MOO1: Your kind of ships?

[neutrino]

I have been thinking about starting this thread for a while, and finally I am here ...

I want to ask each MOO1 player in this message board what kind of ship designs do you prefer and how you would use them. Also talk about ship design details including:

Battle Computer
Shield
ECM Jammer
Armor
Engine + Combat Maneuverability
Weapons and their slots
Special Devices

This is mostly about personal preferences, but also sharing recommendations with designs as well as its tactical use.

 

[malicious bloke]

I like to wait until i have 99 in all tech areas so everything is cheap as, then ye can make a totally horrible dreadnought

Best available engines/shields/computer, then like 50 mauler devices, 50 scatterpacks, likewise hercular/zeon torpedos, maybe some plasma cannons if i dont have neutronium bombs.

For specials automated repair or advanced damage control, inertial stabilisers and a lightning shield.

Simple, to the point and murderous.

 

[neutrino]

malicious bloke ... hehe!

It seems that we are eager for Tech-99, so we could design and build thingies that are like the 'Death Star' in the Star Wars series. With this kind of super-monster, we do not have to pick our brains out for tactics ..... 'just go here and there, blast anyone in our way until they become a lump of overcooked roast beef, then massacre the target planet'.

In those games (with huge galaxy) that I was able to get sooooo far with economic superiority, I usually built hordes of medium hulls driven by Hyper Drive, armed with multiple-firing beams (Gauss Autocannon or Pulse Phasor) and few Neutronium Bombs. As for their specials, I usually go for Inertial Nullifier, High-Energy Focus, and some sort of anti-missile devices (Anti-Missile, Xyro, or Lightning Shield).

With ships equipped with Hyper Drive + Inertial Nullifier, and armed with Neutronium Bombs, they can zip right next to a target planet in a single turn. Watch out! One drawback is that, towards late in the game, with many planets industrialized, it is much cheaper to just to knock out hostile Missile Bases, then launch ground assault. However, a large enough stacks of attackers equipped with Neutronium Bombs cause so much destruction that you end up wiping out the inhabitants in the target planet!

 

[malicious bloke]

yeah exactly. It's like 2 turns of the enemy running away quite slowly and then SPLAT.

the only problem i find is that more than 10 of your uber-death machines will wipe out any colony with a normal attack. I mean its ok if your main attack force has a few spiced up colony battlecruisers (sacrifice a few of your heavier beam weapons for a radiated colony base) but you still lose all the factories and stuff they had built before you bombed it.

Also, later on, a medium hull with the oracle interface, a repulsor beam and high energy focus, with some of the more nasty beam weapons is pretty savage. Especially if your missile defence is good, enemy stacks get right up close and get pushed back, while you use your concentrated and range extended [mauler device/death ray/other horrific beam thingies] to tear them to shreds.

 

[Zed-F]

Not a fan of waiting for tech-99 zoo games, personally. I'd rather call a won game won, rather than let it drag on and on, and instead get on to the next challenge.

Here's a good staple design that will win a lot of games.
Fighter, Fusion Engine (maneuver 4) + Inertial Stabilizer, BC II-IV, ECM 0, Shield 0, Titanium Armour, 1 Fusion Bomb.

 

[vmxa]

Not sure how you can get to level 99, unless you leave one race doing OCC. Even playing to take all planets, you should finish well before tech 99.

 

[malicious bloke]

Not sure how you can get to level 99, unless you leave one race doing OCC. Even playing to take all planets, you should finish well before tech 99.

Thats where being very anally retentive comes in. With your tech at 50-60 percent you cant fit nearly as much cool stuff on your warships as you can when everything is maxed

 

[vmxa]

The only way I can remember getting that high in tech si on a huge map that i decided not to end the game until I colonized all the planets, except the last one of the last race.

That I will not be doing again, as it was very boring. You can kill anything with a much less well miniaturize ship.

 

[aaglo]

I like to implement energy focusing with shield-piercing weapons.

And against big stacks of ships, graviton and tachyon weapons are a murder

 

[OlorinStormcrow]

Near the beginning, I'll usually use small bombers or fighters and medium missile boats.

If I get damage control early, I will try to design a heavily shielded Huge with damage control. Even if I don't have great weapons yet, an early ARS Huge is often invincible against everything the AI has at that point. So even if it takes a decade to build, I can use it to take enemy colonies or defend my colonies from attack.

