Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tiara on March 13, 2003, 07:37:06 am

Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 13, 2003, 07:37:06 am
Ok, I just bought MOO2 for $2 :p Couldn't let that one slip. But I'm not sure if I should buy MOO3. I've read some of the reviews and they are not as positive as with MOO2.

Could the people who have played the game please say what they think of it. I'm not going to throw $40 out of the window. (May not be the exact price, can't remember)
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Styxx on March 13, 2003, 07:55:55 am
Didn't play the game, but I heard it sucks. :D
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 13, 2003, 08:58:18 am
Bump!

Bump?

BUMP!!!!
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Crazy_Ivan80 on March 13, 2003, 10:30:12 am
I have MOO3

potentially a great game, but it has... er...issues. Player mods are resolving this though (very easy to mod this one)

BTW: MOO3 isn't for the mircomanagement nuts. You can do it but it'll drive you insane.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 13, 2003, 10:32:02 am
So, is it worth the money or not?
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on March 13, 2003, 02:35:59 pm
When did MOO3 come out? And why was I not informed?

Tremble before my DOOM STAR!
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Dark_4ce on March 13, 2003, 02:42:18 pm
Played MOO3. Didn't like it. As been mentioned before, it has issues. I'd spend my money on something more interesting. LIKE RAVEN SHIELD!!!
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Petrarch of the VBB on March 13, 2003, 02:43:34 pm
The Rainbow Six games are very good, except for the missions.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Fury on March 13, 2003, 03:01:06 pm
I have MoO3 and I like it a lot. It has potential but is currently plagued by small bugs or other bug like issues. When properly patched, MoO3 will be great game.

MoO2 also sucked when it first came out, but patches saved it. :)

Petrarch of the VBB, sorry no Doom Stars. You have more hull sizes than in MoO2 howewer, and stellar conventer is still there. ;7

Be warned though, MoO3 is not a modern MoO2. It is little different.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 03:03:13 pm
I got MOO3. I like it but I will warn you of a few things right now.

1) Steep learning curve. I had okay time with it, some have trouble. READ THE MASTERS NOTES. They help.

2) It is very different from MOO2. Very. You do not micromanage. The AI takes care of it. You can turn it off but I find it's a big help. You just have to learn to use development plans.

3) Some people don't like the interface. I think it's fine. Matter of oppinion really...

4) Graphically, it won't wow you. It's meant to be functional more then pretty. Does what it has to do.

5) The AI has some issues...hopefully being ironed out.

6) You can't name stars or pick your color. This sux. Hopefully addressed in a patch.

7) You can't refit your ships once they're built. I hate this and hope to GOD they will fix it.

8) Starlanes are the only fast way to travel between stars. To get to a star without starlanes, you will be taking a LONG LONG TIME

9) Taskforces. All your ships have to be put in task forces which have rules limiting the number and type of ship in them.

However, there are solutions to several of these. Here is the plus side to all of this.
It's VERY VERY VERY EASY TO MOD.
All the information the system uses is in txt files contained within MOB archives. These can be opened with winzip.

Editing the txt files is as easy as tabling in Freespace. Maybe easier.

Just go to the MOO3 site and on the board go to Fan Modifications. Heck go here, I describe how to do it: http://www.warpstorm.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=2027

You can alter everything from system names to ship speeds to AI parameters, everything.

What I've done so far:

1) All races now have 150 pick points instead of 0 for modifying. Gives some improvement room.

2) The AI now builds more Warships then transports.

3) I eliminated the specific ship limiters in Task Force menu. You can build a fleet of various sizes made up of ANY type of ships. An armada can now have 15-20 scout ships if you want.

4) Starlanes are faster. You can also now reach a star without a lane in MUCH less time (like between 5 and 40 turns instead of 80-400).

5) All ship icons in space combat are now bigger. Looks better.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Fury on March 13, 2003, 03:06:54 pm
Quote
Originally posted by HeX
7) You can't refit your ships once they're built. I hate this and hope to GOD they will fix it.

I thought same way at first, but I am not looking for refit feature anymore. MoO3 plays fine without it.

Another feature I'd like to have is that orbitals should be listed in system ship list (or in their own list), so they can be easily found as scrapped when necessary.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 03:08:29 pm
The only time I have a problem with no refit is when I've got a taskforce of warships and suddenly I get a ton of features like shields and bigger guns. Suddenly my fleet is....obsolete. It'd be nice to upgrade them.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Stryke 9 on March 13, 2003, 03:09:05 pm
Basically, the only real problem (and it's a deadly one) is that the AI controls EVERYTHING, but the AI is a functional retard. Just in the past week I've heard enough stories of colony ship after colony ship being sent to enemy bases, military complexes being raised on farming planets, and enemies that just plain won't attack to keep me off the game for good. If you're gonna make the AI the core of the game, you don't use a set of scripts that probably originally belonged to the ghosts in Pac-Man.

Apparently it ain't so bad in multiplayer (you can override SOME of the AI's stupidities if you don't mind a lot of work with a bad interface), but in order to PLAY MP you've got to install that ****ty piece of Gamespy spyware that's pretty much the Polish virus given an upgrade.

In ten or twelve years, when it's been patched, upgraded, fixed, and broken in, it might be playable. But by then far, far better games will have come along. Stick to the original two.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 03:12:29 pm
umm...the AI only sends colony ships if you turn it on in the Empire window. Otherwise it'll never send colony ships. It defaults to off. I've never had a problem with it.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 03:14:31 pm
I dunno what all these complaints about interface are *shrug*

It's all pretty straightforward to me. There are shortcuts to everything if you read the readme. Escape key gets you out of the menu you're in.

