

                   Released by Flux/Crystal. Typed by an
                         anonymous mate of his.


                  Megatraveller I - The Zhodani Conspiracy

                                 USER GUIDE

                              ----------------

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.

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.


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.
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

                      --------------------------------

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.

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.

                     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
                         --------------------------

                                  GLOSSARY

Alell           One of the eight star systems in the Zhodani Conspiracy.
                Alell is a binary system (two stars) with three planets the
                characters can explore. (See system)

anagathics      Rare and expensive longevity drugs. A steady supply prolongs
                life and prevents aging.

armed escort    A type of ship that will be encountered in the game. Escorts
                will often be in a caravan protecting merchant ships.

Army            The Imperial Army is a planet-based fighting force. These
                soldiers fight in surface battles and campaigns. (see
                Service)

Aslan           The Aslan are a race of intelligent beings resembling Terran
                lions. Aslan females outnumber males three to one. The major
                goal of an Aslan male is to own land, while the female is
                concerned with trade, industry and knowledge.

Boughene        One of the eight star systems in the Zhodani Conspiracy.
                There are two planets and one moon to explore in this system.
                The mainworld is the planet where the characters are supposed
                to meet Dr. Arik Toryan.

character       The character refers to the fictional role in the role-
                playing game. In the Zhodani Conspiracy, one player controls
                five characters.

corsair         The largest ship in the Zhodani Conspiracy. It can have up to
                four weapons and can carry cargo.

credit          A monetary unit in the MEGATRAVELLER universe.

destroyer       A large, well-armed ship with limited cargo space.

Droyne          The Droyne are an intelligent race of small, winged
                herbivores. They are about one meter in height. Droyne
                society follows a rigid caste system.

Efate           One of eight star systems in The Zhodani Conspiracy. The game
                begins, and ends, on Efate's mainworld. There are two other
                planets and three satellites to explore in this system.

hexadecimal     Numbering system based on 16. Digits 0 through 9 are
                represented the same as in the decimal system. Numbers 10
                through 15 are represented by the letters A to F. The
                hexadecimal system is used throughout MEGATRAVELLER (see UPP,
                UWP)

hexes           Short for hexagons. Hexes are used in MEGATRAVELLER maps,
                both on ground and in space. The distance of a jump from one
                system to another is measured in hexes. (see jump, system)

Hivers          Hivers are an intelligent race in the TRAVELLER universe.
                Hivers have six limbs, one of which is their head. The head
                has six manipulative tentacles and six eye stalks. The other
                five limbs end in six-fingered hands and these limbs are both
                used as arms and legs.

Imperium, The   The interplanetary government of the MEGATRAVELLER universe.
                The present government is the Third Imperium, founded 1,107
                years earlier.

Interloper      The name of the Sharurshid ship Lenara gives to the
                characters at the beginning of the game. (see Raclor, Lenara)

interplanetary  One kind of ship the player will encounter. These craft
                travel between planets in the same system. They are small and
                fast with limited cargo space.

jump            Faster-than-light travel from one point in space to another.
                A jump is made by leaving normal space and travelling through
                an alternate space called jumpspace.

key, code       The keys referred to are complex computer files necessary to
                decode encrypted files. The code keys are stored on
                holographic cartridges.

Kiefer, Konrad  One of the major NPCs in the game, Kiefer is the major foe of
                the player. He is the Subsector Executive of Sharurshid
                Megacorporation and is smuggling Zhodani arms into the
                Imperium. He will hire bounty hunters and assassins to harass
                the player throughout the game (see Sharurshid)

K'kree          The K'kree, once called the Centaurs by humans, are the most
                massive of the major alien races. The K'kree are covered with
                short gray fur with a dense black mane. The K'kree are social
                creatures and live in herds.

Louzy           One of the eight star systems in The Zhodani Conspiracy. This
                system has three planets for the characters to explore.

mainworld       The mainworld in each system is usually, but not always, the
                most populated world in the system. The system is named for
                the mainworld.

