Info about Master of Orion 2:

Official game description:
Forge an empire in a universe where population growth is stripping away planetary resources. Colonize unknown planets and trade with other races for their knowledge.  
The need for galactic expansion is critical. You must conquer alien star systems to secure the resources that will guarantee your supremacy. The ultimate goal is to defeat the evil Antarans. They lurk in the coldest reaches of space, warmed by one all-consuming passion... Revenge!  
*   One of the best 4X games ever created  
*   Absolutely addictive gameplay with a powerful "just one more turn" factor  
*   Tactical ship combat, galaxy-spanning strategy, 60 technology fields, advanced diplomacy and much more
**Note: This game is a part of Master of Orion, Collectors Edition package which includes 3 original Master of Orion titles available on Steam for the first time and new Master of Orion game published by WG Labs.  
This game will available for stand-alone purchase at a later date in the future.**

Release date: Feb 25, 2016

Categories: 4X, Turn-based Strategy, Ship Combat, Diplomacy, Technology Tree, Space Exploration, Multiplayer, Colony Simulation

Feature scans:
- Mods: score 20; verdict: Enhanced by Community; summary: The game is fully playable without mods, but a significant number of users recommend using the 1.50 fan patch for an improved experience. The fan patch is suggested for bug fixes, hotkeys, and rebalancing, indicating that while the vanilla game is functional, the community has created enhancements that are widely appreciated.

- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price:
  - Community fair range: $5.00 - $15.00
  - Reasoning: The evidence suggests that users are only willing to purchase the game when it is on sale, indicating that the current base price may be considered too high. The lack of enthusiasm for buying the game even at a sale price further supports the idea that the community perceives the fair price to be lower than the current base price.
- Playtime Metrics:
  - Game completion: 500.0h
  - Story completion: 50.0h
  - Session length: 4.0h
  - Endgame: 200.0h
  - Reasoning: The evidence provided by users indicates a high level of engagement and long-term play. Many users mention having played the game for hundreds or even thousands of hours, suggesting that the game has significant replay value and long play sessions. The typical total time to finish the game is inferred from users mentioning high playtimes. The main story/campaign completion time is harder to pinpoint but can be inferred from users mentioning long sessions and high replay value. Session length is indicated by users mentioning playing for hours on end. Endgame hours are suggested by users mentioning continued play after main objectives are completed.
- Time-to-fun:
  - Summary: Master of Orion 2 is fun from the start, especially in multiplayer mode, but may become tedious after many hours of tactical combat.
  - Stance: Fun immediately
  - Anchor: Multiplayer mode with friends
  - Time to anchor: 0h 30m
  - Friction: Steep learning curve for newcomers; Questionable AI; Repetitive diplomacy; Tactical combat becoming tedious
  - Unlock drivers: Playing with friends; Multiplayer mode; Forming alliances and backstabbing friends
  - Conditions: Single-player mode; Multiplayer mode; Playing with friends; Adjusting difficulty settings
- Player Archetypes:
  - Nostalgic Veteran (buy)
    - Motivation: Nostalgia and deep appreciation for the game's unique qualities
    - Playstyle: Prefers single-player and multiplayer experiences, often with a focus on long-term engagement and replayability
    - Experience: veteran
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: Hardcore-Strategie-SciFi-Junkies; fan of 4X
    - Reference games: Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares; Remnants of the Precursors; Master of Orion 3; Stellaris; Endless Space
  - Engaged Enthusiast (buy)
    - Motivation: Fun and engagement
    - Playstyle: Enjoys both single-player and multiplayer, often focusing on the game's fun and engaging aspects
    - Experience: familiar
    - Purchase stance: buy
    - Labels: fan of strategy games; video game enthusiast
    - Reference games: Stellaris; Endless Space; Galactic Civilizations
  - Critical Improver (sale)
    - Motivation: Improving the game and making it more accessible
    - Playstyle: Focuses on identifying and addressing the game's flaws, often suggesting patches and modifications
    - Experience: mixed
    - Purchase stance: sale
    - Labels: strategy game critic; game improver
    - Reference games: Master of Orion II: Battle at Antares; Master of Orion 3


