Frequently Asked Questions
Q: So what is this?
A: Red alert: A Path Beyond is a first-person shooter based upon Command and Conquer: Red alert. You all remember Westwood, right? So do we. We've been in development for the past three years, and finally we have something to show the general public for it. How neat is that? It's been a year since we announced the changes for the Summer 2007 version of the project, which is being called "Red alert: A Path Beyond: Beta."
We started out as a mod for C&C Renegade, an old game that was very underappreciated by critics and customers alike. Multiplayer was sort of like Battlefield, except that this actually came out before Battlefield and doesn't have really bad bugs and bad netcode. It was fun, but it was a flawed game that had a lot of weird, not-Command-and-Conquer design decisions thanks to it being rushed out the door, such as a plethora of new characters, and the fact that it took about a million bullets to kill someone. We decided to take the basic formula of Renegade and polish the gameplay and graphics (as well as base it on a better title of theirs) so that we could have something that would be what Westwood would have put out if they had more time. We believe we've succeeded. Hopefully you will too.
Q: I thought this was a Battlefield 2 mod?
A: No, that was a failed side project that an old lead producer began after shutting down this side of things for an entire year.
Q: It said it was last time I checked.
A: Chronojam is very lazy about updating the standard informational sections of the site due to college and the fact that the majority of site viewers get their news and clues from the forum; the forum gets all the attention. Plus there's been rumors of a new site being designed every couple months, which is a good excuse to not update the "old pages."
Q: What's a Red alert?
A: Aw, you missed a hell of a game. It was an RTS by Westwood Studios, released in 1996, where the European Allies fought the Soviets in a battle for world domination using lots of tanks and lots of ridiculous technology. It's actually available on Amazon for like a dollar, you should check it out if you missed it.
Q: Whoa there pardner does EA know you're doing this?
A: Yes, and they're cool with it. Seriously. So much for being a giant, evil mega-corporation, eh? We've even showed our work off to them at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention and more than once at EA's own offices. They like us, or at least they gave us that impression.
Q: So why should I play this?
A: I can think of a few reasons.
It's free. This really doesn't need any explanation, does it? (You'll need a copy of Renegade if you want to use Westwood Online, but it works okay without it, too.)
Balanced team-oriented combat. You can play as the Soviets, who have a lot of slow, powerful vehicles, or the European Allies, which have weaker, but faster vehicles, as well as some technological advantages that help alleviate the Soviets' advantage in power. We've been betatesting this for literally years, and have been making constant tweaks to how we want this to play. We're pretty satisfied with what we're coming out with. (This doesn't mean we turn a deaf ear to suggestions, feel free to leave a few.)
It's ridiculously scalable. Renegade came out in 2002, and it could run on a 400 mhz Pentium III computer. However, we realize that a lot of you have computers that are much better than that, and we've managed to add a lot of support for modern graphics cards, including Shader Model 3.0 support. If you've got a POS, you can disable this stuff and play a game that looks like it came out a few years ago. If not? Say hi to bloom and normal maps and other post-processing effects that make the game look a lot prettier. Everyone wins! If none of those video-game buzzwords make sense to you, basically, it will run on a five-year-old computer, but look a lot better on a modern one.
No really, it's free. It's completely standalone. We encourage you to try out both the original C&C: Red alert and C&C: Renegade however, but you don't need either to hop in and start playing online or over a LAN.
More specifically, you get to drive this motherfucker:
Q: Okay, so how do I actually play this?
A: It's actually pretty simple. Each side has a bunch of buildings that allow them to do things. For example, the Barracks allows you to become different infantry classes (such as Flamethrowers, Rocket Soldiers, etc.) and the War Factory allows you to make vehicles. All of these are purchased with credits, which are earned when your automated Ore Truck collects Ore from the map and returns to your Ore Refinery. More powerful weapons and vehicles cost more credits, naturally. The object of the game is to blow up the enemy team's base. As they lose buildings, they lose the benefit tied to that building. Blow up their Barracks and they'll be stuck as rifle grunts. Get their War Factory and they can't build any more vehicles. Get their Ore Refinery and they'll run out of cash. Blowing up the entire enemy base gets you a win.
The tricky part is actually pulling it off. On many maps there are automated base defenses to hinder you, including gun turrets, pillboxes, flamethrowers, and the mighty Tesla Coil, not to mention any players you run across. You'll have to sneak in undetected, or get the rest of your team to go with you in an organized assault. Of course, the enemy team could find you first, or plan a counterattack, or stay in their base, looking for infiltrants.
