Adventurer - Wagon train captain, elected to lead and choose different trails, but can be demoted to greenhorn if morale falls too low (and potentially re-elected in the future).Greenhorn - A regular member of the wagon party, having no authority.If the banker uses his abundance of funds, he can buy the essentials for the journey immediately, and would need to resupply very few times over the course of the trip.Īlong with selecting an occupation, the player must also choose if he wishes to be a: A banker starts off with $2000, but receives a 1x bonus (no bonus). For example, a teacher may begin the game with only $500, but receives a 5.0x score bonus. While some occupations have more money than others, the low income occupations get a greater final bonus, which proves crucial in getting a decent score in the end of the game. (Occupations listed in descending order in terms of cash on hand in the beginning of the game.) Such occupations include banker, doctor, merchant, pharmacist, wainwright, gunsmith, mason, blacksmith, wheelwright, carpenter, saddlemaker, brickmaker, prospector, trapper, surveyor, shoemaker, journalist, printer, butcher, baker, tailor, farmer, pastor, artist, and teacher. In Oregon Trail II, the player can choose from a number of different occupations, many with different skills that can assist you in your journey across the west.
Quick Start quickly generates options mentioned above for the player, with the only editable field being the name. Other options include loading a saved game, and the "quick start" option. Players with the cooking skill are able to increase the nutrition value in their food. For example, players with the botany skill are more likely to find edible plants. Each skill raises the chance of something happening or not happening. If the player does not select any skills, they will be converted into bonus points at the end of the game. Automatic skills, based on the occupation, are free. Finally, there is a skills screen where players may spend 120 points on extra skills: medical, farming/animals, botany, and sharpshooting, to name a few. Also, they may select how many others are with them in their wagon, along with their names and ages this drastically added to the game's popularity as players could seemingly "live out" the journey with friends and family.
Travel is much easier in later years, as there are more towns and trading posts along the way to resupply your party.Īt the beginning ("New Game"), players may start a new game where they choose their name, occupation, level, date of travel, their starting point and destination, and type of wagon. This version also allows the player to choose between 21 years of travel (rather than 1 in the original) from 1840 to 1860. Players are also able to talk with other settlers along the way and ask their advice when needed. Whenever an accident happens, the game halts and the player must decide what to do in response. For instance, rafting down the Columbia River is a much greater challenge than it was in the original game. Oregon Trail II includes far more detail than the original.