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See Master of Orion 3 FAQ, FAQ #2, FAQ #3, HEX-code, HEX-code #2 here!
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FAQ for Master of Orion 3
MASTER OF ORION 3
DEVELOPMENT PLAN BASICS
Version 0.62 (04/14/03)
Copyright 2003 Mario Laubacher (Alastair)
Send comments, feedback, additions or corrections to alastair412@yahoo.com,
mentioning the FAQ's name in the subject header.
Flames or comments on the quality of MOO3 will go straight to /dev/null.
Contents
=========
1. Introduction and legal notice
2. Version History
3. Development Plans Overview
4. DP Classifications and Policies
5. Guidelines for creating your DPs
6. Credits and Thanks
7. Hosting Information
/==================================\
============= ¦ 1. Introduction and Legal Notice ¦ ===========================
\==================================/
This FAQ covers the basics for using Development Plans in Master Of Orion 3.
As I'm still experimenting with the game myself, this guide will remain pretty
much a work in progress for some time, but it will give you the basic
guidelines and caution you on the areas yet unclear.
This FAQ is copyrighted by Alastair (Mario Laubacher), and may not be published
without my consent. If you wish to maintain a copy of this document on your
site, please send me an e-mail at alastair412@yahoo.com.
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display without written permission is strictly prohibited, and a violation of
copyright.
Master of Orion 3 (MOO3) is copyrighted and trademarked by Quicksilver and
Infogrames.
/====================\
==================== ¦ 2. Version History ¦ ==================================
\====================/
03/13/03 v0.5 Initial public release.
03/14/03 v0.51 Chapter 5 partial rewrite
03/17/03 v0.52 Added to Chapter 5 again
03/18/03 v0.53 Minor correction in 4.2
03/21/03 v0.6 Some corrections and additions to chapters 4 and 5
03/25/03 v0.61 Typos, new authorized sites
04/14/03 v0.62 Corrections, minor changes
/===============================\
================= ¦ 3. Development Plans Overview ¦ ==========================
\===============================/
-----------( 3.1 Macromanagement vs. Micromanagement )------------------------
---------------------------------------
Contrary to its predecessors and the vast majority of Turn-Based Strategy game
(TBS), MOO3 isn't a micromanagement game. It goes even further: the game has
been designed from ground up around macromanagement instead.
Trying to micromanage your planets individually is a guaranteed way to
accumulate endless frustrations, simply because micromanagement hasn't been
taken into account at all, _by design_. If you try to do it, you will
constantly fight the game mechanisms and quickly start hating the game. If you
want to control every single aspects of the game, MOO3 is probably not your cup
of tea.
On the contrary, MOO3 is all about macromanagement. As the emperor, you give
the directions, and let the planetary viceroys handle the execution. Look at it
from this perspective: IRL, a head of state dictates education policy. He won't
direct the building of new schools or the hiring of individual teachers in
every backwater town - that's what the local officials are for.
In MOO3, your local officials are the planetary Viceroys (VR). They will handle
planetary development, terraforming and budget on their own, under a series of
high-level policies you define.
Those policies are set as Development Plans (DP). You set those in the DP tab
of your empire view.
-----------( 3.2 Development Plans vs. default rules )------------------------
---------------------------------------
The AI has already a series of default rules for planetary development built
in. Those rules focus mainly around creating mining, Industry and Bioharvesting
DEAs by default. There are also some emergency rules built in for the VR to
tackle situations like starvation and unrest, but that part seems to be quite
inefficient.
DPs are used to fine-tune your imperial policies to particuliar situations. In
order to do that, each planet responds to a certain amount of classifications,
explained below in section 4.
One important thing to take into account when creating your DPs are your race's
inherent strength and weaknesses. Use DPs to build upon your race's strengths
and to iron out their weaknesses. Create a limited set of DPs during your first
turns, and check back regularly every 20 turns to see how the affect your
planets in order to fine-tune your work until your satisfied, making the
necessary adjustments and adding other DPs as the needs arise. Then keep your
hands off the VR's job and start doing what a ruler does: handling tech pacing,
exploration, conquest, intelligence and foreign affairs, while your growing
empire develops into the superbly honed organization you commanded.
Your only order of business in the planetary details screen should be handling
the military build queues, because it will directly affect your ability to
scout, colonize and combat in the Orion sector.
In order to set up DPs, we need to understand what the DP classifications and
DP policies do. This will be explained in the two following sections below.
/====================================\
============ ¦ 4. DP Classifications and policies ¦ ==========================
\====================================/
-----------( 4.1 Classifciations )--------------------------------------------
-------------------
Note that in this guide, all classification types and policies will be written
in upper case for clarity - this isn't the case in the game.
Any planet fall under different classifications at once, some of a
more generic nature and some of a more specific one. Let's take an example:
Assume you colonize a new planet, the first one in a new system. The planetary
information sheet gives you the following information:
Green 1, Minerally rich, fertile, high biodiversity, size 9.
This planet falls under the following classifications:
Generic:
- ALL PLANETS
- GREEN RING
- LARGE
Specific environmental status:
- MINERAL RICH
- HIGH BIODIVERSITY
Importance status:
- SECONDARY
Temporary status (for 15 turns only):
- NEW
There are actually even a few additional classifications which may apply (core,
frontier etc), but we'll keep it at that for the time being.
The AI only applies the policies currently displayed on your planetary details
view. The classification gets switched consistently on the 16th turn after you
acquire a new planet, and, apparently, a couple of turns after it starts
qualifying for a new classification, provided the classification is of a higher
hierarchical value.
If an ALL PLANETS DP is set, it always applies, and has the highest priority,
followed by the primary and secondary classifications indicated in your
planetary details. Finally, the environmental classifications take the lowest
priorities. This is still under testing, though.
Understanding the different classifications will help you determine what DPs
you need to set.
So without any further ado, here's the list of classifications:
Generic groups:
ALL PLANETS is your generic template. It applies to every single planet in
your empire, regardless of location and situation, on top of the two
classifications indicated in your planetary detail view.
CORE applies to the colonies in your home system.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY are supposed to apply to planets either located within
growing distances from your home world, or depending on the level of
development performed. I say supposed, because in my recent test, there seems
to be no real logic behind it.
Two things are certain: New colonies almost always get SECONDARY as secondary
classification, and SECONDARY is much more frequent than PRIMARY.
FRONTIER is supposed to apply to worlds within two jumps of hostile foreign
worlds. In practice, I have seen some very odd-located FRONTIER worlds, far
from enemy lines. Bug?
RED RING, YELLOW, GREEN, SWEET SPOT and PARADISE are self-explanatory.
Specific groups based on temporary conditions:
NEW obviously applies to newly settled colonies
RAVAGED are recently bombarded planets
UNREST, STARVING, BESIEGED are self-explanatory.
Specific environmental statuses:
MINERAL POOR, MINERAL RICH, LOW BIODIVERSITY, HIGH BIODIVERSITY, SMALL,
LARGE all refer to the planetary information summary.
Specific statuses based on majority of present DEAS:
MINING, MANUFACTURING, RESEARCH, MILITARY, RECREATION are all
classifications which should kick in depending on the amount of corresponding
DEAs built. In my most advanced game, I have yet to see one single planet
getting that classification, though.
Now, one important thing to note, YOU CANNOT SET THOSE MANUALLY! The AI does
this for you. In your planetary details screen, you have one tab
which shows you which classifications (two) are being applied at present.
The only room for manual control you have at this level without starting to
build DEAs yourself (which goes against the macromanagement
approach of the game) is to use that bunch of PLAYER-DEFINED DPs available.
As hinted earlier, it appears that there is a hierarchy of classifications in
the game - after turn 15, a new classification only gets applied if the new
classification is higher in the hierarchy than the existing one. See section
5.3 below for more on this matter.
---New v0.62
The Oob (aka Hypnotoad) kindly mailed back with the confirmation that indeed,
only primary and secondary classifications (plus ALL PLANETS) were always
active. This invalidates a theory come from beta days that terraforming ring
DPs were also active. Thanks for the verification.
---
-----------( 4.2 Policies )---------------------------------------------------
------------
You can set three policy priorities per DP (Primary, secondary and
tertiary). Leaving one of those empty will leave your viceroy some
leeway to adapt to the local circumstances.
Note that by default, those priorities are weighted as follows:
- Primary: 1
- Secondary: 0.7
- Tertiary: 0.3
Also, it doesn't seem possible to manipulate the VR into completely foregoing
building at least one industry DEA and one mine per planet. Perhaps through
setting both primary and secondary classifications to unique policies, but I
still need to test that out.
The individual policies also come in two groups:
- Applied policies are specifically tied to DEAs
- Generic policies cover a range of DEAs.
Applied policies:
FARM, RECREATION, RESEARCH, MILITARY, MINING, MANUFACTURE and
GOVERNMENT all tell the Viceroy to focus on building and improving the
corresponding DEAs
Generic policies:
TRADE will have the Viceroy (VR) focus on generating cash for your empire, and
build / improve spaceports.
PLANETARY DEFENSE will prioritize those beam bases and planetary shield in the
military build queue.
MORALE is what you need to have the VR focus on reducing unrest.
TERRAFORMING lets the VR adjust spending on terraforming
Finally, INFRASTRCTURE prioritizes the building of planet-wide upgrades such
as hydroponic farms or sanitation infrastructure etc... not directly related
to specific DEAs.
/=====================================\
============ ¦ 5. Guidelines for creating your DPs ¦ =========================
\=====================================/
-----------( 5.1 Simple rules )-----------------------------------------------
----------------
When first approaching MOO3, setting both the right amount of DPs and adequate
policies may seem quite a hassle. I don't recommend writing 10+ DPs upfront at
first - make an initial set until you get the feel of how they work, improve
them, be flexible.
As stated in the introduction, always keep your racial strength and weaknesses
in mind when creating your DPs. If your race is weak in bioharvesting, you'll
need to set quite a few farming policies as at least secondary or tertiary
policies.
For a first approach, I recommend setting the following DPs at the beginning at
the game:
- NEW (you'll want to focus on growth and giving the right directions during
those 15 turns)
- UNREST (try out a MORALE-(BLANK)-(BLANK) setting at first, then fine-tune it.
If your citizenship is really bad, you might need to set it to MORALE-MORALE-
MORALE)
- MINERAL RICH (set your mining bases here)
- HIGH BIODIVERSITY (produce your food here)
- LARGE (These should become your main industry powerhouses, and their
importance will grow once you research mobilization centers)
- FRONTIER (You absolutely need to guard your empires against the bears and
- tigers and wolves out to get you)
You will want to focus on growing your population and production capacities at
first wherever it makes sense.
Create more DPs to suit your needs as the game progresses, and check back every
20 turns or so to see how your planets are doing to make the
necessary adjustments.
As stated above, ALL PLANETS supercedes all other DPs in priority. As such, it
is important to note that it can severely screw up the start of your new
colonies, military defense and unrest management. You will probably want to
keep this one blank most of the times, and only fill it in when you want to
enforce the transformation of your entire empire, for instance when gearing up
for a major war.
In general terms, it is usually a good idea to keep policies tied to building
actual DEAs out of ALL PLANETS. It's probably preferable to stick to policies
such as INFRASTRUCTURE, TRADING or MORALE.
To design good DPs, you have basically two approaches: Bottom-up or top-down.
Bottom-up is starting with each classification and setting the policies
according to your needs.
Top-down is first considering your races' strength and weaknesses, deciding
what policies you need most, then determining what classifications you can use
to enforce those.
Use the player-defined classifications for specific requirements: I always use
at least one of them to create my research planets.
For New colonies, Scott Draeker e-mailed some very sound advice:
"Although not in strict accordance with the Macro aproach of MOO3, I
recommend manually designating all the DEAs for each new colony. You only
have to do this once per colony, and it ensures that your empire wide
priorities are addressed. For example, I keep my opppression very high to
combat spies. As a result, I need at least one government, recreation and
military building on each planet to keep unrest under control. There is no
way to do this with DPs."
