Editing Master of Orion (section)

==Gameplay==
''Master of Orion'' is a [[turn-based game]]. In the first iteration of the franchise, one can only play against the [[Artificial intelligence in video games|artificial intelligence]] (AI). Human and AI players control the management of colonies, technology development, ship construction, inter-species diplomacy, and combat.<ref name="MOO Manual PC iii">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. iii</ref>

The software generates a map randomly at the start of each game; the player can only choose the size of the galaxy, and the number and [[Difficulty level|difficulty]] of AI opponents.<ref name="MOO Manual PC 2">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. 2</ref> In the first game, star systems have at most one colonizable planet and a few have none. Later games have more planets.<ref name="MOO Manual PC 4">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. 4</ref>

''Master of Orion'' has 10 playable races, each with a specialty. For instance, the Humans have advantages in trade and diplomacy; the Bulrathi are the best at ground combat; the Silicoids ignore pollution and can colonize even the most hostile planets, but have slow population growth.<ref name="ManualAlienRaces">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 39-41</ref> Each race is predisposed to like or dislike some of the other races,<ref name="ManualDiplomaticRelations" /> and is advantaged or disadvantaged in different research fields. The other 7 races are; Alkari, Darloks, Klackons, Meklar, Mrrshan, Sakkra, and Psilon.

The game begins with a single homeworld, one colony ship, and two scout ships that can be used to explore nearby stars. The game will sometimes produce random events which can be harmful or advantageous. One planet is Orion, "throne-world of the Ancients" and most valuable research site in the galaxy,<ref name="MOO Manual PC 56">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. 56</ref> protected by a powerful warship, the Guardian. Victory is gained either by eliminating all opponents or by winning a vote on peaceful unification.

There are seven normal and six hostile planet types.<ref name="ManualEnvironments" /> The various hostile types require increasingly advanced technology to colonize.<ref name="ManualQuickNoRefit"/> Size determines the planet's initial population capacity. Mineral wealth dramatically influences a colony's industrial productivity while Habitability influences population growth rates. Hostile planets are the most likely to be rich or ultra-rich in minerals.<ref name="ManualEnvironments">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 11-12</ref> Artifact worlds contain relics of a now-vanished advanced civilization.<ref name="ManualEnvironments" /> All planets can be upgraded to Gaia class with the appropriate technologies.<ref name="ManualGrowingEmpire">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 31-32</ref> Planets can be upgraded in three ways:
* [[Terraforming]] increases population capacity by a fixed amount for each tech level achieved, up to a maximum of 120 extra units.
* Soil enrichment increases a planet's population capacity and growth rate but can not be used on hostile planets. The advanced version increases capacity by up to 50% of its initial value and doubles the rate of population growth. Growth is increased by assigning the planet the modifier "Fertile", and then eventually "Gaia".
* Atmospheric terraforming converts hostile planets to normal ones, making soil enrichment possible there.
Planet type does not affect the costs and benefits of terraforming and soil enrichment.

[[File:orion 000.png|thumb|left|The main screen, showing the planetary management controls on the right.]]
Sliders are used to allocate a colony's output between ship construction, planetary defenses, factory construction, ecology, and research.<ref name="ManualQuickNoRefit">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. viii</ref> Planetary population generates [[Production (economics)|production]], especially when assisted by factories.<ref name="ManualPlanetsScreen">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 23-24</ref> There is a limit on the number of factories a unit of population can operate, but building upgrades can increase this.<ref name="ManualPlanetProd">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 8-9</ref> Defense spending is used to build additional missile bases, upgrade missile bases or planetary shields.<ref name="ManualPlanetProd" /> Military and spy maintenance is deducted from every colony's production.<ref name="MOO Manual PC">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. 31</ref> A planet's output can also be transferred to the [[treasury]] at a loss.

Ships can travel to any star system within their range and combat always occurs in [[orbit]] over a planet - it is impossible to intercept enemy ships in deep space.<ref name="ManualQuickStarts">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. vi-viii</ref> Players can control space combat manually or ask the software to resolve combat automatically.<ref name="ManualShipCombat">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 27-28</ref>

===Technology===
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Tech 02.png|thumb|Most techs are incremental improvements, but each field has unique techs. {{ffdc|1=Tech 02.png|log=2016 July 8}}]] -->
The designers regard technology as the most important contribution to a player's success.<ref name="ManualTechScreen">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 25-26</ref> Funding can be put into one or all of the game's six independent [[technology tree|tech tree]] fields, including Computers, Construction, Force Fields, Planetary Science, Vehicle Propulsion, and Weapons.

