Games PC MASTER OF ORION II-BATTLE AT ANTARES User Manual

ORIONS AND ANTARANS

(Excerpted from “Pre-Psilonic Galactic Civilizations” Vol. II, by Ectron
Victor, retired Master Adjudicator, Psilon Central History Institute.)

As a story is told and retold over the course of generations, no matter the
attention paid to detail and no matter the importance of the tale, the truth
is gradually nibbled away by little mistakes and innocent exaggerations.
Carried off on these well-intentioned, tiny feet, the facts deteriorate
softly and painlessly into a condition generally referred to as “shrouded
by time.”

The legends concerning the Orions and Antarans are shrouded by time.

What is certain is that at one time both races coexisted in the galaxy. The
scope of their power and technical advancement has surely been
enhanced by hyperbole, but that they were far superior to anything now
known is indisputable. Perhaps it was inevitable that two such behemoths
meet in violence. The legends paint the Antarans as ruthless, xenophobic
killers, but we all know that history is written by the victors.

The Orion-Antaran war was a protracted holocaust of galactic
proportions. While we can never know if they truly flung entire star
systems across deep space as weapons (as the storytellers claim), our
astrophysicists have uncovered evidence of directed energy bursts the
power of which staggers the imagination. That both races had the ability
to raze planets no one contests. The Orions eventually defeated the
Antarans. Rather than exterminating the race, as the stories claim the
Antarans would certainly have done, the Orions chose to imprison their
enemies in a “pocket dimension”—a volume the size of a single star
system, formed and carved somehow out of the fabric of space-time.
Physicists to this day puzzle over the theory and the technique, but the
result was obvious; the Antarans were banished one and all from
this dimension.

At this point, even the storytellers admit that the legends become vague.
Some time after the war, the Orion race inexplicably disappeared. They
left only two legacies for the galaxy’s future inhabitants. One was the
tales of their power and legends of the Antaran war; the other is the Orion
system itself. One planet circles this star, and it is reputed to be the
original home world of the Orion race. Despite the incredible potential this
abandoned world must hold, no one has yet plundered or colonized it. The
reason for this is that the system is only uninhabited, not undefended.
The Orions left a single Guardian to protect their home. Perhaps they
intend to return some day.

Perhaps the Antarans intend to return, too.

Introduction

1. Requirements and

Installation

You’ve got the box open, the CD-ROM in your sweaty palm, and a manic
gleam in your eyes. What do you do now?

THE TECHNICAL STUFF

For Master of Orion II to work, there are a few things your computer
must have.

• The processor has to be a 80486 or better. Basically, any computer

with “486”, or “Pentium” in its name should do just fine. The system
speed should be at least 100 MHz (megahertz). We recommend a 90
MHz Pentium or faster computer.

• You must have a double-speed CD-ROM drive.

• Your computer must have at least 16 MB (megabytes) of RAM (random

access memory) installed. (This is the working memory; do not confuse
it with the MB of storage space on your hard drive.)

• You must have Windows 95 or Windows 98 installed and running on

your computer.

• Since the installation program will copy parts of Master of Orion II onto

your hard drive, you must have sufficient storage space on your hard
drive. To find out whether you have enough space in Windows, double­click on the My Computer icon. Change the View setting to Details, and
the amount of empty space on your hard drive (usually drive ‘C’) is
listed under Free Space.

Important Note: With the advent of larger hard drives, a peculiar problem

has arisen. Different sizes of hard drives have different sized “clusters”
(the smallest unit of file space that the drive can read and write).
Without getting into too much technical detail, the result is this: The
larger your hard drive, the more space each file takes up. To prevent
misunderstandings, we’ve prepared the following chart of necessary
free space (in megabytes) vs. hard drive size for Master of Orion II:

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Disk Size 0–128 MB 256–512 MB 512 Mb–1 GB 1–2 GB 2–4 GB
Space Required 74.5 74.5 75 76.5 79

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• The graphics must be Super VGA quality (640 x 480 x 256 colors)

or better.

• A Sound Blaster or compatible sound card is supported.

If you think you have all of these, but still have a problem running the
game, please contact MicroProse Customer Support for assistance.

Master of Orion II requires the following for multiplayer:

• Null-modem serial cable (2 players); or

• Windows-compatible 9600 baud modem or faster; or

• Local area network (LAN) supporting IPX protocol

INSTALLING THE GAME

Before you can play Master of Orion II, the installation program must copy
some files onto your hard drive. To have it do so, follow these instructions:

• Turn on your computer and let Windows start.

• Open your CD-ROM drive, place the Master of Orion II disc in there, and

close the drive.

• Master of Orion II is a Windows AutoPlay CD-ROM. That means that if

you are running Windows, just putting the CD-ROM in the drive for the
first time starts up the installation program.

• After you’ve watched the introduction, you’re left looking at the

Main menu.

• Click on Install to continue.

• The only decision you need to make during the installation process is

to what directory you want to install the game. When you’re prompted,
you can accept the default (c:\mps\orion2), type in a directory path,
or use the Browse button to seek out a directory. Click OK when
you’re done.

1. Requirements and

Installation

ONCE YOU’VE MADE ALL THE NECESSARY DECISIONS:

• Master of Orion II will now copy some files to your hard drive from

the CD-ROM.

• After the game itself has been copied over, Master of Orion II installs a

few necessary utility programs. These include Microsoft’s DirectX
drivers. The space these take up is included in the total noted above.