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Engaging and addictive gameplay (weight 0.27): The gameplay is satisfying, challenging, and highly replayable. It keeps players engaged with its addictive loop and high level of engagement.
- One of the greatest 4X games (weight 0.26): The game is considered one of the best 4X games ever made, often cited as the greatest in its genre and era.
- In-depth ship design (weight 0.21): The game offers extensive ship design and modification options, adding depth to the gameplay.
- Great depth and variety (weight 0.17): The game offers astounding depth and variety, making it a classic that players can spend hours enjoying.
- Timeless classic (weight 0.17): The game is considered a timeless and outstanding classic that has aged well and remains enjoyable.
- One of the best games ever (weight 0.15): The game is frequently mentioned as one of the best games of all time, highlighting its enduring appeal and high regard among players.
- Excellent space combat (weight 0.15): The game features great space combat mechanics and glorious space battles, making it one of the best space games.
- Well-balanced gameplay (weight 0.15): The game is praised for its balanced gameplay, making it one of the most balanced games of its type.
- Easy to learn (weight 0.15): The game is accessible and easy to pick up, making it easy to learn and enjoy, though it can be tough to master.
- Well-developed features (weight 0.13): Every feature, from building to exploration, diplomacy, and the tech tree, is well-developed and fun to play. The game offers a perfect balance of strategy, depth, personality, optimization, and fun.
- Classic turn-based strategy (weight 0.12): The game is a classic example of turn-based strategy at its best, set in a space 4X context.
- Multiple victory conditions (weight 0.12): The game provides multiple ways to win and handle difficult situations, offering several victory conditions.
- Deep strategy (weight 0.1): The game is a super strategy game with deep strategic elements, often cited as one of the top strategy games ever made.
- Rewarding tactical combat (weight 0.1): The game features tense and strategic turn-based tactical combat that is rewarding and engaging.
- Balanced complexity and simplicity (weight 0.1): The game strikes a good balance between complexity and simplicity, making it accessible yet deep.
- Extensive tech tree (weight 0.1): The game features a complex and substantial tech tree, providing extensive technology options.
- Compatible with modern systems (weight 0.1): The game works well on modern operating systems, including Windows 10 and 11, as well as Linux.
- Unique research features (weight 0.1): The game offers a unique research feature and an in-depth research tree, adding to its originality.
- Fan-made patches available (weight 0.1): The game benefits from fan-made patches, such as the 1.50 fan patch, which offer additional bug fixes, hotkeys, and rebalancing.

Common complaints:
- Bugs and glitches (weight 0.27): The game is reported to be glitchy and full of bugs, including issues with Steam implementation and crashes.
- Outdated graphics and sound (weight 0.26): The game's graphics and sound are considered outdated and may not hold up well compared to modern games.
- Gameplay and balance issues (weight 0.21): There are various gameplay and balance issues, including tedious tasks, unpredictable elements, and some technologies making ships nearly invincible.
- Performance and technical issues (weight 0.19): The game has various performance and technical issues, including crashes, slowdowns, and problems with the Steam version.
- Problems with modern remakes (weight 0.18): Modern remakes have been criticized for falling apart, lacking support, and not meeting expectations.
- UI and interface problems (weight 0.17): The UI is criticized for being outdated, complex, and sometimes difficult to navigate.
- Missing features and content (weight 0.16): Criticism includes the removal of features like ship-to-ship combat and ship design, as well as lack of multiplayer support.
- Diplomacy issues (weight 0.15): The diplomacy system is criticized for being repetitive, clunky, and unpredictable.
- DOSbox and compatibility issues (weight 0.14): There are issues with the outdated DOSbox version, including hangs and compatibility problems.
- AI and gameplay mechanics (weight 0.14): The AI is criticized for being unpredictable and sometimes cheating. Some gameplay mechanics are considered outdated.
- Steep learning curve (weight 0.14): The game has a steep learning curve and can be daunting for new players due to its complexity and lack of hints.
- Issues with sequels and remakes (weight 0.12): Sequels and remakes have various issues and did not meet expectations, with specific criticism directed at Master of Orion 3.

Gameplay feedback:
- 4X strategy gameplay (weight 0.36): The game is a turn-based 4X strategy game set in space, focusing on exploration, expansion, exploitation, and extermination.
- Ship design and customization (weight 0.26): The game offers extensive options for designing and customizing ships, including improvements and tech tree decisions.
- Race and faction customization (weight 0.23): Players can customize races and factions with unique traits and characteristics, adding depth to gameplay.
- Tactical combat mechanics (weight 0.22): The game features tactical turn-based combat, including ship-to-ship and fleet battles.
- Diplomacy and war mechanics (weight 0.21): Diplomacy plays a crucial role, with options for diplomatic wins, elections, and combat tactics.
- Tech tree and research (weight 0.17): A detailed tech tree allows for strategic research and development, impacting gameplay and ship customization.
- Balanced and strategic gameplay (weight 0.17): The game is known for its balanced and strategic gameplay, offering long-lasting and challenging experiences.
- High replay value (weight 0.15): The game offers high replay value due to its complexity, randomness, and multiple win conditions.
- Multiplayer support (weight 0.12): The game supports multiplayer environments, allowing players to compete or cooperate with others.
- Colony and planet management (weight 0.12): Players can manage colonies and planets, including planning and development.
- Exploration and galaxy map (weight 0.1): Players can explore galaxies and new systems, adding to the depth of the gameplay.
- Unique events and challenges (weight 0.09): The game features unique space oddities, events, and challenges that affect gameplay.

