<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
at	I-Application
Antares	I-Application
is	O
a	O
4X	B-Application
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
set	O
in	O
space	O
,	O
designed	O
by	O
Steve	O
Barcia	O
and	O
Ken	O
Burd	O
,	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Simtex	O
,	O
who	O
developed	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
and	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
in	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
Macintosh	B-Device
version	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
by	O
MacSoft	O
,	O
in	O
partnership	O
with	O
MicroProse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
won	O
the	O
Origins	O
Award	O
for	O
Best	O
Fantasy	O
or	O
Science	O
Fiction	O
Computer	O
Game	O
of	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
and	O
was	O
well	O
received	O
by	O
critics	O
,	O
although	O
reviewers	O
differed	O
about	O
which	O
aspects	O
they	O
liked	O
and	O
disliked	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
yardstick	O
in	O
reviews	O
of	O
more	O
recent	O
space-based	O
4X	B-Application
games	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Long	O
before	O
the	O
time	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
,	O
two	O
extremely	O
powerful	O
races	O
,	O
the	O
Orions	O
and	O
the	O
Antarans	B-Application
,	O
fought	O
a	O
war	O
that	O
devastated	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
galaxy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
victorious	O
Orions	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
exterminate	O
the	O
Antarans	B-Application
,	O
imprisoned	O
them	O
in	O
a	O
pocket	O
dimension	O
before	O
departing	O
the	O
galaxy	O
,	O
leaving	O
behind	O
a	O
very	O
powerful	O
robotic	O
warship	O
,	O
the	O
Guardian	O
,	O
to	O
protect	O
their	O
homeworld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
time	O
after	O
the	O
game	O
starts	O
,	O
the	O
Antarans	B-Application
,	O
having	O
broken	O
out	O
of	O
their	O
prison	O
dimension	O
,	O
begin	O
to	O
send	O
increasingly	O
powerful	O
fleets	O
against	O
the	O
players	O
 '	O
colonies	O
,	O
to	O
destroy	O
them	O
along	O
with	O
any	O
defending	O
ships	O
,	O
before	O
they	O
disappear	O
back	O
to	O
their	O
mysterious	O
realm	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
more	O
complex	O
than	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
,	O
incorporating	O
some	O
game	O
mechanics	O
from	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Magic	I-Application
as	O
well	O
as	O
new	O
gameplay	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Instead	O
of	O
the	O
one	O
planet	O
per	O
star	O
system	O
found	O
in	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
there	O
are	O
now	O
multiplanet	O
star	O
systems	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
shared	O
with	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
three	O
routes	O
to	O
victory	O
:	O
conquer	O
all	O
opponents	O
;	O
be	O
elected	O
as	O
the	O
supreme	O
leader	O
of	O
the	O
galaxy	O
;	O
or	O
make	O
a	O
successful	O
assault	O
against	O
the	O
Antaran	B-Application
homeworld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
To	O
seek	O
out	O
and	O
defeat	O
the	O
Antarans	B-Application
,	O
a	O
player	O
needs	O
to	O
carry	O
the	O
battle	O
to	O
the	O
Antaran	B-Application
homeworld	O
through	O
a	O
Dimensional	O
Portal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Conquering	O
the	O
Orion	O
star	O
system	O
does	O
not	O
automatically	O
win	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
although	O
doing	O
so	O
provides	O
the	O
powerful	O
Avenger	O
starship	O
and	O
several	O
non-researchable	O
Antaran	B-Application
technologies	O
that	O
make	O
winning	O
much	O
easier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
provides	O
13	O
pre-defined	O
playable	O
races	O
,	O
three	O
of	O
which	O
are	O
additions	O
to	O
those	O
available	O
in	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
a	O
single	O
hostile	O
warship	O
of	O
any	O
size	O
can	O
blockade	B-Application
an	O
entire	O
system	O
,	O
preventing	O
the	O
delivery	O
of	O
food	O
and	O
halving	O
the	O
colonies	O
 '	O
outputs	O
of	O
farming	O
and	O
industry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	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
or	O
even	O
all	O
the	O
colonies	O
in	O
a	O
star	O
system	O
