Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares

As quoted from the back cover:

"Take your empire building to the next dimension with Master of Orion II. Develop the skills and technology to help your people colonize the galaxy. Design spaceships and defend your Empire with a massive star fleet. Trade with alien races or send spies to steal their secrets. But, be careful who you trust! Discover new technology. Research over 60 technology fields; including planetology, propulsion and weaponry. Choose your identity. Become the leader of one of the 13 alien races. Or, use the customisation feature to create your own species. Take the multi-player challenge. Compete against up to 7 players over a local area network or in a hot-seat game. Or, go head-to-head via a modem. Build colossal colonies. Explore and colonise uncharted planets. Manage every aspect of your colonies' resources. Construct buildings and make every vital decision. Command tactical ship combat. Take control of a multitude of spacecraft. Board and capture enemy ships and watch all the action come to life on your screen with enhanced SVGA graphics.

Master of Orion OO Battle at Antares. Take your civilisation to the stars."

Source:

Unknown Source

MASTER OF ORION II: BATTLE AT ANTARES FROM MICROPROSE GOES GOLD

THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED CD-ROM SEQUEL WILL HIT RETAIL SHELVES NATIONWIDE BEFORE THANKSGIVING

Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares Joins Company's Chart-Topping Lineup of Sequel Product Releases Including Sid Meier's Civilization® II, Grand Prix II and the Recent Debut of Sid Meier's Civilization II ScenariosALAMEDA, Calif., November 19, 1996 - There will be more aliens to conquer and great galactic missions to accomplish, just in time for the holiday season. Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. (Nasdaq- NNM:SBYT) announced today that Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares will arrive in retail stores prior to the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Developed by MicroProse's Studio in Austin, Texas, Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares, will be marketed under the MicroProse® brand and distributed worldwide.

Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares joins the company's expansive strategy category, continuing the original Master Of Orion's exciting theme of space explorations, colonization and combat. Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares offers never-before-seen challenges and opportunities, including SVGA graphics, enhanced cinematics, an original musical score and sound effects. The series continues to probe players of all levels with new gameplay that is easy to learn and entertaining, but remains a challenge to "master."

"In developing this sequel, we listened to our customers. We know the wanted more special effects so we added more and updated the technology. The fans wanted more to explore, so planets and colonies have been added to the star systems. And players wanted control over their spaceships. Now, in fact, they can custom build their own. And, of course, they wanted the addition of multiplayer capabilities. In Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares, the depth of gameplay is in the choices we give the players. Players can ask themselves: 'Should I research advanced in weapon or production technology; should I immediately attack the first opponent I see or is it better to trade with the opponent?' Furthermore, the different races add replayability. Each race requires a different style of play to succeed, and when we added the ability to custom design a race, the possibilities for game strategies became nearly endless," said Steve Barcia, designer and programmer at the MicroProse Studio in Austin, Texas.

Derek McLeish, senior vice president of marketing, said, "We set out to create a product that refined the original top-selling game Master of Orion. It was our intent to build upon the success of the already established 'Master of....' brand. We also recognize the hot trend of science-fiction in the entertainment industry and especially believe that this game targets the general consumer's interest while also satisfying our many Master of Orion die-hard enthusiasts," McLeish continued, "As a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software, Spectrum HoloByte continues to expand its extensive lineup of sequels focusing on the already successful and established brands: Sid Meier's Civilizations II, Grand Prix II, and the recent launch of Sid Meier's Civilization II Scenarios."

For a more challenging and competitive experience, Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares will be a stand-alone game that includes multiplayer features such as a local area network, modem and hot-seat play. Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares players will be able to research more technology, view new art in SVGA graphics, choose from more alien races (Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares will have 13 alien races whereas Master of Orion had 10), customize their own race, and enjoy a more detailed tactical ship combat and colony development.

In Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares, population growth has outstripped planetary resources and the need for galactic expansion has become a necessity. Acting as mighty emperors, users start with one colony and control how resources are allocated, where fleets are deployed, which galactic neighbors to wage war on and which to befriend. Then, players lead their people into other star systems, quickly securing the space and resources that will guarantee their supremacy. Players encounter various obstacles, including a rave of fanatic xenophobes (the Antarans) from another dimension that wants to annihilate all intelligent life in the galaxy.

Category: Strategy

Era: Future

Format: IBM PC and compatibles; CD-ROM only; Windows 95 or MS-DOS 5.0 or later.

Min. Requirements: IBM PC 66MHz 80486 or faster; double-speed CD-ROM drive; MSCDEX2.1 or higher, 8MB RAM or 16MB RAM if running under Windows 95; 75MB hard drive space free, SVGA (VESA required) for 640 x 480 x 256 colors; mouse and keyboard.

Supports : Sound Blaster/Sound Blaster Pro, ProAudio Spectrum

Required for 100% Hayes-compatible 9600 modem or faster (2 players), null-modem serial

Multiplayer Option: cable (2 players) and IPX network (2 to 8 players)

Product information is available for download from the MicroProse World Wide Web site at http://www.microprose.com. For consumer orders, call 1-800-695-GAME in the United States and Canada and call 619-693-1200 outside the United States and Canada.

