MASTER OF ORION

Technical Supplement and Reference

Our Master of Orion package should contain this technical supplement, a
manual with registration card, and a set of four 3.5 floppy disks.
Computer: IBM, or fully compatible, with 16 Mhz 386 processor or better.
System Memory: 2 MB of RAM, with 700K of EMS free.
Conventional Memory: 575K (588,800 bytes) of your base RAM must
be available.
Hard Drive: at least 14 MB of free space must be available on your
hard drive.
Graphics: VGA graphics card and VGA monitor. Floppy Drive: One 3.5
required for installation only. DOS: MS-DOS version 3.0 or
higher required.
Optional:
Mouse: Microsoft Mouse or compatible highly recommended.
Sound Cards: Sound Blaster, Ad-Lib, Pro-Audio Spectrum, or Roland MT-32
sound cards.
Master of Orion includes a program to install the game onto your hard
drive. To run this program:
1. Start up your computer normally.
2. Insert the first Master of Orion disk into your 3.5 floppy disk drive.
3. Type A: or B: (whichever refers to the drive with your disk), and press the
Enter key.
4. Type INSTALL, then press the Enter key. Follow the on-screen prompts.

CONTENTS
MINIMUM SYSTEM
REQUIREMENTS

INSTALLATION

INSTALLATION (CONT)

The main menu of the INSTALL program has four options:

Install Game Files to Hard Disk: Will decompress and copy the game
files from your floppy disks onto a directory that you specify on your hard
drive. Because the files on the floppy disk are compressed, you MUST use
this option to copy the game files to your hard drive.
Reconfigure Hardware Options: Allows you to configure hardware settings for your sound card and interface. The highlighted menu options are
the ones that the INSTALL program believes are available in your system.
You may still select settings that are greyed out. Generally, the farther
down the menu, the more advanced the sound system.
If the sound device you have selected requires specific configuration settings for address, IRQ, and/or DRQ, it will request them. The Install program will try to preselect the options it believes are correct for your system.
Check the documentation that came with your sound card, and any notes
on the settings used for address, IRQ, and/or DRQ when you installed the
card in your computer. If you do not set these correctly, you may not hear
the correct sound and music, or possibly Master of Orion may not run
at all.
After setting options for sound drivers, you may configure the interface
for either mouse or keyboard usage. We highly recommend using a
mouse with Master of Orion.
Display README.TXT file: The README.TXT file contains information
too recent to be included in the manual or this Technical Supplement.
Exit to DOS: leaves the INSTALL program, ready to play Master of
Orion. If you later need to change your hardware settings, or read the
README.TXT file, you can run the INSTALL program again from your
hard drive.
NOTE: As part of its auto-detection routines, the INSTALL program
checks for any installed sound cards. Certain sound cards may cause your
computer to lock up when this routine runs. If you experience this problem, you may run the INSTALL program without checking for sound cards
by typing INSTALL -S instead of just INSTALL. This bypasses the check,
and lets you select any sound card in the menu. Be careful to use the
right settings.

Master of Orion requires that 575K (588,800 bytes) of your conventional RAM be available. To check how much RAM you have available, type
MEM and press Enter.
The memory report shows a number for the largest executable program
size. If that is less than 588,800 bytes, you may have to modify your system configuration to remove some memory resident programs that take
up that space.
Once Master of Orion is properly installed and configured on your hard
drive, you are ready to play the game. Change to the subdirectory
containing Master of Orion. If you installed with the default options, you
would type:
CD C:\MPS\ORION
then press Enter. Once you are in the correct subdirectory, then you type:
ORION
and press Enter to begin the game.
Your goal in Master of Orion is nothing less than conquest of the
galaxy. To do this, you must:
Use the resources of your planets to develop their industry, defense,
research, ecology, and ship production.
Send out ships to discover and colonize new planets.
Deal with other races that you encounter in space through diplomacy,
trade, espionage, sabotage, and warfare.
Research new technologies in Computers, Force Fields, Planetology,
Construction, Propulsion, and Weapons.
Design new ships with new technologies, to aid you in accomplishing
your goals.
If this is your first game, we recommend that you play in a Medium sized
galaxy (not Small), at Simple difficulty, with 3 other Races. Play as either the
Alkaris, Silicoids, or Klackons; they are the easiest for new players.

