New features planned.

Here is what I am planning for the patch in the next few patch releases:

Some new switches:

/noscan The scan button during combat will be disabled. This will limit scanning. You will still be able to see what weapons have been fired or are available as your opponent selects them.

/noreport The report button on the diplomacy screen will be disabled preventing you from seeing what technology your opponent has.

/bonus Each worker, scientist, and farmer receives a +3 bonus. It is not effected by moral, race picks, pollution, or any other effect. It also does not contribute to pollution. It is a flat bonus added after all regular calculations are done. This switch is intended to lessen the benefits of and reduce the negative effects of some race picks. Also, it should shorten multiplayer game length.

Add a new Galaxy Size:

Cluster The galaxy will contain the same number of stars and planets as a huge galaxy however they will be closer together. This should allow rapid expansion of you empire.

Add a new Technology Age:

Post-Warp All players will have technology 250RPs and below. All technology from those categories are received by all races even those who are non-creative.

Moo2v140 LAN games under Windows XP Pro

In order to play LAN games of Master of Orion II v1.40 on Windows XP Pro, you will need to follow the regular Installation on Windows XP instructions. NWLINK IPX/SPX/NetBIOS network protocal will also need to be installed.

After the IPX protocal has been installed, you will need to edit the c:\windows\system32\autoexec2.nt file and change as shown below. The lines in bold will need to be added and the lines referring to Kali should be removed to avoid conflict.

@echo off
REM Load DOS mode CD-ROM support
lh %SystemRoot%\System32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Load DOS mode DPMI support
lh %SystemRoot%\System32\dosx_sp1

REM Set parameters for Sound Blaster Emulation
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

REM Load DOS mode IPX support
lh %SystemRoot%\System32\nw16
lh %SystemRoot%\System32\vwipxspx

Issues for European XP SP2 users

I am aware of a new issue for XP SP2 users. It seems some SP2 users are having problems still with the b18 patch. Most users seem to be European. I suspect this is because non-North American or Non-English releases of XP are different.

The problems with SP2 are caused by the new version of DOSX.EXE. This version causes Orion2 to crash shortly after starting a LAN game.

In order to solve this problem on your own you can try this after applying the b18 patch:

1. Copy an old version of DOSX.EXE to your c:\windows\system32 folder. You will need to rename it as you will not be able to overwrite the SP2 version. I suggest you call it DOSX_SP1.EXE. If you have applied the service pack, there should be a hidden folder c:\windows\$NtServicePackUninstall$ where you can find the old version of dosx.
2. Next you will need to edit the c:\windows\system32\autoexec2.nt file and make sure it reads as follows. Make sure the dosx_sp1 (bolded) is the same filename you used for the old dosx. Also, make sure the path to the Kali install folder (bolded) is correct.

@echo off

REM Load DOS mode CD-ROM support
lh %SystemRoot%\System32\mscdexnt.exe

REM Load DOS mode DPMI support
lh %SystemRoot%\System32\dosx_sp1

REM Set parameters for Sound Blaster Emulation
SET BLASTER=A220 I5 D1 P330 T3

REM Load DOS mode Kali support
REM Set the Kali variable to match your own path to Kali install folder
SET Kali=C:\PROGRA~1\Kali95\
lh %Kali%KALINT.EXE %Kali%DLL\KALIVDD.DLL

1.40b19 patch developement progress

Many people have been asking me what will be included in the b19 patch. At this time, I am not entirely sure. Here is what I have done so far:

• Added 32K bytes of code space to the exe file. This gives us plenty of space for future patch code.
• Corrected a bug to do with repeat build which allowed players to buy stored production and cheat.
• Cleaned up some items within the patcher program (the program that applies the patch).

There will be more in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

Master of Orion II v1.40 Installation Instructions

How to Install Master of Orion II v1.40

Installing on Windows XP
Installing on Windows 95 / 98 / ME

NOTE: unfortunately Windows 2000 does not support DOS mode game play. Windows 2000 users cannot play using the v1.40 patch without the use of DOSbox or VirtualPC (or simular).

How to Configure for a LAN or Internet game (additional instructions)

Moo2v140 LAN games under Windows XP Pro
Moo2v140 LAN games under Windows XP Home
Moo2v140 Internet games using Kali
Moo2v140 Internet games using Hamachi