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Only two weeks until release!

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Only two weeks until release!

You've got questions? We've got answers!

from Sins Forums

In just over two weeks, Sins of a Solar Empire will be made publicly available!  After literally years of development, the big day is just about here.

Creating an RTS with the kind of depth usually only seen in a 4X strategy game wasn't impossible, just very difficult. Thanks to the public beta, we've been able to combine the best of both worlds.  The last public beta of Sins was back in November.  Since then, a huge number of improvements and enhancements have been made to the builds. 

For every RTS player whose seen a good RTS wrecked by cheese tactics, connection problems, dropping players, rushing, or swarming, Sins is for you.  We've been there. We've read the same forums you have.

And for every 4X strategy game player who's tried a real-time strategy game only to discover it was a "click-fest" in which victory went to the guy whose memorized the perfect build order, the arcane hot keys and can micro-manage 50 units, Sins is for you. Sins is the game in which victory is based on OODA (Observe, Orient, Decide, Act). Build your strategy and execute on it.

So ask us anything. In the meantime, below are some screenshots taken on my laptop (which I'll be using next week at G4's XPlay to demo the game live). I took these at the minimum resolution so you can see the breadth of hardware support this game has (it looks incredible on state of the art mega machines but will still play fine on your 3 or 4 year old PC).

Some screenshots and descriptions.

2008-01-20_1404 2008-01-20_1421

 

2008-01-20_1516 2008-01-20_1522

We'll follow-up this news item with another with answers to your questions. Ask away!

89,842 views 92 replies
Reply #51 from Sins Forums Top
I imagine the servers easily being able to sustain 56k speeds to everyone... :LOL:
Reply #52 from Sins Forums Top
Not that you'd care about it being so slow since you're still sitting on your old 14.4!
Ashes of the Singularity II
Reply #53 from Sins Forums Top
Ok, here is a couple questions

Can I turn off the HUD for screenshots?

Can I set an option to leave the HUD on but for it to not render to the screenshot?

I see in the bottom left screenshot that there are a lot of overlaid icons. Can I change the level of zoom where icons start appearing? Are icons occuled by ships and structures?

How far will the empire tree extend into the main game area? How is the empire tree sorted? Can I reorder and/or regroup items in the empire tree?

What items can be renamed? Can I set persistant default names for my capital ships? Can I set several names for each capital ship type and have them automatically rotated through?
(EG: Define Hive, Swarm, and Hornet as carrier names and have the game pick an unused one and assign it and an incremented Number/Roman Numeral to newly created ships.)
Reply #54 from Sins Forums Top
I think it would be better to create some kind of planetkiller, it gives a great dimension to the game. Especially you have some kind of conquest mode in sins of a solar empire. Or a planet selfdestruct option on your capital planet as a last resort when your enemy has you completelty surrounded. Like the Asgard in stargate sg1.
Reply #55 from Sins Forums Top


And why don`t you use some kind of cinamatic option, for example when you use the planet killer the game will switch to a small videoclip were you can see the planetkiller in action. This is what the people are asking for this is always that little extras that makes a space strategy game complete. You have spend the last 2 years creating this game and so far it looks absolutly great, it exceeds every space strategy game i have ever played, ihope you give it a finishing touch that will makes us smile.

regards Jorgen ;) 
Reply #56 from Sins Forums Top
Videoclips/cinematics in the middle of an RTS (or pretty much any real-time game these days) = nothx. It interrupts the game for something that can just as easily be done in engine. Ends of missions/campaigns are one thing. Middle of a match is another.

Reply #57 from Sins Forums Top

Can I turn off the HUD for screenshots?

Yes.

Can I set an option to leave the HUD on but for it to not render to the screenshot?

No.

I see in the bottom left screenshot that there are a lot of overlaid icons. Can I change the level of zoom where icons start appearing? Are icons occuled by ships and structures?

No, it depends on when they'd become too small to see (it's dynamic on a per ship basis). You can use cinematic mode which gets rid of the icons entirely, tho.

How far will the empire tree extend into the main game area? How is the empire tree sorted? Can I reorder and/or regroup items in the empire tree?

Depends on your resolution. A scrollbar will appear if it gets too long to display everything. The tree is sorted by fleets, planets (structures, ships in the gravity well), etc. You can pin specific items to the empire tree but you can't reorder it as such.

What items can be renamed? Can I set persistant default names for my capital ships? Can I set several names for each capital ship type and have them automatically rotated through?

You can rename planets, ships, maybe even stars (I haven't tried it). You can't set persistant names to your capital ships, but you could mod the game to use a custom list.

Reply #58 from Sins Forums Top
3 more days until the X-play with sins!
Reply #59 from Sins Forums Top
You can pin specific items to the empire tree but you can't reorder it as such.


