History VideoGame / MillenniumReturnToEarth

''Millennium: Return to Earth'' (AKA ''Millennium 2.2'') is a 1989 resource management game designed by IanBird and released for Platform/AtariST, Platform/{{Amiga}}, and DOS [[Platform/IBMPersonalComputer PCs]]. Specifically, only the DOS version has the "Return to Earth" subtitle. The game is turn-based, where you can advance it by various time units (1 hour and 1 day) or until something interesting happens.

''Millennium: Return to Earth'' (AKA ''Millennium 2.2'') is a 1989 resource management game designed by IanBird and released for UsefulNotes/AtariST, UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}, and DOS [[UsefulNotes/IBMPersonalComputer PCs]]. Specifically, only the DOS version has the "Return to Earth" subtitle. The game is turn-based, where you can advance it by various time units (1 hour and 1 day) or until something interesting happens.

* SequelDifficultySpike: ''Deuteros'' is much more difficult than ''Millennium''.

* FrickinLaserBeams: Fighters and {{Kill Sat}}s are armed with lasers.

'''Millennium: Return to Earth''' (AKA ''Millennium 2.2'') is a 1989 resource management game designed by IanBird and released for UsefulNotes/AtariST, UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}, and DOS. Specifically, only the DOS version has the "Return to Earth" subtitle. The game is turn-based, where you can advance it by various time units (1 hour and 1 day) or until something interesting happens.

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* {{Terraforming}}: Restoring Earth to its former state is the final goal of the game.

* ScriptedEvent: There are a plenty of crises that will unfold almost the exact same way every time you play, some of which are mentioned above. For example, the first high-powered solar power generator you build will always explode due to a design flaw. Once you subdue the Martians and enter endgame, the game hit you in quick succession by several crises, including as a huge Martian retaliatory strike and your colonies proclaiming independence.

* {{Terraforming}}: Restoring Earth to its former state is the final goal of the game.

* AdamAndEvePlot: At the time of the ColonyDrop, Moonbase population is about 200. Given that one of the tasks is the total destruction of the Mars colony, that's the breeding stock for repopulating the Earth. Given what we know about genetics, 200 people (even if we assume they're all unrelated), would not be enough to provide a stable long-term population, and humanity would eventually die out. Then again, we have no idea how long humanity will last past the end of the game. The sequel starts 800 years later, which is not enough time for inbreading to cause any major damage. Genetic engineering may allow humanity to avoid these issues, but that's not one of the available technologies.\\\

At some point in the future, humanity has colonized the Moon and Mars. However, a 20 trillion ton asteroid then {{Colony Drop}}s Earth, killing off the rest of humanity and making the planet uninhabitable. You are the commander of Moonbase, a small self-sufficient colony. The base has a number of facilities: habitats (more can be built), power generation (better reactors improve efficiency), production (for building pretty much everything), resource extraction (always active given enough power), research (discovering new tech and analyzing probe data), defense (controling AttackDrones and {{Kill Sat}}s defending the colony), hangars (for outfitting, crewing, loading, and launching ships and probes), and storage (holding resourecs and/or certain items in special shelters that survive attacks). One of the first tasks is building and sendin probes to other planets and moons in order to determine their viability as colony sites. It's worth noting that only Moonbase is self-sufficient. The other colonies are significantly smaller and lack any production, research, or storage facilities. They are only used for mining, and the resources must then be shipped to the Moon by transport ships. The Asteroid Belt can also be [[AsteroidMiners mined]] by special ships. But beware! The Mars colony believes itself to be the superior surviving colony of humankind, and will do their best to eliminate the Moonbase when it reaches its fingers out to the rest of the Solar System.

At some point in the future, humanity has colonized the Moon and Mars. However, a 20 trillion ton asteroid then {{Colony Drop}}s Earth, killing off the rest of humanity and making the planet uninhabitable. You are the commander of Moonbase, a small self-sufficient colony. The base has a number of facilities: habitats (more can be built), power generation (better reactors improve efficiency), production (for building pretty much everything), resource extraction (always active given enough power), research (discovering new tech and analyzing probe data), defense (controling AttackDrones and {{Kill Sat}}s defending the colony), hangars (for outfitting, crewing, loading, and launching ships and probes), and storage (holding resourecs and/or certain items in special shelters that survive attacks). One of the first tasks is building and sendin probes to other planets and moons in order to determine their viability as colony sites. It's worth noting that only Moonbase is self-sufficient. The other colonies are significantly smaller and lack any production, research, or storage facilities. They are only used for mining, and the resources must then be shipped to the Moon by transport ships. The Asteroid Belt can also be [[AsteroidMiners mined]] by special ships.

