Let's Face the Antarans! (MoO2) -The End- The Master Race -

[RK47]

Hi guys, and welcome to the classic Master of Orion II. And hopefully, I can beat this game on Hard.

Biggest question at the start - should we go for Pre-generated Races, or customize our own?
I know some of the pre-generated races aren't really balanced, with some being terribly disadvantages - but I'll leave it up to your votes to decide. I'll try to keep the selection to mid to high tier race (IMO) anyway. And to be honest, I'm not really good at the ship customizations - so I'll let you guys decide on the designs later.

Here's the custom race menu - pretty daunting, but I think a lot of you guys are familiar with what does what. If not, go for a concept and I'll pick the most popular ones.

Let's have FUN!!!!

Oh, don't forget to name your race! :D

Table of Contents

Input 01: The Beginning
Input 02: Under Construction
Input 03: Investments
Input 04: Beyond Sol
Input 05: Stolen
Input 06: Exploitation
Input 07: Relinquish
Input 08: Skyway
Input 09: Repulsed
Input 10: Rivals
Input 11: Inevitable
Input 12: Thornton
Input 13: GDI
Input 14: Twilight
Input 15: Peacekeeper
Input 16: Unity
Input 17: 47
Input 18: Peace through Power
Input 19: The Arrival
Input 20: The Departed
The End: The Master Race

 

[Ulminati]

In b4 this thread is abandoned after 4 updates like your dungeon siege LP

 

[Destroid]

Unification and Creative are OP so you can't have those.

How about something like:

Dictatorship
Uncreative
Warlord
Lucky
Aquatic
Rich Home World

 

[Hellraiser]

race graphics = Gnolam
Name: Diplorats

+50% growth
-20 combat defense
-20 combat attack
-10 ground combat
Dictatorship
Telepathic
Charismatic
Large Homeworld

Go forth and use inane diplomacy to get what you want. Rats cannot into space combat (they get dizzy and shit) but when you can mind control shit and extort shit combat rolls will be of secondary nature.

I used this once with great success. My persuasion convinced lesser races to give up entire star systems and tech.

Still in b4 abandoned at 4th page.

 

[Azira]

If you want to have an easier time in this LP, pick a telepathic race. Not having to deal with ground combat is a big bonus.

Creative is an I-Win button, getting all techs when you research is very powerful. Picking a tolerant race will make terraformation meaningless.

When I used to play MOO2 on the hardest difficulty, I'd custom make a telepathic and creative race, then take whatever negatives I deemed tolerable to make a 100% score.

So here's the cheesy build:
Telepathic
Creative
-10 spying
-10 ground combat
Low-G world
Poor Home World
-½ food

And pick the Elarian race picture, to make sure you don't face any other telepaths. Should make taking over other worlds piss-easy, just fly in a cruiser and hit the mind control button.

Oh, and the government is of course dictatorship.

 

[lightbane]

I vote too for a telepathic race, mind control sounds fun. Of course, the goverment must be dictatorship, since democracy is nothing but an invention of Chaos. Choose whatever you want for the rest.

 

[Storyfag]

Go for Mankind! Give'em dictatorship if applicable

 

[Crooked Bee]

Boy, this brings back memories.

Go for whatever.

 

[RK47]

So much butthurt about DS III LP :/

Right.

Previously, our race was known as Humanity. That was then. Until we unlocked the secrets of the mind...now we are known as...

The Hivemind. Blessed with the gifts of Telepathy, the great conflict within our homeworld was no longer resolved by the strongest of arms.

Instead, the strongest mind dominates others.

That doesn't mean we have abandoned our warlike nature...Was it greed, or a higher calling?

Our world is rich...but the stars beckon to us...we want more.

We know the future lies with space travel. Scientists have discovered a distant system of Orion, rumored to contain untold riches and powerful artifacts beyond compare...

It is with the power of mind and space combat we shall take over the galaxy. The strongest minds have no need to bleed on the ground. We will free ourselves from the binding chain of our home system and pour forth into the unsuspecting galaxy.

For I have the Authority.

Stardate 3500.00 - 50 years after the great Telepathic Wars...

We've lost so much knowledge of space travels...having wasted our resources in battles for this meager rock, Sol. Sol stands on the edge of the known galaxy. The stars are but mysteries to us. We need to learn how to leave this system.

Many paths lie before us. Which one is the right one?

Keep in mind, our home system is rich in minerals. Both Sol I & III possess massive industrial potential, yet possess hazardous atmosphere that will incur additional costs.

Can Sol II sustain both of her sister colonies?

Share me your thoughts, and I shall authorize your input...

A) Knowledge is power
We will do best by increasing our research output by researching Computers, accelerating our advancement.

B) Go for broke!
Exploit our immediate system! The rich minerals will plant future seeds of power! Research Nuclear Fission to transport the necessary food...and divert all resources to colonization efforts including automated factories research!

C) I have another idea

 

[anus_pounder]

HOLY SHIT !!! SO THIS WAS THE GAME !!

I remember playing a demo of some game several years ago. So this is what that game was. Going to search for it.

 

[Destroid]

BBB

 

[Black Bart Charley]

HOLY SHIT !!! SO THIS WAS THE GAME !!
I remember playing a demo of some game several years ago. So this is what that game was. Going to search for it.

 

[Hellraiser]

B) Rebuild the infrastructure needed to expand and maintain an interstellar civilization.

 

[lightbane]

B: We'll need tons of money to start our empire.

Also, I say we rename our glorious empire as The Great Race, The Hivemind is too banal.