For a more detailed explanation of how to play the game, you can refer to the manual.
Q: When's the next version coming out?!
A: Soon, we hope. Beta is the next version of our mod, and it has a TON of new features. The current version is 0.9935. The version that was previously known as 0.994 is now known simply as Beta, and is due for Summer 2007 release.
BETA GAMEPLAY QUESTIONS
(THESE REFER TO THE AS OF YET UNRELEASED VERSION. THEY ARE A REFERENCE FOR WHEN IT COMES OUT.)
Q: So how does the Spy work?
A: The Spy is disguised as a Soviet infantry, and he performs a variety of functions that are useful to the Allies:
First, he is completely ignored by Soviet base defenses of all types, as long as he doesn't drive up in an Allied vehicle (the Russkies may be dumb but they're not THAT dumb). When you get to the enemy base, you can enter buildings, which will pass sensitive information back to the rest of your team. For example, entering a Barracks will give you a detailed list of the infantry composition of the Soviets. Entering the War Factory will do the same thing but with vehicles. Entering the Ore Refinery or coming near a Silo will report the Soviets' money. Entering a Power Plant or Construction Yard will shut off their functions temporarily, which are providing power to certain defenses and performing auto-repairs, respectively.
Second, if he's driving a Soviet vehicle, he IS ignored by Soviet base defenses. To help him get into a situation like this, he also ignores the timer that normally prevents anyone from getting in a purchased vehicle except the buyer. (A little more explanation is in order: when you purchase a vehicle, everyone but you is locked out from it for about 30 seconds, except Spies, who can take it right from under your nose. They cannot actually steal the vehicle if you are in it.)
Finally, he shows up as a Soviet on the player list, and he even can use and intercept Soviet teamchat.
Q: What about the Thief?
A: The Thief steals half of the Soviets' total money and redistributes it evenly amongst Allied players if he enters an Ore Refinery or gets near an Ore Silo. He doesn't have any of the Spy's abilities, however, so getting there is going to be a lot more difficult.
Q: What are the new units for Beta?
A: The new units are the Sergeant, a shotgun-wielding infantry available in slightly different form to both teams, the Mobile Gap Generator, an Allied vehicle that cloaks nearby friendly units and hides them in a dense fog, and the Phase Transport, an Allied vehicle armed with a powerful missile launcher and advanced cloaking technology. Also new is the Gap Generator, a defensive structure for the Allies that provides similar benefits to its mobile counterpart.
Q: What all are you guys changing for Beta in terms of units? Please tell me you didn't touch my beloved (insert unit here)!!
A: Since we're constantly testing, this list is subject to change, but here's a short synopsis of what has happened so far. This should be pretty close to what it's going to be in the final version:
-Heavy Tank armor increased, damage increased
-Mammoth Tank primary cannon damage increased
-Ranger slightly faster, but takes longer to accelerate
-Mine Layers' handling improved
-Mines now have a larger blast radius and detect foes from longer away, power of mines increased
-Power of heavier machine gun platforms (M60, PKM, Hind's cannon) increased when dealing with aircraft
-Rocket Soldier now sports two launchers, one of which is used for fighting vehicles and the other for shooting down aircraft
-Volkov now has several varied weapons at his disposal to allow him to deal with greater threats
-C4 now makes a global announcement when it is placed
-Tanya's Colts now do less damage and have smaller clip sizes
-Snipers are invisible on radar
-M16 and AK47 are different; M16 is slightly more accurate than the AK, but the AK is more powerful
-AK47 alt-fire is now 'reckless abandon spray' -- rate of fire doubled at cost of accuracy
-M16 burst-fire shoots twice as fast as before
-Repairs now cost money to perform
-Flamethrowers and Flame Towers are significantly more powerful
Q: How do I repair my units?
A: If you're an infantryman, Medics can heal you if you're Allied or you can simply choose "refill" from the Purchase Terminal menu. If you are driving a vehicle, you can repair it by driving onto a Service Depot and hitting the P key, which will commence repairs and drain your money until you drive off, run out of cash, or are done repairing. You can also hit the Z key to sell your vehicle, which will give you half of what it originally cost back to you.
Q: Why do I have infinity million bullets?
A: Because we're of the philosophy that you should be able to do as much damage as you have the ability to and not be limited by how many bullets you have. Some units do have limitations but it's used more to control the rate at which they do damage, since these units tend to be very powerful.
