All in all I'm absolutely loving the game, I think you guys have done a great job. Missing my Advent girls though, so looking forward to their release this summer. Sins of a Solar Empire was one of my main games that I played growing up so it has a special place in my nostalgic heart.
My only complaint so far is that the AI tends to expand really fast (even on easy and with defensive AI), snatching up planets and asteroids left and right without really building them up. As someone who tends to expand slower I'm often finding myself pinned in expansion wise by allies if Im playing with an AI team. While not game breaking, I am finding it off-putting in regards to adding AI teams in current gameplay. I don't know if this is an issue that has been brought up yet or not. I still play the original Sins and find its AI level of expansion to be far more enjoyable and manageable play wise.
This is just my feed back and experience to add to this post.
I don't play on easy, sadly I only play Impossible but I still consistently outpace the AI's in planet expanding. Maybe because its on a 10 player map, not sure. It takes resources to build up a claimed location and as of now, the AI is very much heavy in churning out unit after unit so it just might not have the resources right away and struggles to do this on easy. Also, the AI characteristic choices don't do much as its not really fully implemented in the game yet, I think one of devs commented in on this before I just can't recall where exactly. They will basically play the same.
So ya, AI is still being worked on but not sure about the expansion part. This just might be more of a player focus kind of thing. Just an example, if there is unclaimed planets and if at any time a players ships just sit there, then then are losing out, they should be consistently moving (unless they are needed for defending like the next 10 seconds). Maybe I should upload one of my games for examples, never done it before lol.
Also dying for Advent. Its been all too long and sucks there is no real date timeline as anyone can interpret when "summer" really is, le sigh.
The lack of planetary build up appears to be a thing on all difficulty levels. Id like to see AI more concerned with their planets.One of the things I like about sins that differentiate it from literally all other RTS is the slower build up. Zerg rushing and grabbing planets for quick resource gain is not really a thing in sins like metal in supreme commander or like food/stone in age of empires 2.These are planets after all, they should take time to return on resources and the benefit from them should come from having them for a long time, the longer you have them the more you make because they grow in development.AI should be concerned with building up and keeping planets like anyone else.
So should I just grab a bunch of planets quickly and then start focusing on building up? Kinda sounds like that's the way to go, carve out a nice slice of the galaxy first and then once comfortable start building up key location.
Pretty much what I do. Also look at key choke points in the galaxy to muster up some defense, don't over extend from these defense point as its pointless to take more that you could not defend till you are ready. Watching the AI is also important. I keep my scouts alive and have them poke in and out of area's to see where the AI has advanced and where its fleet is at. If they are taking over a planet one jump away then its safe to assume where they will be going next and to plan for it. In higher difficulties at the lest, you can't out produce the AI's in units, so I push early and fast for a star base's with adequate defenses to support it at key points. That is usually enough to keep the AI at bay while building up the planets you took. Its depends on the race in what order you go in about this too, seeing Vasari have to advance more in research.
I get that, with immersive feeling of real planetary progress and such. Sins is pretty agile with its build up with its micro and macro and a choice on its blend on how to play, I am more of a micro player myself.
The Ai is going to be getting future passes (I would hope, lol) to better flesh out the play styles you can custom impose on the AI and would eventually balance out the spending choices the AI currently makes other then building a whole lot of ships.
I have no doubt the game will be further changed once the 3rd faction is added.
On a side note, I was happy to see artifacts added to planetary explorations and hope they add more to this.
To repeat as well, the game looks incredible. I am still learning the progression and hoping it becomes second nature eventually.
My playstyle is more turtle-esk. I like getting a few planets going and reinforcing the choke point to my capital and surrounding planets/asteroids. I slowly build up my fleet but really enjoy levelling up my capital ships and eventually adding more. For whatever reason my fancy is to see less ships decimate a weaker fleet. But, in doing this, 20 minutes into the game I only have maybe two capital ships at best and maybe a couple frigates for support. I rely on repair platforms, starbases and a major front of cannons defending my gravity well and to repair my ships.
With that being said, on my second attempt just learning the game I'm an hour in, have 5 planets, 2 growing to three capital ships, and have my starbase and realize that the EASY defensive computer is literally at my doorstep with starbases, titan, and a 1200 supply fleet. They have the rest of the stars conquered. Mind you, I started getting all the close planets immediately but, apparently cannot kill the forces fast enough.
Looking at the graph of fleet supply used, at 20 minutes I'm at 55 and the AI is over 110. It increases expotentially from there. Same with their planets.
It is also wildly frustrating that with 2 planets and 3 astroids and all research bunkers and facilities in place, I'm still 1-2 research blocks from a titan and without a 6th or 7th planet, you are literally doomed as it is impossible to lead a large enough force to overcome the AI's block of defenses, repair platforms, and star bases on the next planet over. . before their culture easily outpaces mine.
Its easy for someone to chime in and say well expand faster. . . and my response is you cant even sit an enjoy the battles or enjoy a slower paced game on EASY mind you. This was a non issue in Sins Rebellion because 4 planets were enough (even 1 in most cases) to build 4 military labs and roll out a Titan or easily take on an enemy fleet even if you had an extremely slow start but at least have a star base.
Anyway, I just wanted to share my experience. I know the game isn't done. I just hope and pray and ask that the devs would turn the AI (or easy and normal AI) down several notches for those of us that are slow/late expanders and build up a small but formidable force. . at least without the AI plopping starbases on every planet within range. I also hope for the same modifiers for income rates, culture, research, etc as Rebellion. The research is obnoxiously slow and theres so few orbital slots you can't just build tons of facilities even with 5 planets. And as another said, it'd be lovely to have the AI playstyles be more in line instead of focusing on massive fleets out of the gate.
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