Eye on MoO III (gamespot)

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Master of Orion III
Release Date: Spring 2002
Publisher: Infogrames
Developer: Quicksilver Software

The original Master of Orion, released in 1994, is generally considered to be a true strategy classic. It was a space strategy game that, like other such games, let you explore space, capturing resources, building fleets of starships, and eventually conquering entire planets. Yet it featured what many consider to be a near-perfect balance of a simple, easy-to-use interface with just enough strategic depth to keep the game itself interesting. As in other strategy games, you'd have to perform research to uncover certain technologies, as well as improve your battleships for the game's simple but enjoyable tactical fleet combat.

It was clear that Master of Orion more than deserved a sequel, but the sequel it received was the subject of some pretty strenuous debates. Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares was released in 1996 and was exponentially more complex that its predecessor. In fact, the sequel had just about every strategic nuance it could possibly have. Though this new complexity made the second game much more complex, it also made Battle at Antares far more difficult to play and enjoy, especially for new players.

But now the year is 2002, and the third Master of Orion game will be released soon. MOO III is being developed by Quicksilver Software, the same company that was responsible for the excellent board-game adaptation of Starfleet Command. And the third Master of Orion game will have features--like customizing both your starships' weapon loadout and firing patterns--from Starfleet Command, as well as from both of the previous games in the series. MOO III will expand on just about all of the features of MOO II; all of the exploration, tactical combat, and conquest of the previous game will be improved in the third game. What's more, MOO III will draw inspiration from another great strategy game, Civilization, and will feature new nonmilitary victory conditions. You can still win by conquering the universe, but you can also win in three new ways. The first is by diplomatic means--by establishing strong enough relations with neighboring galaxies to be elected the head of the Orion Senate. Or you can use the game's new disinformation system to weaken other galaxies' morale and eventually proclaim yourself heir to the intergalactic Orion throne. And similar to Civilization's space-race victory, MOO III will let you win through research if you can scavenge the remains of a mysterious alien race to discover a technological marvel known only as "the 5th X."

But despite the third game's complexity, the developers will also make sure that Master of Orion III isn't difficult to play. For starters, the game's interface will be extremely clean; it'll be uncluttered and easy to read, and it will let you jump from starship design to diplomacy, exploration, and tactical combat and back again in just a few short clicks. It will also feature an in-game reference and extra hints. More importantly, MOO III will feature an automation system that lets you automate just about any aspect of the game. If you don't want to manage every single one of your planets, you can install governors, give them specific orders, and let them manage things. If you don't want to carefully manage every last space battle, you can give your fleet a set of general orders and let them act accordingly. If you like, you'll basically be able to focus only on the aspects of the game that you're most interested in. It's a design that just might combine the original Master of Orion's elegant simplicity and MOO II's tremendous complexity successfully. You can get more information on MOO III from GameSpot PC's previous coverage. Master of Orion III is scheduled for release this spring.

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Master of Orion III Interview

We cornered Quicksilver Software's Cory Nelson and Alan Emrich and discussed the development of the follow-up to one of the best space strategy games ever made.

GameSpot: Thanks for taking the time for this interview. How is development on Master of Orion III coming along? What sort of things is the team working on right now?

Cory Nelson: The two big things we're working on are getting the last few systems completed (mostly diplomacy and space combat) and going through and evaluating all the current systems that are in there now. We're trying to simplify interfaces and make sure that everything in the game adds to the core mechanics and is, most importantly, fun. The rest of the team is working on user-interface screens and the finishing touches, along with the game AI, which, of course, takes quite a while to get right.

GS: The Master of Orion series is famous (infamous, even) for its tremendous depth and complexity. But we know that the team is trying to make the game accessible to new players by implementing features like a streamlined interface and by letting players automate certain aspects of the game. Can you discuss the kinds of things you're doing to make the game easier to get into?

Alan Emrich: It's really very simple--just about everything that you do not give a specific order to is managed by an AI that is modeled after the characteristics of the civilization you're running. So, the bigger a civilization gets, the more entropy will creep in, as more and more things are left to "manage themselves." If there's excessive government meddling in the system (that is, micromanagement), there will be negative pressures subtly integrated into the system as citizens think less for themselves and rely on "the nanny state" to tell them what to do. Conversely, the more things are left to manage themselves, there is a bonus to a civilization's economics and ingenuity based on more rugged individualism and self-reliance. It is the player's task to be the guiding hand, but not be too heavy-handed in the process.

GS: We know that Master of Orion III will have all-new victory conditions in addition to the standard options from Master of Orion II. Could you discuss the new victory conditions, and what players will need to do to achieve them? How are the old victory conditions, such as military conquest, being updated in Master of Orion III?

AE: There are four victory conditions for Master of Orion III, any or all of which can be set to "on." When all are "off," the game is simply one of sole survivor.

The two victory conditions that players will be familiar with include dominance, which we call "lone superpower." That is, when you've wrapped up two-thirds of the universe, you don't have to play out the last turns to wipe everything else out--the rest of the civilizations throw in the towel and recognize your right to rule. The second victory condition is election as president of the Orion Senate. Such a monumental occurrence ushers in a new era in the Orion sector, with that civilization pulling the strings.

AE: The other two victory conditions include having the recognized "legitimate" heir to the Ancient Throne of Orion. This is diplomatic warfare at its best, as each civilization has an heir it's trying to proffer, but if you can get enough of the other civilizations to abandon their claimant and support yours, then you win by right of succession. Finally, there is solving the Antaran mystery and acquiring the "5th X." This is the equivalent of throwing the Hail Mary pass in football, but every time you connect, there's a big yardage gain on the other civilizations, and five such successful attempts will let you win the game.

GS: There will, of course, be many new changes and additions that Master of Orion III will make to Master of Orion II, other than just what we've discussed--changes like the ability to spread disinformation to planetary citizens to sway them in one direction or another, enhanced tactical fleet combat, and more. What would you say will be the most important changes and additions that Master of Orion III will make to the series?

AE: The most important thing, I believe, is providing the tools and game mindset to encourage macromanagement. That is, setting high-level policies that the AI will carry out so that you can focus your attention to whatever detail work in the game you might enjoy best. For example, players can issue the order for all their mineral-rich worlds to concentrate on expanding their manufacturing, or for all border worlds to fortify. The desirability of war or peace with another civilization will put one's military, diplomatic corps, and intelligence services on the problem automatically. Again, anything you don't give a specific order to will follow current policies and agendas, as well as its own racial tendencies.

GS: What are your thoughts on the current state of PC turn-based strategy games? For instance, we've already seen traditional turn-based strategy elements used in real-time strategy games, and we've also seen several excellent turn-based strategy games on consoles. Where do you think turn-based strategy games are headed in the future?

AE: I see the current trend as more exacting simulation and realism in turn-based strategy games. I hope that one day a game will come along and buck that trend and lead turn-based strategy games into a promised land of greater mass acceptance through simpler designs that are easier to grasp and hold in one's head yet still offer strategic depth and infinite replay value. Someday, a strategy game like that will catch the public's imagination, and when the imitators follow (as they always do), there should be plenty of fascinating "little" strategy games to adopt.

GS: Thanks very much, Cory and Alan.

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