There's obviously something very special about this game

[smellymummy]

the newest version of colin's mod is awesome. The thing that many have discovered is that 'impossible' is broken, imagine that.

Get colin's RC2 mod, and play on hard. Unless you get a really fantastic starting location (ie: 4 flood plain+wheat tiles, 4 hills with iron, and starting tile on the river...) the game is really hard.

[peacenik]

I agree smellymummy. The work of colin the grey shows the potential this game has if it gets a couple of good patches, as QS promises.

[Simpleton]

This is the first time I've had to learn a game in years - MOST refreshing and shows that the game has taken a unique turn where others are just rehashing the same stuff over and over. I don't want the same stuff with a new GUI, I want something NEW, and that's what MOO3 has provided... and probably why a lot of people are disappointed.

Good point! I never thought of that before.
Take a look at Civ3 (don't get me wrong I think it's an awesome game!!!!) but it really borrowed a lot of gameplay elements from Civ2 and SMAC and wasn't truly innovative. In its own defense CIV3 improved a lot of things unlike the poor cousins CTP and CTPII which totally ripped off the genre and ruined the gameplay.
I've only tried MOO3 and in the hour or two that I've played it I didn't like it. That being said when I have more time I will return because it does seem innovative and I'm curious to see how the envelope has been pushed.