The MOO2 unofficial 1.50 fan patch for Master of Orion II is here!

- for the DOS version. -

This patch contains numerous bugfixes and improvements.
It introduces config files that allow you to customize the game in many ways.
You can customize map generation, choose mods and change game rules, including parameters of buildings, weapons, technologies, and more.
There is no need to write your own config to start playing, this patch comes with ORION2.CFG which already enables our preferred settings by default.

Highlights:
Fixes most known crashes, stalls and network synchronization errors.
Fixes 100+ lesser bugs.

Config for easy game tweaking and enhanced modding.
Supports multiple 1.50-based mods in one directory.
In network games the host automatically broadcasts settings to clients, so differences in configs do not cause errors.

Reduce micromanagement by uploading your custom build list in the Build Queue!
In the file BUILD.CFG you can create a custom build order.
Buildable buildings from that list will be uploaded in the Build Queue by pressing 'Q'.

6th Ship Design slot!

Multiple interface improvements like usable map edge scroll in combat,
additional interface shortcuts, custom behavior for clear button in design, improved tech review, etc.

Four mapmods Goodmap3, Orange2, ICE, 150 improved and mapgen switches are available by default.
No need to run an external map editor or use several executables to set custom map parameters.

You can read about all new features and bug fixes in this readme:
https://moo2mod.com/patch/CHANGELOG_150.TXT

The 1.50 patch can be downloaded from here:
moo2mod.com

Note, this is a beta version and some feature might not work correctly yet in all circumstances.
Feel free to test it out and leave comments/feedback below.

Enjoy playing MOO2 with this patch!

Alex, Darza, Rocco.

God, everytime I see some new patches come out for the still unmatched kings of games like Master of Orion, Master Of Magic, Doom and such, I feel that this world is not so hopeless :)

Thank you, Rocco.40, I'll try to check it out ASAP, i.e. as soon as I buy the second-hand PC with WinXP to play GOG games :)

Awesome work, thanks guys!

I never did get the love for MOO II, it has super bad AI that the DEV's tried to make up for with ridiculous game play. Like have a random event every 5-6 turns take out my best planet, one by one, just because they couldn't program an AI. It insults my intelligence. It's just a plain old horrible game. That's why GOG bundled it with MOO I. I don't get the love for it.

Now Moo I, has the beast AI ever written, so I can see that.

Could it be that someone is exaggerating ;). There are no events every 5 to 6 turns, not even close to that frequency and i play on impossible, and most events can even get survived quite good with low tech and right setup and very easy in later game.

Currently playing a hard game with this patch.

Some observations which might be issues with the patch?

- The AI players seem to be much slower in their development (number of colonies, research...) It's been a while since I played, but I remember them being much faster?

- The Antaran attacks are getting ridiculous. I get attacked by medium sized fleets every 5 turns or so now. At this stage, it's hard to beat them so I lose colony after colony due to bombardment.

tx for feedback
as 1.50 is a patch and not a mod, we have not made balance changes to the game.
you can set some stuff in the new cfg file, but by default everything remains the same, except for the bug fixes ofc.
nevertheless, I have run some test games on Hard level today and i can't find anything out of the ordinary.
Antarans show up around T130 plus or minus some turns and strike around 5 times per 100 turns.
Their will always be some variation from game to game and sometimes two strikes can happen in less than 10 turns, but that was already the case in previous versions of the game.

Tip- if you are struggling with early Antarans than a Missile Base is an effective defense against them.

Thanks for the info Rocco.40!

Yeah, I know it's a patch and I've read the readme about the changes made. Still, there could be some unintended changes by hacking the exe (how do you guys actually modify the exe, via disassembling?).

Well it was just a feeling and I thought I should give some feedback.
Interestingly, after around 10 or so attacks by the Antarans, after I managed to finally actually defeat an attacking fleet, the attacks stopped completely now. Maybe it really just was some freak random number coincidence.

I remember now that if you do not beat them they return a lot earlier. This was how it was before too but now I seldom fail at killing the Antaran attackers in MoO2.

Will try out the patch when I feel like playing the game again; had a bit too much of it during crimbo.

The AI still as dumb?

Hi!

I am behind some technical work in 1.50, so I'll comment on it.

> how do you guys actually modify the exe, via disassembling?

The disassembled source is used to understand game logic. Dosbox debugger is used to pinpoint tougher bugs. The patches are stored as a collection of multiple little programs in assembler and C, they are compiled and packed inside the executable by a perl script. As of now we can change almost anything with reasonable effort.

> The AI still as dumb?

