Oregon Trail II
Oregon Trail II is an educational video game released by MECC in 1995. It was published by SoftKey Multimedia. It is a revised version of the original The Oregon Trail video game. It was redesigned with the help of American Studies PhD Wayne Studer. In contrast to the original version, Oregon Trail II made an effort to include greater roles for women and racial minorities.
In addition to the regular edition, MECC released a 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Oregon Trail II Computer Game. The CD-ROM came with an official strategy guide and certificate of authenticity, all packaged in a commemorative wooden storage box.
Another release of the game on CD-ROM featured both Oregon Trail II, version 1.2 and Logic Quest 3D, version 1.0.
Development
Oregon Trail IIs graphics are considerably more detailed than those in the original. In addition, events such as diseases, obstacles on the path, accidents while traveling, and even interactions with other groups in one's wagon train involve being directed to choose a course of action from a set of multiple choices.Gameplay
When players start a new game, they can choose their name, occupation, level, date of travel, their starting point and destination, and type of wagon. Also, they may select how many others are with them in their wagon, as well as their names and ages. After choosing an occupation, the player can select various skills. The player picks skills with a 120-point limit; automatic skills are free. The more important the skill is, the more it costs. Each skill can make good events more likely to happen, and bad events less likely to happen. While some occupations have more money than others, the low-income occupations get a greater final bonus, which proves crucial in achieving a high score at the end of the game. However, if the player settles at a destination other than the original location they had selected at the beginning of the game, they will not receive a bonus, regardless of their chosen occupation.Oregon Trail II includes far more detail than the original. For instance, rafting down the Columbia River is a much greater challenge than it was in the original game. Whenever an event happens, the game halts and the player must make a choice of action, so it is much more interactive than the previous version. Players are also able to talk with other settlers along the way and ask for their advice. At any point in the game, if the player dies, the game is over. This version also allows the player to choose any year from 1840 through 1860 rather than being fixed to 1848 as it was in the original. Travel is much easier in later years, as there are more towns and trading posts along the way for resupply.
Outfitting the supplies and choosing the parties equipment in their journey becomes a possible point of player control leading to increased scoring chances. Additional supplies though will mean adding weight to the player's wagon. When the wagon's weight limit is reached, it is not possible to continue along the trail, and some goods will have to be abandoned. The game offers players an immense selection of supplies available for purchase. During the start of the game, package deals are available up to six months of provisions, but numerous perils in the game will cause many provisions to be lost or used for trade. One has the option of taking a computer generated "package deal", ostensibly offered by the trailhead town's merchants. The player can also shop in the town and choose a custom strategy, quantities, tools and so forth or take the package and then shop or trade in addition to that. One problem with the package is finding someone to trade unwanted items for useful ones. Conversely, some assets are only available by the package or by trading, though many of those can be purchased from merchants or blacksmiths further down the trails. If the player decides to purchase supplies without the package, they may buy chains or anvils from Westport, Fort Kearny, or Fort Laramie. All forts or towns with a blacksmith's shop will sell chains, nails, and anvils.