Master of Orion 3 Released

"actually runs on linux" by Prizm · 2003-02-26 05:52 · Score: 4, Interesting

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" by Jonny+Ringo · 2003-02-26 05:56 · Score: 5, Funny

What a fantastic quote. They should slap that on retail boxes for linux software every where.
Re:"actually runs on linux" by Feyr · 2003-02-26 06:02 · Score: 5, Informative

actually is doesn't run on linux "out-of-the-box". if you read the thread, it needs wineX

too bad
Re:"actually runs on linux" by dark_panda · 2003-02-26 06:18 · Score: 3, Informative

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. No need for Wine, either, as it uses SDL, I believe.

J
Re:"actually runs on linux" by DashEvil · 2003-02-26 06:37 · Score: 4, Insightful

That's one of the bad things about wineX, I guess. Now people are going to start claiming that their products run under Linux, even though they don't have native support for it. Ah well.

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-If God wanted people to be better than me, he would have made them that way.
Re:"actually runs on linux" by Negatyfus · 2003-02-26 06:47 · Score: 3, Interesting

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" by dark_panda · 2003-02-26 07:02 · Score: 3, Informative

There's a shell script on one of the CDs that you run and that's pretty much it. There is a slight flaw in the script that you should take note of, though -- when it says to put in CD 1, it's actually refering to Play CD 1 and not the installation CD. Or something to that effect. There are probably some BBS threads out there or some FAQs that explain it better. It's been a while since I installed it.

Loki seems to have been at least partially responsible for the port, as it uses the Loki update utility to install updates and such. It was the first game I installed on my new laptop and it runs great. I'm using gentoo on a Dell Inspiron 8200, which uses a GeForce 4 mobile. I'd recommend getting the Nvidia binary-only drivers for OpenGL if you're running the game on a linux box versus the XFree86 OpenGL drivers, as they seem to run better and the difference in framerate is noticible.

I've compared the game running on identical hardware in linux and WinXP, and you can barely notice a difference. The framerate is pretty close on both, although my linux laptop seems to run slightly smoother, probably because I shut down pretty much every running process and play the game out of twm.

The only issue I had on linux was getting the sound to not suck. I ended up using OSS that worked well. ALSA made things pretty choppy.

J
Re:"actually runs on linux" by _xeno_ · 2003-02-26 07:24 · Score: 3, Informative

I wrote a journal entry on my experiences in installing it.
Just the important details:
The game itself and the Linux installer consider the disc labeled "Disc One" to be the "Play Disc" and the discs labeled "Disc Two" and "Disc Three" to be "Disc One" and "Disc Two" respectively. The Linux installer isn't mentioned clearly on anything that I found, but is on "Disc Three" in the root directory and is called "linux_installer.sh."
I'd suggest copying the install script to a local filesystem and then executing it because the script will try and unmount your CD-ROM drive and then re-mount it. (I think it uses /mnt/cdrom as the mount-point - ensure you use the appropriate CD-ROM device for the fstab entry for /mnt/cdrom!)

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You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.

great by haedesch · 2003-02-26 05:52 · Score: 4, Funny

I was afraid I might actually pass this year :-)

Bah! by delta407 · 2003-02-26 05:53 · Score: 4, Informative

And as an added bonus, the game actually runs on Linux right out of the box.

...under WineX, of course.

That statement is rather misleading -- there is no native binary version available.

Re:Bah! by FortKnox · 2003-02-26 06:04 · Score: 4, Insightful

Its a step. Why must it be 100% linux or I'm gonna bitch and moan?

My mom used to tell me to be happy with what I got. You got it on linux, quit whining.

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Good quote, too many chars. Seriously, the slashdot 120 char limit sucks!
Re:Bah! by swv3752 · 2003-02-26 06:12 · Score: 3, Insightful

Either A) We do not want to buy a License for MS or
B) Why bother dual booting when everything else is done in Linux.

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Just a Tuna in the Sea of Life
Re:Bah! by CommandNotFound · 2003-02-26 07:24 · Score: 3, Informative

Everything game-wise is written in DirectX.

Yeah, except for those obscure titles from that unknown company... what's their name again? I think they're called Id? :)
Re:Bah! by Anonvmous+Coward · 2003-02-26 07:33 · Score: 3, Funny

"Significantly expanded? So what does one more game equal? A 25% increase?"

Oh, I dunno if I'd say that. But it did up the number of genres available for Linux gaming to 4!

Here's the current list:

1.) FPS ports from the most popular Windows releases.
2.) Penguin Racing
3.) M.A.M.E.
4.) All new! Strategy game set in space provided you have Wine up and running.

Yep, Linux now has 4 incredibly broad genres of games to play!

