Master of Orion

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Master of Orion (MOO or MoO) is an interstellar turn-based computer strategy game that was released in 1993. It was published by Microprose and developed by Steve Barcia (Simtex). Its sequels are Master of Orion II and Master of Orion III.

Master of Orion was a 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) computer game set in outer space, coming hot on the heels of the popular Civilization or the more adventure-like Iron Seed. It was modeled after a number of earlier titles, especially Delta Tao's Spaceward Ho! and SSI's Reach for the Stars. Some consider it to be among the best the genre has to offer. The goal of the game is to take over the galaxy through space battles by races who have various special abilities (or, to win through diplomacy by being elected President of the Orion Senate). Economic, diplomatic and martial interests have to be managed and customized in steady competition with up to five computer players (who can show uncanny intelligence at times). Players get to design their own space fleet from the ground up, which accounts for most of the fun. There are many random events like rebellion, piracy, gigantic space amoebae and diplomatic blunders. The conquest of the most powerful system, Orion, usually means victory.

Star Lords, dubbed "MOO 0" by fans, was the prototype version of the game that Steve Barcia pitched to MicroProse and gaming journalist Alan Emrich, among others.[link] Alan Emrich would write the strategy guide for the game and act as a designer for Master of Orion 3.

Background story

In the storyline, the Orions were an ancient race of progenitors that are rumored to have tampered with the genetic development of younger races, in order to study their own development. They mysteriously disappeared long ago, and no one has ever seen a member of this ancient race. The younger races created by the Orions are:

Humans, skilled in trade and diplomacy
* Abilities: +25% profit from trade agreements, +5 to checks for whether another civ will accept a treaty or trade agreement in diplomatic negotiations
Sakkra, a lizard-like race with excellent reproductive rates
* Abilities: +100% growth rate
Mrrshan, a matriarchal feline race with superb combat instincts
* Abilities: +4 on to-hit rolls and initiative in space combat
Alkari, an avian race with natural talent for piloting and manuoevering
* Abilities: +3 to defense and initiative in space combat
Bulrathi, a bear-like race, unstoppable in hand-to-hand combat and ground assault
* Abilities: +25 to Ground Combat rolls
Psilons, a four-armed race of enormous intelligence and scientific acuity
* Abilities: +50% research points, rated as "Good" (-20% tech cost) at all research fields. Can research 75% of technologies instead of the usual 50%.
Darloks, a wraith-like shape shifting race who excel in espionage
* Abilities: +30 on spy infiltration rolls, +20 on rolls to catch enemy spies
Klackons, an ant-like race of efficient workers
* Abilities: Double production from population points
Meklars, a mechanized race skilled in automation and manufacturing advancements
* Abilities: Can build an extra two factories per population point
Silicoids, a crystalline race capable of colonizing uninhabitable planets without the aid of technology
* Abilities: Can settle on any planetary environment without requiring any of the Controlled Environment technologies, ignores the effects of industrial waste, -50% growth rate

Millennia after the fall of the Orion, the 10 races within the Orion Sector (the region of the galaxy named after Orion) achieve spaceflight and the game follows the various races as they vie for power. The ruins on Orion contain technology that can advance any civilization centuries ahead of any other race; however, an automated Guardian ship defends Orion from attack. Once this "Guardian" is destroyed, the attackers can control the planet of Orion for their own and recover lost technologies such as the death ray and black hole generator.

The player of the game selects one of the ten races and controls their struggle to compete with the other races in a fight for galactic supremacy.

External links

[Star Lords] - Download a pre-release version of Master of Orion
[The Master of Orion series] at MobyGames
[Sirian's Master of Orion Page] - Sirian has assembled a number of resources, including full narrations of his games, for the first Master of Orion
[Bladrov's Palace] - Another fan site, hosting a number of resources for the series (I-III)
[FreeOrion] - An open-source, platform independent galactic conquest game in the tradition of the Master of Orion games.

Master of Orion Series

Master of Orion | Master of Orion II | Master of Orion III

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