# Master of Orion 2 starting tips? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 20, 2011, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413 "2011-08-20T06:59:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/81 "2011-09-20T21:55:08Z")
> [@gottaride](#): > > not so easy to do if a Silicoid colony ship shows up over a ultra rich toxic planet 2 parsecs from your home world - and there’s no Silicoid planets within 20 parsecs from you. Well, I know I take advantage of wormholes ASAP. I try to build Outpost ships as much as possible early on. If I can, I will build outposts on both ends of a wormhole to expand my area of exploration. If I find a ultra rich planet that isn’t toxic or protected by a giant amoeba I will send a colony ship or another outpost ship until I can colonize it. ---
**Author:** ![gottaride](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gottaride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gottaride)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/82 "2011-09-20T22:30:06Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Well, I know I take advantage of wormholes ASAP. I try to build Outpost ships as much as possible early on. If I can, I will build outposts on both ends of a wormhole to expand my area of exploration. If I find a ultra rich planet that isn’t toxic or protected by a giant amoeba I will send a colony ship or another outpost ship until I can colonize it. Wormholes? Which version is this in? Have I been missing something? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/83 "2011-09-20T22:57:10Z")
> [@gottaride](#): > > Wormholes? Which version is this in? Have I been missing something? There’s only one version of the game - there are patches to address some bugs and balance issues, but none that add significant new game play elements. Some star systems are connected to each other by wormholes - they’re represented on the screen as grey lines stretching between two stars. Ships can travel instantly between systems connected by a wormhole, and the distance doesn’t count against their range - the far end of a wormhole is considered to be exactly the same distance away from your colonies as the near end. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/84 "2011-09-20T23:04:23Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Well, I know I take advantage of wormholes ASAP. I try to build Outpost ships as much as possible early on. If I can, I will build outposts on both ends of a wormhole to expand my area of exploration. Just build on the far end, you can already reach the near end. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2011, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/85 "2011-09-20T23:34:43Z")
> [@kidchameleon](#): > > Just build on the far end, you can already reach the near end. Yes, but I have no idea what the filthy Klackons plan for my sector of space. ---
**Author:** ![gottaride](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gottaride](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gottaride)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/86 "2011-09-22T00:33:23Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > There’s only one version of the game - there are patches to address some bugs and balance issues, but none that add significant new game play elements. > > Some star systems are connected to each other by wormholes - they’re represented on the screen as grey lines stretching between two stars. Ships can travel instantly between systems connected by a wormhole, and the distance doesn’t count against their range - the far end of a wormhole is considered to be exactly the same distance away from your colonies as the near end. I meant, MOO 1, 2, or 3. I’m still messing with #1 - I don’t see any wormholes in that one? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/87 "2011-09-22T01:11:17Z")
> [@gottaride](#): > > I meant, MOO 1, 2, or 3. > I’m still messing with #1 - I don’t see any wormholes in that one? I haven’t played MoO I in ages but I don’t think that there were any wormholes in it. MoO III is pretty much nothing but wormholes (Shipping lanes, I think they were called). ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/88 "2011-09-22T01:57:54Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I haven’t played MoO I in ages but I don’t think that there were any wormholes in it. MoO III is pretty much nothing but wormholes (Shipping lanes, I think they were called). No wormholes in MOO. MOO1 is a very different game. In some ways it plays better. For instance, I like the ability to research a number of fields simultaneously. It’s also a simpler game: Only one colony per star, more abstraction of production, and so on. It’s also a harder game in some ways: Only six ship types can exist at one time, planetary types actually mean something in the early game, and it’s always felt to me like diplomacy was more important. The abstraction and fewer planets reduces the micromanaging and the game feels like less of a scramble for territory because of the planetary restrictions. I wish someone would make a true remake of MOM. Stardock’s Elemental doesn’t really cut it. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/89 "2011-09-22T03:30:38Z")
> [@gottaride](#): > > I meant, MOO 1, 2, or 3. > I’m still messing with #1 - I don’t see any wormholes in that one? Oh, sorry. No idea. I haven’t played MOO1 since MOO2, which was sometime around the paleolithic era. Incidentally, never, ever, ever play MOO3. Trust me on this one. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/90 "2011-09-22T05:17:28Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Incidentally, never, ever, ever play MOO3. Trust me on this one. Listen to this man! It cannot be stressed enough. Never, ever, _ever_ play MOO3. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/91 "2011-09-22T10:09:36Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Listen to this man! It cannot be stressed enough. Never, ever, _ever_ play MOO3. Don’t listen to them. Play MOO3. In fact, feel free to take my copy. ---
