<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
(	O
abbreviated	O
as	O
MoO	B-Application
)	O
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
,	O
4X	B-Application
science	O
fiction	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
leads	O
one	O
of	O
ten	O
races	O
to	O
dominate	O
the	O
galaxy	O
through	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
diplomacy	O
and	O
conquest	O
while	O
developing	O
technology	O
,	O
exploring	O
and	O
colonizing	O
star	O
systems	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sometimes	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
scifi-themed	O
spin-off	O
of	O
classic	O
Civilization	B-Application
,	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
proven	O
to	O
be	O
quite	O
enduring	O
,	O
becoming	O
a	O
cult	O
classic	O
in	O
its	O
niche	O
of	O
sci-fi-themed	O
4X	B-Application
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
1993	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
on	O
the	O
MS-DOS	B-Application
operating	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
Mac	B-Application
OS	I-Application
in	O
1995	O
by	O
Take-Two	O
Interactive	O
and	O
distributed	O
by	O
GameTek	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
is	O
a	O
turn-based	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
first	O
iteration	O
of	O
the	O
franchise	O
,	O
one	O
can	O
only	O
play	O
against	O
the	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
(	O
AI	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Human	O
and	O
AI	B-Application
players	I-Application
control	O
the	O
management	O
of	O
colonies	O
,	O
technology	O
development	O
,	O
ship	O
construction	O
,	O
inter-species	O
diplomacy	O
,	O
and	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
has	O
10	O
playable	O
races	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
a	O
specialty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Artifact	O
worlds	O
contain	O
relics	O
of	O
a	O
now-vanished	O
advanced	O
civilization	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ships	O
can	O
travel	O
to	O
any	O
star	O
system	O
within	O
their	O
range	O
and	O
combat	O
always	O
occurs	O
in	O
orbit	B-Application
over	O
a	O
planet	O
-	O
it	O
is	O
impossible	O
to	O
intercept	O
enemy	O
ships	O
in	O
deep	O
space	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
provides	O
a	O
wide	O
range	O
of	O
diplomatic	O
negotiations	O
:	O
gifts	O
of	O
money	O
or	O
technology	O
;	O
one-time	O
technology	O
trades	O
;	O
trade	O
pacts	O
that	O
boost	O
industrial	O
output	O
;	O
non-aggression	O
and	O
alliance	O
treaties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
AI	B-Application
player	I-Application
remembers	O
others	O
 '	O
actions	O
,	O
both	O
positive	O
and	O
negative	O
,	O
and	O
will	O
be	O
unwilling	O
to	O
form	O
alliances	O
with	O
a	O
player	O
who	O
has	O
broken	O
previous	O
treaties	O
with	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
is	O
a	O
significantly	O
expanded	O
and	O
refined	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
prototype/predecessor	O
game	O
Star	O
Lords	O
(	O
not	O
to	O
be	O
confused	O
with	O
Starlord	B-Application
,	O
also	O
released	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
in	O
1993	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Steve	O
Barcia	O
's	O
game	O
development	O
company	O
Simtex	O
demonstrated	O
Star	O
Lords	O
to	O
MicroProse	O
and	O
gaming	O
journalist	O
Alan	O
Emrich	O
who	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
Tom	O
Hughes	O
,	O
assisted	O
Barcia	O
in	O
refining	O
the	O
design	O
to	O
produce	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
;	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
manual	O
thanks	O
them	O
for	O
their	O
contributions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MicroProse	O
published	O
the	O
final	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
in	O
1994	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	O
Lords	O
,	O
often	O
called	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
0	O
by	O
fans	O
,	O
was	O
a	O
prototype	B-Application
and	O
never	O
commercially	O
released	O
(	O
its	O
intro	O
opens	O
with	O
"	O
SimTex	O
Software	O
and	O
Your	O
Company	O
present	O
"	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
crude	O
but	O
fully	O
playable	O
prototype	B-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
as	O
freeware	B-License
in	O
2001	O
,	O
stripped	O
of	O
all	O
documentation	O
and	O
copy	B-Application
protection	I-Application
,	O
in	O
anticipation	O
of	O
the	O
launch	O
of	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Major	O
differences	O
between	O
Star	O
Lords	O
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
include	O
inferior	O
graphics	O
and	O
interface	O
,	O
simpler	O
trade	O
and	O
diplomacy	O
,	O
undirected	O
research	O
,	O
a	O
lack	O
of	O
safeguards	O
to	O
prevent	O
players	O
from	O
building	O
more	O
factories	O
than	O
are	O
usable	O
and	O
the	O
use	O
of	O
transports	O
rather	O
than	O
colony	O
ships	O
to	O
colonize	O
new	O
planets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
feature	O
of	O
Star	O
Lords	O
that	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
lacks	O
is	O
a	O
table	O
of	O
relations	O
between	O
the	O
computer-controlled	O
races	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
eventually	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
download	O
on	O
FilePlanet	O
and	O
the	O
home	O
page	O
for	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
sold	O
over	O
100,000	O
copies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Emrich	O
in	O
a	O
September	O
1993	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
preview	O
described	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
as	O
"	O
the	O
best	O
that	O
galactic	O
conquest	O
can	O
offer	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
summarized	O
its	O
type	O
of	O
gameplay	O
as	O
"	O
4X	B-Application
"	O
,	O
meaning	O
"	O
eXplore	O
,	O
eXpand	O
,	O
eXploit	O
,	O
eXterminate	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
and	O
later	O
commentators	O
noted	O
earlier	O
examples	O
of	O
this	O
genre	O
,	O
including	O
Civilization	B-Application
(	O
1991	O
)	O
and	O
Reach	B-Application
for	I-Application
