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The book opens with combined timeline of major events for the main species in the Megatraveller universe (misnamed "A Chronology of the Imperium") and is followed by eight pages of major emporers and notes concerning noble status. This is followed by more than thirty pages of tantalising bits of "Library Data" of the Imperium and surrounds, arranged in alphabetical order, and supplemented by four pages of "Referees Data", extra information on specific matters.
After this is an alphabetical general equipment list of almost twenty pages, seven pages of combat equipment and twelve pages of starcraft and vehicles. The book concludes with a few pages on the procedures and risks of travelling, a random starcraft encounter table, a sixteen step procedure and two pages of starcraft operations (the recommended nine steps and die rolls for starting a ship and entering jumpspace should be reserved for instances of narrative importance only) and finally UWP and data for everyone's favourite region of Traveller space, the Spinward Marches.
Whilst I personally think imperial titles in a science fiction universe are ludicrous, Megatravller gets credit for at least trying to describe the inevitable systematic conflict that would arise through merit-based social rank, and social rank assigned by birth. The imperial list also reads something like a list of rulers in the more conspiratorial areas of medieval Eastern Europe, with instances of rapid succession of nobles being murdered or killed in battle.
The Library Data chapter and referees supplement is the most interesting part of the book with great substance, covering an enormous array of history, organisations, species and so forth. However the alphabetical ordering leads to bric-a-brac knowledge rather than a systematic understanding. It doesn't help to learn the definition of a "Minor Race", then a political structure ("Moot"), an ancient synthetic material ("Monadium") and then a type of infrastructure ("Naval Base"). Further, the placement of the "secret" Referees supplement to the library data makes absolutely no sense whatsoever - surely this would be better in, say, The Referees Manual?
Strangely enough, contextual ordering is exactly what is carried out with the equipment chapters; first personal equipment (the sort of stuff you might need whilst going planetside), then combat equipment (it is a period of war, I suppose), and then the "big stuff" (vehicles and spaceships). These chapters provide more than enough information and material for the normal activity of a Megatraveller party; although one does note the with surprise the lack of rules or data concerning computer technologies and robotics and the total absence or biological or cybernetic implants. There are also times it would have been preferable to include a "groundside backpack" defined as "a backpack and the things that only an idiot would leave the ship without", rather than individual listings.
The Megataveller Imperial Encyclopedia is very much the other books that make up the core rules. Where the detail is provided (data, personal equipment, vehicles and starships), making up the bulk of the text, it is very substantial and of great use in play. However this is hamstrung by some equally inexplicable gaps (e.g., computers). As mentioned in previous reviews the organisation of the rules evidently were not considered closely. Obviously as a core book this is essential for play and it certainly fulfills that requirement, however, like the others a little more care and consideration would have changed Megatraveller from a good game to a great game.
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