Yes. If you are watching massive battles in gameplay videos for the first time and wondering to yourself, "how the hell could I control this" than this post is for you...There are 8 reasons why this game is very easy to play:
1. Zoom – have you ever played a game and wished you could just pull out to see the ‘big picture’ without feeling restricted. SINS allows you to pull back as far as you like, allowing you to see as many units, structures, planets, or solar systems as you like! There is no separate map or mode. Just point and zoom
2. Icons – Every faction in the game has its own unique icon, up to 10 players, plus NPC units. At the beginning of the game you can pick a custom icon out of a large selection. When you are zoomed in close the icons appear above ships, planets, and structures so you can quickly tell who is who. When you zoom out so far that your unit can’t be seen in 3D, an icon of the unit (in your player color) appears in its place. You can do everything with these icons as you can with the actual 3D unit.
3. Color – When you are up close in battle you can see colored stripes, lights, and exhaust that help you tell enemy units from your own. You also have the option of viewing all enemies as red , friendlies as blue , and yourself as green .
4. Empire tree – while it may be a new concept to games, the empire tree is basically just a controllable navigation tree on the left side of your screen, sort of like windows explorer. It allows you to see which ships and structures are at which planets. You can expand or close the tree to your personal preference. You can select any unit or planet in the tree and give your orders without having to actually be there! There are some fancy advanced features that will make your life easier too – stacking similar units, a search function (for those pesky ships that get lost) and a ‘pin’ button that lets you choose what you want to keep in the tree.
5. Alt – Press ‘Alt’ on your keyboard and you’ll get a ton of extra information on anything you see on screen – Health bars, rank, planet names, a tactical grid, the range of your weapons, and lines to show you where your ships are moving and attacking.
6. Low Micromanagement
a. Auto-attack – any unit that can attack and also auto-attack with the click of a button. The unit AI picks targets intelligently based on the ships role, so you don’t need to worry about micromanaging every single ship the whole game.
b. Auto-abilities – ships and structures know what they are supposed to do, if you order them to do so. Your colony ship with go ahead and colonize, your scout will auto scout, and your siege ships will siege a planet. Capital ships have powerful abilities, and you want to be careful which abilities you want to automate in battle (so you don’t consume all your antimatter).
c. Fleets – grab units, click the fleet button and just command the fleet leader. You don’t have to worry about everyone; they’ll stay together AND perform their duties intelligently in the process.
d. Control groups – Select some ships, press CTRL and any number. Use that number to control the group.
e. Queuing – You can’t research and build everything at once, but you can give the orders ahead of time!
f. Moving in 3D – this is not near as intimidating as it looks. Just move as you would in a standard RTS - the game can handle the up and down for you. It isn't hard to get lost because you can always zoom out and see the big picture. Also, you can easily set multiple paths for your ships to follow.
7. Streamlined InterfaceWho wants to play a game with a third of the interface dominating the screen? We did everything possible to keep the UI sleek and intuitive, so you could have more space for combat!
a. There may be a lot going on in your empire, but there is plenty of warning for key events. Vocal alerts and large event buttons warn you when your empire may be in trouble or experiences an important milestone. At the top of the screen, a large flashing research, diplomacy, or pirate button will let you know if your research is complete, if a player wants to engage in diplomatic relations, or if bounty is placed on your head! Portraits of other players will also flash on your screen when they have an offer for you. Planet and ship icons will flash red when they are under attack.
b. The UI is context sensitive, so you only see what is relevent to what you have selected. If you can’t purchase a ship, a little icon will appear over the button to tell you want you need (ie. A research icon for 'research required' or a coin for 'credits required'.)
c. You can easily learn about anything in the game by just hovering over it, and reading the ‘infocard’ which pops up in the bottom right corner of your screen.
d. Single and Multiplayer games can be saved whenever you like. Single player games can be paused whenever you like.
