Master of Orion 3 - First Impressions

Raxmei · Post by **Raxmei** » 2003-02-27 09:56pm

I forgot to ask earlier: Are you allowed to have more than six types of ship at a time now?

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-27 09:58pm

Oh yes, you can build dozens of diffrent design types of Warship and orbital platform now if you want to.

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-02-27 10:14pm

Sokar wrote:LOL , that took me a couple of trys too, go to the Planets screen, click on Orders and pick a world you want to send a colony to, dispatch a Colony ship to the system and it wiill automatically colonize the world you've selected.

LOL!!

I just figured it out...

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-27 10:17pm

Its a tad bit clunky, but the cool thing is that you can delegate thoes jobs to your viceroys all you have to do is order the construction of the ships and the AI will auto-colonize viable worlds as long as there are ships available

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 10:20pm

Sokar wrote:Its a tad bit clunky, but the cool thing is that you can delegate thoes jobs to your viceroys all you have to do is order the construction of the ships and the AI will auto-colonize viable worlds as long as there are ships available

That really helps negate the interface, although it really hasn't been a hindrance to me at all. I know only like a third of what the screens mean after about 12 hours of gameplay, but I am getting good...
My latest conquest: The complete destruction of a small galaxy infested with those lizard dudes.

Build up warships, and boom!
Oh, not to mention defense platform sabotage teams help too.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 10:20pm

Sokar wrote:Its a tad bit clunky, but the cool thing is that you can delegate thoes jobs to your viceroys all you have to do is order the construction of the ships and the AI will auto-colonize viable worlds as long as there are ships available

That really helps negate the interface, although it really hasn't been a hindrance to me at all. I know only like a third of what the screens mean after about 12 hours of gameplay, but I am getting good...
My latest conquest: The complete destruction of a small galaxy infested with those lizard dudes.

Build up warships, and boom!
Oh, not to mention defense platform sabotage teams help too.

I caused one to fall out of orbit and hit the planet's capital city, killig millions of muderous lizards.

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 10:21pm

Double post.
Please erase it and this post too please.

EmperorMing · Post by **EmperorMing** » 2003-02-27 10:22pm

Now all we need is a ship icon editer so that we can insert pics of Star Destroyers into the game...

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 10:24pm

EmperorMing wrote:Now all we need is a ship icon editer so that we can insert pics of Star Destroyers into the game...

Cool.

But I am content with my fleets pounding helpless colonies into radioactive dust for now.

Perhaps if I stopped BDZing every planet I encounter I might not be so hated by the council...

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-02-27 11:25pm

Do they still have the Stellar Converter, MoO2's version of the Death Star Superlaser (which a Titan could carry two of, and a Doom Star at least three, IIRC)?

Captain tycho · Post by **Captain tycho** » 2003-02-27 11:29pm

The Dark wrote:Do they still have the Stellar Converter, MoO2's version of the Death Star Superlaser (which a Titan could carry two of, and a Doom Star at least three, IIRC)?

I don't think so, but I've only gotten so far into the manual and game.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-02-27 11:31pm

The Doom Star was removed. Not sure about the Stellar Converter

Xon · Post by **Xon** » 2003-02-27 11:58pm

The Stellar converter is still in, there was an FAQ on how to get to use it on the official forums(after you had got the tech of course).

phongn · Post by **phongn** » 2003-02-28 12:56am

The Dark wrote:Do they still have the Stellar Converter, MoO2's version of the Death Star Superlaser (which a Titan could carry two of, and a Doom Star at least three, IIRC)?

You could carry quite a bit more than that, though I usually didn't use it.

Faram · Post by **Faram** » 2003-02-28 03:29am

The Dark wrote:Do they still have the Stellar Converter, MoO2's version of the Death Star Superlaser (which a Titan could carry two of, and a Doom Star at least three, IIRC)?

I allwaysd thought stellar convertors sucked, gimme Mauler Devices more punch for the buck

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2003-02-28 09:22am

Stellar converter, mauler, BAH. I could build a titan around a plasma cannon platform in MOO2 that could wipe the floor up with any armada of any size and not take a hit in return, regardless of the opponent (the plasma cannon has the best punch for the dollar in terms of space taken up, at something like 35 damage for 5 space on HV modification). And my record for stellar converters on a Doom Star is 9, but that's way into the game with some serious tech bonuses and miniaturization. You need to get Power, Construction, Physics, Chemistry and Fields to Advanced Level 6 (that's where miniaturization stops being counted - you won't hit a smaller degree of miniaturization regardless of how far you push the Advanced Leve from there). At that point, HV plasma cannons cost 5 space, stellar converters cost 200 space, and shields all cost the same space.

It was too easy to mix and match tech in that game to make yourself essentially invulnerable.

Thunderfire · Post by **Thunderfire** » 2003-02-28 10:35am

Maulers autohit. They are not to bad for races with a
bad attack rating. Plain Plasma Cannons are best.
I can load 396 of them on a doom star.

