Zoomba Zoomba

Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment Announced!

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Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment Announced!

Dig in for the long haul

https://store.stardock.com/product.aspx?productid=ESD-TGN-W302&theme=impulse
from Sins Forums

Today Stardock & Ironclad Games are proud to announce the first of several micro-expansion packs, for the award-winning Sins of a Solar Empire.  The first micro-expansion Sins of a Solar Empire: Entrenchment is currently in development and will be released late 2008 for $9.95 via Stardock’s Impulse digital distribution platform (www.impulsedriven.com).

Developed by Ironclad Games, Sins of a Solar Empire is a real-time strategy game that adds an extreme amount of depth normally only seen in turn-based releases. One of the highest ranking real-time strategy games of 2008, the title has sold over half a million copies and won several Editor’s Choice awards.

Specifically, Entrenchment promises to bring fans a Starbase defense platform for each race (extremely powerful and armored bases housing a variety of weapons and other upgrades capable of defending an entire planet), turret upgrades for each race to make them more powerful (not only stronger than the current versions, but also upgradable with long-range weapons), mine fields and a Subspace Inhibitor platform that will slow enemy ships within its range.

Ironclad has two additional micro-expansions in development as well. One of which adds new diplomacy features to the game and another that will add new technologies and ships.

The expansions are being developed to prevent fracturing of the multiplayer community. If both players have a given expansion pack installed, the features are available, but if one does not, the expansion pack features are disabled for that particular game.

You can pre-order the micro-expansion now for $9.95 directly from the Impulse Store.  Entrenchment is only available through Impulse.

302,255 views 139 replies
Reply #101 from Sins Forums Top

The three mini-expanstions are the only thing that will be in the rollup expansion. i.e. no campain.

Reply #102 from Sins Forums Top

Quote Zoomba:

All of the micro-expansions will be rolled-up into the big full expansion pack we've been talking about since launch. You know, the one with the campaign and all of that good stuff?

 

:fox:

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #103 from Sins Forums Top

How nice.

Since I can't get impulse to install on my computer, I will have find another way.

I even gave impulse admin rights.  It still failed.

What the hell was wrong with stardock central?  Whats so goddamn better about impulse?

I personally think they put in a ton of security that they are not telling anyone.

I hope they put this expansion on dvd so I can buy it.

Whats the point of having a download only item, when you can't download it?

Whats the point of Impulse if it doesn't work on EVERYONE'S machine?

Did someone hack stardock central?  Is that WHY impulse is SO MUCH BETTER?

 

Reply #104 from Sins Forums Top

Please contact Stardock support or make a post in the Impulse forum to get help. Just one quick point: As I recall, SDC can't handle anything over 2GB.

And quoting Kryo (Again):For those who want a "normal" expansion pack, there will be one that combines all of the micros into one box. Obviously though it won't be until after they're all done.

 

:fox:

Reply #105 from Sins Forums Top

Umm it would make a lot of sense if the game has an incredible online match experience with "alot" of players.  But, I have yet saw 300 people online at the same time...........so, doesn't 10$ seem a bit too much for a micro expansion pack? 

WC III added many neutral heros and new items for no charge whatsoever, and had being continue to do so.   I am just saying.

Reply #106 from Sins Forums Top

Sins has always been a predominantly single player game ;) As for Blizzard adding neutral heroes, well, they didn't need to do much for them. The models, etc were in the game already. Aside from the fact that a complete feature list for Entrenchment hasn't been announced, the starbases are already known to be a big gameplay mechanic change, something which the WC3 extra heroes were far from :P

Reply #107 from Sins Forums Top

It's amazing in Lan games. Get a friend round and install it on a second computer! Soo much fun.

Reply #109 from Stardock Forums Top

For me, it's a Single-Player game, no interest in MP at all !

Do hope the add-ons will be available threw retail though, not going to buy it threw Impulse !

Reply #110 from Sins Forums Top

Do hope the add-ons will be available threw retail though, not going to buy it threw Impulse !

Probably, but not until the triple-pack.

