30 years later, I'm still obliterating planets in Master of Orion II-and you can, too

"There is something satisfying about making a couple thousand small choices that all add up to that galaxy map gradually changing color in your favor until the final cut scene plays, declaring you the true Master of Orion. The games I love the most are the ones where you make decisions that compound over many, many hours to a long-term payoff."

"It benefited from the lessons it could learn from more than a decade of 4X games before it, and its designers were clearly thinking about how to make it balanced and fun. They just missed the mark sometimes. For example, a big part of the game is choosing perks that customize your empire from before the first turn. One of those perks is called "Creative," which allows you to learn multiple technologies at once rather than one at a time."

Master of Orion II centers on classic 4X gameplay: exploring a simple galaxy map, developing planets, researching speculative technologies, and defeating opponents to claim dominion. The game rewards thousands of small choices that compound over many hours toward long-term payoffs and eventual victory. Design choices favor balance and fun, drawing on prior 4X lessons, but some mechanics are flawed or unbalanced. Empire customization relies on pre-game perks; one perk, "Creative," permits learning multiple technologies at once, altering progression. Nostalgia colors appreciation for the game's purity of fantasy despite those imperfections.

Read at Ars Technica