I played the original MOO (that's Master of Orion for those of you not in the know) and was instantly hooked to that venerable classic. But with no multiplayer support for the original I simply had to await the next installment. And then in 1996 it came. I love this game. I love this game, this constant source of irritation, glory, happiness, grief, anger, sorrow, and consternation all in one. Starting out as one of several races, each with it's own unique characteristics (Humans are good at diplomacy, Psilons are good at research, etc.), you start one one small planet in an huge universe, research your way to building better, and fully customizable ships, to both explore and conquer the other races. Along the way you'll meet the other races and either ally with them or oppose them. And when one crosses you by dropping bio bombs on your planet, rendering it almost uninhabitable, you'll seek the nothing short of the very destruction of thier race. I will make the Alkari bird beaks pay for thier insolence...with thier very existence! *Sigh*...it gets to you after a while, but you'll just have to trust me when I say that it is a very *good* addiction that you won't regret!