;	O
opportunities	O
to	O
demand	O
such	O
concessions	O
from	O
other	O
players	O
;	O
technology	O
trades	O
;	O
trade	O
,	O
non-aggression	O
and	O
alliance	O
treaties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ships	O
can	O
travel	O
to	O
any	O
star	O
system	O
within	O
their	O
range	O
,	O
unlike	O
games	O
such	O
as	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
or	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
in	O
which	O
interstellar	O
travel	O
is	O
possible	O
only	O
or	O
mainly	O
via	O
"	O
wormholes	O
"	O
and	O
it	O
is	O
possible	O
to	O
set	O
up	O
easily	O
defended	O
choke	O
points	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
space	O
combat	O
occurs	O
only	O
within	O
star	O
systems	O
,	O
either	O
over	O
a	O
planet	O
one	O
side	O
is	O
attacking	O
or	O
on	O
the	O
outskirts	O
of	O
a	O
system	O
,	O
if	O
one	O
side	O
is	O
driving	O
away	O
the	O
other	O
's	O
blockaders	O
or	O
trying	O
to	O
prevent	O
an	O
enemy	O
build-up	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
each	O
turn	O
,	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
shows	O
a	O
report	O
in	O
which	O
items	O
link	O
to	O
the	O
appropriate	O
display	O
,	O
usually	O
to	O
a	O
colony	O
's	O
Build	O
screen	O
when	O
a	O
construction	O
project	O
has	O
been	O
completed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
designed	O
by	O
Steve	O
Barcia	O
and	O
Ken	O
Burd	O
,	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Barcia	O
's	O
company	O
Simtex	O
,	O
which	O
had	O
previously	O
developed	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
,	O
published	O
in	O
1993	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
Simtex	O
provided	O
additional	O
pre-defined	O
races	O
,	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
create	O
custom	O
races	O
,	O
and	O
multiplayer	O
options	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
"	O
Orion	O
"	O
game	O
's	O
graphics	O
had	O
also	O
been	O
heavily	O
criticized	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
included	O
higher-quality	O
artwork	O
displayed	O
at	O
a	O
higher	O
resolution	B-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
acquisition	O
continued	O
to	O
be	O
known	O
as	O
"	O
Simtex	O
Software	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Simtex	O
logo	O
appears	O
briefly	O
before	O
MicroProse	O
's	O
while	O
MOO	B-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
loading	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
MicroProse	O
released	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
at	I-Application
Antares	I-Application
for	O
IBM-compatible	O
PCs	O
in	O
1996	B-Application
,	O
and	O
an	O
Apple	B-Device
Macintosh	I-Device
version	O
was	O
published	O
a	O
year	O
later	O
by	O
MicroProse	O
in	O
partnership	O
with	O
MacSoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
secured	O
10th	O
place	O
on	O
PC	O
Data	O
's	O
computer	O
game	O
sales	O
chart	O
for	O
the	O
month	O
of	O
November	O
1996	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviews	O
were	O
generally	O
favorable	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
won	O
the	O
Origins	O
Award	O
for	O
Best	O
Fantasy	O
or	O
Science	O
Fiction	O
Computer	O
Game	O
of	O
1996	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
B	O
.	O
Geryk	O
preferred	O
the	O
simpler	O
approach	O
of	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
,	O
while	O
Tom	O
Chick	O
found	O
the	O
gameplay	O
easy	O
to	O
manage	O
and	O
much	O
more	O
engaging	O
than	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Offering	O
yet	O
another	O
opinion	O
,	O
Next	O
Generation	O
found	O
the	O
difference	O
from	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
to	O
be	O
minor	O
,	O
concluding	O
that	O
"	O
perhaps	O
the	O
biggest	O
problem	O
is	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
little	O
too	O
stagnant	O
,	O
and	O
does	O
n't	O
really	O
break	O
new	O
ground	O
in	O
the	O
now-crowded	O
galactic	O
conquest	O
genre	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Macworlds	O
Michael	O
Gowan	O
wrote	O
that	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
IIs	O
"	O
countless	O
strategy	O
options	O
will	O
keep	O
you	O
coming	O
back	O
for	O
more	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Complaints	O
that	O
the	O
loading	O
of	O
artwork	O
from	O
CD	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
