Released by Flux/Crystal. Typed by an anonymous mate of his. Megatraveller I - The Zhodani Conspiracy USER GUIDE ---------------- A Letter of Introduction from Marc Miller Dear Megatraveller Computer Gamer, It's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since I began designing TRAVELLER. When the game was completed in 1977, I had no idea it would evolve into the most popular science fiction role-playing series ever created, as well as form the foundation of our company, Games Designers' Workshop (GDW). Here I am, in the 1990s, and TRAVELLER is taking another enormous step forward in its continued development - computerization! I've been asked many times why I feel TRAVELLER has been so popular. I believe there are several reasons for the game's success. First, TRAVELLER makes it easy for players to generate characters, create (with just a few die rolls) entire worlds, and design powerful starships. A player can pick up the basic game rules and find hours of exciting adventure and enjoyment without being marred in detail. Over the course of its history, TRAVELLER has always emphasised the enjoyment inherent in playing the game and building the background. Rules and background are also definite reasons why TRAVELLER has been so successful. The rules are realistic, understandable and easy to use - head and shoulders above any other gaming system. At the same time, the star- spanning empire that is the background for TRAVELLER is the ideal setting for a science-fiction game. The wealth of detail we have been able to put into it makes the game a living experience. You may be wondering why TRAVELLER was renamed MEGATRAVELLER. TRAVELLER is the name for the original role-playing system. In 1987, after 10 years of release, the game system had reached a point where it needed revision. Some rules had fallen by the wayside, while new ones had been written to address new topics. We at GDW decided to totally rewrite the game, incorporating everything we thought worked while discarding concepts that were not totally successful. MEGATRAVELLER is the name we use for the current, most up-to-date version of the classic role-playing game. I'm happy to say that this computer version carries the MEGATRAVELLER name. I've always said that TRAVELLER would make the perfect computer game for the same two reasons that it's a great role-playing game: rules and background. The background, and its wealth of detail, will naturally capture the interest of players. But it's the simplicity of the rules which makes the computerization possible. Most game systems provide completely different rules for each different situation that could potentially exist. TRAVELLER simplifies things by identifying the characteristics all situations have in common, and applying one universal method to resolve these problems. The foundation of TRAVELLER is its task system, which makes mountains of formal rules fall away. A task can be almost anything; an attempt to bribe an official, a shot with a laser pistol, piloting a starship, etc. The referee (or the computer) decides how difficult an activity is and what skills and personal characteristics affect the activity, and then determines the outcome. This is a routine perfectly adaptable to the computer, but not implemented in role-playing games until TRAVELLER. TRAVELLER is a never-ending pursuit for me. It has taken many years to bring TRAVELLER to the computer, and I can't express how excited I am that it is finally available. We're hard at work developing a sequel to this MEGATRAVELLER computer adventure, and we hope to bring you many interstellar computer adventures in the years to come. In addition, we're also developing another of our role-playing systems, SPACE 1889, for the entertainment software market. Watch out for it in the near future. I truly hope that everyone who gets a chance to play this game enjoys it as much as I've enjoyed working on it. So sit back, take control of five characters, let your imagination run wild, and venture to the far reaches of space for a wondrous tale of excitement, danger and intrigue. GDW and Paragon Software proudly present MEGATRAVELLER I : THE ZHODANI CONSPIRACY. Yours in Science-Fiction Role-Playing, Marc Miller. ------------------------------ TECHNICAL SECTION GETTING STARTED Note: The disks provided with the game are not copy protected and you are advised to make a backup copy of all the disks before you begin playing. Megatraveller should work on any Amiga with at least 512K and a floppy disk drive. The game will make use of extra memory, external drives and hard disks if you have them. If you only have 512K of memory, then it will be necessary to disconnect external drives and peripherals and to make sure that there are no other programs installed on your system. If you wish to play from hard disk then you will need at least 1MB of memory. Printouts can be made from within the Character Generator using the parallel printer port. Making Backup Copies 1. Make sure the original disks are write protected. (You should be able to see through the write protect tab). 2. Use the duplicate option on the Amiga workbench to make copies of both disks. 3. You may also like to format an extra disk to use for storing saved game positions onto. Put the original disks in a safe place and only use them if your copies become corrupted. Loading from Floppy Disks 1. Turn on your machine and at the workbench prompt insert your copy of Disk A into any disk drive. Megatraveller should now autoboot and after a few seconds will start playing the introduction sequence and ask you to answer a question from the manual. Installing onto Hard Disk Note: To run Megatraveller from a hard disk you will need at least 1Mb of memory and approximately 1.5Mb of free hard disk space. 1. Switch on your computer in the usual manner. 2. Put Disk A into a disk drive and when its icon appears on the workbench, double click on it to open up a window. 3. Inside the window should be an icon labelled Install. Double click on this and follow the prompts. 4. You will be asked where you wish to install it. Answer this with a name like: DH0:TRAVEL To play the game, open up a window with the travel directory in and double click on the TRAVEL icon. Alternatively create a directory on your hard disk with a name such as TRAVEL and copy all the files from the disks into the directory using the CLI commands: MKDIR /travel CD /travel COPY df0:#? "" (insert Disk B) COPY df0:#? "" Then play the game by typing: CD dh0:travel travel GAME OPTIONS Because of the complexity and size of MegaTraveller, information will often be loaded from disk durimng the game. You should never change disks unless the program prompts you to do so. If you have more than one floppy disk then you may place disks in these drives to avoid swapping disks so often. If you have lots of memory then disk accessing will also be reduced. After the game has loaded you will see the title sequence. To bypass this, click a mouse button or press the space bar. COPY PROTECTION The game disks for Megatraveller I: The Zhodani Conspiracy are unprotected to make it more convenient for you. However, at the start of the game you will be asked to locate information from the manual packaged with the game, so keep it handy. All of the questions will refer to information presented in the many charts the manual contains. STARTING THE GAME Megatraveller is designed to be played entirely from mouse, although there are keyboard shortcuts for most operations if you prefer to use them. To select an object or menu item, move the mouse so that the pointer is over the object and then press and release the left mouse button. To Cancel or Exit from a screen, press and release the Right mouse button. To Drag an object, move the mouse so that the pointer is over the object, then press but do not release the left mouse button. With the button still pressed, move the mouse so that the pointer is over where you wish to move the object to and then release the button. You will be presented with a menu containing 4 options: START NEW GAME CONTINUE OLD GAME GET STARTED QUICK QUIT PROGRAM START NEW GAME This lets you create your own characters and make up your own party. Selecting this option brings up a further menu: CREATE PARTY DISK USE MY PARTY DISK USE DEFAULT CHARACTERS CREATE PARTY DISK Select this if it is the first time you have played and you wish to create and save your own characters instead of the default characters. Simply answer the questions asked and exchange disks when prompted. Note: Your Party Disk can also be used as a save game disk. USE MY PARTY DISK Select this if you have a party disk and wish to start a new game. USE DEFAULT CHARACTERS This option allows you to start a new game using the default characters provided. After selecting any of these options you progress into the main character generator. This is detailed in depth in the manual later on. CONTINUE OLD GAME If you have already begun playing the game, then this option allows you to continue with a saved game position. You will be asked to insert your save game disk and to select the filename of the saved game to continue. GET STARTED QUICK This starts the game using a default party if you are not interested in creating your own characters. PLAYING THE GAME This game is split into two separate stages: Planetary Surface Exploration and Combat Interstellar Exploration and Starship Combat You may only save your game at a starport. A starport is found on most planets very close to where your ship is parked. THE CHARACTER SCREENS During most of the game, the upper section of the screen displays the characters in your party, showing their armour and status icons. By clicking on any of the characters with the mouse pointer you can view all the important information about a character as well as manipulating the objects they are carrying. The character screens are split into 4 sections: CHARACTER SKILLS LIST OBJECTS USED OBJECTS SELECTIONS CHARACTER SKILLS LIST This is displayed in the left of the screen. If there are more skills than will fit in a page, click on the page up/page down icons. OBJECTS These are displayed in the centre. a) Objects may be moved by clicking on them. b) Move an object by dragging it to another slot. If there is something already in that slot it will be swapped. c) Move an object to another character by dragging it to a character at the top of the screen. d) Inspect an object by clicking on it twice. e) Use an object by dragging it to the Use object icon at the bottom of the screen. USED OBJECTS The bottom right of the screen contains space for used objects. There are spaces for: BREAKING EQUIPMENT ARMOUR PRIMARY WEAPON SECONDARY WEAPON These can be manipulated as described above. SELECTIONS On the right hand side of the screen are a list of selections. These generally provide you with more information about the character. Click on the selection to view the information. Press a key or click the mouse to remove that information. Exit from the character screen by pressing the right mouse button or the ESC key. Note: Time is frozen whilst in a character screen. Planetary Surface Exploration and Combat MOVEMENT Whilst on a planet you can move about by pressing the left mouse button over the main display area. The party will try to move towards your cursor. You party usually move around together displayed as one character having the colour of the leader. The marching order is displayed in the lower right of the screen and can be changed by dragging a character icon on top of another one. The characters will then exchange places. Some planets will have a shop where you can buy vehicles. To enter a vehicle move your character onto it. To exit, click on the vehicle icon on the bottom right area of the screen. There are some icons in the lower right of the screen which allow you to: CONVERSE WITH OTHER CHARACTERS EXIT A VEHICLE OR VIEW ITS STATUS GAME RESTORE OR QUIT TAKE OR USE ITEMS BREAK AND REGROUP THE PARTY You may sometimes need to use a passcard to get through a locked door. To do this a character must have the passcard in the primary or secondary weapons slot. Passcards open doors using a colour coding system. Each passcard has a series of coloured lines, which must correspond to the lines displayed in front of each locked door. COMBAT Sometimes other characters will start attacking you. If you want to fight back (rather than run away), you must go into combat mode. To enter combat mode, click on the Party icon in the lower right area of the screen. This will separate your party into individual characters which can be moved about separately. To exit combat mode select the party icon again. The middle right area of the screen will change into a combat status screen. Above the display are 5 colour bars to select the currently controlled character. Whilst in combat mode, the current character can be in one of these three modes: 1. Movement: Either the fire or throw icons are selected. In movement mode a character can walk about by clicking where you want him/her to move towards. 2. Fire Weapon: The fire icon is selected. In fire mode, click on the main display where the character should fire at. Continue clicking on the point to fire again. Change between primary and secondary weapons by clicking on the icon next to the weapon information. To reload click on the reload icon. 3. Throw Grenade: The throw icon is selected. In throw mode, select the type of grenade you want to throw and click on your target in the main display. ORDER MODE Rather than fight in real-time, you may give each character an order to perform. Click on the order icon to enter order mode. Then give each character an order in the same manner as above. Click on the order icon again and they will perform the action. Time will be frozen whilst you are giving the orders. SHOPS AND STARPORT Entering a building will often take you into a shop where you may buy or sell items. Simply follow the prompts to choose who will pay for the items, who will receive them and what you wish to buy or sell. Interstellar Exploration and Starship Combat Climb up the ladder of your spaceship to enter your spaceship. There are two modes when in your ship: 1. In-system travel - used to move your ship around. 