Dear MegaTraveller Computer Gamer, I have been adventuring in the Traveller universe for nearly fifteen years. In that time, I have tried to share my creation - a never-ending universe filled with adventure, mystery, danger and intrigue - with as many people as I possibly could. Along the way, three or four specific story lines became an integral part of the Traveller universe. When Paragon Software approached me to develop the scenario for this adventure, I jumped at the chance to bring to life on the computer one of the most famous, recurring adventure stories ever created for the Traveller role-playing game - the search for the long-dead Ancients and their secrets of the universe. Along the way, Paragon's designers, programmers and artists were eager to put everything I asked for into the game. I asked for upgrades and enhancements, and they gave me just what I requested. I suggested changes in the game interface to make a more user-friendly environment, and they did it; I wanted over a hundred worlds to explore, and they produced them; I asked for upgrades and enhancements in character generation, and they gave me just what I asked for; I wanted improved graphics and interesting NPC's, and they did the job. Finally, I plotted out an adventure that hundreds of face-to-face Traveller role-players were already familiar with, had played and enjoyed, and Paragon implemented it to perfection... Here is the short description I initially proposed to Paragon for this adventure: 300,000 years ago, the Ancients ruled the galaxy, and then destroyed themselves in a cataclysmic war, leaving only ruins of their wondrous brilliance. Even today, the artifacts of the Ancients are puzzling, dazzling objects that do incredible things in ways no one understands. Now one of these Ancient site artifacts has run amuck and is destroying an entire world. Millions will die if it isn't stopped. The Ancient sites scattered throughout the sectors hold clues, and even artifacts that may thwart the catastrophe. But ultimately, you'll need to discover the secret of the Ancients to rectify the disaster. My initial proposal hasn't changed at all. I invite you to enjoy this adventure. This is only the beginning! We have many more adventures on the drawing board. As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome. Yours In Science-Fiction Role-Playing, Marc Miller Marc Miller is the original designer of TRAVELLER. Since 1968, he has designed more than 20 historical and science- fiction board games, two role-playing games, and written more than 34 role-playing supplements, modules and adventures. TRAVELLER remains his most popular game and continues to receive the majority of his attention. Marc's games have won every major hobby and industry award. He was elected to the Adventure Gaming Hall of Fame in 1982 for his contribution to gaming and role-playing. July 4, 1991 Dear MegaTraveller Adventurer, After a long and arduous journey, MEGATRAVELLER 2 has finally reached your computer. For those players who journeyed through the Traveller universe in MEGATRAVELLER 1: THE ZHODANI CONSPIRACY, I sincerely hope that you enjoy the new role-playing engine we've designed over the past year. Our objective was to create an interface that was simple to use, yet packed with options and features. We also wanted to triple the amount of game play. MEGATRAVELLER 1 let you explore 28 worlds. In MEGATRAVELLER 2, you can journey to 117 detailed worlds with up to nine cities on a planet. After you've completed the main scenario, there will still be a universe full of exciting mysteries to unravel and plots to solve. Inevitably, there was bound to be planets that didn't have much action on them. Yet, even on these barren worlds you can stop to refuel or repair your ship, buy supplies or do a little gambling. However, most of the worlds are full of strange and exotic characters that you can meet and converse with. We've even given you an opportunity to become a villain by joining the conspirators behind the Ancient crisis. During a number of the plots, you can select which side you want to join. Hero or villain - it's up to you. There are over 1,100 characters in the game, each with their own messages and responses (over 250 pages of text). To shed light on the size of the game, MEGATRAVELLER 1 had 420 characters and another of our role-playing adventures, SPACE 1889, had 750 characters. MEGATRAVELLER 2 is larger than both of those games combined. After the release of MEGATRAVELLER 1, we listened to all of the comments, criticisms and suggestions that our customers made. We've completely redesigned the interface, making it user-friendly and completely icon drive. We've enhanced the character generation process, allowing you to create advanced characters and even alien Vargr adventurers. We've designed a zoom in/zoom out feature that lets you play the game from three perspectives. During game play, you will not bump into characters and buildings by accident. With the zoom out feature, you can see a wide area around you. We've also color-coded buildings where NPC's are located and even coded the NPC's themselves so you don't have to waste any time aimlessly wandering in vain. As long as you take notes and pay attention to what characters instruct you to do, you should have an easy time finding your way around. The cities have a standardized layout. Even though the tech levels of the worlds vary, you can always find the hospital, tavern, university etc. in the same area, regardless of the city. We've created a new combat system that has been stripped of