MEMORY REQUIREMENTS

STARTING THE GAME

PLAYING MASTER OF ORION

YOUR FIRST GAME

ONLINE HELP
GAME CONTROLS

THE MAIN SCREEN

Most game screens in Master of Orion have built in help displays to

explain the controls. To see the help displays for any screen, press the F1
Function key on your keyboard.
We highly recommend the use of a mouse to play Master of Orion. The
left mouse button is always used to select an option, and the right mouse
button to cancel a selection.
The numeric keypad can be used instead of a mouse, to move the pointer. Be sure that the Numlock is turned on. Pressing Enter selects an option,
and pressing the Esc key cancels a selection. To scroll the game map, hold
down the Ctrl key while pressing the numeric keys.
Most buttons on screen can be activated by pressing the keyboard key
corresponding to the first letter of the buttons name. There are a few
exceptions to this rule:
Main Screen: RELOCATE = L
TRANSPORT = X
Fleet Screen: SPECS = V
Combat: SPECIAL = X
Many screens: (down arrow) = <
(up arrow) = >
F1= online help.
F2 = next planet.
F3 = previous planet.
The main game screen includes a large window displaying a portion of
the galaxy, a right side panel with planetary information and/or control
displays, and a row of buttons at the bottom of the screen to access other
control and information screens.
In the galaxy window, you can select stars or fleets of ships. If you
select a star that you have colonized, the right panel can be used to allocate its resources, build ships in its docks, relocate completed ships to
other colonies, or transfer population to other star systems. If you click
again on an already selected star system, the display will change to show
you more information about that star.
If you select a star that you have not colonized, the right panel displays
what information you have about that star system.
If you select a fleet orbiting a planet, the right panel lets you order ships
from that fleet to other star systems. If you select a fleet already in space,
the panel displays its composition, destination, and ETA.

You control the allocation of your planetary spending, and the distribution of your research efforts, using ratio bars. A group of ratio bars shows
how a resource is being divided among several different areas. The total
value of all the bars must always equal 100% of the resource being allocated. Therefore, if you reduce one bar, another will lengthen; lengthen a
bar, and another must get shorter.
To change the setting of a ratio bar, you simply click in the bar area at
the position you want the setting to be. Other bars will change their settings to compensate, so that the total values of all the bars still adds up to
100%. You may have finer control over bar settings by pressing the arrows
on the left and right of the bars, or by using + and - keys when the ratio
bar is selected.
If you wish to lock down a bars setting, so that changing other ratio
bars does NOT affect its setting, click on the bars title, at the left of the bar
you wish to lock. The title will change colour, and changing ratios in other
bars cannot affect the locked bars resources. You can unlock the ratio bar
setting by clicking on the title again.
Buttons at the bottom of the Main screen access other screens with
more detailed information and control displays:
Game: lets you save and load games, change settings for sound, and quit
the game.
Design: lets you design new types of ships. You can have no more than
six types of ships active at any one time.
Fleet: shows you where all of your ships are, what their specifications
are, and lets you choose any ship types to scrap to make room for
newer designs.
Map: displays an overview of the entire galaxy.
Races: controls your interactions with other races you have contacted.
Here you can speak to their ambassadors, send out spies, and see how
your race stands compared to others.
Planets: summarises information about all of your colonies, and your
empires economic status.
Tech: shows you the technological advances you have, and allows you to
set the ratios for your six areas of research.
Next Year: ends this turn, and sends the game onto the next one.

RATIO BARS

OTHER GAME FUNCTIONS

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT TABLE

Technology
Level

Computers

Construction

Force Fields

1.
2.

Battle Computer Mark I

ECM Jammer Mark I

Titanium Armour

Class I Deflector Shield

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

Improved Industrial Tech 9

Deep Space Scanner
Battle Computer Mark II

Reduced Industrial Waste 80%

Class II Deflector Shield

ECM Jammer Mark II

Improved Robotic Controls III

Improved Industrial Tech 8

Personal Deflector Shield

Battle Computer Mark III

Duralloy Armour

Class III Deflector Shield

Battle Suit
ECM Jammer Mark III
Improved Space Scanner

Class V Planetary Shield

Battle Computer Mark IV

Improved Industrial Tech 7

Automated Repair Units
Reduced Industrial Waste 60%

ECM Jammer Mark IV

Improved Robotic Controls IV

Zortrium Armour
Improved Industrial Tech 6

Class IV Deflector Shield

Repulsor Beam

Battle Computer Mark V

ECM Jammer Mark V
Advanced Space Scanner
Battle Computer Mark VI

Class V Deflector Shield

Personal Absorption Shield
Class X Planetary Shield
Improved Industrial Tech 5
Armoured Exoskeleton
Reduced Industrial Waste 40%

Class VI Deflector Shield

Technology
Level
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.