run	O
slowly	O
led	O
to	O
recommendations	O
to	O
download	O
the	O
entire	O
CD	O
onto	O
hard	B-Device
disk	I-Device
before	O
play	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cale	O
Corbett	O
,	O
reviewing	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
version	O
,	O
complained	O
that	O
the	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
was	O
"	O
clunky	O
"	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
lacked	O
features	O
common	O
in	O
programs	O
originally	O
developed	O
for	O
the	O
Mac	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
the	O
Computer	O
Game	O
Developers	O
Conference	O
's	O
1996	B-Application
"	O
Best	O
Strategy/War	O
Game	O
"	O
Spotlight	O
Award	O
,	O
but	O
lost	O
the	O
prize	O
to	O
Command	B-Application
&	I-Application
Conquer	I-Application
:	I-Application
Red	I-Application
Alert	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
nominated	O
as	O
Computer	O
Games	O
Strategy	O
Pluss	O
1996	B-Application
turn-based	O
strategy	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
year	O
,	O
although	O
it	O
lost	O
to	O
Civilization	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
a	O
finalist	O
for	O
Computer	O
Gaming	O
Worlds	O
1996	B-Application
"	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
award	O
,	O
again	O
losing	O
to	O
Civilization	B-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
named	O
the	O
39th	O
best	O
computer	O
game	O
ever	O
by	O
PC	O
Gamer	O
UK	O
in	O
1997	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
series	O
set	O
a	O
new	O
standard	O
for	O
space-based	O
4X	B-Application
games	I-Application
,	O
with	O
a	O
retrospective	O
review	O
by	O
Chick	O
,	O
describing	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
a	O
towering	O
monolith	O
in	O
the	O
genre	O
that	O
has	O
cast	O
an	O
eight-year-long	O
shadow	O
over	O
everything	O
that	O
's	O
followed	O
...	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
is	O
still	O
the	O
definitive	O
name	O
in	O
space	O
opera	O
games	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
same	O
review	O
,	O
Chick	O
added	O
that	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
and	O
its	O
predecessor	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
"	O
loom	O
large	O
"	O
in	O
any	O
discussion	O
of	O
science	O
fiction	O
strategy	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
has	O
both	O
influenced	O
the	O
subsequent	O
development	O
of	O
such	O
games	O
and	O
invited	O
comparisons	O
in	O
reviews	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
2006	O
GameSpot	O
review	O
describing	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
pinnacle	O
of	O
the	O
genre	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
games	O
have	O
been	O
noted	O
for	O
their	O
similarities	O
and	O
differences	O
with	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
review	O
of	O
Space	B-Application
Empires	I-Application
IV	I-Application
made	O
several	O
comparisons	O
with	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
commenting	O
favorably	O
on	O
the	O
complex	O
tactical	O
combat	O
,	O
while	O
criticizing	O
the	O
relatively	O
"	O
sparse	O
graphics	O
and	O
sound	O
"	O
,	O
concluding	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
most	O
sophisticated	O
game	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
genre	O
,	O
but	O
that	O
it	O
built	O
"	O
on	O
the	O
basic	O
foundation	O
of	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
"	O
instead	O
of	O
"	O
breaking	O
new	O
ground	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
games	O
which	O
have	O
been	O
compared	O
with	O
Master	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	I-Application
include	O
Galactic	B-Application
Civilizations	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
which	O
James	O
Lombardi	O
praised	O
as	O
standing	O
"	O
proudly	O
next	O
to	O
its	O
famed	O
predecessor	O
"	O
(	O
although	O
it	O
"	O
did	O
not	O
include	O
the	O
tactical	O
battle	O
option	O
like	O
Masters	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
II	O
"	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Lost	B-Application
Empire	I-Application
:	I-Application
Immortals	I-Application
,	O
whose	O
scale	O
was	O
criticised	O
as	O
"	O
soulless	O
"	O
(	O
relative	O
to	O
Masters	B-Application
of	I-Application
Orion	I-Application
)	O
by	O
Jason	O
Ocampo	O
.	O
</s>
