Blundering Through the Cosmos: A Newb’s MOO2 AAR

[Hitmen]

Thanks for keeping this going Mike, absolutely love this game and your recaps. I finally broke and bought it on GoG as your recommended along with Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri. Although I am not sure how quickly I will get to the later, MoO2 gets moved to the front of the line though My "need to play" queue is getting pretty long now that I have much less time to play

One game I would love to see on GoG, which is not available is a Star Trek and MoO mash up that I absolutely loved more than anything. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Birth of the Federation was made my Microprose, the company that made Master of Orion, so it was extremely similar, however set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe (My favorite of them all... go PICARD!), sorry I had a nerdgasm.... I actually still have my CD of it, but I failed to get it properly running last time I tried. Issue was the company folded not long after and the game was never properly supported and bugs were left unfixed, leaving the game with many issues. There supposedly is a modding community out there that has fixed it, or attempted too but I have not checked in a long while. If this game ever showed up on GoG I would be in heaven. I might give getting it to run again a try some time in the future since MoO2 will get me in the mood, who knows.

[Mike Dunn]

One game I would love to see on GoG, which is not available is a Star Trek and MoO mash up that I absolutely loved more than anything. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Birth of the Federation was made my Microprose, the company that made Master of Orion, so it was extremely similar, however set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation universe ...

Thanks for the heads up on that. Birth of the Federation, I see, is on a ton of wish lists on the GoG forum. Maybe one day they'll get it, and if so, I'll grab it too. Never heard of it before .

[Mike Dunn]

PART TEN -- Spy Vs. Spy

In lieu of a kick-ass intergalactic naval fleet, I’ve decided I’m going to do my best to conduct a stealth war against my mortal enemy, the Bulrathi. Even though we are technically at peace, I know their non-aggression pact could evaporate as soon as their war with the Trilairans is over.

So, I’m going to send spies their way. As many as I can.

For now, I have two spies at the ready, and I dispatch them to conduct espionage:


Note that the spies could also engage in two other activites -- sabotage (blow up buildings) and hide (lay low until they’re needed). But espionage is simply the theft of technology. I can think of no more delicious way to undercut their furry asses than to steal their tech. For now I will not spy on the Klackons, my nominal allies, although my mother warned me never to trust bug-like sentient beings.

I then direct two of my colonies to switch production to spies, to have two more at the ready. The months tick by. Training an intergalactic spy takes time, after all.

STARDATE 3522.3: Still no word from my spies who’d been dispatched to the Bulrathi empire. I’m just hoping they haven’t been co-opted by Bulrathi Intelligence (if there is such a thing) but I will be patient. Meantime my little empire is humming along, cranking research technologies out the whazoo and taxing the bejeezus out of the millions of my minions. The better to pay for another anniversary bash.

Suddenly CNN interrupts its “Anderson Cooper Cloned” show with this just in:


This is indeed wonderful news. Balrakzor, the ugly-as-sin Bulrathri leader, has managed to get himself into two wars while having no allies:

Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

There are, however, two potential problems to this development: 1) will the Klackons, with whom I’m allied, expect me to fight on their side? and 2) what the heck do I do if the Bulrathi manage to win both wars? If I had a tail like the Bulrathi do, it would be between my legs.

So I ring up His Highness Balrakzor and send him a little Christmas present, the technology ‘Biospheres.’


Hopefully that meaningless little tech will keep him off our Psilonic asses for the time being.

But, at the same time, we have finished training our two new spies and they have been dispatched to the Bulrathi Federation. So while we’re wining and dining the hairy critters, we are also trying to foist away their best science. Damn, its fun running a galactic empire!

Actually, not so fast. Just as I sit back to wait for my spies to work their magic, my supposed ally, Emporer Kaxal of the Klackons, jumps on Skype and gives me an ultimatum:


Well, well, well. This was, of course, the first of the two concerns I cited when the Bulrathi and Klackons first went to war -- getting dragged in to the conflict So now I have two ugly choices: tell Kaxal to fight his own damn war, abrogating our treaty, or join in what could be a costly war. With those options, I do what any good intergalactic ruler would do:

I sleep on it.