Q: How do I refill units that do have limited ammunition?
A: If you're flying a helicopter, land on the Helipad, which will slowly replenish your ammunition. If you need more C4, hit the Refill option at a PT. If you're driving a minelayer and run out of mines, drive to the Service Depot and sit on top of it for a second and you'll get more.
Q: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT BLACK CLOUD THAT IS MOVING TOWARD MY BASE HELP ME
A: That's a Mobile Gap Generator. It obscures the Soviets' vision. To counter it, you'll have to fire into the center of the cloud from outside of it or move in and try to find it. It doesn't have a weapon, but be warned that other units may be operating inside the cloud. The MGG does NOT hide anything from your base defenses, so at least they won't be able to barge right into your base if any are present.
Q: I can't get past that giant electric Christmas tree thing.
A: The Tesla Coil is really good at killing sole attackers. To defeat it, you'll need to attack it with more than one Light or Medium Tank. It also cannot attack helicopters, and Artillery can outrange it, though it's hard to hit at that range.
Q: Those automated guns are nasty, how do I beat them?
A: Turrets are easy to destroy with V2s, which outrange them and destroy them in only a few hits. Pillboxes can be destroyed in the same way, although a single Heavy Tank will come out on top if it engages a single Pillbox.
Q: Help V2s are killing my base what do I do?!
A: Attack them with Rangers, Light Tanks, or Rocket Soldiers. Try to stay away from the front of the vehicle, or else they might peg you with a rocket about five times your size, which is bad. If you can get in close, they won't be able to fend you off.
Q: I'm getting killed by Medium Tanks, what the hell do I do to stop all of them?!
A: Use Tesla Tanks, they have fantastic attack power and can outclass the Medium Tank in most situations, as long as the Medium Tanks have no Mechanic support.
Q: OH GOD TESLA TANKS NOW WHAT?!
A: Light Tanks work wonders on these, since their small profile makes them hard to hit and their speed can help you get inside their minimum range before they have a chance to finish you off. Half the price and twice the agility of a Tesla Tank means you have a sure winner here.
Q: LIGHT TANKS THEY ARE LIKE BEES HELP ME ARGH
A: Heavy Tanks have enough armor to generally ignore Light Tank blows and enough firepower to destroy them before they become a threat. In previous versions this wasn't always the case, but they maneuver faster and hit harder than before.
Q: I can't beat those Goddamn Heavy Tanks ffs
A: Medium Tanks are faster and more maneuverable, and are fairly evenly matched against Heavy Tanks in terms of strength. You might lose, but the Heavy Tank will be in very bad shape and will have to retreat or risk being blown up by your teammates. Plus, if you're packing a Rocket Soldier inside, you'll get him for sure. Or, stick a Mechanic inside or bring one as a buddy and you'll be able to easily trounce them.
Q: Medium Tanks are killing me again, what the hell do I do to stop all of them?
A: If you've fended them off before, you should have enough money to buy Mammoth Tanks. Now go out there and win. Statistically speaking, if you can get three or even two of these things into the enemy base, you've got a sure win guaranteed... and Mammoth Tanks are a serious threat in the field unless you can outnumber and outsmart them.
Q: MAMMOTH TANKS HURGLE ROURGH WHAT NOW NOW
A: Pray. (Rocket Soldier ambushes, Artillery, and aircraft are your best bet if they're enroute to your base, but if they're already there, have fun!)
MISCELLANEOUS CRAP
--We highly recommend you set the camera to follow your vehicle's turret rather than its chassis, which is the default setting. To change this, hit Escape in game, go to Options, then Controls, then Look/Mouse, and check "Lock Vehicle Camera to Turret".
--If you have sucky performance you'll want to turn off some or all of the fancy graphical features, which are accessible in the "BHS.Dll Options" menu under the main options menu. Normal mapping and specular mapping and bloom are all post-processing effects that take up considerable amounts of GPU and CPU power, so turning this off can make the difference between "unplayable" and "fine".
--If you're STILL having sucky performance, slide down the Graphics Quality bars in the Options-Graphics menu.
--Press F1 if you have never played this kind of game and don't know the controls typical of one. To get you started, E is your action key for entering vehicles or accessing objects or purchase menus, R is your reload key, WASD are your movement keys, and F2 and F3 are for public and team chat.
--Read the manual. It's worth it.
