Description
The long-awaited follow up to the "spaceploitation" strategy classics Master of Orion and Master of Orion 2, MOO 3 attempts to combine unprecedented depth with user-friendliness in one ultimate "4X" gaming eXperience. The basic game formula is the same, though: start out with one planet, eXplore the galaxy, eXpand by founding new colonies and bases, eXploit resources, and then eXterminate your opponents--or at least show them who is boss!
Many years in the MOO timeline have passed since the last installment of the series. The Antarans have triumphed and imposed their rule on the Orion sector, even dubbing themselves the "New Orions" in their pretentiousness. Most of the old alien species have been defeated and nearly exterminated by the New Orions, but a few remnants of their civilizations still remain as non-playable races, so you will occasionally come across the odd colony of the Darlok, Bulrathi, Alkari, Mrrshan, Elerian, or Gnolam variety. The 16 playable races that have survived the wrath of the Antarans include the insectoid Klackons and Tachidi; the reptilian Raas, Sakkra, and Grendarl; the fishlike Trilarian and Nommo; the robotic Cynoid and Meklar; the humanoid Human, Evon, and Psilon; the crystalline Silicoids; the ethereal Imsaeis and Eoladi; and the genetically-engineered harvesters, the Ithkul.
Management is handled primarily at the imperial level through general plans and policy decrees, with a system of AI viceroys assigned to doing most of the grunt work in managing the various regions of your colonized planets. Up to four great leaders at a time may come forward and join your empire, adding bonuses (and perhaps also penalties) to your base racial abilities. Research is divided into six schools: economics, energy, biological sciences, social sciences, physical sciences, and mathematics; some 380 technological advances are available overall, and not all will be available to your chosen race.
Ship and ground combat have both changed from previous MOO games. Naval battles are played out in real time, with orders being given to ships assigned to the various task forces you organize before any battles take place. The player now has more tactical options in commanding ground forces in planetary assaults. Espionage is still available for implementing a variety of dirty tricks on opposing empires, and diplomacy is expanded so that you can now negotiate not only on an inter-empire basis, but also through the Orion Senate. With enough votes, laws can be passed by the Senate which have galaxy-wide effects, thus making it possible for the clever diplomat to change the rules of the game to his own advantage.
Victory is yours if you can accomplish one of three things: eliminate all opponents and become Sole Survivor, garner enough votes through diplomacy to become President of the Senate, or recover the five mysterious alien artifacts--the "Antaran Xs"--scattered across the galaxy. Just be prepared for a tough fight, because powerful Guardians will once again stand between you and total mastery of Orion.
Alternate Titles
- "MOO 3" -- Informal name
- "Master of Orion 3: Престол Галактики" -- Russian title
- "Master of Orion 3: The Fifth X" -- Pre-release working title
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
The Press Says
| Game Chronicles |
Dec 05, 2003 |
9.1 out of 10 |
91 |
| UOL Jogos |
Aug 19, 2003 |
  |
80 |
| PC Gameplay (Benelux) |
Apr, 2003 |
80 out of 100 |
80 |
| GameSpot |
Mar 05, 2003 |
6.7 out of 10 |
67 |
| Boomtown |
Apr 07, 2003 |
6 out of 10 |
60 |
| PC Games (Germany) |
Apr 22, 2003 |
52 out of 100 |
52 |
| Strategy Informer |
Aug 29, 2003 |
4.7 out of 10 |
47 |
| Rebell.at Games |
Mar 10, 2003 |
4 out of 10 |
40 |
| Withingames |
Mar 05, 2003 |
2 out of 5 |
40 |
| Eurogamer |
Mar 31, 2003 |
3 out of 10 |
30 |
Forums
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Trivia
The Australian magazine PC Powerplay claimed to be the first to get an exclusive "demo"of Master of Orion III when in reality what it got given was a pre-alpha release of the game from the publishing house, Infogrames. Here is the press release Quicksilver Software released after the incident:
As many of you know, the Australian magazine PC PowerPlay has recently released what they thought was a demo of Master of Orion III. Obviously this has caused a big stir around the Quicksilver offices since we've never made a MOOIII demo. Apparently what they got their hands on was a pre-alpha version of MOOIII that was delivered as one of our normal milestone deliveries to Infogrames and was never meant for public consumption. I spoke to our producer at Infogrames this morning and what I've been told is that one of the Infogrames employees at the Australian office gave the CD out without authority and that led to its release. At this point Infogrames is dealing the problem but obviously there's only a certain amount that can be done after the fact.
So, for those that have seen the version, please realize that what you have is NOT an official demo. It's a pre-alpha build that is buggy, incomplete and needs a lot of tuning/adjustment of screens. Moreover, while we'll be leaving any screenshots up on the forums that have been posted we will be removing any links to actual copies of the version since we don't feel it's representative of the game. Thanks for everyone's support.
It is to be hoped that gamers who get their hands on the alpha won't assume it's representative of the final game.