TO BE CONTINUED....

[Mike Branda]

Ohhh i like, Seems like you are put inbetween a bug and a hard place.
What if you go to war and then your spies are caught? Would you have the resources to fight 2 wars?

[Mike Dunn]

PART ELEVEN -- Building a Better Warship

In our last episode, we’d received a rather rude ultimatum from the Klackon -- join their foolhardy war against the equally disgusting Bulrathi, or abrogate our alliance.

After sleeping on it, I was sure of the proper course: I currently have precisely zero warships, and my economy is still precarious enough that a war effort might quickly lead to bankruptcy. So I tell their Emperor Klaxon to take a hike. To which he replied:

Fine, good riddance.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, I start thinking that the best offense is a good defense. With the bugs known as Klackons up my ass, I figure its time to start preparing for a potential invasion of my colonies. First order of business: a few good men. Bring in the marines:


Ground invasion protection: I like the sound of that. I will name the first one Barracks Obama, after some guy we learned about in “Prehistoric Civilizations” class in high school.

And also, on my better colonies:

Now I can rest easy. We’re in good shape, my advisers tell me. And they would never, ever lie just to please me, would they?

Next on my agenda: what truly has to be the single greatest perk of being an intergalactic space imperialist:

(drum roll)

DESIGN YOUR OWN SPACESHIPS!!

That’s right -- even if I don’t have a bachelor’s degree in engineering, I can design spaceships to conquer the K.U. Let’s take a look:

(click to enlarge)

I’ve decided its time to redesign my Destroyer-class ship, the Courier VIII. These are the specs before the reworking:
Note that the ship’s current configuration gives it 1 nuclear missile, two laser cannons and 2 nuclear bombs. It costs 117 BC to build one such ship.

But I have researched a bunch of techs that given me far better options. I dispatch my top engineers to refit the Courier VIII, and this is what they came up with:

This is not your father’s Destroyer-class warship. Now it is fitted with:

A fusion beam -- “Ship beam weapon that does 2-6 damage, minus whatever is blocked by the target's shields. The lowest-tech beam weapon that's useful, especially with all the modifications; but it has twice the normal rate of dissipation, i.e. reduction in power per combat square between the weapon and its target.” (from MOO II Strategy WIki)

Two Mass Drivers, front and back -- “A mass driver is called a beam but isn't actually anything like other beam weapons. It accelerates a magnetic bucket to extremely high speeds and releases it in the direction of an enemy ship. Normally it just ricochets off their shields and disappears into interstellar space, but if it does hit it does 6 damage.” (from MOO II Uncyclopedia)

And finally, my favorite weapon, the Interceptor:


Below the weapons, you ‘ll see an area for special systems. These are add-ons made possible by new research; the basic ships apparently have none. In this case I have added two specials: Battle pods that boost available space by 50% (without which carrying all the weapons above would not be possible) and an ECM Jammer, which boosts the ships ability to evade enemy missiles.

All this high tech outfitting comes at a price, though. Note that the new Courier VIII costs 181 BC, compared to 117 for the old, about a 50% increase. But it should be a much more effective ship. I think. I hope.

But still, my economy is not in great shape, and affording even one of these ships will not be easy. Then comes a double dose of bad news. First, the war I’d enjoyed watching from the sidelines has come to a crashing halt:


And then, far worse:

O. M. G. The Antarans. They’re back......

TO BE CONTINUED.

[Mike Branda]

Oh wow, I am glad you said no.

Now I never did learn how to make my own ships lol

Hope you win this one out

[Bill]

You can redesign your ships?!?!?!?!?! AWESOME!

I never figured out how to do that. In fact, I never really figured out combat all that well.

[Mike Dunn]

You can redesign your ships?!?!?!?!?! AWESOME!

I never figured out how to do that. In fact, I never really figured out combat all that well.

The redesign interface is buried, strangely, in the colony build screen. Which doesn't make sense since the redesigns affect ships throughout your empire, not just for a single colony. And the redesign interface itself leaves a lot to be desired. But this was the state of gaming UI at the time.

