MoO II races and their parallels in Outsider

[Arioch]

So, leaving aside the Steppes Expansion game as likely being spoiler-y... I'm guessing the Early Loroi Empire game had you as the Elerians finding two splinter colonies, one on a swamp world and one on an ocean world, subjugating the Mrrshan, Meklar, and (most of) the Alkari, in war, then winning the galactic council vote in a matchup against the Sakkra?

Yes.

[nweismuller]

Looking over the Sister Worlds again, it's clear Maia was a huge (or maybe large, but I'm guessing huge) low-G gaia world in the playthrough, which raises the question of what space monster was guarding it in your playthrough. Heh.

[Arioch]

Looking over the Sister Worlds again, it's clear Maia was a huge (or maybe large, but I'm guessing huge) low-G gaia world in the playthrough, which raises the question of what space monster was guarding it in your playthrough. Heh.

Space hydra.

[nweismuller]

Did you actually conclude a formal alliance with the Gnolams in that game? It sounds like you had strong relations with the Gnolams and the Trilarians, although whether that meant a full alliance or just non-aggression pacts, trade, and research treaties is an open question... at least, the way I tend to conduct diplomacy. (The very peaceful way I tend to conduct diplomacy, heh.)

[Arioch]

Did you actually conclude a formal alliance with the Gnolams in that game? It sounds like you had strong relations with the Gnolams and the Trilarians, although whether that meant a full alliance or just non-aggression pacts, trade, and research treaties is an open question... at least, the way I tend to conduct diplomacy. (The very peaceful way I tend to conduct diplomacy, heh.)

Yes, the Gnolam and Trilarians were allied from early on.

I would generally ask for research and trade treaties from anyone who wasn't hostile, and if the faction stayed friendly they would usually eventually ask for an alliance.

[Cthulhu]

What difficulty level were you playing at? Also, did you use any of the advanced (but meta-) strategies, like "over-settling" worlds with subterranean species, reshuffling and mixing races according to their bonuses, etc.?

[nweismuller]

Also on the topic of how you set the game up, what starting tech level did you go with? I tend to like starting pre-warp, but I might be unusual in that regard.

[Arioch]

What difficulty level were you playing at? Also, did you use any of the advanced (but meta-) strategies, like "over-settling" worlds with subterranean species, reshuffling and mixing races according to their bonuses, etc.?

This particular playthrough was played specifically to simulate the origins of the Loroi empire (and I kept a log, which is the only reason I can recount details about a match played more than 20 years ago)... so I didn't use any weird configurations or cheese strategies that don't make sense for the milieu (though that's how I play normally anyway). Though I think moving colonists to planets that are suitable for them is a perfectly logical in-milieu strategy... in this case the only useful such population was the Trilarians, and I did move enclaves to worlds with available aquatic habitat.

The difficulty setting is not mentioned in the log, but it was probably Average or Hard. I think I normally played on Hard.

Also on the topic of how you set the game up, what starting tech level did you go with? I tend to like starting pre-warp, but I might be unusual in that regard.

It was a normal tech start. I didn't normally start pre-warp, as I don't recall there being any interesting choices to make, so it was just adding extra turns to the start of the game. And since the early game is the hardest part for the Elerians, who always start behind due to their poor Feudal economy, starting pre-warp is just digging an even deeper hole to climb out of.

[Cthulhu]

This particular playthrough was played specifically to simulate the origins of the Loroi empire (and I kept a log, which is the only reason I can recount details about a match played more than 20 years ago)... so I didn't use any weird configurations or cheese strategies that don't make sense for the milieu (though that's how I play normally anyway). Though I think moving colonists to planets that are suitable for them is a perfectly logical in-milieu strategy... in this case the only useful such population was the Trilarians, and I did move enclaves to worlds with available aquatic habitat.

By shuffling I mean min-maxing the planets, like filling mineral-rich ones with races that have production bonuses or are environmentally tolerant. Anyway, those "cheesy" strategies are only necessary in multiplayer matches. An experienced player won't need them even on Impossible.

The difficulty setting is not mentioned in the log, but it was probably Average or Hard. I think I normally played on Hard.

Did you go down the "fighters" path instead of the "missiles" path for the early ships? Or did the random tech assignment give you optronic computers?

It was a normal tech start. I didn't normally start pre-warp, as I don't recall there being any interesting choices to make, so it was just adding extra turns to the start of the game. And since the early game is the hardest part for the Elerians, who always start behind due to their poor Feudal economy, starting pre-warp is just digging an even deeper hole to climb out of.

