What will make MOO3 different?

[Bor]

I am in the wrong place again or maybe the wrong reality.
Is this MOO3 forum or advertisement campaign for SE IV ?
Things definitely look shifted, the SE IV I know is one of the most boring and idea free strategy games. It has the simplicity of Stars! , but not the depth. The game definitely should go in the books - primary example of really bad and stupid design.

[Mongoose]

Bor, are you quite sure you spell your name correctly?

[Bor]

It's not a real name and there isn't such thing as correct spelling.
And yes, I didn’t miss a character.

[moomin]

Geez, Bor, and here we thought it was Bore. But I persume it could be D.L. as well, tight?

No, it's not an SE IV campaign, it's a discussion of a game related to Moo. It's not like we have an unsurmountable traffic problem in this forum anyway.

[Big Dave]

Originally posted by Bor
I am in the wrong place again or maybe the wrong reality.
Is this MOO3 forum or advertisement campaign for SE IV ?

Well, if you'd read the rest of the thread, or much of this forum, or much of the Civ3 forum, you'd know that there are issues with Infogrames integrety regarding kicking games out the door before they're finished, or cutting staff that doesn't share Infogrames "vision" (i.e. more money).

Things definitely look shifted, the SE IV I know is one of the most boring and idea free strategy games. It has the simplicity of Stars! , but not the depth. The game definitely should go in the books - primary example of really bad and stupid design.

Ahh, the "simplicity of Stars!", is that like an honest polotician?

And could you tell me how many games you have designed?

It's too bad that such a "...boring and idea free strategy game..." has won so many awards, generated so many fan sites, and manages to support its author and his publisher through 4 versions.

Bor, please note that I am not mocking you, but I will ridicule unfounded ideas when and where I find them.
Respectfully,

Big Dave

Edit: Fixed mangled vB code.

[Straybow]

"…won so many awards…"

No accounting for taste.

Seriously, probably because it is good for MP.

[Travathian]

Curious to know how similar SE IV and MOO3 are to Civ3/SMAC? I've always loved the Civ series, and realllllly liked SMAC, and I saw a great review of SE IV online and was curious to know peoples take on all of them?

I think the closest to this type of game I've played was Star Trek Birth of the Federation.

[Big Dave]

Travathian,
You can get demos of Civ3 and SE IV from their respective publisher's Web sites.

Ok, there may not be a demo for Civ3, I just checked their Web site and didn't find one. But the SEIV link should d/l their demo for you.

Big Dave

[vmxa1]

Originally posted by Travathian
Curious to know how similar SE IV and MOO3 are to Civ3/SMAC? I've always loved the Civ series, and really liked SMAC, and I saw a great review of SE IV online and was curious to know peoples take on all of them?

I think the closest to this type of game I've played was Star Trek Birth of the Federation.

I can't speak for Moo3 as I have not played it. Civ3 and Smac are basically the same game. That is not surprising as they are by the same people and I enjoyed both.
SEIV is not all that disimilar to them, it has the same 4X, except it is in space. Yeah, SMAC is about a place in space, but not space itself. IOW you are on one planet, same as Civ.
Moom, fear not the web, I used my girlfriends credit card. (he he)
One very cool feature of SE is the ability to test out ship designs. It is quite correct that they are very responsive to suggestion at Malfor, I have gotten many changes in that I requested, but not the one to let me know that I have already handle an entry in the log.
BOF was interesting, but I could only play it a few times.

[Sikander]

Originally posted by vmxa1

Civ3 and Smac are basically the same game.

Except that Civ 3 is boring and linear while SMAC is wide open and remains fascinating over time. I uninstalled Civ 3 after two weeks. SMAC is still one of my favorites after 3 years.

[moomin]

Originally posted by Sikander
Except that Civ 3 is boring and linear while SMAC is wide open and remains fascinating over time. I uninstalled Civ 3 after two weeks. SMAC is still one of my favorites after 3 years.

I have to second that. Once you figger out the horse-floggin' scheme, Civ3 is no challenge even om Deity, while every other strategy fails. It's just an amazing amout of busy work to the end.

SMAC, on the other hand, offers so many different and interesting roads to victory. And once you've mastered them all, there is still all that interesting tinkering to do while playing.

I'd really, really like to see a SMAC2 someday, while I don't care for a Civ4 (well, at least not from Firaxis) anymore.

[vmxa1]

Well to each his/her own. I gave SMAC away and still have Civ. True I played SMAC a ton the first 2 years. Anyway, that is not the issue, which is better. They are basically the same game. They have the same components. Research, expand and conquer. Goody huts exist in Smac, keeping the pop appeased, right out of Civ, on and on.

[tcb221]

Originally posted by moomin


That's all very nice, but that decision has cost Malfador a lot of sales. My, for instance - I wouldn't buy stuff on the Internet if my life depended on it, much less an entertainment product such as SE IV.

Still, since you are here, and seem to represent Shrapnel: is there any way to buy from you that doesn't involve handing over my CC details? I'd be willing to trust you guys by sending cash in an envelope, but I understand that postal workers in the US regard that as bonus pay.

1) Sales do not equal profits. I would rather sell 1000 units and make $10 dollars each than sell 10,000 and make $1.01 each. The extra hassel is not worth the little bit of extra earnings.
This is the free market working.
If more publishers did only internet sales the retailers would have to make a choice and the consumer would win.
Credit cards are wonderful things. You don't get your product, just deny the sale and the seller does not get paid.
2) I bought SEIV Gold and the sale went without a hitch and I received my product in about 3 days.
3) I have no idea where you heard the our postal workers go through mail looking for cash. You may be thinking about Russia where I have read it is a common thing. Our postal system is really not bad once you consider the size of our country. It takes about 2 days to get a letter from coast to coast. Also, messing with the mail is taken VERY seriously over here. The postal service goes after anyone who interferes with the mail harder than the police go after drug dealers.

[vmxa1]

The idea that postal workers look for cash, may have come from 60 minutes and others showing them doing so. The rare case of mail being dump in the trash so they do not have to deliver it, etc. These things do happen, true it is a small number, but all of us have have had mail issues. I have had checks that never show up, mags that are not delivered and I contact them and they say the post office say it is not deliverable??? One move where nothing was ever forwarded, even thought I went to the office in person. I call them and they say they have no record of it? They say they will fix it and still nothing shows up for the next year, never? Is it better than most, maybe. Is it as good as it was 20 years ago, no. Should it be removed from protection, yes.
I ordered SEIV and then Gold, no hitches and I got the rebate, so have at it.