Master of Orion 1+2

MOO2 is easily the game I've played most over the years. Now and then I'll just remember it, and play again... I've been playing it since 96, and it doesn't get old. Sure, the graphics and sounds are sub-standard, but the gameplay is still plenty of fun. I've played many of the newer 4x games, but never found one I liked as much. Too bad they changed it so much they destroyed all the fun in MOO3!

I've played this game more than any other game I have ever owned. This game, Starcraft, and Baldur's Gate are still to this day the games I still spend the most overall time playing. This game just never gets old. I constantly find new ways to play, with different universe and race settings, etc. I still own the original, and won't ever part with it. Buy this now, and be forever pleased with your savvy purchase.

I'd never played MOO until I bought it here on GOG. But it has quickly become my favorite game of all time. There's so much strategy and complexity involved in this game it's mind-blowing how small a file the whole game is. I can't even begin to describe how much fun the game is. From designing ships to custom suit a specific problem and realizing you need to scrap a whole fleet of starships that never even saw combat to stealing technological secrets from your allies and framing your enemies, the game is non-stop sheer joy. The depth of gameplay just drags you straight into the world. It's surprising how involving the game is. And as a result it is also very addicting. Just try this game and you will never need to play another.

Yeah, that's right, I prefer this to Galactic Civ. You can just jump right in and actually *gasp* control combat directly if you like, with all the strategy. Unlike watching ships slowly drift about like jellyfish, occasionally a bright line connecting the two and doing damage *boring.* It actually matters which direction the guns are facing on the ship, and how fast it can move and turn (what good is your lumbering battleship with all its mighty forward facing death cannons, if a more maneuverable enemy gets behind it?) The ability to hire leaders for your planets and fleets (each with certain individual skills and bonuses) is also a really neat touch. Really, I have no problems with this game. It's the perfect turn-based space-conquest and colonize game. The graphics don't bother me one bit (I find myself not even noticing once I get going.)

Each of these games are classics of computer gaming, are very influential on the development of modern 4X games, and in many ways are still every bit their equal despite the "datedness" of the graphics. They both feature turn-based strategic and tactical maps, allowing you to make high-level imperial decisions and also engage in tactical combat with ships you design. Each offer different takes on Imperial management and some may prefer one over the other. In MoO1, much of the direction is handled by funding and research sliders which stipulates how much is to be spent on each area of the economy and how much expertise to assign to each research field. In MoO2, one has discrete population units assigned to various lines of work and you build specific buildings to your colonies. In MoO2, you research one field of study at a time. There are of course many other differences, but these cover the basic differences in management between the two games. Thankfully with GOG you don't have to choose, you get both in the same package! For the great price and minuscule amount of space they require, you should definitely buy these classics.