I am with Brad here...both games are very different and you can't compare them like that (Why would he like to work on it if they were so similar?)

I want MOO4 with at least MOO1 spying system (which is actually not very far from the one in the GalCiv2 expansions)and less micromanagement with fleets (in the sense that you control specific strategic locations like: solar systems or sectors)

No you are incorrect. Moo2 was better in econ, terraforming/empire building, and tactical combat just off the top of my head. I hate sliders! Moo2 had one slider you might EVER used, that was the tax slider, and it was seldom used by anyone.

Not to say I dont like galciv2, but those things in moo2 make it my favorite of all time. Oh and I almost forgot: multiplayer!

First, is MoM = Master of Monsters? I had that for Sega Genesis, LOVED it, then got it for Playstation, HATED it. But I think Stardock could definitely give the dubest AI new life. I would look for ward to a new version.



i have never played or seen MoO. But having seen what Stardock can do, i don't see whyt the couldnt do a new version of it. May be hard to keep two great games compketely separate without having the slowly morph into the same game. MoO can have a lot of the things that don't belong in GC2 and vice versa. Having two games to develop could enable them to put things into MoO something that would be cool but that just wouldnt fit in GC2.

Oh and could you please redo the original starcontrol. just your basic hands on ship vs. ship combat. Spathi rule! gotta love that b.u.t.t. weapon.

oh and the Great and Powerful Yar likes Father Atari. lol

No, I simply have different priorities than you do. I don't care about MP, and I certainly don't care about tactical combat (which is only useful in MP anyway). If SD released a MoO4 it'd be a game from them that I wouldn't have an interest in purchasing, I suspect, and that'd be unfortunate since it'd take time away from games they make/are making that I care about. So for me, I have to say, I'd just as soon the MoO series stayed dead.

For all those players that keep asking for multi-player in GalCiv2, you must remember that GalCiv2 was designed as a single player turn based game. To properly add multi-player you would need to redo the interface to greatly reduce the micro-management; the result would be a different game.

If Atari would be reasonable, Stardock could do that in MOO 4. As Brad states, "I'd love to do a MOO 4. It would basically be MOO 2 with some elements from MOO 1 with a big graphics update, more streamlined multiplayer options (along the lines of Civ IV) and a campaign mode to reintroduce players to the mythos that Simtex created."

I also think it might be best for Stardock if they left it alone. The remanent MoO fan base has MoO2 placed on such a high pedestal I honestly doubt there's anything that any developer could produce that would "live up to the name" in their eyes. For the rest of us, that never really cared about the franchise anyway, the name wouldn't carry any marketing power. It's like fans clamoring for a remake of their favorite movie, you're never going to get the same thing with a remake, so if the best thing ever was the original why remake it?

I can't for the life of me see why Atari is so hard nosed about the MOM franchise. They may be just as stinky about MOO though I suspect MOO3 was a financial bust.

I would love Stardock to do either and call it what you want.

I never played any of the MOO series, starcontrol, and many other games. Maybe if stardock offered them on stardock central, I might get a chance to play, and see if the games lived up to the hype I heard about.

Given the list Frogboy posted, I'd most like to see StarDock take on the XCOM franchise. GalCiv2 is a nice replacement for MOO such that them redoing MOO seems kinda less needed. There are simply not enough squad-based tactical TBS type games (UFO series by Altar is decent, and their SAS system is very cool). Silent Storm was decent (looked great, played ok, terrible, terrible AI). XCOM was such a great franchies that just died and it's tragic.

Maybe it's just me being nostalgic, but back in the day pretty much everything Microprose released was awesome (at least their more strategy/4X types of games). There have been games similar to MoM, MOO, Colonization, and XCOM, (and even Civ, although Civ carried on) but nothing that has really matched any of them. GalCiv2 is an awesome game and as I previously stated, is comprable with MOO, but for the others nothing has even come close.

I guess the PC gaming market for games like this isn't that huge - which boggles my mind since these are the types of games that to me got PC gaming rolling to begin with. These days all we seem to get is a nonstop flood of graphically bloated FPS and RTS with the same repetitive and boring gameplay. Or you get games that seem like they'le be sequels to blasts from the past but they turn out to be buggy as hell, incomplete, and run like crap.

How did it come to this?

Why did the great gaming franchises of the past die off like all the great Microprose games? Why are there no RPGs created in the style of BG/IWD/Fallout anymore? People all but worship those games and that style of gaming but it's rarely done anymore, or done so poorly that it's a disservice. Why can nobody pull off a truly good Diablo clone when the diablo game is actually fairly simple? Well, I can tell you one reason, it's because none of the pretenders do any map randomization and little content randomization and even though it's simple/basic in D/D2 - it makes all the difference in the world.

On one hand you want innovation in games so you can experience new things, but on the other hand you sometimes wonder why the most successful games aren't emulated a little bit more, at least in the delivery of fun factor.

for the record, fans of X-Com and Rebelstar Tactical Command, check out www.lasersquadnemesis.com -- might also fulfill your MP PBM desires.

You said that galciv2 is a better game than moo2 in EVERY way. I just showed you the 4 things which are clearly better in moo2 than in galciv2. You might not care for them, but you are still wrong.

Great post.

