Star Control II Gameplay FAQ

This is the list of frequently asked questions (with answers) regarding the actual game of The Ur-Quan Masters. For technical questions or questions about the The Ur-Quan Masters project, check our other FAQs.

If you have any further questions, you can ask them on the general discussion board.

If you think you have found a bug, please report it in the Bugzilla database.

The Full Game

Is there a time limit to the game?

Yes. In the PC version of Star Control II the Melnorme volunteer some information about this. As there is no spoken text for this in the 3DO version, it is also missing from The Ur-Quan Masters.

How nice to see you again, Captain.

Before we go on, I have a small announcement.

As you may know, in our travels throughout the galaxy

we Melnorme have found many strange and interesting alien artifacts.

One of these devices is the MetaChron, a kind of trans-time alarm system.

In a nutshell, it warns me of future dangers by predicting its own demise

which is most likely linked to my own well being, since I keep it under my pillow.

The unit is a small pyramid and, when all is well, white in color.

But if we are proceeding along a timeline which will eventually result in the destruction of the MetaChron

the unit slowly darkens. Presumably, it will be destroyed at the same time as it turns completely black.

When we first entered this region of space, the MetaChron was white.

Now it is light gray.

At its present rate of change, something will destroy the MetaChron

in the early part of the year 2159.

In order to avoid this unpleasantness, we may be leaving just before this time

so if you have business you wish to conduct with us

I suggest you do so before January 2159, or February at the latest.

Is there a printable starmap available?

Pages of Now and Forever has a collection of Star Control maps. The maps in the "Manuals" box on the maps page are the maps that came with various releases of Star Control II. They show the constellations as well as the spheres of influence of the races as they were known in the year 2133 (just before the humans were defeated by the Ur-Quan).

Combat in the full game goes much too fast

You probably have Cyborg mode turned on. This means the computer is actually fighting your battles for you. You can turn it off in the Settings submenu of the Options menu.

That said, Star Control on some platforms had a significantly slower melee than Star Control II (and hence The Ur-Quan Masters). Playing UQM may take a bit of getting used to if you grew up with those slower games.

I am surrounded! What can I do?

You can use the emergency warp escape to flee from battle (by pressing the ESCAPE key under the default control scheme), and if you have a QuasiSpace Portal Spawner, you can use it to escape from HyperSpace. Otherwise, you will simply have to escape from each encounter in turn, using up five fuel and sacrificing a random amount of crew each time. If you don't have enough fuel (or crew) to run away from the horde of black blips, there's not much you can do short of loading, starting over, or cheating.

If you are surrounded while trying to leave a planet, one solution is to remain in the immediate vicinity around the planet while avoiding nearby hostiles until all pursuing ships are in the area. This will prevent them from catching you by surprise as you return to the solar system view. Additionally, the pursuing enemies will be gathered together in an easily avoidable clump afterward.

How many ships does a homeworld fleet have?

Homeworlds, identifiable by a radial pattern of ships on the encounter screen, have an infinite number of ships. You can't invade a homeworld, destroy all its ships, or get any RU from destroying ships there. The only way to survive is to escape into hyperspace, should your flagship have enough fuel to do so.

Why can't I land?

Make sure that you have at least one Planet Lander and some fuel left. You can get more by accessing 'Outfit Starship' at the StarBase. Also, you can't land on gas giants or slave shielded planets.

Why can't I pick up any minerals?

Make sure that you have at least one Storage Bay, and that it is not completely full.

Melee

How do I defeat ship x with ship y?

Look at the List of Ships for information on the specific ships. There are also a number of external web sites which provide combat information:

• http://ledmeister.com/supmeler.htm

Bugs

I can't tell the Mycon to go to Organon

You are actually asking on the wrong planet. There is a remark by the Mycon on Beta Brahe in the PC version of Star Control II which clarified this, but as no speech was recorded for it for the 3DO, it is also missing from The Ur-Quan Masters. The missing text goes as follows:

This is a special place

filled with Juffo-Wup.

But it is not the source.

Juffo-Wup springs forth from 629.1, 220.8.

We must not allow this place to be soiled by the Non.

And when you mention Organon to them:

We do not interpret the will of Juffo-Wup.

Only the source is so empowered.

Until instructed otherwise, Juffo-Wup requires that we remain here.

Other questions

I have some other question

The The Ur-Quan Masters Forum is a good place to ask.