**Author:** ![FinnAgain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finnagain/32/12500_2.png) [@FinnAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinnAgain)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/92 "2011-09-22T10:28:07Z")
MOO 3 deserves credit for being the most effective franchise killer ever. We’d still be having MOO games these days if not for those assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/93 "2011-09-22T10:31:50Z")
I loved MoO II, but the end game vs. the Antareans became boring once I figured out that Doom Stars equipped with basically nothing but engines and hangar bays suffice to take on almost anything – the enemy defences never manage to shoot down more than a few of your fighters, but a cloud of, say, 80 of them reduces most enemies to rubble in a single salvo. Plus, IIRC, the fighters get automatically upgraded with the latest weapon tech, so you could just stick with the ships you already built, and they’ll be always on the latest level. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/94 "2011-09-22T14:06:39Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Incidentally, never, ever, ever play MOO3. Trust me on this one. > [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Listen to this man! It cannot be stressed enough. Never, ever, _ever_ play MOO3. > [@asterion](#): > > Don’t listen to them. Play MOO3. In fact, feel free to take my copy. > [@FinnAgain](#): > > MOO 3 deserves credit for being the most effective franchise killer ever. We’d still be having MOO games these days if not for those assholes. It’s a shame there was never a MOO 3. A third entry in the MOO series would have rocked if it had: - Followed the 4X style of the previous two games. - Reduced the player-overload micromanagement of MOO2. - Allowed more active ship designs. - Had a smoother interface that properly used multiple windows in an intuitive way. [del]Some times[/del]Frequently I preferred Spaceward Ho! for its strategic simplicity and quicker gameplay. I would love to see a modern version of the Ho!. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/95 "2011-09-22T17:15:11Z")
> [@Scuba\_Ben](#): > > It’s a shame there was never a MOO 3. A third entry in the MOO series would have rocked if it had: > > - Followed the 4X style of the previous two games. Yeah! Roger that! Love the 4x! Uh..what’s 4x? ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/96 "2011-09-22T17:27:29Z")
> [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](#): > > I loved MoO II, but the end game vs. the Antareans became boring once I figured out that Doom Stars equipped with basically nothing but engines and hangar bays suffice to take on almost anything – the enemy defences never manage to shoot down more than a few of your fighters, but a cloud of, say, 80 of them reduces most enemies to rubble in a single salvo. Plus, IIRC, the fighters get automatically upgraded with the latest weapon tech, so you could just stick with the ships you already built, and they’ll be always on the latest level. Achilles Targeting Unit + High Energy Focus + Structural Analyzer = a doom star whose beam weapons can take out _dozens_ of enemy ships per turn. With Battle Pods (and Megafluxers), Damper Field, Reinforced Hull, Heavy Armor, and Automated Repair Unit, it’ll be nearly indestructible, and able to fit up to 74 heavy auto-fire disrupters (with full miniaturization). ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/97 "2011-09-22T17:30:53Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Yeah! Roger that! Love the 4x! > > Uh..what’s 4x? eXplore eXpand eXploit eXterminate ---
**Author:** ![smiling\_bandit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@smiling\_bandit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smiling_bandit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/98 "2011-09-22T17:31:41Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > Yeah! Roger that! Love the 4x! > > Uh..what’s 4x? Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exterminate. Basically, the sequence is “Find a good world, colonize, build an economy, build a military.” It’s the basic gameplay for Civ games, MoO, MoM, GalCiv, and many more. ---
**Author:** ![Zeriel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/58956e/32.png) [@Zeriel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeriel)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/99 "2011-09-22T17:41:16Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Achilles Targeting Unit + High Energy Focus + Structural Analyzer = a doom star whose beam weapons can take out _dozens_ of enemy ships per turn. With Battle Pods (and Megafluxers), Damper Field, Reinforced Hull, Heavy Armor, and Automated Repair Unit, it’ll be nearly indestructible, and able to fit up to 74 heavy auto-fire disrupters (with full miniaturization). I think my typical fleet design would actually wreck this–you don’t appear to have any defenses at all against disposable missile swarm ships backed by carriers with the dodge mods. Regarding MOO-alikes: I dearly love Sword of the Stars for adding some fun twists (good random events, unlimited ship designs, variant drive systems per race) to the MOO1 model of very abstracted planetary colonization. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413/100 "2011-09-22T17:52:36Z")
> [@Max\_the\_Immortal](#): > > Achilles Targeting Unit + High Energy Focus + Structural Analyzer = a doom star whose beam weapons can take out _dozens_ of enemy ships per turn. With Battle Pods (and Megafluxers), Damper Field, Reinforced Hull, Heavy Armor, and Automated Repair Unit, it’ll be nearly indestructible, and able to fit up to 74 heavy auto-fire disrupters (with full miniaturization). Perhaps, but the computer never was that clever… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/master-of-orion-2-starting-tips/593413.md?page=6)