Skills improve with their successful use and may also be boosted by exchanging certain items to NPCs. You cannot purchase skills as in MegaTraveller, however. Puzzles are solved by exploring, and there are over 100 historically accurate and intricately detailed locations on earth alone. While exploring, your character looks at and examines objects and talks to NPCs. There is no automapping, but few mazes require mapping so this was not a major detriment to play.
Many puzzles involve finding the key that opens the lock.
You're challenged to use the clues to assemble objects and operate them in the right manner and location to solve the puzzles. The combat system is similar to version 3.0 of MegaTraveller 1. Weapons are selected, next you pick your targets and then the battle begins. Space combat is based on firepower, but you can also link with and board an enemy ship for melee battles. Then combat proceeds much as it would on land.