all arcade elements. How well your characters fight depends on their skills and the weapons they are using. The space navigation and combat sequences are entirely new. The PAL system lets your characters volunteer for tasks that they are skilled at performing. You aren't forced to constantly switch characters to the lead position when their skills are needed. All in all, we've attempted to offer you an adventure that is challenging and entertaining, with a replay value that will keep you busy for a long time. I truly hope you find MegaTraveller 2 to be rewarding and entertaining. Sincerely, F.J. Lennon INTRODUCTION TO THE MAIN SCENARIO In MEGATRAVELLER 2: QUEST FOR THE ANCIENTS, you create five characters, male or female, with a variety of attributes and skills. After your characters are generated, you are asked to choose a leader of your group. The introductory sequence of the game is centered around your lead character. The introductory sequence is actually viewed from a video tape monitor. You were recording highlights of your vacation on the planet Rhylanor, filming the ruins of the famous Ancient site that has been a local tourist attraction for centuries. As you recorded the tour, Mervin, the tour guide, explained that the purpose of the Ancient Site has always perplexed experts; no one is sure what the Ancients had in mind when they constructed the mountainous structure. As the tour continued, the Ancient site mysteriously sprang to life, the ground shook furiously, machines began activating and a bizarre slime began pouring from a complex series of pipes that snaked out across the entire inner structure. Pandemonium broke loose, and your tour group fled to safer ground. Your camera caught the shadowy figures of two mysterious figures fleeing hurriedly from the structure. You didn't recognize them from your tour group. Could they have something to do with this mysterious occurrence? After the video concludes, a news flash, detailing the crisis, appears on the screen. Reports indicate that the slime pouring from the Ancient site is highly toxic and is killing everything in its path. The Duke of Rhylanor and the Imperial Government have offered a half-a-billion credit reward for anyone who can stop the flow of the poisonous slime and save the planet Rhylanor from ultimate destruction. You call your friends to your hotel suite to show them your film. The finale of the introduction shows your characters gathered around the monitor. You issue the challenge to your party: to save the planet Rhylanor and share the most substantial reward ever offered by the Imperium. Your adventure begins outside of the hotel in the Rhylanor Startown. So begins an amazing journey that will carry you through the universe to distant worlds in search of the secrets of the Ancients. It's up to you and your friends to stop the Ancient site and save the planet Rhylanor before it is submerged in deadly slime. THE LEGEND OF THE ANCIENTS... About 500,000 years ago, the Droyne, an exotic alien race of omnivore/gatherers, emerged as the most dominant and intelligent species on the planet Eskayloyt (meaning "Lost World"). The Droyne evolved into an intelligent, gentle and peaceful race. The social structure placed individuals in professions best suited to their talents and needs; cooperation and trust were the cornerstones of Droyne society. Each Droyne filled an integral position in the social hierarchy, and the race, as a whole, prospered. For ages, historians and storytellers have written about a legendary Droyne who - due to a mutation - was born with an astounding level of intelligence. While still in his youth, the brilliant Droyne mastered all the scientific and philosophic wonders of his race. He began searching for his purpose in life; he undertook scientific experiments, designed arduous projects and searched for a meaningful occupation that would provide a sense of fulfillment. Although the brilliant Droyne didn't pinpoint one specific area that he wanted to focus exclusively on, he realized that the continuous search itself was his actual reward. He would devote his life to the pursuit of knowledge; he would experiment, philosophize, study and explore the limits of consciousness. When he decided that he needed manpower to advance his experiments he took over his world and put his race to work on avant-garde projects. Legend states that when the inevitable tug of mortality began to wear him down, he discovered a method of attaining eternal life. When the mysteries of the star-lit heavens perplexed him, he constructed a powerful starship - equipped with an advanced jump drive - and set out to explore the mysteries of the universe. When his vast knowledge transcended the abilities of the Droyne race, he decided to father offspring who could assist him with his mind-boggling projects. He fathered twenty children, and each of those children fathered twenty children of their own. He took the name Grandfather, and became the leader of the race that would become known as the Ancients. For hundreds of years, Grandfather worked on a variety of projects, assigning portions of each to his children and grandchildren. The Ancients dispersed throughout the universe in search of innovations and secrets, and, often times, astounding new technology was created. Grandfather and his offspring kindled supernovae, explored and mapped new worlds, experimented with the genes of animals to create new species of beings, constructed magnificent sites and developed intriguing, and sometimes incomprehensible, tools objects and artifacts. Each of