Master of Orion 1 + 2 on GOG

Pages

Master of Orion & Master of Orion 2 for $5.99

So I've never played these games, but I've heard a lot about them. Downloading...

I have never played them as well, but I bought them because I've always wanted to. If I've never played an Master of Orion game, should I just skip the first and dive right into the second?

Wembley wrote:

I have never played them as well, but I bought them because I've always wanted to. If I've never played an Master of Orion game, should I just skip the first and dive right into the second?

No, they both play quite differently. I would view them less as a continuations of the same game and more as separate, stand-alone games that happen to be in the same genre.

MoO is a little crude in its UI by modern standards; however, it is an almost 20 year old game at this point. I have it installed currently and play it from time to time; the game itself still plays great, but do not expect to have a polished UI.

MoO2 expands on MoO a bit but also simplifies some things. For instance, where MoO only had a solar system to colonize (ie. a "star" could be colonized), MoO2 had individual planets. MoO had the ability to research multiple techs at the same time, while MoO2 has only one-tec-at-a-time research. MoO2 adds some nice touches like leaders (essentially "hero" units you can hire that have various impacts on some of the game's systems). MoO2's UI is a bit more modern and seems like it works a bit better than the first one.

Both are great, great games; if you like space 4X games, picking these up for $6 is a no-brainer.

Nightmare wrote:

Both are great, great games; if you like space 4X games, picking these up for $6 is a no-brainer.

And by that he means that if you don't buy these I will come to your house and take out your brains with an ice cream scoop while you sleep, and no jury in the world would convict me.

Yonder wrote:
Nightmare wrote:

Both are great, great games; if you like space 4X games, picking these up for $6 is a no-brainer.

And by that he means that if you don't buy these I will come to your house and take out your brains with an ice cream scoop while you sleep, and no jury in the world would convict me.

Well, I wasn't going to say it exactly that way, but, yeah...

I guess I'll have to try this at some point. Are there fish people to kill?

Grubber788 wrote:

I guess I'll have to try this at some point. Are there fish people to kill?

Lizards. And space bugs!

MOO is what got me into PC gaming, so I always get little nostalgia waves by playing it. Going to download just to load it up once.

Nightmare wrote:

however, it is an almost 20 year old game at this point.

God I feel old.

And I just bought it, even though I still have the original disc of Orion 2.

Slacker1913 wrote:

And I just bought it, even though I still have the original disc of Orion 2.

I'll be pulling the trigger on this GOG release too!

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

I always like MoO1 way better than two. I prefer the more abstract planet/solar system management of the first game.

Outcast was also added to GOG at the same time as MOO1/2.

But yea, MOO2, YAY.

Desram wrote:

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

Purchases at GOG.com:
-You can always re-download games that you own, using your account
-Because we sell DRM-free games you can install them on any PCs at home
-Every purchased game comes with lifetime support as well as updates to guarantee best compatibility with future XP & Vista revision

Desram wrote:

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

Most certainly. That's, well, the point of GoG.

Edit: Well, it doesn't actually say Windows 7 on the GoG page. That stinks as Interstate86 doesn't work on W7. I'll let you know when I get home.

I /LOVED/ MOO1. I always wanted to play MOO2, but my PC at the time broke/wouldn't run the game. I haven't been able to find it since and I will definitely be buying these. Anyone that doesn't buy these is spitting on the foundation of every space civ sim out on any platform. A must play just to know your roots.

Desram wrote:

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

I just installed it. It includes DosBox, and I didn't have any trouble starting a game. When I tried to run the Windows 95 version that I bought direct from Atari, I had all kinds of problems.

What I'd like to know is how to stop it from using the full screen on a 16x9 display. It looks all stretched out. Catalyst 10.3 doesn't have a "preserve aspect ratio" setting like the ForceWare NVIDIA drivers do.

I didn't even blink. Bought it immediately. I loved Moo2 so much that I'm happy to give that franchise some extra cash. The fact that it comes with the soundtrack is just a bonus IMO.