I recently grabbed a cheap used copy (though in great condition) of the MOO II Strategy Guide:


Unlike a lot of strategy guides, this is actually helpful; 320 pages of well-written insight into MOO II strategies. I mention it now because the book devotes 75 pages to ship design. And the authors write, "Next to keeping your colonies working smoothly, designing and building fleets of effective ships is probably most vital to success in MOO II." So it is not an element to be ignored.

[Mike Dunn]

PART TWELVE -- Urf III, We Hardly Knew Ye


As revealed in our last episode, I had spent so much time worrying about getting attacked by the dog-like Bulrathi and bug-like Klackons, that I had completely forgotten about the biggest threat to the Known Universe -- the long dormant Antarans. And now, out of nowhere, they came and wiped out one of my colonies:


Oh, the humanity! Wait -- we’re not human. Let me try that again: Oh, the Psilonity!

To make matters worse, my economy is now in tatters. My hopes for intergalactic domination perhaps wiped out. And worst of all -- my hydroponic farm -- gone in a poof!

Just who these dastardly Antarans anyway?

From the MOO II Strategy Wiki:

Long before the time in which the game starts, two extremely powerful races, known as the Orions and the Antarans, fought a war that devastated most of the galaxy. The Orions were triumphant and, rather than exterminate the Antarans, imprisoned them in a "pocket dimension". The Orions then departed from the galaxy, but left behind a very powerful robotic warship, the Guardian, to guard their homeworld. Whoever beats the Guardian gets: some military technologies which players cannot research for themselves; the allegiance of the last remaining Orion, who commands a very powerful battleship; and the opportunity to colonize the Orions' homeworld, which is as good as a planet can ever be.

Some time after the start of a game, the Antarans, breaking out of their dimension the Orions have banished them into, begin sending small fleets against players' colonies, simply to destroy rather than to invade.

“Simply to destroy rather than invade.” Jerks. Why don’t they pick on someone their own size?

But -- “simply to destroy rather than invade” would tend to imply that while I have lost the colony, neither the Antarans nor any other race currently has it. So perhaps I should lick my wounds, hide my pride, and try to re-colonize my beloved Urf III. “Build a colony ship -- now!” I command my cabinet.

By my scientific adviser taps me on my shoulder and points out the fine print in the summary above:

“Urf III destroyed.”

Damn, I must have missed that little detail. It wasn’t enough for them to wipe out Urf III’s entire civilization. No, they had to blow up the planet itself. I vow revenge, though I hear some of my cabinet members sniggering in the background.

First though, the economy: because I’ve lost four million Urfians filing their tax returns each year, I’m losing 2 BC per turn. So I quickly inform the rest of my empire that I’m temporarily raising their taxes from 30% to 40%. And to those who start bitching, I say, “Just be glad you didn’t get blown to smithereens by the Antarans.”

Next, I come cowering to the Bulrathi, proposing an alliance. With the Antarans on my doorstep, I might as well have the town bully protecting me. But, the bull-headed Bulrathi are not interested:


Desperate for a friend in this strange cold universe, I run to the Klackons to also propose a treaty, but the sucker won’t even return my calls:


So I have little choice but to continue turtling with this much smaller shell, four colonies instead of five. And hope that no one else comes a callin’.

TO BE CONTINUED

[Mike Dunn]

PART THIRTEEN -- All Not So Quiet on the Eastern Front

Its important to remember that the four spies I dispatched a while back to grab techs from the Bulrathi are still on assignment, and yet to be heard from. We can only hope they haven’t been terminated with extreme prejudice. Moderate prejudice I can stomach, but not extreme.

Meanwhile, I quietly instruct my scientists to proceed with research into Artificial Intelligence, which most certainly will prove more helpful than the innate intelligence of my cabinet members. A.I. research, when complete, will yield -- among other things -- this little goodie:


Then, just a few light months later, my military advisors sends this welcome news:


“Woot!” I shout out with glee. “Suckers! We got your Dimensional Portal Technology!” Then I remember I have no idea what Dimensional Portal Technology actually is. Hopefully its more than just a way to make a better french fry. So I ring up my science advisor for the answer:


So if I understand this correctly, I can now seek revenge on the Antarans who destroyed Urf III. One little problem: I can’t afford a military fleet. So, lotta good that does me. I’d rather have a better french fry.