I've had no problems with the interface at all.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Fury on March 13, 2003, 03:15:18 pm
Quote
Originally posted by HeX
The only time I have a problem with no refit is when I've got a taskforce of warships and suddenly I get a ton of features like shields and bigger guns. Suddenly my fleet is....obsolete. It'd be nice to upgrade them.

Your fleet is not obsolete. :)
Because all players have the same "problem", no fleet is immadiately obsolete.

Stryke 9, the idea of AI controlling all micromanagement is good. I admit that AI has it's flaws but I can live with it. And patches will most likely improve AI as well.

Hey, what can you expect? 90% of all games are plagues by bugs and other issues when they are released. It is really an achievement if the game is even playable without patches.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 03:17:20 pm
Only AI flaw I ever saw was it was building too many transports. Which I edited and fixed. :D
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Eishtmo on March 13, 2003, 07:12:59 pm
Read this. (http://www.quartertothree.com/columns/geryk_analysis/MOO3_1.shtml)
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 07:16:57 pm
Read it. Don't agree with it. :p
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Ace on March 13, 2003, 07:21:15 pm
I personally like MOO2 better at the moment. If MOO3's quirks get patched and fans pretty it up enough, then I think it could be a classic.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: elorran on March 13, 2003, 07:47:27 pm
MOO3's alright but as peopel have said it still has issues.  It's a good game in it's own right, but it's not really like the previous master of orion games.  Speaking of which you can actually download the original MOO game for free now on the same site where FS2 is also hosted, the underdogs.

http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=688
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 13, 2003, 08:57:11 pm
No you can't. Look again. You can BUY it from Chips and Bits.

That's been there a while.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Turnsky on March 13, 2003, 09:44:34 pm
got it for free on a gaming mag..
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: kode on March 14, 2003, 03:05:47 am
go play Ascendancy... At least it's available for download, and it's a great game too... http://www.the-underdogs.org/game.php?id=1525

I haven't tried MOO3 yet, but I will.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 14, 2003, 07:36:04 am
Hmmm... I found MOO2 strikingly similar to Space Empires IV... A bit too similar actually.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: elorran on March 14, 2003, 09:34:44 am
Strange, it was free for download a few months ago.  I downloaded it in October last year and know it was still active up until mid january of this year when I got a friend to download it.

It's all becuase MOO3 has just been released that people are taking interest again.  So they had it taken down and put on sale again... typical.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Crazy_Ivan80 on March 14, 2003, 02:40:11 pm
Tiara, if you're still interested in MOO3...

there's a rather good mod-pack out on teh official MoO3 forum:

Colin the Grey Mod for MOO3 (http://www.ina-community.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=274029)


do not play it on Impossible though as there is still uncertainty where it's broken or not.

Other than that the AI is proving to be a challenge for players.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 14, 2003, 07:05:14 pm
Meh, I prefer to Mod my own MOO. :D
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 15, 2003, 01:35:48 am
Are there any good mods for MOO2?
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 15, 2003, 05:32:00 am
I myself can't seem to find any... Even google has let me down...
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 15, 2003, 11:06:19 am
Meh... Nobody knows of a MOO2 mod?
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 15, 2003, 02:02:12 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Tiara
I myself can't seem to find any... Even google has let me down...


Hmmm...try typing in MOO3 in Google and going to the MOO3 Official Site, the Forums, and then try MOO/MOO2 Discussion. There are some there I think.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: HeX on March 15, 2003, 02:03:10 pm
Oh heck..here:
http://www.ina-community.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?forumid=276
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on March 15, 2003, 03:34:05 pm
Thanks Hex, but no mods :(

Another Q: Anyone know how to get the TEN (Total Entertainement Network) software to work on XP? It says it'll only run on Win95 when I try to install TEN.

Now I can't play online :(
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Eishtmo on March 15, 2003, 07:44:41 pm
Quote
Originally posted by HeX
Read it. Don't agree with it. :p


That's not the original review, its a rebuttal, of sorts.  I wouldn't dare tarnish you with the review as it would turn you into a slobbering moron hell bent on having Chick's head on a platter.

Now that I think about it though, the only real change would be wanting his head on a platter.
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: NeoHunter on March 30, 2003, 01:12:23 am
I just started playing MOO3. Got a problem here.

How do I build ships faster besides pumping more credits to Military? I want a fleet of Battleships but they are each taking about 20 over turns each. By the time I build a fleet powerful enough to fight the Orions, I will be 50 years old already...
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Ace on March 30, 2003, 01:31:26 pm
Quote
Originally posted by NeoHunter
I just started playing MOO3. Got a problem here.

How do I build ships faster besides pumping more credits to Military? I want a fleet of Battleships but they are each taking about 20 over turns each. By the time I build a fleet powerful enough to fight the Orions, I will be 50 years old already...


Welcome to MOO3 or How I Learned to Stop Fighting and Hate the Game :p

(Honestly the more I play it, the more I dislike MOO3, quite the opposite of the first two games which were instant affairs :p )
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: NeoHunter on April 01, 2003, 07:39:34 am
Well, that didn't answer my question...:blah:
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: Tiara on April 01, 2003, 07:40:55 am
well, not gonna buy it... untill its in the $5 bin :p
Title: Master of Orion
Post by: NeoHunter on April 01, 2003, 08:45:33 am
Can someone please answer my question?! Man...