• When the installation program is done, you are returned to the Main

menu (in Windows 95) or the command prompt (in DOS).

TO START PLAYING THE GAME IMMEDIATELY:

• Leave the Master of Orion II disc in the CD-ROM drive.

• Click on Play Game.

TOPLAYLATER:

• Make sure that the Master of Orion II CD-ROM is in its drive.

• Open the Start menu, then open the SimTex sub-menu, then click the

Master of Orion II option.

Have fun!

1. Requirements and

Installation

2. The Universal Menu

Whenever you start Master of Orion II, the Universal Menu arcs into view
on the right. (You’ll also notice the game credits scrolling up the screen to
the left.) To select one of the options from this menu, move the mouse
pointer to that option—you’ll know you’re in the right place when the
option is highlighted—and click. These options are pretty straightforward:

• Continue restarts the last game you were playing, but not necessarily

exactly where you left off. Master of Orion II’s “autosave” feature
periodically saves the game for you. When you choose to continue a
game, you begin at the point when the game was last autosaved. This
could be as many as 4 turns earlier than the point at which you
stopped playing.

• Load Game allows you to return to a game you saved previously.

You’re presented with a list of all the games you’ve saved. Just click to
select the game you want to load.

• New Game generates a fresh galaxy for you to explore. Once you click

this option, the Game Setup screen appears. The next section,
Beginning a New Game, steps you through the setup process.

• Multiplayer takes you to the Multiplayer Setup screen. This is where

you get ready to play against human opponents. For the lowdown, read
Multiplayer Galaxies.

• Hall of Fame presents the best scores of previous emperors.

• Quit Game leaves Master of Orion II and returns you to your operating

system. You get one chance to change your mind.

Now let’s take a look at setting up your first new game.

Before you can actually start building your empire and rampaging around
the galaxy, there are a few decisions you need to make. The overall tenets
of the galaxy must meet with your approval, and you need to choose which
of the several races you want to rule.

GALACTIC SETUP

When you start a new game, you’re taken to the Game Setup screen. Here,
you must make the Eight Serious Decisions. Five of these are represented
by icons, three by buttons. You can click on any of the icons to cycle
through the possible choices for that galactic setting. The buttons are
simple toggles; when each is turned on, it’s highlighted. (Thus, if it’s dark,
then it’s turned off.)

When you’re happy with the settings, click the Accept button to go on to
select the race you wish to rule. If you decide you’d rather quit this
process and return to the Universal Menu, click the Cancel button.

3. Beginning a New Game

DIFFICULTY

SIZE AGE

NUMBER OF

RACES

CONFIGURING YOUR GALAXY

COMBAT
TYPE

RANDOM
EVENTS

ANTARAN
ATTACKS

TECH
LEVEL

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Difficulty

Master of Orion II has five different difficulty settings. Click on the icon
to cycle through to the one you feel capable of facing.

Tutor is best for the new player who wants to become familiar with the
game. Enemy races won’t put up too much of a fight. The only drawback to
this difficulty setting is that you aren’t allowed to create a custom race.

Easy is only slightly more challenging than Tutor. The other races’
production and research proceed more slowly than yours, and any of
them you encounter are significantly more friendly than it is realistic to
expect. As with the easiest mode, you cannot create and use a custom
race in Easy mode.

Average difficulty is exactly what it sounds like. All the races’
developments proceed at normal rates, including yours. If you feel you’re
familiar with the basics of the game—including espionage and
diplomacy—you’re ready for this difficulty.

Hard is the setting for those who want a challenge. You’d better know
what you’re doing.

Impossible is reserved for those of you who enjoy fighting your way out
from under a disadvantage. The other races operate with significantly
accelerated research and production, and none of them are friendly. In
fact, they all hate you right from the start.

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Galaxy Size

Galaxies come in all shapes and sizes, but for the sake of simplicity, in
Master of Orion II they’re boiled down to four classifications. As with
difficulty, click on the icon to cycle through to the galaxy size you feel
comfortable with. (Note that the number of stars mentioned is
approximate, as the term “stars” includes black holes and some
other phenomena.)

A Smallgalaxy is little more than a star cluster. This little, 20-star
neighborhood guarantees early contact with other races and a fast­paced game—not to mention fierce competition for the limited space
and resources.

Medium galaxies include only 36 star systems. Conflict is neither as
quick to begin nor quite as ferocious as in a Small cluster. With luck, you
have time to develop a few advanced technologies before running into
your neighbors.

3. Beginning a New Game

Large galactic neighborhoods give you some elbowroom. The planets
available in 54 systems allow for expansion and fleet building in
preparation for eventual contact with other races. The research
possibilities are better, too, but colony management becomes more
important in larger empires.

In Huge galaxies, you have the time and space to conduct epic campaigns
and pit massive, technologically advanced empires against one another
over a span of 72 stellar systems.

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Galaxy Age

Regardless of their size, most galaxies age in similar ways.

Young galaxies are nurseries for the development of hot, new stars. These
clusters consist primarily of blue and white stars that have only recently
blown off the remnants of the stellar nebula from which they formed. If
these newborn stars have any planets at all, they tend to be mineral rich,
but nearly uninhabitable.