Still, the good news keeps pouring in:





And best yet, my own scientists complete research into Positronics, allowing for this little goodie:

This will surely put Netflix out of business.

And with this, we continue in a period of relative peace. We hear from no one, not the buttheaded Bulrathi, nor the bugged-out Klackons, nor even the genocidal Antarans. We continue to turtle, with just four colonies, but our economy is getting stronger and our research labs are flowing with cool new stuff. Life is good, even if my plan for galactic domination is on hold.

Taking into account military, scientific and economic indicators, we’re actually soaring way ahead of the Bulrathi, and trail the Klackons only slightly:


But as they say, in every silver nebulae is a dark cloud. I suddenly notice a massive fleet of Klackons amassing near my turf:


The Pujols system contains my homeworld and a second colony, and I have a colony in Hali Berry as well (jealous?). I also have a Courier ship posted on the outskirts of the unoccupied Waage system. But lurking outside Marindi are two fleets of Klackons, compromising the following 13 ships:

5 Transport ships carrying troops
5 Destroyers
1 Cruiser
1 Frigate
1 Battleship

Holy Frigate, Batman. Our days may be numbered....

TO BE CONTINUED

[Mike Dunn]

PART FOURTEEN -- Saving Private Psilon

Things are warping out of control.

So let’s recap exactly how my plan for Psilonic domination of the Known Universe is faring thus far: the Bulrathi declared war on me, destroyed an outpost of mine, then ended the war, and now I’m using spies to steal their technology. And they’re using spies to steal my technology. The Orion race has left me alone, but could squash me like a bug if they so chose. The Antarans have wiped out one of my few colonies, then destroyed the whole damn planet. And speaking of bugs, now the Klackons, who at one time had been my nominal allies, are amassing a military fleet at the perimeter of my area of control. I lack the resources to fight back, and I doubt a big can of D-Con roach killer will do the trick.

Other than that, things are just hunky-dory.

Here’s that map provided by my top level military advisers of the Klackons.


I wait, anxiously. I shift some production to warships, but it’s probably too little, too late.

Also, I dispatch a couple of scouts to Marindi, where the Klackons are gathering. Perhaps the show of force will scare them off. Yea, right.


Near as I can tell, despite the use of the word ‘combat’ in that message, we have yet to engage any Klackon ships.

Meanwhile, my espionage against the Bulrathri bears more fruit:



Not bad. I like this spying stuff. That is, until this message arrives:


Dandy, now I’ve got everyone ready to battle me. I send orders to my spies to switch from stealing techs to out-and-out terrorism: sabotage.

Meanwhile, my so-called ‘military intelligence’ tells me that:

...meaning the Bulrathi are going to focus their efforts on lil ol’ me. Bring it on, bitch.

A short time later comes astounding news: my spies are doing their job, and quite well, actually:

My reaction to this can’t be printed. Suffice it to say, I’m ecstatic. And scared.

click to enlarge

OK. I hadn’t even heard of the Elerians, and now they’re done. Poor guys. Of course this strange development is only likely to boost the fire power of the Bulrathi.

But, the hits keep coming:

Just awesome. Time to train some more spies. This stealth war is far cheaper than funding an enormous military complex, for sure.



I can’t tell whether this is simply like kicking at the shins of the Bulrathi, or actually doing some substantive damage. But those spies certainly have proven to be worth their weight in gold, and I’m going to quickly train some more.

Then, on Stardate 3528.7, comes this both wonderful but curious message:


Its wonderful because one li’l old spy destroy a whole friggin’ Star Base. But the second sentence is perplexing: ‘You framed the Klackon.’ Does this mean my spy left evidence on the destruction of the base pointing to the Klackons as the culprit? My god, that guy is getting a year-end bonus.

The Klackons remain stationed at the Marindi system, but haven’t engaged my courier. They’re quiet, and that makes me anxious.

