MIDNIGHT CLUB 2: CAPTURE THE FLAG GUIDE
by
Jamie Stafford/Wolf Feather
[email protected]






Initial Version Completed: April 19, 2003
Version 1.0 Completed:     April 19, 2003

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CONTENTS
Spacing and Length
Permissions
Introduction
Vehicles
Options
Rules
Tips for Beginners
Contact Information

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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

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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,
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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!!!!!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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: [email protected]; 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
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