MegaTraveller 2: Quest for the Ancients, Paragon Software's Improved Sequel
Status unclearYear: 1991 · Developer/Publisher: Paragon Software · Designer: Marc Miller · Platform: DOS · Theme: Science Fiction, Epic, Licensed
Licensed tabletop-to-videogame adaptations from 1991 have an uneven track record, and it’s worth stating upfront that MegaTraveller 2 is one of the better ones, not despite the license, but because of how directly it comes from it. Marc Miller, the actual creator of the Traveller tabletop RPG, is credited as designer on this adaptation, which puts it in a different category than the licensed cash-ins that were common on shelves at the time.
The sequel improves on its predecessor in ways that are easy to list because they’re concrete rather than vague upgrades. VGA graphics replace whatever came before them, sharper and more detailed. Character creation goes deeper, giving players more meaningful choices when building a party rather than a handful of preset archetypes. And the overall gameplay is, by contemporary account, vastly improved. That’s a claim that’s easy to make about any sequel and harder to actually deliver on, but one that held up well enough that MegaTraveller 2 is the entry people point to first when the series comes up.
The plot itself resets each time you play, which is a deliberate design choice rather than a limitation. Your party is assigned to investigate the Ancients, a mysterious alien race whose secrets form the backbone of the mission, but the specifics of how that investigation unfolds change from playthrough to playthrough, keeping the game from becoming a fixed, memorizable script the way some contemporaries did.
Where MegaTraveller 2 draws its clearest line in the sand is in what kind of RPG fan it’s built for. It leans into skill-based character development and party combat rather than environmental puzzle-solving, which was a real fork in the road for sci-fi RPGs of the early ’90s. Players who wanted their stats and their combat choices to matter more than finding the right lever to pull got a genuinely good deal here; players looking for a puzzle-forward adventure would have been better served elsewhere in Paragon Software’s catalog, or in a different studio’s output entirely.
How to run it today
MegaTraveller 2 runs in DOSBox on any modern system, and the VGA-era graphics that were the sequel’s headline upgrade come through cleanly under emulation, with no scaling artifacts or palette issues beyond what the original hardware would have shown. Character creation and combat menus are entirely keyboard-driven, so no special input configuration is needed beyond DOSBox’s defaults.
Compatibility: DOS (via DOSBox) · Controls: Keyboard · Setup difficulty: Low
Legal status
Paragon Software closed decades ago, and MegaTraveller 2 has had no official commercial re-release under any current storefront. The Traveller tabletop property itself continues under other publishers today, but that continuity applies to the pen-and-paper game, not to this specific videogame adaptation, which leaves this title’s own rights situation unresolved rather than tied cleanly to the tabletop line’s ongoing life.
If you liked this, try
Buck Rogers: Countdown to Doomsday and Buck Rogers: Matrix Cubed (SSI’s own licensed sci-fi RPG duology from a similar period, built on a comparable skill-and-combat foundation), and Hard Nova (Electronic Arts’ science-fiction epic for players who want a less puzzle-averse but still stat-driven space RPG).
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to play the first MegaTraveller before this one?
It helps for setting familiarity, but MegaTraveller 2 is a separate story with a different plot each time you play. Your party is assigned to investigate the mysterious alien race known as the Ancients rather than continuing directly from the first game's events.
How does MegaTraveller 2 compare to the original MegaTraveller 1?
It improves on nearly every front: sharper VGA graphics replace the original's more limited visuals, character creation is more detailed, and the overall gameplay is more refined. It's widely regarded as the stronger of the two games.
Is MegaTraveller 2 based on a tabletop game?
Yes. It's licensed from Marc Miller's Traveller tabletop RPG universe, and Miller himself is credited as designer on this adaptation, giving it a more direct pedigree than most licensed videogame tie-ins of the era.
What kind of RPG fan is this game built for?
Sci-fi RPG players who prefer skill-based character development and tactical combat over puzzle-solving will get the most out of it. It's less about environmental riddles and more about building a capable party and using their stats effectively in fights.
What does 'Licensed' mean in the context of a tabletop-derived videogame like this one?
It means Paragon Software built the game under formal permission from the Traveller property's creator rather than borrowing its ideas loosely. Having Marc Miller himself credited as designer is an unusually direct form of that license, closer to author involvement than a typical licensing arrangement.