Galactic Civilizations is absolutely a series worth keeping alive and focusing on, while sympathizing with MOO-Nuts I'd rather see Galciv II get it's deserved glory...

For example I think it would be absolutely cool if Stardock produced their own series featuring their own characters/races from Galactic Civilizations II Dread Lords + Dark Avatar and sold these episodes as downloadables into a folder and after the season would be complete; an option to order it on a disc in case some people don't already have burners.

First 2 for OS/2

I agree is the sentiment that it makes more sense to simply persue the Galactic Civilization series. My ideal 4X game would, infact, contain:

1) Most of the features of Space Empires
2) Strong macro-manangement options (which MoO3 attempted)so that the above features do not slow down game-play too much
3) Sins of a Solar Empire-like graphics with tactical combat (real time w/ pause)
4) A slick Galactic Civilization-like interface.
5) Reasorce and commoditiy trade (promised in SoSE).

Honestly, I'd rather Stardock develop it's own games, then rehashes of older titles. The TBS fantasy game, I'd love to see it done with 2d art (maybe use an artstyle similar to FF Tactics)- but with some new concepts.

Why do MOO4 when you can do GC3 instead? There's PLENTY that can be added to the Galciv concept still, I still feel like even after 2 games that while what we've got is good, that more can be added, like political events- more depth in starbases, more diplomatic options, etc...

Love.

Honestly, though, I'd rather see Galciv gain all the good features of Moo2 it lacked, or Moo4 gain all of Galciv's good features. Honestly, they're both 90 percent perfect, I think with some sleectiove editing, someone could make 110. (It should be impossible, but it isn't!!!)

I'd like to be able to assimilate other races into my multicultural empire. A race if scientists with a science bonus, farmers with farming bonuses, a caste of powerful alien soldiers, be like an evil Federation. Be able to capture and board enemy ships, and have total customization over my race being a cyborg, destroy planets or create asteroid belts, or turn them into new planets. All the neato stuff from MOO2. Only, maybe with Galciv's excellent AI, random events, anomalies, bases, and customizable ships.

I'd personally pay lots of money for this. Lots.

Moo(2) is the action oriented guilty pleasure that you throw your arms out, scream "pWn1!!1!" as your stellar converter sends a planet to hell for the 30^5th time.

Gal Civ is the unpredictable, epic space opera where you fight, coerce, and manipulate nearly sentient AI's that are as capable and cunning as you.

Though i enjoy the combat system in moo2 over the rock/paper/scissors method of gal civ, i do appreciate its expedience. Still, the greatest weapon you can use is your mind, and Gal Civ offers ( and throws at )you a truly customizable empire and many different paths of victory and death compared to the predictable moo.

What was I getting at? Oh yeah, long story short Moo and Gal Civ are IMO two completely different games. Moo was an action game in space that got your adrenaline goin ( when you weren't microing 20 colonies ) where Gal Civ is the unpredictable thriller.


I for one, would like to see both continued in the future.

I remember playing MOO in college and installing the game from 4 FLOPPY DISKS. I played MOO2 until MOO3 came out and then I went back to MOO2. What a huge disappointment. I also loved XCom. This was one of those game that kept you thinking about the game long after you shut down your PC for the night. (or early morning in most cases) I would love to see a new XCom with a Stardock twist that they can only provide. Since I recently purchased GalCiv2 I have started to love 4x again. Please Stardock save me from the current generation Y instant gratification mind numbing games that are being released.

Personally I would love for them to revive the Star Flight series . I know it's old but it quit a diffrent game then Gal Civ and would be awesome with modern graphics .

They should just give control over those properties to Stardock I mean Atari is a piece of shyte in IMO just hand over the money and full control and they would get some good games finally .

We don't need Moo4, we have GalCiv2. Now MoM thats another story. Nothing has come close in the million or so years since it was released.

I have to disagree...the whole travel system is different in GC and MOO. It implies completly different strategies and so both games are very different from one another. I want MOO4 too.

#1 and #2 are counterintuative. Space empires offers too many options that are too broadly defined. It's a Micromanagement disaster! Plus the game has never been properly balanced :/ In order to make a good game you need limits. Moo2 had excellent limits. And it had a very simple production/upkeep system. Space Empires is a disaster in that avenue.

Not only do limits help player manage emprie more efficently, it makes a good AI easier to code.

#3 can be debated. True we haven't seen all the graphics yet, but thusfar they seem generic.

#4 NO! I don't want frikin sliders! Sliders = bad :/ Moving population units ala Moo2 = good. Rest of GalCiv2 interface is buggy and counterintuative. Especially where ships + fleets are concerned. And the upgrade ship window, information overload!

#5 is a great idea. Altough I'm not usre if we want somethign like Civ4 with trade goods. But any trade model that adds to teh game and makes a non-war or atleast a cautious-to-war path beneficial in that department would be great.

Space Empires could in fact be the best 4x game created if it actually worked. Tried for months but simply gave up.. Perhaps I'll give it another whirl in 5 or 6 years.

If someone would make a sequel to MoO3, Stardock is worthy of doing so.

I'd rather see a GalCiv 3 though with planetary destruction added, starbases that are in range being able to aid when a planet is attacked and so forth.