildings and other obstacles. Similarly, the CPU-controlled vehicles are indicated by green triangles on the map in the lower-left corner of the screen. ============================================== TIPS FOR BEGINNERS The first tip to achieving success in Capture the Flag Mode is to simply roam around each city first in Cruise Mode. This allows the player to discover various shortcuts, obstacles, jumps, tunnels, etc. Cruising with varying amounts of traffic also helps the player to better identify the strategies needed for high-speed racing in both thick and thin traffic. (This tip helps not only in Capture the Flag Mode, but in other Arcade and Career segments as well.) While the temptation to mow down pedestrians is great (a fabulous side-effect of the Midnight Club series), pedestrians will slow the vehicle, albeit slightly. If driving side-by-side with a CPU opponent at breakneck speed, hitting a pedestrian may cause the player's vehicle to lose just enough ground for the CPU vehicle to take advantage in some way. Also, hitting a pedestrian may alter the trajectory of the vehicle, which at high speeds can be disastrous. In the first sessions in Capture the Flag Mode, playing with no or little traffic may seem like a good idea, but can actually lead to failure. With no or little traffic to navigate, the CPU vehicle has just as easy a time flying down the streets and highways as does the player. This makes high-speed cornering and knowing the respective city's streets and shortcuts a top priority. The first sessions should be played with low traffic at the bare minimum. Amazingly, driving AGAINST traffic can be beneficial, especially if playing in rainy or foggy conditions. By driving against traffic, the headlights of other vehicles make it easier to see the traffic ahead. In Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo, busses can be both a curse and a blessing. As a curse, busses are BIG, incredibly bulky, and practically immovable. As a blessing, a bus in an intersection can be useful for making a quick turn around a corner, by ricocheting the vehicle at just the right angle. This latter maneuver takes practice, and Capture the Flag Mode may not necessarily be the time to practice it; it is definitely best to try this maneuver first in Cruise Mode. What appears to be the quickest route to a particular point in the city may in actuality NOT be as quick as it appears. This is especially true if that route requires a lot of tight cornering. Instead, look for a long stretch of straight or gently-curving road, especially one with few stop lights (less stopped traffic to navigate through; stopped traffic is essentially a brick wall). Alternatively, drive through a park or a canal, but avoid trees, the occasional building, fountains, ramps, bridge pillars, and boulders. Amazingly, the CPU-controlled vehicles can and do make mistakes!!! These vehicles will crash into buildings, other vehicles, trees, etc. Taking full advantage of these situations can mean more successful flag deliveries. Learning the intricacies of the chosen two- or four-wheeled weapon is a must. Each vehicle handles differently, which affects straight-line speed, cornering, etc. Highways can be great in Capture the Flag Mode to get from one end of a city to another quickly, without the need for excessive cornering as on the surface streets. However, there are relatively few highway entrances and exits, so making use of the highways can quickly backfire in a player's strategy. Knowing when and when not to use the Nitrous (if available for the chosen vehicle) is of great importance. For example, if the vehicle is sliding while cornering, it may be beneficial to hit the Nitrous milliseconds before broadsiding a wall or other obstacle, to help keep up the vehicle's speed and to help swing/drift the back end of the vehicle through the turn. Of the three cities in Midnight Club 2 (Los Angeles, Paris, and Tokyo), Paris is somewhat 'special' due to the catacombs. The entrances to the catacombs are not marked on the map in the lower-left corner of the screen, nor are the paths through the catacombs included on the map. This means that going into the catacombs can be extremely dangerous for the player, as it is very easy to become lost in the catacombs - meanwhile, if playing a timed game, the available time to make the required number of necessary deliveries ticks unrelentingly away. The best tip of all is 'clean' driving. 'Clean' is purposely used here in quotes, as the premise of Capture the Flag Mode forces all opponents to break virtually every traffic law in existence. Nonetheless, fast reflexes, judicious use of the Nitrous (if available), immaculate cornering, and avoiding obstacles (including streetlights, trash, pedestrians, and especially brick and stone walls) can all help to reach the flags and the delivery points first. 'Clean' driving also means keeping vehicle damage to a minimum, especially in vehicles with poor handling and/or low damage tolerance. Finally, 'clean' driving is greatly aided by near-flawless knowledge of each city - especially Paris, with its many extremely narrow streets. And above all else, do not drink and drive!!! Midnight Club 2 is certainly much more than just Cruise Mode and Capture the Flag Mode. However, learning the cities in Cruise Mode and honing the racing techniques playing Capture the Flag Mode can greatly prepare the player for the other games and modes of Midnight Club 2. ============================================== ============================================== ============================================== CONTACT INFORMATION For questions, rants, raves, comments of appreciation, etc., or to be added to my e-mail list for updates to this driving guide, please contact me at: FEATHER7@IX.NETCOM.COM; also, if you have enjoyed this guide and feel that it has been helpful to you, I would certainly appreciate a small donation via PayPal (http://www.paypal.com/) using the above e-mail address. To find the latest version of this and all my other PSX/PS2/DC/Mac game guides, visit FeatherGuides at http://feathersites.angelcities.com/ ============================================== ============================================== ==============================================