Computer Tech

Construction Tech

Force Fields

Andrium Armour
ECM Jammer Mark VI
Improved Robotic Controls V

Cloaking Device
Improved Industrial Tech 4

Battle Computer Mark VII

Class VII Deflector Shield

ECM Jammer Mark VII

Zyro Shield
Class XV Planetary Shield

Improved Industrial Tech 3

Hyperspace Communications
Tritanium Armour
Battle Computer Mark VIII
Reduced Industrial Waste 20%

Class IX Deflector Shield

Advanced Damage Control

ECM Jammer VIII
Improved Robotic Controls VI

Improved Industrial Tech 2

Stasis Field
Personal Barrier Shield

Battle Computer Mark IX

Powered Armour

Class XI Deflector Shield

Class XX Planetary Shield
Black Hole Generator
Class XIII Deflector Shield

41.
42.
43.
44.
45.

ECM Jammer Mark IX

Adamantium Armour

Battle Computer Mark X

Industrial Waste Elimination

46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Oracle Interface
ECM Jammer Mark X
Improved Robotic Controls VII
Technology Nullifier
Battle Computer Mark XI

Lightning Shield

Neutronium Armour

Class XV Deflector Shield

Technology
Level

Planetology

Propulsion

Weapons

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Ecological Restoration
Terraforming +10
Controlled Barren Landings

Retro Engines (Warp 1)

Lasers and Nukes

Hand Laser

Hydrogen Fuel Cells (Range 4)

Improved Eco Restoration

Deuterium Fuel Cell (Range 5)

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Controlled Tundra Landings

Nuclear Engines (Warp 2)

Terraforming +20
Dead Planet Landings
Death Spores

Irridium Fuel Cells (Range 6)

Inertial Stabilizer

11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Controlled Inferno Landings

Enhanced Eco Restoration
Terraforming +30
Controlled Toxic Landings

16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

Soil Enrichment
Bio Toxin Antidote
Radioactive Landings

21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

Cloning
Atmospheric Terraforming

Terraforming +40

Advanced Eco Restoration

Sub-Light Drive (Warp 3)

Dotomite Crystals (Range 7)
Energy Pulsar
Fusion Drive (Warp 4)
Uridium Fuel Cells (Range 8)
Warp Dissipator

Reajax II Fuel Cells (Range 9)

Impulse Engines (Warp 5)

Hyper-V Rockets
Gatling Laser
Anti-Missile Rockets
Neutron Pellet Gun
Hyper-X Missile
Fusion Bomb
Ion Cannon
Scatter Pack V Rockets
Ion Rifle
Mass Driver
Merculite Missiles
Neutron Blaster
Anti-Matter Bomb
Graviton Beam
Stinger Missiles
Hard Beam
Fusion Beam
Ion Stream Projector
Omega-V Bomb
Anti-Matter Torpedoes
Fusion Rifle
Megabolt Cannon

Technology
Level
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Planetology

Propulsion

Terraforming +50
Doom Virus

Star Gates

Advanced Soil Enrichment

Trilithium Crystals (Range 10)

Ion Drive (Warp 6)

Terraforming +60
Complete Eco Restoration

High Energy Focus

Universal Antidote

Anti-Matter Engines (Warp 7)

Terraforming +80

Sub space Teleporter

Bio Terminator

Ionic Pulsar

Advanced Cloning

Thorium Cells (Unlimited Range)

Interphased Drive (Warp 8)
Sub Space Interdictor

Terraforming +100
Combat Transporters
Inertial Nullifier

Terraforming +120

Weapons
Phasor
Scatter Pack VII Rockets
Auto Blaster
Pulson Missile
Tachyon Beam
Hand Phasor
Gauss Auto Cannon
Particle Beam
Hercular Missiles
Plasma Cannon
Distruptor
Pulse Phasor
Neutronium Bomb
Hellfire Torpedoes
Zeon Missiles
Plasma Rifle
Proton Torpedoes
Scatter Pack X Missiles
Tri-Focus Plasma

