OT_ MOO3

[klausD]

Baron,
I am sorry. I dont think you are right if you say that MOO3 is rather a Moo2,5.
Just imagine the radical change of the tactical combat. Its real time! (One reason I will not buy this MOO3 game.)
This game will be rather like a more complicated shogun or medievial, not like MOO2. They just took the background and some races/names of MOO2.
I said it often before and I will say it once more. MOO3 will never reach the qualtity of MOO2 or the SE series.
There is a long row of similar unlucky game experiments like: MAX II, Deadlock II, Age of Wonders II (yes!)....-and I hope NOT SE5

bye
Klaus

[Baron Munchausen]

According to information posted on this BB forum, yes, SE V will have 'real time' combat because the RPG spin-off -- which is 'real time' -- will be a test/proof of concept for the combat portion of SE V. As long as it is ONLY the combat part of the game I don't think this is a big deal. One of the problems in making combat 'fair' is initiative. Something close to 'real time' (at least, many very small turns) is really required to make combat fair for smaller, quicker ships. Depending on how it's done I think it can turn out much better than the current system. Combat in MOO II was the one thing that was really better than original MOO, btw.

[ September 06, 2002, 02:28: Message edited by: Baron Munchausen ]

[Puke]

as long as it has strategic combat mode, so we can still put 20 players in a game and run 4 turns a week.

more complex, detailed, and inteligent orders for strategic combat would be nice too. i could care less about tactical or realtime, unless having the solid tactical backend helps the game render better strategic combat.

[klausD]

Baron,
"only" real time tactical combat? for me this is not really just only. tactical combat is for me 50% of SE4. I love to test my ship design against those of my opponents. (in TB combat of course)

I like the SE series really much since they start (I think I was one of the first who cought up the Modding and limited resources discussion in the SE mailling list several years ago) and I hope that Aaron will not "develope" the game in this new trendy "real time" direction. Why changing a system which is functional and well introduced? Improving yes - but not changing. For me this would be not a good way to bring SE series along. (and it has also a good chance to flop - as my lately posted game examples show)

I also dont find that you can compare an initiative impulse system like you and Barnacle Bill would like to have is similar to a real time system.
In real time the time impulse is infinitely small and thus a user cannot check precisely in which of those microimpulses to act. Therefore a guy which has a certain trained mouse ability is ALWAYS in advantage to another guy which has not this ability. And this is guilty in every game with RT sequences. (included SFB and Harpoon and so on) Some people claim that everybody has "enough" time for clicking/commanding their forces. But this argument is not valid, because its not true. In EVERY real time game the right mouse click at the right time is always better than the the right mouse click at the wrong time. And this puts a heavy disadvantage on untrained mouseclickers. I would like to have the SE series to be games which are a contests of the minds not of the fingers.

bye
Klaus

[PvK]

Well it could have simultaneous resolution with turn-based orders phases, like The Cosmic Balance, Begin, Wooden Ships & Iron Men, etc.

PvK

[Puke]

from avault:

Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 6:12 am CT
MOO3 Development Update
Reported by: David Laprad

If game development were an exact science, ambitious games would never be delayed. And if there were never any delays, Master of Orion 3 might have been out eons ago. But when it comes to dealing with an ever-changing master design and the volatile waters of fan expectations, science is nowhere to be seen. With that in mind, the Adrenaline Vault on Tuesday spent a few moments on the phone with Infogrames' senior producer Constantine Hantzopoulos to find out where Master of Orion 3 is on the production line and when it would reach the end.

When asked how much of MOO3 was done, Hantzopoulos said the game is approaching the alpha stage of development, which he defines as "feature complete" and when a project is "playable from start to finish." Although it's surprising that MOO3 hasn't reached alpha after 27 months of work, the senior producer says Infogrames and Quicksilver are still aiming for a Quarter 4 2002 release for the PC Version. "Fans will be playing MOO3 during the holidays," he said.

This will give the publisher and creator about two months to balance and play test the product before it hits stores. Look up the word "crunch" in Webster's dictionary, and you might see a picture of the MOO3 team, which Hantzopoulos said is busy locking up the game's final features. The Last items to be completed: The laws for the Orion Senate. These will allow players to bend or break MOO3's rules for a certain amount of time. After that comes extensive and highly scrutinous play balancing.

All of which, Hantzopoulos said, will result in a MOO game with deeper politics, richer diplomacy and better espionage than the 4X genre has ever seen. He also promises robust artificial intelligence: "While playing the game this weekend, I launched a ground assault with a huge armada and tons of troop transports. The AI misled me, outflanked me and destroyed my troop transports, which left me with nothing but my long- and short-range attackers. The computer went after my primary tactical element, which was cool."

Players hoping to get their hands on MOO3 before it hits stores may be disappointed to read that Infogrames is not planning for a public beta test or a demo. Instead, the publisher is focusing on getting the game out the door. "It'll be out soon. We won't make quarter 3 because we're holding it back for a little more polish. We're committed to making MOO3 bug free and well balanced," said Hantzopoulos, who leaves soon for a three-week trip to Quicksilver to "bring the game home." Infogrames is planning a private beta test utilizing about 25 people.

In Master of Orion 3, the sequel to one of the most acclaimed strategy games of all time, players become the controlling power behind an entire galactic civilization.

[oleg]

From Moo3 FAQ (www.orionsector.com) :

"Will you be able to play by email?
No. Why would you? "