Possible spoilers - be warned
Well, I just plunked down the money and bought the new traveller
computer game "secret of the ancients". The game action is similiar
to the original computer game, except much of the arcade action is
stripped out.
The game has more of a role playing flavor to it, the introduction is
quite amusing and graphics is much better. Wandering around a city is like
controlling your own little party as they wander around a SimCity city.
Actually, that is one of my peeves on this game, the party is some times
difficult to see, particularily at higher zoom out layers.
Combat is quite simplified from the previous game. Players will do their
own shooting, and assign themselves tasks both on the ground and in
ship. Ship combat is no longer like "Mayday". You no longer have to
worry about courses and acceleration. You just tell the ship byu menu where
you want to go. Combat between ships is a lot more interesting to watch!
You can have a party made up of both Vargr and Humans, and they have
faces ala some of the TSR AD&D computer games.
You have a lot more worlds (118) than the first game, but systems are like
paper traveller before scounts or world builder handbook. "Just the main
world, Maam". Worlds are bigger and usually have more than one city. A lot of
wee little folk(npc's) wandering around to stumble into. City buildings
reflect tech level.
The user interface is activated by 4 icons, which bring up a menu each.
I actually like this game better than the original. Worlds are a lot more
interesting and the role playing flavor is stronger by far. Much
improved over the original version.
Brian Makens, INTERACTIVE Systems Corp., Calabasas, Ca., [phone removed]
[email removed]