Rate MoO3 (1-10)

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

This is not meant to be a spamming thread but to get an idea of how the Apolyton MoO players feel the MoO3 game rates.

Choose 1-10 with 10 being the perfect game and 1 being a load of crud.

Feel free to post an explanation of why you chose your ratings and what changes/improvements to the game would affect your opinion.

I figure with all the different reviews out there the one that really counts in the one by us the players. So this is an attempt to quantify our opinions.

[Craig P.]

Six now (fun as a builder, but issues within and outside of that). If most of the known issues are fixed in a patch, it goes up to eight or nine.

[Harry Seldon]

This game needs to be patched. If QS is lurking, find the threads about it on this site. Seven is a generous score from me because I believe the game will be better after a good patch.

[ashbery]

This game has geat promise if QS can make the A.I attack with fleets and groundTroops because its broke ATM.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

I'm giving it a four. It reinforces a trend in the computer gaming industry that I do not like at all. In the past you could buy a sequel to a game that you loved knowing full well that you would love that sequel because it would simply be a refinement of the previous version.

Both Civ3 and MoO3 have destroyed that assumption.

If Civ3 had taken the new elements (culture flipping, resources and luxury aquistion, etc) and kept all of the elements from the previous Civ games it would have been a perfect 10. Heck, add limits to the resources, such that only three cities can produce from a single Iron resource, thereby forcing the player to aquire 4-6 Iron resources if they want to pump out tanks in a multitude of cities and you've got a great basis for Civ4.

Likewise, if MoO3 had been MoO2 with the addition of Magnate Civs it would have scored a perfect 10 in my book.

OMG, Magnate civs are one of the best ideas yet, I can have all these vassal races out colonizing worlds I can't utilize and building up my empire. Its great. But it doesn't overcome the fact that they regulated research, espionage, and most of the other game elements to observer only status.

If I wanted to play The Sims in Space I would've bought a Sims game. I want a strategy game where I KICK the enemies but, where MY SHIPS swarm from my planets and I CONTROL my empire, not the computer playing along some preprogrammed algorithim.

Anyway, that's simply my review.

It's an okay game, but by no means worthy of the formerly illustrious "Master of Orion" license.

[darcy]

I voted 4.

First of all, I don't vote for promises. Even if a major miracle of a patch catapults the game to 10 later, it is a 4 now.

The worst problem is the complete lack of documentation. If all the features were documented, I could at least decide how good they are. Currently the game is completely opaque. I fiddle around with it as I would with a SimCity game. Funny for a bit, but not what I expect from a TBS.

The next problem is lack of immersion. All the elements that connect you with your empire are gone. You see no scientists who inform you of great new discoveries and no little soldiers who fight and die for you. I never get a feeling of accomplishment and success.

But it's not a total failure. There a lots of cool ideas that deserve further inspection and better execution, like real-time task force based combat or "independent" colonists that migrate with a will of their own and have an opinion about the state of war with other empires.

And a final note: Please don't use "shareware" as a synonym for "crappy game". Shareware refers only to the distribution model, not the quality of a game. Many shareware titles are superior to their retail counterparts.

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by darcy
And a final note: Please don't use "shareware" as a synonym for "crappy game". Shareware refers only to the distribution model, not the quality of a game. Many shareware titles are superior to their retail counterparts.

I didn't use the term Shareware as to refer to garbage, I used Shareware to insinuate they didn't do anything that warranted people paying for it.

A lot of Shareware stuff is actually worth spending money on, while a lot of stuff people charge for should have been given away for free.

[darcy]

This might be a misunderstanding here. Shareware is not freeware, shareware means you get to try the software (usually a crippled version) before deciding if you want to buy and keep it.

That said, MoO3 should have been shareware, i.e. it should have had a demo version. It's only fair to test something before you pay for it.

[MarkG]

i guess you didnt see this GF

http://apolyton.net/dir/index.php?id=4250&t=reviews&toprate=5.0000&tophits=3975&cat=3

[GhengisFarbâ„¢]

Originally posted by MarkG
i guess you didnt see this GF

http://apolyton.net/dir/index.php?id...its=3975&cat=3

Nope, my bad. But I honestly rarely leave the forums/chatroom area.

[Arnelos]

I give it an 8. My own "reviewish" post is elsewhere on this forum. I'll have to compose more material and post it.

This game is not perfect... there are MANY flaws, but most games these days have that many flaws out-of-the-box. This game overcomes those flaws with such an awesome game that I just don't care.

I think part of the issue here is that this game extremely hit-or-miss with people. Either you love it or you hate it and that seems to be largely inspired by your style of play and what you enjoy.

The principle quality that seems to more frequently divide those who love it from those who hate it is patience. Both in terms of overcoming the learning curve (accurately described as a "learning cliff") and in terms of enjoying the gameplay. If you have some patience to spare and enjoy empire management as much as conquering the infadels, you may just love this game once you get into it. If you don't have the patience for the learning curve or the management style, you probably won't like the game.

So it's largely a matter of different people have different tastes.

My recommendation to some friends of mine who were initially in the "I hate this game" crowd was to have a little patience with it... seems to have worked like a charm. Several of them now can't put the game down and now think it's absolutely awesome. The conversion of Sillelak (a college friend of mine), who posted the "What went wrong?" thread here, is a telling example.

But I'll recognize that the argument by some that they don't want to have to work to like a game is entirely valid. It's just not their type of game, then.

[MitchDev]

I gave it a 5, with 12+ hours in, and about 12-20 more before I have to return the game...

I can see the appeal of the game in general, but it is NOT a MoO-game, it's just a semi-turnbased, players decisions-don't-really-mean-much-'cause-you-get-so-little-feedback.

[lostgunman]

Why god! WHY!

20+ hours playing now...and i feel totally left out of the game.

It can play itself? Why does it need me?

All the cool stuff is gone. (GNN, reports) And everything is a total pain in the butt to get to.

So far...unless there is a MASSIVE patch...I am taking my copy back to the store where I bought it. It just is not worth keeping.

I gave it a 3, because of the POSSIBILITY of a better game later on. Others wise...it would have been a total dud.

suggestions: Reports, give me back my GNN, simplify the menus, give us the ability to select real-time or turn-based combat.

Compliments: Graphics looked nice, extra races were cool...story was nice also.

[Harry Seldon]

I don't understand why you aren't having much influence on the game, unless you're looking for micromanagement. I'm having pretty good success with the development plans. I usually turn the planetary AI off on a couple of worlds to facilitate fleet building more quickly. Except for those damn transports and armies of support units, I feel in control.

[General Ludd]

I gave it a six.

I like that they tried something new, and I don't hate the game, but it just hasn't 'caught' me the same way other games have. I have a hard time geting into the game for some reason. But I've been in a bit of a funk the past few days, so maybe it's me... either way, I'm going to put it to the side for a while and come back to it with a fresh view, and hopefully a patch.

Speaking of which, although there are some things that really need patching, it was released in pretty good shape by today's standards.