Reply #111 from Sins Forums Top

Once we have enough of the micro expansions, we plan to put them together and release it as a traditional retail expansion pack.

The expansion packs are designed to aid in both the single player and multiplayer experience. :)

Reply #112 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 11

The expansion packs are designed to aid in both the single player and multiplayer experience.

 

That is sensible, but I still don't see how it adresses the online player fragmentation. Lowest common denominator certainly wont work. People will just advertise requrements and boot anyone that doesn't meet them.

Reply #113 from Sins Forums Top

What else can they do, though, short of not offering anything? MP fragmentation will be decided by the community. They're doing the only thing they can do by not making a hard requirement that only people with expansions can play with each other, and instead making it so that expansions disable themselves when playing with people who don't have them.

Beyond that, how can they control it?

Reply #114 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Annatar11, reply 13
What else can they do, though, short of not offering anything? MP fragmentation will be decided by the community. They're doing the only thing they can do by not making a hard requirement that only people with expansions can play with each other, and instead making it so that expansions disable themselves when playing with people who don't have them.

Beyond that, how can they control it?

the COH and DOW expansion model comes to mind. Everyone gets the assets, but only the purchasers of the expansion can play with the new sides :)

That's a great way to prevent fragmentation and also encourage people to pick up the new release...

Reply #115 from Sins Forums Top

I'm afraid in the case of Sins this would be rather bad. Imagine one guy having space stations, and the other not - it will create a bad imbalance. :P

Reply #116 from Sins Forums Top

So, Just double-checking, After you do all three micro-expansions are done. You will put them into 1 expansions pack and sell it in retail store? Is that right?

Reply #117 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Frogboy, reply 11
Once we have enough of the micro expansions, we plan to put them together and release it as a traditional retail expansion pack.

The expansion packs are designed to aid in both the single player and multiplayer experience.

 

There's your answer.

Reply #118 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Annatar11, reply 13
What else can they do, though, short of not offering anything?

 

Release them all in one go as an expansion, like every other game. Micro fragmentation will utterly destry the multi-player game, which is pretty flakey as it is. Etiher that or, if the bulk sales are in single play. release it free for multi-play and use that to encourage both sales and multi-play involvement. Killing off the online game isn't going to help anyone.

Reply #119 from Sins Forums Top

 

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Well, well well....

 

It’s been a while since I could bring myself to read the sins forums again. So, what happened to the so called ‘great modding tools’ you said you would release, and that would allow us to more easily generate content such as that alluded to in these expansions?

 

As I said a while back…is it an intentional act to make such modding projects more difficult by not releasing promised tools, in order for you to make profit from expansion packs that would traditionally be made by players using decent mod tools?

 

Depending on your answer I suppose one could view the ‘the Gamer's bill of rights’ as……..

 

…I’ll leave it at that

Reply #120 from Sins Forums Top

Sorry about the strange formatting text...can't edit my post to remove.

Reply #121 from Sins Forums Top

What exactly do you expect, the source code?

Reply #122 from Sins Forums Top

The questions are meant for the mods and devs...not you. Besides, it only really has context when you read the older PR stuff and the statements as to what would be released.

Reply #123 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Fandangdo, reply 22
The questions are meant for the mods and devs...not you. Besides, it only really has context when you read the older PR stuff and the statements as to what would be released.

And if you'd read their explanations, you would know the answer to your own questions.

Reply #124 from Sins Forums Top

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No you are wrong Annatar. Their explanations do not answer my questions, specifically when I ask if it was an intentional act to make modding projects more difficult etc.

Reply #125 from Sins Forums Top

specifically when I ask if it was an intentional act to make modding projects more difficult etc.

Which is exactly what they answered. Really, you should actually read things before you go off making conspiracy theories :P

In short: no, it's not intentional, but most of the hardcodes will have to stay due to engine design choices that can't be changed now. They'll do what they can to loosen the hardcodes (see capital ships limit, sounds limit), but there's not much they can do beyond that.

Of course, this probably won't satisfy you, but the answer was still plainly given in the past.