And then my iPhone 25K G rings. It’s the Klackon ambassador. This can’t be good:

Hmm. Some sort of trap. I’m ready to start blaming the Antarans. But Bug-Boy’s question is pretty innocuous:

Uhhh, sure pal. I’ve got spies trying to incite another war between you and the Bulrathi, and you want a research treaty with me? Hey, no problem. I readily accept.


I pop open some of that rare Antaran champagne I bought on the black market. This spying stuff is fun.


Hmm. I don’t know that spy’s name, but he served my empire well. I asked my secretary to send his family a condolence card. Meanwhile, the Bulrathi are now sucking up to the Trilarians, who I have yet to formally meet.

On the research front, I’ve got a goodie coming that could greatly help my economy:


And now the AFL-CIO wants in:

Even though I don’t want my peons unionized, this guy promises to increase the productivity of my factory workers by 30%. For that I’ll happily look for the union label.

Back on the espionage front, I now have one remaining spy, and I’ve just finished training a second one. The new one is posted not to the Bulrathi but to the equally threatening Klackons, and not to blow up stuff, but to steal technology.

The remaining spy, still posted to the Bulrathi empire, reports back with equal success of his late partner:



On the military front, I have built up a rather pathetic defense force:


These are four Courier VIII ships, the model that I designed myself a short while back. They are relatively affordable, fast, with a decent punch. They won’t be able to start a war, but they’ll put up a tough fight in defense of Our Noble Cause.


For now this fleet has been posted at the non-inhabitable system of Waage, just one system away from the massive Klackon fleet. They sit, watching, waiting, for signs of encroachment.

I won’t go down without a fight. No sir.

[Tyler]

Now this is the most entertaining chapter yet. Things are really beginning to move quickly.

[Mike Dunn]

Now this is the most entertaining chapter yet. Things are really beginning to move quickly.

Thanks. Yea, I can tell things are heating up. A fascinating thing for me is that I've yet to engage in any actual ship-to-ship combat, yet things have been plenty interesting even without battles.

[Mike Dunn]

PART FIFTEEN -- In Space No One Can Hear You Scheme


It’s 3531, many years into my quest for galactic domination, and I have come to the belated conclusion that I need a plan. No more being reactive -- I need to be, as they say, proactive.

My cabinet tells me that the Klackons are currently the dominant race, in every respect but research. And in that area, I have a clear lead. Its also clear that I cannot compete on the military level.

So the plan is simple:
1) Continue to aggressively focus on research
2) Continue to keep our economy in the black and growing
3) Step up training of, and use of, spies -- particularly for sabotage.
4) Shift focus of current espionage from the Bulrathi to the Klackons.
5) Avoid getting caught up in an arms race -- all military production will be for defensive purposes
6) Add a colony or two in my current area of control, but not beyond

Well, there ya go -- we have a plan! I have my secretary go make some xerox copies to hand out to my cabinet (this could be directly transmitted to neural receivers implanted in their brains, but I prefer the old-fashioned way).

Meanwhile the Bulrathi are back to groveling:

I refuse, but at least I was polite about it. I have no desire, nor need, to pay these giant pigs any tribute.

Meanwhile the Klackons are making me nervous -- stepping up their possible invasion force:



That’s a new fleet of Klackon ships, all transports, heading toward Marindi, the star system nearest my area of control. They already have an initial fleet there and have colonized one planet in the Marindi system. This is not good. But I have to stick to my plan of non-engagement.

In fact, I ring up the Klackon emperor and propose a non-aggression pact, to which he surprisingly agrees.


This isn’t stopping me from my stealth war of espionage on the Klackons. Hopefully they won’t get caught.


My research is chugging along. My scientists complete their study of Advanced Governments, which gives me this handy little boost:

“Advanced form of dictatorship” -- I loooove the sound of that.

Next up for my researchers: what would be a major economic boost:

Instantaneous electronic exchanges of money? Who’d have thunk it?

A short time later, and for the first time in quite many light years, I establish a new colony:

Emperor Fred of the Psilons, what are you going to do after you conquer the universe? I’m going to Disney World!