2. Starship - used in combat to control the ships function and for ship to ship combat. IN-SYSTEM TRAVEL SECTION The right side of the screen displays some icons: STATION: Go to station mode COMMS: Go to communications mode JUMP: Do an inter-system jump QUIT: Exit from the game with no save If you are in orbit around a planet, you may also select: LAND: Land on the planet TAKE OFF: Continue your journey The main part of the screen shows the space centring on your space ship. The upper right of the screen displays a larger area of space. Click on the rotate and thrust icons to move your ship. Moving close to a planet will automatically put you in orbit. Moving close to another ship will place you in combat mode. Orbiting around a gas giant lets you refuel if you have fuel scoops and a fuel purification plant. STATIONS The upper section contains your characters. Clicking on any of these goes to the character screens. Click on the In-system icon or press the right mouse button to return to the system travel screen. Below these is the stations display. Each character may only occupy one station. To view a particular station, click on the station slot. To assign a character to a station, drag the character icon to its new position. If there is already a character there they will be swapped. The lower portions of most station screens contains combat map in the left and station specific controls in the right. Clicking on the icon in the upper left of the combat map expands it to a full screen map. PILOT Controls here are the same as on the system travel screen. Note that they only work when you are in combat mode and that your ship returns to the original speed and direction when you go back to the systems travel screen. GUN STATIONS (MISSILE AND LASER) There are two types of gun station depending on which weapons your ship is equipped with. a) Click inside the window to aim and fire. b) Click on the target icon to target the enemy ship if you have the target program running. c) Click on the fire icon to fire if you have targetted. d) Left and Right arrow icons rotate the viewpoint. Click on the reload icon to reload a missile. Lasers automatically recharge themselves. COMMUNICATIONS Click on an entry for further information. If in combat mode, click on the expand icon to select a ship to view information about from the large map. ENGINEERING Click on a system to begin repairing it. Only one system may be repaired at one time. COMPUTER The Load icon brings up a list of programs you have. Drag a program into a spare slot on the computer to start loading it. To run a program click in the area above the loaded program. To stop a program click in the yellow section. Computers may only be loading the one program at a time and will have a number of programs that can run at once. MEDICAL AND SICKBAY Characters to be healed must be assigned to the sickbay. To begin healing a character, click on the heal icon and then on the character to be healed. Only one character may be healed at one time. Return a character to duty by clicking on the return icon and then on a character. PIRATE If you successfully defeat another ship you get the chance to steal any items that ship was carrying by dragging items from the defeated ship and cargo hold into your own. Most ships have self destruct mechanisms, which will kill your party if they are still on the ship when it goes off. Click on the exit icon to leave the enemy ship. JUMP TRAVEL Click on the system you want to travel to. GAME PLAY SECTION THE FRONTIER WARS Man has always been fascinated by outer space. In this era of high technology and rapid discoveries, space remains the unconquerable frontier, filled with mysteries the human race has been unable to solve - despite thousands of years of effort. Still, the questions persist. Foremost among them is whether Earth is indeed the only planet with intelligent life. Science has yet to provide a definitive answer, but other forms of expression have all too-readily offered opinions. In the captivating science fiction role-playing game MEGATRAVELLER, the question is affirmatively answered with an amazing array of intergalactic societies, mysterious worlds, and exotic alien races. The Zhodani and the Third Imperium, the two largest human societies in charted space, have been in conflict since first establishing contact in the year 500 (5018 on the Earth calendar). Each society's gradual expansion eventually led to an historic meeting in a backwater region of space known as the Spinward Marches. Although their human physical appearances were exactly alike, several fundamental differences existed between the two great powers. The Zhodani's political structure was strictly authoritarian, whereas the Imperium was governed by the rule of the Emperor, a classic aristocracy. As the Zhodani race evolved, the human brain's potential was explored and mastered until the use of powerful psionics was a way of life. Mind-reading, telekinesis, extrasensory perception and clairvoyance became common among the Zhodani. The Imperium disdainfully outlawed the use of any form of psionics, believing these strange powers to be an invasion of mental privacy. Also, because the Zhodani utilized their superior mental ability in everyday life, many Imperial traders and merchants grew suspicious of their motives and avoided negotiations with the Zhodani. The Imperial race, lacking psionics, saw its development grow along creative, artistic and emotional paths. And as with any creative society, wondrous achievement and joy was often coupled with imperfections and greed. The Zhodani - viewing the Imperial race as dishonest, morally corrupt, weak and insecure - lived highly structured and unemotional lifestyles. With two powerful societies so clearly opposed in political and social beliefs, confrontation was inevitable. As the Zhodani continued to expand into the Spinward Marches, many worlds were peacefully integrated into the Zhodani Consulate. However, several independent worlds resisted the Zhodani, believing that they would lose their freedom and be forced to live under restrictive rule. The Spinward Marches became an intergalactic 'hot spot' and the aggressive advances of the Zhodani led to the first of several conflicts known as the Frontier Wars,the first of which began in 589 - 89 years after the two great powers first established contact. 1. The First Frontier War The initial Zhodani attacks were well planned and executed with speed, accuracy and precision. The Imperium was completely surprised and offered little resistance. Deadly battles between the two great combatants raged for the next 15 years. To strengthen their position, the Zhodani formed a strategic alliance with the Vargr, a race of intelligent beings with a genetic structure similar to canines. This alliance, known as the Outward Coalition, threatened Imperial territories in the Spinward Marches. The Coalition aggressively attacked Imperial forces in a strategic area of space known as the Great Rift. But after several devastating military defeats, the Outward Coalition crumbled, and in the year 604, the most conclusive battle of the First Frontier War was waged. A momentous attack, led by Admiral Olav haut- Plankwell, Commander of the Imperial Fleet, defeated a Zhodani force attempting to raid critical Imperial worlds. This battle brought the 15-year bloodbath between the Zhodani and Imperium to a welcomed end. Although the Imperium claimed victory, its losses in starships and manpower were appallingly high. The casualties suffered by both the Zhodani and the Imperium forced an official stalemate, followed by an armistice. Although this treaty marked the end of the First Frontier War, it was only the beginning of a long period of antipathy and continued border conflict between the two great races. When the First Frontier War ended, Admiral Olav haut-Plankwell returned with his fleet to Capital, the central headquarters of the Imperium. There he assassinated the Empress Jaqueline and seized rule of the Imperium in a bloody coup. A multitude of power-hungry Imperial factions were thus immediately thrown into a violent Civil War. 2. The Second Frontier War Eleven years after the end of the First Frontier War, tensions between Zhodani and Imperium again escalated out of control, erupting into the Second Frontier War, which lasted five years. The Zhodani and Vargr re-formed the Outward Coalition - adding a new ally, the Sword Worlds, an independent group of planets within the Spinward Marches. Imperial forces were battered early in the war by forceful Zhodani attacks in the Jewell subsector. Imperial Emperor Cleon V appointed a brave warrioress, Arbellatra Alkhalikoi, as Grand Admiral of the Imperial Fleet. Arbellatra hurriedly fortified weary Imperial forces and fought strategically brilliant battles against the Zhodani. In addition, the local resolve of several independent worlds within the battle zone strengthened the Imperium's chances against the Outward Coalition. The war finally ended when several Imperial Dreadnought Starships, the most advanced and lethal battleships ever designed, were complete and readied for battle. This, along with the arrival of reinforcements from trailing subsectors, led to a decisive engagement that ended the Second Frontier War. However, early defeats in the war took their toll on the weakened Imperium. Arbellatra was forced to sacrifice more territory to the Zhodani, and independent status was given to previously incorporated Imperial worlds won during the First Frontier War. Following in the footsteps of the late Emperor Olav haut-Plankwell, Arbellatra returned to Capital with her fleet. She confronted and defeated the remnants of the Imperial's Central Fleet, commanded by the new Emperor, Gustus. Her bold actions brought about the long-awaited end to the bloody Imperial civil war and re-established Central Imperial authority. 3. The Third Frontier War An uneasy peace between the Zhodani and the Imperium reigned for nearly 360 years, but was suddenly disrupted in 976 when constant distrust and hidden expansion led to the Third Frontier War. Both great forces were expanding their territories. This so-called peaceful expansion erupted into war when the Zhodani launched attacks against the Imperium. Imperial response was slow, and desperately needed reinforcements arrived late. A new method of warfare also emerged in this third great conflict: most of the combat took the form of commercial raiding, disruption of trading channels, and pirating of civilian trade ships. The Third Frontier War lasted six brutal years. The Imperium was forced to acknowledge its loss to the Zhodani, and the citizens of the Imperium suffered the most significant scars of war. Again, an armistice was signed in which the Zhodani received major territorial claims that gave them a long- desired foothold in the Spinward Marches. Following the Third Frontier War, The Imperial public, blaming the Emperor Styryx for the unforgivable casualties of war, rose against the throne and overthrew the Emperor in a historic revolution. 4. The Fourth Frontier War The fourth great conflict between the Zhodani and the Imperium began in 1082. Great naval battles between the Zhodani and Imperium were fought for two years. The final conflict was named "The Battle of the Two Suns", because it took place in the Regina System, which contains two stars. The battle led to an Imperial victory, though neither side gained substantial ground. The Imperium was able to reclaim two worlds lost in an earlier Frontier conflict. The Fourth Frontier War is often referred to as the "False War", because fighting lasted only 18 months and an armistice was signed before Capital could send instructions and reinforcements to Imperial commanders in charge. 5. The Fifth Frontier War Unlike the previous Frontier Wars, the fifth started as a well-organized and planned offensive by the Zhodani and the Outward Coalition, which consisted of the Vargr and the Sword Worlds. The Zhodani plan called for the secret shipment of military weapons and armour to dissident guerilla units on select worlds within the Imperium. These elite Zhodani rebel forces planned surprise uprisings against targeted Imperial military bases. This would divert major groups of Imperial troops, and starships, as well as the attention of the Imperium, as the Zhodani steadily increased their military forces in the Spinward Marches. Following the surprise uprisings, the Zhodani would launch their primary offensive against weakened and unprotected Imperial territories. The Zhodani conspirators planned to smuggle arms to the dissident forces within Imperial borders with the help of Regina subsect chief executive of the Sharurshid Megacorporation, Konrad Kiefer. Kiefer, unsuspectingly, planned the shipments using Sharurshid's facilities and resources, as well as his own contacts with black market smugglers, criminals and interstellar pirates. The Zhodani no doubt made lofty promises of power and wealth to Kiefer to turn him against the Imperium. Fortunately, Sharurshid's leading authorities already suspected Kiefer was illegally trading, embezzling corporate funds and forging company records. Lenara Raclor, a special agent from Transom, Sharurshid's intelligence agency, was assigned to investigate Kiefer's activities. She soon uncovered the Zhodani plot and found records of shipment dates and locations of secret arms deliveries. With the help of several ex-military travellers, Raclor obtained the holographic data and accompanying decoding keys and... Now it's your turn to write history! You control the five ex-military travellers as they set out to thwart the Zhodani conspiracy and capture traitorous Konrad Kiefer. The fate of the Imperium rests in your hands. How will the Fifth Frontier War unfold? Your actions will determine the outcome and change history forever! CHARACTERS AND CHARACTER GENERATION 1. Characters in the TRAVELLER Universe An exciting aspect of MEGATRAVELLER is the unique character generation system. You will be able to determine a character's strengths and weaknesses by choosing a set of basic ability scores you wish to develop. This approach is unlike other computer role-playing adventures, which assign characters a set of initial attribute scores that can't be changed. For example, if you want your character to be physically strong and agile, you can keep generating basic ability scores until the character has a high STR (strength) and DEX (dexterity). On the other hand, if you desire a character with a keen mental edge, you can choose a basic set of ability scores that include high INT (intelligence) and EDU (education) ratings. The MEGATRAVELLER character generator is simple to use, but detailed enough to give you the power to mould your characters into likenesses of your choosing. This is extremely important in a role-playing environment because your characters should represent your alter-ego. The characters are a direct link between you and the vast MEGATRAVELLER universe. Your characters will grow to mean more to you than just a computer graphic with a name. Other computer role-playing games offer little control over the