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Some Thoughts on Master of Orion II (Microprose)
I picked this game up in the bargain bin at EB about a month ago and have become rather addicted. The game is about what you would expect. You move out from your home world settling new planets and fighting your competitors. Meanwhile, you have to balance doing research and producing food and resources. Several races with various strengths and weaknesses are available; or you can design your own. This makes the game for me. There are a nearly infinite variety of races you can try and they are all interesting. A point system keeps you from building a super race. Benefits come at the price of deficiencies. The trade offs are well balanced. In fact that is the main feature of the whole game. It is well balanced. There don't appear to be any obvious loopholes that make it easy to win the game. At least I didn't find any. But I didn't do extensive research on the web to find tricks.
How I Won on Impossible Difficulty
I didn't have too much trouble winning at the lower difficulties but was beginning to think that winning at the Impossible level was really impossible. Finally, I tried the right combination. I made a custom race based on the Silicoids but with standard reproduction and combat deficiencies. A tolerant/lithovore has tremendous advantages, no farming and no pollution. I won in a four player game in both small and large galaxies. Toward the end of the game, I had over 600 production/turn on Orion (and no pollution!). I won by vote and by knocking out the Antarans.
I defeated the Guardian at Orion by using a Stasis Field and the Gyro Destabilizer. This takes a bit of patience but doesn't require a Doom Star or even a Titan. In theory, the Antarans can be handled by the same combination and a lot of ships, but it is a lot easier to wait for the Phasing Cloak. Capturing Orion is very important to winning the game. In addition to a great planet, it gives you the Death Ray and some other neat technology. It also gives you a super Battleship and a great, omniscient leader. Home