Hyper Drive (Warp 9)

Stellar Convertor
Neutron Stream Projector
Mauler Device

Displacement Device

Plasma Torpedoes

WEAPONS TABLES
BEAM WEAPONS
Weapons
Laser
Heavy Laser
Gatling Laser
Neutron Pellet Gun
Ion Cannon
Heavy Ion Cannon
Mass Driver
Neutron Blaster
Heavy Blast Cannon
Graviton Beam
Hard Beam
Fusion Beam
Heavy Fusion Beam
Megabolt Cannon
Phasor
Heavy Phasor
Auto Blaster
Tachyon Beam
Gauss Autocannon
Particle Beam
Plasma Cannon
Disruptor
Pulse Phasor
Tri-Focus Plasma
Stellar Converter
Mauler Device

Level

Damage

Cost

Size

Power

1
1
5
7
10
10
13
15
15
17
19
20
20
25
26
26
28
30
32
33
35
37
38
45
46
48

1-4
1-7
1-4
2-5
3-8
3-15
5-8
3-12
3-24
1-15
8-12
4-16
4-30
2-20
5-20
5-40
4-16
1-25
7-10
10-20
6-30
10-40
5-20
20-50
10-35
20-100

3
9
9
3
4
11
9
6
18
6
12
7
21
8
9
26
14
9
28
15
12
21
25
25
50
55

10
30
20
15
15
45
55
20
60
30
50
20
60
30
20
60
30
30
105
90
30
70
40
70
200
150

30
90
70
25
35
105
50
60
180
60
100
75
225
65
90
270
75
80
105
75
110
160
120
180
300
350

BOMBS
Weapons
Nuclear Bomb
Fusion Bomb
Death Spores
Anti-Matter Bomb
Omega-V Bomb
Doom Virus
Neutronium Bomb
Bio Terminator

10

Level
1
8
10
16
22
27
39
40

Damage
3-12
5-20
1 population
10-40
20-50
2 populations
40--70
3 populations

AND

Cost
3
4
10
5
8
15
10
20

Notes

2 space range
fires 4 times per turn
halves enemy shield strengths
2 space range
halves enemy shield strengths
2 space range
damage carries over from one target to another
halves enemy shield strengths
2 space range
+3 levels to hit
2 space range
fires 3 times per turn
damage carries over from one target to another
fires 4 times per turn, halves enemy shields
halves enemy shield strengths
2 space range
fires 3 times per turn
3 space range/hits all four shields

BIOLOGICALS
Bombs
10
10
5
10
10
5
10
5

Size
25
25
50
50
75
100
90
150

Power
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0

Notes

biological weapon

biological weapon
biological weapon

MISSILES
Weapons
Nuclear Missiles
Hyper-V Rockets
Hyper-X Missiles
Scatter Pack V Rockets
Merculite Missiles
Stinger Missiles
Anti-Matter Torpedoes
Scatter Pack VII Missiles
Pulson Missile
Hercular Missiles
Hellfire Torpedoes
Zeon Missiles
Proton Torpedoes
Scatter Pack X Missiles
Plasma Torpedoes

AND

TORPEDOES

Level

Dmg

Cost

Size1

Power1

Bonus

Speed2

1
4
7
11
14
18
23
27
29
34
40
41
43
44
50

4
6
8
6
10
15
30
10
20
25
25
30
60
15
150

7
9
12
18
13
19
30
28
20
26
50
30
50
30
150

50
70
100
115
105
155
75
230
160
220
150
250
100
250
150

20
20
20
60
20
30
300
50
40
40
350
50
400
50
450

0
0
+1
0
+2
+3
+4
+2
+4
+5
+6
+6
+6
+3
+7

2
2.5
2.5
2.5
3
3.5
4
3
4
4.5
5
5
8
3.5
6

Range3 Notes
4
5
4
5
6
7
8
6
8
9
10
10
10
7
10

splits into five warheads

splits into seven warheads

hits all four shields

best missile for missile bases
splits into ten warheads
loses 15 strength/space

1. Values for size and power apply to 2 rack missile launchers. Five rack launchers are 50% larger and more expensive than 2 rack launchers.
2. Two rack missiles have a +1 speed bonus and +2 range.
3. Planetary missile base launchers have double the normal range.

11