Galaxies of Average age have had time to mature. Overly energetic young
stars have settled down into the main sequence, allowing the occasional
planet that is amenable to life. Orange and yellow primaries have
appeared, along with the rare red helium burner. Mineral-rich planets are
still around, but they’re less abundant.

Old galaxies have run riot with orange and red grandfathers, well layered
and on their way to final burnout. Planets where life can take hold are
plentiful, though minerals are not. An explorer might find an ancient white
dwarf with a few rocky planets or a rare star in second childhood after a
partial nova, but rich mining opportunities are otherwise not extant.

Click on the icon to cycle through to the type of galaxy you prefer
to explore.

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Starting Civilization

Manipulating the level of technology with which every empire begins is
another way Master of Orion II provides for extra challenges. Click on the
icon to cycle through to the level of advancement at which you want
to start.

Pre-Warp is for those of you who like to start at the beginning. Every race
has one colony—their home star system. Exploring outside that system is
impossible until faster than light (FTL) technologies are discovered.

Average Civilization starts each race with the same single colony, but with
all the technologies necessary for interstellar flight already achieved (plus
a few random extras). Every empire has a small star fleet, including one
Colony Ship capable of settling a planet.

3. Beginning a New Game

Finally, Advanced Civilization is for those who want to get right into the
thick of it. Much of the galaxy is already explored and settled. Each race
begins with several technological advancements in hand and a
substantial fleet of ships capable of interstellar travel.

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Number of Players

The number of races you go up against is also under your control. You
can choose any number of players from 2 (you and one opponent)
through 8 (seven vs. you). Choosing fewer players, naturally, allows
more time for developing colonies, technology, and fleets before you
make first contact. Having more players sets up a galaxy destined for
lots of action and conflict over relatively scarcer resources.

Click on the icon to cycle through to the number of races you want
involved in your game.

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Tactical Combat

Of the three buttons on the Game Setup screen, the top is the Tactical
Combat toggle. When this button is on (highlighted), all combat in the

game is tactical. If this is off (dark), all combat takes place under the
strategic rules. What does that mean?

“Strategic” combat means that Master of Orion II takes care of the
fighting for you. This is the mode to use if you’re interested in playing a
strategy game without the distraction of designing ships and participating
in ship-to-ship combat. In strategic combat games, ship designs are
automatic, and battles are decided statistically.

“Tactical” combat gives you a more detailed game experience. You can
design and redesign each of your classes of ship, based on the available
technology, as often as you like. In fact, you must design ships in order to
have effective fleets. When one of your fleets joins in battle, you
personally control the movements, weapons, and special systems of
every ship under your flag. This is the mode for a “hands-on” general.

For more detail regarding both these combat modes, read the
Combat section.

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Random Events

The middle button controls whether random events, both helpful and
hurtful, occur during the game. If you leave random events active, the
Galactic News Network will sometimes report an unusual circumstance.
Any race in the game could be the target of each event, and some events
affect all races.

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Antaran Attacks

The bottom button toggles the existence of the mysterious Antarans.
When this is off, you can rest easy; the Antarans will not actively seek to
attack the colonies of any race in the game. On the other hand, leaving
this toggled on can seriously spice up the game, as this powerful race
will certainly meddle destructively in galactic affairs.

3. Beginning a New Game

RACE SELECTION

Once you finish setting up the galaxy, the Race Selection screen appears.
Here, you select which of the several available races will make up the
population of your empire.

Moving the cursor over the name of a race brings up a picture of an
average individual of that race. Any special abilities, advantages, and
disadvantages that race has are listed with the portrait. We’ve also
included a brief description of each race here. When you find the one you
would like to play, click on the name.

If you’d prefer to create your own, customized race, click on Custom
instead of one of the predesigned races. You are immediately prompted to
choose one of the other races; this is simply to select an appearance for
your new race. Once you have chosen a portrait, you need to define the
racial characteristics. How you do so is detailed below, under Custom.

After you have chosen a race (and finished defining it, if you chose to
create a custom race), you have a chance to name yourself. If the
suggested name suits you, just click the Accept button or press E.
If not, type in a name you prefer first. Next, you must choose the color of
your flag. This color is used to denote systems you control, your ships and
colonies, and that sort of thing. Just click on the flag of the color you like.

The advantages and disadvantages of each form of government are
discussed under Custom.

3. Beginning a New Game

CHOOSING A RACE

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Alkari

The Alkari are an avian race descended from great flying reptiles. Reared
as fliers, Alkari pilots have an almost instinctive grasp of the dynamics of
three-dimensional motion. As a result, Alkari ships gain a 40% defensive
bonus in space combat. Long ago, the Alkari home world was once a
colony of the powerful Orion empire. The ancient artifacts left from that
time give their researchers an advantage. The Alkari government is a
Dictatorship.

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Bulrathi

A large, bear-like people, the Bulrathi possess tremendous strength and
hardiness. They evolved on a high gravity (High-G) home world, and thus
are able to colonize High-G and Normal-G planets without penalties. The
Bulrathi enjoy a 10% bonus in ground combat and a +20 to the Ship
Attack of all their ships. Their government is a Dictatorship.

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Darloks

A race almost as enigmatic as the ancient Antarans, the Darloks are
shape-shifters who can assume almost any humanoid form. As a result,
Darlok spies are 20% more likely to be successful on any mission. Their
early research has run along lines parallel to their evolution, and so
Darlok pilots have the ability to render their ships invisible to long-range
detection. These mesomorphs’ government is a Dictatorship.