A note here: keeping your oppressometer high at any times raises your Heavy
Foot of Government (HFoG) a lot. Some people believe HFoG represents how
dictatorial your rule is (hence influencing unrest), but this isn't entirely
true. First and foremost, HFoG represents the weight of bureaucracy of your
government. This translates directly into waste of at least AUs. To reset
HFoG, you can switch government type, with the resulting surge in unrest.
-----------( 5.2 Empire-wide zoning policies )--------------------------------
-------------------------------
There are three settings available: Natural, Balanced and Specialized. Their
obvious consequences are what kind and where DEAs are being built by the VRs.
I won't detail all the effects, suffice to say right now that these settings
affect the weight your DPs are going to take whenever the AI considers what
to build next.
To give most weight to your DPs, use the specialized setting.
-----------( 5.3 In-depth considerations )------------------------------------
---------------------------
Note that this whole section is currently under research by several people
including myself on the official forums. Expect changes in the future as we
discover more about it.
It's really bothersome that the manual doesn't give any clues about this vital
part of the game, but we'll find out how it works eventually.
Here are the main theories currently held on DPs:
Borgstar's classification lifecycle:
Upon joining your empire (through colonization, conquest or acquisition), any
planet enters a lifecycle during which its classification will be switched by
the AI.
1. Early stage. Lasts exactly 15 turns
2. Midway stage. Lasts 15-20 turns - remaining zones are completed
3. Late Stage. Duration unknown. The last zones are completed
4. Finished Stage. Final classification is achieved, the planet is working
under those DPs, which should only comprise non-DEA-related policies
(Infrastructure, trade, morale etc...)
If your DPs for exploitation mandate a change in DEAs, the following occurs:
5. Replacement.
6. Finished Stage. A classification switch may occur in-between.
Rince and repeat.
Czaroc's DEA building theory, reformulated
1. For each DEA to build or replace, the AI balances NEEDs vs. HAVEs
2. While assessing the NEEDs, each DEA type gets a calculated DESIRABILITY
ratio.
3. DESIRABILITY is a product of several factors: pre-determined rate per
DEA, resource availabilty, resource demands, DP input, empire-wide zoning
policy (Natural, balanced or specialized), zone to build on.
4. The DEA with the highest DESIRABILITY gets built
5. In case of replacements, each existing DEA's USEFULNESS is assessed using
a calculation similar to DESIRABILITY. The DEA with the lowest USEFULNESS
gets torn down.
Hierarchy postulates, revised
1. DP Classification hierarchy:
Classifications have a hierarchical order. Whenever a change is mandated,
the highest-ranking classification gets applied.
Current ranking estimates:
- Highest: UNREST / STARVING / BESIEGED / RAVAGED (?)
- High: NEW / NEWLY ACQUIRED / NEWLY CONQUERED
- Medium: CORE / PRIMARY / SECONDARY / FRONTIER
- Low: MINTERAL RICH / MINERAL POOR / HIGH BIODIVERSITY / LOW BIODIVERSITY /
LARGE / PARADISE
- Lowest: MANUFACTURING / RESEARCHING / FARMING / MINING / MILITARY /
RECREATION / RED RING / YELLOW / GREEN / SWEET SPOT /
The highest classifications will ALWAYS pop up as primaries.
High and medium will always be primary classifications, unless a higher
condition is present, which then pushes them down to secondary
classifications.
Low will never show up as primary classifications. I have yet to see a single
planet qualify for one of the lowest classifications.
Finally, I suspect that if you have two emergency conditions at the same time,
they will kick in both classifications. Need more testing, though.
One conclusion comes to mind, though:
Appart from the two highest classifications, it is nearly impossible to
predict what classifications will apply to your worlds. As a consequence,
some players have started limiting themselves to using only player-defined
DPs.
Czaroc on the official boards recommends the following set:
1 and 2 to MINE-MINE-MINE
3 to RESEARCH-RESEARCH-RESEARCH
4 to MANUFACTURE-MANUFACTURE-MANUFACTURE
5 to INFRASTRUCTURE-TERRAFORM-TRADE
If there's an empire-wide food shortage, he will briefly activate ALL PLANETS
with FARM-FARM-FARM.
2. DEA-building policies:
Policies involving building specific DEAs are not created equals.
Certain DEA policies will have a much higher effect on DESIRABILITY than
others.
/=======================\
============== ¦ 6. Credits and Thanks ¦ =====================================
\=======================/
This FAQ owes to the various contributions posted on both Gamefaqs' and
Infogrames' official boards. Thanks to all the people who have posted their
initial findings and who have commented on those, in particuliar Borgstar,
Czaroc and Abdiel 42. Thanks also to Zhaneel, author of the first MOO3 FAQ on
Gamefaqs, for the exchange which lead to the creation of this document, and
her regular feedback, suggestions and input.
And a "hi" to Ben, who pointed out that it was "master" and not "masters" of
orion. Only my multiple personalities objected, so this annoying error is now
gone :)
If you mail me with additional input, I'll only credit you with your username.
If you want to see your e-mail addy as well, please state so specifically.
/========================\
============= ¦ 7. Hosting Information ¦ =====================================
\========================/
The latest update of this document can usually be found on gamefaqs.com
Currently authorized hosts:
http://www.gamefaqs.com
http://www.actiontrip.com
http://www.neoseeker.com/
http://faqs.ign.com/
http://dlh.net/
http://moo3outpost.lacota.net/
Top of page |
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FAQ #2 for Master of Orion 3
MASTERS OF ORION 3
BOOK OF ARMAMENTS
V0.72 03/26/03 Corrections and fixes on armor, PD and fighters
Copyright 2003 Mario Laubacher (Alastair)
Send comments, feedback, additions or corrections to alastair412@yahoo.com,
mentioning the FAQ's name in the subject header.
Flames or comments on the quality of MOO3 will go straight to /dev/null.
"ARTHUR: Consult the Book of Armaments!
BROTHER MAYNARD: Armaments, Chapter Two, verses Nine to Twenty-one.
SECOND BROTHER: And Saint Attila raised the hand grenade up on high, saying,
'O Lord, bless this thy hand grenade that with it thou mayest blow thine
enemies to tiny bits, in thy mercy.' And the Lord did grin, and the people did
feast upon the lambs and sloths and carp and anchovies and orangutans and
breakfast cereals and fruit bats and large chu--
MAYNARD: Skip a bit, Brother." -- Monty Python's Holy Grail
Contents
========
1 Introduction and Legal Notice
2 Revision History
3 Design Guidelines
3.A When to redesign
3.B Specialized vs. Combined Arms
3.C Point Defense
3.D Comparing Weapon Types
3.E Missiles and Racks
3.F Defense
3.G Electronics
3.H Speed
3.I Ship types and TFs
4 Hull Table
5 Defense Tables
6 Direct Fire Tables
7 Fighter Tables
8 Missile Tables (TBA)
9 Electronics
10 Misc techs (TBA)
11 Credits and Thanks
12 Hosting Information
/=================================\
================== ¦ 1 Introduction and Legal Notice ¦ =======================
\=================================/
This FAQ covers Masters Of Orion 3's ship design and weaponry.
This FAQ is copyrighted by Alastair (Mario Laubacher), and may not be published
without my consent. If you wish to maintain a copy of this document on your
site, please send me an e-mail at alastair412@yahoo.com.
This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal,
private use. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public
display without written permission is strictly prohibited, and a violation of
copyright.
Masters of Orion 3 (MOO3) is copyrighted and trademarked by Quicksilver and
Infogrames.
Acronyms used:
The following will appear in the FAQ quite often:
TF Taskforce
IF Indirect Fire weapons (Missiles)
DF Direct Fire weapons
LR / LRS Long Range Ships
SR / SRS Short Range Ships
Hulls acronyms
LC Light Cruiser
CR Cruiser
BC Battle Cruiser
BS Battleship
DN Dreadnought
SDN Super Dreadnought
/====================\
==================== ¦ 2 Version History ¦ ==================================
\====================/
03/21/03 v0.5 Working version (not published).
03/24/03 v0.6 Initial Release.
03/25/03 v0.7 DF weapon analysis done, added Ch. 7and 9, acronyms and some
other fixes here and there.
03/26/03 v0.72 Corrections and fixes on armor, PD and fighters
/=======================\
==================== ¦ 3 Design Guidelines ¦ ===============================
\=======================/
--------------( 3.A When to redesign )----------------------------------------
----------------------
With a wealth of techs and weaponry available, the timing for redesign is
quite important. Several options are available, but in general terms, I
recommend redesigning in the following situations:
- New warp drive: Speed is crucial. The faster your ships travel down those
jump lanes, the better your ability to keep the initiative or to react to AI
actions. Further, newer drives take up less space per speed units (this also
applies to system drives, BTW).
- New hull type: what's the use of getting that shiny Leviathan hull if you
don't use it? Superior hull space packs more firepower - use it to your
advantage. I don't necessarily redesign other hulls at that point, though.
- New weaponry: I don't prioritize that part myself. There are a few weapon
techs which almost beg for a full redesign, though, mainly Lightning fields.
Normally, I obsolete old types within 3 turns of a full redesign. Your mileage
may vary, though.
Finally, I scrap obsolete reserves as soon as a sizeable reserve of a superior
design is available, which means between 10 and 20 turns of introducing the
new designs.
///New v0.72
In relationship with Antaran expeditions, note that launching one will pull
the required amount of ships from your reserves, apparently at random
(excluding transports, colony and outpost). To have better control on what
gets sent out, scrap what you don't need or put it into active taskforces.
On the matter of transports, you'll have noticed that MOO3 has a tendency to
overdo transport building. This is a recognized bug adressed in the upcomming
patch. In the meantime, make sure you obsolete any transports as soon as you
have suitable reserves.
///
--------------( 3.B Specialized vs. Combined Arms )---------------------------
-----------------------------------
When building cruiser and bigger hulls, you tend to get enough space to
seriously consider whether you want a "pure" design per ship type or rather
"mixed" weaponry.
Obviously, a "pure" design will pack more damage for the weapon type of
your choice. However, this comes at the cost of versability both in offense
and defense. We'll comment briefly on the pros and cons of each weapon group
a bit later on, but my personal preference goes to "mixed" designs. Whatever
your choice, though, keep in mind that combined arms brings a huge advantage
in being able to confront any situations. If you go for "pure" ship designs,
try at least to mix your ship types when assembling a new TF, even in the main
body.
--------------( 3.C Point Defense )-------------------------------------------
-------------------
Currently, before the first patch gets released, PD is broken. You can't count
on PD weaponry to protect your fleet against incoming missiles, which can lead
to severe losses.
However, there is a workaround: it appears that as long as your ships have any
missiles left, the PD weapons will do their job. Hence make sure to equip all
your ships with one single rack of Nuclear warheads (PD mount does fine). Some
people recommend always putting 20 of them. This is not necessary in all
situations, though, as you can waste valuable space doing so. Your PD weapons
will fire as long as the rack isn't empty - so if you're quite ahead in the
tech race, 8-12 missiles will do nicely. This is related to the duration of
your battles: if most fights end within 3 minutes, chances are you won't be
able to deplete even 8 missiles.
Zhaneel also mentions that the PD bug can be completely offset by issuing
a patrol command (without the missile racks). I haven't verified this myself,
also note that for my taste, it limits my actions too much.
In terms of equipment, my preference goes to a combination of PD-mounted
phaser beams coupled with a second series of light-mount phaser beams. While
damage is equal, the light mount exchanges range for rate of fire. In practice
though, I find it an advantage to be able to fire a few shots at incoming
missiles from farther away, diminishing the amount of work the PDs have to
perform to shoot down what's left.
After analyzing the weapon tables, I would recommed replacing phasers with
disruptor cannons once you have all improvements researched for it. See
the analysis in the DF weapon tables for a rundown.
For fighter protection, the most efficient PD weapon by far are lightning
fields. If they aren't on your tech tree, your scientific spies and your
diplomats should work overtime to get it - it's just too invaluable to miss.