If a ship uses a component from a particular technology area, further advances in that area reduce the cost and size of the component; this effect is called "miniaturization". When one has researched all of the technologies in an area of the tech tree, further research can discover "advanced technologies" in that area, which do not provide specific new capabilities but increase the miniaturization of ship components.<ref name="ManualTechScreen" />

<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:orion 006.png|thumb|left|The ship design screen showing the selection of hull sizes and components. {{ffdc|1=Orion 006.png|log=2016 July 8}}]] -->Battles are almost always decided by numbers and technology rather than by clever tactics.<ref name="SirianMOOPlayer">{{cite web | url = http://sirian.warpcore.org/moo1/player.html | title = Master of Orion - Sirian's Perspective: The Player | access-date = 2008-05-21 | last = Thomas | first = B }}</ref> Players can design and use their own ships. There are four hull sizes; smaller sizes are harder to hit while larger ships can survive more damage and hold more components. There are eight types of components, each with different effects. Only six ship designs can be used at a time.

=== Weapons ===
Weapons are used in combat, and can be mounted to ships or given to ground units. When on ships, weapons are often unique and have their own effects, with their own cost and space taken up. Weapons for ground troops make ground defense and attacks more effective.

==== Special weapons ====
Special weapons are a branch-off of weapons, which do not take up standard weapon slots, rather special slots. these cannot be stacked, unlike standard weapons. They have much more unique effects, and some just make other weapons better, rather than dealing damage themselves.

==== Biological weapons ====
Biological weapons are designed exclusively for use in attacking planets. They destroy enemy population points and reduce the target's habitability (i.e., its maximum population size), leaving any missile bases and factories there intact. Use of these weapons causes political fallout and every other player in the game shifts a level toward despising their user. Biological defenses, the Toxin Antidote and Universal Antidote, prevent the loss of 1 and 2 million in population per biological attack respectively. However, neither reduce the damage done by biological attacks to a planet's habitability.

==== Bombs ====
Bombs are weapons which are designed to attack planets rather than enemy ships. They deal more damage than any other weapon type to colonies, but cannot target ships, and always have the minimum possible range.

===Diplomacy===
''Master of Orion'' provides a wide range of diplomatic negotiations: [[tribute|gifts]] of money or technology; one-time technology trades; trade pacts that boost industrial output; [[non-aggression pact|non-aggression]] and [[Military alliance|alliance]] treaties. Players can also threaten each other, declare war and arrange cease-fires.<ref>[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 21-22</ref> Each AI player remembers others' actions, both positive and negative, and will be unwilling to form alliances with a player who has broken previous treaties with it.<ref name="ManualDiplomaticRelations">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 33-34</ref>

Under AI control, each race has a ruler personality and an objective, such as Xenophobic Expansionist or Pacifistic Technologist. These traits guide their politics and economic management; for example militarists maintain large fleets and prioritize technologies which have military benefits, while ecologists put a lot of effort into pollution control and terraforming.<ref name="ManualAlienLeaders">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 42-43</ref> Traits vary from game to game.<ref name="ManualAlienLeaders" /> Each race has most probable traits and avoids their opposites.<ref name="ManualDiplomaticRelations" /> Races may occasionally revolt and change traits, but players can force a revolt, and turn the population against the leader using spies.

===War===

Hostile actions do not automatically cause war. Clashes are even expected at the opening of the game, when all sides are sending probes out into the unknown. On the other extreme, a ground assault must be knowingly targeted at an inhabited planet, and is a massive provocation.

Colonies can be bombed from space, or taken in ground invasions. Ground invasions can be conducted through enemy defenses. Present enemy ships or missile bases will fire on the approaching transports, possibly destroying some or all of them.<ref>[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. vi, vii</ref> The invasion itself is fully automatic.<ref name="ManualCombatResolution">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] pp. 51-54</ref> Results depend on numbers, technology and (if one of the races involved is Bulrathi) racial ground combat bonus.<ref name="ManualColonyTransps" />

Invasion is expensive.<ref name="Emrich1993" /> In the first game, there are no special soldier units: the colonial population itself is sent to fight, exterminate the existing inhabitants, and form a new planetary population.<ref name="ManualColonyTransps"/><ref>[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. vi</ref> The production capacity of any remaining factories can be gleaned, and [[Looting|plundered]] of technologies if enough factories survived the attack.<ref name="ManualColonyTransps">[[#refMOOManualPC|MOO Manual (PC)]] p. 14</ref> Controlling a new system extends the range of the invader's ships.