Shortly after sending out your first ship or probe, you will receive a message from Mars, where the mutated colonists will claim TheRightOfASuperiorSpecies and demand that you stay on the Moon for your own good. Any attempts to send probes or ships to Mars, Phobos, or Deimos will result in their destruction. Periodically, the Martians will attack your colonies with their own [[AttackDrones fighters]], having somehow developed carriers. You lack the technology and can't attack them. Additionally, if you try to build up your defenses, the Martians will detect it and send a force larger than yours in order to obliterate it to punish you. They will follow up with another warning not to build too many defenses (more than 30 fighters per colony). However, there is nothing keeping you from keeping extra fighters in storage or aboard freighters. At some point, someone will detect a Martian carrier crash-landing somewhere in the Asteroid Belt. After you recover it, you can reverse-engineer the design and start building your own. You can then send a strike force to destroy the Martian colony. Once that is done, you are free to re-colonize Mars, where you find that the Martians have been working on a {{terraforming}} device designed to reverse the damage done to Earth and turn it into a lush paradise ready to be re-settled. While you're working to complete the research, an outlying colony will detect an enormous fleet heading towards the Moon. Apparently, it's a reserve Martian force of some sort that now seeks to avenge the destruction of their colony. Unless you start preparing by building up fighters and laser satellites as soon as you attack Mars, you will be unlikely to defend against such a force, and Moonbase will be destroyed (presumably, that's the intention). You can re-settle the base from another colony and continue your work. From then on, there are no more threats. Once you complete the terraformer, use it on Earth, and re-settle the planet, the game is over.

'''Millennium: Return to Earth''' (AKA ''Millennium 2.2'') is a 1989 resource management game designed by IanBird and released for AtariST, {{Amiga}}, and DOS. Specifically, only the DOS version has the "Return to Earth" subtitle. The game is turn-based, where you can advance it by various time units (1 hour and 1 day) or until something interesting happens.

* AdamAndEvePlot: At the time of the ColonyDrop, Moonbase population is about 200. Given that one of the tasks is the total destruction of the Mars colony, that's the breeding stock for repopulating the Earth. Given what we know about genetics, 200 people (even if we assume they're all unrelated), would not be enough to provide a stable long-term population, and humanity would eventually die out. Then again, we have no idea how long humanity will last past the end of the game. The sequel starts 800 years later, which is not enough time for inbreading to cause any major damage. Genetic engineering may allow humanity to avoid these issues, but that's not one of the available technologies.
** Some text, though, indicates that the population number shown in the game is actually the number of ''able workers'', so the actual population number could be higher.

At some point in the future, humanity has colonized the Moon and Mars. However, 20 trillion ton asteroid then {{Colony Drop}}s Earth, killing off the rest of humanity and making the planet uninhabitable. You are the commander of Moonbase, a small self-sufficient colony. The base has a number of facilities: habitats (more can be built), power generation (better reactors improve efficiency), production (for building pretty much everything), resource extraction (always active given enough power), research (discovering new tech and analyzing probe data), defense (controling AttackDrones and {{Kill Sat}}s defending the colony), hangars (for outfitting, crewing, loading, and launching ships and probes), and storage (holding resourecs and/or certain items in special shelters that survive attacks). One of the first tasks is building and sendin probes to other planets and moons in order to determine their viability as colony sites. It's worth noting that only Moonbase is self-sufficient. The other colonies are significantly smaller and lack any production, research, or storage facilities. They are only used for mining, and the resources must then be shipped to the Moon by transport ships. The Asteroid Belt can also be [[AsteroidMiners mined]] by special ships.

* ThePlague: After you have established mining bases on several planets/moons, one will suddenly have its population start dying from a deadly plague. With the medical data transmitted from them, you can research and manufacture a vaccine that must then be delivered to the colony before everyone is dead (likely via a Waverider, since they're the fastest ships capable of carrying cargo). Eventually, every other colony will start to suffer from the same exact plague. You can prevent that by sending the vaccine there before the plague starts. If you don't deliver the vaccine soon enough, the colony will have to be repopulated.

'''Millennium: Return to Earth''' (AKA ''Millennium 2.2'') is a 1989 resource management game designed by IanBird and released for AtariST, {{Amiga}}, and DOS. Specifically, only the DOS version has the "Return to Earth" subtitle. The game is turn-based, where you can advance it by various time units, usually until something interesting happens.

* CasualInterplanetaryTravel: Partly played straight. Traveling within the Solar System is much faster than in RealLife. Nobody has to worry about supplies.