the	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
(	O
1983	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
magazine	O
's	O
full	O
December	O
1993	O
review	O
stated	O
that	O
"	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
is	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
games	O
where	O
one	O
must	O
actually	O
put	O
effort	O
into	O
finding	O
something	O
inadequate	O
about	O
the	O
game	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
in	O
itself	O
is	O
probably	O
the	O
highest	O
praise	O
this	O
reviewer	O
can	O
give	O
a	O
product	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
February	O
1994	B-Application
survey	O
of	O
space	O
war	O
games	O
gave	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
a	O
grade	O
of	O
A−	O
,	O
stating	O
that	O
"	O
it	O
's	O
still	O
conquest	O
,	O
but	O
it	O
's	O
conquest	O
that	O
begins	O
to	O
have	O
an	O
interesting	O
point	O
to	O
it	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
reviewer	O
wished	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
supported	O
multiple	O
players	O
,	O
but	O
predicted	O
that	O
"	O
I	O
think	O
MOO	B-Application
will	O
safely	O
reign	O
supreme	O
well	O
into	O
the	O
new	O
year	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
1994	B-Application
survey	O
of	O
strategic	O
space	O
games	O
set	O
in	O
the	O
year	O
2000	O
and	O
later	O
gave	O
the	O
game	O
four-plus	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
a	O
richly-textured	O
product	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Next	O
Generation	O
reviewed	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
rating	O
it	O
two	O
stars	O
out	O
of	O
five	O
,	O
calling	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
"	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
NOT	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
was	O
named	O
the	O
best	O
strategy	B-Application
game	I-Application
of	O
1993	O
by	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Plus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
also	O
won	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
Strategy	B-Application
Game	I-Application
of	O
the	O
Year	O
award	O
in	O
June	O
1994	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
editors	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
a	O
game	O
that	O
is	O
worthy	O
of	O
being	O
called	O
Civilization	B-Application
in	O
Space	O
 '	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
wrote	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
epitomizes	O
and	O
expands	O
the	O
'	O
Conquer	O
the	O
Galaxy	O
 '	O
motif	O
in	O
strategy	O
gaming	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1996	O
,	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
World	O
ranked	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
as	O
the	O
33rd	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
is	O
a	O
member	O
of	O
both	O
GameSpy	O
's	O
Hall	O
of	O
Fame	O
(	O
2001	O
)	O
and	O
GameSpot	O
's	O
list	O
of	O
the	O
greatest	O
games	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Gamer	O
included	O
it	O
in	O
their	O
list	O
of	O
top	O
10	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
4X	B-Application
genre	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
retrospective	O
reviews	O
,	O
Allgame	O
,	O
GameSpot	O
and	O
IGN	O
regarded	O
MoO	B-Application
as	O
the	O
standard	O
by	O
which	O
turn	O
based	O
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
set	O
in	O
space	O
are	O
judged	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
commercial	O
sequels	O
to	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
have	O
been	O
released	O
,	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
at	I-Application
Antares	I-Application
,	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
III	I-Application
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
:	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
the	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
MicroProse	O
released	O
a	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
"	O
Jr.	O
"	O
scenario	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Civ	B-Application
II	I-Application
:	O
Fantastic	B-Application
Worlds	I-Application
expansion	O
for	O
Civilization	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2001	O
,	O
Star	O
Lords	O
,	O
developed	O
as	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
prototype	B-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
freeware	B-License
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
promotion	O
for	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
III	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Also	O
a	O
potential	O
future	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
MOO	B-Application
and	O
MOO2	O
source	O
code	O
was	O
indicated	O
by	O
the	O
MOO3	O
developers	O
in	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2011	O
,	O
a	O
clone	O
of	O
MoO	B-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
titled	O
Starbase	O
Orion	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Chimera	O
Software	O
,	O
LLC	O
for	O
the	O
iPhone	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
July	O
2013	O
,	O
Wargaming	O
bought	O
the	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
franchise	O
from	O
the	O
Atari	O
bankruptcy	O
proceedings	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
"	O
reimagining	O
"	O
subtitled	O
Conquer	B-Application
the	I-Application
Stars	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
August	O
25	O
,	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
became	O
an	O
influence	O
on	O
future	O
space	O
strategy	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
described	O
as	O
a	O
4X	B-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
and	O
helped	O
establish	O
the	O
conventions	O
for	O
the	O
genre	O
going	O
forward	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
behind	O
Stellaris	B-Application
based	O
their	O
game	O
partially	O
on	O
the	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
series	O
,	O
but	O
also	O
said	O
it	O
was	O
important	O
to	O
"	O
try	O
new	O
things	O
and	O
leave	O
the	O
old	O
formulas	O
from	O
the	O
90s	O
behind	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
