Principles of Game Design

The “Next Turn” Sequence of Play for Master of Orion

From the Master of Orion Official Strategy Guide by Alan Emrich and Tom E. Hughes, Jr. (published by Prima Publishing). For an insightful article by Alan Emrich on The Decline of Strategy Guides, click here.

After you hit the Next Turn button, events go through a certain, set order. It might help you to know when these events occur in this, the Sequence of Play. They are listed in order below:

I. Computer Players Prepare

1. Computer players check to see if they’re under any peace treaties with any other players and plan their turn accordingly if they are.
2. Computer players plan their movement on the basis of their need to expand, to press attacks against previously determined target worlds they’re in the process of conquering/destroying, or in reaction to defend themselves from further attack by other players.
3. Computer players plan any new ship designs (performed randomly every 6-15 turns).
4. Computer players plan their production strategy and set their ratio bars.

II. Income and Growth

1. Transports are launched into orbit around their planet of departure and the cost is deducted.
2. Production is executed.
3. Population growth occurs.
4. Research points accrue any interest they have earned.
5. New research points are added into research totals.
6. Trade growth occurs.
7. Newly purchased spies are added.

III. Automatic Diplomatic Ratings Adjustments
 

1. Diplomacy Points are adjusted.
   1. Love nub gravitates toward its ‘natural state’ if there is no treaty or war between two players.
   2. Diplomacy Points are added if there is a trade agreement, nonaggression pact or alliance between two players.
   3. Diplomacy Points are subtracted for excessive military build-up along the borders and for owning more than one-fourth of the stars on the map.
   4. Temporary modifiers are adjust toward 0 by 10 points each.

IV. Receiving New Ships and Bases

1. Receive new Missile Bases and Planetary Shields.
2. Receive new Ships.

V. Economic Adjustments

1. Each player collects taxes and surplus industrial spending and places it in the Reserve Fund.
2. New factories are built.

VI. Movement and Space Combat

1. All ships move simultaneously.
2. Ship-to-ship combat is conducted.

VII. Spying

1. Spies that are not hiding conduct espionage and sabotage attempts. Players select sabotage targets and receive any stolen technologies at this time.

VIII. Technological Discoveries

1. The computer rolls dice for every player’s technology categories that have a discovery (percentage) chance pending this turn, notifying you of any discoveries made by your scientists.
2. If a computer player discovers its research item this turn, it reevaluates its need to spy on each race with which it is in contact.

IX. Planet Exploration

1. The results of planetary exploration are shown.

X. Enemy Colony Bombardment and Invasion

1. Orbital Bombardment is conducted.
2. Transports land.
3. Ground combat is resolved.

XI. Genocide

1. The computer checks to see if a player is completely eliminated from the game and the GNN Newsdroid announces it. If only one player survives, it is hailed as the winner of the game.

XII. Random Events

1. The computer adds 2% to the cumulative event probability chance, multiplied by the game difficulty modifier, and rolls a 100-sided die to see if an event occurs.
2. If an even occurs, it is random selected from those that have not yet occurred and the event probability is reset to 0%. The target player is determined and the event takes effect.

XIII. First Contacts

1. Any first contacts are announced. These occur if one player’s colony is within normal ship movement range - either his or he other races’ - of one of their colonies.

XIV. Diplomatic Interaction

1. All computer player-initiated diplomacy is conducted.
2. A High Council meeting is convened, when appropriate (usually every year divisible by 25). If a winner is elected, it is announced at this time.
3. Diplomatic messages to the human player from the computer players are announced. Any action or decisions required occur at this time.
4. If contact was broken with another race, notification occurs.

XV. Economic Announcements

1. Planetary production / completion messages are displayed (e.g., a planet has reached its maximum population or factories, built a Planetary Shield, etc.). Slider bars can be adjusted at this time.
2. Production numbers for the next turn are calculated so that players can fiddle with them.

XVI. Housekeeping

1. The information regarding any star system within scanning range of a player’s colonies and fleets is updated.
2. The year / turn is advanced by 1.
3. Each payer’s current technology levels are calculated - increasing with new discoveries made this turn.
4. The game is automatically saved (as it is when you exit the game).