Once I get enough engines + specials to have speed 4, I like the small bombers (with as many BC's as fit for inititive). Depending on the game, I'll back them up with ARS Huges, or medium missile boats to fight enemy ships.

My favorite ship I've ever used came from a Huge galaxy where I spent a large portion of the game boxed in a corner. When I finally got decent tech, I took out Orion, and was able to build medium sized, HEF death ray ships. Enough computer + battle scanner to move first vs. enemy bases, and able to move into beam range of the planet on their first turn. In no time, I was able to burn out the rest of the galaxy.

 

[ungy]

Depends a bit on what level you play.
At impossible you generally can't outslug the AI.
A couple of useful designs:

huge, fusion (maneuver 4), fusion bombs, ion cannon or better, auto repair, battle scanner, best BC, repulsor beam if available (or warp dis), best sheilds, armor. A single ship can take planets if the AI is weak in missiles.

for defense: large, max speed, repulsor beam/warp dis, max sheilds, armor, BC. This will help your bases take out huge AI fleets.

 

[neutrino]

Ship designs I have tried in the past:

0. Most of my ship designs tend to require: Install best engine available and its max maneuverability. Install better Battle Computer and ECM Jammer as they becomes affordable. Inertial Stabilizer or Nullifier are bonus.

1. Small hull with 1/2 shield beam (e.g., Neutron Pellet Gun) + bomb is an inexpensive, all-purpose design to use. The main thing is it should be build into hundreds and use them accordingly. Probably not worthwhile to get too much into shipbuilding business too soon, as my own Planetary Shield and Missile Bases can repel enemy attacks until later in the game. Until anti-fighter devices (e.g., Repulsar Beam, Energy/Ion Pulsar) become available, I think this is good enough.

2. Medium hulls with beams (1/2 shield beams preferred) and missiles. In a way, this is a 'glorified' version of #1. With the missiles, it can engage enemy stacks from distance. It should be built in numbers as missile attacks are at their best, if they can be launched in massive volleys.

3. Large and Huge hulls are not considered until towards latter middle game, once enemy fleets become pretty massive and are equipped with better weapons and specials. Beams: Gauss Autocannon or Pulse Phasor as they become available. They have only range 1, so High Energy Focus is a must.

4. Large hulls: Weapons can be varied, usually squeeze in
as many beams as possible, but also allocate enough space to install missiles/torpedoes and/or bombs. Specials I used most often: Inertial Stabilizer/Nullifier, Zyro/Lightning Shield, Ion/Neutronium Field Projector, High Energy Focus.

5. Huge hulls: Weapons can be varied ... pretty much a 'glorified' version of the large. Torpedoes may replace missiles and bombs, if Proton or Plasma Torpedoes are available. Specials: Advanced Damage Control (its predecessor, Automated Repair is not worth it), Zyro/Lightning Shield, Black Hole Generator, High Energy Focus, Neutronium Field Projector.

 

[Zed-F]

General uses for different size hulls:

1) Small fighter. A decent fighter beam, a good engine & maneuver, stabilizers is nice, and a decent battle computer. Anything else is chaff; the idea is to get the most guns into space for the least cost while still being able to hit a target. Shields, jammers, and other optional equipment are a waste of cash on ships like this, which rely purely on maneuver and firepower to smash the other guy before being smashed in return.

2) Small bomber. Ditto but replace the beam with a bomb. See my earlier post regarding a sample design. Often two of these stacks (or one of these stack plus one of the next design type) can stymie enemy missile bases and completely avoid planet missile fire on the way in.

3) Medium missile boat. Similar idea to the small fighter, but relies on shoot-n-scoot tactics to get as many warheads into space as possible for the least cost. Needs a decent missile, a decent engine, a decent computer, and maneuver. Other stuff is a waste as these guys will tend to withdraw from a battle when pressed. Bring other stuff if you want to hold a fixed location; these guys don't have the staying power for anything more than a few rounds of combat.

4) Large/Huge pounder. Needs good shields, good computers, a decent engine, and a modicum of maneuver. Specials are always nice and there are lots that are appropriate, including ARS, Repulsor, Dissipator, Ion Stream, and lots more. Rely more on soaking damage than avoiding it, not counting repulsor tactics. Uses may be varied depending on whether the focus is offense or defense; generally ships like this are either a hammer or an anvil, but tend to be closer to the latter. Fighters or missile boats tend to be better as far as getting lots of firepower into space inexpensively goes.