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Elerians

The warrior castes of the Elerians are the only face most outsiders ever
see. This humanoid society is matriarchal, and to date only females are
allowed to join the military. Those who do are provided with the best
possible training. Thus, Elerian ships gain a 20% defensive and 20%
offensive bonus in combat. While the females fight, the all-male
philosopher caste has developed incredible mental powers. Their
meditations have produced remote knowledge of every system in the
galaxy, and their telepathic powers are second to none. The Elerians’
social structure is strengthened by a Feudal government in which only
the warrior castes hold positions of power.

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Gnolams

The Gnolams are a dwarf-like people from a Low-G home world whose
society focuses almost exclusively on monetary gain as a measure of
status. As a result, the Gnolams are Fantastic Traders, and thus receive
greater benefit from trade treaties and higher than normal income from
excess food and trade goods. The capitalistic nature of the Gnolam race
is so intense that each unit of Gnolam population generates an
additional 1 BC per turn. The Gnolams’ Low-G roots put them at a 10%
disadvantage in ground combat. To maximize the potential for profit,
their government is a business-friendly Dictatorship. Somehow, these
lucky creatures always manage to avoid the consequences of random
natural disasters.

3. Beginning a New Game

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Humans

Humans are the galaxy’s most charismatic race; they’re the deal makers
and diplomats. When dealing with any other race, Humans gain a 50%
bonus to their diplomatic efforts. Furthermore, the ever-flexible Humans
have great cultural diversity, and as such assimilate conquered colonists
with seeming ease. Mercenary leaders are eager to work with the
Humans; their hiring prices are lowered for this race. For some reason,
they still cling to a Democracy form of government.

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Klackons

The Klackons are an insectoid people from a large home world. Though
they’re not exactly a hive mind, the Klackon communications system is
fast and efficient, and the population is completely satisfied with their
lives. This is reflected in their extreme industriousness. Klackon farmers
produce 1 more food each than those of other races, and their workers
also give +1 to production. The entire race communicates, thinks, and
operates virtually as one. All this makes the Klackon practically, if not
actually, a shared consciousness, and has paved the way for their
successful Unification government. The down side to all this thinking
alike is that the Klackons are rather Uncreative.

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Meklars

The Meklars are a physically weak race whose population has become
dependent on cybernetic exoskeletons. This, of course, has led to even
further physical deterioration, to the point that their bodies have
atrophied to tiny, fragile husks. Unlike other races, Meklars survive partly
on the lithosphere of their home world. They consume half a unit of
minerals and half a unit of food each per turn (rounded up), instead of
the usual unit of food. Furthermore, their powerful exoskeletons add to
their production ability; millions of untiring Meklar factory workers each
provide a +2 production bonus. Their cybernetic interfacing makes
shipboard repairs possible without specialized equipment, even during
combat. The Meklar government is a strict Dictatorship.

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Mrrshan

The Mrrshan look as though they’ve evolved from cat-like predators
because they have. This genetic heritage has left them with keen senses
and fast reflexes, which add 50% to their chances of hitting in ship-to­ship combat. The fierce Mrrshan are Warlords. Despite their mineral-rich
home world, only a strict status-based social order has enabled the
Mrrshan to control their fierce feline territorial instincts, so they have
never been able to progress beyond a Dictatorship government.

3. Beginning a New Game

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Psilons

The Psilons are a delicate race of brilliant researchers from a Low-G home
world. Each Psilon scientist produces 2 more research than the galactic
norm. In addition, the Psilons are very creative, and they never ignore a
potential avenue of research. Thus, all technologies are available to their
scientists. That their home world is large doesn’t hurt. Peer review and
tenure squabbles have prevented them from achieving a form of
government more advantageous than a Dictatorship.

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Sakkra

The Sakkra are a hardy reptilian race with impressive regenerative
capabilities. As a result of their low mortality rates, the Sakkra
population grows at double the normal rate (+100%). Overcrowding
pressures, even on their large home world, long ago forced them to
become partially subterranean, living both under and above the surface
of a planet. This allows them to support a greater maximum population
on every planet they colonize, and it makes their defensive ground
troops 10% harder to dig out. These reptiles survive partly because they
produce +1 food per farmer and partly because their Feudal government
is so efficient at starting internecine wars. The life of the average Sakkra
is by no means pleasant. Their dispirited spies operate at -10.

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Silicoids

The Silicoids are an incredible oddity; they’re the only known sentient
crystalline life form. These strange beings are lithovores; they eat
minerals instead of food. Silicoids are environmentally tolerant, and thus
can support a greater maximum population on nearly every type of
world. They also spend no effort to clean up pollution, as it has no effect
on them. They do, however, have an extremely low rate of reproduction,
50% below galactic standards. Their unusual chemistry also affects their
ability to communicate with other races; Silicoids are considered
repulsive by all other sentient species. The Silicoids have a Dictatorial
government.

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Trilarians

Trilarians are aquatic life forms. This race suffers none of the usual
penalties associated with living on ocean and swamp worlds. In addition,
there is a legend among the Trilarians that their race is descended from a
long-lost Antaran colony. Regardless of whether there is any truth to this,
this race has proven to be Trans-Dimensional. Even without the aid of FTL
drives, Trilarian pilots can move their ships from star to star, though
slowly. Ships with FTL drives move more quickly than they should. The
Trilarian government is a Dictatorship.

