Reviews Matter

[solops]

All games generate some controversy because none are perfect. However, the level and intensity of the discussion of MOO3 indicates some serious problems. If there were not serious issues, the intensity would not be there.

I love 4X games and own the majority of those published since my first Apple II and IIe. But, I have stopped buying games until I see the forums because I have been burned too many times. The forums are telling me there is a Problem So Stay Away. So I'm not buying, at least until some serious patching is done.

Interface and gameplay (including AI) are paramount and I am seeing far too many complaints about both. And I don't want the computer playing for me (Reach for the Stars II failed due to this issue). I should not have to struggle with the interface, the documentation and the gameplay in order to have fun. I don't mind complexity or detail. The Operational Art of War is my normal cup of tea and it makes most of the 4x games look quite simple in comparison. But I have to have fun....the struggle should be with the AI, not the game implementation.

So, when the forums pronounce it Fixed, I'll think about buying.

Your opinions DO matter.

[ChaotikVisions]

Only the bad ones? The UI has never bothered me, my one annoyance was not having a screen to edit all the build queues from, its not that hard to do from planets screen anyway. As for the AI, the only problem i've seen there is the aggressiveness QS says they're patching, and for which modders have already made a decent fix. I doubt the forums will ever pronounce it fixed, if you're going to count any post where someone whines about it. People still come by the Civ3 forums to complain, and its been out awhile now.

[darcy]

Only the bad ones?

Perhaps that's because the people with the "bad" opinions can explain precisely why they don't like Moo3, whereas the other group fails to provide arguments that go beyond "well... it's fun". To make this opinion equally valid, it is necessary to explain why it is fun. I know that's more difficult, because good gameplay elements are harder to detect than the flawed ones, but it's still possible.

[ChaotikVisions]

Why the game is fun? Thats easy. The great tactical space combat, focus on designing balanced fleets instead of just pumping on the latest set of beams like in MoO2. The vastness of the universe, the smallest one is 50 stars I think, with up to what, 6 or 7 planets per? The DEAs, despite what some say its a great concept. Set up some plans, and watch my less important worlds develop well on their own. I still manage my core worlds, because no AI in this day and age can know exactly what a human wants.

The diplomacy and the Senate, these things do make sense if you stop to look at it. You can threaten people, set a tone to a mood, do much more then MoO2, where it was pretty easy to control AIs. Ground combat is also great, as amusing as it was to watch oddly colored guys in space suits shoot lasers at each other over a purple moon, it got kinda dull. Building good armies and choosing the proper tactics is great. Just the other day defending with a few militia I beat back a better equipped army, of course I also decided I wouldn't care what happened to my civilians/buildings during the battle, but it was worth it for the trap to work. Opressometer, the way you can control finaces, I love it. Like I said, there are some things that could improve but if you want to know why someone likes the game you have it now...