Master or Orion 4

The Darloks like really cool in the screenshots. The Psilons are well-drawn but kind of comical, more like what you'd see in an iPhone game. The Alkari are still amazingly bad (honestly, how did they get past review?). The previously-decent Mrrshan now look worse with the new full-body profile: crosseyed, no tail, stilt-length legs, and dog paws for feet? They are approaching Alkari territory, imo. However, the Sakkra look very good as do the Humans.

So, imo of the 6: 3 good, 1 ok, 2 bad.

 

Some new screenshots here: http://www.gamersglobal.de/screens/103916

Pre-battle screen


Interacting with independent planets:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=151&v=x-FzmFH1QV8

WOW

This a must see .. I am starting to like the Alkari

 

Can't wait to get my hands on this game!!

 

The animated leaders in diplomacy look fantastic!!! When they speak, it feels very natural, like that leader really is talking to you.

 

My thoughts exactly! That animation really undid a lot of the cringing I felt when I was looking at just the screenshot.

 

The Mrrshan animation and dialogue are cringeworthy, and enough with all the cat talk - I doubt the human ambassador is going to be banging on about apes or monkey business all the time. It would be cleverer if they made some allusion to the source material for the name - a Mrrshan responding to a declaration of war by announcing a War of the Worlds, a Darlok telling an enemy they'll be exterminated, or a Psilon accepting a treaty offer with "By your command".

Not a fan of fleshing out the backgrounds for the races - one of the best things about MOO was that its stories and characterisations emerged from the games themselves (I always imagined my militaristic Alkari as being somewhat Nazi-like conquerors, similar to the Gubru of David Brin's Uplift War).

 

I don't mind historical background for the races, because that doesn't necessarily drive their attitudes in the current time. What I've never really cared for is the excessive space opera backstory to the game, wherein all of the races have interacted with each other for thousands of years when the game starts.

 

MOO4 will be available on early access via Steam soon. Yeah!

 

heheh .. the retro ships are too cool..!

MOO1 ships 3d

 

So where does the sentiment on this game stand as of now? Are you guys going to be playing it? When do you think its going to be released?

 

Honestly, there has been very little specific info on gameplay. So, I can't really make a judgment one way or the other yet. I want to love the game for sure. What I have seen so far looks cool. I wish early access was available now. I'd definitely play it.

 

Will give it a try, but in no hurry. Lots of games in hand to play, working on Grim Dawn currently and D3 seasons 5.

 

I believe this game will have Star Lanes which I hate with a passion. If that is the case I almost certainly won't be playing it!

I found this thread interesting. http://forum.masteroforion.com/index.php?/topic/441-moo-at-pax-australia/

 

Here is a 30 minute gameplay video. The graphics looks a bit cartoonish but the gameplay looks fun enough. I hope the tactical combat is ok. The simulated view looks really bad with just little dots flying around.


Link to video.

 

They said the game has a moral function. I dislike that. You can get revolts from having war declared on you by several races.

Star lanes can be a pain, but I can handle that. Ascendancy had them and it was just extra work to plan invasion, so ships could arrive at the same turn, from multiple locations.

Edit: Watching a bit more, I see they stole the star lanes from Ascendancy. I say that as he talked about blue and red ones. Just like those in Ascendancy. Red ones in that game took a different engine and it was slower travel (not sure it it simulated a long distances or what). They had devices to block the lanes with as well. Though the ones in Moo4 remind me more of Space Empires.

 

I'm sceptical.

It's not a minus vs MOO2, but I think it's a shame that it seems to fall in the same trap of colony micromanagement every post-MOO2 game has fallen into. I suppose they can't go back to the development model of MOO1, but I'm sure there are better ways than having to make decisions building by building, planet by planet. MOO3 went into the right direction in this regard.

And I hate it that they've gone with the trend of giving the reboot the exact same name as the first edition. So when you're looking for stuff re the orginal you'll constantly get hits for this one.

I think starlanes are a big plus however.

 

well, but this game does let manage your planets and empire from a single empire management screen. You can change build queues and set a planet's focus from the empire management screen. You can also set all your planet's to the same focus with a single button on the empire management screen. So, it will be very easy to manage your planets without ever going to the individual planet screen. So, micromanagement does not seem to be a problem in MOO4.

 

Amazing voice actors:
MOO4 voice actors

 

Early Access will be available 1 week from now, on Feb 26. Very excited!!!