Post by **Vympel** » 2003-02-28 10:42am

Looking around the MOO3 board, most people are willing to learn the new game- especially that fighting against the AI and trying to micromanage your planets is stupid- the game wasn't meant to be played that way. You macromanage instead of micromanage I guess.

Post by **Lagmonster** » 2003-02-28 10:44am

The real question is, will people who played MOO2 like it heralded the Second Coming enjoy MOO3, or will they resort to, "It's pretty and complicated, but not as fun as MOO2."?

Col. Crackpot · Post by **Col. Crackpot** » 2003-02-28 11:44am

Lagmonster wrote:The real question is, will people who played MOO2 like it heralded the Second Coming enjoy MOO3, or will they resort to, "It's pretty and complicated, but not as fun as MOO2."?

i'd fit into that catagory, and i will be buying MoO3 as soon as i get out of work. if you don't hear from me for a week or so, well then take that as a de facto heralding of the third coming!

also, to those that have played...do the ship designs advance with technology or are they the same limited number of designs?....one thing i didn't like about MoO 1 and 2 was the limited number of ship icons.

jegs2 · Post by **jegs2** » 2003-02-28 11:54am

MOO3 is one of two games for which I've been waiting over a year, and I even have my wife's permission to get it (the other is Star Wars Galaxies). The reviews sound promising.

Sokar · Post by **Sokar** » 2003-02-28 12:54pm

Lagmonster wrote:The real question is, will people who played MOO2 like it heralded the Second Coming enjoy MOO3, or will they resort to, "It's pretty and complicated, but not as fun as MOO2."?

Its the third coming, its complicated as all hell , and I'll admit , its going to take me a good two three weeks of play to really get the hang of this one, Ive never had a game do that to me! But despite that , where with most games Id say "Fuck it..." this one keeps me coming back as each ass kicking or mass rebellion(due to attempting to tax my citizenry back to the boonies)gives me a little more insight into the game.
Im actually think of going and picking up the Prima guide to help speed up the learning curve a bit......I know I'm a pussy , but I have it on good authority that it will help

The Dark · Post by **The Dark** » 2003-02-28 01:01pm

I just liked the stellar converter because those $#&! Antarans couldn't reflect it. I'd generally have three Doom Stars with converters and a bunch of cruisers with fast missile racks, a couple mass drivers, and as many x2 Zeon Missile launchers as they could carry. Heavy first round throw weight with the ability to plink crippled enemies afterwards.

Shadowhawk · Post by **Shadowhawk** » 2003-02-28 02:58pm

I bought the game Wednesday (along with Animal Crossing, .hack//INFECTION, and Xenosaga--I'm gonna be busy!), and spent about 6 hours playing it Thursday (wasn't able to Wednesday).

I started in a huge 3-arm spiral galaxy with 8 races on medium, and eventually chose the Psilons, but modified them to drop their diplomacy to good and raised mining or engineering up a notch.

I think I've got the hang of the game now--or, at least, I'm about 50GC in and I haven't been conquered yet. I'm still low-race on the totem pole, though.

My biggest disappointment is with the Encyclopedia. Frankly, it's pathetic compared to Civ3's Civilopedia or Alpha Centauri's Datalinks. I either want tool-tips that link to a full entry or to be able to right-click on anything in the game to get an encyclopedia entry. I still don't know what some icons mean (what's with the green star in a box next to some planets in the system screen?), and I don't know what effect Specials have on a planet until I actually colonize it. The manual is similarly deficient.

I don't like that I can't see what DEA improvements are being built (Soil Enrichment, improved mining techniques, etc).

I do like spying--it's somewhat better than MoO2.
I do like the way Research is conducted--that you can't specifically direct it.
I do like the diplomacy, although I miss being able to do multiple things in a single communication--there doesn't seem to be a way to request one thing (trade agreement) and sweeten the pot with a technology or something, without doing it in two different messages.
I wish the diplomatic avatars animated throughout the entire time you're on-screen, though.
I'm still not entirely sure how my individual planets finances relate to my Empire's finances.

I do rather like the shipbuilder, but it's somewhat less friendly than MoO2's.
I'm not sure about combat yet--my two scouts got pasted by superior forces, so I couldn't really do anything.
I don't like that I can't see a ship's stats unless I go to the Shipyards tab and look at my existing designs.
It's too easy to re-route your ships--I accidentally sent a defense fleet on a 7-turn detour because I didn't notice I had sent them back home.
I do like the starlanes idea.

I'd prefer a tabbed sort-list in the Planets tab rather than drop-down menus.

I wish there was more obvious control over moons.
The system and planet screens are great.

I shall have more opinions as I play more.

MKSheppard · Post by **MKSheppard** » 2003-02-28 08:47pm

MOO3 report:

Dissapointment so far:

Why:

No control over research......dammit, I want to tell my guys to develop
the death ray of DOOM Mk3 instead of some dumbshit missile!