8. Learning more
a. Tutorials – The game comes with some great tutorials to get you started. They explain all the controls you’ll need to know to play the game (Basic Gameplay, Basic Logistics, Advanced Interface, and Advanced Logistics)
b. Tips – Random tips will display whenever you load the game.
c. Forums/Chat – How many forums do you know of where developers hang out and answer your questions and actual implement your ideas into a game? Our commitment is more than a great game, it’s a great community. You have skilled wingmen(and women) in our publishing team, our beta testers, and many others ready to help you learn the game. Once the game is out, you’ll also be able to chat in ICO (Ironclad Online) where you can meet friends and coordinate your games.
d. Manual – The game comes with a hefty 80 page Manual. While it doesn't cover EVERYTHING, it will give all the necessary skills to play effectively. You'll probably enjoy the backstory as well If you ordered the game online you can find your PDF manual in your game folder: Program Files\Stardock\TotalGaming\Sins of a Solar Empire\Manual.pdf
This game is very hard to play. Please help
You are NOT helping!
Normally i shine away from RTS games where different role ships are involved, since i have to remember what counters what, but from what this says, the AI does that for me, which makes it more easier for me to play against the AI, playing against other players will never happen for me, since from experience with other RTS games, all players want is to do is win the fastest, no matter the cost.
So, for them, if you can't win in 5mins or so, you suck...learnt that from warcraft III, different type of RTS, but still an RTS.
I don't think the game "remembers what counters what" for you. However, it isn't hard to learn what classes of ships counter which other classes. (Just read Raging Amish's unit guide which is a sticky thread in the Strategy forum.)
You'll probably find that online players' mentalities aren't much different from that of people in other games. I'm not sure exactly what the "costs" are to trying to win as quickly as possible. How does winning the game "cost" anything? Most Sins humans v. humans games last about 1:15-1:45, btw. It's hard to actually win or to knock someone out in 5 minutes and skilled, experienced players are generally very hard to knock out (period).
I concur. Very easy to pick up, but like most strategy games worth playing, you can spend endless hours 'mastering' it. I reinstalled last night after a year off with a new PC & mouse and I was amazed at how quickly I was back to your old form.
You play at your own pace, which I love. World needs more games like SoaSE.
There's one thing that counteracts those 8 things though...
PIRATES
Been playing the game for a couple of days now. Every time on my easy, small game I've been building up then been completely wiped out by pirates.
At least you can turn off pirates though. I don't forsee a future where humans have colonized space etc. only to be terrorised by massive kamikaze "destroy everything or die trying. 1 on 20? BRING IT OOOON!" pirate fleets with capital ships, who randomly attack entire races if one doesn't pay a protection fee.
I dread to think what this game would be like if it had space ninjas too.
P.S. Trinity doesn't come with an 80-page manual, let alone a hefty one.
Lol, nice.
The pirates weren't always very hard though, that's a feature that was added in Diplomacy. This article was written right when Sins came out, so it wasn't an issue then. Hopefully they'll be nerfed some more, otherwise just keep the pirates off.
I was expecting some step-by-step tips on how to easily destroy all pirates by a smart-arse, but it's nice to know it's not just me.
Basically, the original game's pirates were a joke. People actually considered it a good thing to be attacked by pirates, since it would help level up your capital ships. Basically, pirate damage was so low that a single capital ship, three turrets, and a repair platform could defeat the largest pirate raid.
The developers compensated by creating pirates that were actually dangerous enough to threaten veteran players, but the result was pirates that absolutely mopped the floor with beginners... and the AI for that matter. They'll probably tone them down against next version, seeing as that seems to be the general consensus.
You can Play this but you will have to practice little harder. As mentioned above there are so many features available .
I'm gonna have to look up a walkthrough or guide, cos with Pirates off the insta-massive fleet of the pirates has changed to an insta-massive fleet of the enemy. I even tried sticking to one planet after initially being attacked, researching military and defence and fleets etc. and building massive fleetsand defences, still I'd be outnumbered.
I'd be fine defending, just concentrating all my power on the biggest ship, then the next etc., but making the jump to their planet = death.
I've tried being diplomatic and being rich, but it seems this game isn't really 4X, it's all about the one with the biggest amount of ships killing everyone else.
Or perhaps I've had too many bad experiences in a row...
The game definitely suffers from a small manual though. There are too many details I don't know which would be covered in a nice thick manual. Heck, I don't even know what specifically constitutes a 'diplomatic victory', nor an 'allied' one.