The biggest advantage of pre-warp is the ability to pick all technologies by yourself. Otherwise, the random selection may not give you what you need.

[Arioch]

Did you go down the "fighters" path instead of the "missiles" path for the early ships? Or did the random tech assignment give you optronic computers?

I had fighters and mass drivers early.

[nweismuller]

I like starting pre-warp, because having the option to delay space technology in favor of getting some early infrastructure in factories and labs is interesting to me. I also normally play Humans or a science and money-focused custom race using the Psilon portrait, neither of which gets pasted too hard by pre-warp. Unlike the Elerians, yes.

[Ackapus]

I liked to play on Impossible and found games on anything earlier than Advanced Start to be virtually unwinnable, simply because there was no chance of getting a colony ship out before the AI had a small empire of worlds and plasma cannons.
Very interesting to see how the playthrough was adapted into a narrative, though. Although, it's also fun to play the speculation game with Wild Mass Guessing and see what comes out!

In this case it was the site admin, but that's cool too!

[Cthulhu]

I had fighters and mass drivers early.

That's a very powerful combination in the early game. Unfortunately, it has a major downside, you'll miss out on reinforced hull and ECM techs. This will make a long game in a bigger galaxy much harder, usually, people pick this path together with the Elerians for a short game on a smaller map, deathmatch-style. But if you managed to steal or trade those techs, then it would be far easier.

I like starting pre-warp, because having the option to delay space technology in favor of getting some early infrastructure in factories and labs is interesting to me. I also normally play Humans or a science and money-focused custom race using the Psilon portrait, neither of which gets pasted too hard by pre-warp. Unlike the Elerians, yes.

That's a good way to die. You need to prioritize colonization, especially if you already have science from bonuses and also money to buy stuff.

I liked to play on Impossible and found games on anything earlier than Advanced Start to be virtually unwinnable, simply because there was no chance of getting a colony ship out before the AI had a small empire of worlds and plasma cannons.
Very interesting to see how the playthrough was adapted into a narrative, though. Although, it's also fun to play the speculation game with Wild Mass Guessing and see what comes out!

In this case it was the site admin, but that's cool too!

Impossible is entirely winnable, it just needs a lot of skill and luck. Maybe a few borderline exploits as well.

[nweismuller]

'Die', 'ramp up my industry so I crank out colony ships like mad and outcolonise everybody else', to-may-to, to-mah-to. *regards net income of above 9000 BC per turn just before hitting Antares on my last game*

[Ackapus]

Impossible on an Advanced Start game needs only skill. From such footing I could take a game pretty reliably- less so if there's Darlocks on the other side of the galaxy that I cannot eliminate before they frame me into wars on every front. Even then, sometimes I can get and outpost network up to increase range- but I'd say that's about the most luck needed.
Compared to any other start, the difference is light years away- if you don't have a home system full of huge, ultra rich terrans with normal gravity to build colony bases for, by the time you get your first new system colony the AIs have three or four.

[Keklas Rekobah]

It has been over a decade since I have played MoO.  Re-installed MoO3 last night, and am now on turn 15, using humans on 'Easy' and mostly default settings.  Going for Economic/Trade strategy first, may change later.

[Cthulhu]

It has been over a decade since I have played MoO.  Re-installed MoO3 last night, and am now on turn 15, using humans on 'Easy' and mostly default settings.  Going for Economic/Trade strategy first, may change later.

Wait, by MoO3, do you mean that spreadsheet simulator, or the more recent title?

[gaerzi]

The most recent title has eschewed numbers and goes by MOO CTS instead.

[Keklas Rekobah]

It has been over a decade since I have played MoO.  Re-installed MoO3 last night, and am now on turn 15, using humans on 'Easy' and mostly default settings.  Going for Economic/Trade strategy first, may change later.

Wait, by MoO3, do you mean that spreadsheet simulator, or the more recent title?

Spreadsheet simulator? No, this version was labeled “Master of Orion 3” and came on two CDs

Even on the simplest setting, the other races overrun my worlds within a few hundred turns.

[Arent]

I liked to play on Impossible and found games on anything earlier than Advanced Start to be virtually unwinnable, simply because there was no chance of getting a colony ship out before the AI had a small empire of worlds and plasma cannons.
Very interesting to see how the playthrough was adapted into a narrative, though. Although, it's also fun to play the speculation game with Wild Mass Guessing and see what comes out!

In this case it was the site admin, but that's cool too!

No, sorry, certain race combinations are so strong that you can usually win on impossible. But if you 'roleplay' and take a weak combination it can certainly be difficult.