(I hope the Linux mods have a sense of humor today.)
Re:Bah! by _xeno_ · 2003-02-26 07:37 · Score: 3, Insightful

or:
C) Give up on Linux, and allow Windows XP to be your desktop platform. Install Cygwin for the Unixy things you need, and then realize that most of your development work (as in, for pay) is Java-based anyway and that you might as well stick with Windows for a better desktop experience.
This isn't intended as an anti-Linux troll - I have Gentoo installed along with Windows XP, I got UT2003 running under Gentoo with almost no problems; but I found that for my day-to-day tasks, Windows was a far superior desktop environment than Gnome. (I personally like Gnome better than KDE, so don't try that route.)
Sorry, Linux guys - I appreciate Linux as a server platform (I have a dedicated Linux server). But it isn't ready on the desktop yet. At least for me, since I do a fair amount of gaming. On the other hand, my Dad (who's a software engineer) has completely switched to SuSE. It's actually kind of ironic - he switched to Linux at about the same time I returned to Windows.
(On the other hand, I still emerge rsync && emerge --update system && emerge --update world far too frequently considering I then have to reboot back to Windows to get actual work done. I even have a shellscript to help resolve new configuration files. So I have an up-to-date Gentoo system - that I don't use... I'm pathetic :))

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You are in a maze of twisty little relative jumps, all alike.
Re:Bah! by Rebar · 2003-02-26 10:50 · Score: 3, Funny

More genres than that even.

The Linux games I find myself playing most often:

1.) Kernel Patch Forever
2.) The Hunt for Related Libraries (apt-get is considered cheating)
3.) Theme Manager
4.) Recompile the Compiler - a traditional UNIX strategy game

It beats playing Windows-based games like Reboot-after-simple-install which I also find myself playing pretty often.

Re:well there goes another bzillion hours by war3rd · 2003-02-26 05:53 · Score: 4, Funny

No kidding, I can feel my social skills beginning to atrophy already....

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finally..... by iamsoscrewed · 2003-02-26 05:53 · Score: 5, Funny

I can stop wondering when it will come out, and finally have my wife deny letting me buy it.

Civ 3 Syndrome by briancnorton · 2003-02-26 05:55 · Score: 3, Informative

I played it a little bit, and from what I can tell, it's got the same problem that Civ 3 has. It dosent really add anything of value, and it tacks on a bunch of semi-thought-out variables that add very little. It's fun, but not enough to make me read the whole manual.

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People who think they know everything really piss off those of us that actually do.

Re:Civ 3 Syndrome by Joe+the+Lesser · 2003-02-26 06:04 · Score: 3, Insightful

The biggest problems with Civ III were the ten minute turns of 50 tanks slowly moving across the continent to your enemy, and that minute amount of resources availiable. (Not to mention the shoddy AI as usual, and countless other problems). So I don't think the games are that similar, although I've yet to play MOO3.

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"I only speak the truth"
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The new trend in gaming by DownTheLongRoad · 2003-02-26 05:55 · Score: 4, Insightful

The "strategy Guide" was out months before the actual game. It should really be called "The Game Manual You Have to Pay an Extra $30 For Because We Want to Rip You Off". I guess that is too long and honest though. Just another way to drain their customer's bank accounts. Oh how I long for the old Microprose Manuals. They seem like textbooks compared to the 20 page garbage included these days.

Re:The new trend in gaming by SuiteSisterMary · 2003-02-26 05:58 · Score: 4, Informative

The Moo3 manual is 161+ pages. A good third of that is backstory.

The strat guide was a DISAPPOINTMENT, compared to classics such as MOO1, or Master of Magic.

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Vintage computer games and RPG books available. Email me if you're interested.

Not out for Mac yet by FredFnord · 2003-02-26 06:00 · Score: 3, Informative

But apparently soon. We shall see... that's what they said about Neverwinter Nights, too... and where is it?

-fred

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Don't get your hopes up by Anonymous Coward · 2003-02-26 06:00 · Score: 5, Informative

I was 'fortunate' enough to be a beta tester for this game, and I was extremely disappointed with the game. Simply put, there are fundamental issues here.

I highly recommend that people read the review at http://www.quartertothree.com

From this tester's perspective, that review is the clearest picture of what I feel is wrong with MOO3.

Re:Don't get your hopes up by Xentax · 2003-02-26 06:57 · Score: 4, Insightful

Hmm. I was a beta tester too, and I feel no need to remain anonymous. Are you afraid of NDA-related trouble, or are you pretending to be something you're not?

I think the game is great. By no means perfect, and the learning curve is one of the steepest I've encountered in a "game", but it *definitely* grows on you. As I recall, it was little different for MOO2, just to a lesser degree.

In general folks, don't take a reviewer's word for it, unless they're VERY specific on what's not to like, and if that applies to you or not. I mean, the graphics will probably get slammed, but eye-candy isn't a must-have for everyone. Also, too many people will sell this game short because they haven't put enough time into it -- the first stages of the game aren't very compelling, and your first game or two might feel more like work than fun as you're learning the ropes.

I'll say this -- if you want something *simple*, this is not the place to look. You don't really have to micromanage in the MOO2 sense of the term, but there's a lot going on there, maybe more than some people will want to deal with.

Otherwise, it's a great game. The battles in the later stages of a game are amazing and fun; real-time combat means you FINALLY have a space strategy game where maneuver is a non-trivial factor in the outcome. Also, combined arms are there and fairly balanced -- you can't win with JUST fighter or missiles or beam weapons, you probably need all 3 against a savvy opponent.

Xentax

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You shouldn't verb words.

