      T H E       R E U N I O N       H I N T S       F I L E 
      ------------------------------------------------------- 
                                 
                           version  1.01     
                                 
                                by 
                            
                           Orin Thomas 
                            
  
Reunion, in my mind, is a cross between Starcon2 and Dune II. 
(although not nearly as playable) 
It is all about a lost earth colony that has to build up its 
space forces, beat up the bad guys and reunite itself with earth. 
  
This is a file of hints, not a step by step guide as to how to play 
Reunion. It would probably be of help if you are stuck at a particular 
stage and need a few pointers as to how to progress. 
  
  
C O N T E N T S 
--------------- 
Part Zero   : Setup Problems 
Part One    : Beating the Morgals. 
     One A) : How to Attack. 
Part Two    : Defeating the League. 
Part Three  : Reunion with Earth 
Part Four   : A Review of the Game.  
 
------------------------- 
PART ZERO: SETUP PROBLEMS 
------------------------- 
 
Some people have experienced reunion crashing when they have lots of 
ram and some decent hard drive space. emm386 must be on (four meg or 
so). Base memory must be maximised. It is better to take off things 
like smartdrive. 
 
 
----------------------------- 
PART ONE: BEATING THE MORGALS 
----------------------------- 
  
Try to hire the middle people as advisors. The cheaper ones are basically 
useless. When you have the money, upgrade the scientist and the fighter.  
It is generally cheaper to upgrade the scientist than to retrain him 4  
times.  
  
To contact the Jenossians, as soon as the planet Jade becomes visible    
to your astronomers send a TRADE group there. (not a satellite carrier). 
  
The Jennosians will make contact with you and offer you an improved trade  
ship. Later they will offer you an artifact for a price. Take it. It  
turns out to be a hyperdrive unit. When they contact you about helping them  
fight the morgals agree to help. There is not much that you can do, but they  
then give you the plans to the Hunter and the Laser Cannon. 
  
Start building as many Hunters as you can. 
  
If you have about 10 Hunters and the middle "fighter" advisor, you should  
overcome the first morgal attack. 
  
When the Morgals kill off the Jennosians send a trade group to Jade and  
land on the planet. This enables you to find a radio transmitter that is  
helpful later on. 
  
To defend your planet, put all of the fighters in the New Earth 
Defence Force group. This means that they will defend your planet 
  
When you can, build a galleon and send it to the Pheonix System, planet 
three. You will meet with the Kalls and some sort of alliance is formed. 
  
When Pheonix Five becomes visible do the same thing. This time you will 
meet the Phelonians. 
  
Try to set up a base on Pheonix Two. You will lose it due to radiation  
sickness but this allows you to develop the radiation shield. Set up  
another colony on Pheonix two, this time with the R-shield. Set up an  
observatory and you will find the planet pheonix-one. Send a trade ship  
there and you will capture a Morgal ship in distress. Tell them that the  
Kalls are fighting them and then let them go.  
 
Doing this forces the Kalls to begin fighting the Morgals. Otherwise 
the ally themselves and you are attacked by both. (they also kill the   
phelonians).  This must be done before Nov 2928 
  
You can survive past this date but from here on in the Morgal attack 
forces seem to grow faster than you can produce defence forces. Also, 
their military advisor becomes more competent, making it harder for you 
to win. 
 
When you get the opportunity send a satellite carrier over to planet 2,  
moon 2 of the Mirach system and scan the surface. This gives you more  
technology.  
  
You have to keep building military hardware to survive.  
  
The Morgals attack your home planet with regularity. The only way I have 
found to overcome them is to invade their home planet (Mirach 3). When 
you destroy their home planet, all the colonies go as well! You will need 
several units (1 unit = thirty tanks/troopers) to take Mirach 3. When you 
launch your ground assault the Kalls also join in to help. 
 
------------------- 
1 A) HOW TO ATTACK 
------------------- 
 
I have received a surprising amount of mail asking how to attack. Here 
is an example of what you do to attack. 
 
Okay, you need to create an army group. Select new group and then click 
with the mouse until it says army. Name it whatever you want (mine was 
always STARFLEET). Now shift all your military assets into this group. 
 
The first screen will hold Hunters, Fighters, Destroyers and Eventually 
carriers. On the Far right is a red arrow pointing down. Click on this 
and you will come up with a similar screen. But here you can put Troopers, 
Battletanks, (eventually) Aircraft and Missile Launchers. 
 
Once you have put together the equipped group take off. Wander over to a 
morgal planet. (lets say jade for this example.) Don't land! 
Okay, you arrive. Click on the "planets" icon. You should see a 
representation of the Jade system. Over in the right you should see 
a picture of a planet with a RED arrow around it. (your fleet). Click 
on your fleet and then the attack icon should appear. 
 
You will not need as many starfighters/hunters/destroyers as you might 
think. All you have to do is take out the space forces on Mirach 3. The 
hardest part of taking any planet is the ground battle. When doing this 
remember - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN OVERKILL! 
 
I have had a report that you find the aircraft here. You may have to 
wait until the morgals develop this technology. I haven't got the 
aircraft yet. I haven't had time to replay the game! 
 