3. Beginning a New Game

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Custom

The screen you use to design your custom race is the Race Customization
screen. On this screen are three columns of options, 11 topics in all. Every
one of the options included under these topics represents an advantage
or disadvantage you can give your new race.

To name your custom race, click on the race name in the top middle of the
Race Customization screen to edit the name.

The last customized race created will be saved. Load that race by clicking
on the “Last Race” button instead of selecting a picture to use for your
custom race.

The usual first step in creating a race is to click on the Clear button to
erase all of the selections. This leaves you with a “Galactic Normal” race—
no advantages, no disadvantages, and no special characteristics. Notice
that the two boxes at the bottom of the screen show that you have 10
Picks and 200% Score. What does that mean?

“Picks” is shorthand for Racial Ability And Characteristic Points, which
wouldn’t fit. You have 10 picks that you can use to develop your race. To
the right of every option is that option’s Pick Modifier. If you choose that
option for your race, you lose (if the modifier is positive) or gain (if it’s
negative) that many picks. Note that you can not choose disadvantageous
options to gain more than 10 extra picks, and you are also not allowed to
start a game with a negative pick total.

3. Beginning a New Game

SCORE

PICKS

CUSTOMIZING YOUR RACE

“Score” is short for Score Multiplier As Determined By Picks. This is the
percentage of your earned game score that will be awarded as your total
score. Your picks total directly affects this. For example, if you have zero
picks, your score is 100%; in this case, your earned score and your
awarded score would be the same. If you choose not to use five of your
picks, your score would be 150%; this would make your final awarded
score 1.5 times your earned score.

Short descriptions of every optional characteristic follow. To pick or un­pick a specific option, click on it. When you’re satisfied with all your
choices, click the Accept button to move on.

Colonial Production

Population growth modifiers affect the rate at which the population of

every colony grows. This affects the base to which the effects of a
planet’s terrain and pollution are applied. Low population growth rates
are usually the result of shorter life spans, slower biological processes,
physical weakness, or some similarly inherent problem. Higher growth
rates result from things like long life spans, strong immune systems, or
general fecundity.

Farming production modifiers increase or decrease the amount of food

each unit of population assigned to agriculture can grow. Like those for
population growth, the farming modifiers affect the base that the
effects of a planet’s terrain and pollution are applied to. A farming
bonus represents long familiarity with agriculture, resulting in
effective techniques, while a penalty represents a simple lack of
farming aptitude. (If the planet has a life-bearing environment, though,
the penalty cannot go below 1 food per farmer.)

Industry modifiers affect the amount of production that each unit of

population assigned to factory work can produce. Under no
circumstances can industrial penalties reduce the capabilities of a
population below 1 production per unit.

Science modifiers are applied to the amount of research that each

scientist unit of a colonial population generates. Races with science
bonuses are not necessarily more intelligent, but they are likely to be
more inclined to rational investigation of the facts rather than
superstitious beliefs. Science penalties cannot reduce the research
abilities of a race below 1 research per unit of population assigned
to science.

Money modifiers affect the tax burden (in BC) a population can withstand.

Races with monetary bonuses have an instinctive grasp of commercial
concepts, while races with penalties lack economic skills, interest, or
avarice. Racial monetary penalties cannot reduce taxation possibilities
below zero per population unit.

3. Beginning a New Game

Combat and Espionage

Ship Defense modifiers change the chances of enemy fire hitting your

ships during ship-to-ship combat. Races with bonuses in defense tend
to be those with keen senses, giving them better luck at avoiding fire
and misleading an attacker. Penalties, on the other hand, usually
indicate that members of the race are physically slow or perhaps have
difficulty visualizing complex three-dimensional motions.

Ship Attack modifiers improve or hurt the chances of your ships’ attacks

hitting their intended targets. Racial bonuses are based on the ability
to anticipate defenders’ evasive tactics. Penalties might be the
consequence of poor depth perception and tracking skills—or a simple
unfamiliarity with aggressive behavior.

Ground Combat modifiers affect the combat effectiveness of troops

engaged in planetary combat or ship boarding actions. Bonuses are
generally representative of extraordinary strength, aggressiveness,
and agility, while minuses indicate the lack thereof.

Spying modifiers affect the sabotage and espionage skills of a race. Races

with specialized disguise abilities get bonuses, as well as those with a
cultural bent toward deceit.

Governments

The type of government of each empire is determined at the beginning of
the game and does not change, though research can lead to a more
advanced form of the same government. There are four types of
governments, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Your
government type affects what method of managing your empire is
most effective.

Feudal: A feudal government structure rests on the inherited titles and

holdings of an elite class, somewhat as in medieval Europe. An
emperor keeps the throne of a feudal government by balancing and
subtly encouraging the rivalries between the more powerful members
of this class.

• The morale of each planet under a Feudal government incurs a penalty

of 20% until a Marine Barracks or Armor Barracks is built there. (Local
troops are necessary to keep the serfs in line.)

• It takes 8 turns for a Feudal government to assimilate a unit of

population in a conquered colony.

• Feudal populations will instantly assimilate if their colony is conquered

by an opponent. (There is little loyalty to the central government, and
local barons are always on the lookout for personal gain.)

• Due to the generally warlike nature of feudal governments, ship

production costs are

2

/3normal.

3. Beginning a New Game

• For the same reason, research is half the standard.