Mixed Reviews... by LordYUK · 2003-02-26 06:03 · Score: 3, Insightful

Of course a game like this is going to get mixed reviews. First, the games feature list has changed numerous times, note that isnt necessarily a bad thing, but you say one thing will be in there, and then it isnt, well, thats not very good. Two, the release date got pushed back several times, which can have a negative effect on the reviewer. Third, its COMPLICATED... Pick up Diablo and you can play it in about 5 mins (if that) and after an hour or three you can have a pretty good feel of the game to review. MoO3 is long and complicated (Civ3 took me about 6-7 games before I started realizing how everything worked, and what I needed to do and when, which was about 25+ hours) and a reviewer with a deadline probably doesnt have that kind of time to sit with every game, so the ones that liked MoO2 probably got into it faster, and rated it better than the more casual gamer.

Of course, I am not a reviewer, but I was expecting (on my own personal scale) a 7.5/10 star game. The graphics arent that great, which weakens the rating, and if its like Civ, enduring long hours to play one game is not always a bonus, so it loses points there.

With that said, I cant wait to get my hands on it!

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Probably good, but needs some time by t0ny · 2003-02-26 06:05 · Score: 3, Insightful

I have noticed that when opinions are polarized regarding a work, ie some love it, some hate it, it is generally very good.

I noticed some of my favorite movies were like this. If it applies to this game, it is quite possible a very deep game.

From what I have read, however, the learning curve is really very high, which may be what is putting off many early adopters who havent had time to work through the curve.

I think the real test of this game will be the review it gets in one or two months, and then if it has enough to keep people playing it a few years from now, pushing it into "classic" statis. From what beta testers have said, however, it sounds like they may have a classic.

Hopefully the complexity will not prevent it from selling well.

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Re:Yay for MOO!!!! by ClippyHater · 2003-02-26 06:08 · Score: 5, Funny

I'm picking it up tonight on my way home :-)

...and it was months before Jerdie was seen or heard from again. 100 days later, a friend finds Jerdie--hair down to knees, pasty-white skin, and 1000-yard stare--emerge from the house, blinking in wonder at the fiery orb up in the blue, blue sky. :)

Online costs (lowest & highest) per Froogle by TastyWords · 2003-02-26 06:09 · Score: 5, Informative

Least expensive: CompuExpert has it for $39.90 and BuyPCSoft has it for $39.85. Most expensive: Chumbo.com for $52.99 It looks like standard retail is $49.99

"runs on linux"? by kwiqsilver · 2003-02-26 06:10 · Score: 3, Informative

I don't think this really qualifies as running on Linux. I started using linux to get away from proprietary software and crash-prone dll libraries.
And now to play moo3, I'd need to install WineX, which if I'm not mistaken is a proprietary extension of Wine, and requires authentic windows dll files to run.

doesn't work by Anonymous Coward · 2003-02-26 06:15 · Score: 4, Funny

# apt-get install moo3
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package moo3
# apt-get install master-of-orion-3
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
E: Couldn't find package master-of-orion-3

OK, so what's it called then?

Re:doesn't work by RPoet · 2003-02-26 06:43 · Score: 4, Funny

You got it wrong. Try:

# apt-get moo

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"Oppression and harassment is a small price to pay to live in the land of the free." -- Montgomery Burns.

Doesn't work for me by yamla · 2003-02-26 06:18 · Score: 4, Informative

Note: Moo3 does not currently work for me with the latest version of WineX. Early on in the game, it seems to forget that I have a keyboard attached and also stops registering mouse clicks, though I can still move the mouse cursor around. I strongly suspect this will be an easy fix but at the moment, Master of Orion 3 does not work in Linux for me.

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Oceania has always been at war with Eastasia.

Lol by jayhawk88 · 2003-02-26 06:20 · Score: 4, Insightful

Some guy gets a pre-release or beta version (check the post dates, 2-16) to run on a certain version of Linux via Wine, and suddenly it's "runs on Linux right out of the box".

"If I read it on the Internet, it must be true!"

Re:Yay for MOO!!!! by DNS-and-BIND · 2003-02-26 06:47 · Score: 4, Funny

The yellow face! It hurtsss us! It hurtsss us, precious!

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Rough around the edges.... by Ephemeriis · 2003-02-26 09:26 · Score: 3, Informative

I picked up my copy of MoO3 earlier today, and I've been playing it ever since. The transition from MoO2 (which I was playing just last night) is rough, to say the least. Many, many things have changed. Not better, not worse, just very different. I don't know if I like it yet. Some things seem to be more complicated than they need to be... Others seem too simple... The in-game documentation is either well hidden, or missing. There isn't much of a tutorial. Numbers appear to be the preferred representation...rather than any kind of graphical charts or meters. And there's an awful lot of AI assistance available to keep things moving along. Visually, it's a disappointment. The graphics are very dated. The GUI is stark, dull, and cluttered. But... I'm still being drawn back to it, to play some more. We'll see.

If anyone is curious, I'll be posting my impressions to my blog.

yrs,
Ephemeriis

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"Work is the curse of the drinking classes." -Oscar Wilde

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