--------------( 3.D Comparing Weapon Types )----------------------------------
----------------------------
As you will have noticed, MOO3 offers three weapon types: direct fire,
fighters and missiles. Here's a rapid rundown of the pros and cons of each
type:
Direct fire
Pros:
- unlimited firepower
- vast choice of mounts
- Good damage
- Lots of modifications
Cons:
- Maximal range / damage requires a lot of space
- The truly damaging mounts have a very low rate of fire
- Can't be used to bombard planets
Fighters
Pros:
- Unlimited supply
- Virtually unlimited range
- Deep scouting
- Expendable targets for enemy missiles and fighters
Cons:
- Need to lose a complete squadron before a new one is generated
- Low speed
- "Fish school" flight AI
Missiles
Pros:
- Best damage / weight ratio
- Speed
Cons:
- Grouped targetting wastes a whole volley in overkill
- Limited supply
This quick comparison explains my preference for mixed designs. At the very
least, both my carriers and IF have at least one spinal-type beam weapon so
they aren't useless once their last volley has been fired or their fighter
complement is out fighting planetside while a SR TF approaches your ships.
To maximize the weaponry effect for fighters and missiles, when fighting near
armed planets, I always select each TF and target the planet every 5 seconds
to make sure all my indirect weaponry is in flight and ready to react to
enemy TFs popping up midway. Usually, the first or second volley wipes out
planetary bases, leaving the rest available to re-acquire whatever target lies
in-between.
The benefits of using lots of fighters in any fleet can't be stressed enough.
They provide deep recon by forcing enemy ships to uncloack when firing,
and plenty of distraction for fighters and especially missiles.
When a 1000-damage warhead blows up a 30-HP fighter, that's 970 damage gone to
waste. Of course, this works both ways. Note that normally, though, with
decent cloaking and ECM on your TFs, the AI seems incapable of targetting your
main fleets, giving the human player a distinct advantage. To maximize this,
use the launch method described above as soon as you have a target.
--------------( 3.E Missiles and Racks )--------------------------------------
------------------------
When designing your missile complement, keep in mind that there are two weight
components: individual missile weight and rack weight. Adding several racks
ensures larger volleys being shot, adding more missiles per rack ensure that
more volleys can be shot. On large hulls, I tend to limit myself to 5 racks,
counting 5+ missiles per rack. But this is also due to my preference for mixed
designs, as the rest of the space gets occupied by a bunch of fighters and a
couple of Spinal+ direct fire weapons.
--------------( 3.F Defense )-------------------------------------------------
-------------
Armor doesn't take up space, but tends to cost a lot. Shields are relatively
cheap compared to armor, but take up quite a bit of space, have less stopping
power, and tend to get depleted pretty quick.
Hence I usually boost industry DEAs on 5-10 size-12 planets and skip shields
altogether.
When in need for shielding, though (the enemy is close in techs or ahead of
me in techs), I go for damper fields as soon as they are available. Although
they are weaker in sheer power than Class VII+ shields, they recharge to full
strength every 5 seconds, never running out, while traditional shields run
out after 1-2 blasts.
--------------( 3.G Electronics )---------------------------------------------
-----------------
Due to the lack of explanations on the manual, some confusion exists about the
respective effect of ECM and ECCM.
To summarize what those _should_ do:
- ECM jam enemy battle computers, rendering the detection of your TFs more
difficult
- ECCM unscrambles your own battle computers.
ECM and ECCM of the same level cancel each other out. However, contrary to
some people's assumption, this doesn't mean that having both in your TFs makes
them usueless. By design, they are matched against enemy devices, not your
own.
But where to place them?
Putting both devices on the same ship is a pure waste of space. ECM is a
defensive device, it is probably best placed on your PD ships. ECCM, on the
other hand, is a detection device, and it's best located on your recon ships.
Note that ECM protects your whole TF to a point, while ECCM, like the scan
devices, work a tad differently.
In MOO3, whenever one single ship notices an enemy ship or weapon, your whole
fleet sees them at once.
In practice, the computer adds up all the values of each individual ECM in
your fleet and matches them against the total of the opposing ECCM. If your
ECM values (see the tech tables below) totals are higher, your fleet will be
protected. If it's lower, it won't - and vice versa.
Cloaking: I haven't had much time to delve into specifics so far, but from a
cursory look, it seems to have two effects: a visual cloaking value, and an
ECM value. There's a big difference, though: The weakest cloak's ECM value is
as good as ECM V... for a much smaller space and a ludicrously low cost.
Which would mean that using any ECM device over cloaking is just a waste of
space and money as long as you're ahead in the tech race.
*sigh*. Yet another area where a better manual would have helped... I miss
SMAC / SMAX's detailed encyclopedia...
///New v0.72
Note that contrary to ECM, ECCM and detection devices, cloaks can't be
stacked. Which means it's usually a good idea to have your PD ships adding
to your TF's total jamming value.
///
--------------( 3.H Speed )---------------------------------------------------
-----------
As my tactics mainly involve sniping from afar or using missiles with
fighters, planet-side fights don't recquire a lot of speed.
That doesn't mean you should spare the space and drop your system drive speed
to 1 - when flying interception missions or fighting a guardian, your IF and
carriers are exposed, as they won't launch their weaponry before they spot a
target.
I tend to have my system drives at 60%-75% of max speed at any times. For LRs,
which need a bit more mobility, I usually select 80% of max speed.
Note that your TFs will (obviously) always move at the speed of your slowest
ship within that TF, so keep that in mind when designing and assembling your
TFs.
--------------( 3.I Ship types and TFs )--------------------------------------
------------------------
Apart from the obvious like colony and outpost ships, what to build?
As highlighted in the weapon comparison, carriers and IF ships pretty much own
the battlefield, especially when building mixed designs or at least mixed TFs.
When bombarding planets, keep in mind only missiles are able to deal damage.
This makes IF ships an almost mandatory complement to your fleets.
In complement to carriers and IF ships, I build a set of mixed LRS as well, to
add some punch to my TFs when combat becomes more close and personal.
I don't like SR ships nor SR TFs. They simply have to get too close to be
effective - which means lots of losses. Also, to be effective, you would
probably want to go for full speed and shields - at the expense of firepower.
I tend to have several hull sizes per ship type, so that all my planets can
contribute to the building effort.
For TFs, I build nothing but armadas for offense fleets. A carrier armada
sports the following combination:
- 1-2 cap-ship carriers (by turn 200+, titans or bigger)
- 4-5 smaller carriers (by turn 200+, BC to SDN)
- 1 cap IF
- 4 smaller IFs
- 1 big LRS (DN or better)
Escort ring:
- 2 PD ships (currently one LC and one BC)
- 2 BC+-sized LRS
Picket ring:
- 2 medium-sized reco
IF armadas are currently very similar, I usually only invert the carrier and
IF ship numbers. In practice, however, as I use mixed ship designs as well, I
tend to limit myself to building IF TFs, unless I run out of IF cap ships.
Note that in combat, you are limited to 10 TFs per assault. The CPU selects
your best TFs present in the system to do the job.
This _seems_ to exclude system ships and orbitals, but I need to confirm this
sometime soon.
One use I have for SR TFs is to build one brand of mid-sized SR ships,
and include sensor-heavy recon ships in the TFs. I group them in smaller
TFs and use them as detectors / decoys in heavily defended and cloacked areas,
typically guardians and Orion. Those throwaway TFs don't survive for long, but
usually allow to detect the opponent and attract its fire without risking the
lives of my main (and expensive) armadas.
/===============\
==================== ¦ 4 Hull Table ¦ =======================================
\===============/
--------------( Hull Sizes )--------------------------------------------------
----------
Type Cost Capacity
---------------------------------
Lancer 100 50
Cutter 142 70
Corvette 204 100
Frigate 298 140
Destroyer 438 200
Light Cruiser 650 285
Cruiser 974 405
Battle Cruiser 1458 575
Battleship 2264 815
Dreadnought 3502 1155
Superdreadnought 5472 1635
Titan 8646 2310
Behemoth 13706 3265
Leviathan 22244 4615
Notes:
The advantage of bigger sizes are of course their sheer payload. On the other
hand, though, their cost can become quite a burden on your PP. Keep track of
your production capacities: A behemoth-sized ship requires you have at least
a couple of worlds capable of churning out 7000+ PPs per turn in order to get
built at a reasonable pace.
/==================\
==================== ¦ 5 Defense Tables ¦ ====================================
\==================/
--------------( Armor Types )-------------------------------------------------
-----------
Name Cost ArmorVal Deflect
----------------------------------------------
Zortrium 20 100 2
Duranium 60 200 6
Titanium 140 400 10
Neutronium 300 800 14
Adamantium 620 1600 18
--------------( Armor Plating )-----------------------------------------------
-------------
Type CostMult ArmorMult DeflectMult
-----------------------------------------------------------
No Armor 0 0 0
Very Light Armor (VLA) 0.75 0.50 0.5
Light Armor (LA) 1.00 1.00 0.66
Medium Armor (MA) 3.00 2.00 1
Heavy Armor (HA) 7.00 4.00 1.5
Very Heavy Armor (VHA) 12.00 8.00 1.75
Ultra Heavy Armor (UHA) 18.00 16.00 2
Notes:
When selecting building VHA or UHA ships, note that going for lower type + UHA
will be much cheaper (hence faster to build), at the expense of about 25%-40% in
deflection value. But it might be worth considering.
Example: Duranium UHA: cost 1080, Armor 3200, Defl 12
Titanium VHA: cost 1680, Armor 3200, Defl 17.5
--------------( Shields )-----------------------------------------------------
-------
Shield Generators come in three variants: small, standard, and large.
Each size provides 1.5x regen rates and shield str over the smaller size,
but cost and space doubles every time. If you need the space, absolutely
prefer better armor and smaller generator.
There are 10 shield types plus Damper fields available. For an increase
in cost, each size gives you better defletion values and recharge rates, at
the same space cost - therefore only cost is a consideration when deciding on
the type you need.
Notes:
Traditional shield purchasing gets completely outclassed if you manage to
research Damper fields. Damper fields cost quite a bit more than normal
shields, and take thrice the space, but they regenerate their whole strength
every 5 seconds. Although technically, the shield resistance for class VII+ is
better, it gets chipped away with every shot, usually way faster than its
recharge rate. Meanwhile, your damper fields keep recharging until the end of
the battle.
/=======================\
==================== ¦ 6 Direct Fire Tables ¦ ===============================
\=======================/
--------------( General Data and abbreviations )------------------------------
------------------------------
FireDlay = Delay between two shots
MultFire = # of shots fired per salvo
NearDmg = The weapon's max damage, applied between point-blank and DmgDisSt
FarDmg = The weapon's min damage, applied between point-blank and DmgDisEn
DmgDisSt = The distance between point-blank and the point where damage
starts to decrease.
DmgDisEn = The max range at which the weapon will do any damage.
DmgDelta = The difference between NearDmg and FarDmg. Note that the value
doesn't seem to get used at all at present.
MaxAccry = The maximum accuracy at AccDisSt? or AccDisEn? No way to know.
AccDisSt = The distance between point-blank and the point where accuracy
starts to decrease. The decay is not known.
AccDisEn = The max range at which the weapon will manage to hit a target.
Cost = The cost in AU.
Space = The space used.
ShldPen = Shield Penetration. Not certain how the value is used.
ArmrPierc = Armour Piercing. Not used in the game atm. (1)
Space/Dmg = A simple measure on the weapons "quality" vs space.
Lower = better. See bottom of chapter for more.
Improvements:
M1 / M2 = Miniaturization: Space * .8 per level (both = space *.64)
I = Improved: NearDmg * 1.5, FarDmg * 1.1
AP = Armor Piercing: ArmorPierc *.75, Space * 1.5 (1)
AF = AutoFire: MultFire * 3, Space *2
C = Continuous: Accuracy *1.5, Space * 1.25
E = Envelopping: ShieldPen *.5, Space *1.66
/// Updated v0.72
(1) It looks like all tests indicate that ArmorPiercing has been entirely
removed from the game. I don't really take those into account when
evaluating weapons atm, and a good thing it is, since if this does get
patched back in, this could severely affect weapon effectiveness.