development of characters, thus making it difficult to fashion a character to your specifications. The character generation process was designed for ease of use and enjoyability. More detail and more control means more fun! In your spare time, you may want to generate characters and add them to your character pool. If one of your characters perishes during game play, you will be able to add new characters to your party at a starport with recruiting facilities. There you can replace a fallen member of your team with one of the auxiliary characters you will have placed in the pool. It's not mandatory to generate extra characters; the character pool will already have several pre-generated characters to choose from. MEGATRAVELLER offers the most in-depth character building system ever designed for a computer role-playing game. With all its depth, the character generator remains exciting, easy and fun! Regardless, there are bound to be some players who don't enjoy the process of generating characters. If you're one of these players, you can choose pre-generated characters and get right into the game! 2. Character Ability Scores (Attributes) and the UPP Each character you create is represented by six basic ability scores that will affect nearly every action the character attempts in the game. Each of these abilities is represented by a number from one to 15, with one being the lowest and 15 being the highest possible rating. Next, each individual ability score is represented as part of a group, referred to as the UPP (Universal Personality Profile). Scores ranging from ten to 15 are represented by letters (A represents 10, F represents 15), because TRAVELLER uses a hexadecimal system to display the character's ability scores in the UPP. In hexadecimal notation, the numbers one to nine are represented by the common Arabic numerals, and numbers ten to 15 are represented by the letters A to F. Here is an example of a UPP: STR DEX END INT EDU SOC | | | | | | | |____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____| The following abilities are used to describe a character: STRENGTH: Strength (STR) refers to a character's muscular power. The higher a character's Strength,the more effective related physical tasks can be performed. Strength also determines the amount of weight a character can carry without being encumbered and slowed. Most of the tasks requiring physical strength are combat related. DEXTERITY: Dexterity (DEX) involves a character's physical coordination or ability to perform detailed tasks. A character with a higher Dexterity will be likely to complete actions in a more timely manner than a character with a lower Dexterity rating. ENDURANCE: Endurance (END) is a character's physical stamina and ability to continue performing demanding activities over a period of time. A character's Endurance will be critical in combat situations. The higher the Endurance ability rating, the more damage a character will be able to sustain. Also, Endurance will affect the rate of oxygen consumption when travelling on the surface of a non-atmospheric world (vacuum) or any environment requiring the use of oxygen apparatus. INTELLIGENCE: Intelligence (INT) is a character's knowledge and ability to apply logic or arrive at competent conclusions. For example, Intelligence would be extremely beneficial to a character attempting to alter a computer program for a desired result. Intelligence helps to determine the number of skills a character is able to obtain and use during the game. EDUCATION: Education (EDU) represents the amount of formal and informal training a character has received. Along with Intelligence, a character's Education plays a part in determining the number of skills a character can learn and use at any one time. The higher an individual's Education, the more skills he can acquire and apply in various situations. SOCIAL STANDING: Social Standing (SOC) signifies a character's status within society. This social hierarchy is often based on military rank, wealth, achievement, and the social standing of the character's family. Individuals with a high Social Standing are accustomed to a much higher standard of living, and in most cases, aren't skilled at negotiating and bargaining. Also, Social Standing affects the way others treat an individual. The poor may look upon the upper class with resentment, whereas upper class individuals greet their social equivalents with friendship and camaraderie. In two instances, two different ability scores are combined to generate a characteristic that helps to further define characters. First, the sum of a character's INT and EDU determines the maximum number of skills a character can maintain and use at any one time. INT+EDU = maximum # of skills Secondly, a character's LIFE FORCE RATING - the amount of damage a character can take before becoming unconscious or being killed - is based on the sum of the character's STR, END and DEX scores. What ability scores make a well rounded character? As with any human being, there's no perfect combination. It depends entirely on the way you intend to solve the game. MEGATRAVELLER allows you to reach your goals using a variety of different tactics. If you're the hard core "shoot-em-up" adventurer, you'll probably want high (A to F) STR, DEX and END ability scores. If your forte is strategy and puzzle-solving, you should generate characters with high INT and EDU scores. Always remember, a party consists of five characters, so it's recommended you have a diverse range of individuals. The sum of a team is greater than its parts. You may be pleasantly surprised when a mediocre character who doesn't excel in any one category ends up being the most effective. When you begin the character generation process, you will choose a set of ability scores randomly generated by the computer. After you select a set of scores, you will begin developing the character. You will have several opportunities during the remainder of the character generation process to increase many of the basic ability scores. Once the character generation process is completed, a character's abilities will be set, and cannot permanently change during game play. However, there will be several ways to temporarily increase ability scores once the character is in the game. Most of these artificial ability increases will occur by using medicinal drugs or serums, and will primarily affect STR, DEX and END. 3. Enlistment and Drafting Procedures in the Military Services Each of the characters you develop will have a military service background in one of the Imperial forces. A character must must either submit to the draft, in which the computer will randomly choose a service, or attempt to enlist in a specific branch of the military. Enlistment in a particular service is not guaranteed, and some acceptance standards are higher than others. If a character is rejected, he will automatically be submitted to the draft. Military Services There are five distinct military organizations a character can get serve in: Army. A character that serves in the Army is placed in the Imperial planetary armed fighting forces. Training focuses on surface military actions, battles, campaigns, and tactical manoeuvres. Because of their excellent fighting background, many who serve in the army choose a career as a mercenary after their tour of duty is over. The army is the easiest service in which to enlist; acceptance is high. The ideal service for combat training, weapons and survival skills, the Army is also the military service easiest in which to increase in rank. Navy. The purpose of this branch of the Imperial armed forces is to protect and secure regions of space controlled by the Imperium. The interstellar space navy also patrols Imperial territory in search of rogue bands of space pirates that threaten trade channels. Naval qualifications are very rigid and re-enlistment is difficult. While in the navy, a character will gain skills vital to the operation of a starship. Marines. Similar to the Army, Imperial Marines are planetary surface fighting units carried aboard large starships. Often, Marines are responsible for dangerous missions such as boarding and securing crippled pirate vessels. Likewise, Marines are responsible for protecting Imperial starports and providing reinforcements to ground troops. The Marines have a fearsome reputation for "toughness", and are often the first to be called into battle. The rigorous training and responsibilities of the Imperial Marines is dangerous: life expectancy is lower than that of other branches of service. Throughout their tour of duty, Marines acquire numerous weapon and combat skills. In addition to these battle skills, marines, at times, gain several skills necessary to operate a starship. Of all the Imperial military services, the Marines have the strictest acceptance policy, and the opportunities for advancement are low. Scouts. The Scouts are members of the Imperial exploratory service. Scouts are responsible for exploring uncharted regions of space, mapping known or newly discovered regions, and maintaining lines of communication between territories. Although members of the Scouts do not acquire specific combat- related skills, they gain useful skills involving the operation of a starship. Although they are not trained for battle, Scouts are educated in the use of numerous combat weapons. However, the percentage of Scouts who see action in battle is very slim. Although acceptance standards for the Scouts are not as stringent as in other services, the job is just as dangerous in its own way. Many Scouts have lost their lives exploring new territories. There is no ranking system within the Scouts, but re-enlistment is almost always granted, allowing the possibility of acquiring a variety of exploratory skills. In addition, Scouts receive excellent benefits because of the highly dangerous tasks they are called upon to perform. Merchants. Merchants are not necessarily members of the Imperial armed forces. Merchants are individuals that engage in interstellar commercial enterprise. They serve on starships owned by large megacorporations, or work for independent wealthy traders. Like any profession that centres around the transfer of money, greed has been known to draw some Merchants into illegal smuggling rings. While in the Merchants, a character can acquire the vital trading and negotiating skills required of a proficient trader. Normally, it is difficult to enlist in the Merchants and chances for promotion are low. As mentioned earlier, since your party of adventurers consist of five individual characters, it's a good idea to develop a group that has experience in a variety of military branches. This strategy gives your party a wide range of skills. MEGATRAVELLER allows you to set your own gaming strategy. You can trade and pirate valuable cargo, set out to find hidden treasures or battle your way to your goal using elite fighters. By having a diverse group of characters in your party, all your options will be covered. Commissions, Promotions, and Rank Each Imperial military service, with the exception of the Scouts, has a specific ranking system. When a character's enlistment attempt succeeds, he becomes eligible for a commission. Commissions are necessary for service promotion. If a character is drafted, he is not eligible for commission until his second term of service. Once a character receives a commission, he is eligible for a promotion for each subsequent term of service. Promotion procedures are different for each branch of the military. Promotions are easier to attain in the Army, followed by the Marines, Navy, and Merchants respectively. The Scouts have no organized promotion system. What advantage does a character's military rank play in the game? The higher a character's rank, the more skills he receives for each term of service. In addition, rank will increase the amount of benefits, skills, items, and credits awarded when it comes time to muster out and leave the military. MILITARY RANKS Rank # Army Navy Marines Merchants 1 Lieutenant Ensign Lieutenant 4th Officer 2 Captain Lieutenant Captain 3rd Officer 3 Major Lt. Commander Force Commander 2nd Officer 4 Lt. Colonel Commander Lt. Colonel 1st Officer 5 Colonel Captain Colonel Captain 6 General Admiral Brigadier Owner Terms of Service When a character completes a successful term of service, he will receive a certain number of skills. The number of skills the character receives during a specific term of service is based on: 1. The branch of military in which the character is serving. A character receives one skill for each term served, with the exception of the Scouts. A character in the Scouts receives two skills for each term of service. 2. Commissions or promotions received during that term. A character receives one additional skill for any commission or promotion awarded during a term of service. There are special cases in which a character may be granted two extra skills for a commission or promotion. 3. Any special duty served during that term. If, during a term of service, a character is granted a special duty or assignment, he receives one additional skill for that term of service. Re-enlistment After a term is successfully served, a character can attempt to continue military service or he can muster out. To continue service, the character must attempt to re-enlist. If re-enlistment is successful, another full term is served - as long as no injuries are sustained. If re-enlistment is denied, the character is forced to retire from military service and muster out. On very rare occasions, a branch of military service can force a character into serving another term. Retirement Pay The total number of terms that a character serves in the military determines the amount of credits he receives as yearly retirement pay. A character becomes eligible for retirement pay after five terms of military service. After leaving the military, eligible characters receive 2000 Imperial credits for each term of service. 1 term of service = 2000 credits Retirement pay is issued on a monthly basis and can be collected at any class G to A starport (see Starports in the Interstellar Exploration and Starship Combat section of this manual). 