• If the capital of a Feudal empire is captured, the entire empire is thrown

into a state of anarchy as rival claimants to the throne battle for
supremacy. This period of anarchy lasts until a new capital is built.
Morale suffers a 50% penalty during this period.

The advanced form of a Feudal government is Confederation.
Confederated empires receive the following benefits in addition to the
usual Feudal characteristics.

• Assimilation of conquered colonists takes only 4 turns.

• Ship production costs are reduced to

1

/3galactic normal.

• Confederation populations no longer instantly assimilate

when captured.

Dictatorship: In a dictatorial government, one individual rules the entire

empire without having to answer to anyone else. Orders and
decisions are enforced through a ruthless and efficient organization,
by any means necessary.

• Due to the increased internal security needed to prevent revolts,

defensive spies gain a 10% bonus to every mission.

• The morale of each planet under a Dictatorial government suffers by

20% until a Marine Barracks or Armor Barracks is built there. (The
presence of local troops is necessary to exert control.)

• It takes 8 turns for a Dictatorship to assimilate a unit of

conquered population.

• If the capital of a Dictatorship is captured, a morale penalty of 35% is

applied to all colonies until a new capital is built.

The advanced form of a Dictatorship is an Imperium. Imperium
governments receive the following benefits in addition to the usual
Dictatorial characteristics.

• Assimilation of conquered colonists takes only 4 turns.

• The Defensive Spy bonus is increased to 20%.

• Your command rating is increased by 50%.

Democracy: The “democracy” form of government is not a true

democracy in the classical Greek style, but rather a “representative”
democracy similar to that of the ancient United States of America.
Control of the government is balanced between its multiple branches,
and the population enjoys the most personal freedom allowed under
any of the known forms of government.

3. Beginning a New Game

• Because of the emphasis on personal freedom, privacy, and civil rights

in a Democracy, defensive spies operate under a 10% penalty.

• On the other hand, greater personal liberty makes the people happier

and more productive, giving a 50% bonus to both research and per
capita (tax) income.

• It takes only 4 turns for a Democratic government to assimilate a unit of

conquered population.

• Democracies are prohibited from eradicating conquered populations.

• If the capital of a Democratic government is captured, the entire

citizenry suffers a period of uncertainty and chaos. This results in a
20% morale penalty until a new capital is built.

The advanced form of a Democracy is called a Federation. Federated
governments receive the following benefits in addition to the usual
Democratic characteristics.

• Assimilation of a unit of conquered population takes only 2 turns.

• The research and income bonus is increased to 75%.

Unification: The Unification form of government is available to those

scant few races that can exist harmoniously together without
jealousy, envy, or concern for individual advancement. Each individual
works for the good of the community rather than the self. The analogy
is often made between a Unified government and a colony of bees.
Though correct in some ways, this is a misleading comparison. Unified
populations are neither mindless nor uncreative; some unknown
characteristic (many have suggested genetic uniformity) simply allows
them to forego competition with one another.

• Since every individual works for the good of the whole, there can be no

traitors. This gives Unification defensive spies a 15% bonus.

• Unification colonies do not have morale as such. They do, however,

receive a 50% bonus to food and industry production due to the
harmonious nature of their society. This functions like a morale bonus.

• All morale effects of buildings are ignored by Unification governments.

• The vast societal differences make it difficult for outsiders to join a

Unified culture. It takes 20 turns for a Unified government to assimilate
a unit of conquered population.

• The loss of the capital is irrelevant to a Unified race. Unified

governments neither have nor need a capital.

3. Beginning a New Game

The advanced form of Unification is Galactic Unification. Galactic
Unification governments receive the following benefits in addition to the
usual Unification characteristics.

• Assimilation time is reduced to 15 turns.

• The harmony production bonus (to food and industry) increases

to 100%.

Special Abilities

In addition to the more run-of-the-mill racial modifiers, there are also a
variety of special effects that make races more interesting to play. Some
of these might seem to bend or break the galactic rules, but that’s part of
the fun. Note that several of the special abilities are mutually exclusive, as
they would contradict or negate the effect of one another.

Low-G World indicates that the race originally evolved on a home world

with low gravity. This results in a population physically weaker than
races from Normal-G or High-G worlds. Colonists from these races have
difficulty adapting to intense gravitational fields, and can operate only
on Low-G worlds without penalty. On Normal-G worlds, they suffer half
the normal High-G penalty. Low-G troops suffer a 10% penalty
during ground combat. Low-G World and High-G World are
mutually exclusive.

High-G World means that the race originates on a High-G planet. The

members of such a population are considerably hardier and physically
stronger than races from other types of world, and thus their colonists
can operate in both High-G and Normal-G worlds without penalty.
In addition, High-G ground troops can sustain substantially more
physical damage than other troops; they take 1 hit more than normal
troops before being slain in ground combat. High-G World and Low-G

World are mutually exclusive.

Aquatic races are spawned from ocean worlds, and therefore can more

easily adapt to environments that are primarily water-based. For their
purposes, Tundra and Swamp worlds count as Terran environments,
and Ocean and Terran planets are considered Gaia class.

Subterranean races are semi-troglodytic—adapted to living underground

through the construction of expansive complexes of chambers and
tunnels. As a result, a subterranean race’s maximum population on any
planet is increased by that world’s size class (i.e., +2 for Tiny, +4 for
Small, and so on up to +10 for Huge). Finally, due to the difficulty in
navigating the underground labyrinths to dig them out, subterranean
troops receive a 10% ground combat bonus when defending their
colonies.