This means that at this moment, using AP improvement is a good way to
waste space for no effect.
--------------( Mounts )------------------------------------------------------
------
Name Space Cost Dmg Acc Acc Dmg Dmg Fire
DisSt DisEn DisSt DisEn Dlay
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Point Defense(1) 0.8 1.0 0.33 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75 0.75
Light Mount 0.8 0.75 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.8? 0.8
Standard Mount 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Heavy Mount 1.75 2.0 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.2
Very Heavy Mount 2.75 3.0 2.0 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.4
Ultra Heavy Mount 4.0 4.0 2.5 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.1 1.6
Spinal Mount 1.5 3.5 2.0 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 2.2
Improved Spinal Mount 2.0 5.0 3.0 2.0 2.0 2.0 2 3.5
Ultra Spinal Mount 3.0 7.0 5.0 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 5
(1) PD has MultFire value of 2. Which means a PD should shoot twice as much
as any other mount. In practice, it doesn't work. Yet another bug.
Note that Ultra Heavy Mounts are better than Spinals and Improved Spinals,
at the expense of space and cost. The lower Fire Delay is also worth
considering.
In practice, you can fit twice as much Improved Spinals than Ultra Heavies,
but they will fire less than half often. If cost is a factor (because your
production capabilities are an issue), though, prefer Ultra Heavy Mounts.
--------------( Beams )-------------------------------------------------------
-----
Beams wield the longest range overall. However, this comes at a cost:
Both damage and accuracy are severly lowered at the longer ranges.
They also sport a good Damage / space ratio. They are very well-suited for PD
to standard mounts on short distances. If you plan to snipe from afar, though,
avoid beams.
Adding to their PD suitability is the fact that Ion Pulse and Phasers sport
the AutoFire improvement.
Note that the stellar converter, with a Fire Delay of 8 and a huge space cost
is simply not worth the trouble for a combat weapon. It's only use: converting
planets to ashes, period.
Fire Mult Near Far Dmg Dmg Dmg Max Acc Acc Cost
Dlay Fire Dmg Dmg DisSt DisEn Delta Accry DisSt DisEn
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laser 2.5 1 7 1 4500 7167 6 0.7 4500 7166 5
Hard Beam 2.5 1 15 7 4500 11333 8 0.7 4500 11333 10
Ion Pulse 2.5 1 33 4 4500 15500 29 0.7 4500 15500 22
Cannon
Phasers 2.5 1 48 5 4500 17583 43 0.7 4500 17583 32
Disintegrator 2.5 1 105 23 4500 21750 82 0.7 4500 21750 70
Beam
Stellar 8 1 1000 200 4500 28000 0 1 27999 28000 666
Converter
Space Shld Armr Impr. Space /
Pen Pier Dmg
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Laser 10 1 1 M1, M2, I, AP, AF, C 1.43
Hard Beam 7 1 1 M1, M2, I, 0.47
Ion Pulse 10 1 0.8 M1, M2, I, AF 0.30
Phasors 14 1 1 M1, M2, I, C, AF, AP 0.29
Disintegrator 25 1 1 M1, M2, I, 0.24
Stellar 495 1 1 0.50
Note that for the space / Dmg ratio, the lower the better.
--------------( Mass Drivers )------------------------------------------------
------------
Mass drivers have one huge thing going for them: damage remains constant over
distance. Their accuracy, however, is only 50%. This makes them a risky bet
to use as PD weapons, IMO.
In the early turns, never use mass drivers over lasers - they're just worse
all over the band.
For PDs, a decent late-game alternative to Phasers would be the Disruptor
cannon, though. It's range / damage ratio is almost 4 times better than
phasors for a slight cost increase, and it holds the AF improvement as well.
Also consider that you need 44 Phasors to match the damage of 10 disruptors -
making them longer to design. With the extra range, the disruptor has plenty
of time to shoot a second time if the first shot misses. A good investment for
cap ships.
Fire Mult Near Far Dmg Dmg Dmg Max Acc Acc Cost
Dlay Fire Dmg Dmg DisSt DisEn Delta Accry DisSt DisEn
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mass Driver 2.5 1 14 3 5732 5733 0 0.5 4500 5733 9
Rail Gun 2.5 1 30 7 9065 9067 0 0.5 4500 9067 20
Gauss Cannon 2.5 1 97 9 14065 14067 0 0.5 4500 14067 64
Disruptor 2.5 1 209 20 17399 17400 0 0.5 4500 17400 139
Cannon
Dark Matter 2.5 1 453 30 20732 20733 0 0.5 4500 20733 302
Projector
Space Shld Armr Impr. Space /
Pen Pier Dmg
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mass Driver 22 1 1 M1, M2, I, AP, AF 1.57
Rail Gun 13 1 1 M1, M2, I, 0.43
Gauss Cannon 27 1 1 M1, M2, I, AP, AF 0.28
Disruptor 54 1 1 M1, M2, I, AF 0.26
Dark Matter 95 1 1 M1, M2, I, 0.21
--------------( Particle )----------------------------------------------------
--------
Particle weapons are quite similar to beams in general. However, their
Dmg / space ratio is none too impressive, the loss of damage on max distance
is bad.
Initially, the Death Ray would seem like a decent pick due to its short Fire
Delay. However, the absence of any improvements leaves is sorely outclassed.
Altogether, particles are just not worth the trouble. If you could steer your
research, I would never bother in the first place...
Fire Mult Near Far Dmg Dmg Dmg Max Acc Acc Cost
Dlay Fire Dmg Dmg DisSt DisEn Delta Accry DisSt DisEn
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quark Cannon 2.5 1 15 3 4500 8017 14 0.7 4500 8017 10
Neutron Blstr 2.5 1 33 3 4500 11628 30 0.7 4500 11628 22
Graviton Beam 2.5 1 49 3 4500 13433 46 0.7 4500 13433 33
Particle Beam 2 1 49 10 4500 13433 39 0.9 4500 13433 33
Dark Ener Bm 2.5 1 107 20 4500 17044 87 0.7 4500 17044 71
Death Ray 2 1 157 50 4500 18850 107 0.9 4500 18850 105
Tachyon Beam 2.5 1 231 27 4500 20656 204 0.7 4500 20656 154
Space Shld Armr Impr. Space /
Pen Pier Dmg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quark Cannon 12 0.9 1 M1, M2, I, 0.80
Neutron Blstr 15 0.9 1 M1, M2, I, C 0.45
Graviton Beam 18 0.9 1 M1, M2, I, C 0.37
Particle Beam 18 0.1 0.9 0.37
Dark Ener Bm 33 0.9 1 M1, M2, I, 0.31
Death Ray 45 0.8 0.7 0.29
Tachyon Beam 61 0.9 1 M1, M2, I, 0.26
--------------( Plasma )------------------------------------------------------
------
Plasma weapons offer the shortest max range, but pack an excellent Damage /
space ratio. They are altogether a tad lighter than their counterparts in
other DF weapon types.
Of all the plasma weapons available, the Megabolt Cannon is the best choice,
provided you manage to research or steal all three improvements available.
With a Fire Delay of 4, and a disappointing damage spread, the Mauler,
however, is just a waste of space.
Fire Mult Near Far Dmg Dmg Dmg Max Acc Acc Cost
Dlay Fire Dmg Dmg DisSt DisEn Delta Accry DisSt DisEn
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion Beam 2.5 1 31 2 4500 6167 29 0.8 4500 6167 21
Hellfire Can 2.5 1 67 10 4500 8944 57 0.8 4500 8944 45
Lightng Fld 2.5 5 36 36 4500 6364 0 0.9 4500 6364 24
Plasma Can 2.5 1 213 6 4500 13111 207 0.8 4500 13111 142
Megabolt Can 2.5 1 314 23 4500 14500 291 0.8 4500 14500 209
Mauler 4 1 679 1 4500 15889 0 1 15887 15889 453
Space Shld Armr Impr. Space /
Pen Pier Dmg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fusion Beam 15 1 1 M1, M2, I, C, E 0.48
Hellfire Can 19 1 1 M1, M2, I, 0.28
Lightning Fld 10 0.7 0.7 M1, M2, I, 0.28
Plasma Cannon 44 1 1 M1, M2, I, C 0.21
Megabolt Can 59 1 1 M1, M2, I, 0.19
Mauler 113 0.5 1 M1, M2 0.17
--------------( Bottomline )--------------------------------------------------
----------
Altogether, consider DF weapons to be more of a support and defense weaponry.
Sure, on short ranges, they are well worth the trouble, but short range comes
with higher casualties OR requires additional shielding (which removes space
for more firepower).
For a serious bruising effect, however, Ultra Spinal Mounts transform the
weakest DF into a serious threat - but the FireDly gets huge as well.
However, consider this: If your first shot is a guaranteed kill, you don't
need to worry about FireDly for the second one. Plus, on the range bonus
granted, 5 seconds more just means an already severly diminished TF closes
in a tiny bit, exposing itself to heavier damage on the second shot.
/==================\
============== ¦ 7 Fighter Tables ¦ ==========================================
\==================/
--------------( General Data and abbreviations )------------------------------
------------------------------
FireDlay = Delay between two shots
MultFire = # of shots fired per salvo
NearDmg = The weapon's max damage, applied between point-blank and DmgDisSt
FarDmg = The weapon's min damage, applied between point-blank and DmgDisEn
DmgDisSt = The distance between point-blank and the point where damage
starts to decrease.
DmgDisEn = The max range at which the weapon will do any damage.
MaxAccry = The maximum accuracy at AccDisSt? or AccDisEn? No way to know.
AccDisSt = The distance between point-blank and the point where accuracy
starts to decrease. The decay is not known.
AccDisEn = The max range at which the weapon will manage to hit a target.
Cost = The cost in AU.
Space = The space used.
ShldPen = Shield Penetration.
ArmrPierc = Armour Piercing. Not used in the game.
Size = Currently used to determine the fighter's base HP.
Improvements:
AP = Armor Piercing: ArmorPierc *.75, Space * 1.5
AF = AutoFire: MultFire * 3, Space *2
DP = DualPod: MultFire * 2, Space *1.8
E = Envelopping: ShieldPen *.5, Space *1.66
/// New v0.72
Notes:
- Fragility and DamagCap have been removed from the tables, as they seem to
lack any tangible effect. For base HP, it seems size is considered - has been
added to the tables.
- Armor Piercing doesn't work. Don't pick that!
///
--------------( Chassis )-----------------------------------------------------
-------
Note that as for DF mounts, the values indicated are multipliers over the base
value for each fighter.
Type Space Cost NearDmg FarDmg
-----------------------------------------------------------
Interceptor Chassis 1.5 1 1 1
Space Control Chassis 3 2.5 1.4 1.2
/// New v0.72
Visage on the official board points out that with double space versus just
40% damage bonus, Space Control Chassis isn't worth it.
Indeed, with only interceptors, you get twice as many fighters and hence
twice as many shots...
