Master of Orion 3 - First Impressions

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-26 10:35pm

Ok, I picked up my copy at about 5 this afternoon , and have been playing since around 6'ish and here are my first thoughts on the game

-The opening movie is the fucking BOMB, I wanted it to keep going...

-The graphics are nice and clean , but nothing to exciting, should run well even on older machines and lower end video cards

-They wern't kidding about the size and scope, goddamn, the medium sized cluster galaxy is larger than the MoO2 Huge Galaxy

-The races are all uber cool and all have something that they do well in, add in to that the ability to customize your own race , and this is one game that will NEVER get boring.

-The amount of info is almost overkill, but everything has a purpose to it ans its layed out nicely. I've had no problems with the fonts or finding information although I have gotten lost once or twice trying to get back to the galaxy display.

-The manual isn't quite as bad as it was made out to be, it list everything nicely, but some of it dosent work because it was written from an earlier beta, but it will still prime the pump well enough if you've played this type of game before. If your new to this type of game , pick up the Prima Strategy guide , it will help on everything but the tactical side

- be patient, I cant stress this enough, there is a shit load going on , but its all useful, play your first few games with the knowledge thaat you will likely get your assed kicked on easy, but experiment with diffrent combos and setting to find the one that works for you

-Post any questions or comments , and I'll do my best to answer:-)

Sokar out

Post by **weemadando** » 2003-02-26 10:38pm

All the reviews I've read have rated it from mediocre to just plain shoddy.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-02-26 10:40pm

weemadando wrote:All the reviews I've read have rated it from mediocre to just plain shoddy.

In a world where the best games are those where the mindless drones just have to go from a to b....ofcourse it will be mediocre to shoddy...it's making people think!...what on earth were these designers thinking?!

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-26 10:44pm

I picked it up today too.

I gotta say, I am impressed.
Like you said, the galaxy is fucking HUGE.
First game I got my ass kicked though....

Oh well.
I got all this weekend to plan my conquests...

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-02-26 10:45pm

damn you all!..

Time to save for my copy

Post by **weemadando** » 2003-02-26 10:49pm

Coaan wrote:
weemadando wrote:All the reviews I've read have rated it from mediocre to just plain shoddy.
In a world where the best games are those where the mindless drones just have to go from a to b....ofcourse it will be mediocre to shoddy...it's making people think!...what on earth were these designers thinking?!

:roll:

Actually the reviews I've read are from sources I trust like GamesDomain.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-26 10:56pm

weemadando wrote:All the reviews I've read have rated it from mediocre to just plain shoddy.

The average PC game reviewer gets between 6 and 10 new titles a week from various manufacturers, ranging from RTS to FPS with a few massive strategic/wargames thrown in. I seriously doubt any of them have put in the time needed to full grasp the depth of this game. I'm just now , after almost 6 hours of play, beginning to skim the surface of how it all works. It really is something, and its not shoddy, it hasn't even twitched once on my machine, a first for most games where before I've even played one minute I have to go get a patch just so it will load right.....

If you liked HoI or the Original MoO/MoO2 combo, pick this one up, you wont regret it. I'm a hars judge of games , and this one has me enthralled already.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-02-26 10:58pm

weemadando wrote:
Coaan wrote:
weemadando wrote:All the reviews I've read have rated it from mediocre to just plain shoddy.
In a world where the best games are those where the mindless drones just have to go from a to b....ofcourse it will be mediocre to shoddy...it's making people think!...what on earth were these designers thinking?!

Actually the reviews I've read are from sources I trust like GamesDomain.

Critics in my experience find a genre they like and stick to it, when something is released they dislike, they rate it as such...some people do not like having to think while playing a game such as Moo3, some people do not like having to devise strategies upon strategies to best an entire civiliziation which can potentially be just as cunning and deceptive.

Some people use games as mindless entertainment to get away from the real world where using your head is a given, alot of it can be mere stress relief.

Personally I love these types of games, even the cheesiest of strategy games has held my attention and still does....shadow company anyone? I like having to think to best an enemy, not have it determined how much I strafe.

Games which make you think are in decline because general stupidity is rising.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-02-26 11:04pm

Sokar, when you've gotten few dozen game hours in can you report to us?

Post by **weemadando** » 2003-02-26 11:05pm

I love games that require indepth thinking and planning, hell I think that I've played EVERY POSSIBLE VARIANT on missions in R6 (and yes, I'm well aware that there are MILLIONS of them).

But, the main criticism has been that the game just doesn't play well. Its interface is apparently clunky and leads to unenjoyable game time.

Coaan · Post by **Coaan** » 2003-02-26 11:08pm

With the amount of information it's throwing around...the interface is bound to be heavy but things like Ig3 will be no better....flat down strategy always do have difficult interfaces....does anyone remember birth of the federation?...it's interface was done rather Cack handedly..but the game was phenominal in terms of gameplay.

We will need more reports from the front lines however.

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-02-26 11:26pm

How does it compare to SE4 Gold?

