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One of the best even with its age.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 8
Date: July 28, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Master of Orion 2 is a shining example of what is lacking in the more recent strategy games: Fun. Because this game has fun in spades, from the simple interface to the multiple choices for races to the grand scale combat and mysterious, implaccable antarans. You can choose whatever path to follow, from alliances to total destruction. And have a blast doing so. It may not be flashy, but replay value is more important than graphics in my book. Highly, highly recommended.

MOO II multiplayer

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 01, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Master of Orion II is a game that can be played forever. There are so many different combinations (races and technology) to try. I have really enjoyed the multiplayer games, either over the modem, or having a few people play on my one machine, turned based. The game has can be made short or long by the settings you choose. The best space strategic tactical comabt game around!!

Simply the Best

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 10 / 11
Date: August 06, 2000
Author: Amazon User

My son bought this game a couple of years ago, and its strategic complexities in an easy to understand interface made me a big fan as well. We have lots of computer games, but we continue to come back to this one. Caution: It's very addictive!

This game rocks!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 17, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This is one of my all-time favorite strategy games! There are only a couple of games that I have gone back after I'd won the game and played countless more times. MOO2 is one of them. Yes it has been out awhile, but it is a classic. The only thing that I wish was different in MOO2 was the combat sequences. This is the only area of the game which is inferior to the original. But other then that, PLAY THIS GAME!

Deserves to be #1 Game of All Time

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 25 / 26
Date: October 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

MOO2 is (almost) everything that a serious sci-fi gamer like myself could want in a game. But let's break it down, shall we?

1.)Combat-The only flaw in the game occurs here. Ground battles are not fought and commanded by the player; the results are dice-rolled with modifiers. Being a fan of RTS like StarCraft, I would have much preferred to personally lead my armies to sweeping victories. Aerial combat, however, is acceptable, if not amazing. You should also be able to give orders to groups of starships. During one titanic battle, I actually took an hour for my first turn, there were so many ships and so many targets.

2.) Diplomacy-The one little flaw in this is the multi-player facet, in which you can't simply "chat" with other players. Otherwise, very practical. I especially enjoy the "Threaten" option as a way of bullying smaller empires into giving me some tribute. New players, keep in mind-it's VERY hard to bluff with this.

3.) Economics-Again, a very practical, realistic approach was taken to this. You can conceivably build one of each building you've researched on a planet, but the maintenance costs drives your taxes to new heights so you can stop yourself from going into negative values. This was my only recurring nightmare until I realized my flawed startegy, and began using some planets as foodstuff-producers and others as industrial magnates.

4.) Science-Research of new technologies is what will really tilt the game in favor of one race or another. "Creative" races have an extreme advantage in that they research every possible venue in a field, whereas normal races have to pick one and "Non-Creative" races don't even have a choice. I tried playing with a regular race once, and it was tough enough even on "Easy" that I decided to stick with "Creative" races.

5.) Spies-My one argument with the spy system is that, like ships and buildings, you have to "build" spies, whereas in the first one, that sort of micromanagement doesn't take place. You just say, "Ok, spy on them." Otherwise, it is an excellent engine with little room for improvement.

6.) Overall-Like I said above, a Must-Have for any hard-core gamer. But unlike games like The Operational Art of War and Jane's Fleet Command, MOO2 has a good re-play value. The amount of variety you can introduce by changing the variability in using the race-customization engine, number of races, the size of the galaxy, the difficulty, and the starting tech level all contribute to the game so that no two games can ever really be alike. I've had this game for years and keep coming back for more.

The power of the ancients is now yours to command..

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 52 / 53
Date: November 09, 2000
Author: Amazon User

This game is wonderful. Those of you who played the original MOO will find gameplay similar but with expanded options, while folks new to the series will likely enjoy the politicking and pestering that goes on in the average game. A few general comments and then some specifics:

MOO:2 is a galatic strategic adventure game. You pick from one of nearly a dozen races, each with its own benefits or drawbacks (The klackons, industrious space-ants, excel at production but are as dumb as bricks; ethereal Psilons float about learning with amazing rapidity but struggling to produce the ships necessary to defend themselves, while charming and wily Humans play folks against one another). A new feature allows you to customize your own race from the scores of options characterizing the pre-packaged ones. Want enormous planets? Make your race Aquatic and Subterranean. Insanely productive? Cybernetic, Tolerant (ignores pollution effects), +2 Production. The possibilities are staggering, and by buying a lot of negatives, one can afford an equal number of wonderful positives.

Each star system, unlike MOO:1, has a number of planets, most of which you can land on initially. Unlike MOO:1, you will not need to learn different _types_ of colonization for different planets (radiated, barren, toxic, etc.). However, you still need to research how to make them more fruitful. Along the way you receive the option to hire both planetary governors and ship leaders, effectively Heroes for your forces. Placing a good planetary leader in a system with a half-dozen habitable planets can double your empire's food, research, and/or industry production.

Other additional features such as multiple 'special' worlds guarded by nasty beasts, in addition to Orion itself, as well as the ability to purchase (eventually) robotic workers allows for great customization, and lets races rebound from setbacks. MOO:2 even allows you the option to let the computer calculate all the fleet battles nearly instantly, so you don't have to sit through a 2 hour fight involving stasis fields and boarding parties. However, you may only choose this option _before_ starting a given game, and cannot turn it off afterwards. Long fights may get annoying, but I find it far more useful to know _why_ you lost, not just that you did.

All in all, MOO:2 is a very engrossing strategy game, particularly for sci-fi buffs. Note however that while it has aged well, you may need to turn down the graphics accelerator on your computer to keep it from freezing up if you have a new one. Details on how should be included in the help files that come with the game.

A strategy must-have

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: December 17, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I've owned this game for three years and it's still one of my favorites. Forget the complicated explanations the other dedicated fans can give you, it all boils down to two ever important words: replay value. This ranks right up there with SimCity, StarCraft, and Civilization as one of the most-replayable games to date, a strategy must have. I highly reccomend this game to audiences of all ages, it is a timeless classic that justly deserves to be played over and over again.

Civilization in the Stars

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 24 / 24
Date: December 30, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I purchased this game well over three years ago. It still is one of my favorite games. I always go back to it for a good time. MOO2 is one of those games that you aren't guranteed to win just because you are playing. If you don't carefully balance production, ship-building (you have to play tactical combat rather than strategic), and expansion, the AI will stomp a mudhole in you. If for that reason alone, the game is great. It is never the same. Each of the different races CAN win, but I'm sure you'd like to create your own race. You have to get this game, it will never play the same twice. You'll lose more than once; it's great. Especially today, I bought it when it first came out... Now it's a bargain and a steal... If you throw in for the "Official Strategy Guide" you have it made. The Strategy Guide won't help you win, but it can help guide you in the right direction. Enjoy !!

Wide Scope=Great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 22, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I love MOO2 because it is on a galactic scale, and you have the freedom from specific missions to forge the empire of your dreams. I have been very impressed with the game since I first baught it about four or five years ago, and I still have hours of fun (when I could be doing homework).

If you like strategy games, you must own this one!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: February 05, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is simply a MUST HAVE. Note that I only say this about three games.

I purchased this game when it first came out years ago. I still play it when time allows. It is simply a fun game with near infinite combination of play options.

You can play a fast game with little micro-management or a slow game where you manange EVERYTHING! It is up to you, the player. Almost everything, from building your race, to designing your ships, to researching technology is up to you.

My only real criticism: The AI is dated and dumb by today's standards, but not so much so to make the game not worth buying. It is frustrating to spend a lot of time keeping a computer player happy only to have them turn on you in an instant with no chance of stopping them.

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