3. Beginning a New Game

Large Home World gives a race the advantage of having some elbowroom

early on. A large home world allows greater population growth, which
leads to more food, quicker research, and faster production.

Rich Home World is another early advantage that can make a big

difference. A mineral-rich home world means accelerated production,
which is a very good thing.

Poor Home World is an early disadvantage that can make a big difference.

A mineral-poor home world means slower production.

Artifacts World means that the race’s planet of origin was part of a great

empire some time in the distant past. Artifacts from that time abound,
giving the researchers a boost. Each unit of population assigned to
science produces 5 research points instead of the usual 3.

Cybernetic races use mechanical appendages and artificial organs to

sustain and augment their organic bodies. These populations consume
minerals as well as food—one half unit of each. This cuts down on the
necessity for farming, but causes an equivalent detriment to
production. Their familiarity with machine interfaces allows these
races to repair their ships completely after any combat. Even during
combat, they fix armor and structural damage at 10% per round and
systems damage at 5% per round. Cybernetic and Lithovore are
mutually exclusive.

Lithovore describes those populations that have the ability to subsist on

rock alone, without organic foodstuffs. These races can subsist on any
planet simply by eating the minerals. This means farming is completely
unnecessary (other than for profit) and freighters are unnecessary,
except for transportation of colonists. Lithovore and Cybernetic are
mutually exclusive.

Repulsive races find diplomacy frustrating, since all other races take an

immediate dislike to the leader of a repulsive race. This severely limits
the diplomatic options available. In addition, repulsive races
assimilate conquered colonists into their population at only half the
normal rate. Mercenary leaders are less likely to offer their services to a
repulsive race, and they raise their hiring prices, as well. Repulsive and

Charismatic are mutually exclusive.

Charismatic races make allies easily and quickly and can almost always

talk themselves out of situations. This ability doubles the effects of all
good diplomatic actions and halves that of negative ones. When
proposing deals, charismatic races have a 50% bonus to the chance of
acceptance. Since they’re so well admired, charismatic races
assimilate conquered colonists easily into their population. Mercenary
leaders are more likely to offer their services to these races, and they
lower their hiring prices, too. Charismatic and Repulsive are
mutually exclusive.

3. Beginning a New Game

Uncreative describes those races that have great difficulty conceiving new

ideas for applications of basic research. These races’ researchers and
engineers only recognize the possibility of one technology associated
with any field of scientific endeavor. The Uncreative and Creative
options are mutually exclusive.

Creative races have little difficulty seeing the more unusual possibilities

inherent in a field of study. As a result, these races are able to discover
all of the technological applications appropriate to a field of research.
No race can be both Creative and Uncreative.

Tolerant means that a race is practically immune to extreme

environments. Typically, these races have strong regenerative
properties or a metabolism quite unlike that of the average humanoid.
Races that are tolerant can use 25% more of a planet’s surface for
habitation, living in places no other race would dare and boosting the
planet’s maximum potential population. Thus, for example, while a
typical race could live on 25% of a Barren planet, a Tolerant race could
use 50% of the same planet. Tolerant races also suffer no harm from
pollution and need not spend production resources cleaning it up.

Fantastic Traders possess a keen understanding of economics and deal

making. They receive a 25% bonus to the profit taken from trade
treaties, plus 1 BC (instead of the usual half) for every surplus unit of
food generated. On top of that, traders get a 50% bonus to all income
derived from producing trade goods.

Telepathic races are capable of reading the minds of other beings,

allowing them to exactly isolate the motivations of anyone with whom
they are attempting to negotiate. As a result, telepathic races gain a
25% bonus when conducting diplomatic negotiations with other races.
Furthermore, telepaths in orbit around an undefended planet can
directly affect the thoughts of the besieged population. Highly trained
telepaths are assigned as crew on each ship of size Large or bigger.
These telepaths can break down the resistance of the enemy
population and conquer the colony without bloodshed. (Of course, this
doesn’t work on Telepathic races.) Telepathic races instantly
assimilate conquered populations into their empire. Also, telepathic
spies are extremely adept and get a 10% bonus, regardless of their
mission. Unlike everyone else, Telepathic races can immediately use
ships captured in combat.

Lucky refers to those races who, somehow, never suffer from random

galactic disasters. Lucky races also benefit from more than their fair
share of good random events. Space monsters and even the Antarans
tend to overlook the colonies of lucky races.

3. Beginning a New Game

Omniscient races are those who have some (usually secret) method of

gleaning information from the entire galaxy without ever physically
leaving home. Thus, these races know the make-up of every star
system and planet throughout the entire galaxy at the start of the
game. They see the whereabouts, movements, and destinations of
enemy fleets, regardless of any stealth abilities or technologies.

Stealthy Ships: Some races have found ways to completely mask their

ships from long-range sensors. This ability does not have any effect
during combat, but it prevents a scanning system from detecting the
approaching fleet.

Trans-Dimensional beings are capable of folding the fabric of space with

their minds. This allows them to travel without the aid of FTL drives
(though they still must have ships in which to travel). Those ships with
FTL capability add 2 to the speed at which they travel the interstellar
distances and 4 to their combat speed. Trans-Dimensional races are
also not affected by Hyperspace Fluxes.