 

[Azira]

HOLY SHIT !!! SO THIS WAS THE GAME !!
I remember playing a demo of some game several years ago. So this is what that game was. Going to search for it.

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/master_of_orion_1_2

 

[RK47]

Music: Under Construction

You have recommended an industrial approach to exploit our home system. I wonder, will our home planet be able to sustain the two expansion colonies? I do hope you have thought that far, for now, research efforts are concentrated towards Automated Factories.

The first step is to unlock the secrets of Reinforced Hull in the field of Construction. This will triple our future space hulls at additional costs, of course.

Sol II is starting to stockpile the resources needed to establish the new colony...but at the moment, majority of our workforce are invested to research.

A Space Rat-like race offers his services...much to my amusement. We have no fleet to speak of...hiring him would be a waste of resources.

Research bearing fruit.

We continue to develop our manufacturing capability.

Yet another furry-like creature offer his services. I rather spend the resources elsewhere...

Finally, some real progress....

Industrialization commencing...followed with advances in Nuclear Fission, to enable transportation of food supply between planets...

Year 3504.0 - Progress!

We will need a fleet of these...

Obsolete by modern standards...why destroy, when we can simply dominate their minds?

Basic propulsion...but we lack the fuel cells to travel beyond our home systems...

Once this Freighter Fleet is constructed, we can start deploying the Colony Base within a year or two. Our research would take a major hit in manpower while we divert full effort into construction.

On the mean time, what should the research team go for?

I can think of several immediate concerns, like the lack of food supply to the sister colonies of Sol system.

A) Grow our own
-The Biosphere will increase our maximum population cap per planet by 2. However, Sol I and III will never be self sufficient. Future advances in agriculture may help increase the agricultural output in Sol II, however research has taken a hit (Only 3 RP/turn) with all the industrial activity going on. Don't expect a breakthrough in at least the next 2 years.

You must choose between the Biosphere or a short term solution, the Hydroponic Farm, which allows growth of 2 food on each colony at the cost of 2 BC (Billion Credits) per turn.

B) Find other habitable systems
Sol cannot provide us with everything, we need to research standard fuel cells to scout outlying systems, and eventually fly in a colony ship to start an agricultural colony elsewhere! Who knows what we might find!

C) Stop at one colony
We need to control our expansion efforts and develop better research capabilities through Computers or risk falling behind in technological curve.

Other ideas are welcome.

 

[Storyfag]

A warmongering telepathic Mankind ruled with an iron fist by an absolute Emperor?



I am advising C, o Great Authority.


Also, MOAR!

 

[GarfunkeL]

A Grow our own through using Hydroponic Farms!

 

[Hellraiser]

2) Get a scout out ASAP and look for any rock suitable for agriculture. Then colonize it and whip those serfs until they grow some glorious potatoes.

Also take biospheres, you can get hydroponics labs by trade or removing them from the inventory of Xeno scum fairly easily.

 

[SCO]

Not starting with orion 1 is fail.

 

[Desmodus Rotundus]

Go for C, those early labs help a lot. Also dictatorship sucks it has no production sci or money bonuses.

 

[lightbane]

C, if a few thousands have to starve and die so that the Hivemind can triumph, so be it.

 

[Fafnir]

B) Rebuild the infrastructure needed to expand and maintain an interstellar civilization.

 

[The Thin Man]

c. All sacrifices serve to further the empire!

 

[RK47]

Your inputs are appreciated. Yes, we should stop at one expansion and make sure our empire does not fall behind on research.

The fleet is ready to transport goods to another colony. The next step would be to establish Sol Prime itself.

Stardate 3504.3

A rather brilliant economist mind offers his services to our empire. Galis will serve us well in developing Sol system's trade and economy, with experience, more credits will flow...his services come cheap.

Of course, if other, more capable candidates appear, he will be replaced.

We cannot afford to slow down our research for too long, Galis proposed we invest our credits to bring in additional construction materials. After little deliberation, I authorized this move.

Now, we can divert all efforts into research.

Sol Prime is a good candidate for the sister colony, despite having smaller habitable areas, it has normal gravity...unlike Sol III.

We'll need to pay extra maintenance due to radiation shields, but Galis assured he can balance the books.

Productivity suffer, the new colonists are unruly lot. The Mind Police will be deployed, but the first order is to deploy the automated factory.

Ah, what is this?

Surprised, I checked the empire's treasury account and confirmed it. We now have 480 Billion Credits in reserve! Galis quickly spoke up through the comms.

Great Authority, do you know what this means?

I'm not sure what you mean, Galis?

We should definitely deploy another colony in Sol III! With these credits...it's doing nothing in reserves!

Hold on, let me check the required materials and our suppliers...

He's right. The reserves are sufficient to absorb the cost of for an immediate colonization. But what about the food supply...

Please authorize the purchase, milord! I am sure with a little research into agricultural advances, we can curb the food problem and have this whole system fully colonized, ready to reach for the stars!

Patience, Galis. I require the Hivemind input on this matter...

A) No, we should move out of Sol.
Remain at our course. Use the resources to purchase research labs on both planets instead. Then search other systems to sustain life before continuing. Sol III will drain our resources without giving much back with its High Gravity environment, it will penalize our productivity by 50%!

B) Perhaps this is the best move.
Deploy three research labs once the technology is ready, then focus all efforts on researching agricultural advances to feed our empire better. Hydroponic Farm > Soil Enrichment should enable Sol system to be entirely nearly self-sufficient while additional research points would be generated from the three research labs. The stars can wait.

C) I have other ideas.