Moo3
Big_Game_Hunter
Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10539Members, Constellation
Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10539Members, Constellation
<div class="IPBDescription">Master of Orion 3</div> Ok, I just got this game and I have mixed feelings. I think it has brilliant gameplay, but in other areas it is severely lacking.
Pros:
1) The most innovative, clever macromanagement system I've ever seen. For every micro decision, you can make there almost always 2 or 3 macro layers above it. The exceptions being diplomacy and espionage.
2) Enormous complexity and depth: huge tech trees, details from the broadest policy down to the smallest individual decisions, pages and pages of financial and economic information, complete control over every aspect of war. It would be less complex to ACTUALLY run an interstellar empire. It may seem daunting at first but once you get the hang of it, it makes for a fascinating game.
3) In my opinion, MOO3 is to MOO2 what MOO2 <i>should</i> have been to MOO. In other words, a vastly improved game.
Cons:
1) The worst graphics I've seen in at least 6 years. I mean, it takes a special kind of crappiness to make even text look bad, not to mention all the other visual nightmares.
2) Incredibly poor help system and tutorial. There are many mystery-meat symbols with no explanation offered. There is a total lack of good tool-tips. Many, many aspects of the game are either very difficult to have explained or are simply undocumented.
3) Questionable user interface and poor control. Crummy key lay-out that is uncustomizable, and a lack to take advantage of mouse controls, e.g. the right button is not used EVER, not to mention any other button.
4) Big gaffes in space combat control. Some of my first battles I sent a scout to kill a colony ship and I made the mistake of clicking "Watch." Oh. my. god. It forces you to watch a 10 minute battle of a scout inexplicably wandering around not attacking. You cannot escape; you cannot speed it up. What were they thinking? Single player space combat definitely needs time acceleration OR the ability to reliquish command in the middle of it.
Ultimately, I think it is a great game hiding under a horrible interface. It really feels like the publishers just got tired of waiting and forced them to release an unfinished game. I am really, really hoping for some sweeping patches to be released.
What do you all think?
Pros:
1) The most innovative, clever macromanagement system I've ever seen. For every micro decision, you can make there almost always 2 or 3 macro layers above it. The exceptions being diplomacy and espionage.
2) Enormous complexity and depth: huge tech trees, details from the broadest policy down to the smallest individual decisions, pages and pages of financial and economic information, complete control over every aspect of war. It would be less complex to ACTUALLY run an interstellar empire. It may seem daunting at first but once you get the hang of it, it makes for a fascinating game.
3) In my opinion, MOO3 is to MOO2 what MOO2 <i>should</i> have been to MOO. In other words, a vastly improved game.
Cons:
1) The worst graphics I've seen in at least 6 years. I mean, it takes a special kind of crappiness to make even text look bad, not to mention all the other visual nightmares.
2) Incredibly poor help system and tutorial. There are many mystery-meat symbols with no explanation offered. There is a total lack of good tool-tips. Many, many aspects of the game are either very difficult to have explained or are simply undocumented.
3) Questionable user interface and poor control. Crummy key lay-out that is uncustomizable, and a lack to take advantage of mouse controls, e.g. the right button is not used EVER, not to mention any other button.
4) Big gaffes in space combat control. Some of my first battles I sent a scout to kill a colony ship and I made the mistake of clicking "Watch." Oh. my. god. It forces you to watch a 10 minute battle of a scout inexplicably wandering around not attacking. You cannot escape; you cannot speed it up. What were they thinking? Single player space combat definitely needs time acceleration OR the ability to reliquish command in the middle of it.
Ultimately, I think it is a great game hiding under a horrible interface. It really feels like the publishers just got tired of waiting and forced them to release an unfinished game. I am really, really hoping for some sweeping patches to be released.
What do you all think?
Comments
Can anyone provide some screenshots etc?
Notice the lack of screenshots on the official site.
<a href='http://www.gamesdomain.com/gdreview/zones/reviews/pc/feb03/moo_08.html' target='_blank'>Here</a> and <a href='http://mediaviewer.ign.com/ignMediaPage.jsp?channel_id=59&object_id=14808&adtag=network=ign&site=pchubtype%3Dpartnerviewer%26pagetype%3Darticle&page_title=Master%20of%20Orion%20III' target='_blank'>here</a> are some screens.
It's tough to tell what the game looks like from these. The major gripe is that it is locked in 800 x 600 x 16bit resolution. Also the small text is horribly ugly, space combat looks crappy, most screens are pretty bland, and there are many glaring visual design mistakes