[airspirit]

MoO and MoO2 were classics in the TBS/4X genre. They DEFINED space empire building strategy games ... and then they killed the series with MoO3. The reason you won't find many screenshots of MoO3 is because the graphics are terrible. Even the screens you do find are typically of race selection or diplomacy graphics, since those are the only ones that don't look like a 3rd year CS project.

I picked up the game because of what was promised to us by the developers and publishers. As it turned out, the combat grapics they showed us really were pulled from the opening movie, the AI was completely fscked (the challenge is trying to lose: it is impossible), and the UI was terrible. The beta testers described this easy to use system and ultra-tough AI, and it was a complete lie. Basically, thousands of people bought the game on the basis of what was told to them by the developers and the beta testers, only to find out that everything they were told was a complete lie.

Of course, mentioning any of that on the official boards will get you banned and publicly ridiculed. Even the most virulent fanbois have started turning against the game when they realize that it is impossible to lose on the hardest difficulty settings. All you have to do is press "next turn" repeatedly to win.