Marines         Members of the armed fighting forces primarily carried aboard
                starships. They battle piracy and are used to board enemy
                ships in space. Imperial Marines also protect starports and
                bases that belong to the Navy and supplement other ground
                forces as needed. (see Service)

Menorb          One of the eight star systems in The Zhodani Conspiracy. Only
                the mainworld of Menorb and its moon can be explored by the
                characters.

Merchants       Traders. They can be employed by large trading corporations
                or they can be small independent traders who carry cargo and
                passengers between worlds. Merchants can deal in conventional
                trade and commerce or they can become involved in less-than-
                legal smuggling. (see Service)

Navy            The Imperial Navy patrols interstellar space. Ships and
                worlds in the vastness of space are subject to attack from
                pirates or unfriendly governments. The Navy seeks to protect
                interstellar trade lines and Imperial territory from pirates
                and foreign powers. (see Service)

NPC             A Non-Player Character is a character in a role-playing game
                that is not controlled by the player. Lenara and Kiefer are
                two prominent NPCs in The Zhodani Conspiracy. (see Kiefer,
                Konrad and Raclor, Lenara)

Pixie           One of the eight star systems in The Zhodani Conspiracy.
                Pixie has three planets to explore.

player          The individual playing a role-playing game. In The Zhodani
                Conspiracy, five characters will be controlled by the same
                player.

Psionics        The use of mental powers such as telepathy, telekinesis,
                clairvoyance, or teleportation. The Imperium considers the
                use of these powers to be a criminal act. The Zhodani is a
                psionic-using society, and that adds to the radical
                dissimilarities between the two cultures. (see Zhodani and
                Zhodani Consulate)

Quaam, Viktor   Viktor is Kiefer's right-hand man. He is responsible for the
                kidnapping of Dr. Arik Toryan. The characters must defeat
                Viktor in order to rescue Arik and continue the scenario.
                (see Kiefer, Konrad)

Raclor, Lenara  Lenara is the Transom agent investigating Kiefer. She has
                Kiefer's encoded file, which she gives to the characters (in
                addition to the ship and some money). She sends them to
                Boughene to meet with Dr. Arik Toryan. Lenara is the player's
                major connection to the scenario. (see Transom)

Scout Ship      One of the ships that will be encountered. The Scouts often
                give old ships to ex-scouts as a reward for excellent
                service.

Scouts          The Imperial Interstellar Scout Service is an exploratory
                service. The scouts are responsible for exploring and mapping
                new territories. In addition to this, the Scouts are also
                information couriers. They man the X-Boats, the high-tech
                Imperial postal service. (see Service)

sector          A division of the Imperium made up of sixteen subsectors. The
                Spinward Marches is the sector in which The Zhodani
                Conspiracy is set. The Imperium is composed of roughly 27
                sectors.

service         The career of the character before adventuring in the
                MEGATRAVELLER game. In MEGATRAVELLER, there are 18 different
                services. In The Zhodani Conspiracy, the five most common are
                used. (see Army, Marines, Merchants, Navy, Scouts)

Sharurshid      Sharurshid Megacorporation is one of 13 mega-corporations in
                the Imperium. Sharurshid's business activities emphasize
                trade in luxury and novelty goods, transport of goods between
                worlds, and service industries. Sharurshid has conducted
                limited trade with the Zhodani Consulate. (see Kiefer,
                Raclor, Transom and Zhodani Consulate)

skill           Acquired by characters while in the service. These skills
                will affect the ability of the characters to succeed at
                certain tasks. There are 72 skills in The Zhodani Conspiracy,
                from Academic to Zero-G Environment.