On a side note, I am seriously considering a big gaming project. I now have Moo1 + 2, Gal Civ 1 and 2, Moo 3, Sword of the Stars Ultimate Collection, Sins of a Solar Empire, Distant Worlds, Armada 2526, even the Final Fronteir Mod with Civ IV Beyond the Sword. I am wondering what it would be like to play all of these together and compare them, trying to decide which is the ultimate space empire game.

Keep in mind I probably won't since I am inherently lazy. Still, might be worth a decent thread...

Slacker1913 wrote:
Nightmare wrote:

however, it is an almost 20 year old game at this point.

God I feel old.

And I just bought it, even though I still have the original disc of Orion 2.

Damn. Way to bring the party to a halt Debbie Downer.

Same here, though. Moo2 is one of the few games I have left that's literally on my bookshelf at home, right next to my Alpha Centauri/Alien Crossfire, Baldur's Gate 1&2, Civ IV and WoW boxes. It's like my own little hall of fame.

Blondish83 wrote:

I /LOVED/ MOO1. I always wanted to play MOO2, but my PC at the time broke/wouldn't run the game. I haven't been able to find it since and I will definitely be buying these. Anyone that doesn't buy these is spitting on the foundation of every space civ sim out on any platform. A must play just to know your roots. :)

+1 - I played MOO on my old 486 back in the day. There's something really satisfying about getting horrifyingly deadly weapons onto hundreds of tiny ships and sending out a miniature death armada. Definitely picking this up when I get home.

BadKen wrote:

What I'd like to know is how to stop it from using the full screen on a 16x9 display. It looks all stretched out. Catalyst 10.3 doesn't have a "preserve aspect ratio" setting like the ForceWare NVIDIA drivers do.

If you're lucky your monitor will have a Fill setting.
I've switched my Dell Display to not stretch and now my games that don't support wide-screen play with black bars.

BadKen wrote:
Desram wrote:

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

I just installed it. It includes DosBox, and I didn't have any trouble starting a game. When I tried to run the Windows 95 version that I bought direct from Atari, I had all kinds of problems.

What I'd like to know is how to stop it from using the full screen on a 16x9 display. It looks all stretched out. Catalyst 10.3 doesn't have a "preserve aspect ratio" setting like the ForceWare NVIDIA drivers do.

If it's running in DosBox, I'm guessing there'll be some DosBox config files you can tinker with.

Budo wrote:

I didn't even blink. Bought it immediately. I loved Moo2 so much that I'm happy to give that franchise some extra cash. The fact that it comes with the soundtrack is just a bonus IMO.

On a side note, I am seriously considering a big gaming project. I now have Moo1 + 2, Gal Civ 1 and 2, Moo 3, Sword of the Stars Ultimate Collection, Sins of a Solar Empire, Distant Worlds, Armada 2526, even the Final Fronteir Mod with Civ IV Beyond the Sword. I am wondering what it would be like to play all of these together and compare them, trying to decide which is the ultimate space empire game.

Keep in mind I probably won't since I am inherently lazy. Still, might be worth a decent thread...

This sounds like an interesting project. Like you, I am probably too lazy to do it.

There are some others that, while probably not contenders for "ultimate space empire game" (which I think MoO2 would probably win, in my opinion), could be added to the list. Aurora, Stars!, Space Empires 3, 4, 5, Pax Imperia: Eminent Domain, Emperor of the Fading Suns, Spaceward Ho!, and Birth of the Federation come to mind as notable additions to your list.

BadKen wrote:
Desram wrote:

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

I just installed it. It includes DosBox, and I didn't have any trouble starting a game. When I tried to run the Windows 95 version that I bought direct from Atari, I had all kinds of problems.

What I'd like to know is how to stop it from using the full screen on a 16x9 display. It looks all stretched out. Catalyst 10.3 doesn't have a "preserve aspect ratio" setting like the ForceWare NVIDIA drivers do.

You always have the option to run it in a window (alt+enter). If you have a hi-res monitor, you can edit the .conf file for the game to do some doubling or tripling--especially for MOO1 which runs at 320x200. It won't be full screen, but you should be able to get close.