Warlord races evolve from cultures with a high regard for all things

military or warlike. All ship crews of a warlord race begin at one level of
experience higher than normal, and these crews have the potential to
eventually reach Ultra-elite status. Ground defenders—Marines and
Armor—are produced at double the normal rate, and warlord barracks
can support twice the usual number of ground troops. Mercenary
leaders working in the hire of a Warlord race are inspired by example,
and have effects as if they were 1 experience level higher than they
actually are. Every colony you control contributes 2 points to your
Command Rating.

3. Beginning a New Game

When the galaxy has been generated and the game begins, the first thing
you see is the Galaxy Map. This is the central interface from which you
conduct your entire imperial campaign. There are several useful
components on this interface—including the map itself. Let’s take them
one at a time.

HELP AND QUIT

Before you start, it’s nice to know that there’s a Help system in place for
novice galactic emperors. When the mouse pointer is on one of the active
areas of a screen, window, panel, or whatever, you can right-click to call
up basic information about that active area. (Not all areas have help, but
most do.)

When you’re done reading, click on the Close button to clear the Help
window away.

If at any time you wish to quit Master of Orion II quickly and return to the
operating system, use the keyboard shortcut a + Q.

4. The Galactic Command Interface

TREASURY

COMMAND

FOOD

GAME MENU

FREIGHTERS

RESEARCH

END TURN

ZOOM

THE WHOLE GALAXY

ONE VERSATILE MAP

The main portion of the screen is a map of your entire galaxy.

Stars: Every star system you can visit is shown on the map in the color of

its primary star. (Refer to Star Color, in the Star Systems section, for
the details on the different types and colors of star.) You can click on
any star you have already visited to open up the System window. We
explain the uses of this window shortly, in The System Window.

If you look closely, you’ll notice that your home system is labeled by
name and in your imperial color. After you have explored other
systems, their labels show up. Systems colonized by any race
(including yours) are labeled in that empire’s color.

To quickly find the distance between two star systems, use the
keyboard shortcut 9. You’ll need to click on the first star, then
move the mouse cursor over any other star to see the distance (in
parcsecs) between them.

Some problematic interstellar stuff also appears on the map:

Nebulae: These are huge interstellar clouds of tiny particles. Their

brightness and colors are normally caused by ionizing radiation from
some nearby source. Though this wispy ionized plasma is thin by
terrestrial standards, compared to the vacuum of space, it’s extremely
dense. Ships traveling through a nebula are reduced in speed to 1
parsec per turn. More importantly, the fierce ionization prevents
deflector shields from functioning without Hard Shields technology.
Planets found inside nebulas are often mineral rich.

Black Holes: When enough mass accumulates in a small enough volume

(most commonly at the centers of galaxies and when giant stars
collapse), the gravitational field becomes so powerful that even light
cannot escape. A gravity well of this incredible magnitude is known as
a black hole. Black holes are by their nature invisible (except in some
portions of the X-ray spectrum), so their locations are represented on
the map by dark whirlpools. The effects of such an awesome force
extend even into the hyperspace through which your ships travel. No
ship can safely pass within 2 parsecs of a black hole (unless the ship
contains an officer with the Navigator skill).

4. The Galactic Command Interface

At the beginning of most campaigns, that’s all you see in the galaxy, but as
you explore your stellar neighborhood, other things gradually show up on
the map. These include:

Fleets: Any ship or group of ships you have control of is indicated on the

map by a tiny ship icon in your imperial color. If you somehow know
the current location of another race’s fleet, it’s shown, too, but in that
empire’s color. You can click on any displayed fleet to get information
about it or—in the case of your ships at certain times—give orders.
The details are below, in The Fleet Window.

The location of each icon tells you something about it. If it’s between
star systems, then it is en route to somewhere. Icons sitting above
and to the right of a star are in orbit around a planet in that system.
Tiny ships above and to the left of a star have been given orders to
leave that system for another and are just about to go.

Monsters: From time to time, explorers discover immense, hostile

creatures living in a star system. At other times, similar monsters
“invade” the galaxy. The space monsters, when their location is
known, appear on the map. For tracking and combat purposes, they’re
treated as fleets.

Travel Lines: When any of your fleets are between stars, the space

between the ships and their destination is marked by a solid line.
Near the fleet is a tiny number—the remaining flight time. If you
somehow know the destination of another race’s fleet, that is
displayed as well.

Wormholes: These bizarre spatial anomalies are thought to be created

when two black holes collide at unimaginably high velocity and turn
each other inside-out. Somehow, the interaction of the singularity
regions “pinches” two distant points in hyperspace together.
Regardless of the cause, the effect is clear; any ship can travel from
one end of a stable wormhole to the other in only 1 turn, no matter
what the distance. Wormholes are marked on the map as grey lines
connecting two points.

Structures: Scientific advancement eventually leads to the possibility of

controlling some of the more esoteric forces of the galaxy. When an
empire builds a Dimensional Portal or an Artemis System Net (see
Research and Development for details), it shows up on the map near
the system in which it was built.

Along the bottom of the Galaxy Map is a button bar. All of these buttons
except the ones in the center open windows in which you manage some
aspect of your empire. That’s why they’re called the Management
buttons. There’s also an important button down in the lower right-hand
corner. We’ll cover the two non-management buttons here and the rest a
little further on.

4. The Galactic Command Interface