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-26 11:32pm

phongn wrote:Sokar, when you've gotten few dozen game hours in can you report to us?

Most certainly

weemadando wrote:But, the main criticism has been that the game just doesn't play well. Its interface is apparently clunky and leads to unenjoyable game time.

It is a bit clunky, at first, but you quickly learn which ones you'll use all the time and others you only need to check on occasion or only when an event happens. Like I've said, this game takes thought and TIME, you literally have to break this game in rather than just start playing away.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-26 11:33pm

Dalton wrote:How does it compare to SE4 Gold?

SE4 Gold ? Don't recognize that one Dalton......

Post by **Dalton** » 2003-02-26 11:34pm

Sokar wrote:
Dalton wrote:How does it compare to SE4 Gold?
SE4 Gold ? Don't recognize that one Dalton......

Meh, it was more for Phong or anyone else who might conceivably play both.

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-02-26 11:36pm

Dalton wrote:
Sokar wrote:
Dalton wrote:How does it compare to SE4 Gold?
SE4 Gold ? Don't recognize that one Dalton......
Meh, it was more for Phong or anyone else who might conceivably play both.

I don't have SE4 or MOO3, actually.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-26 11:37pm

Ah! Right on

Off to log some more hours of MoO3 goodness.......I'll report back later

brothersinarm · Post by **brothersinarm** » 2003-02-27 01:06am

Yesss!!! I can run it. I can't believe it but my computer, despite being old and fragile can run it. (pops open a bottle of champaine)

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-02-27 01:08am

I hope you guys post some more tonight. I want to read more of it.

And if it is as good as you say, I will go and get it tomorrow when I get off work.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 01:21am

Well boys.
I just got me ass wuped on it.

'Course, it was set to 'hard' and it's only the third game I played.
Extremely addictive.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-27 01:46am

Dear God......
I may never sleep again...lol

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-27 01:50am

EmperorMing wrote:I hope you guys post some more tonight. I want to read more of it.

And if it is as good as you say, I will go and get it tomorrow when I get off work.

Its very good, but it may not be everyones cup of tea. Its one hell of a mouthfull of game, even more than Hearts of Iron, which now looks dinky and simplistic by comparison.

Do you have any specific questions? I'll try to answer...

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-02-27 01:54am

Sokar wrote:
EmperorMing wrote:I hope you guys post some more tonight. I want to read more of it.

And if it is as good as you say, I will go and get it tomorrow when I get off work.
Its very good, but it may not be everyones cup of tea. Its one hell of a mouthfull of game, even more than Hearts of Iron, which now looks dinky and simplistic by comparison.

Do you have any specific questions? I'll try to answer...

I have played the first two installments, and have messed with SE3/4. And I do like strategy games to the point of addiction...

My questions would be:

Comparison to the original.
Real time or turn based.
Play options.
Overall feel. (easier, harder, simplistic...)

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 01:59am

Sokar wrote:Dear God......
I may never sleep again...lol

Not a problem with me, considering I'm an insomniac.

Play play play....

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-27 02:21am

EmperorMing wrote:Comparison to the original

Hmmm......most of my MoO experience is with 2 rather than the original, but the few times I played it, this version feels more like the original MoO rather than MoO2.

EmperorMing wrote:Real time or turn based

Both, the main game is turn based, while the space combat is real time. This sounds odd, but it really does work, it keeps the board game feel for much of the game and lets you make sure all your ducks are in a row before committing to your next turn. The real time combat speeds up the combat phase immesurably, no more 3 hour click fests with dozens of BB's and Titans like in MoO2, and its damn fun to play and watch.

EmperorMing wrote:Play options

ENDLESS , 16 pregenerated races, and options to create a custom race. Add in to that 7 diffrent galaxy scales ranging from Small Cluster(50 stars) to Huge Three Arm Galaxy(250 stars). Number of Starlanes(your prototypical hyperspace highway between stars, Starfire Warp Points but you can still cross interstellar space just not as quickly) is also variable from Few Short(means each star has one to two short starlanes) to Many Long(each star has several connecting points and can potentially reach across the galaxy). Add to all of this the fact that each Galaxy is randomly generated....play on forever

EmperorMing wrote:Overall feel. (easier, harder, simplistic...)

Overall, compared to previous titles , its harder, yet it has far more depth and play aspects. This is the ultimate expression of substance over form in a game, it dosent look like much from the outside(almost looks like "Quicken: The Game" at times) but once your in there playing, establishing colonies , exploring starlanes and balancing the needs of your poulace versus your own need to glory and battle its very engrossing. It has a feel and flavor unlike anything Ive played before, it evokes a response, and challenges me mentally as well as visceraly. An example from the game I was just playing , I was tinkering with the Empire Wide Tax rate, and inadvertantly caused a planet to revolt and break away from my Empire, I actually felt BETRAYED for a moment, Ive rarely had a game evoke a true emotional response, however slight before. I think this game is going to take up permanent residence on my HD for a VERY , VERY long time