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Akai_Tenshi's Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
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| [March 4, 2008 12:58:42 AM]
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GameLog #1
Summary:
Sins of a Solar Empire is a new 4X, RTS game released by Ironclad Games. Players choose among three specialized races (“Trade Emergency Coalition” (TEC), Advent and Vasari) and primarily “explore, expand, exploit and exterminate.” The playing field is comprised of a 2D solar system, which includes 3D asteroids, planets and stars. Players and/or computer opponents all inhabit the same solar system and are given the ability to battle, form alliances, and trade amongst each other.
Personal Gameplay Critique:
Initially, I started playing Sins of Solar Empire primarily because of good reviews and my roommate’s interest astrophysics. Fortunately, we were both impressed by the new range of aspects within its gameplay. However, since we were both playing multiplayer, I never had the chance to play single player and grasp the game’s plot.
Since I was a kid I have always been a “Blizzard” loyal RTS fan. Unfortunately, I must warn readers for the fact that Sins of the Solar Empire does not “play” like anything from the StarCraft or WarCraft series. This game is very slow paced game in respect to the Blizzard hits and additionally, Sins of a Solar Empire bases much of the player’s succession on economy and expansion. Ideally, Sins of a Solar Empire took the RT-4X genre, added new interesting gameplay aspects, and created a world of both economic and militant warfare.
As with most RTS games, getting good will take some time, but for the most part Sins of a Solar empire allows succession to any player who focuses on a particular aspect of the 4X genre. Ideally, the game will eventually require for players to fulfill each of the 4X aspects. For example, players may choose to focus on maximizing economy, unlocking research, exploring as many planets as possible or even just massing fighter spacecrafts. Keystrokes and hotkeys help with macro-management, but due to Sins of a Solar Empire’s pace and level design, micro-management is not as important.
This entry has been edited 3 times. It was last edited on Mar 4th, 2008 at 14:03:56.
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| [March 4, 2008 12:56:44 AM]
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GameLog #2
Personal Gameplay Critique:
The world of Sins of a Solar Empire is inhabited by three discrete races known as the TEC, Advent, and Vasari. Additionally there are neutral bounty hunters known as pirates, who will target any player with the highest bounty. Each of these ethnic groups has an arsenal of researchable technologies, different structures, and spaceships ranging in size and power. The TEC specialize in heavy armor and ballistic weapons for their ships and structures. Secondly, Advent have low cost and low armored units, but use energy and psi (mental power) weapons. Finally, the Vasari is the most technologically advanced race and have more expensive ships, but are much stronger in terms of shields, weapons and armor.
Design:
Sins of a Solar Empire is an amazing game for anyone willing to devote hours of gameplay. Rather than explaining the design in terms of the 4x genre I will instead describe the new design aspects that were implemented in the game.
Like other RTS and/or 4X games, Sins of a Solar Empire requires players to gather resources and spend them on new structures and units in order to create an army. In doing so, players are also required to expand and fend off any opposition. However, Sins of a Solar empire is not a huge playing field. Sins of a Solar Empire separate each playing field into the 3D planets, asteroids and stars that make up the 2D solar system. Additionally players “expand” by colonizing one of these planets or asteroids.
Graphics and level design are beautifully detailed and help Sins of the Solar Empire look, feel and play the way it does. Sins of the Solar Empire make graphics technology amazing by giving players the option to zoom all the way into a specific ship or all the way out to see the entire solar system. My only complaint is that bullets and lasers to not instantly inflict damage when they are shown on the screen, making the game feel a little non-“real-time.”
All in all Sins of a Solar Empire is an entirely new concept of RTS game and is successful because of its new ideas, themes and forms of gameplay.
Research consists primarily consists of economy and military upgrades/un-lockables, but also has other forms of gameplay specific upgrades.
This entry has been edited 3 times. It was last edited on Mar 4th, 2008 at 20:45:55.
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Akai_Tenshi's Sins of a Solar Empire (PC)
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Current Status: Playing
GameLog started on: Monday 3 March, 2008
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