At last we're being unchained by our marketing masters to start being able to publicly speak about Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy.
We (and by we I mean Ironclad and Stardock) can't talk about all the other cool stuff that's been happening behind the scenes. Mainly, it's because we're afraid of our PR manager Stephanie (if you knew her, you'd be afraid too).
But as I type, Blair at Ironclad has her distracted talking about something or other so I'm free to write here to tell you a little bit about what's going on.
So...
Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy. What's the idea here?
The idea is to have a secondary way to win the game other through sheer conquest. In the current diplomatic system, AI players give "missions" to players. Human players can't do the same back.
With Diplomacy, this system is being heavily revamped with a new technology tree. The technology tree could be views as a diplomatic arms race because diplomacy includes espionage and counter-espionage in there. How far it goes will depend largely on the beta testers and their preferences.
Then there's the balance and new game modes. We'll be putting our head together this week to see what can reasonably be put into a $9.95 micro expansion. But balance and tweaks you guys would like to see in Diplomacy you can freely post them here and we'll make sure to look at them.
There's also a whole new diplomacy system that lets players have a much more tactical view of why your relations are what with a given player. If you've ever played Civilization IV you can see some of the inspiration. The idea though is that relations shouldn't involve excessive guess work.
The official season has now officially started though for Diplomacy.
And for new gaming modes?
Nice info, thank you!! Also, just an opinion here, but if you, (and by you i mean Ironclad and Stardock) want to do really really cool things and charge $29 or $39 or $49 or $59 it is fine by me!! Just thought i would tell you, its not so much the $9.95 price that gets me interested in the expansion, its the features and the content, and if you have to charge more to get that in there, its perfectly fine with me, i will buy it anyway.
Take care and Keep on Making Sins!!!!
-Teal
p.s. I'm of course hoping that Diplomacy isnt the end of Sins, but hopefully there will be other expansions or sequels (Sins 2?)
Sounds cool, can you give us a hint when the beta will begin? I've never been this excited about politics
cool!
Will treason be an actual feature? Something that I or the AI can employ in a direct way and cause perceptible consequences - like becoming "favoured" enemies and the such?
Oh man, this can be so great!
So basically you couldn't say anything before about Diplomacy because of your PR manager? Was this stated before because it probably would have stopped (some of?) the complaining about no info. Maybe I missed the statement. hehe
But on the topic of this thread. All sounds awesome. Good to know what's going on.
Oh, balance tweaks! Does this mean the Vasari will finally get some wuv?
I think balance tweaks (unless they're related to Diplomacy) belong in a patch.
Other than that, I'm intrigued by the idea of "new games modes." Out with SOME direct information, please! I already feel somewhat insulted by having Diplomacy up for sale with no REAL previews of the microexpansion...
Bookmark
Interesting. We'll see how it goes.
Preordered woo! Wonder if I was the first one, or just the first one to post on Yarlen's thread :3
Nononnoo...
the sova needs love... not the vasari.
just cause advent = win... tec is a tad below the vasari imho... if the sova was as wothwhile as the haylcyon... tec might not be a race only teh noobs use... and if repulse and illum spam wasnt so hax... maybe advent wont only be used by vets (except for the 1 or 2 vasari you need on your team to get the neutrals)
Whens beta start?
Wahoo!!
I think it would be interesting to change the way culture works. There is the standard allegiance % (which is 100% for your HW 25% for the most remote planets). I think whatever % the allegiance falls below the standard, the enemy culture doing that should get the income difference. If the planet goes to 0%, then the planet should change hands, and not just be scuttled the way it is now.
Double post
Interesting idea on the culture thing.
Secondary win? I like the sound of that. I remember one of my favorite things to do in rise of nations was to build a lot of nukes and shoot them off where ever, until the armageddon count reached 1, then build enough wonders to start the wonder victory count down. That way they couldn't nuke my wonders and I got to spend the rest of the game on the defensive, though online versus lots of players they'll all just team up on you, but otherwise it worked great.
And of course some sort of new game modes are a must, perhaps even ways we could mod our own modes (I know it has been done, but imagine what they would have been like if the engine supported alternate wins in the first place). Add some way to declare victory without conquering all the planets, and it might even make player made campaigns possible.
Pls fix how the AI attacks Starbases. Love entrenchment but have stopped playing it because of the AI not coded to deal with the SB.
Great news! I'm looking forward to this
It would have been nice to tell us *ahem* 6 months ago *ahem*, "our PR person won't allow us to say anything about Diplomacy." Or did your PR person not allow you to say that either?
Nothing has been worse for PR than having the devs not saying a thing, IMO. And now we're all supposed to come back, snuggle up, and forget about those 6 months of silence?
From today... if you have some complain/problem about Stardock/Ironclad product(s), simply e-mail/PM your address to Stardock... They will arrange a meeting at your home with their PR manager Stephanie for a "friendly" discussion...
This was a idea of FrogBoy who was too much tired of numerous lawsuit and paperwork due to complains ( see other topic )... the last guy who have complain have drop the lawsuit after a meeting with our PR manager Stephanie... more, he have "choose freely" to compensate us financially for moral damage due to his non-fonded complain !!!
LMAO that pic its just so........funny.
anyway whats on all our minds is WHENS THE BETA FOR THOSE WHO PRE-ORDER(excited)?
Following this email:
From Tobiwahn to Blair:
"1.) Do you plan on lifting the hardcoded limit of 3 weapons per ship?2.) Can there be a possibility of restricting the firing angle of a weapon (or to only have it fire in a straight line)?
...
4.) Will it be at some point possible to have weaponemitters only fire when they are facing the same dirction as the weaponsbank actually firing?"
Response:
"1.Under consideration for an expansion.2.Under consideration for an expansion.
4.If 2. goes in, this will go in."
It would be wonderful if this was included as an option for the expansion, and could open up many modding options that would improve the lasting appeal of this spendid game!
Its there still hope for these to be included?
well i dont think they need an expansion for that, it seems like it could be done through a patch. and what was #3?
anyway with anyluck we'll see moving turrets, since the nextgen gfx cards are coming soon (with ati's out/ close to release) most ppl shouldnt have a problem with moving turrets.
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