Sins of a Solar Empire

Sins of a Solar Empire

This one just came out last week. It is a space empire/RTS game that allows you choose one of three different factions to battle for control of colonies and star systems. Battles are real time, ships gain combat experience, planets can be colonized, pirates can be bribed to attack your enemies. Good review of it from gamespot right here: Sins of a Solar Empire for PC - Sins of a Solar Empire PC Game - Sins of a Solar Empire Computer Game . Looks like a pretty solid game.

Sounds like just what the doctor ordered for any fellow strategy geeks out there.

Has anyone tried this? My brother wants to get it and wants me to get it too but I lack (a) time and (b) a computer with sufficient specs. Wondering if it's worth the investment of time + new computer (which I've been considering anyway).

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Originally Posted by Wolvie

Has anyone tried this? My brother wants to get it and wants me to get it too but I lack (a) time and (b) a computer with sufficient specs. Wondering if it's worth the investment of time + new computer (which I've been considering anyway).

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You know, after reading up on it and starting the thread, I went out and actually bought it. Haven't delved too far into it, but it looks very well done. Lots of planets to explore, conquer and fight over, good variety of ships to build fleets from. The tutorial could use a bit of buffing up, but I think it's a very solid offering, so far, one of the best RTS I've laid my hands on since Dawn of War and Company of Heroes (though it plays much different than a traditional RTS).

It's probably not worth building a new computer for alone, but that's something I will always suggest, as there are always great new PC games right around the corner worth upgrading for. As for time investment, you can tailor the maps to be as small or as large as you like. I'd say some of the small maps can be finished in a half hour to and hour max, while the big ones can take days.

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Originally Posted by Iron Duke

You know, after reading up on it and starting the thread, I went out and actually bought it. Haven't delved too far into it, but it looks very well done. Lots of planets to explore, conquer and fight over, good variety of ships to build fleets from. The tutorial could use a bit of buffing up, but I think it's a very solid offering, so far, one of the best RTS I've laid my hands on since Dawn of War and Company of Heroes (though it plays much different than a traditional RTS).

It's probably not worth building a new computer for alone, but that's something I will always suggest, as there are always great new PC games right around the corner worth upgrading for. As for time investment, you can tailor the maps to be as small or as large as you like. I'd say some of the small maps can be finished in a half hour to and hour max, while the big ones can take days.

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Keep us updated as you delve more into it Iron, I am more interested in the long term game than the short one.

Thanks, Duke, I will think about it. However I have have one question. What's the tempo of the game? Can this game be played like Master of Orion or Civilization games, turn-based? As I got older I realized I just can't keep the pace of the new RTS games. I can't understand how was I able to play the original C&C and actually enjoy it. Have you played Imperium Galactica, maybe? How would you compare two games?

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Originally Posted by trdi

Thanks, Duke, I will think about it. However I have have one question. What's the tempo of the game? Can this game be played like Master of Orion or Civilization games, turn-based? As I got older I realized I just can't keep the pace of the new RTS games. I can't understand how was I able to play the original C&C and actually enjoy it. Have you played Imperium Galactica, maybe? How would you compare two games?

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It is all in real-time, so technically you could have multiple fleets fighting against the computer at the same time. Fortunately, the battles are slow enough that your decisions as to which targets to attack actually make a difference in the outcome of the battle. In other words, stuff isn't blown up instantly. Additionally, the AI seems to do a great job of running battles, if you choose not to command one. Another cool aspect is that you can literally reinforce your ships with other fleets while the battle is taking place. Speed can also be tweaked if you think it's too fast/too slow.

Oh, as for the games you mention. It plays nothing like Civilization or even the C&C RTS games. Closest style of game I can compare it to is Star Wars: Empire at War, though this is a far deeper game. The speed is certainly not as frantic as your standard RTS games.

hey, is there any way to buy this online? And I don't mean have it shipped, I mean pay for it, download it? Dunno if that's possible but I think a buddy of mine bought F.E.A.R. that way.

Edit: Answered my own question, bought the game. Seems pretty sweet, but I've only gone throught the tutorials... which as mentioned above, could use a little buffing. But they aren't awefull or pointless. Just very... quiet.

Stardock is notoriously light on the documentation. I played Gal Civ I and II, which is also why I'm curious about this title.

I hate RTS, but from everything I've read this game is paced such that it's virtually not "real-time." I've always had a strong preference for turn-based strategy (because it's the strategy I care about, not how fast I can move a mouse and click a series of buttons).

trdi, if you're looking for a MoO-type game, you might look at Galactic Civilizations II. Not new, and not exactly the same as MoO (notably, you don't control combat directly), but has a lot of the elements and is fairly well-done.

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Originally Posted by Wolvie

Stardock is notoriously light on the documentation. I played Gal Civ I and II, which is also why I'm curious about this title.

I hate RTS, but from everything I've read this game is paced such that it's virtually not "real-time." I've always had a strong preference for turn-based strategy (because it's the strategy I care about, not how fast I can move a mouse and click a series of buttons).

trdi, if you're looking for a MoO-type game, you might look at Galactic Civilizations II. Not new, and not exactly the same as MoO (notably, you don't control combat directly), but has a lot of the elements and is fairly well-done.

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Been there, done that. I have played pretty much every decent turn-based strategy on the market. My obsession with turn-based strategies started with Civilization I. Master of Orion 1 and 2 were also great games, MoO III sucks donkey balls. I have never played MoO III, not even for one second, I saw the screenshots, read the reviews and started a new MoO II game. :)

The problem with GCII was the technological tree: once you research the first level, you've seen it all. After that it's just a race.

Has anyone played Space Empires V? I found it more interesting than GCII.

If you like space games, I recommend trying Space Rangers 2. The game is unique, it's basically a trade game (you have your spaceship and you trade various resources between planets), but there are tons of missions, some of them require massive amount of thinking (you can decline them if you want). The missions are usually offered when you land on a planet. For instance:
- you are put in jail and you have to get out (= text based adventure mission)
- you are transformed into a hamster and you have to dig the deepest hole faster than any other hamster. If you dig too fast, you might die of exhaustion. If you don't dig, the hole might collapse. You need to fight other hamsters and take over the king of the hamsters title. :)
- you must take care of some riots
- you must win a pizza contest - make the best pizza in the universe
There are many different interesting contests and some decent mathematical/logical missions. I don't know how many missions are there but surely more than 50. It's a kind of a game that you really don't forget. The best of all: it's 100% turn-based. You can get downloadable version for 20 bucks.

Edit: I think the developer is an independent Russian developer, so you directly show your Frolov appreciation if you play the game. ;)

MoO I rocked.

Civ was great.

And my favorite turn-based strategy game ever is still X-Com. If someone would just modernize the original game, I'd take vacation time to play it.