Learning from MOO3

[RobHuntingdon]

It occured to me that there are a lot of lessons any future TBS developer can learn from the fallout over the failure of MOO3. One of those is, of course, don't promise what you can't deliver, and don't take every idea of the fans and promise to use it. But one thing that just occured to me is you can learn a lot from what people try to mod into (or out of) a game.

So I wanted to mention that Orion Sector has a fairly decent modding section on our forum. We aren't nearly as active as the main ATMOO boards, and we never were, but there are several good mod threads there that might be of use to those interested in this topic.

If any of the developers, or anybody else here is interested for whatever reason, our forums can be found at http://forum.orionsector.com
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Robert, the Earl of Huntingdon

Tarry here, my merry men, whilst I seek what adventure await in yonder greenwood; but look thou listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.

Adapted from Sterling, pg. 45

[RobHuntingdon]

I'm in school and can't really afford to keep the site up. The original owner doesn't want to pay for it anymore. And really, while MOO3 is still moaning quietly "I'm not dead", it's been on life support for quite awhile.

There's a ton of old info but very little new stuff. It's great for learning all about how great the game was supposed to be, learning about the mistakes made along the way, and for awhile we had an active modding discussion but that has tapered off... so very little else is left anymore. The problem was the site was more informational, not interactive -- at least until very late in the game. At that point, you had enough morons on the old ATMOO forums to drive any sane person to go postal, and any insane person to far worse... so the forums were set up as a semi-elite discussion group for those who had a brain. If you came around and trolled, we nuked you.

Unfortunately, all those hopeful, intelligent people realized very quickly the game wasn't going to be what they had hoped and dreamed. And they've moved on. So now we must as well.

My design notes will still be around. I'll send you a new URL... once I know what it is... Actually, the site name is still registered for awhile, and we're going to point it to a 'sorry, this site has been shut down, if you really need to contact the former operators, type in this box and click send...' type of page... so maybe I can finagle it so the old URL works for a few more months...
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Robert, the Earl of Huntingdon

Tarry here, my merry men, whilst I seek what adventure await in yonder greenwood; but look thou listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.

Adapted from Sterling, pg. 45

[Ravana]

Why's that Rob? I never even got round to discussing your notes. Or mine.

[RobHuntingdon]

Just a final note on this topic... Orion Sector is folding its tents at the end of the month. If anybody actually does want to look through our forums, you've got about two weeks to do it...

http://forum.orionsector.com[edited]
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Robert, the Earl of Huntingdon

Tarry here, my merry men, whilst I seek what adventure await in yonder greenwood; but look thou listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.

Adapted from Sterling, pg. 45

[Zaimat]

We don't mind, it's good info...
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Horizon - Lead Designer

[RobHuntingdon]

That's nice. I hope L30 doesn't mind us coopting their board here tho...

Still, I'm sure there's quite a ways to go yet.
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Robert, the Earl of Huntingdon

Tarry here, my merry men, whilst I seek what adventure await in yonder greenwood; but look thou listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.

Adapted from Sterling, pg. 45

[Queeg 500]

And apparently the visibility bug has been fixed, enemy ships no longer disappear half way through combat

[JosEPh]

Been some developments of late. I know Rob remembers Bhruic. Bhruic has developed an executable that addresses several of the key problems that Moo3 has.

For starters the AI Will Now invade. It was found that after 1 turn the AI would disband it's Troop Transports. That has been "fixed".

There are several other issues that have been addressed as well. His current ver. of the Moo3Patcher is .04 and it also has a Patch pack Moo3PatchPak 0706 that goes with it. You can pick what you want to "Patch" or not.

The "faithful" are testing and so far response has been good.

JosEPh

Just thought you might like to know ...or not...

[Ashbery76]

I'm sure L30 won't sack the desigers half way though the project and replace them with the artists.

[Ravana]

I think you have the right of it Rob. Unfortunately, like you I don't have the time to devote to it...Plus I'd have to get MoO3 to tinker with and find out what I (personally) think has gone wrong with it.

Or what I like and would like to see continue - perhaps even improved.

[RobHuntingdon]

On the ATMOO boards, Ravana? Nope... until recently you probably haven't missed much of anything. Finally all the nutcases have left (or so I've heard, I haven't had the time to waste) and its just those folks who want to try to rearrange the deck chairs on the Titanic...

Still, what people consider important to fix, and what they don't, can give ideas how to make your game liked better. And it can be full of information about what's most important to get 'right' and what can be considered less important.
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Robert, the Earl of Huntingdon

Tarry here, my merry men, whilst I seek what adventure await in yonder greenwood; but look thou listen for my call, for I will blow my horn if I become hard-pressed.

Adapted from Sterling, pg. 45

[Ravana]

[sokonokofdok]

Rob, you're right, moo had a good side, the experience. That's seldom bad. Silently in my heart I've the hope, the Horion devs will more focus now on game keyfeatures (like exploration), than on too many different moduls, they may have not at the end the time or the ressources to fully implement.

[Ravana]

Will do Rob. Thanks for that.

It seems time is the commodity we least have at the moment. I think I can safely say that for most of us.

That still leaves you though. Are you going to continue with your mad venture, or has that gone the same way? (For awhile at least.)