4. Injuries, Operations, and the Death of a Character during Character Gen. It is possible for a character to die while being generated. In addition, at times, a character may sustain injuries caused by rare and unfortunate accidents that occur during military service. If an injury is sustained, the character can muster out and leave the service. However, the character loses one or several points from his STR, END or DEX abilities based on the severity of his injury. An alternative to mustering out due to injury is to let the character undergo an operation. Because operations are highly dangerous, there is a risk that the character will die during surgery. But if the character survives, the ability scores will not be lowered, and the character can continue his term in military service. The higher the character's END rating, the better chance he will survive an operation. If the character accepts the injury and leaves the military, credit is only given for a half a term. Since mustering out benefits are only awarded for full terms, the character cannot receive a commission or promotion. Luckily, the character still receives one skill for that term, even if it was cut short. Aging For each term spent in the service, a character ages four years (two years for a half term). As a character grows older, the physical burdens of a military career begin to take their toll. A character's Str, END and DEX abilities will decrease with age. At a much later age, a character's INT ability will also slowly decrease. The character development strategy is up to you. You must determine if you want younger and healthier characters with high ability scores, or more experienced adventurers with a greater number of skills, but lower ability scores. Age 4 years = 1 term. Age 2 years = 1/2 term Mustering Out There comes a time when a character's military profession must come to an end, whether by force or personal choice. At that point, a character is able to take his valuable skills and training and set out to brave the TRAVELLER universe. Luckily, the military rewards characters for their loyal service by offering mustering out benefits to help them get started on their new path in life. When a character musters out, he will receive a specified number of benefits from one or two areas: the cash table or benefits table. A character gets one choice from these tables for every term of service, and an additional choice is given for every two promotions in military rank. For example, if a character served five terms, and was promoted to the rank of General (rank 6), he would receive ten benefits for the number of terms served, and an additional three benefits for moving through the ranks. +1 benefit for achieving rank 1 and 2 Additional +1 benefit for achieving rank 3 and 4 Another +1 benefit for achieving rank 5 and 6 Any gambling skills acquired during a character's service will help him when choosing from the cash table. A character cannot draw from the cash table more than three times. The following benefits are offered: Weapons. The character is given a weapon along with some ammunition. The amount of ammunition depends on the type of weapon received. The character is always given a weapon in which he has at least one skill value. If a character receives a weapon a second time, he can opt for a +1 skill level in the use of that weapon. TAS. The Traveller's Aide Society offers free access to information about worlds or systems to its members. At times, this information is very crucial and can be helpful to travellers. There are many dangers within, and outside of, Imperial Space, and TAS can better prepare a character for unknown surprises. There is no charge for information, and most facilities offer free boarding and maintain well-stocked cocktail lounges. Ability Increases. A character can receive permanent increases to his INT, EDU and SOC basic abilities on the benefits table. Since INT and EDU combine to determine the maximum number of skills a character can possess, the benefits table offers a good opportunity to increase these two important basic ability scores. Armour. Protective armour and vacc suits (space suits needed to breathe on certain planets) can also be acquired during the mustering out procedure. However, these items, essential to any adventurer, are limited to very basic styles, and are not the most advanced forms of battle armour and space suits. Sophisticated armour and space suits are quite expensive and more difficult to come by. Imperial Release. An Imperial Release will grant pardon from a crime committed on a world under Imperial rule. These releases can only be obtained when mustering out, and should be used sparingly. An adventurer may discover that on more corrupt worlds, it may be possible to bribe the jailer into releasing him from confinement. 5. Skills MEGATRAVELLER allows a character to gain many skills during the character generation process. Skills are the most important part of a character because they determine the probability of successfully performing a task (action). Some skills are specific to performing a certain task, but many skills can be applied to a variety of situations. Each skill begins at the number zero, representing an untrained basic working knowledge. As skills are increased, the corresponding number will increase. There is no limit to how high a skill number can reach. The greater the skill level, the more successful a character will be when attempting a related task. The skill level is always displayed after the name of the specific skill. For example: Navigation - 2 There are two categories of skills in MEGATRAVELLER: basic skills and cascade skills. Basic skills pertain to the general ability of a character to perform a certain task. Cascade skills are a general category and offer the character an opportunity to gain a specialized skill. The following are examples of both types of skill. A basic skill : Medical A cascade skill: Gun Combat (The character would be allowed to choose one skill from the following list: Energy Weapons, Handgun, Laser Weapons, Neural Weapons, Rifleman, Submachinegun.) The maximum number of skill levels a character can potentially possess is equal to the sum of the character's INT and EDU. Each skill level is equal to one skill. For example, a character with a UPP of 777777 has an INT of 7 and an EDU of 7, allowing that character a total of 14 skill levels that can possibly be developed. If this character possesses the skill Submachinegun 4, then only ten skill levels remain for that character to make use of. It is possible for a character to improve a skill area by repeatedly using that skill successfully. A character can find out which skills he can improve upon by visiting a starport containing a training facility. Be forewarned: training isn't free, so be ready to pay a price if you want to improve a character's skills. Here is the complete list of skills in the game. A brief description follows the name of each skill. Cascade skills are handled differently. After the name of a cascade skill, there is a listing of the specific skills available under that Cascade skill. *Academic* cascade: Admin, Linguistics, Sciences, +1 Education. *Admin* The character is experienced in dealing with bureaucratic agencies and understands the requirements of successfully relating to them. *Aircraft* The character is capable of operating jet-propelled aircraft Assault Rifle The character is accomplished in the use of assault rifles. ATV The character is trained in the operation and maintenance of all types of All-Terrain Vehicles. Battle Dress The character is qualified to use battle dress, a high-tech military armoured suit. Blade Combat cascade: Dagger, Sword. Brawling The character is proficient in hand-to-hand combat, and is capable of fighting without weapons. Bribery The character is adept in bribing officials to circumvent regulations and ignore cumbersome laws. Carousing The character is a sociable individual who enjoys meeting and mingling with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings. *Combat-* The character is capable of constructing rapid field *Engineering* fortifications, utilizing camouflage, and assessing strengths and weaknesses of enemy locations. This skill also includes the strategic planting of mines. Combat Rifleman The character is efficient in the use of modern combat rifles Communications The character has a working knowledge of various comms systems, primarily those aboard spacefaring vessels. Computer The character is practised in the operation of electronic and fibre optic computers. Computer skills are vital to the operation of a starship's onboard computer. Dagger The character is trained in the use of a dagger as a weapon. Demolitions The character is well-grounded in the placement, handling, and use of explosive devices. Electronics The character is experienced in the use, operation, and repair of electronic devices. Energy Weapons The character is trained in the use of a variety of energy weapons, including the plasma gun. Engineering The character is skilled in operating, maintaining and repairing starship drives and jump drives. A proficient engineer is essential for effectively operating a starship. *Environmental* cascade: Recon, Stealth and Survival. Exploratory cascade: Pilot, Sensor Ops, Survey, Vacc Suit, Vehicle, and Survival. *Fleet* The character has a grounding in naval operations, formations *Tactics* and manoeuvres. An essential skill for space combat. *Forgery* The character is quite capable of faking papers, signatures and documents. *Forward* The character has professional skills in determining the *Observer* direction of artillery fire. Modern fire support is an effective weapon, but only if accurately directed. Gambling The character has expertise in various games of chance. *Grav Belt* The character knows how to operate a grav belt that can propel him through the air. Grav Vehicle The character is able to pilot all types of grav vehicles that glide above the ground. *Gravitics* The character is able to use and repair all types of gravitational devices. Gun Combat cascade: Energy Weapons, Handgun, Laser Weapons, Neural Weapons, Rifleman and Submachinegun. Hand Combat cascade: Brawling, +1 END, +1 STR, Sword and Dagger. Handgun The character is able to use a variety of handguns. Heavy Weapons The character can operate heavy weapons such as the light assault gun and rocket launcher. *High Energy* The character can use high energy battlefield weapons. These *Weapons* weapons are larger, more powerful and less versatile versions of the portable plasma and fusion guns. *High-G* The character has survived in environments with a gravity of *Environment* two Gs or greater. A high-G environment exerts considerable stress and bodily injury to those unaccustomed to extreme gravity. Inborn cascade: Carousing, Jack-of-Trades, and Leader. Interpersonal cascade: Admin, Interview, Liaison, Linguistics and Steward. *Interrogation* The character is proficient at the psychological art of interrogation. This skill includes the ability to extract more information from a subject than is normally possible. An interrogator has been trained to detect lying and assemble piecemeal information. *Interview* The character is trained in conversing with others on an individual basis. The character's knowledge of psychology, body language, and oral communication allows him to keep his subjects at ease, making them more apt to be open in conversation. Intrusion The character is experienced in clandestine methods of acquiring goods that belong to others. An individual with Intrusion skills can pick pockets, safes and locks. Jack-of-Trades The character is capable of handling a wide variety of situations and is very resourceful at finding solutions to problems. *Jet Propelled* The character is able to operate and pilot Jet-propelled *Aircraft* aircraft. Laser Weapons The character is trained in the use of most laser weapons. *Leader* The character is experienced in leading others through difficult situations, and has the knowledge and self assurance to be admired and trusted. Liaison The character is accomplished in the art of dealing with others. This skill is used in relation to military units, citizens in a community, or alien and foreign cultures. The character is capable of subordinating his or her own views and prejudices when they may conflict with the opinions held by those he is communicating with. *Linguistics* The character is experienced in communicating in foreign languages. Mechanical The character can operate and repair an assortment of mechanical devices. Medical The character has a thorough background in the medical arts. Mental cascade: +1 INT and +1 EDU Navigation The character is instructed in interplanetary and interstellar navigation. A starship navigator is responsible for plotting courses and ensuring information is available to the crew and pilot when it is required. Also this skill allows the character to interpret the data provided by the starship's scanners and detectors. Neural Weapons The character is educated in the use of neural rifles and pistols. Physical cascade: +1 DEX, +1 STR, and +1 END. Pilot The character is capable of operating starships and large interplanetary spacecraft. This skill allows the individual to control lift-offs, landings, refuelling and routine flights. *Recon* The character is adept at military scouting, and is capable of travelling through rough terrain without being detected. *Recruiting* The individual is familiar with the most effective methods of approaching others and presenting proposals for employment. Rifleman The character is drilled in the use of standard military weapons, such as the autorifle, carbine, and rifle. *Robot Ops* The character is capable of overseeing robots and programming them for specific duties. *Robotics* The character has a background in designing, building and repairing high-tech robots. Sciences The character has a background education in various areas of modern sciences. Sensor Ops The character is accomplished in the operation and interpretation of a variety of sensor readings. *Screens* The individual is schooled in the operation of defensive equipment developed for starships. These protective devices include nuclear dampers, meson screens and black globe generators. Ship's Tactics The character is experienced in the operation of a starship during battle situations. *Ship's Boat* The character is able to operate a small interplanetary craft known as Ship's Boat. These craft range from five to 100 tons and include shuttles, lifeboats and fighters. Space cascade: Engineering, Navigation, Pilot, Sensor Ops, Ship's Boat and Vacc Suit. Space Combat cascade: Screens, Spinal Weapons, Turret Weapons, Sensor Ops, Ship's Tactics, and Tactics. Space Tech cascade: Communications, Computer, Engineering, Gravitics and Vacc Suit. Special Combat cascade: Battle Dress, Combat Engineer, Combat Rifleman, Demolitions, Forward Observer, Grav Belt, Heavy Weapons, High Energy Weapons, High-G Environment, Stealth and Zero-G Environment. *Spinal Wpn* The character is prepared to operate major starship weaponry. Stealth The individual, trained in covert