Master of Orion 2 is still sold.

Anacreon review.

Apart from Anacreon there's the FreeOrion project but it's still under heave development. The screenies look nice though.

There was one DOS 4X which was text or ASCII only game that was very good. Most of the scenarios were a bit short in contrast to the rest of the genre but the game was very good. It was the only (and still is I think) such game that you were contacted by the AI as an EMperor and it was a cool game. Haven't seen it for many years and I don't remember the title.


In addition to the games mentioned earlier, some other good 4X games for me, are, Imperium (which I think is abw, no scrap that, it was released from EA so I doubt it), Reach for the stars (the original 80s one) and Reach for the Stars (1999-2000 which has recently been re released by Matrix!). Star General (that I have recently started another game), Supremacy, which is a bit different than most of the genre and which has some very nice graphics (at least the home computer's versions).

From not yet released Sword of the stars appear to be a very good game, or at least has the potential for it, Space Empires V which strangely enough looks very much like IV :-p ) , Galactic Civilizations II (which though I have access to the BETA program I still have to install it). With the re release of Reach For the Stars I am thinking that perhaps SSG is planning to create a sequel, but that is just hope, I have no facts at all. Anyone else perhaps?

Anyway to answer the original question, my best 4X games are Galactic CIvilizations, Ascendancy, Reach For the Stars (remake), Imperium, Stars!, and my personal top, Star Trek: birth of the federation.

But by whom? I'm unaware that the game is ESA-protected. It's a Microprose title, of the same vintage as Civilization II and Master of Magic--both of which are abandonware.

This isn't a protest against protection, and I'm not trying to find weasel words to get it up on the site. I've had a copy since it was first sold (reviewed it for a magazine at the time), and I really feel that the intellectual rights to any game title should be respected. I'm just unaware that this one enjoys such protection.

I am busy scoping the-underdogs and this title seems interesting - Fragile Allegiance

Anyone know about this, the review sure makes it sound like a hit?

F.A is a cool game. Different in many respects to more traditional 4X games. You should definetely try it once. You do not capture control planets but asteroids, and the graphics are very cool IMO.

I would have to say MoO is the best 4x game besides the fact its the only one i played but it put the subgenre on the map

I personally found Galactic Civilizations to be one of the most enjoyable ones, except for the fact that I never quite managed to wage war effectively.

VGA planets 3.5 is easily the best (it even sold over 100000 copies, not bad for a sw game). MoO2 comes next. Galactic civ third for its great singleplayer AI.