Spectrum HoloByte, Inc. is a leading developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software for use on CD-ROM-based personal computer systems and next generation console machines, under the MicroProse brand name. The company's five development studios are located in Alameda, California; Hunt Valley, Maryland; Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Chipping Sodbury, England and Austin, Texas. Products are available nationally and internationally through major distributors, retailers and mass merchants. The company's World Wide Web address is http://www.microprose.com.

Source:

Press Release

Master the Unknown Before itMasters You!

Forge an empire to span a universe. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge. Conquer alien star systems to secure the resources that will guarantee your supremacy. Only then will you be able to defeat the evil Antarans, who lurk in the coldest reaches of space, warmed by one all-consuming passion...REVENGE!

EXPOLORE AND COLONIZE uncharted planets. Form a colony or take over one of your enemies'.

MANAGE RESOURCES - run your colonies the way you see fit. Assign careers, maintain population morale and construct buildings.

COMBAT CHOICE - strategic or tactical.

RESEARCH more than 200 technologies, or trade with other races for theirs.

RANDOM EVENTS AND DISASTERS can threaten or benefit different stars and whole empires.

MULTIPLE GAME SETTINGS let you select such factors as your adversaries' intelligence, the size and age of the galaxy, and the level of civilization.

MULTIPLAYER OPTIONS for up to eight players. Play via mode, network, hot seat or TCP/IP.

13 PREDESIGNED RACES each with its own special abilities, or use the Custom Race Option to create your own.

System Requirements: Any 68040 or higher with at least 8MB RAM, color monitor and CD-ROM drive. Also accelerated for Power Macintosh.

Source:

MacSoft (Macintosh)

Master the unknown before it masters you.

Forge an empire in a universe where population growth is outstripping planetary resources. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge. The need for galactic expansion is critical. You must conquer alien star systems to secure the resources that will guarantee your supremacy. The ultimate goal is to defeat the evil Antarans. They lurk in the coldest reaches of space, warmed by one all-consuming passion...REVENGE!

• MULTIPLE GAME SETTINGS let you select such factors as your adversaries' intelligence, the size and age of the galaxy, and the level of civilization.

• MULTIPLAYER OPTIONS for up to eight players. Play via modem, network, hot seat, or over TEN.

• SPECTACULAR SUPER VGA graphics and cinematics.

• 13 PREDESIGNED ALIEN RACES, each with its own special abilities, or use Custom Race Option to create your own.

• EXPLORE AND COLONIZE uncharted planets. Form a colony or take over one of your enemies'.

• MANAGE RESOURCES - run your colonies the way you see fit: assign careers, maintain population morale and construct buildings.

• COMBAT CHOICE: strategic or tactical.

• RESEARCH over 200 technologies, or trade with other races for theirs.

• RANDOM EVENTS AND DISASTERS can threaten or benefit different stars and whole empires.

Source:

Back of Box - DOS and Windows (US)

UP IN THE HEAVENS, ALL HELL'S ABOUT TO BREAK LOOSE

The original Master of Orion was a multi-award-winning game: 1993 Strategy Game of the Year Strategy Plus 1993 Strategy Game of the Year Game Bytes 1994 Premier Award Computing Gaming World 1994 Best PC Game Pelit Magazine

Take your empire building to the next dimension with Master of Orion II.

Develop the skills and technology to help your people colonize the galaxy. Design spaceships and defend your Empire with a massive star fleet. Trade with alien races or send spies to steal their secrets. But, be careful who you trust!

Discover new technology. Research over 60 technology fields; including planetology, propulsion and weaponry.

Choose your identity. Become a leader of one of the 13 alien races. Or, use the customisation feature to create your own species.

Take the multi-player challenge. Compete against up to 7 players over a local area network or in a hot-seat game. Or, go head-to-head via a modem.

Build colossal colonies. Explore and colonise uncharted planets. Manage every aspect of your colonies' resources. Construct buildings and make every vital decision.

Command tactical ship combat. Take control of a multitude of spacecraft. Board and capture enemy ships and watch all the action come to life on your screen with enhanced SVGA graphics.

Source:

Back of Box - DOS and Windows (UK)

KANN

MAN

CIVILISATION

AUCH IM WELTRAUM

SPIELEN? LOGO.

Hat Ihnen Sid Meiers Civilisation 2 gefallen? Dann werden Sie auch von MASTER OF ORION 2: Battle at Antares begeistert sein. Eine Herausforderung, kompromißlos wie nie zuvor. Brillante Animationen in SVGA-Grafik konfrontieren Sie mit völlig unbekannten außerirdischen Wesen und komplett neuen Technologien. Errichten Sie ein vollständiges Planetensystem, und verlieren Sie nie die Kontrolle in taktisch genau geplanten Kampfeinsätzen und auf unendlichen Forschungsreisen. Spielen Sie in spannenden Mehr-Spieler-Modi: internes Netzwerk, per Modem, oder veranstalten Sie eine 'Hot-Seat'-Session. Master of Orion: Battle at Antares. Warum nicht nach den Sternen greifen?

Von SIMTEX, den Schöpfern des preisgekrönten Master of Orion:

Strategiespiel des Jahres Strategy Plus 1993

Strategiespiel des Jahres Game Bytes 1993

Premier Award Computer Gaming World 1994

Source:

Printed advertising - PC Player Strategie-Sonderheft (1997)