What are your strategies for taking the Guardian as early as possible?

[blackcat777]

Often when I play a game, I've already consolidated power before beating the Guardian is possible.

What is the earliest in a game you have managed to beat him? What was your strategy?

I've never done it without a Zyro shield at minimum. Automated repair is helpful but ships still get trashed without the missile def.

I think it would make the game more interesting if winning was contingent on taking Orion, and not something to do for an overpowered victory lap.

I started a new game where Orion was right next door to my home planet. I've basically conquered the large map, but am still amassing a fleet to see if I can beat the Guardian by the skin of my teeth.

I like huge ships, high energy focus, and all the frickin laser beams.

[Cyneheard]

I’m trying to remember the last time I killed Orion. I usually play in Small maps, so it’s pretty rare that I haven’t cleared out the AIs before I could take on Orion and/or it’s just not worth it because the game is already over.

[Arnuz]

2k neutron pellet gun/1k mass driver fighters, if memory serves, and enough speed to avoid scatter pack Xs for 5 shots. These fighters are quite useful against normal AIs too.

[DaveV]

I've found Sub Space Teleporter to be a silver bullet against the Guardian, along with your best beam weapon.

[Bionic Commando]

MOO1 is my absolute favorite 4X game. However, one of the features I like better about MOO2 is that there is a clear victory pathway on Impossible that involves taking Orion. As others point out, taking Orion in MOO1 is really only a novelty.

What would have to change to make Orion a viable consideration for gameplay?

[SpaceOWL]

How fast must the fighters be? Speed 4 I suppose?

[blackcat777]

What would have to change to make Orion a viable consideration for gameplay?

This is the million dollar question.

A drastic increase in AI resources and aggression during the final war phase would force the player to require Orion to continue advancing technology to beat the game.

One thing I liked about the OG vanilla no patch MOO1 is occasionally, sometimes the 32000 ship stack bug made for some serious life and death gameplay in the late game. That's also the only time advanced technology beyond the end of the tech tree has mattered.

[Arnuz]

How fast must the fighters be? Speed 4 I suppose?

Might be 3? Sorry I don't remember.

With the small fighters approach taking Orion is quite worth it, and I'd say that it comes before the equal event in moo2.

[SpaceOWL]

Are you really sure it is doable with NPGs? I'm not sure it could be done, at least not on Impossible or even at Hard. Maybe only on Average or lower difficulty levels.

[Cyneheard]

What would have to change to make Orion a viable consideration for gameplay?

This is the million dollar question.

A drastic increase in AI resources and aggression during the final war phase would force the player to require Orion to continue advancing technology to beat the game.

One thing I liked about the OG vanilla no patch MOO1 is occasionally, sometimes the 32000 ship stack bug made for some serious life and death gameplay in the late game. That's also the only time advanced technology beyond the end of the tech tree has mattered.

I remember the Huge Silicoids game where we had to play it out until the end of days (God that was a ton of micromanagement early...). Definitely fought some of those Negative Fleets with a better fleet.