Fun with Sins of a Solar Empire

Draginol

Join Date 03/2001

+137

Fun with Sins of a Solar Empire

Sins of a Solar Empire is shaping up nicely. An RTS with turn-based level depth that allows users to manage huge empires in real-time without getting bogged down in micro management.

Here are some screenshots from today's play.

Each race gets its own technology tree. Tech trees are a feature from 4X strategy games. RTS's usually don't have them. To keep micro management down, the techs have a cost associated with them but also require a certain number of labs to be built in your planets.

Building orbital labs requires logistics points which are finite per planet. So choosing to build an orbital lab means not building something else.

The scale of the game is what I find amazing. This is a small map. And if you're playing multiplayer, it lasts probably an hour or so depending on your speed settings.

But you could, literally, play the game in this view zoomed out. That's what makes Sins so amazing as a strategy game. You can, if you want, zoom in and direct each and every ship on the map and watch them battle it out or zoom out and manage your empire here -- or at any zoom level in between.

real-time

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kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

The AI is best in FFA situations where there are multiple AIs, so they can form relations with them and the player (both good and bad). It doesn't do so well in 1v1s because that cuts the diplomatic aspect out pretty much entirely.

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Fascinating. From this thread alone with the last few answers you sold me the game... Kudos.

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Thanks for the answers. Between that, the random map generator, and the fact that the focus is on skirmish (instead of a campaign I'll play one mission of and then abandon) you've probably got a sale. I may wait for the demo to be sure, but I'd be very surprised if you didn't end up with my money.

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Here's some questions:

1. What's the economy system like? Do you have to work the majority of your game time doing work, building up your economy by 'playing the spreadsheet' and 'slider micromanagement' as in GC2, or is it something simpler and less of a focus.

2. In GC2, the raw materials are cash(BC), industrial production(MP/SP) and research(RP). In Sins, the raw materials appear to be cash, metal and 'crystal'. Then where's the research?!! Do you just unlock all the techs for a certain level by building a lab of the requisite type, or do you have to build the lab, select the tech, and wait for 'x' number of seconds for it to complete?

3. You get money from population being taxed. Do you get to set the tax rate, and does this have any affect on the peoples' 'morale'? If yes, than in what way does low morale hurt, as in what election will you lose and what population growth penalties will you suffer?

Other than that, this game appears to be a more convincing buy than GC2:TA. Great war system with the tactical, strategic and logistical levels all taken into consideration, and small craft given a fighting chance(something kicked from GC2:DA). Great graphics, nice story, great civs, great(if simpler than GC2) diplomacy. I may get this game in March if it's economics system isn't too strenuous.

As for the story, it's biased in favor of the Advent. The Vasari are stalled in their desperate rush from an unknown but ultra-powerful enemy. The TEC is sandwiched with their entire force holding off the Vasari, and infighting continuing amongst themselves whilst their assets still get smashed by the Advent and the Pirates. The Advent, however, just decided to show up fine day when they thought it would be nice to take their world back.

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WIllythemailboy

Join Date 03/2006

+70

1. What's the economy system like? Do you have to work the majority of your game time doing work, building up your economy by 'playing the spreadsheet' and 'slider micromanagement' as in GC2, or is it something simpler and less of a focus.

2. In GC2, the raw materials are cash(BC), industrial production(MP/SP) and research(RP). In Sins, the raw materials appear to be cash, metal and 'crystal'. Then where's the research?!! Do you just unlock all the techs for a certain level by building a lab of the requisite type, or do you have to build the lab, select the tech, and wait for 'x' number of seconds for it to complete?

3. You get money from population being taxed. Do you get to set the tax rate, and does this have any affect on the peoples' 'morale'? If yes, than in what way does low morale hurt, as in what election will you lose and what population growth penalties will you suffer?

1. Considerably less micromanagement than GC2. If you have the resources you can set up a build list for you planet, set it going, and go on to other things.

2. Basically, yes. Each tech requires a specified number of labs and has a cash, metal, and crystal cost. Build the labs, assemble the resources, select the tech and wait x number of seconds.

3. You don't get to set the tax rate, so income is dependant on total population size. Luckily, most real planets (as opposed to inhabitable asteroids) have improvements that increase pop cap. Morale is a non-issue.

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