Master Of Orion 3 (Mac)
Retail Price:
Our Price:
You Save:
Average Rating: 2
This item is not available for sale
Availability:
Sales Rank & Price Trend
Product Details
Description
The Master of Orion series is synonymous with addictive turn-based strategy gameplay. Though the premise--choosing a unique alien race and then leading it in a galactic quest for glory--isn't new, there is something about the series that draws people back. Is it the original take on the diplomatic, economic, military, and exploratory components of galactic conquest? Is it the intrigue of the Antarans, an ancient and predatory race that always seems to pop out of hyperspace to attack at just the wrong time? Is it the sense of accomplishment that comes from building a functioning interstellar empire? Frankly, I don't know. But for whatever reason, these games are notorious for creating a bad case of Just One More Turn syndrome.
Master of Orion 3, then, has large shoes to fill. Appropriately, "bigger" is one of the best adjectives that can be used to describe this third installment. Fans of micromanagement are in for a treat, as the most noticeable new feature is the vast number of options available. The level of control is nice, but can be overwhelming--you'll sometimes find yourself swimming in a sea of menus, interconnected sliders, and check boxes. The array of empire management tools are all used to advance along one of three paths to victory: dominating your enemies militarily, getting elected as president of the Orion senate, or finding all five hidden artifacts.
Each planet in your empire has many components that must be managed individually--including taxes, build queues, regional zoning, terraforming, resource collection, economic infrastructure development, and military versus planetary spending limits. Successful management leads to a productive planet; mismanagement results in revolt and unrest. A vital addition to the game is an AI viceroy for each planet. Viceroys will carry out mundane work based on empire-wide policies you can set, but don't expect them to do exactly what you want very often. And even with the help of viceroys, the galactic scale is no less daunting. You must manage not only a galactic budget and research, but also diplomatic relations, spy infiltration, and military development and deployment. The manner in which the player interacts with the Orion senate is new to MoO3. You can now become a member of the senate and use it to impose sanctions or declare war on other alien races.
When diplomatic negotiations fail, space and ground combat become necessary. You assign task forces mission types that include long-range attack, short-range attack, point-defense, indirect fire, and reconnaissance. Ground forces are likewise grouped into task forces based on their size and strength. Once in combat, you can opt to control things directly or sit back and let the computer take care of everything. You can even skip combat altogether and jump right to the outcome--the fastest and easiest way to manage battles.
In the end, Masters of Orion 3 succeeds with compelling gameplay that will leave you engrossed for hours (or days) at a time. Thanks to the strategic depth of the game, vast number of management options, diverse and interesting alien races, a randomly generated universe, and a sprawling technology tree, no two games will be alike. Though dense and complex, the payoff is well worth the effort. MoO3 is a fantastic title perfect for anyone who enjoys strategy games. --Jon "Safety Monkey" Grover
Pros:
- Engaging and immersive gameplay
- More depth, longer games, and greater diversity
- Addictive--expect to dump eight hours into a single session
- Multiplayer includes a turn-limits option and financial benefits for brief turns
Cons:
- Calling it "graphically dated" is being polite
- Incredible complexity may leave a lot of gamers confused
- Productivity, social life, family, and personal hygiene may suffer
Other Details
- EAN: 0828068103033
- ESRBAgeRating: Teen
- Label: Destineer
- Manufacturer: Destineer
- Model: 22886
- MPN: 10303
- NumberOfItems: 1
- Platform: Macintosh
- ReleaseDate: 2003-03-20
- UPC: 828068103033
- Package Dimensions: 7.50 in x 5.40 in x 1.40 in; 0.64 lb
Customer Reviews
This is not a game, it's an ENTERTAINING TOOL
I love strategy and reading the reviews here for MOO3, thought it would be really bad. Then I bought MOO2 and 3 at a low price to se what it was all about. First I played MOO2 to later compare MOO3 and...
... First: MOO2 is really good, turn based battles are just fun and construction of ships is engaging... (needless to say the year it was released and all the graphical issues), ok. I beat the game twice an then installed MOO3...
...Now, we are in front of a 100% different interface, ok, let's play , In strategy games I always choose the HUGE maps, fine, in MOO3 the time it takes to play in a small galaxy equals huge maps on other games due to the micromanagement required, I'm not complaining, just is the first game that I play on small maps, ok...
story short:
After a week and sleepless nights I coul finally understand the Game and I came up with one conclusion: IF YOU REALLY LIKE STRATEGY GAMES (including chess)and you understand the meaning of PATIENCE you'll be very entertained by this software (my case).
If you can't use your imagination, don't like to read, and your patience rating falls below 70% (minimum required) you won't enjoy MOO3 !!!
THE BIGEST FAULT BY THE DEVELOPERS WAS TO SELL THIS AS A GAME, IF ONLY THE BOX HAD WARNED YOU THE REAL COMLEXITIES OF MOO3, another story would be written on the reviews here ! IT'S A VERY CLEVER AND ENTERTAINING TOOL !. :)
So disappointed
I was really looking forward to this when it came out - I'm still a huge fan of MoO2. The third MoO game, however, was a huge letdown. In trying to save the player from having to micromanage, the developers created a horrible AI that never doew what you want. Very frustrating, not worth buying or playing.
Overwhelming yet disappointing and dated
The main problem with this game is that despite the graphical updates and some gameplay tweaks it just feels over 5 years out of date. The amount of micromanagement you can do is astounding. If you are a control freak and like to count grains of sand on a beach, then this is the game for you. For the rest of us mere mortals, the management detail required to really get the most out of this game is just WAY TOO MUCH. The manual is not only worthless, it is a complete waste of time to read it (140 pgs plus) as it tells you absolutely nothing that you can discern just by looking at the various in-game screen interfaces. I don't really need a manual that tells me the Unload All Ordinance button means you unload all of your ordinance (140+ pages of stupid drivel like that). Updates from the previous game include real-time space combat. On the surface this would seem great, however the graphics aren't even as good as an old Asteroids arcade game and the interface is limited to Move, Attack, Stop, and Retreat. What astonished me was the additional levels of complexity added to the strategy aspect of the game. MOO2 had copious, if not excessive, micromanagement tasks. MOO3 has increased the level of micromanagement detail by a factor of 10. For diehard fans of MOO2, this is probably fantastic. However, for the vast majority, it renders the game incomprehensible. Yes, you can opt to switch on the AI and let the computer management the detail stuff but you may soon find yourself just pushing the turn button to watch the computer play itself - where is the fun in that?
This game takes what made MOO2 successful and expanded upon that - greatly. Normally this would be a good idea, however in MOO3's case it is so complex, most people new to the game will find it like trying to decipher an encyclopedia written in a foreign language. In fact, I would warn anybody that hasn't played MOO2 to shy away from MOO3 - you are likely getting in over your head. For people who are extremely detail oriented and controlling this may be the game for you. For the rest of us, you are better off getting an old copy of MOO2 and trying it out first. If you don't like it, you certainly aren't going to like MOO3.
A graphically beautiful slog
...with a wonderful backstory. And boring gameplay. Such a shame.
What a Letdown
Nothing like MOO2. This game is clunky, takes forever, and is, to be blunt, terribly boring. There are some good ideas, but they got too complicated with everything, and it's not fun to play. The only way I'd recommend trying this game is if you can get it extremely cheap (try eBay). My guess? You'll play it once or twice, and give up. UGH.