///
--------------( Fighter Types )-----------------------------------------------
-------------
Type Fire Mult Near Far Dmg Dmg Max Acc Acc
Dlay Fire Dmg Dmg DisSt DisEn Accry DisSt DisEn
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighter Laser 2.5 1 4 1 3k 4k 0.7 3k 4k
Fighter Fusion Bm 2.5 1 15 2 3k 4k 0.8 3k 4k
Fighter Neutron Bl 2.5 1 17 2 3k 4k 0.7 3k 4k
Fighter Gravit Bm 2.5 1 25 2 3k 4k 0.7 3k 4k
Fighter Phasors 2.5 1 24 4 3k 4k 0.7 3k 4k
Fighter Plasma Cn 2.5 1 107 5 3k 4k 0.7 3k 4k
Fighter Disrup Cn 2.5 1 105 30 3k 4k 0.5 3k 4k
Fighter Mass Drv 2.5 1 7 5 3k 4k 0.5 3k 4k
Fighter Gauss Cn 2.5 1 48 14 3k 4k 0.5 3k 4k
Fighter Ion Pulse 2.5 1 16 4 3k 4k 0.7 3k 4k
Fighter Particle 2.5 1 25 8 3k 4k 0.9 3k 4k
Fighter Death Ray 2 1 78 38 3k 4k 0.9 3k 4k
Type Cost Space Shld (Armr Size Improvements
Pen Pier)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fighter Laser 4 6 1 1 6 AF
Fighter Fusion Bm 15 14 1 1 6 E
Fighter Neutron Bl 17 7 1 1 6
Fighter Gravit Bm 25 9 1 1 9
Fighter Phasors 24 7 1 1 6 DP
Fighter Plasma Cn 107 41 1 1 15 DP
Fighter Disrup Cn 105 32 1 1 12
Fighter Mass Drv 7 13 1 1 6 AP
Fighter Gauss Cn 48 17 1 1 6
Fighter Ion Pulse 16 5 0.5 0 18 DP
Fighter Particle 25 9 0.1 0.8 9
Fighter Death Ray 78 22 0.7 0.7 18
--------------( Bottomline )--------------------------------------------------
----------
From those tables, the best fighter to use is the Phasors Fighter with Dual
Pods. It has the best Dmg/Space ratio and the best Dmg/cost ratio. It is,
comparatively, dirt cheap and small.
Even though sheer firepower is rather small and Fragility is very low, you can
safely swarm out any opposing force with dozens of fighters, which means an
equivalent amount of targets to shoot down.
Important note: AP doesn't have any effect right now. This also means that
until ArmorPiercing gets patched in, the best fighter could actually be the
Ion Pulse cannon: they have thrice the HP of phaser fighters, and both lower
cost and space.
/==================\
============= ¦ 8 Missile Tables ¦ ===========================================
\==================/
TBA v0.8 - sorry for the delay :)
/===============\
============== ¦ 9 Electronics ¦ =============================================
\===============/
To evaluate jamming and sensors is a tricky business, as the formulas involved
in MOO3's calculations are probably anything but obvious stuff.
I've been fiddling with my spreadsheets for hours and still lack any clue
about a comprehensive formula about how Jamming / cloaking offsets detection.
My main issue is to try to calculate the effective detection range versus
jamming / cloaking, in other words, the distance beyond which a cloaked ship
will remain invisible for each device used.
For the moment, though, it is safe to assume that cloaking is more effective
than detection, hence you need more detection devices to offset cloaking.
In practice, detection devices use a value called OffTgtRg (Offense Target
Range?), which seems like the rounded inverse to DefTgtRg (Defense Target
Range?) used by cloaking devices. Due to the rounding, cloaking devices are
more effective than detectors.
Anyway, without more sterile ravings, here is the raw data. If someone can
find out exactly how MOO3 calculates Invisibility range vs. Detection range,
drop me an e-mail. I'm curious.
--------------( Detection )---------------------------------------------------
---------
Cost Space OffTgtRg
---------------------------------
ECCM I 30 15 0.9
ECCM II 90 20 0.75
ECCM III 150 35 0.6
ECCM IV 210 55 0.45
ECCM V 270 90 0.3
Sensor I 30 15 0.8
Sensor II 90 20 0.7
Sensor III 150 35 0.55
Sensor IV 210 55 0.4
Sensor V 270 90 0.25
(Proper Sensor names to be patched in once I have access to wStrings.txt. Grr)
--------------( Cloaking )----------------------------------------------------
--------
Cost Space DefTgtRg Cloaking
----------------------------------------------------
ECM I 30 15 1.15
ECM II 60 20 1.35
ECM III 120 35 1.65
ECM IV 240 55 1.9
ECM V 480 90 2.2
Cloaking Device 30 15 2.2 2.2
Phased Cloaking 30 20 3.3 3.3
Reactive Cloaking 30 35 4.95 4.95
Ghost Device 30 55 7.425 7.425
A quick glance on this table confirms that cloaking is both cheaper and more
effective than jamming (ECM devices). However, cloaks can't be stacked.
Also, cloaks have a Cloaking value. How this one is used is anyone's guess.
Possibly, DefTgRg works for missile acquisition and is offset by ECCM, while
Cloaking works for visual detection, and is only offset by sensors. If that is
the case, this would mean that missiles might be able to target a fleet,
while it remains untargettable by the main fleet? I wish I could do some
serious multiplayer testing for that, but that almost requires a second MOO3
CD - and this game is not THAT good.
/=======================\
============== ¦ 11 Credits and Thanks ¦ =====================================
\=======================/
This FAQ owes to the various contributions posted on both Gamefaqs' and
Infogrames' official boards. Thanks to all the people who have posted their
initial findings and who have commented on those, in particuliar GothFather,
and Visage.
Also thanks to Zhaneel and dakgm from the Gamefaqs boards for direct feedback.
/========================\
============= ¦ 12 Hosting Information ¦ =====================================
\========================/
The latest update of this document can usually be found on gamefaqs.com
Currently authorized hosts:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/
http://www.actiontrip.com/
http://www.neoseeker.com/
http://faqs.ign.com/
Top of page |
|
|
|
FAQ #3 for Master of Orion 3
===============================================================================
==========Master of Orion III (MOO3)===========
FAQ/Strategy Guide
By: Zhaneel
zhaneel69@hotmail.com
===============================================================================
Table of Contents
Version History [1]
Notes [2]
Personal Notes [2-1]
Acknowledgements [2-2]
Introduction to the Game [3]
For Players new to the Series [3-1]
For Players of MOO2 [3-2]
Starting a New Game [4]
The Main Menu [4-1]
Game Options [4-1a]
Choosing a Race (including customization) [4-2]
Game Settings [4-3]
Playing the Game [5]
Your first couple of Turns [5-1]
Micro versus Macro [5-2]
Colonizing [5-3]
Colony Ships [5-3a]
Outpost [5-3b]
Acquiring Colonies from the enemies [5-3c]
Important Specials [5-3d]
All those tabs! [5-4]
Spying [5-5]
Task Forces [5-6]
Victory [5-7]
Combat [6]
Custom Ships [6-1]
Space Combat Task Forces [6-2]
Ground Combat Task Forces [6-3]
Options before Combat [6-4]
Stats, Techs, and Numbers [7]
Preset Race Modifiers [7-1]
Magnate Race Modifiers [7-2]
Initial Diplomacy Modifiers [7-3]
Antaran X Benefits [7-4]
Multiplayer [8]
LAN Games [8-1a]
IP Games [8-1b]
GameSpy Games [8-1c]
Playing a Multiplayer Game [8-2]
FAQ [9]
Mods and Links [10]
Copyright Info [11]
===============================================================================
Version History [1]
===============================================================================
Version 0.7
* Changed section separators; extended and improved upon sections 5-1, 5-2,
5-3; removed redundant questions from FAQ; corrected an error in the race
modifiers; change mod link as Orion Sector is no longer hosting mods, allowed
GameNation to post FAQ.
Version 0.6
* Updated FAQ portion, incorporated List of racial modifiers, moved some FAQ
questions to appropriate sections, created sections for Starting a Game, Playing
the Game, Combat, Multiplayer, Stats and Links. Posted while sections are
incomplete as requested.
Version 0.5 (3/3/03)
*First version. Contains on basic questions and some thoughts and opinions
on game play and advice. Lots of planned places for more information.
===============================================================================
Notes [2]
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Personal Notes [2-1]
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I have not yet beaten the game. I have played a couple of different races and
galaxy settings. As such, I still don't have any notes on how to win the game at
this point in time. However, what I do have is some good general tips, some of
the common questions from the official board, the GameFAQs board, and some other
fan boards I have visited. I plan on extending this FAQ and adding some more of
the technical behind the scenes details and hints and tips as they come up and
come to my attention.
I have chosen to use [#-#] as an easy way for people to find the section they
are looking for. Something I personally hate in other FAQs is the inability to
search for information easily. This work is copyrighted by me, and is only
able to be displayed online at ,
, and . If anyone
wants to contact feel free to e-mail me . I will not
reply to flames, "I hated this game", "You are stupid" or other juvenile
responses. I appreciate any corrections, both regarding grammatical and
informational errors. If you have a tip that you want included, go ahead and
send it. I promise to acknowledge you.
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Acknowledgements [2-2]
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I would like to thank my husband who preordered the game for me for Valentine's
Day 2003. I would also like to thank Clan Orko for turning me on to the MOO
series in the first place. I would also like to thank the hardworking
programmers, design team and quality assurance testers at Quicksilver and
Infograms for providing the game. Finally, the people who post both questions
and answers on the board have been great. I tried to make sure to give credit
where credit was due. If you think I didn't credit you, let me know.
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Introduction to the Game - Thoughts and Overview [3]
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For Players new to the Series [3-1]
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Master of Orion III is a turn-based strategy (TBS) game. This means you will
have a turn to do a certain number of things, deal with repercussions of past
choices and plan for the future. Some things will take many turns to complete
and some things will happen the next turn.
You are playing a higher power controlling a galactic empire. You start with
one colony and a few simple ships and you want to nurture you empire into the
best that is out there. Either by killing all the competition or convincing
them you really are the best. There is another way to win: By finding five
secret Antaran X technologies, but this is generally pretty hard to do and
takes a long time. There is a lot of neat back story that is worth reading for
any player, but it doesn't really affect gameplay all that much. Your main
opponents will be the New Orions, who start out technologically advanced and
have control of the senate. There will be other races vying to become the most
technologically advanced, but they are more on your level. This does not mean
you should ignore them, only know that they should generally be below you. Use
them and abuse them to gain colonies, technology and money to help in your
overall fight.
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For Players of MOO2 [3-2]
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While this is Master of Orion III, and therefore follows Master of Orion I
and II, it is not the same as either one of them. Just like there were tons of
changes in both looks and gameplay between MOOI and MOOII, so are there between
MOOIII. Those of you going in and expecting to find a more graphically pretty
version of MOOII with some updates are going to be disappointed. This game is
a completely new game, and should be treated as such.
The team at Quicksilver wanted to redesign MOO for many reasons. I'm not going
to pretend I know all of them. However, one thing that was high on their list
was to really have a view of controlling a galactic empire. This is no easy
task. A galactic empire has billions to trillions worth of population to
consider yourself with. You could have anywhere from 1 to 150 systems, which
can have 1-8 colonized planets. This generally doesn't happen, as you don't
want to colonize everywhere, but you can easily have 100 colonized planets in
late game. Do you really want your later turns to take over two hours to
complete as you try to view each planet and give them orders? I sure don't.
So, Quicksilver introduced the Viceroy and gave the players the option to
automate much of the play. Which is representative of how an empire should be
run. Each colony shouldn't need the emperor's individual attention. Only the
ones having problems, the newly acquired ones and special production centers
should see regular visits from the Emperor.
Many of the interfaces have changed. There is no more corny Galactic News
Network announcements (for good or ill). Your scientists and spies no longer
graphically tell you what they have discovered. There is the Situation Report
(SitRep) instead. While this gives lots of good information, many people
complain that it is too abstract and they lost the feeling of connection with
their people.
You can no longer specifically choose what technology you want to research.
You have to set goals (a little like Alpha Centari Blind) and just hope you are
going down the right path. And you no longer get specific information about
how these technologies will affect your colonies in their description. This is
not necessarily a bad thing, as you have the general idea and the emperor
wouldn't understand every piece of technology his scientists discover in
reality. I realize many players want this information in statistics, and I
will endeavor to find and post those.
I personally found the back story very intriguing and I thought it was a neat
way to connect all three games in the MOO series. Some people disagree and
think it sucks to have the mystique of the races removed and to know about the
genetic experimentation, but I think it's a good thing.
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Starting a New Game [4]
===============================================================================
Please do not expect this FAQ to take the place of the manual and in-game help.
It is not meant to do that. I highly recommend you read the manual and
Readme.txt in addition to this FAQ. I try to note where my information is more
up to date than the manual. Also, take advantage of the in game encyclopedia
(which can be easily modded, see section [10]) and the Master's Notes. Yes, I
know, they are confusing but they do have helpful information.
