I think there were 3 of them in total. The original was early 80s, then the one in 1989, and finally Matrix put out a version sometime in the first decade of this century which was buggy and didn’t do well.
I think part of the problem also was it was a rather simple game. In a lot of ways it was a port of the boardgame Stellar Conquest to the pc, which worked in the 80s but was lacking after what came after in the next 20 years.
What game do people think has done tech research the best? The Sots games had unique techs right, at the very least the ftl technology. I know Stellaris originally tried that, but couldn’t get the ai to handle all the different options and dropped it. I need to go play the original Sots. Could you salvage the tech from opponents and learn it?
I’ve always liked how in the MoO game you focused on research areas, and the setback/breakthrough mechanism. I’ve always wished there was something better than sitting there looking at the tree and picking okay next we will invent the wheel. I understand why it has been that way, but wish there was a more interesting way to do it that really captured how progress really happens.
Also if it is possible to have more unique tech lines, but I don’t know really what that would look like. In the end you are basically ending up with directed energy, kinetic, and plasma weapons of some form right? Just something I’ve been thinking about the last day or so, thinking about what could’ve been with MoO3 if the reality had matched the hype. Stellaris boils it down to the most basic thing where it is all the same generic techs for everyone pretty much IIRC.
I found this website for the person that did the moo3 patching: Master of Orion 3 Patcher
Reading through the fixes, apparently they renamed a file related to Diplomacy before release, but the name wasn’t updated in the code. I’m surprised they didn’t at least clean that up in the official patches. Reading some of the fixes though it was quite a mess: Ground combat modifiers for races not having an impact; ai unable to invade worlds more than 1 turn away due to transport fleets disbanding; signed 32-bit value for your treasury causing it to go negative when it gets too high and bankrupting your empire.
I really loved the research in Interstellar Space: Genesis.
Ugh, I’ve been trying to Google it. It was a space strategy game, but 1990-1992. This is well before Ascendancy but in a similar vein.
Right now I’m just browsing through this resource, which is incredible
Oh wow.
Nice. I really should’ve done a better job keeping things over the years, though I have no idea where I keep it all.
Edit: Bloodnet by Microprose. I don’t think I’ve heard of that before now. A cyberpunk/vampires game. Hmmm.
Aren’t Cylons silver? Seems like it should pass review :)
I’m disappointed that they didn’t have the best SimCity box cover:
Ugh, 2000 game boxes and I didn’t see what I’m looking for. Possible I missed it, or the site had an alternative cover, but now it’s driving me sorta mad.
FOUND IT
Heh, the same game I was looking for :)
Oh cool, it’s got the Planescape: Torment guy in it.
It’s got a proto-MOO feel to it, coming a full four years before that game. I played the hell out of it.
Supremacy was awesome. First 4x (of sorts) I ever played, on the Atari ST.
Oh wow, nice find. I never got around to playing Overlord.
The funny thing is when I asked the other day I hardly have any recollection of the gameplay itself, which makes sense since I played just that one day at the friend’s house. I just had a vague memory of the planet info screen, with that circular scope window thing. The thing that stuck with me over the years was the back cover of that Overlord box.
Also funny that @Woolen_Horde and I were looking for the same game.
Hah yeah that’s hilarious.
@BrianRubin did you ever go back and try Nebulous: Fleet Command again? I’m wondering if the interface improved at all from when you first tried it.
No, the game terrifies me. I’m waiting for 1.0, then hopefully it’ll be approachable enough for me to grok.
