Rock, Paper, Shotgun

Aha! I knew I had downloaded something interesting and then forgotten about it. That something, I now realise, was Diplomacy, the latest expansion for Sins Of A Solar Empire. It came out last week, and I had a nagging feeling there was something I was meant to be playing… just couldn’t put my finger on it. Anyway, it looks a lot like this expansion finishes off the SOASE experience, with a range of political options for this real-time space strategy – envoys, pacts, missions in multiplayer. Rather than wait for another week for me to get around to playing a full game, I thought I’d open it up to you lot. Who’s playing it? Any thoughts on worthiness of the new features?

As much as I dislike the beta-access for pre-order trend, this is one case in which I’m sorely tempted to just slap down the cash. Sins Of A Solar Empire’s second expandy update thing, Diplomacy, will open its beta (currently in progress) to anyone who pre-orders via Impulse. It requires the original game and Entrenchment to play, but I have been playing the crap out of Entrenchment over the past few weeks. Diplomacy pretty much adds everything I’ve been lusting for in the 4xRTS, which means diplomatic tech tree, diplomatic ships, and a host of other non-violence options for your Solar Empire. The problem of course, is that I haven’t really got time to be playing another reinvigorated RTS. Anyone else’s finger hovering over the button?

If I were making a trailer for the brilliant Sins Of A Solar Empire I would definitely show the best feature in the game: the extraordinary long zoom from space craft out to solar map. It’s the kind of camera wizziness that puts Supreme Commander to shame. It’s the thing that makes the game as impressive as it is. Instead, the new movie for the expansion, Entrenchment, shows off the exploding spacecraft, and their laser combat. That’s all good stuff, but it’s not the crux of the game. Come on trailer-making folks, let’s see genuine game footage. We’re all gamers here.
Read the rest of this entry »

Excuse me if I whoop and perhaps punch the air, but I am uncharacteristically over-excited by the announcement that RPS’ favourite space RTS of the moment, the gigantic and enthralling Sins Of A Solar Empire, is going to get an expansion pack. Wired are the couriers of this splendid news:

While he couldn’t nail down a date for the expansion pack’s release, Mr. Wardell did mention that the expansion would include some much-requested features including a “full on campaign” mode as well as new playable factions.

We’ll be talking more about Sins this week, probably.