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The Main Menu [4-1]
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When you first load the game (after watching the pretty cinematic) you have a
couple of choices. Obviously you can dive right in and start a new game [4-2]
or you take some time to setup the options. Once you've played a game, it is
from this screen that you can load an old game or just start a new one with all
the same settings as the last. You can also start a multiplayer [8] game from
this screen or quit the game.
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Game Options [4-1a]
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Here you can set your Music, sound and graphics preferences. However, something
very important are the Reminders.
Reminders: I personally think the incorporation of the reminders is a good
idea. It helps me return to reality as this game is easy to lose oneself in,
just like its predecessors. And they are pretty unobtrusive in the game.
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Choosing a Race and customizing [4-2]
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The first thing you have to do when you start a new game is pick your race.
See below [Section 7-1] for information on each specific race. Every race has
inherent settings that you cannot change or choose from the customization
screen. Some races also don't allow certain customization choices. In
addition, each race will also have a set of planets that are "perfect" or the
special spot. This is also not changeable. But each race does have a little
description and a box that tells you the four highlights of that race's
strengths and weaknesses. The four strengths and weaknesses are adjustable.
Just click on the customize race button. This will take you to a screen where
you can change the different bonuses your race will have. Since each race was
already customized, changing those options will either take points or give you
points to spend elsewhere. You can start the game with points left over, and it
will translate into a percentage increase of your score. You cannot, however,
start the game with negative points.
Once you have your race and any customization, you can just start the game now
right? Well, no not quite.
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Game Settings [4-3]
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It is in your game settings that you can adjust how hard or easy or what style
of game to play.
If you like lots of random events (good & bad) go ahead and choose a high
frequency of Specials.
Picking how many enemies is an important choice. Too few and you will have
trouble finding allies, but many have less wars and easier colonization. Too
many and you will be fighting from the get go, but you are more likely to have
more friends. This is also coupled with how large of a galaxy you choose. Keep
in mind the New Orions do not count in the number of enemies, so there will be
X+1 computer opponents.
The turn length is important. If you have unlimited turn length, you're
budgeting will be a little off as each turn is roughly 1.5 cycles, which makes
no sense to me, but whatever. If you have a set turn length you may find
yourself with not enough time to complete all actions in a turn. I recommend
unlimited for beginning player to get used to the interface and setup.
The difficulty level is important as it sets the intelligence of the AI. I have
only played on Easy, but I'm a wimp and prefer to win.
The number of combats per turn is unclear to me at this time. I don't know if
they mean you can only have 6 space combats per turn, or if the number includes
all space and planetary and ground. I suspect it means # of space combats,
other combats are included in that number. The combat turn length in only for
space combats. I find the default of 10 min to be plenty of time.
The size of your galaxy will have a major effect on your game. The Armed
galaxies have a core and then edges. The edges are not in the senate and are
harder to colonize as they are farther apart. The core, however, will be
crowded and easier to scout. The Clusters are more circular, which means more
ways to get around and more back-end entrances to enemy territory. Each galaxy
type also has a max # of stars. They are not in smallest to largest order, they
are sorted by type, then size.
I think a medium cluster with 6-8 opponents on easy, few specials, unlimited
turn length, six combats per turn, and 10 minute combat limit is a good beginner
setup.
TIP (from Micky Murgo): To get a feel for practice controlling your planets
really well, start in a small cluster galaxy with 8+ opponents. Sounds hard
doesn't it? At least on easy, not really. Generally you will out tech everyone
and will be able to get powerful ships sooner. In addition, if you start as a
member of the Orion senate you can get lots of treaties (which boost your
economy and research) and alliances. You also don't have as many star systems,
but you can colonize by taking over other races planets, to get some of their
specials and use it against them. Because you are dealing with so few planets
(overcrowded game) you can really get to know the ins and outs of dealing with
planets while not worrying about over expanding.
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Playing the Game [5]
===============================================================================
This is mainly an overview. I will discuss possible strategies, but there are a
lot of races and many different types of players. Pick what suits you and
experiment. After all, that's part of the fun of playing a game, right?
General Tips:
*Make a system defense ship or a planetary shield as your first military
project in all new systems (sometimes overriding the Viceroy). Pick
whichever one has less production points. This will get your piracy
under
control ASAP. Or you can just stick a single ship there, perhaps an
obsolete one.
*Set Migration to all of your new colonies until they are at 5-7 population
(early game, late game 15-19). This is done under the Planets Tab. You
can also Set Migration to Outpost planets (less than 1000 pop) to
decrease
the time until they become a full colony.
*Watch your food (minerals too if playing Mekklar, Cynoids, or just minerals for
Silicoids) to make sure your population isn't starving.
*Watch your spending. You don't gain interest on a balance, like the manual
says, but you do get charged interest for a deficit. I prefer keeping a
small (-30->100 AU) negative balance because I'm still earning +60 from
the last turn and only getting charged 3-4 AU each turn, which is worth
it
to me to have more funds for research and grants.
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Your first couple of turns [5-1]
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When you start a game you will have one planet with a decent population, a
couple of DEAs, 2 scout ships, 3 system defense ships and a colony ship. I
recommend sending your 2 scouts to the closest systems for scouting and
colonizing any green or special spot in your home system with the colony ship on
your first turn.
For the next couple of turns you'll have a lot of sitting and waiting, less if
you are a member of the Orion Senate. If you are member of the Orion Senate,
you will want to start cultivating those diplomatic relationships. The sooner
you get trade relationships and research relationships, the better off you'll
be. In addition, you'll be laying the foundation for full alliances, which are
very important in this game as you can end up fighting 5 races just because you
declared war on 1 race with 4 full allies. Much better to have that go the
other way around.
During this time you'll be scouting with your scout ships. If you enter a
system with a Guardian, take control of the combat and immediately retreat.
You're ship will retreat to the last system visited. Note the system where the
Guardian is so you can avoid it until you can take it on. The map will NOT mark
it for you. I note the name of a nearby system and the color of the star where
the Guardian is so I can avoid it.
Your viceroy will probably be trying to build a colony ship of some kind and/or
another scout ship. This is just fine, although you can speed this up if you
want through micromanagement [see 5-2] or change the priority of colonization
versus exploration. If there is another green/sweet spot in your home system,
consider building a system colony ship as they are cheaper than a colony ship
(no warp drive) so you get another colony faster. If there are no other green
worlds in your home system (and you still have your original colony ship) then
step up the scout ship production to find some good planets quickly. On the
other hand, if you were able to colonize a planet you might want to just start
building another colony ship as your scouts should be able to find something by
the time it builds (they take a while early on). The idea here is to colonize
the good worlds first and out-expand the other empires. This will help you
later on as you'll have more planets to produce from and more votes in the Orion
Senate. However, be careful not to over-expand. If you have too many planets
you may lose some to starvation or to warlike enemies.
Some other things you'll want to take care of during your first couple of turns
(no matter what style of play you are focusing on) is to set your technological
goals [see #-#] and your budgetary stances [see #-#]. A general tip is to
concentrate on Biological and Social Sciences if you're not in the Orion Senate
so that you can develop your colonies quickly and expand. If you are in the
Orion Senate, Physical Sciences and Energy are good to keep ahead in the arms
races and Social Sciences can help with the many spies you will receive.
I also recommend getting spies started training during your first 2-3 turns.
But be warned, this is an unplanned budgetary expense, so try to leave at least
a 100 AU surplus the turn you first request training to start or you'll find
yourself severely in debt. If I'm in the Orion Senate, I start training spies
on turn 1, if I'm not, I wait until turn 3 so that I can concentrate on early
development. But the timing is up to you.
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The SitRep [5-1a]
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During your first couple of turns get used to using the SitRep. It is very
handy. On the other hand, there are things it won't tell you and sometimes
there are things you'll wish it wouldn't tell you.
The first thing to understand is that you can filter the SitRep. I don't think
the filters are the best in the world, but there is something to be said for
being able to shorten this late game.
Red Items: These are very important. Tech breakthroughs that result in
positive overruns, tech that will be running late, responses to diplomacy
offers, new spies and unrest problems will show up under this setting.
Yellow Items: All DEA and DEA improvement upgrades, all planetary & military
construction, non-positive overrun techs availabilities and prototypes, slight
unrest problems, colony founding, enemy/offensive/defensive spy activity and
planetary migration will show up here.
Green Items: Task Force deployment, task force delay, tech level breakthroughs,
and new techs available to view will show up here.
You can also filter just to see/hide Tech Breakthroughs or Task Force Creation.
There are certain things you cannot filter away. Declarations of War, results
of any combats, Antares X Mission reports (losing a ship, task force loss,
change in status) and landing of a colony ship (whether or not it makes a fully
colony) will always show up with an opaque background.
I tend to leave them all on then sort by type rather than level as I disagree
with the red/yellow/green levels. I will also do a quick scan of it all (even
in late game with over 40 lines) to make sure I don't miss anything. And then
there are turns where I just don't care, so I only check red items and spy
activity. How you use the SitRep is up to you, but you should use it. There is
a lot of information there and if you are playing a macromanage style you need
some of this information to maintain your empire.
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Micro versus Macro [5-2]
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You'll want to decide early on (at least by Turn 10, but as early as Turn 1,
though you can change through out the game) whether you want to Micromanage or
Macromanage your empire. Micromanaging means that you don't trust your Viceroy
at all will deal with every little thing that comes up. Macromanagement means
you trust your Viceroy completely and only want to deal with the larger things
like diplomacy, wars, and general empire goals. I tend to do a combo of both.
If you want the Viceroy to stay out of your business, go to your Planet's
development screen and uncheck the "Planet Econ AI" box under your economics
tab. You will need to do this for every planet you colonize/take over if you
want to control that planets development. You will be responsible for setting
the econ sliders [see #-#], designating Military and Planetary build queues [see
#-#], setting the planetary tax, and planning the DEAs to be built on every
world. If you don't set something they won't do it. If you need something to
be changed, you have to go in and change it. It is a lot of responsibility and
a lot of work and I don't recommend it unless you like 30 minutes turns and are
very knowledgeable about the behind the scenes calculations the game does. I
don't do nearly as well when I over control as when I let the Viceroy do some
things.
If you don't want to deal with your colonies on a personal level, let the
Viceroy handle it. Be sure to set-up Development Plans [see #-#] for Important
planet types (New, Frontier, Secondary, All Planets, Mineral Rich, Unrest,
Starving, etc.), designate your Regional Zoning [see #-#] so that the desired
DEAs get built, and turn on auto-colonization [see #-#]. The viceroy will take
care of everything as best he can. He'll develop your worlds, colonize new
ones, build ships and ground troops, fund research, terraform, and set planetary
tax rates as well as he can given the information you supply him with. Sure,
you might end up with 100 troop ships. Sure, one of your planets might be
starving because the Viceroy didn't build any bioharvest DEAs. Sure, unrest
will run rampant as the Viceroy refuses to build military/recreation/government
DEAs (unless you are running a Balanced Zoning). But that's all good right? As
I said before, I tend to do a combo.
My personal combo is the following: I designate all DEAs on all of my planets on
the turn they become a full colony. This way, I know what's being built where
and I can set long term plans. I don't trust the Regional Zoning to do a good
job. I also set the military queue for all new planets, and whenever I'm in the
middle of a war or I feel I need something fast. The Viceroy tends to build too
many troop ships for my taste so I nip that in the bud by watching the military
queues. You can also prevent the troop ship build up by marking that design
obsolete in the Shipyards panel, but the Viceroy will just find something else
to build too many of, so I just pay attention to the queues. I will admit its a
lot of work, and sometimes I just ignore a planet too long and the Viceroy
sneaks something in. I leave the econ sliders alone, unless I want to rush a
job. I leave the Planetary build queue alone too because I find the Viceroy
does a good job there. I set up only a few Development plans, but one of my
mainstays is: All Planets; Infrastructure: Tertiary. This way I guarantee that
my colonies will have the most up to date improvements for their DEAs ASAP,
which means more efficient colonies more quickly.