Grandfather's children and grandchildren were named project leaders and assigned specific tasks by Grandfather; forces of Droynes were used for the necessary physical labor. Ancient sites, constructed as bases to support specific projects, were scattered throughout the universe. Grandfather discovered the Earth and, for a time, toyed with the notion of replacing his Droyne laborers with humans. His human project was not entirely successful; however, human laborers were utilized in a few Ancient locations. Grandfather also experimented with canines, genetically altering them with increased intelligence levels, opposable thumbs and upright postures. Later, he constructed highly advanced robots that proved to be extremely helpful, despite the fact that they were not as intelligent or resourceful as his offspring. Grandfather finally reached a point where he grew tired, so he decided to enjoy a well-deserved rest. He spent an extended period travelling throughout Droyne territories, contemplating his accomplishments, planning for the future and relaxing. After his recess, a rejuvenated Grandfather decided to tackle his most ambitious project ever: the exploration of unknown frontiers of existence. He summoned his offspring and commanded them to help him with his plans, but many of them were too preoccupied with personal projects to obey Grandfather's orders. In the aftermath of Grandfather's time away, many of his offspring developed a strong sense independence. Grandfather began his work independently, and soon discovered that many of his children's experiments were cumbersome to his immediate plans. He questioned his decision to father offspring and, after determining that his decision was a mistake, grew determined to rectify the error; he devised an elaborate campaign to eliminate his children and grandchildren. Naturally, when Grandfather's offspring discovered his plot, they resisted forcefully. The Ancients' abandoned their intellectual quests and focused their brilliance on weapons of mass destruction. The war between Grandfather and his offspring escalated into the most cataclysmic struggle in history. In the wake of the ruinous, high-tech war of the Ancients, entire worlds were obliterated, and vast races - innocent bystanders to the conflict - were wiped out with advanced weapons that were so powerful that they still can't be fully comprehended. After two thousand years of mass destruction, Grandfather defeated his opposing factions and destroyed all of his descendents (he kept extremely careful count). The galaxy was somewhat worse for wear, with many new asteroid belts and numerous ravaged worlds. Legend states that Grandfather disappeared shortly after the war drew to its bloody conclusion. The mystery of his disappearance has never been solved. Some say that Grandfather was killed by a secret survivor of his lineage; others believe that he committed suicide after the stark realization of his destructive actions became apparent to him. There are even those who say that Grandfather never actually existed; that he was only a mythical figure of fable. After 300,000 years, the legend of the Ancients persists. Even today, the ruins of the Ancients continue to baffle experts. Mysterious and dazzling artifacts are still unearthed at various Ancient sites that are spread throughout regions of the Spinward Marches. Though the origin of the Ancients remains a mystery, it is a fact that the brilliant race, that once ruled the galaxy, destroyed itself in an apocalyptic war. The proof is found in the ruins of the Ancient sites, such as the one on the planet Rhylanor. It is here that your adventure begins. The Ancients have remained silent for 300,000 years....until now. Now, it's up to you to discover the secrets of the Ancients. MEGATRAVELLER 2: QUEST FOR THE ANCIENTS 300,000 years ago, the Ancients ruled the galaxy, and then destroyed themselves in a suicidal war, leaving only ruined cities and devastated planets. Even today, the ruins of the ancients are puzzling; mysterious and dazzling artifacts are still unearthed at various ancient sites throughout the Spinward Marches. Now one of the ancient sites has mysteriously sprung to life, running amuck and threatening to destroy an entire world. Millions will perish if the ancient site isn't stopped. Ancient sites spread across a dozen worlds hold clues, and even ancient artifacts that may neutralize the destructive site. But ultimately, you'll need to discover the secrets of the Ancients - the fabled race that has been reportedly dead for 300,000 years! Only you can discover the secrets as you play TRAVELLER like you've never played it before in MEGATRAVELLER 2: QUEST FOR THE ANCIENTS. * OVER 100 NAMED, DETAILED WORLDS. Each completely mapped and explorable. At least a half of a million square miles per planet with starports, cities, terrain, animals and exciting people! * 10 DISTINCT STARSHIP TYPES. Scouts, Free Traders, Cruisers, Liners and more. There's even a working Ancient ship (if you can find it!). * ENHANCED CHARACTER GENERATION. Generate both human and Vargr (genetically altered canines) characters for your adventure, and select from a variety of careers including mercenaries, scouts and naval officers. Carefully generate your characters or have the computer do it for you in a flash! * EXCITING LOCATIONS TO VISIT. Populated, working cities, library data terminals, gambling casinos, hypermarkets, taverns, universities, trade and commerce outlets, hospitals, shipyards, vehicle rental locations, Ancient sites, police stations, and more! * INTUITIVE