 

[jack-of-iron]

Are you guys playing MOO 1 on new computers? or have you saved one old computer just to play the best game out there?

I NEED to know so I can get a new computer compatable version of MOO1, (point me the right way); or just start putting together a purpose driven old machine

thanks for input, Jack

 

[neutrino]

Are you guys playing MOO 1 on new computers? or have you saved one old computer just to play the best game out there?

I NEED to know so I can get a new computer compatable version of MOO1, (point me the right way); or just start putting together a purpose driven old machine

thanks for input, Jack

I have a PC w/ Pentium III 733MHz + Win98. I downloaded MOO1 from http://www.the-underdogs.info/ . But I think it is easier to go to http://jonsullivan.com/misc/moo.php .

If you have WinXP, you will need to install an MS-DOS emulator like DosBox, since only up to Win98, does Windows operates above the level of MS-DOS.

 

[jack-of-iron]

Well, having bought newer and newer computers over the years all my favorite games have fallen off the playable list as the computers become "too good" for them. MOO1 being all our favorite, and one of the first to fall off because of the expanded/extended memory crap.

latest computer is an HP w/ AMD 64 x2 dual processor (yee haw!!) 2.2GHZ. running 32bit and using Vista (crap) windows.

from gleaning tidbits off the various MOO1 threads here I was able to find "Dosbox" to run this old classic in, and this Jon fellow's website to download the whole MOO1 program from. Gotta fine tune the .bat files and shortcut starts but I can play MOO1 again!!!!!!!! first time in 10 years!!!!!!!!!

--oh, favorite ships:

med. then as soon as production allows, large

max comp.,shields,ecm,engines - every time no matter what in the beinning/mid game. only at the end can you slack off on engines, by useing jump gates, etc.
manuverability - top one or possibly second to best as space allows.
weapons - in MOO1 the game is slanted towards beam weapons, I concentrate on these, especially the shield halving ones. (In MOO2 the missles get some more respect and can be used to better advantage on the ships.)
specials - get that repulsor beam on board quick!! good stuff!! stasis field is great too, it's practically cheating to shoot the guy then put him in stasis then he gets no turn and you do the same thing all over again on your next turn!!!! Its fun to flush their stack down the black hole toilet too later in the game


Glad to be playing again - Jack Hern

 

[neutrino]

Jack,

I think MOO1 is a classic, and one of the best PC games ever published as it is quite addictive. I do not fancy newer games that much, so I am glad that there are websites around that have archived games from the early '90s.

Ships ....

Yup, beam weapons are the mainstay of MOO1 arsenal, especially those that halves target shields and fires multiple rounds per turn. (I think Gauss Autocannon is the best.) Unfortunately, missiles do not generate a lot of damage towards late in the game. (Not powerful enough to wipe out a massive stack of large or huge warships with max shield.) I think torpedoes are way to go (especially if you have Proton or Plasma Torpedoes), but they can fire only once every other turn.

Stasis Field ..... funny how it is not exploited by AI players.

 

[vmxa]

I have been able to play Moo on all my PC's. The last few are all Pent iv's.

 

[jack-of-iron]

vmxa, being "deity", of course you've been playing MOO on all your computers! I'm just saavy enough to handle plug-n-play, and never had the patience to really root out a good solution. This dosbox thing is a wonder! Next you'll be telling me its been around for the last 10yrs or so...

Even w/ the new OS's I still prefer the DOS based OS and strict keyboard entry & file manipulation. Heck, I play MOO 90% off my keyboard.

Neutrino: Never took much time w/ the torpedos, didnt like waiting every other turn...

Other great special combo for later in the game is the neutronium field projector & ion stream = effects every ship in the stack at the same time, instead of killing the top, then the next and so on. It's been 10 years so my terminology may be off... First hit 'em w/ the shield/armor reducer, then w/ the hit point reducer. finish 'em off w/ the tachyon stream or some other streaming weapon and they're gone!

 

[jack-of-iron]

other classic games: I'd have to vote in Starcraft as another great game that I just keep coming back to playing!!!