Other combos I've heard about include Microing everything for the first 50 turns
to get a good empire going and then only microing the new planets, turning the
more developed ones over to the Viceroy. Its up to you. Find your balance.
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Colonizing and Expanding [5-3]
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NOTE: I play with Autocolonization Off, so all of my notes reflect this method.
Expanding your empire is a necessary part of playing MOO3. If you don't expand
you become stagnant and able to be easily conquered (witness the New Orions).
In addition you will have fewer planets to build a navy from, which means longer
ramping times. Finally, your votes in the Orion Senate are based on your
population. No population = no vote. So, now that you know how important it
is, lets look at how to do it effectively.
There are 7 ways to gain a new colony in this game. They are via system colony
ships, via starship colony ships, via outposts, random migration of your people,
via conquering an enemy planet, gaining a planet as part of a demand or tribute
from another race, and the special "Splinter Colony." Each of these methods are
discussed below.
For now, lets talk about what are the best places to colonize. Each planet you
know about has a survey done on it. This will tell you many things about the
planet, and help you decide if you want a colony there or not. The first thing
to pay attention to is the desirability of the planet. This desirability range
is (from better to worse): Paradise, Sweet Spot, Green I, Green II, Yellow I,
Yellow II, Red I, Red II. The desirability affects not only how well your
population can manage once the colony is established (building maintenance,
population growth, DEA effectiveness) but how easily you can settle a planet.
Paradise, Sweet Spot and Green planets allow the full complement of your
colonists to land. This means that if you send a colony pod bearing ship, 1000
colonists will drop to establish a full colony. If you send an outpost pod
bearing ship, 250 colonists will drop, giving you a quarter of a population.
However, when landing on a yellow planet only half of the population will
survive to establish an outpost/colony. This means that 1 colony pod is only
worth 500 population, and an outpost pod is only worth 125 population. You can
solve this problem by building bigger ships that carry more than one pod. A Red
Planet is even worse, however. Only a quarter of population from a pod will
survive the trip down (250 for colony, 60 for an outpost) and the maintenance
costs are prohibitive. Still, sometimes its worth it, and terraforming is
always an option.
Other important considerations for colonies are the Fertility rating (a rough
guess at how many regions will support a bioharvesting DEA), the Mineral
Abundance (rough guess at how many mountains there are and the effectiveness of
Mining DEAs), the biodiversity (affects Bioharvest DEAs and Research DEAs), the
size (how many regions the planet has and how much population it can support)
and the gravity (which affect maintenance costs and ground combat if different
from native), and of course the specials (see 5-3d and 10 for a mod listing).
Good specials include Magnate Race (ALWAYS COLONIZE, no matter what the
desirability see 5-3d for more info), Rare Gems, Ancient Artifacts, etc. Bad
specials include Active Volcanoes, Ancient Battle Damage, Pollution, Hostile
anything, Erratic anything, etc.
Sometimes a Mineral Rich Yellow II planet can be worth colonizing if you need
minerals, or a Green Planet with Active Volcanoes worth skipping depending on
your empire's needs and desires.
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Colony Ships [5-3a]
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Colonizing via System Colony ships and Star Colony ships are very similar, so we
treat them together. If you find a planet in a star system that is not a colony
of another race, you can colonize it via a Colony Ship. If the planet is in the
same system as another colony you have, it is in your best interest to build a
system colony ship from that planet. System colony ships, as designed, are
cheaper and quicker to build than Star Colony Ships because they are smaller and
have no warp drives. The only exception to this rule is if you really want to
control that planet quickly and your in-system colony is still new and under
development. Then building and sending a Star Colony Ship is justified. Star
Colony Ships can travel the starlanes to colonize frontier worlds and newly
discovered systems.
You'll notice I said building and sending. It is not enough just to build the
ship. You must tell it where to go (or have autocolonization turned on and let
Viceroy send the ship). There are 2 ways to send a colony ship out. The first
is to pre-mark all the planets you want to colonize. In order to do this either
select the planet from the system screen, click on the "Forces" tab at the
bottom of your screen, and then the "Send Colony" button OR go to your Planets
tab from the Galactic Screen and find the desired planet among your list
(remember to filter and sort appropriately in order to easily find the planet)
and select it, go to the "Orders" tab at the bottom, and then the "Send Colony"
button from there. Either way you do it there will be a new icon by the planet
indicating your order. When the next colony ship is built it will automatically
form into a task force and head to the planet and colonize it. The other method
for ordering a new colony is to build the colony ship, organize a task force
[see 5-6], order the task force to system, and order the ship to colonize the
planet when it gets there.
There are pros and cons to both methods. The presetting method is good because
you don't waste a turn to create the task force once the ship is built and
another turn once the ship arrives at the system. However, if you have many
planets preset and several colony ships built, all the colony ships will head to
the same planet until it is colonized, at which point all NEW ships will go to
the next one while the other ships continue to the planet. Once they get there,
you will receive a message in your SitRep that will let you know they tried to
colonize but couldn't, so you have to go in and clear the AI order and redirect
them manually. However, if you are paying attention, you can clear the AI
orders before the ship arrives in the system and redirect the ship to a
different potential colony. Another Con is sometimes the Viceroy decides to
colonize in a different order than you would prefer. Obviously the pros to the
manual method is complete control over where you are colonizing. But the con is
wasting at least one turn to create the task force, more if you forget that the
ship was built.
As a late game note: If you send a colony ship from a planet that contains more
than one type of population, the colony ship will have both types of population
when settling. And if you have planets marked for colonization, the AI will
figure out which of the marked planets is best for that population and the
colony ship there.
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Outpost [5-3b]
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Outpost ships function similar to Star Colony ships, except that they only carry
a quarter as many colonists. When a planet is settled with less than 1000
people (by any method) it become an outpost. Outposts are good just for
establishing a presence in another system. In addition, outpost ships are
cheaper than colony ships, so you can settle the planet and then set migration
to it to speed up the colony without spending the time/money on a colony ship.
There is a rumor (rumor because I haven't bothered to verify this) that if an
outpost is put on a red II planet, then the full colony (if allowed to grow
naturally) will come up as a yellow II planet.
Sometimes you will gain an outpost when you haven't sent a ship to that planet.
This is a result of your population migrating on their own. Perhaps this new
planet is good for them (ie: Magnate/Conquered race) and/or one your planets
is getting full. These are hard to keep track of. The way I follow it is by
using the Planets Tab, sorting by population with the Uncontrolled; Within
Borders filters on. This will put any outposts you have at the top of the
list.
Then you can set migration to them to speed up the process. Look for the white
circle around the planet to determine if you have a settlement there or just
look at the orders tab to see if you can migrate there.
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Acquiring Colonies from the enemies [5-3c]
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There are two methods of acquiring a colony from another race. First, you can
demand that the race give you that planet. If you are overpowering them or are
good friends or whatever, they may give it to you. I've never managed to get
this to work, but then I haven't really tried.
The other way is to conqueror a planet through ground combat [see FAQ for how to
do this]. If you win a ground combat, you will gain the planet with any intact
developments and population.
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Important Specials [5-3d]
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Splinter Colonies are a one-time special that will give you a new colony the
turn the system is discovered. It comes with 2-5 population and no development,
but early game this can basically double your production and expansion rate.
Abandoned Colonies don't give you a new colony, but are good to settle on as you
will get a research bonus.
Force Labor Specials are planets that once you have 1000 population of your
colonists will start with a random amount of forced labor units who will start
working on that planet for you. Note that these units can have different needs
than your civilization, like more food or minerals.
Magnate Colonies are planets that once you have enough population (half or 1000,
I forget) you will gain that race as part of your empire. They will auto
migrate, give you ground units that are better suited for certain environments
than yours, colonize other types of planets and be an active workforce for your
new planet. These are totally worth getting. Check out section 7-2 for
information on the Magnate Races.
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Spying [5-5]
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Spying is a very important part of MOO3. Other empires will spy on you, which
means they could steal valuable technology or destroy buildings or kill your
leaders. Conversely, you can spy on them and do the same thing. I will discuss
offensive spying, then defensive spying. But first, some general tips.
If start of as a member of the Orion Senate, start training spies immediately
and never stop. You have contact with a large number of races and they will
start sending spies against you as soon as you become more powerful than them.
If you start training spies immediately, you will always have some available to
you for offense and defense. If you do not start off as a member of the Orion
Senate, I suggest waiting until around turn 20 to start training spies. This
saves you money, which can be spent on planetary improvements and colonization,
but still gets you started in time to have spies when you do make contact.
Again, once you start training spies, don't ever stop.
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Offensive Spying [5-5a]
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In order to spy on other empires, you must already have contact with them. You
must also have trained spies. Head to the Personnel tab, the Spies subtab and
look at the right-hand side. This side consists of two more subtabs. Active
and List of Spies. The Active tab will list the empires where you have active
spies and how many you have in each empire. The "List of Spies" is just that,
and where you activate spies for duty. In order to activate a spy, select the
spy by their name and look at their stats. There will be a "Insert Agent"
button, which will expand out to allow you to choose which empire to attack.
The Spy will attempt to enter the Empire during the next turn. If they succeed
the following turn they will attempt their mission. If they fail, they will
keep trying. When entering they can be caught and then you have to wait to see
if they come back or die. If the enter they will continually try to sabotage
the enemy. You will get updates on their progress in your SitRep, yellow item
with blue circle, near bottom of yellow items. You can pull an agent back at
any time by going to the Personnel Menu and Selecting the Empire and "Recall
Agents" button.
There are 6 different Types of Spies, who have different missions.
Military: These spies will sabotage building fleets, shipyard buildings and
ground troop support buildings.
Economic: These spies will sabotage Spaceports and other money making
developments.
Scientific: These spies will either steal tech or sabotage research efforts.
Political: These spies will try to assassinate any leaders the enemy has.
Social: These spies will create unrest in colonies to slow down production.
Government: These spies will blow up government buildings of the enemy.
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Defensive Spying [5-5b]
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Other empires blowing up your buildings? Terrorizing your citizens? You can
protect yourself. If you have unassigned spies, they will attempt to protect
your citizens and catch spies. You can also catch spies by increasing your
oppressometer. But be careful, your population may resent having you invade
their personal space and become unhappy. Consider increasing your spending
toward unrest to prevent production falling. After the spies are caught, reduce
your oppressometer, if over maximum. Some people recommend keeping your
oppressometer at max at all times, but I think that can reduce research and you
don't have to do it all the time.
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Victory [5-7]
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You can be victorious several ways, depending on what settings you chose in the
setup.
If you are the sole empire active, and all others (including the New Orions)
have surrendered to you, you win. This is something you cannot turn off. You
must be very combat oriented to be able to win this way.
If you are elected to the Senate as President, you win (Diplomatic Victory). In
order to do this, you have to have a balance of combat and diplomacy. If you
have this victory marked, however, you can lose if some race other than the New
Orions is elected. So, make sure to get in the Senate fast and prevent this
from happening. Work on discrediting your strongest opposition and making
allies out of the weaker races.
If your empire finds all five of the lost Antaran Xs (and researches them, I
think) you can win. In order to do this, you must send out Expeditions. You do
this from the Victory Tab. Once there, there is a subtab for the Antaran
mission. You have to choose the size of the expedition and then click accept.
The computer will take ships from your reserves pool at random until it has
enough and sends out the expedition. There are three stages to an expedition:
Outbound, Destination, Inbound. During Outbound and Inbound stages your task
forces can loose ships. While at destination, it has a chance to make a partial
discovery until there are 6(?) discoveries at which point you have found an X
and must bring it back. Once the X is back in your empire you have the victory
condition met. Researching the Xs is a good way to get some neat techs [see 7-4]
I think the best way to do this is to specifically design ships to go on these
mission. They should all have research labs and be fitted with the best
engines. I don't think having weapons affects the mission, so you're better of
just have a lot research labs. Then, put all your normal ships that you don't
want leaving (unless you have obsolete ones you'd rather send than scrap) into
Task forces. You'll disband them this turn and get them back in 5 turns. But
while ONLY colony, outpost, troop trans and your Antares ships are in reserves
create the expedition. In order to do the Armadas remember you have to still
have a Couple of Recon ships for the picket area. Then just go into your Fleets
tab and disband all of your other task forces to get your ships back.