This is the first new colony I’ve built since the Bulrathi ruthlessly disposed of my Urf III planet. I’m hoping I’m in far better economic shape now to defend this planet.

And with that in mind, I begin focusing production on building planetary defenses at all five of my colonies. I am, though, construction one more colony ship to set up shop on the other small planet in this same Disney World system. Keep ‘em close -- easier to defend.

My espionage continues unabated:


Which prompts this text message from the Klackon Ambassador:


Another martyr for the cause:



We, however, are undeterred:



Some might say my spies are terrorists. I say tough tooties.

One way to help a new colony is by shipping millions of my loyal servants off to the desolate worlds. Early on, I don’t have any excess population to send out settlers, but now, on my growing homeworld, I do.

So with my homeworld getting crowded, I’m sure they won’t mind having their lives instantly and permanently uprooted:


This will help the economy of those new planets (particularly the brothels).

On the whole, my six colonies seem to be chugging along:

click to enlarge

But, there’s room for improvement. Note that three of the six colonies do not allow farming -- that’s because the planets are radiated. Early on I don’t have the technology to change this. Soon I will. I begin researching Magneto Gravitics, which among other benefits yields this nifty invention:


The key there is that radiated climates become barren when the shield is built. And while barren isn’t ideal, it’s far better than radiated in that it allows farming. And ‘barren’ can be upgraded to more fertile climates with other technologies.

Hundreds of environmentalists begin protesting outside my palace, claiming I shouldn’t alter a planet’s environment. Get a job, losers. I order my secret police to round them up, then kick back with a bootleg bottle of Orion whiskey.

Universe conquering isn’t for the faint of heart, folks.

[Mike Dunn]

PART SIXTEEN -- Party Like Its 3535

A strange thing has happened. I’ve lost contact with the Bulrathi.

All I know is that one day this was in my intelligence reports showed two races with whom I’ve had contact:


But then, a short few light-months later, the Bulrathi were gone:


At first I thought they’d been eliminated, but I’d received no message to that effect, as I did with the dear departed Ellowyn race. More than likely, the Bulrathi have been beaten back in their war with the Trilarians. They were too far away to maintain contact with my Psilonic emmisaries. This could be bad news, as it’ll likely only make the Trilarians stronger.

Meanwhile I’m starting to get nagged. By Nhagg:


Hmmm. What this guy can do is seriously help out a starship, or troops on the ground. Yet he’s mighty expensive, and I’m not currently engaged in any battles. So for now, I cautiously reject him. Hopefully he won’t keep nagging.

Stardate 3535.0: My homeworld Pujols II constructs a scout. Its my first scout ship in quite some time, but its simply time to stop turtling and claim my rightful position and Leader of the Known Universe. I dispatch the scout to the star system Yue, to see what Yue are up to. Turns out Yue ain’t got nothing, so the Scout moves out to an unkown system just beyond Yue. And the Scout finds a pleasant surprise:

The message is blurred, but it seems the Scout's crew found a pirate's treasure trove of 100 BC. It pays for the ship and more.

Meanwhile, the three colonies that are radiated have been building my newly-acquired technology, the Radiation Shield. Once the shield is built, Terraforming allows me to turn the barren planet into one that allows farming. Doing this on all three colonies will be a huge boon to my economy.

Hali Berry Prime is the first:

Click to enlarge

With Radiation Shield and Terraforming Technology at the ready, I instruct Pujols Prime to start constructing colony ships. I’m going to take over a couple of planets in nearby systems that are currently uninhabitable. This will me to grow my civilization without having to immediately encroach in the territory of the Klackons (or others).

I decide its time for another blow-out party at the Imperial Palace. After all, things are going just fine, right? I have six colonies. My economy seems strong and growing. The bad guys, including the Klackons, seem to be leaving me alone. My scientists are cranking out tons of research, and my three colonies that don’t have farming are either building or about to build radiation shields to allow farming. All in all, life is grand. The revelry is just getting underway when this message comes in:


Even that didn’t put a damper on the party. But several hours later, a message comes through that silences the band:

They’re baaaack.

TO BE CONTINUED....