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 Story

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.

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.

Where can I get a starmap with constellation names on it?

Both the game itself and the official UQM site, strangely enough, doesn't even mention the existence of a starmap download which is necessary to avoid hours of searching by hand. You may want to ask them why over here: http://sc2.sourceforge.net/downloads.php

A large majority of the maps found here are broken links, but the last one will work. It has complete spoilers regarding spheres of influence, and is an unconfortable size to either view or print because of its huge size. http://www.classicgaming.com/starcontrol/sc2/images/sc2_color_map.jpg

No non-spoiler map is known to exist with constellation names; I couldn't even find one on Ebay.

If you can't print your map, then you will be heavily disadvantaged. You should consider printing it at school or at an internet cafe. There isn't a pre-sliced map for convenient printing so you need good graphical tools to do cut it in parts (at 5$ an hour plus all your printing trial-and-errors in an internet cafe near you!). Consider printing it in reverse video to save ink.

Anyone with a nonspoiler full map, or an explanation why there isn't one available (copyright thingies maybe?), please respond here.

Other questions

I have some other question

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