Which is hardest moo1, 2 or 3?

[ReconRoverRush]

In my opinion 2 is by far the easiest, even on impossible its not that hard. Master of Orion 3 is long and complex but not that hard. I'm having the most trouble with master of orion one.

Here's why Moo1 is the hardest. No abstain option for diplomatic victory, and the AI seems superior on diplomacy. For example, I get 2nd for planet population, and then everyone, I mean everyone except me votes for klackons and I lose before I am able to do much of anything. I've seen it over and over, as soon as I hit 2nd for planetary, votes blam every nation is allied against me.

Master of Orion 3 can be really hard too, the AI seems to get an advantage in diplomacy and spying. Although the Ai stinks at ship building and fleet design, boy can they spy. Spies blow up your imperial seat of government, over and over until you annihilate the spying race. Even so, the New Orions require enough votes to beat, the game usually doesn't end super quick like Master of Orion 1 can.

For comparison the AI seems on par with the player for both spying and diplomacy in Moo2, even on harder difficulties.

[vmxa1]

Moo1 you can avoid the vote issue. The easy way is to just use trade deals to get some decent relations. If the Humans are in the vote, then it can be a vote crapper.

In Moo3 you can mod the spy problems. I always felt the spy part of the game is horrid.

In Moo2 I only use repulsive as I feel the trade and demand is an exploit.

[Alex2018]

I've played MOO1 & 2, so I can't say about moo3 - however, I struggle much more in moo1. I am not sure why, but MOO1 seems to be way tougher...At least with 5 opponents.

[harrystyles]

I would choose MMO1. The first part is harder than the sequel with more opponents.

[snailspoll]

Interesting take on the relative difficulty of the Master of Orion games! I've always found MOO1 to be a brutal beast as well. That sudden diplomatic collapse you describe – going from contender to pariah in an instant – is a classic MOO1 experience. It feels like the AI has some hidden agenda or weighting system that makes it incredibly difficult to build lasting alliances, especially if you're aiming for a diplomatic victory. The lack of an abstain option definitely exacerbates this.

I agree that MOO3, while complex, isn't quite as unforgiving. The sheer scale and number of options can be overwhelming, but the AI, despite its spying prowess, feels more… predictable? You can often counter their strategies if you're attentive. The protracted nature of the game also gives you more opportunities to recover from setbacks.

I think your point about the AI's relative strength in diplomacy across the different games is key. MOO1 seems to have this almost insurmountable diplomatic advantage, whereas in MOO2, it feels more balanced. Maybe the older game's AI has some quirks or exploits that the later versions patched out.

Have you tried different strategies in MOO1 to mitigate the diplomatic issues? Focusing heavily on military might early on, to force respect, might be a viable (though less satisfying) alternative. Or maybe trying to secure a strong, early alliance with one powerful race. It's a tough nut to crack, that's for sure!​