You might want to consider playing the game with "Locked Teams" so that the AIs can't ally with one another and gang up on you. If they're all fighting one another then you can take them out one by one.
It's 1v1.
My current game is going a little better. I have a larger fleet and, thanks to a pirate base I have a good amount of planets. etc to colonize once I get a big enough defensive fleet.
I'm learning that cruisers >>>> friagates, apparently.
I have been playing this game on and off for a while now, but recently decided to go for all the achievements in the basic game. I'm almost 60 years old, so I appreciate it when the easy level is easy. So for some of the achievements, I have been setting up 6 player MAPS and playing against only one opponent on easy.
Well, I don't know what happened, but the latest patches make easy medium to hard. I can't imagine what hard will be like. I'm playing a 40 planet one on one and the "easy opponent" is persistent, aggressive and seemingly omnipresent. I am beating him, but it's just too much effort. Guess I'm have to go back to playing X, the Universe.....
I must add that I already play small fleets, no pirates. It's still too hard.
What happened?
damn pirates
Turn em off. That IS easy.
I've been playing Trinity for the last week (well, getting wiped out really!). Great game, love it. Also very impressed with the Fourm. Thanks to all you experienced Empire folk for your tips and knowledge.
This forum is a rarity: a nice forum full of people who aren't aggressive, egotistical or compensating. Alas, it is so rare that other forums will deny such an atmosphere exists and say it's crazy talk.
Thanks rkennd1 and Ozzy Even this long after release its nice to hear the appreciation. The community has been great from it's humble start and continues to be a great place to share and laugh.
Hi, im new to Sins, I bought it only a few days ago. I have learnt how to play the game now and managed to win my first small map 1 v 1 without too much difficulty. First, i would like to congratulate the developers on making a game that is so vast in scope with so little in the way micromanagement. Also, i find the controls really intuitive and believe this game would be a breeze and really fun to play on multiplayer (i have not had the pleasure yet, im still learning).
I do however think it could benefit from a couple of things to make it more accessible. This has nothing to do with game mechanics or the way the game plays, both of these i feel are fine. My gripe has to do with information. Here are a few of the problems i had once the tutorials were done and dusted: I first played a game and got steam rolled by pirates; I didnt understand how the bounty system worked, I had very little idea about what to actually do (what builds to build, whether i should continuously research, how important civ infrastructure was etc); there was very little in the way of information in-game; and im still a little bit unsure about what certain things actually do (although i have a bit more of an idea now).
I think sins could really benefit from a civilization style "civpedia". You could call it a "sin-pedia" i guess. Basically, it would act a little like a virtual manual and would give you information on pirates; when they spawn; how the bounty system works; what certain structures do with info on the raw effect (like what exactly culture or a trade port means in raw data for your empire so the player can make an assessment on the cost/benefit of a structure). Sins is also woefully lacking in info when you hover your mouse. You could correct this by having a small info box when you hover, which could then expand if you right click into a sinpedia. It slightly annoys me with games (especially strategy games) when developers are stingy with information. Preferring instead to force the player in to a trial and error situation. I think a sinpedia would enhance the strategic decisions for new players so you dont feel like you are taking a stab in the dark with every decision you take. A little information would help this process i feel.
Finally, i think the tutorial system is a bit rubbish. It didnt really help me at all if im honest apart from in learning how to navigate in the main screen and the importance of capital ships. My suggestion is that the developers build a mini campaign (that runs just like a whole map, but with only 4 planets - Pirate, player ((with 1 planet/asteroid to colonise)) and AI). The player can then win the map via a guided process with scripted events in which the cpu can teach the player about the basic mechanics of the game, get them to place a bounty on the AI, repel a pirate raid, build civic research structures and research cvic techs in order to build stuff like trade ports, research a new ship type, colonize a new planet and set up a refinery.
I think both of these things would make the game a lot more accessible. Some people think that learning all of this is half the fun. For me, it isnt. I hate playing games blind and it annoys me when i have to go on to the internet to find stuff out. That said, the developers ought to be congratulated on a game that runs smoothly and as far as i can tell, mechanically flawless.
