Master of Orion 3 Released

Kintaro writes "The long awaited Master of Orion 3 is now in stores. The reviews so far have been unusually mixed, but rest assured the game is still complex - in fact that seems to be a recurring complaint among those that don't like it. And as an added bonus, the game actually runs on Linux right out of the box."

Comments

"actually runs on linux"

[Prizm]

So how many games is that which "actually run on linux" out of the box? I guess it is quite a bonus, as the author put it.

Re:"actually runs on linux"

[bheerssen]

I've been wondering about this. If I purchase the UT2003 box from best buy, it'll run on linux? The box doesn't say so, as you pointed out.

Re:"actually runs on linux"

[Negatyfus]

And even then there are a few glitches here and there, too:

"There were a few little problems with scrolling from within a window (via the desktop option in the config file) and planet rendering during combat... but he said everything else worked great."

Re:"actually runs on linux"

[Schnapple]

Unreal Tournament 2003 runs on linux right out of the box, but it doesn't mention linux at all on the box as I recall

According to the developers it's because the boxes, manuals, etc. were printed before the game went gold and they didn't know Linux support was going to be included yet. Not sure why it doesn't have it on subsequent printings, though - perhaps to not confuse people?

Re:"actually runs on linux"

[Tyreth]

Who cares, really? If it's either no port or winex, I'll choose the latter. And if enough games say on the box "Runs on Linux" with a WineX symbol next to it then great! Once we have enough gamers we'll see native ports. Why? Because if 20% of their market is on Linux then they'll want them happy, and a WineX version is not that.

Any promotion of gaming on Linux, whether native or WineX, is positive. I know this because of my gamer friends, who only use computer for games. They're fascinated by Linux, and would be happy with WineX, so long as it runs close to the same as windows (doesn't need to be perfect for them).

Re:Bah!

[FortKnox]

Everything game-wise is written in DirectX. DirectX != SDL. So, you either have to hire game coders with experience in a multiplatform engine, or port (rewrite) the entire game to sell to Linux users (which will hardly be profitable, and, therefore, not worth the effort).

Re:Don't get your hopes up

[Xentax]

I think the game delivers most of what was promised, though clearly not all.

Namely, it's a game that's VERY deep, yet still fun. Obviously, it's not quite as deep as some had hoped. For example, you can't fight battles at starlane junctions, only at planets or otherwise in-system. Targets and missions for espionage aren't nearly as dynamic and intricate as I'd hoped (or as was originally designed).

But what's there is still going to be worth it to most people. Combat is FAR more interesting than it was in MOO or MOO2; as I said elsewhere, MOO3 space combat allows for maneuver -- not just firepower -- to make a significant difference in the outcome of a battle. Ground combat is much more interesting than previous incarnations (though I realize it could go even farther, yet some people would just as soon not have ground combat at all). The research side of the game is huge, though some will find it more "noisy" than interesting, I suspect, as the player can't take as direct a hand in research planning as some would like.

So, to answer your question, I don't think the game lives up to what was *planned* a year or more ago, in some ways. But, what IS there is still a worthy game for most fans of the series and the genre.

Xentax

My initial reaction is dissapointment

[Wraithlyn]

Disclaimer: I've only spent about an hour with this game, which obviously is not nearly enough for an in-depth analysis, but I have to say I'm pretty appalled with the offering so far.

It seems like all the life, colour, and magic has been taken out of the game. Let me give you an example... in prior MOO games, when you colonized a planet, you were treated to a nice full screen animation of a spacecraft landing on the planet's surface, and saw one of your colonists putting up a flag, and then it asked you to name your new world. (You could skip these sequences if desired, of course)

In MOO3, you get a log entry. That's it. Hooray. This "reduction to bare data" seems prevalent everywhere in the game. Yes, it's efficient, detailed, and deep. So is a spreadsheet. But is it fun??? The interface is also very bland... I mean.. flat shading everywhere??? This isn't 1989 anymore, how about some gradients or textures people!? And the few space battles I've seen so far have literally been single pixel ships wandering around on a 2D grid.

The first two MOO games grabbed me like a steel clamp and didn't let go. They had so much personality and polish. This one, I am finding myself having to force myself to try and get into it.