Sins of a Solar Empire is a long-standing and beloved classic for many people. Rebellion had already been out for several years when I joined Stardock, so while I've come into the fandom later than most that hasn't done anything to dampen my enthusiasm for Sins of a Solar Empire II! The game is a truly unique blend of 4X and RTS.
I got some lessons on how to play the first Sins game from sharing stream time with Brian Clair years ago when I first started at Stardock, but watching him was definitely a different realm than getting in there and tackling it on my own! Fortunately, he gave me a good place to start, which helped me avoid some of the more problematic pitfalls that crop up during a game.
Now that Sins of a Solar Empire II is releasing technical previews, it got me thinking about how many long-time Sins veterans and fans are lurking here in the forums. In the coming months, I expect we'll see many more newcomers; since so many of you have had the opportunity to play so far, I'd love to hear from you: what advice would you give a player as they get ready to play a game of Sins II?
Are there common pitfalls that you found yourself encountering when you first learned how to play? My biggest struggle when I first learned was mostly about paying attention to all of the things that were happening at once, which was more of a "practice makes perfect" sort of challenge versus anything someone could give me actionable advice on.
I will say that remembering to flit between and check on your sectors will help prevent you from being blindsided by an enemy assault - a lesson I learned through trial and error (mostly error). Keeping your sound on and listening for notifications will help, too!
Even if you haven’t tried Sins II yet, any advice you can offer based on your experience with the first game is still welcome, since there are definitely points that are applicable across both games. Any and all is welcome, from the little and obscure tidbits of knowledge all the way to outright and obvious.
One of the best things about our game communities are how much everyone shares with and helps others when they run into problems - both on the technical and on the gameplay side. So, let's build a "Pitfall Avoidance Guide" for newcomers here in the comments. With a game like this, there's honestly so much to know that some veterans might learn a new tip or two!
What's YOUR best piece of advice for playing a game of Sins of a Solar Empire II?
Identify the choke points and capture them as fast as you can.
For a true beginner:
Pick a race, any race, and stick with it until your first victory. By then you should be familiar with the game mechanics enough that learning the other two (or perhaps more?) would be easy.
For a person not sure where to focus:
A great economy, continuous researching, and simple defenses will overcome most other faults.
For a general strategy:
At first grab as many planets as quickly as your fleet and economy can support. Once you bump elbows with somebody, put up some defenses and expand in another direction. Once you're boxed in, focus on research and fleet development until you're ready to push and take out an opponent.
Managing the upkeep level of newly acquired planets is critical to getting your economy to take off. You have to be out of the hole a new colony puts in your income before it will start making you money, so it's important to upgrade those levels quickly.
This is proving to be a core playstyle and I thank you for the advice!
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