COMBAT SYSTEM ON THE GROUND AND IN SPACE. Your characters will act and react intelligently in a crisis situation based on their individual skills. Combat sequences are NON-ARCADE. * TECHNICAL ENHANCEMENTS including 256 color VGA and MCGA graphics and music and sound effects that support Ad Lib, Sound Blaster, Covox and Roland. * SCENARIO AND GAME DESIGN BY MARC MILLER, adventure gaming Hall of Famer and the original creator of the Traveller universe itself! PRODUCT FEATURES GENERAL: * The main scenario and the game concept were developed by Marc Miller, award winning game designer and the original creator of the Traveller universe. * Characters in your party act intelligently (and often times they will act automatically) based on the skills and characteristics that they possess. Your characters speak up and volunteer their expertise when they recognize a situation where they will be useful. However, you, the leader, always have control. You can override your character's suggestions and instruct them to act in a different manner. * MEGATRAVELLER 2 uses the PAL system is utilized in the game; you are the leader of the party, and the other characters act as your friends (or pals). * MEGATRAVELLER 2 features a much more graphic-intensive presentation than MEGATRAVELLER 1. For instance, In MEGATRAVELLER 1, when you wanted to purchase an weapon from a shop, you had to scroll through a list where the weapon names were listed. In MEGATRAVELLER 2, you are actually be inside the shop, and you will select your items, which are be graphically represented. * An enhanced trade and commerce system will be implemented in MT2. The new economic system will benefit from the substantial increase in worlds. * MT2 will operate from an icon driven interface that will be easy to understand and operate. * Ground scenes are viewed from an overhead perspective that conveys the size of a large, modern city. The perspective is very different from MEGATRAVELLER 1. You get the feeling that you are actually exploring a bustling city. * Your party appears on the screen as a group of separate individuals, not one single icon. However, outside of cities, your characters are represented by a single icon. * There is a revolutionary zoom in - zoom out feature that lets you pan out to a much wider overhead view or lets you zoom in to examine the surrounding area in more detail. * Over 1,100 NPC's to meet and converse with during your adventure. Over 250 pages of written dialogue. * A comprehensive main scenario based on one of the greatest TRAVELLER adventures of all time, as well as dozens of exciting sub-plots filled with mystery, danger and intrigue. CHARACTER GENERATION: * Advanced character generation that lets you generate alien Vargr characters as well as humans. * More than 20 career types to pick from including mercenaries, scouts and naval officers (and six Vargr Careers). * Generate male or female characters. * Six basic attributes and over 125 skills including academic, bribery, electronics, engineering, trader. * A print character option allows you to print out your generated characters for use in the MEGATRAVELLER role- playing system. * Carefully generate your own characters, or have the computer do it for you in a flash! GROUND EXPLORATION AND COMBAT: * Over 100 named, detailed worlds; each completely mapped and explorable, populated with a starport, cities, terrain, animals and people. At least 500,000 square miles of terrain to explore on each planet! Visit ice, desert, and vacuum planets, to name a few. * Hundreds of locations to explore including cities, data terminals, gambling casinos, stores and shops, taverns, trade and commerce outlets, vehicle rental locations, character recruitment centers, Ancient sites, crashed and abandoned ships. * Weapons and armor that span the tech levels of all of the world. Weapons can be as primitive as spears and as advanced as plasma rifles. Armor can range from simple leather to the high-tech TL12 Battle Dress. * Your party can travel on the planets by commercial aircraft, or you can rent ATV's and Grav vehicles if you prefer to travel privately. * An advanced, intuitive ground combat system where your characters react to a crisis intelligently. The non-arcade combat system allows you to simply target who you want your characters to attack, and they will take over, devising their own strategy of attack to defeat an opponent. As well, when your party is attacked, your characters will react intelligently, based on their skills, without your direct intervention. The new combat system has been discussed with, and approved by, a Traveller role-playing focus group. SPACE TRAVEL AND COMBAT: * 10 Distinct starship types including Scouts, Free Traders, Cruisers, Liners and more. There's even a working Ancient ship (if you can find it). * Easy to understand space navigation sequences where your ship will literally fly itself if your characters have adequate skills. There's no need to assign your characters to different stations - they will take over where their skills are best suited. * Intuitive space combat that is designed exactly like ground combat. Simply target opposing ships and your characters will take over! As with ground combat, your characters will react intelligently and naturally when attacked. TECHNICAL: * Supports 256 color MCGA and VGA, High Res EGA, EGA and Tandy 16-color. * Supports Ad Lib, Sound Blaster, Tandy 4-voice, Covox and Roland. * Supports keyboard, joystick and mouse. * Musical score composed by Michael Powell. MegaTraveller II: Quest for the Ancients by Paragon 1991