A: Red alert: A Path Beyond is a first-person shooter based upon Command and Conquer: Red alert. You all remember Westwood, right? So do we. We've been in development for the past three years, and finally we have something to show the general public for it. How neat is that? It's been a year since we announced the changes for the Summer 2007 version of the project, which is being called "Red alert: A Path Beyond: Beta."
We started out as a mod for C&C Renegade, an old game that was very underappreciated by critics and customers alike. Multiplayer was sort of like Battlefield, except that this actually came out before Battlefield and doesn't have really bad bugs and bad netcode. It was fun, but it was a flawed game that had a lot of weird, not-Command-and-Conquer design decisions thanks to it being rushed out the door, such as a plethora of new characters, and the fact that it took about a million bullets to kill someone. We decided to take the basic formula of Renegade and polish the gameplay and graphics (as well as base it on a better title of theirs) so that we could have something that would be what Westwood would have put out if they had more time. We believe we've succeeded. Hopefully you will too.
Q: I thought this was a Battlefield 2 mod?
A: No, that was a failed side project that an old lead producer began after shutting down this side of things for an entire year.
Q: It said it was last time I checked.
A: Chronojam is very lazy about updating the standard informational sections of the site due to college and the fact that the majority of site viewers get their news and clues from the forum; the forum gets all the attention. Plus there's been rumors of a new site being designed every couple months, which is a good excuse to not update the "old pages."
Q: What's a Red alert?
A: Aw, you missed a hell of a game. It was an RTS by Westwood Studios, released in 1996, where the European Allies fought the Soviets in a battle for world domination using lots of tanks and lots of ridiculous technology. It's actually available on Amazon for like a dollar, you should check it out if you missed it.
Q: Whoa there pardner does EA know you're doing this?
A: Yes, and they're cool with it. Seriously. So much for being a giant, evil mega-corporation, eh? We've even showed our work off to them at the 2006 Leipzig Games Convention and more than once at EA's own offices. They like us, or at least they gave us that impression.
Q: So why should I play this?
A: I can think of a few reasons.
It's free. This really doesn't need any explanation, does it? (You'll need a copy of Renegade if you want to use Westwood Online, but it works okay without it, too.)
Balanced team-oriented combat. You can play as the Soviets, who have a lot of slow, powerful vehicles, or the European Allies, which have weaker, but faster vehicles, as well as some technological advantages that help alleviate the Soviets' advantage in power. We've been betatesting this for literally years, and have been making constant tweaks to how we want this to play. We're pretty satisfied with what we're coming out with. (This doesn't mean we turn a deaf ear to suggestions, feel free to leave a few.)
It's ridiculously scalable. Renegade came out in 2002, and it could run on a 400 mhz Pentium III computer. However, we realize that a lot of you have computers that are much better than that, and we've managed to add a lot of support for modern graphics cards, including Shader Model 3.0 support. If you've got a POS, you can disable this stuff and play a game that looks like it came out a few years ago. If not? Say hi to bloom and normal maps and other post-processing effects that make the game look a lot prettier. Everyone wins! If none of those video-game buzzwords make sense to you, basically, it will run on a five-year-old computer, but look a lot better on a modern one.
No really, it's free. It's completely standalone. We encourage you to try out both the original C&C: Red alert and C&C: Renegade however, but you don't need either to hop in and start playing online or over a LAN.
More specifically, you get to drive this motherfucker:
Q: Okay, so how do I actually play this?
A: It's actually pretty simple. Each side has a bunch of buildings that allow them to do things. For example, the Barracks allows you to become different infantry classes (such as Flamethrowers, Rocket Soldiers, etc.) and the War Factory allows you to make vehicles. All of these are purchased with credits, which are earned when your automated Ore Truck collects Ore from the map and returns to your Ore Refinery. More powerful weapons and vehicles cost more credits, naturally. The object of the game is to blow up the enemy team's base. As they lose buildings, they lose the benefit tied to that building. Blow up their Barracks and they'll be stuck as rifle grunts. Get their War Factory and they can't build any more vehicles. Get their Ore Refinery and they'll run out of cash. Blowing up the entire enemy base gets you a win.
The tricky part is actually pulling it off. On many maps there are automated base defenses to hinder you, including gun turrets, pillboxes, flamethrowers, and the mighty Tesla Coil, not to mention any players you run across. You'll have to sneak in undetected, or get the rest of your team to go with you in an organized assault. Of course, the enemy team could find you first, or plan a counterattack, or stay in their base, looking for infiltrants.