activity, is capable of remaining unobserved by moving quietly and taking maximum advantage of available cover. *Steward* The character is educated in the care of, feeding and entertaining of starship passengers. Streetwise The character can successfully deal with dangerous individuals without alienating them. This skill also enables the character to obtain information, hire persons, buy or sell illegal contraband, or engage in other "shady" activities. Submachinegun The character is trained in the use of a submachinegun (SMG) Survey The individual is capable of mapping and charting star systems and producing accurate maps of Imperial territories. This skill will help determine characteristics (UWP) of an unknown or unclassified world. *Survival* The character can successfully live off the land and survive life-threatening situations. The individual can find food and water, and build shelter in the harshest environments. Sword The character is trained in the use of the sword as a weapon. Tactics The character is experienced in small unit tactics. Technical cascade: Communications, Computer, Electronics, Gravitics, Robot Ops, and Sensor Ops. Trader The character has a working knowledge of techniques and practices of commerce. This skill allows a character to determine the real value of many items, increasing his negotiating power. Turret Weapons The character is accomplished at operating turret-mounted and fixed small craft weaponry. Vacc Suit The individual is able to operate a standard vacuum space suit. This also includes the use of armoured battle dress and other suits required on planetary surfaces with an exotic, corrosive or insidious atmosphere. Vehicle cascade: Aircraft, ATV, Grav Vehicle, Jet-Propelled Aircraft, Ship's Boat, and Watercraft. Vice cascade: Bribery, Forgery. Watercraft The character is qualified to operate all water-borne craft. *Zero-G Env* The character has been trained to function and perform physical activity in a Zero-G environment. Actions attempted in such environments can hinder individuals unable to compensate for recoil and inertia. Note: Not all of the above skills are important in MEGATRAVELLER I. Some will come in handy in future MEGATRAVELLER computer adventures. Each skill that does not play a part in this first adventure, THE ZHODANI CONSPIRACY, has an asterisk by its name. When generating your characters, you may want to include some skills which aren't necessary for THE ZHODANI CONSPIRACY, if you plan to use these same characters in future MEGATRAVELLER computer adventures. The skill system outlined here is the basis for the MEGATRAVELLER pen and pencil role-playing system, as well. Though some of the above skills are not essential to solving this first computer adventure, it would not have done the gaming system justice to remove them entirely. Even in the pen and pencil role-playing version of MEGATRAVELLER, not all of the character skills play an important role in every adventure. In addition, a unique feature of this MEGATRAVELLER computer adventure is that it allows you to print out information on characters you have generated. Therefore, the characters you generate can be used in the pen and pencil role-playing system. This compatibility would not exist if skills were eliminated from the above list. Characters are given a set of default skills as soon as they enlist or are drafted into a service, as well as when they achieve a certain rank in that service. These default skills are common to military life. For example, every character other than a merchant is given Gun Combat - 0 because the use of a weapon is initially taught to all soldiers, whether they be Army,Navy, Marines, or Scouts. The following are lists of skills that are picked up in each of the services: Army Hand Gun - 0, Combat Rifleman - 1, ATV - 0, Vacc Suit - 0. Army Lieutenant: Submachinegun - 1. Navy Hand Gun - 0, ATV - 0, Turret Weapon -0. Navy Captain: +1 Social Standing. Navy Admiral: +1 Social Standing. Scouts Hand Gun - 0, Vacc Suit - 0, ATV - 0, Sensor Ops - 0, Pilot - 1. Marines Hand Gun - 0, Vacc Suit - 0, ATV - 0, Sword - 1. Marine Lieutenant: Handgun - 1. Merchant Hand Gun - 0, Vacc Suit - 0, ATV - 0, Navigation - 0. 1st Officer: Pilot - 1. 6. Advanced Education Table Characters with an Education ability less than 8 are only entitled to three skill lists from which to select. When a characters' Education is 8 or greater, an extra list, the Advanced Education Table(AET), is added to the other three. The AET offers more non-combat oriented and specialized skills that aren't available in the basic soldier's repertoire. 7. Choosing from a Character Pool MEGATRAVELLER gives you the option of choosing pre-generated characters if you don't want to go through the character generation procedure, or if you want to become familiar with the rest of the game before generating your own characters. In addition, you can develop up to 15 characters and save them in the character pool. If one of your original characters is killed, you can recruit new members for your party at various starports. New characters recruited at starports will come from the character pool, so you may want to develop a wide range of characters with diverse skills and backgrounds. 8. Character Generator Procedures Here is a breakdown of the character generation system in MEGATRAVELLER. a) A set of basic ability scores is chosen for the character. These sets can be re-calculated until a desired set is displayed. b) The character must attempt enlistment into a specific service or submit to the draft. c) Once a character enters a service, the default skills are added to the character's list of basic skills. d) You are then told whether or not the character received any commissions, promotions, or special duties for the term being served. Based upon this information, the character is given an appropriate number of selections from the list of skill tables. If the character suffers from an injury, they must muster out, receiving credit for only a half-term, or risk an operation to continue. e) Skills for the character are determined from the skill tables you choose. As the skills are chosen, they are added to the list of the character's skills. f) As the character finishes a full term, his age is increased four years. Depending on age, certain ability scores are increased or decreased. g) After a term is served, the character must re-enlist, be forced into re- enlistment, or muster out. If at least five terms have been served, mustering out is considered retirement. When a character retires, he receives a monthly retirement fund. h) When a character leaves the service, he is allowed to make selections from the cash or benefits table. No more than three choices can be made from the cash table. Any gambling skills the character may possess will increase the amount received from the cash table. i) If a character has more skills than the sum of his Intelligence and Education scores, he must edit his skill lists. j) Once a character is fully developed, you must name him/her and save the individual in the character pool. INTERSTELLAR EXPLORATION AND STARSHIP COMBAT Between your visits to various worlds within the TRAVELLER universe, you will spend a great deal of time travelling the interstellar spaceways. These vast regions of space are traversed by far traders shipping cargo between worlds, Imperium fleet vessels protecting the interests of the Imperium, and dreadful pirates who prey on defenceless cargo ships. In the TRAVELLER universe the spaceways are futuristic highways. Just as someone gets in their car to go to work, individuals in MEGATRAVELLER can travel between worlds by starship. The Imperial Navy consists of formidable and powerful fighting starships constructed to protect the Imperium. 1. In-System Travel Screen Space travel in MEGATRAVELLER can be accomplished in one of two ways. Space travel within a star system is performed using the In-System Travel Screen. The space between systems is so vast that a special method, Jump Travel, must be utilized. For more information on jump travel, see the section: Jump Travel Screen. A majority of the In-System Travel Screen will consist of a large viewport. In this viewport you will be able to travel between worlds in your starship, the Interloper. Each star system has a star, situated directly at its centre. Orbits are drawn as circles surrounding that star. Some orbits contain worlds, gas giants, or an asteroid belt. These are all displayed graphically, as are any satellites (moons) the worlds might have. To get information about a world or a gas giant and its satellites, you must access the Interloper's communications station (see the Communications Station section). At the top of the viewport is an In-System Travel heading. The particular star system in which you are travelling is listed beside this heading. All ships travelling in the system are represented by a single icon in the viewport on the In-System Travel Screen. When combat is engaged, each different class of ship has its own icon in the 2D overhead view displayed on most of the Interloper's station screens. The Interloper can be distinguished from other starships because its icon is surrounded by a circle. When the circle around the Interloper encompasses another starship, you will be thrown into combat mode. Combat mode is where all space combat takes place. On the In-System Travel Screen, the system is displayed in quadrants shown in the top right hand corner of the screen. Your ship is represented by a single coloured pixel. The Interloper's fuel gauge is displayed in the lower left side of the In- System Travel Screen. This gauge is separated into three areas: NO JUMP, CAUTION (not labelled as caution), and JUMP. If the amount of fuel in the Interloper's tanks in in the NO JUMP area, it's impossible to make a jump. If the fuel line is in the CAUTION area, then a jump is possible, but there's a slight chance of a misjump. The JUMP area signifies that the Interloper has enough fuel to make a successful jump. Jump space is explained in detail in the Jump Travel Screen section of the manual. When a misjump does occur, the Interloper will jump into a system other than the chosen destination. This can be a major setback, as making a jump requires a significant amount of fuel. For this reason, after a misjump, you will have the added expense of refuelling the Interloper - which can be costly. Displayed in the bottom right side of In-System Travel Screen is a graphical key. This key explains the graphic representations used in the system map shown in the large viewport. These graphic representations include planets and accompanying satellites with and without starport facilities, and large or small gas giants. The Interloper can only land on worlds with starport facilities. Those without starport facilities aren't an integral part of the game and can be ignored. Large and small gas giants can only be used for refuelling the Interloper, but only if the ship is outfitted with the proper equipment (fuel scoops and a fuel purification plant). Fuel scoops allow the Interloper to trap raw hydrogen fuel from a gas giant's atmosphere. The fuel purification plant then transforms the raw fuel so that it is compatible with a ship's drives. Below the small system representation are five menu selections: STATIONS COMMO (abbreviation for communications) LAND (LAUNCH) JUMP REFUEL Selecting STATIONS will allow you to access the various stations within the Interloper. Selecting COMMO will immediately take you to the Interloper's communication station. Here, you can find pertinent information about a system, any gas giants or planets and accompanying satellites within the system. The communication station can also be accessed by selecting the STATIONS option, but since COMMO is probably the most commonly used menu selection on the In-System Travel Screen, it was given its own menu selection for easier access. LAND is selected whenever you wish to land the Interloper on a world's surface. To signify which planet you intend to land on, you must manoeuvre the circle surrounding the Interloper around the planet's graphical representation in the viewport. When you enter the Interloper from the ground, the LAND menu selection is changed to LAUNCH. After entering the Interloper, your characters will be placed in the stations they occupied when they last left the ship. From the station screens you must go to the In-System Travel Screen and use the LAUNCH selection to leave the planet. Selecting JUMP will take you to the Jump Travel Screen, where it's possible to jump to another star system. Selecting REFUEL will allow you to refuel the Interloper, as long as the ship is properly equipped. Similar to landing, the circle surrounding the Interloper must encompass the graphical representation of the gas giant before a refuelling attempt can be made. Lastly, if a mouse is being used, below the five menu selections are arrow icons used to control the Interloper. The arrow icons permit you to turn the ship left and right and to accelerate or decelerate. Also displayed is the current acceleration of the Interloper. Once the ship accelerates it will remain at that accelerated speed until a new speed is selected. The ship will continue to move forward even when a right or left turn is utilized. In order to come to a stop, you must decelerate an equal amount, or turn the ship entirely around and accelerate an equal amount in the opposite direction. 2. The Jump Travel Screen Jump Travel is the basic concept of interstellar travel. Theoretically, jump spaces are alternate spaces, only dimly understood from the standpoint of our own universe. Jump is defined as the movement of matter from one point in space (called normal space) to another point in normal space by travelling through an alternate space (called jump space). The benefit of the jump is that the time required is relatively invariable - approximately one week. Entering jump space is possible from anywhere in a system. Sometimes jumps do go wrong, these failures usually put the ship in a system other than the system of intended destination. For a ship to be able to make a jump, it must be equipped with a jump-capable drive. There are different types of drives, each allowing jump travel of a certain distance. The distance is displayed as a number after the name Jump Drive. For example: Jump - 2. The number means that the jump drive is capable of jumping a ship the distance between two hexagons. Hexagons are used to measure distance between systems on the Jump Travel Screen. At the moment, the Imperium's technology level is only high enough to produce jump - 6 capable drives, but even these are rare and very expensive. In this first MEGATRAVELLER adventure, you are limited to Jump - 2 technology. The Interloper's fuel gauge remains displayed in the lower left side of the screen, the same position as on the In-System Travel Screen. The bottom right portion of the screen, next to the fuel gauge, is used to display the name of the system and subsector the characters are currently in. Once a destination system is chosen, the name of that system is also displayed. The remainder of the screen is used to display a hexagonal grid map containing the eight systems in the game and surrounding space. Any hexagon occupied by a system bears that system's name. The name of the system the characters are currently in is highlighted. This highlighting can be moved to other hexes so you can choose the name of the system you wish to jump to. Remember to keep in mind the restrictions placed upon jump travel by the type of jump drive installed in the Interloper. If the Interloper only has a jump - 2 drive, then the ship can only jump a distance of two hexes. 