Welcome, Shabon. I like your idea about an in-game Sins-a-pedia.
The online multiplayer is great, but you'll really want to spend at least a couple weeks playing the AI before jumping in. Sadly, the player counts are a little low, but there are 4v4 and 5v5 games everyday on the Diplomacy expansion (which is where all of the action is; I hope you bought the Trinity pack). It's hard to break into the online multiplayer scene (for PvP) today since most of the people are pros, but there are still a number of newish people around. Aside from basic game mechanics, you'll want to familiarize yourself with each race's tech trees, their ships, and each ship's strengths and weaknesses.
This unit comparison guide is essential reading:
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/319926
Yeah pirates usually get a lot of people, and even most of the veteran players play with them off (though they are manageable now with Diplomacy on maps with lots of players). Part of the problem is all of those things vary in importance depending on the game and/or settings, so there is no feasible way to set up a tutorial to tell you those things, trail and error is basically the only method available. An easy way to get some experience with it though is to play a game with no AI present. That way you're not rushed, can try out all of the units and techs, and if you still want combat experience you can leave the pirates on without much risk of actually losing the game.
While the pirate system has set mechanics, its worth pointing out that things like trade ports/culture centers effects' are different depending on the planet, techs and other factors, therefore you really can't get the information when you research them. You're right about more info could be put on the unit cards, since once the game knows what planet you are building a trade port at for example, it should then calculate the trade income provided before you build it.
While those involved in the game have done great things, particularly making a game that many computers can play, not lying about its requirements/specs and not requiring the buyer to be online or have limited installations (and all that DRM nonsense), what you've discussed is part of the problem for this game and its sisters.
The problem being that it's all a bit empty and unchanged. By that I mean the game says "here's some planets and, some obligatory factions.. well go on then...". No story, nothing to work towards (arguably bar a tech tree) and while the numbers are different depending how we set it up, if it isn't incredibly similar to the last campaign, it'll be like the one before it.
Some games do do this open-ended style, some strategy games, but they're incredibly in-depth so there was no need for, or possibly point to, a story arch or missions. The reason certain successful games (usually made by a guy called Sid Meier) use this and don't suffer for it is because the dept means you're living your own story, and the variety and options can mean a different story a lot of the time. Play Alpha Centauri once, and you'll find yourself in World War I. Play it again, and you'll be finding yourself on a journey to learning the planet's origins and ecology. Play it again and you might be finding yourself in a political game and shaping the planet as you see fit physically. One more time and you might have some 'super-alliance saving the world with nukes' story going on.
The similarities in this game go further. I also own Galactic Civilisations 2 due to rave reviews, and was left a bit disappointed. It's not bad particularly, it just got boring and samey after a few levels. When I got this game, I found it was very similar. The battles are obviously more advanced, but that's not to say it is advanced, though. Mainly though, a lot of things I did in one game, I did in the other.
My final gripe would be the 'meh' backgrounds. Pretty, yes, but there's only a few, and it's started to become a gripe of mine that sometimes in games (Homeworld and one of the sectors in Freelancer come to mind) space will just look like a sky, using the excuse that being closer to the center of the galazy will cause sky-blue space or even 'clouds' (surely it doesn't?).
Sounds like you need to go play an RPG. If large space battles ever get boring for you, this is probably not the game for you.
That said you may as well try some mods, they add more races, planets, backgrounds you name it. So if the lack of variety was your main complain that's easy to fix.
I think you've been too flippant. Even the bestest most greatest thing will become the norm after a few times (that's just human nature's adaptation). Even so I wouldn't say this game has "large space battles" anyway, I'd say this game has "one or two fleets going up against one or two fleets in a confined space, shooting the shish kebab out of each other until one of them runs away". Homeworld didn't get boring, nor did Battlefront II. Those were pretty epic space battles.
As for RPGs, generally speaking, when I want to play a game where I get molested with a turn-based battle every few steps, I'll reconsider my priorities in life.
Modding can be a dangerous workaround. I wouldn't want PC games to start being released with a base, and expect regular people to make it valuable with modding.
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