Performance notes:
- Compatibility with modern systems (weight 0.13): The game runs well on most modern computers, including those with Windows 10 and Intel HD Graphics 4400. It also functions effectively as a DOS emulator without significant issues.
- Emulator and performance bugs (weight 0.13): Minor bugs with the emulator are reported, including issues with the initial menu screen not opening properly. The game can also stop working or start to lag heavily after 30 minutes of playtime.
- DOSBox configuration issues (weight 0.13): Players report that DOSBox hangs and requires tweaking of settings for optimal performance. There are also mentions of configuration challenges and compatibility with Wine.
- Game slowdown and crashes (weight 0.11): The game starts to slow down and crash over time, with some crashes occurring as late as 5 hours into gameplay. Frequent crashes are a common issue among players.
- Steam implementation problems (weight 0.1): There are notable bugs and poor implementation of the game on Steam. Some users report that the Steam version does not run well.
- Compatibility issues with Windows 11 (weight 0.04): Several players have encountered compatibility issues specifically with Windows 11.
- Performance in large battles (weight 0.04): Large battles tend to lock up the computer, causing significant performance issues.
- Soundtrack issues (weight 0.04): The soundtrack skips constantly, which detracts from the overall gaming experience.
- Multiplayer configuration (weight 0.04): There are configurations available for DOSBox and IPX tunneling to facilitate multiplayer gameplay.
- Patch for smooth gameplay (weight 0.04): Patch 1.50 is mentioned for providing smooth gameplay, suggesting that applying this patch can enhance the gaming experience.
- Raspberry Pi setup tweak (weight 0.04): A small tweak to the setup script is noted for Raspberry Pi, which can help in running the game on this platform.
- Fully configured port available (weight 0.04): There is a mention of a fully configured port, which could imply that a well-configured version of the game is available for players.
- DOSBox adapter upsizes screen (weight 0.04): The DOSBox adapter is noted to upsize the screen well enough, which can improve the visual display of the game.

Recommendations:
- Recommended for strategy fans (weight 0.28): This game is highly recommended for fans of strategy games, particularly those who enjoy turn-based and 4X strategy games. It is praised for its appeal to lovers of retro and space-based strategy games.
- Highly recommended game (weight 0.13): The game is highly recommended to buy and play by many reviewers. It is considered a must-have for a wide audience.
- Timeless charm (weight 0.07): The game has a timeless charm that compensates for any minor shortcomings. This charm is a significant appeal for many players.
- Buy on GOG instead of Steam (weight 0.06): Some reviewers recommend purchasing the game on GOG rather than Steam. This suggestion is made to potentially avoid issues related to the Steam version.
- Worth purchasing (weight 0.04): The game is considered worth purchasing by several reviewers. It offers value that justifies the cost.
- Remaster or release source code (weight 0.03): There are suggestions for the game to be remastered or for its source code to be released to the community. This could potentially enhance the game's longevity and appeal.
- Steam patch policy (weight 0.03): Some feedback indicates that Steam should only allow patches written by the game's maker. This suggests concerns about the quality and authenticity of patches.

Other player notes:
- Fan-based patches on Discord (weight 0.04): Players have created a Discord group dedicated to sharing and discussing fan-made patches for the game.

Emotions:
- Nostalgia (weight 0.39): Players express nostalgia due to long-term engagement with the game, often reflecting on childhood memories and the game's enduring appeal over decades. The pixelated graphics, dated sound, and timeless gameplay mechanics evoke a sense of fondness and historical significance.
- Frustration (weight 0.11): Frustration stems from technical issues such as loading problems, game crashes, and poor support on platforms like Steam. Players also find the lack of certain features, tedious management tasks, and difficulty spikes to be significant pain points.
- Joy (weight 0.1): Joy is derived from the game's engaging and fun gameplay, which includes complex systems, multiplayer environments, and high replay value. Players enjoy the game's balance, depth, and the nostalgic memories associated with it.
- Excitement (weight 0.08): Excitement is generated by the game's unique and addictive gameplay features, including deep strategic elements and a variety of engaging mechanics. The active community and continuous updates also contribute to the game's enduring appeal and high replayability.
- Satisfaction (weight 0.07): Satisfaction comes from the game's balance, simplicity, and complexity, as well as the improvements made by fan patches. Players appreciate the game's upgrade scope, modern compatibility, and its status as a top-tier game in its genre.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.07): Enthusiasm is driven by the game's fun and awesome nature, leading to high recommendations and praise. Players appreciate the detailed gameplay elements and customization options, which enhance their overall experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.05): Disappointment arises from the removal of features, comparison to less favorable sequels, and bugs or performance issues. Players also express dissatisfaction with changes in the Steam version and the publisher's handling of the game.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.05): Enjoyment is derived from the game's turn-based gameplay, ship design, and strategic elements. Despite dated graphics, the game's fun characteristics and diplomatic win options contribute to a highly enjoyable experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.05): Admiration is expressed for the game's status as a masterpiece and legend in its genre, with endless replay value. Players admire the game's perfect balance of features and its enduring quality.
- Love (weight 0.01): Love for the game is expressed as it has significantly influenced players' interests in Sci-Fi, technology, management games, and war strategy.
- Addiction (weight 0.01): Addiction is mentioned due to the game's highly engaging and addictive nature, keeping players hooked for extended periods.
- Anger (weight 0.01): Anger is caused by issues such as fan-made patches that negatively impact the game, leading to a ruined gaming experience.}