Mostly yes. It may be a little better, as Rocco found and fixed some broken logic and improved ship designs. But we have not really started with AI yet. I think we'll make an attempt in a month or two as soon as most bugs are fixed. At the least I want to teach it to build more effectively, at the most to improve its ship designs and combat tactics.

EDIT: sorry, I misled you, all AI improvements are in upcoming version, not currently published

Thanks for informing us about the progress. Getting those last bugs squashed, including those that make the AI malfunction (several cases of AI empires just stopped doing anything new, and sometimes designing REALLY bad ships), will be good.

With this, there is really NO reason to play the Windows version anymore as the DOS version is more than head and shoulders above it. Will you port it over to the Windows version too for those that still insist on playing that (it is beyond me why)?

Porting fixes to windows 95 version is out of scope for this project. First, it requires a lot of work and will harm main effort. Second, to my knowledge no one on the team is truly interested in it. I might be interested only if I find the way to make it network-compatible with the dos version.

Finally with our current knowledge it may be as well possible to port DOS version to allegro or something and just rebuild it for every platform. I don't say it's easy but should not be much harder than to fix windows 95 version.

We have just updated the patch to version 1.50.1
Containing more bug fixes and a long list of new features.
Optionally, there is a built-in mod as well.

Here are the new changes:

1.50.1
Fixes:
- Relaxed end of combat (ships act until end of turn).
- Time Warp Facilitator-equipped ship’s presence doesn’t affect normal ships now.
- Map edge retreat crash fixed.
- Population capacity is clipped to 42 (maximum properly supported by the game).
- 43rd android bug fixed.
- Pop limit bug for freighted colonists fixed.
- Command points not updating when landing Outpost or Colony Ship fixed.
- Productivity recalculation after selling a building now works.
- Refit displayed cost vs real cost discrepancy fixed.
- Feudal wrong refit cost fixed.
- Stealth specials now work properly.
- Diplomatic blunder and marriage events not working fixed.
- Diplomatic relation change overflow fixed.
- Improved spy formula (63rd spy receives additional +1 bonus).

Config:
- Host config is broadcast to clients in network multiplayer.
- Config supports string parameters.
- Added helper commands include and stop.
- Updated mapmod (added ICE, removed GM3 and ICE-COLD).
- Updated table weapon, added strategic min and max damage.
- Updated table mapgen to latest mapgen 0.41.
- Added shortened_anomaly_beast_flux (random events tweak).
- Added table pop_base (base pop for given planet size).
- Added table pop_climate (pop bonus for given planet climate).
- Added basic_growth_bonus (additional base growth).
- Added AI_races_variants (optionally extend AI races pool).
- Added AI_races_improved (turns on better races).
- Added AI_ships_improved (turns on better ships).
- Ability to rename weapons, specials, buildings, technologies and fields.
- Added table tech (technologies).
- Added table tech_field (technology fields).
- Added table ground_defences (misc ground defenses traits).
- Added table hull (ship hull table).
- Added table lander_ships_costs (cost for CS, OP, TR).
- Added table stealth (stealth bonus per stealth modifier).
- Added table scan (scan bonus per scan modifier).
- Added table spy_tech (spy bonus for given spy tech).
- Added table spy_govt (spy bonus for given government).
- Added alternative_refit (optional alternative refit cost formula).
- Added miniaturization_tweak (enable mini for augs and ext. fuel tanks).
- Added torpedo_miniaturization_missile (torpedoes miniaturize like missiles).
- Added heavy_fighters_can_scramble (optionally allow to target missiles).
- Added absorber_no_discharge (optionally keep absorber’s charge indefinitely).
- Added plasma_web_dissipation_step (optionally halve instead of -5). #

Interface changes:
- Config extractor built into the executable.
- Added parameter mod_name to distinguish mods in main menu.
- Added table format to config for customizing in-game text labels.
- Added parameter scroll_interval_ms to control scrolling speed in the combat screen.
- Added parameter clear_button to control design screen clear button behavior.
- Added parameters help.lbx and techdesc.lbx for custom lbxs.
- Auto delete trade goods or prompt deletion on < >.
- Colony prod display now includes bought prod.
- Restructured technology overview under Info button.
- Alt+MENLO gives 31000 research now.

Other:
- Most of the patch code moved to external library ORION2.BIN.

Great to see you guys still working on Master of Orion 2. Thanks alot :)

It says one needs the v1.4 path to use v1.5. Does MOO2 from GOG come with the patches prior to this new version?
In the file gameinfo it says Master of Orion 2 2.0.0.5