-------------------------------- 
PART TWO : DEFEATING THE LEAGUE. 
-------------------------------- 
  
When you defeat the Morgals you find the co-ordinates of three more systems. 
Two of these systems contain an alien alliance called "the League". As soon 
as you turn up in a trade group to a League planet the whole League decide 
decide to attack you. 
  
After having the same problem with the League that I had with the Morgals 
I loaded a game where I had just defeated the Morgals but hadn't explored 
the three new systems. I then made up an army of about 450 tanks, 50  
troopers, 20 Destroyers, 200 Starfighters and 100 Hunters. (this took a  
while). I then, using my satellite carriers, located the "League" worlds, 
and, using the spy in "local", worked out each race's main planet. I then 
took my army group in and destroyed the league.  
  
The Morgal that appears in the bar is useful for finding minerals and other 
things. 
  
When you destroy the League you will find the new Rigel System. 
 
-------------------------------- 
PART THREE : REUNION WITH EARTH 
-------------------------------- 
  
When you explore the Rigel System you find some interesting stuff on 
the first planet. This enables you to develop some new technology that 
finds a new race. One that is finally nice to you. 
 
They give you the co-ordinates to the sol system. Again I decided to 
build up a force (this time with the newly invented missile launcher). 
Also it is an idea to arm your destroyers with the plasma cannons.  
 
I then, after I had built up my force, sent in my spy-satellite group 
and scanned planet earth. As soon as I had detected an alien presence 
there, I sent in my army group. The earthlings declared war (what else?). 
 
I took about 400 missile launchers into the last battle, only to realise 
that I could only field about 80. :-) It didn't matter, I kicked their 
butts.  
 
------------------------------- 
PART FOUR : A REVIEW OF REUNION  
------------------------------- 
 
Warning : The opinion expressed here are opinions only. The best way 
    	  to judge something is to objectively assess it yourself. If 
	  you are interested in my observations please read on. 
 
It would be an interesting question to ask why I ended up writing 
a hints file for a game that so annoyed me. I can't really answer 
that except to say that I hope the hints file is of some help. 
 
Reunion *IS* an annoying game. Annoying because, by fixing a few minor 
faults, it could be one of the best wargames written. It is a combination 
of Civilisation, Sim City, Dune II and Star Control II. All of which were 
incredible games and any combination of which should be a success. 
 
Civilisation because of the technology developing aspect of the game. You 
have scientists who research technology that becomes more useful as you 
progress.  
 
Sim City because on each planet you explore you have the possibility of 
colonising and building up a city, building by building. The citizens of 
colony X are unhappy? - Give them a Staduim, Church or Recreation centre. 
The Citizens want to be educated, plonk down a University. The citizens 
need feeding, build a farm. Your running out of power? Place a new reactor 
there. The buildings have a very Dune II like appearance as well. 
 
Dune II because the ground combat is very very much like Dune II. The  
realtime ability to set platoons of tanks, troop carriers, aircraft 
and missile launchers against your enemies arrays is fun. You have a  
decent amount of control in the ground war. 
 
Star Control II because there is a good planet exploration/roleplaying 
aspect to this game. You come into a planets orbit, scan the surface 
with satellites and see if it is fit for habitation or mining. You can 
then set up a colony or a mining base if it is. 
 
Sounds pretty cool so far hey? 
 
But (there is *ALWAYS* a but) there are problems. First of all, where  
are the Morgals getting there extra fleets from? I blockaded there 
home planet, took out the morgal fleet, yet a huge one still turned 
up and attacked me. Bigger than any fleet the morgals had. It couldn't 
have been constructed on a colony as reunion doesn't allow that. 
 
Second. You should be able to produce items on colonies. Colonies should 
also be able to be attacked. If your home planet is destroyed your  
command post should be moved to the next toughest colony. Same for 
your enemies. It sounds pretty stupid to me that with one surgical 
attack on one planet I can take out a race that has four other self 
sufficient colonies. 
 
Third. Your advisors should offer more constructive advice than "More  
Products". You should have someone in the bar saying "have you checked 
this out" if you get a little behind. The only way to win reunion is 
by loading saved games until you hit the exact pattern the computer 
wants. (or reading the hints file). 
 
Getting the aircraft. I have been told that you can do this by killing 
the Morguls when they have the aircraft. What if, like me, you kill them 
before? Then you have no chance further on to get this technology. You 
can even kill other races and have them say that they will supply you  
with the technology you don't have ... and you STILL don't get the 
aircraft. 
 
The ability to set up mineral shuttle services between planets. 
 
Reunion is very addictive. I had to finish it. It became *personal* 
But, unless they come out with a patch dealing with some of these 
problems, I wouldn't really recommend it to anyone. 
 
yours in honesty. 
 
Orin. 
 
 
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|  Orin David-Leslie Thomas.                                          | 
|  Melbourne, Australia.                                              | 
|  Internet : orin@werple.apana.org.au                                | 
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|  Behind every successful man is a surprised woman. - Maryon Pearson | 
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