3. Station Screens There are two ways you can get to the stations screens. The first method is selecting the STATIONS menu selection on the In-System Travel Screen. The second method is automatic: when forced into combat, you are immediately placed at the station screens. The nearby picture is of a station screen for the Interloper's pilot station. The top portion of the screen remains the same as it is throughout most of the game, with a few minor changes (explained below). The middle section of the screen is used to display the menu selections ASSIGN and VIEW. Next to these menu selections are the station blocks. The bottom of the screen is broken into two sections. Information displayed in these two sections depends on the station being viewed. This is detailed in the explanation of each individual station. The Interloper contains eight different stations that characters can occupy and perform work in. These stations are used to operate the various controls of the ship. The eight stations are: PILOT STATION GUN STATION #1 GUN STATION #2 COMPUTER STATION ENGINEERING STATION COMMUNICATION STATION MEDICAL STATION SICK BAY STATION Each is important and will have to be used at one time or another. Since there is a maximum of five characters in a party at any one time, characters must be strategically placed in the stations. Be sure a character with appropriate skills is placed in a station where his skills will improve his performance. For example, if you want accurate information from the communication station, the character in that station should have good communications or related skills. When the characters enter the Interloper for the first time, they will be placed in the stations by default. A character will be assigned to a station in which he is the most skilled. Every time you land on a planet, leave the Interloper, and return, the characters will be placed in the stations they occupied when they last left the Interloper. Using the station blocks in the middle of the screen, you can determine which character is in a specific station. Each station block consists of three sections. The first is a square displaying the service symbol of the character currently occupying the station. Below each of these squares, with the exception of the pilot and sickbay station, is the third section: a small rectangle telling you whether the character in the station is busy doing something or waiting for something to be completed. If the rectangle is not filled in, the character is not busy. If the rectangle is filled, the character is in the middle of some action. This rectangle does not appear for the pilot and sickbay stations because no time-consuming actions take place there during the game. If the rectangle under the following station is filled, the character in that station is doing the following: Gun Stations: The Character is waiting for his laser weapon to fully recharge or for the missile bays to be reloaded. Laser weapons can still be fired even if they aren't fully recharged, but the rectangle will remain filled until the laser is recharged. The missiles cannot be fired until they're reloaded into the missile bays. Computer Station: The computer is still loading new programs. Engineering Station: Repairs are still being made to one of the repairable ship systems. Communications Station: Information is still being processed and cannot yet be accessed. Medical Station: A character in the medical station is still in the process of treating a character(s) in the sick bay station. Characters can be switched from station to station - and you can view stations using the two menu selections next to the station blocks, under the heading STATIONS. Select ASSIGN to assign a character to a new station. If there is a character already in that station, then the two characters will be switched. Select VIEW if you wish to view one of the stations. A station cannot be viewed unless there is a character assigned to that station. The top of the station screen remains the same throughout most of the game, with a few exceptions. The marching order block is replaced with a square titled, "The Interloper". Below the title are some statistics of the Interloper. These stats include: the weapons in guns #1 and #2, the computer model, the jump drive capability, and the maximum acceleration of the Interloper. The ORDER icon changes to an IN-SYS TRAVEL icon. Selecting the IN-SYS TRAVEL icon will take you back to the In-System Travel Screen. Other than the above changes, the top portion of the screen remains the same. The character screens can be viewed as always. It is possible for a character to take damage in the GUN #1, GUN #2, and COMPUTER stations. In combat, some damage is also applied to these three stations. If the damage is great enough to destroy the weapons or the computer, the station is considered destroyed. Characters in a station when it is destroyed will suffer damage. 4. Pilot Station The pilot station is used to fly the Interloper during combat situations. When you leave the pilot station, the Interloper will continue to move on the same course and speed as when you left. To plot a new course or to change the Interloper's speed, you must return to the pilot station. The two sections of the pilot station consist of an overhead 2D view and the information and controls for operating the Interloper. The following is displayed: Controls identical to those in the In-System Travel Screen, which operate in the same manner, as well. The Interloper's fuel gauge. The status of those systems that can be damaged during combat: gun #1, gun #2, computer, manoeuvre drive, and the jump drive. 5. The Gun Stations Each of the two gun stations represents a hard point on the Interloper in which a single weapon system can be installed. At the beginning of the game only one of the Interloper's hard points is occupied with a weapon system. Additional weapon systems can be purchased and installed at any starport with the proper facilities. There are three types of weapon systems available: beam lasers, pulse lasers and missile bays. There are also several types of beam and pulse lasers, as well as a variety of missiles. The bottom of the gun station is divided into an overhead 2D view, with the Interloper's icon in the centre and a viewport (as if looking out into space through a window). Below the viewport are the controls for operating the various weapons systems. At the top of the viewport is the name of the character manning the gun and which gun station is being displayed (GUN #1 or GUN #2). A small square containing an X resides in the upper left corner of the overhead 2D view. If MEGATRAVELLER is being played with a mouse, this X can be clicked on to increase the size of the display to fill the whole screen. The keystroke command of "x" will accomplish the same. This feature may come in handy because you can't see some enemy ships in the small viewscreen that are still in combat range. In combat, you will be able to fire lasers or missiles at a specific target, let lasers recharge or reload missile bays. Lines pointing in the eight compass directions diverge from the Interloper in the 2D view. Two of these lines will be highlighted. The area of space between the two highlighted lines represents the view seen outside the weapons window. You can rotate the view in both displays up to 360 degrees to view any enemy ships, missiles or mines around the Interloper. All targeting and firing of weapon systems is done from the controls under the gun stations viewport. See the INTERSTELLAR EXPLORATION AND STARSHIP COMBAT section of the manual for more information on how the weapon systems actually operate. The lasers will always recharge themselves, but the missiles have to be manually reloaded from the Interloper's auxiliary supply. The remaining missiles will be displayed graphically. The overhead 2D display is replaced with the missile reloads. Once you're finished reloading you can return to the overhead 2D display. 6. Computer Station The computer station is probably the most important station in the game. Many of the ship's operations require the appropriate program be running in the computer. These programs tell the ship how to execute the various operations it is assigned. Different models of computers have the ability to store and run a different number of programs. At the beginning of the game, the Interloper is equipped with a Model 2 Computer, but this can always be replaced with a different model. Each computer model can have a certain number of programs loaded into memory, so many of these programs can run at one time. A computer's STORAGE represents the number of the programs it can store. CPU represents the number of stored programs which can be run at one time. There are 12 programs which can be purchased. A program must be loaded into the computer and running for it to be effective. The programs are: Target (T): Helps beam and pulse laser weapon systems lock on a target. Lasers cannot be fired without this program running in the ship's computer. Launch (L): Helps a missile launcher lock onto targets. If this program is not running in the ship's computer, the missile weapon system cannot be fired. Jump-1 (J1): Must be running in the ship's computer before a jump-1 can be attempted. A better jump program, Jump-2 and higher, can also be used to make lower level jumps. Jump-2 (J2): This program must be running in the ship's computer in order to make a jump-2 Navigation (N): Controls ship through jump space to its chosen destination. This program is required to make any jump attempt. Manoeuvre (M): Enables the ship to manoeuvre. Without it, the ship cannot move left or right. Predict-1 (P1): Elevates a weapon system's accuracy, thus increasing the ability to hit an opponent. Predict-2 (P2): An upgraded and more effective version of the Predict 1 program. Predict-3 (P3): The most advanced version of the Predict 1 program. Insures maximum effectiveness of weapon system fire. Manoeuvre/Evade-1 (ME1): Loads various evasive manoeuvres that help the Interloper dodge enemy fire. Manoeuvre/Evade-2 (ME2): Upgraded version of Manoeuvre/Evade 1. It is more effective but requires two computer spaces instead of one. Auto Evade (AE): Serves the same purpose as the Manoeuvre/Evade 2 program, but needs only a single computer space to run. Displayed on the bottom portion of the screen is the 2D overhead view (left) and the computer information (right). Programs can be loaded and run using the LOAD and RUN icons or equivalent keystrokes. A program must be stopped before another program can be loaded. In addition to those programs loaded in the computer, there is enough storage space for 20 extra programs. When you choose to LOAD a new program, the overhead 2D view will be replaced with the extra programs in storage. When a program currently loaded into the computer is replaced, it goes into the computer program storage. For each individual storage space available in the ship's computer, a graphic block is shown. This block is divided into two squares and a small rectangle, one on top of the other. The graphic representation of the program is placed in the bottom square. When a program is loaded, the square above the picture of the program will fill, line by line, from top to bottom. When the entire top square is filled, the program is ready to be run. The rectangle on top of both squares is filled when the program is running. This way, you will always know which programs are loaded and which are running. Note: Some programs require two of the computer's storage spaces. These operate just like programs which require only one space, except for the additional space required. If your computer takes damage during combat, there is a chance that a running program will be destroyed. Once a program is destroyed, it is removed from the computer. 