@ Jeff Graw, While your list of MOO modifications would make for an interesting game, it wouldn't be MOO. Some of your suggestions are obvious, others are MOO, but, others would create a totally different game, than MOO. Hope you don't mind, but, I've critiqued you list below.
1. Planetary management from MoO 1 (from the galaxy screen itself) - Yes, this would actually, be MOO.
2. Galaxy layout from Galciv - NO. This is a different game, with different game concepts which change the way the game is played.
3. The cool additions from MoO 2 (artificial planets, genetic manipulation, doom stars, custom races, world destroying weapons, etc.) YES. These ideas would continue to be good ideas in MOO.
4. 3D tactical combat like in homeworld - NO!!!!!! Absolutely NOT! If you want Homeworld, play Homeworld. Some of us Real MOO2 fans, don't play Homeworld. Different game, different concepts, different tactics.
5. Planetary invasions like in Star Legions - Haven't played it, but, since MOO1, and MOO2 didnt emphasize ground combat, as a major part of the game, little should be done in this area, other than updated graphics.
6. Evil/good alignment from Galciv - NO. There is no alignment in MOO. Any player can play any race how they chose. Ants are not evil, they fight in swarms to survive, for example.
7. Ability to customize ship visuals like in Galciv, while still keeping the complexity from MoO 2 ship design. - NO. I own GalCiv2, and I felt this was a wasted area to develop. While it seem like a good idea, it makes the game larger, and ship designs end up looking too similar.
8. A great AI - vague, but, of course everyone wants to have an AI that acts and reacts smartly.
9. A huge tech tree, with race specific as well as random elements. NO. MOO2 had 7 tech levels. It was not an infinite teching game. That is what made it winable in a weekend, not years.
10. Multiplayer - Of course. Games have to have multiplayer options, such as online and LAN capabilities, or why buy it?
As a big MOO1 and MOO2 fan, and purchaser of MOO1,2,3, GalCiv2, MoM, CIV 2,3,4 (and all its expansions) including Colonization, UFO, StarCraft, Empire Earth 1,AoC exp.,3 and frequent poster (in the top 10) on Lord Brazen's MOO2 blogspot, I feel I have some knowledge of what MOO is about. As it seems Atari is disillusioned about making a MOO4 after it's disasterous attempt to change what MOO2 fans liked about MOO with its creation MOO3. I am here posting to show My continued interest in a MOO4 done right. Master of Orion was at time, alittle campy, with its purple dinosaur, but, for those of us who watched the original Godzilla, we like that version over the later remake. It was the original. It started the 4x Space game genre and every game that came after it that used ideas derived off of it owes it homage. MOO1 had great replayability, MOO2 further increased it.
If you want to know what is good about MOO2, check out it's still in use website at http://lordbrazen.blogspot.com/2005/01/download.html
click on the Community Forum at the right and read what has been done in the past few years. There are new mods, there are still online games being played, although greatly reduced. With new online playability software, a MOO4 would be a welcome addition to this series.