For a more detailed explanation of how to play the game, you can refer to the manual.
Q: When's the next version coming out?!
A: Soon, we hope. Beta is the next version of our mod, and it has a TON of new features. The current version is 0.9935. The version that was previously known as 0.994 is now known simply as Beta, and is due for Summer 2007 release.
BETA GAMEPLAY QUESTIONS
(THESE REFER TO THE AS OF YET UNRELEASED VERSION. THEY ARE A REFERENCE FOR WHEN IT COMES OUT.)
Q: So how does the Spy work?
A: The Spy is disguised as a Soviet infantry, and he performs a variety of functions that are useful to the Allies:
First, he is completely ignored by Soviet base defenses of all types, as long as he doesn't drive up in an Allied vehicle (the Russkies may be dumb but they're not THAT dumb). When you get to the enemy base, you can enter buildings, which will pass sensitive information back to the rest of your team. For example, entering a Barracks will give you a detailed list of the infantry composition of the Soviets. Entering the War Factory will do the same thing but with vehicles. Entering the Ore Refinery or coming near a Silo will report the Soviets' money. Entering a Power Plant or Construction Yard will shut off their functions temporarily, which are providing power to certain defenses and performing auto-repairs, respectively.
Second, if he's driving a Soviet vehicle, he IS ignored by Soviet base defenses. To help him get into a situation like this, he also ignores the timer that normally prevents anyone from getting in a purchased vehicle except the buyer. (A little more explanation is in order: when you purchase a vehicle, everyone but you is locked out from it for about 30 seconds, except Spies, who can take it right from under your nose. They cannot actually steal the vehicle if you are in it.)
Finally, he shows up as a Soviet on the player list, and he even can use and intercept Soviet teamchat.
Q: What about the Thief?
A: The Thief steals half of the Soviets' total money and redistributes it evenly amongst Allied players if he enters an Ore Refinery or gets near an Ore Silo. He doesn't have any of the Spy's abilities, however, so getting there is going to be a lot more difficult.
Q: What are the new units for Beta?
A: The new units are the Sergeant, a shotgun-wielding infantry available in slightly different form to both teams, the Mobile Gap Generator, an Allied vehicle that cloaks nearby friendly units and hides them in a dense fog, and the Phase Transport, an Allied vehicle armed with a powerful missile launcher and advanced cloaking technology. Also new is the Gap Generator, a defensive structure for the Allies that provides similar benefits to its mobile counterpart.
Q: What all are you guys changing for Beta in terms of units? Please tell me you didn't touch my beloved (insert unit here)!!
A: Since we're constantly testing, this list is subject to change, but here's a short synopsis of what has happened so far. This should be pretty close to what it's going to be in the final version:
-Heavy Tank armor increased, damage increased
-Mammoth Tank primary cannon damage increased
-Ranger slightly faster, but takes longer to accelerate
-Mine Layers' handling improved
-Mines now have a larger blast radius and detect foes from longer away, power of mines increased
-Power of heavier machine gun platforms (M60, PKM, Hind's cannon) increased when dealing with aircraft
-Rocket Soldier now sports two launchers, one of which is used for fighting vehicles and the other for shooting down aircraft
-Volkov now has several varied weapons at his disposal to allow him to deal with greater threats
-C4 now makes a global announcement when it is placed
-Tanya's Colts now do less damage and have smaller clip sizes
-Snipers are invisible on radar
-M16 and AK47 are different; M16 is slightly more accurate than the AK, but the AK is more powerful
-AK47 alt-fire is now 'reckless abandon spray' -- rate of fire doubled at cost of accuracy
-M16 burst-fire shoots twice as fast as before
-Repairs now cost money to perform
-Flamethrowers and Flame Towers are significantly more powerful
Q: How do I repair my units?
A: If you're an infantryman, Medics can heal you if you're Allied or you can simply choose "refill" from the Purchase Terminal menu. If you are driving a vehicle, you can repair it by driving onto a Service Depot and hitting the P key, which will commence repairs and drain your money until you drive off, run out of cash, or are done repairing. You can also hit the Z key to sell your vehicle, which will give you half of what it originally cost back to you.
Q: Why do I have infinity million bullets?
A: Because we're of the philosophy that you should be able to do as much damage as you have the ability to and not be limited by how many bullets you have. Some units do have limitations but it's used more to control the rate at which they do damage, since these units tend to be very powerful.