7. Engineering Station Characters in the Engineering Station can repair certain damaged systems on the Interloper. The systems that can be repaired are: gun #1, gun #2, Manoeuvre drive and the computer. The two sections at the bottom of the screen are the overhead 2D view (left) and the engineer's controls and important information (right). Each of the repairable systems has a bar indicating how much damage it can take. To the left of the bar there is a percentage of operating ability, telling you how much a system has been damaged. A damaged system can be repaired, but not to full operating capacity. Full repairs can only be made at a starport with shipyard facilities. Once a system is destroyed it cannot be repaired, it must be replaced. A character may repair only one system at a time. A character can quit repairing a system and begin repairs on a different one at any time. The ship's jump drives and structural points are displayed separately from the systems that can be repaired. Structural points can ONLY be repaired at a starport with shipyard facilities. When a starship is hit in battle, damage is distributed to several places. The systems mentioned (gun #1, gun #2, Manoeuvre drive) and the structural points. A system becomes inoperable when destroyed. If a character is in the gun or computer stations, they will sustain damage as well. Once the Interloper's structural points are reduced to zero (0), the ship is destroyed and your characters along with it. 8. Communications Station You can get all the useful information about the worlds within a system at the Communications station. You can also receive bits and pieces of information about other ships appearing on the In-System Travel Screen. The information is broken into three categories: System Information. This is a list of all the planets in the system, their characteristics, number of satellites, and the starport class. For example: MENORB SYSTEM SUN SMERA SIZE 2 TYPE M5 ORB CLASS UWP NAME SAT STPT 1 Planet D653523-D Trill 4 D The UWP (Universal World Profile) is used to describe the physical characteristics of a world. Like the Universal Personality Profile (UPP), all numbers are hexadecimal. In a hexadecimal system, the numbers ten through 15 are represented by the letters A through F, respectively. Numbers one through nine are the same as in the decimal system. Refer to the charts below to find out what each of the numbers in the UWP represent. The numbers in the UWP refer to, in order, Starport Size, Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Population, Government, Law Level and Tech Level. (See the charts following.) For a list and description of all the starport options, see the STARPORT section. Planet Information: This information consists of all the data from the following charts that pertain to the selected planet. Ship Information: The accuracy of this information depends on the related skills of a character in the Communications station. The type of information given is: ship's class, owner, maximum acceleration, computer type, structural points and the number of hard points in which weapon systems could be installed. This information is given for all the ships that are currently the overhead view on the In-System Travel Screen. ---------------------------------- WORLD SIZE Code General Description Min Diameter Max Diameter R Asteroid / Planetoid Ring Multiple Bodies Under 1 km S Very Small 200 km 799 km 0 Asteroid / Planetoid Ring Multiple Bodies Under 200 km 1 Small 800 km 2399 km 2 Small (Luna: 3200 km) 2400 km 3999 km 3 Small (Mercury: 4800 km) 4000 km 5599 km 4 Small (Mars: 6400 km) 5600 km 7199 km 5 Medium 7200 km 8799 km 6 Medium 8800 km 10399 km 7 Medium 10400 km 11999 km 8 Large (Terra: 12800 km) 12000 km 13599 km 9 Large 13600 km 15199 km A Large 15200 km 16799 km SGG: Small Gas Giant LGG: Large Gas Giant R: A Ring orbits a world. S: A small body orbits a world or a star. 0: A planetoid or asteroid orbits a star. WORLD ATMOSPHERE Code General Description 0 vacuum 1 vacuum (trace atmosphere) 2 vacuum (very thin tainted atmosphere) 3 vacuum (very thin atmosphere) 4 thin (tainted atmosphere) 5 thin 6 standard 7 standard (tainted atmosphere) 8 dense 9 dense (tainted atmosphere) A exotic B exotic (corrosive atmosphere) C exotic (insidious atmosphere) D exotic E exotic F exotic WORLD HYDROGRAPHICS Code General Description Minimum % Maximum % 0 desert world 0 % 4 % 1 dry world 5 % 14 % 2 dry world 15 % 24 % 3 wet world 25 % 34 % 4 wet world 35 % 44 % 5 wet world 45 % 54 % 6 wet world 55 % 64 % 7 wet world 65 % 74 % 8 wet world 75 % 84 % 9 wet world 85 % 94 % A water world 95 % 100 % WORLD POPULATION Code General Description Population 0 low less than ten 1 low tens 2 low hundreds 3 low thousands 4 mod ten thousands 5 mod hundred thousands 6 mod millions 7 mod ten millions 8 mod hundred millions 9 high billions A high ten billions WORLD GOVERNMENTS Code General Description 0 NO GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE: In many cases, but not all, family bonds predominate 1 COMPANY/CORPORATION: Government by a company or corporation managerial elite; citizens are company employees. 2 PARTICIPATING DEMOCRACY: Government by advice and consent of citizen. 3 SELF-PERPETUATING OLIGARCHY: Government by a restricted minority, with little or no input from the masses. 4 REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: Government by elected representatives. 5 FEUDAL TECHNOCRACY: Government by specific individuals for those who agreed to be ruled. Relationships are based on the performance of technical activities which are mutually beneficial. 6 CAPTIVE GOVERNMENT/COLONY: Government by a leadership answerable to an outside group; a colony or conquered area. 7 BALKANIZATION: No central ruling authority exists; rival governments compete for control. 8 CIVIL SERVICE BUREAUCRACY: Government by agencies employing individuals selected for their expertise. 9 IMPERSONAL BUREAUCRACY: Government by agencies which are insulated from the governed. A CHARISMATIC DICTATOR: Government by a single leader enjoying the confidence of the citizens. B NON-CHARISMATIC LEADER: A previous charismatic dictator has been replaced by a leader through normal channels. C CHARISMATIC OLIGARCHY: Government by a select group, organization, or class enjoying overwhelming confidence of the citizens. D RELIGIOUS DICTATORSHIP: Government by a religious minority which has little regard for the needs of the citizens. E RELIGIOUS AUTOCRACY: Government by a single religious leader having absolute power over the citizens. F TOTALITARIAN OLIGARCHY: Government by an all-powerful minority which maintains absolute control through widespread coercion and oppression. WORLD LAW LEVELS Code General Description 0 NO LAW (no prohibitions) 1 LOW LAW (body pistols and explosives restricted) 2 LOW LAW (man portable energy and laser weapons restricted) 3 LOW LAW (machineguns and automatic weapons restricted) 4 MODERATE LAW (light assault weapons restricted) 5 MODERATE LAW (personal concealable weapons restricted) 6 MODERATE LAW (all firearms except shotguns restricted) 7 MODERATE LAW (shotguns restricted) 8 HIGH LAW (blade weapons controlled, no open display) 9 HIGH LAW (weapon possession outside home restricted) A EXTREME LAW (weapon possession restricted) B EXTREME LAW (rigid control of civilian movement) C EXTREME LAW (unrestricted invasion of privacy) D EXTREME LAW (paramilitary law enforcement) TECHNOLOGY LEVELS Code General Description 0 pre-industrial (primitive) 1 pre-industrial (bronze or iron age) 2 pre-industrial (printing press) 3 pre-industrial (basic science) 4 industrial (internal combustion) 5 industrial (mass production) 6 pre-stellar (nuclear power) 7 pre-stellar (miniature electronics) 8 pre-stellar (super conductors) 9 early stellar (fusion power) A early stellar (jump drive) B average stellar (large starships) C average stellar (sophisticated robots) D average stellar (holographic data storage) E high stellar (anti-grav cities) F high stellar (anagathics) G high stellar (global terraforming) H extreme stellar STARPORTS Code General Description A All options available B All options available C All options available D All options available F Only DISK, BANK, PERSONNEL and CARGO available G Only DISK, BANK and CARGO available H Only DISK available X No starport facilities other than landing pads -------------------------------- 9. Medical and Sick Bay Station The medical and sick bay stations share the same station screen. The two sections at the bottom of the screen consist of the Overhead 2D view (left) and the following: The name of the character in the medic station. On the left side of the name of each character is the character's service symbol. The name of the characters in the sick bay station and two hits values. One is the current state of the characters hits value, the other is the character's maximum hits value. Icons (for players using a mouse) that allow you to heal a damaged character or return a character to duty. A character in sick bay cannot be healed unless there is also a character in the medical station. Healing characters in the sick bay can be done while the ship is on the ground or in space. A character in the medical station may treat only one character at a time. A character can cease treating one character and begin healing a different one at any time. 10. Starships While travelling through each system, the Interloper will encounter a great amount of stellar traffic. The Spinward Marches is a rapidly growing frontier territory and trade routes are steadily travelled by Independent and Megacorporation traders. As can be expected, there is also a thriving pirate population that roams the space outside the trade routes, waiting to prey on the wealthy Megacorporation trade ships. The ship Lenara gives your characters at the beginning of the game is a registered far trader of the Sharurshid Megacorporation. But because it was being used by Lenara for a special undercover assignment, it has a few features other ships of the same class don't have. There are seven classes of starships that can be encountered in this MEGATRAVELLER adventure: Small Interplanetary Craft: These craft aren't fitted with jump-capable drives. They are primarily used, by those who can afford them, to travel between worlds within a system. Small-time operators use this smaller craft to transport small loads of cargo. Trader/Armed Merchant: These vessels are fairly common and are often used by Megacorporations and independent traders. Their primary purpose is to deliver cargo in and between systems. To defend against suspected pirate raids, all trading ships are built with one or several hard points for the installation of weapon systems. Armed Escort: A lightly armed vessel used by the Imperial government and Megacorporations to protect the bigger and slower traders. This ship is also capable of carrying a small load of cargo, but not enough to make it an effective trader. Destroyer: A medium class ship designed for seek and destroy combat techniques. Moderately armed and manoeuvrable, these ships pose a threat to many unsuspecting pirate fleets. Also capable of carrying a small amount of cargo, these ships are sometimes captured and used by pirate groups. Corsair: A formidable heavy fighting vessel, the battleship of the future. The Corsair is a heavily fortified and armoured vessel used in most battlefleets. The ship has sufficient cargo space to carry military food, arms, and other miscellaneous supplies. Scout: Commonly used for exploration of uncharted regions of space, the scout class vessel is lightly armed and very manoeuvrable. X-Boat: These ships are used exclusively by the Imperial fleet for communication purposes. These ships are responsible for the transport of mail and information between systems within the Imperium. Ships encountered will have one of four types of owners. Different owners will only control certain ships. The Imperium's armed battlefleet (scout, destroyer, corsair, X-boat) A pirating organisation (destroyer, scout, escort, trader, small interplanetary craft) A megacorporation (traders, escorts) An independent owner (traders, small interplanetary craft) There are ten different Megacorporations. These are: 1. Oberlindes 6. Tukera 2. Ling Standard 7. Susag, LIC 3. Imperiallines 8. Delgado 4. Sharurshid 9. Zeneca 5. Naasirka 10 Gsbag If you wish to earn the credits you need to purchase your jump-2 drive, you may want to risk being a pirate. It is a profitable but dangerous way to make a living. 11. Starship Statistics The following statistical information on the various starships you may encounter includes the ship's weapon systems, along with the type of lasers and number of missiles, structural points, weapon hard points damage capacity, amount of cargo space, and the acceleration rate (G level). Small Interplanetary Craft cargo: x2 G level: 4 weapons: #1 TL 8 pulse laser pwr: 25 ship's structural points: 300 weapon structural points: 60 Trader/Armed Merchant cargo: x20 G level: 1 weapons: #1 TL 13 beam laser pwr: 25 #2 TL 13 beam laser pwr: 25 structural points: 1500 weapon struct. points: #1 300 #2 300 Armed Escort cargo: x5 G level: 2 weapons: #1 TL 8 beam laser pwr: 25 #2 missile bay w/8 missiles structural points: 1750 weapon struct. points: #1 350 #2 350 Destroyer cargo: x8 G level: 2 weapons: #1 TL 13 beam laser pwr: 25 #2 TL 13 pulse laser pwr: 25 #3 missile bay w/16 missiles structural points: 2000 weapon struct. points: #1 400 #2 400 #3 400 Corsair cargo: x12 G level: 2 weapons: #1 TL 13 beam laser pwr: 50 #2 TL 13 pulse laser pwr: 25 #3 missile bay w/12 missiles #4 missile bay w/12 missiles structural points: 2500 weapon struct. points: #1 500 #2 500 #3 500 #4 500 Scout cargo: x8 G level: 3 weapons: #1 TL 13 pulse laser pwr: 50 #2 missile bay w/16 missiles structural points: 1500 weapon struct. points: #1 300 #2 300 Imperial X-Boat cargo: none G level: 4 weapons: Tl 13 pulse laser structural points: 1500 weapon struct. points: 300 12. Piracy The more you pirate a Megacorporation's ships, the more protective vessels it will assign to subsequent trading expeditions. In fact, if you pirate a Megacorporation often enough you will encounter Imperial ships aiding the Megacorporation's trade ships. The Imperium dislikes using its own ships as an escort service, but sometimes it must. The Megacorporation within the Imperium are very powerful. It will take excessive piracy to get the Imperium to escort Megacorporation ships, mainly because the Imperial fleet is so spread out (due to the rumour of an upcoming frontier war and the current rate of piracy). But beware: the Imperial fleet is not a force to be reckoned with by a solitary pirate vessel. Those who live by the sword die by the sword. Remember also that the Interloper will often be the target of other pirating ships. It would be a serious loss if you just left a planet with a hold full of valuable cargo, only to have it taken by pirates. In order to pirate a vessel, the targeted ship must first have its weapon systems inoperable. This will require inflicting a lot of damage and some good guesswork. After the weapon systems are knocked out you must attempt to match course and speed of the vessel. If this is accomplished, the station portion of the screen (no matter which station you're currently in) will be replaced with the graphic display of the pirated ship's cargo hold. The area used for the 2D overhead view (bottom left) will be replaced by the graphic representation of the Interloper's cargo hold. You can then take the cargo from the other ship - as long as you have available space in the cargo hold of the Interloper. Note: Most ships have a self-destruct mechanism, often set when pirates board ships. This will limit the amount of time you have to take the other ship's cargo. Should your characters still be on-board a ship when it self destructs, both your characters and the Interloper will be destroyed. One of the major risks of pirating another ship is that, in the process, you're vulnerable to other attacking ships. Therefore it's a good idea to make sure that the area is secured of all other enemy vessels before attempting to pirate a crippled vessel. 