Spinward        The frontier sector of the Imperium, as it borders the
Marches         Zhodani Consulate. In addition to the two major powers, there
                are also numerous independent territories in the Marches.
                This sector has been settled since the year 400, but has
                potential for exploration and development for centuries to
                come. (see Imperium, sector, Zhodani Consulate)

startown        The section of the city near the starport. This area has a
                tendency to enforce law and order less strictly than in more
                provincial areas. There are more casinos and illegal weapon
                stores and fewer jails and security guards in startown than
                in the city.

subsector       Each sector in the Imperium is divided into 16 subsectors;
                each is named for the capital world. The Zhodani Conspiracy
                takes place in the Regina and Jewell subsectors on the
                Spinward Marches. (see sector, Spinward Marches)

system          A star, its orbiting planets, and associated satellites. One
                world in the system is designated as a mainworld, and the
                system is named for that world.

task            An action that a character attempts to perform during the
                game. Every task is assigned a difficulty that determines the
                number needed to succeed at that task. Difficult tasks will
                require a higher number than routine or simple tasks.
                Applicable skills will lower the number needed to succeed.
                (see skill)

Toryan, Arik    Dr. Arik Toryan is the Computer Operations Office Manager for
                Sharurshid. Toryan created an encoding scheme for Kiefer that
                needed two decoding keys - one specified by Toryan, the other
                by Kiefer. When Lenara approached Dr. Toryan and asked for
                his decoding key, he agreed to help. Dr. Toryan is followed
                to Boughene, then kidnapped by Viktor Quamm. The characters
                must rescue Arik in order to win the game. (see Kiefer,
                Quaam, Raclor, Sharurshid)

trader          A trader is a merchant ship (sometimes called an armed
                merchant). These ships carry cargo between systems and are
                often a target for pirates.

Transom         Transom is publicly known as an auditing division of
                Sharurshid. It has secretly developed into an agency that
                investigates embezzlement, theft and fraud of Sharurshid
                employees. (see Raclor, Sharurshid)

Uakye           One of the eight systems in The Zhodani Conspiracy. Uakye has
                three systems to explore.

UPP             The Universal Personality Profile summarizes a character's
                attributes as a sequence of six hexadecimal numbers (0 to F).
                The attributes, in order, are Strength, Dexterity, Endurance,
                Intelligence, Education and Social Standing. A character with
                a UPP of 777777 is average in every respect. A character with
                a UPP of A47CD8 is stronger than average (A), not very
                dextrous (4), and has an average endurance (7). The character
                is very intelligent (C), and extremely educated (D), with a
                social standing just slightly above average (8). (see
                hexadecimal)

UWP             The Universal World Profile is a series of letters and
                numbers used to summarize the characteristics of a planet.
                The characteristics, in order, are: Starport, Size,
                Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Population, Government, Law Level
                and Tech Level. Efate, with a UPP of A646930D, has an
                excellent starport (A). It is a medium size planet (6) with a
                thin-tainted atmosphere (4) and it is a wet world - with 60%
                water (6). The population of Efate is in the billions (9)
                with an oligarchy (3) for government. There is no law (0) and
                the tech level is average stellar (D).

Vargr           The Vargr are an intelligent race resulting from genetic
                manipulation of Terran canines. They are bipedal carnivores,
                with hands similar to those of humans. The Vargr have no
                central government.

X-Boat          The X-Boat system is the Imperial "postal service" that is
                maintained by the Scouts. The characters will occasionally
                encounter an X-Boat. (see Scouts)

Yres            One of the eight star systems in The Zhodani Conspiracy.
                There are two planets and two satellites to explore in Yres.

Zhodani         The Zhodani are a branch of humanity similar to other human
                races. The most important difference is their use of
                psionics. The Zhodani have been battling with the Imperium
                for 500 years along the Spinward Marches.

Zhodani         The Zhodani Consulate is the government of the Zhodani people
Consulate       (equivalent of the Imperium).

Docs finished at 5:03 am  9/5/91.  None  of  this  scanned shit - pure typing
power... War and Peace - the unabridged version soon...l8r!
