Introduction

Although six years old, Master of Orion II is still the benchmark for space exploration games. Stars!, Space Empires IV, Imperium Galactica I and II, and the latest incarnation of Reach for the Stars are examples of space strategy games which have all had to undergo the "Is it as good as Master of Orion II?" test. A surprising number have failed. Infogrames Interactive and Quicksilver Software take on the daunting task of surpassing their own license by producing Master of Orion III. Both publisher and developer have taken their time to get things right, even pushing the release to after the holiday season into the new year.

Catching the Eye

From what I've seen of the preview, players expecting a new level of graphics and sound effects may be disappointed. In fact, most of the galactic and diplomatic shots will be familiar to fans of the series. What most screens lose in terms of the "wow" effect is made up in crisp, clean presentation. Tabs and hotkeys lead clearly and logically to the next level of activity. The heart of the system, information, is presented in an unambiguous manner. Sound effects included with the preview are thus far limited.

The simplicity in the graphics resonates in the interface. Tabs, hotkeys, sliders, clicks and double-clicks enable the menus. Given the amount of manipulation required in this menu-driven game, ease of play is necessary.

Everything necessary to improve a world is just one or two clicks away.

The First Layer of the Onion

Master of Orion III is played on three levels: planet, empire and battle tactician. Although all are interrelated, players must deal with planetary matters first. Depending on which of the sixteen races is chosen, planets come in five different categories of habitat, ranging from the unbearable red to paradise. Homeworlds are invariably "sweet spots" and allow for growth and development. Clicking down from the galaxy through the system levels to a single planet, players must first deal with developing a world. Regions that have various levels of fertility define each planet. Each region can have a number of Dominant Economic Activites (DEAs), covering eight activities such as farming, mining and government. Hence, a fertile region is a perfect place for bioharvesting whereas hard scrabble is a miner's delight. The products of DEAs not only add to food and raw material stocks but also help decrease populace unrest and aid in defense. More regions can be made available through terraforming.

Somewhere in this multi-colored swirl is a homeworld.	Homeworlds can be found by hitting a key. Basic force functions can be performed there.
Moving in on a system shows summaries on each planet.