Some people recommend waiting until you have a large number of 1-2 rounds of
upgrades obsolete ships to put into reserves. That way those ships are doing
something useful and your newer ships won't have anyone dragging them down.
NOTE: You can still search for the Xs without this victory condition. And it's
a good idea, as you get many benefits from the Xs (see section 7-4 for more
info).
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Combat [6]
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How do I initiate Ground Combat?
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1) Make Infantry/Marines/etc. at a System that has a mobilization center or your
home system.
2) Make sure you have a Troop Ship in reserves or make one so you'll have one.
3) Go to "Ground Force Creation" from the Galaxy screen in the system you are
wanting to pull troops from.
4) Create an army of your choice from your Infantry/Marines/etc. according the
rules provided.
5) Click Create Force, which will take you to your space task force creation
screen.
6) It will pull as many troops ships as it needs for all of your army. If you
don't have enough it won't let you accept.
7) The next turn your Troop Task force will come up.
8) Send it to the system you want to invade. There should be no enemy ships in
the region, and I prefer to have a military task force there while I'm invading.
9) When you transport arrives, you will have to choose the following when the
combat screen comes up:
System Combat: Control Combat/Assault Planet [if no ships in system, you will
get an auto victory] NOTE: You must control the combat here to be able to land
troops
Planetary Bombardment: Control Combat, again you must control here if you want
to land troops.
Go ahead and bombard at this point if you feel like it, to reduce the ground
forces on the planet. Then choose one of the following: Land Troops or Land all
Troops
Land Troops will land one of your armies. Land all Troops will land all (duh).
At this point, the troop transport that were carrying those troops will disband
and head to the delay box.
Ground Combat Scheduler: I think at this point you can either let the AI handle
it or do it yourself. I prefer doing it myself. And from here you can start
debating the points of how to run the combat.
See pages 138-140 for the Planetary bombardment and Ground Combat screens and
info.
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Stats, Techs, and Numbers [7]
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Preset Race Modifiers [7-1]
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From the OrionSector Encyclopedia Mod. Which they got from the spreadsheets.
HUMAN
Max Oppressometer 3
War Tolerance -1
Research Efficiency 105%
Senate Effectiveness 115%
Relations Bonus +25%
Casus Belli Bonus +6%
Ground Combat Initiative +30
EVON
Max Oppressometer 3
War Tolerance -1
Research Efficiency 105%
Senate Effectiveness 115%
Relations Bonus +25%
Casus Belli Bonus +6%
Ground Combat Initiative +30
PSILON
Max Oppressometer 3
War Tolerance -1
Research Efficiency 130%
Senate Effectiveness 115%
Relations Bonus +25%
Casus Belli Bonus +6%
Population Growth Penalty 10%
Ground Combat Initiative +30
MEKLAR
Max Oppressometer 6
Manufacturing Efficiency +40%
Ground combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Accuracy +20
Uses Bioharvest Output 50% and Mining Output 50% to Feed Population
CYNOID
Max Oppressometer 6
Manufacturing Efficiency +40%
Ground combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Accuracy +20
Uses Bioharvest Output 50% and Mining Output 50% to Feed Population
SAKKRA
Max Oppressometer 6
Pollution Tolerance +25%
Population Growth Bonus +10%
Ground Combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Attack Strength +20
RAAS
Max Oppressometer 6
Pollution Tolerance +25%
Population Growth Bonus +10%
Ground Combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Attack Strength +20
GRENDARL
Max Oppressometer 6
Pollution Tolerance +25%
Population Growth Bonus +15%
Ground Combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Attack Strength +20
TRILARIAN
Max Oppressometer 7
Ground Combat Initiative +20
Ground Combat Evade +30
NOMMO
Max Oppressometer 7
Ground Combat Initiative +20
Ground Combat Evade +30
IMSAEIS
Max Oppressometer 4
Ground Combat Initiative +20
Ground Combat Attacks +1
EOLADI
Max Oppressometer 4
Ground Combat Initiative +20
Ground Combat Attacks +1
SILICOID
Max Oppressometer 4
Population Growth Penalty 25%
Mining Efficiency +40%
Ground Combat Armor +20
Ground Combat Hit Points +2
Uses Bioharvest Output 0% and Mining Output 100% to Feed Population
KLACKON
Max Oppressometer 4
Population Growth Bonus 30%
Ground Combat Initiative +10
TACHDI
Max Oppressometer 4
Population Growth Bonus 35%
Ground Combat Initiative +10
ITHKUL
Max Oppressometer 6
War Tolerance +1 (More likely to have war declared)
Senate Effectiveness 60%
Ground combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Rally Chance +2
Ground Combat Rout Chance +2 (Less Routs)
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Magnate Race Modifiers [7-2]
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From the OrionSector Encyclopedia Mod. Which they got from the spreadsheets.
AJADAR - Protoplasmic
Max Oppressometer 4
Ground Combat Rating 3
Ground Combat Hit Points +4
ALKARI - Avian
Max Oppressometer 4
Ground Combat Rating 3
Ground Combat Initiative +40
Ground combat Evade +60
AUDRIEH - Plant
Max Oppressometer 3
Pollution Per Population 25%
Ground Combat Rating 5
Ground Combat Evade +30
BRYE-EHTS - NonCorporeal
Max Oppressometer 6
Ground Combat Rating 4
Ground Combat Initiative +30
Ground Combat Evade +60
BULRATHI
Max Oppressometer 5
Mining Efficiency +10%
Ground Combat Rating 7
Ground Combat Initiative +20
Ground Combat Attack Strength +20
Ground Combat Armor +10
Ground Combat Hit Points +2
Ground Combat Morale +2
Ground Combat Rally +2
DARLOCK - Metashifters
Max Oppressometer 6
Senate Effectiveness 85%
Ground Combat Rating 3
Ground Combat Initiative +30
Ground Combat Attack Strength +20
ELERIANS
Max Oppressometer 5
Unrest per Region -30
Ground Combat Rating 3
Ground Combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Accuracy +10
Ground Combat Evasion +10
Ground Combat Rally +4
GNOLAM
Max Oppressometer 5
Trade Level +1
Space Port Efficiency +20%
Trade Efficiency +20%
Ground Combat Rating 3
Ground Combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Rout +2
MRRSHAN
Max Oppressometer 6
Military DEA Efficiency +40%
Ground Combat Rating 4
Ground Combat Initiative +30
Ground Combat Accuracy +40
Ground Combat Evade +10
Ground Combat Morale +4
PHAIGOUR - Fungal
Max Oppressometer 4
Military Maintenance 85%
Population Growth Bonus 15%
Ground Combat Rating 3
Ground Combat Initiative +10
Ground Combat Evade +120
RHEA - Gargantua
Max Oppressometer 4
Ground Combat Rating 9 (Best)
Ground Combat Attack Strength +20
Ground Combat Armor +10
Ground Combat Hit Points +2
Pollution Per Population 200%
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Initial Diplomacy Modifiers [7-3]
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Here is the list of initial starting relations. This is how YOU see the races.
If you want to know how a race feels about you, look for them and then their
reaction to you. If there is no modifier, the starts off as neutral (0). So,
all humanoids are neutral towards each other. (note: Thanks Thranxes)
New Orions, -20 every race.
Harvestors, -150 every race except new orions, -10
(NOTE: Apply above to all below)
--Humanoid--, -38 Geodic, -60 Cybernetik, +50 Ichthytosian, +14 Insectiod, +30
Saurians,
--Etherian--, +40 Geodic, -65 Cybernetik, +40 Ichthytosian, +14 Saurian,
--Geodic--, -38 Humanoid, +40 Etherian, -80 Cybernetik, -64 Insectoid, +30
Saurian,
--Cybernetik--, -60 Humanoid, -65 Etherian, +38 Geodic, +38 Ichthytosian, -14
Saurian
--Ichthytosian--, +50 Humanoid, +40 Etherian, +38 Cybernetik, -140 Saurian
--Insectiod--, +14 Humanoid, -64 Geodic, -24 Saurian
--Saurian--, +30 Humanoid, +14 Etherians, +30 geodic, -14 Cybernetik, -140
Ichthytosian, +24 Insectiod
Example: You are playing Psilions (Humanoid). There are the New Orions, The
Harvesters, the Cynoids, the Silicoids and the Klakkon in your universe. Your
starting views on these races would be as follows:
New Orions: -20
Harvestors: -150
Cynoids (Cybernetik): -60
Silicoids (Geodic): -38
Klakkon (Insectoid): +14
Ow... this would be a very hard game with that many races hating you at first.
You would want to cultivate a relationship with the Klakkons immediately, to
raise your relations and get some treaties. Then you would probably want to
gift the Silicoids to raise them until you can start getting treaties, etc.
Unless you are just out to kill everyone, in which case it doesn't matter.
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Antaran X Benefits [7-4]
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NOTE: Must be found AND researched for benefits.
From Tentacle on the boards:
Antaran X 1: Social Structure
-Reduces Unrest by 7 in ALL regions
-Lower Heavy Foot of Government by .75
-Raise Oppressometer upper limit by 1
Antaran X 2: Antaran Outlook
-Raise Oppressometer upper limit by 1
-Increase Space Port taxes by 20%
-All spy abilities increase by 1
Antaran X 3: Scientific Approach
-Increases Population Research effects by 1
-Increases Overruns by 10 in all cases
*From Freekill
Antaran X 4: Genetics
-Increase Luck for ALL leaders and spies by 10
-Population growth +25%
-Reduce terraforming costs by 20%
Antaran X 5: Antaran Mystery Solved
-Improves Mining, Bioharvesting, and Manufacturing by 20%
-Reduces Pollution by 50%
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Multiplayer: [8]
===============================================================================
This section is to help people setup those Multiplayer games as the manual is
next to useless. There are 3 different ways to play this game over the
internet: LAN (local Area Network), IP (One player hosts and others join) and
through GameSpy (GameSpy lists the games). The two easiest are LAN and GameSpy.
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LAN Games [8-1a]
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LAN means that you and all other players are on the same Local Area Network,
connected through a hub or switch. You do not have to be connected to the
internet to play this way. Generally used when friends get together for a LAN
Party or two friends bring their computers together for a weekend. One player
creates the game, and the rest of the players join.
For the Creator: Select LAN as your option, then hit create game (First box).
Fill in your Player Name and you Game name, then hit create again (second box).
Wait for players to request to join and allow them. You'll see a list of the
players in the third box. When everyone has joined, hit Launch. Everyone picks
their race and the creator picks all the Game settings (universe size, specials,
etc.)
For the Players: Select LAN as your option. Wait for the Creator to create the
game. You should see it listed in your third box. Click on it, fill in your
user name and hit "Request Join." The creator will accept or deny your request
and then (if accepted) you'll be able to chat with the other players until the
game is launched. Pick/customize your race and wait for the Creator to set all
the settings.
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IP Games [8-1b]
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I haven't gotten this to work. All comments welcome!
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GameSpy Games [8-1c]
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There are two ways to create and find games through GameSpy. You must have
installed GameSpy Arcade in order to use the games hosted using this method.
Using GameSpy Arcade:
Start up GameSpy Arcade. DO NOT LAUNCH MOO3. Once you've logged in, pick
Master of Orion III from your list on the left. This should bring up a listing
of the current games and from here you can join a game or create one. You can
even password protect your games through this method if you want. Once everyone
is in a game room and marked ready, the creator can launch the game, which will
cause MOO3 to load and bring you directly to the multiplayer screen. DO NOT
change any settings or back up, or you will lose the connection to the game.
Just wait until the creator launches again from here to be able to pick your
race. The Creator will be in charge of the game settings.
From in the Game:
I haven't been able to join a game through the server listing, but I'm behind a
firewall and didn't have the arcade installed at the time of testing. Comments
Welcome!!
Playing a Multiplayer Game [8-2]
The only thing I'm putting here | |