Master of Orion 3

I was not fortunate enough to play the first 2 in the series, but was introduced to 4X in MoO3. I absolutely loved it! I played co-op with some friends of mine, and it made for some memorable evenings. Yes, it has an insanely steep learning curve, and it's complicated and difficult to master; but that's what makes it all the more rewarding when your fleets are finally rampaging across the galaxy. I have happily sunk hours and hours into this game, and the only reason I have to not buy it is that I am too scared I will lose too much sleep reliving the building of a master race!

All of space and time would be better off without this game, this includes you.

I have no idea why everyone is giving this game so many bad reviews. Especially when this site is full of utter garbage that seems to get nothing but 4 and 5 star reviews. I loved this game a LOT. I agree that the interface is over complicated but it didn't stop me from playing. Me and my best friend have played this for hours on end over the internet time and time again. It's a real shame that all the screen shots are of tabs and summary windows. The game has some really nice graphics and the alien species are really imaginative. I especially like playing the aquatic race. If you love games like Civilization and enjoy a rich, sci fi setting, then you should give this a try. It's certainly worth the money :)

Moo3 is misunderstood at best, and at worst it was a game that was not ready to be released. Fortunately Moo fans have patched the game to make it worthwhile. With the patches (I'm using tropical) The game takes the Moo universe to a whole new level (imagine trying to control a galaxy of 250 stars and up to eight planets per star. Which is where the streamlined macromanagement layout is really helpful. Along with giving a basic plan for development by creating Development Plans. Diplomacy still has a bit to be desired. With that said It's a great game and a phenomenal way to kill a rainy day. (Don't worry the game also has a built in alarm clock, just in case you get a little too wrapped up in the "Just one more turn" mentality (honestly, I wish they all had this feature)). With all that said. Without the fan patches the game is completely unplayable and frustrating.

I cannot give this game a horrible rating. What I found was a very interesting macro-manager 4x game. What I realized was it was lacking in a lot of areas. It was meant to have 32 races, whereas only 16 were in the game. It was meant to have a far deeper diplomacy, and a more meaningful and user friendly interface. But it was a rushed game. It was half completed. Mods over the years have helped expand this game and helped fix some of the short-comings (as in, the ground combat perks do not work and so are useless). This game isn't horrible but it's not what the MoO community wanted in their next title. Even the strategy guide doesn't give you full info (as if it, too were rushed [e.g. it doesn't tell you how to diplomatically address the Nommo, among other things it lacks]). But even so, this game isn't a bad game. But it's a step to the side - a lateral transgression, from the normal 4x of the time (like civ. 2 and MoO 2). It's not a bad game, but it was never finished. I do recommend giving it a try with an open mind. The combat (both ground and space) are lacking and you're best to go auto on a lot of it. However it still has a lot of depth, though you have to get past the user-not-friendly, no metrics/analytic interface.