Quintin_Stone wrote:
BadKen wrote:
Desram wrote:

Is this any more likely to run on windows 7 than an install from the disc?

I just installed it. It includes DosBox, and I didn't have any trouble starting a game. When I tried to run the Windows 95 version that I bought direct from Atari, I had all kinds of problems.

What I'd like to know is how to stop it from using the full screen on a 16x9 display. It looks all stretched out. Catalyst 10.3 doesn't have a "preserve aspect ratio" setting like the ForceWare NVIDIA drivers do.

If it's running in DosBox, I'm guessing there'll be some DosBox config files you can tinker with.

Yep, I found the config file (named "dosboxMOO2.conf" oddly enough) and changed the line

fullresolution=original

to

fullresolution=1920x1080

and now DOSbox renders it with vertical bars on the sides. No more stretchy aliens!

Count me in. I never had the chance to play MOO 2 back in the day.

Nightmare wrote:
Budo wrote:

I didn't even blink. Bought it immediately. I loved Moo2 so much that I'm happy to give that franchise some extra cash. The fact that it comes with the soundtrack is just a bonus IMO.

On a side note, I am seriously considering a big gaming project. I now have Moo1 + 2, Gal Civ 1 and 2, Moo 3, Sword of the Stars Ultimate Collection, Sins of a Solar Empire, Distant Worlds, Armada 2526, even the Final Fronteir Mod with Civ IV Beyond the Sword. I am wondering what it would be like to play all of these together and compare them, trying to decide which is the ultimate space empire game.

Keep in mind I probably won't since I am inherently lazy. Still, might be worth a decent thread...

This sounds like an interesting project. Like you, I am probably too lazy to do it.

There are some others that, while probably not contenders for "ultimate space empire game" (which I think MoO2 would probably win, in my opinion), could be added to the list. Aurora, Stars!, Space Empires 3, 4, 5, Pax Imperia: Eminent Domain, Emperor of the Fading Suns, Spaceward Ho!, and Birth of the Federation come to mind as notable additions to your list.

Ooh. I forgot about Emperor of the Fading Suns. I have that too. If I did this, it would have to be something I'd do over the course of a year. Kind of like a side project while I go about shrinking my shame pile/replaying Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2/leveling up in WoW/playing whatever new release strikes me at that moment.

I actually bought the strategy guide for Master of Orion back in the day.

And Master of Magic! Yes please!

(Whatever happened to SimTex anyway?)

wickbroke wrote:

I wonder if the MOO2 multi is supported?

The installation includes the launchers "Start CLIENT game" and "Start HOST game", so presumably yes.

Oh dear friends, they are promising more SimTex. Feast!

I wonder if the MOO2 multi is supported?

I have moo, moo2, mom, original disks, original manuals. Can I go back further - yes. One of my first purchases. Manual and maps - The Lost Admiral. If anyone has broken this game's back, let me know. It is abandonware, at this point, I believe. Row, row, row that boat.

I am so very forty.

/edit: HAH! Found my original cloth map to Ultima IV. I think that WAS the first computer game I ever bought.

This is tempting, but it will probably end up like most of those classics I have bought on Steam sale. Either still to be downloaded, or downloaded and staring at me reproachfully from the desktop.

MrDeVil909 wrote:

This is tempting, but it will probably end up like most of those classics I have bought on Steam sale. Either still to be downloaded, or downloaded and staring at me reproachfully from the desktop.

I know, right? That could be $6 of music I could be trying out in Beat Hazard.

Oh wait, I bought this without even blinking.

Sold!

Still have the disc for MoO2, though I've lost the original box and manual unfortunately. I missed the original, looking forward to playing around with that and seeing what it was like. Loaded up MoO2 for a few minutes, to see how well it worked, and was instantly flooded with great gaming memories, can't wait to play this again. There really hasn't be a space 4X game that grabbed me as much as MoO2 did back in the day, though GalCiv2 came close.

Pages