13. Ship Movement The Interloper can be piloted from two screens: the In-System Travel Screen and the pilot station. Controls for piloting the ship are the same on both screens. The pilot you have flying the Interloper will play a big part in how well the ship travels and manoeuvres. This will be important in combat situations. It is, of course, possible for an unskilled character to pilot the ship, but he will not do so very well. 14. Cargo There are thirty different types of cargo that can be purchased throughout the eight systems in the game. The availability and price of each depends a lot on the world on which it is bought or sold. The types or cargo are: FOODSTUFFS 1. Streechen Wine 2. Foodstuff 3. Grain 4. Water 5. Spices INDUSTRIAL 6. Steel 7. Nonmetal Ores 8. Iron 9. Special Alloys 10. Radioactives 11. Pharmaceuticals 12. Ship Supplies 13. Tools 14. Petrochemicals 15. Explosives AGRICULTURAL 16. Animal Compounds 17. Livestock 18. Fertilizers 19. Plant Compounds 20. Lumber HIGH TECH 21. Electronic Parts 22. Medical Equipment 23. High Tech Parts 24. Computers 25. Robots MISCELLANEOUS 26. Starrghrite 27. Clothing 28. Raw Crystals 29. Textiles 30. Entertainment Equipment All of the buying and selling of cargo is done at starports with a cargo menu selection. The cargo hold of the Interloper has enough spaces to hold 20 units of cargo. 15. Starports There are a maximum of five menu selections available at a starport. The menu selections depend on the class of the starport, which can be found in the Communications Station section of the manual in the Starport chart. The five menu selections are: 1. DISK 2. BANK 3. PERSONNEL 4. CARGO 5. SHIPYARD Each of these menu items offers sub-sections. DISK: SAVE / GAME OPTIONS Selecting DISK will allow you to (1) save the game and (2) change the game options. (1) It should be noted that even though a saved position can be restored any time during game play, starports are the only place at which the game can be saved. It's a good policy to save the game every time you land on and leave a world. See the technical supplement for more information. (2) The various game options (sound, restore game, etc) are covered in the technical supplement. BANK: PARTY ACCOUNT / RETIREMENT PAY Selecting BANK will allow you to either (1) deposit and withdraw credits from the Party account or (2) receive any retirement pay a character may be eligible for. (1) The party account is an alternative to pooling all the party's credits to one character when you wish to buy something. It's a good idea to keep most of the party's credits in the PARTY ACCOUNT because the account can be used to pay for most all purchases made in the game. The only time you'll really need hands-on cash is when you bribe an NPC. (2) Retirement pay is issued on a monthly basis to eligible characters. You are informed of retirement pay when you generate a character who retires. PERSONNEL: RECRUIT / TRAIN Selecting PERSONNEL will allow you to (1) recruit a new character into your party or (2) train a character in skills that he has used often and successfully. (1) When you have lost a character(s), you can add a new one to your party at starports with personnel facilities. The characters that are made available for recruitment consist of the extra characters on your character disk. Note: To finish the game, you must have at least one character from the original character party. (2) There is a fee for training a character in a skill. A character must repeatedly use a skill successfully in order to train for an extra level in that skill. CARGO: BUY / SELL Selecting CARGO will allow you to (1) purchase any type of cargo that's available and (2) sell any cargo in the Interloper's hold. See the Cargo section for more information. SHIPYARD: REFUEL / REPAIR / BUY WEAPONS / SELL WEAPONS / BUY SUPPLIES Selecting SHIPYARD will allow you to: (1) Refuel the Interloper; you can purchase refined and unrefined fuel at any starport. Unrefined fuel is cheaper, but the chances of a misjump increase. If the Interloper is fitted with a fuel purification plant, then unrefined fuel is transformed into refined fuel when purchased. With a fuel purification plant, you will only be given the option for purchasing unrefined fuel because there is no need to purchase refined. (2) The REPAIR option allows you to repair structural damage and system damages that cannot be repaired by a character in engineering. See Engineering Station for more information. (3) The BUY WEAPONS option allows you to purchase weapon systems for hard points on the Interloper. If you wish to purchase a new weapon system, you must have an empty hard point on the Interloper. (4) SELL WEAPONS lets you sell any of the weapon systems you may have on the Interloper. (5)BUY SUPPLIES allows you to purchase all the other necessary equipment vital to the upkeep, operation, and improvement of the Interloper. At each starport there is a bulletin board. Pay close attention to it, because there is often a message to all Travellers visiting the world. MISCELLANEOUS STARSHIP EQUIPMENT Computer Programs MODEL STORAGE CPU COST (Imperial Credits) 1 4 2 20,000 1/bis 4 4 40,000 2 6 3 100,000 2/bis 6 6 180,000 3 9 5 200,000 Storage = The number of programs that can be loaded into the computer at one time. CPU = The number of loaded programs the computer can run at any one time. Pulse Lasers TL PWR Cost Damage 8 25 22,500 75 8 50 45,000 125 13 25 67,500 175 13 50 90,000 225 Beam Lasers TL PWR Cost Damage 8 25 25k 100 8 50 50k 150 13 25 75k 200 13 50 100k 300 Missiles Type Cost (Each) Damage mine 1,000 125/100/75 scatter mine 1,250 90/70/60 constant unguided 4,000 300/200/125 multiple const. unguided 3,500 130/110/90 constant guided 5,500 300/200/125 constant homing 7,500 350/250/175 Mines: These are ejected from the rear of the starship and remain stationary. If used correctly, set in strategic patterns, mines can be an offensive or defensive weapon. Scatter Mine: Shortly after being ejected from the Interloper, this mine disperses into three smaller mines. These three mines cover more area but are less potent. Constant Unguided Missiles: These travel in a straight trajectory. Most of the time these missiles have to be fired directly in the path of the intended target. Multiple Constant Unguided Missiles: The same as the constant unguided missile, except that when launched, this missile separates into three smaller warheads. This increases the chance of hitting the target, but the individual warheads do not inflict as much damage. Constant Guided Missiles: These missiles travel in a straight trajectory but accelerate and decelerate to match the speed of the intended target. Constant Homing Missiles: These missiles are the most effective and the most expensive. When fired at an intended target, these missiles home in on the target and will not stop until they hit a target or are destroyed by laser fire. 15. Systems There are eight star systems in the game. In the included IFF files, you will find maps of each system and the planets within it. Along with each system layout is the system's flag. 16. Space Combat Similar to ground combat, you must first go into combat mode to fight enemy ships. Combat mode is initiated whenever another ship moves into the circle surrounding the Interloper on the In-System Travel Screen. When in combat mode you are placed into the station screens. All the Interloper's operations are handled from the station screens. See each individual station section for more information. From the pilot station you fly and Manoeuvre the Interloper. From the two gun stations you fire installed weapon systems at enemy ships or incoming missiles. From the computer station you load and run necessary programs which allow you to do things such as firing lasers, missiles, manoeuvring, etc. From the engineering station you can partially repair certain ship systems that have been damaged. From the communications station you can get information about the vessels you're fighting. From the medical and sick bay stations you can heal injured characters. The 2D overhead view at the lower left side of all station screens lets you visually locate other enemy ships and keep track of their movements. All missiles and mines are displayed, as well. The area you see in this view is a small section of the combat area. The view can be enlarged to an entire screen to offer a wider range of view. When the view is enlarged, the circle around your ship represents the overhead 2D view. When enemy ships move off the full screen, they are out of combat range. Your ship, Interloper, is always centred in the screen. Lines pointing in all eight compass directions extend from the ship. These lines represent weapon facing from the weapon stations. To fire at the enemy ships you must go to one of the weapon stations. The whole bottom right portion of the screen consists of a viewport and controls for targeting and firing the weapons. Weapon systems can be fired up to 360 degrees. Two of the lines extending from the Interloper on the overhead 2D view will be highlighted at the gun stations. The area between these two lines represents the view from the weapon's viewport. All ships and missiles on the overhead 2D will likewise appear in the weapons viewport. All of the weapon systems will have a targeting and firing icon, as well as a left and right arrow icon to move the weapons viewport to the left and the right. As you move the weapon viewport to the left and the right, the two highlighted lines on the 2D overhead view will move to show the area of space displayed in the weapon's viewport. Beam lasers fire one concentrated shot. Afterward, it will begin to recharge to full capacity. You need not wait for it to recharge all the way. It can be fired at any time, but the damage it inflicts is based upon the amount of charge it has. Pulse lasers are fired in four small bursts. Once fired, they will also begin recharging. All fully-charged bursts must be used first. If the only remaining burst is partially-charged, then it can be used. The damage caused depends on the charge in the laser. Pulse lasers are effective defensive weapons against incoming missiles. Missiles have to be loaded into the missile bays before they can be launched. Each missile launcher has four missile bays. Once the missile bays are emptied, they must be reloaded with missiles in storage. --------------------------------- COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND WHAT THEY DO Program Size Cost Effects Target (T) 1 4k required to fire beam or pulse lasers Launch (L) 1 5k required to launch missiles from their bays Jump 1 (J1) 1 4k required to make a jump-1 Jump 2 (J2) 2 10k required to make a jump-2 Navigation (N) 1 5k required to make any jumpspace attempt Manoeuvre (M) 1 5k required to Manoeuvre ship Predict 1 (P1) 1 1k increases chances to hit opponent Predict 2 (P2) 2 5k upgraded and more effective version of P1 Predict 3 (P3) 2 15k upgraded and more effective version of P2 Manoeuvre/Evade 1 (ME1) 1 3k decreases the chance of your ship getting hit Manoeuvre/Evade 2 (ME2) 2 1k upgrade of ME1, further decreases hits auto evade (AE) 1 2k same effect as ME2, takes less space Size = the number of storage spaces the program takes up in the ship computer ---------------------------------- PLANETARY SURFACE EXPLORATION AND COMBAT 1. Introduction Throughout your adventure in the MEGATRAVELLER universe, you will visit a variety of worlds. Some of the planets will contain abundant green vegetation and high population, while other worlds will have harsh environments such as scorching dry deserts, non-atmospheric vacuums, or glacial, ice-covered terrain. You will also encounter many unique individuals along your journey. Some of the people you meet are barbaric and uncivilized, whereas others are members of sophisticated, high-tech societies. You will also come upon alien beings in your journeys. As you control your group of travellers you will meet new friends willing to help you on your way. Some will help you acquire more Imperial credits. Some will provide you with important information. At times, an individual may ask you to perform a task, for which he promises a reward. However, not everyone in the MEGATRAVELLER universe is friendly. There are many merciless and untrustworthy characters throughout known space. These felonious individuals include interstellar pirates, bounty hunters, professional assassins, and greedy criminals. These villains do as they please and live their lives in total disregard of the law. There is no room to negotiate with the dregs of the universe. It is best to deal with them on their own terms. Stand strong, fight hard and utilize your character's skills and training in combat. If a bounty is placed on your party, you will surely encounter some of the most dangerous and heartless offenders ever known. Get ready to fight! While exploring planetary surfaces, all actions take place on two game screens; the overhead view screen and the character screens. 2. The Overhead View Screen All of the ground exploration and combat action takes place on the overhead view screen. From this screen, you will be able to access any of the five character screens. Character Information The top portion of the screen displays important information about each of the characters in your party. Each character is represented by a square block which is divided into different sections. The following information is represented in the character block: A) The character's former military service symbol is displayed, along with his rank. B) A graphic representation of the helmet or headgear the character is wearing. If no headgear is being worn, a simple outline of the character's head is displayed. C) A graphic representation of the armour or protective suit the character is wearing. If no bodily protection is being worn, an outline of the character's upper body is displayed. D) The first of the two bars next to the character block represents the character's oxygen supply. As oxygen is used, the bar will become smaller. E) The second bar corresponds to the character's life force (hits value). When physical damage is suffered, the bar will become smaller. If the character is healed, the bar will grow accordingly. The life force bar is intersected by a white line. When the bar is reduced below the white line, the character becomes unconscious. If the bar disappears completely, the character dies. Next to the character information blocks is an icon that allows you to reorder your party of characters. Marching Order The Marching Order icon, next to the aforementioned icon, represents which character is in the lead position, and the order in which the other four characters fall behind. It is important to keep track of which character is leading. In most situations, the leader's skills and attributes are taken into account in determining the success or failure of tasks. However, during combat, each character is represented by its own icon on the overhead map. Therefore, when talking to non-player characters