What do you mean by pin? Do these items sort to the top or similar?
Reply #60 from Sins Forums Top
When you pin something it remains on the Empire Tree at all times, at the top.
Reply #62 from Sins Forums Top

@Thrawn2787

What do you mean by x-play


It is a gamer focused TV show.
Reply #63 from Sins Forums Top

I see in the bottom left screenshot that there are a lot of overlaid icons. Can I change the level of zoom where icons start appearing? Are icons occuled by ships and structures?

No, it depends on when they'd become too small to see (it's dynamic on a per ship basis). You can use cinematic mode which gets rid of the icons entirely, tho.



Uh?


Chattermouth:

What about ship icons on the map? I saw on the introduction video that ships become icons at a certain distance. Is this the distance at which the ships become icons ajustable? Graphics and performance aside, I would like them to remain ships for as long as possible.

Customisation for teh win


Blair Fraser:

Yes, you can adjust the distance at which they become icons or you can turn it off altogether.

( link: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?forumid=402&aid=173508 ).

So which is it? O.O
Reply #64 from Sins Forums Top
Only two weeks until release!

far thee well beta community! I loved you so!
Reply #65 from Sins Forums Top
I am curious about map designer feature as per screenshot 1

What parameters can we exactly tweak / design with this one?

What are the limitations?

Can we save this newly created map?

Can we share this newly created map with other players?

Where maps are hosted - on remote official servers or locally or both?

Few general and enlightening words in regards to map maker would be appreciated :)

Thanks in advance!



Reply #66 from Sins Forums Top

There's lots of parameters: number of stars, number of planets in a star system, types of planets in a star system, phase lane distance between planets, etc. You can be as specific or general as you want. Maps are saved to your PC and you can upload them to share if you like. If you're playing a multiplayer game and you're the host, you can even use one of your creations - it will be automagically setup for all the other players with no prior downloads.

Of course, if that's not good enough, you'll also be able to use the Galaxy Forge tool once it's released for uber-power. ;)

Reply #67 from Sins Forums Top
didn't the asguard blow their selves up cos they were all dieing from a disease from and experiment to try and solve thier problem of them not being able to reproduce lol. I just have to say this.
Reply #68 from Sins Forums Top
didn't the asguard blow their selves up cos they were all dieing from a disease from and experiment to try and solve thier problem of them not being able to reproduce lol. I just have to say this.


no it was the ancients that were suffering from a plague and were forced to leave the milky way..the asgaurd blew up their planet to destroy the replicators...(if memory serves)
Reply #69 from Sins Forums Top
no, the asguard were a slowly dying race that couldnt breed because they had fucked their genome up too much :P

you think someone would notice the little infertility bit before you distributed it to over a billion people...

in any case, whut? what does this have to do with anything?
Reply #70 from Sins Forums Top

didn't the asguard blow their selves up cos they were all dieing from a disease from and experiment to try and solve thier problem of them not being able to reproduce lol. I just have to say this.


no it was the ancients that were suffering from a plague and were forced to leave the milky way..the asgaurd blew up their planet to destroy the replicators...(if memory serves)


Actually, in the final SG-1 episode it was revealed that the Asguard's latest atttempt to solve their inability to reproduce had introduced a slowly debilitating disease into their entire species. Rather than suffer the inevitable, they granted humans their "legacy" -- the sum total of their knowledge and technology -- and then destroyed their planet to both end their own lives (and take out a few Ori ships in the process :D ) and insure that no other species would acquire their technology.
Reply #71 from Sins Forums Top


didn't the asguard blow their selves up cos they were all dieing from a disease from and experiment to try and solve thier problem of them not being able to reproduce lol. I just have to say this.


no it was the ancients that were suffering from a plague and were forced to leave the milky way..the asgaurd blew up their planet to destroy the replicators...(if memory serves)


Actually, in the final SG-1 episode it was revealed that the Asguard's latest atttempt to solve their inability to reproduce had introduced a slowly debilitating disease into their entire species. Rather than suffer the inevitable, they granted humans their "legacy" -- the sum total of their knowledge and technology -- and then destroyed their planet to both end their own lives (and take out a few Ori ships in the process ) and insure that no other species would acquire their technology.



ahh..i missed the final SG-1 episode..i like to pretend they never ended
Reply #72 from Sins Forums Top
actually thats the premise of the last episode: the legend goes on.

on the quality of episodes (despite the fact that it was post-o'neill) I rate the last episode a solid 9, only missing a point because its so sad that its over. They effectively summed up the rest of their lives WHILE simultaneously letting us know that they will forever continue their journy.

really, it was good.
Reply #73 from Sins Forums Top

Are there any planetary defenses in this game. You know like gun turrets or plasma cannons that are built on the planet. ;)  ;) 
Reply #74 from Sins Forums Top
On the planet, no. In orbit of the planet, yes :P
Reply #75 from Sins Forums Top
I'll probably disapear when the game goes public I dont stick around on forums where you have hundreds of posters a day.