Q: How do I refill units that do have limited ammunition?
A: If you're flying a helicopter, land on the Helipad, which will slowly replenish your ammunition. If you need more C4, hit the Refill option at a PT. If you're driving a minelayer and run out of mines, drive to the Service Depot and sit on top of it for a second and you'll get more.
Q: WHAT THE HELL IS THAT BLACK CLOUD THAT IS MOVING TOWARD MY BASE HELP ME
A: That's a Mobile Gap Generator. It obscures the Soviets' vision. To counter it, you'll have to fire into the center of the cloud from outside of it or move in and try to find it. It doesn't have a weapon, but be warned that other units may be operating inside the cloud. The MGG does NOT hide anything from your base defenses, so at least they won't be able to barge right into your base if any are present.
Q: I can't get past that giant electric Christmas tree thing.
A: The Tesla Coil is really good at killing sole attackers. To defeat it, you'll need to attack it with more than one Light or Medium Tank. It also cannot attack helicopters, and Artillery can outrange it, though it's hard to hit at that range.
Q: Those automated guns are nasty, how do I beat them?
A: Turrets are easy to destroy with V2s, which outrange them and destroy them in only a few hits. Pillboxes can be destroyed in the same way, although a single Heavy Tank will come out on top if it engages a single Pillbox.
Q: Help V2s are killing my base what do I do?!
A: Attack them with Rangers, Light Tanks, or Rocket Soldiers. Try to stay away from the front of the vehicle, or else they might peg you with a rocket about five times your size, which is bad. If you can get in close, they won't be able to fend you off.
Q: I'm getting killed by Medium Tanks, what the hell do I do to stop all of them?!
A: Use Tesla Tanks, they have fantastic attack power and can outclass the Medium Tank in most situations, as long as the Medium Tanks have no Mechanic support.
Q: OH GOD TESLA TANKS NOW WHAT?!
A: Light Tanks work wonders on these, since their small profile makes them hard to hit and their speed can help you get inside their minimum range before they have a chance to finish you off. Half the price and twice the agility of a Tesla Tank means you have a sure winner here.
Q: LIGHT TANKS THEY ARE LIKE BEES HELP ME ARGH
A: Heavy Tanks have enough armor to generally ignore Light Tank blows and enough firepower to destroy them before they become a threat. In previous versions this wasn't always the case, but they maneuver faster and hit harder than before.
Q: I can't beat those Goddamn Heavy Tanks ffs
A: Medium Tanks are faster and more maneuverable, and are fairly evenly matched against Heavy Tanks in terms of strength. You might lose, but the Heavy Tank will be in very bad shape and will have to retreat or risk being blown up by your teammates. Plus, if you're packing a Rocket Soldier inside, you'll get him for sure. Or, stick a Mechanic inside or bring one as a buddy and you'll be able to easily trounce them.
Q: Medium Tanks are killing me again, what the hell do I do to stop all of them?
A: If you've fended them off before, you should have enough money to buy Mammoth Tanks. Now go out there and win. Statistically speaking, if you can get three or even two of these things into the enemy base, you've got a sure win guaranteed... and Mammoth Tanks are a serious threat in the field unless you can outnumber and outsmart them.
Q: MAMMOTH TANKS HURGLE ROURGH WHAT NOW NOW
A: Pray. (Rocket Soldier ambushes, Artillery, and aircraft are your best bet if they're enroute to your base, but if they're already there, have fun!)
MISCELLANEOUS CRAP
--We highly recommend you set the camera to follow your vehicle's turret rather than its chassis, which is the default setting. To change this, hit Escape in game, go to Options, then Controls, then Look/Mouse, and check "Lock Vehicle Camera to Turret".
--If you have sucky performance you'll want to turn off some or all of the fancy graphical features, which are accessible in the "BHS.Dll Options" menu under the main options menu. Normal mapping and specular mapping and bloom are all post-processing effects that take up considerable amounts of GPU and CPU power, so turning this off can make the difference between "unplayable" and "fine".
--If you're STILL having sucky performance, slide down the Graphics Quality bars in the Options-Graphics menu.
--Press F1 if you have never played this kind of game and don't know the controls typical of one. To get you started, E is your action key for entering vehicles or accessing objects or purchase menus, R is your reload key, WASD are your movement keys, and F2 and F3 are for public and team chat.
--Read the manual. It's worth it.
