Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion

[Kalmah]

Is the combat still centered around Paper rock scissors? That's the part that always bugged me about this game. The predictability of combat once you knew the enemies numbers was the big turn-off.

Yeah, pretty much the same. The Titans add a new element though and it also seems that starbases are a lot more versatile.

Honestly though, the only alternative to rock paper scissors is to simplify it and then it becomes damage damage damage.(like Diablo 3)
Well, I guess you could add a new damage type/resistance. I'm not sure if that would really add enjoyment or became a nuisance.

 

[Proxyep]

does it still take forever to finish a game? I played the original and each mission took an age to finish.

 

[Kalmah]

does it still take forever to finish a game? I played the original and each mission took an age to finish.

Yeah, I think I spent about 8 hours on my 10 player game against the AI.

You have many new victory conditions now though such as 'flagship' where you just have to destroy one ship, and one where you have to find and hold a certain planet for a timer... You also have the game options that allow you to speed up every aspect of the game before you start the game.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

does it still take forever to finish a game? I played the original and each mission took an age to finish.

That all depends on what kind of a game you are playing. Big map? Small map? Multiple stars? Locked teams?

Most online multiplayer PvP games only take 1.25 or 1.5 hours to play because they are played with lock teams on single star maps with speeds set to all Faster and Quickstart on. In a game like that each player only needs to contribute enough to the team's effort to take out one opposing player (as opposed to say 9 AIs on a huge map). Also, once players on the losing team see the writing on the wall, they call it gg so that a new game can be formed which also spares the winning players from having to go through the boring mop-up motions.

 

[gamerguy2]

Enjoying it a lot. Played the original Single Player. It was so much fun. Bought this to join the multiplayer action. The multiplayer is really good. The fast settings allow you to play a game in around 2 hours and not give up all the spacey singleplayer feel.

To be fair, it is a lot like the other game and people who own (paid) for the original game and expansions shouldnt have to pay $30 dollars for the added content . Maybe $20. ($40 is retail for newcomers and what I paid).

They should keep their community strong and offer/program it so older players who have the game and all expansions can migrate over a little more comfortably.

 

[Red Hawk]

Honestly, I purposefully paid the full $40 for Rebellion even though I could have gotten a discount. Strategy games are an endangered species, especially space sim strategy games. I want to do my little part to ensure that Ironclad gets to make more Sins games, so I consider the unnecessary $10 as a donation on top of what I could have paid.

 

[Northern Lawn]

Honestly, I purposefully paid the full $40 for Rebellion even though I could have gotten a discount. Strategy games are an endangered species, especially space sim strategy games. I want to do my little part to ensure that Ironclad gets to make more Sins games, so I consider the unnecessary $10 as a donation on top of what I could have paid.

That's excellent. I feel the same way about online games I got 1400 hours of Bad Company 2 for $60 that's about a good a return on investment as you can get.

 

[maniac5999]

I've played thru several times, and I have a question, For the Vasari Loyalist, is building up a mid-size fleet of caps with a titan and then ignoring your worlds and just going around eating planets a viable strategy in single player? What about multiplayer? It seems like a neat concept, but I'm not sure if it's a viable strategy or not.

 

[Kalmah]

I've played thru several times, and I have a question, For the Vasari Loyalist, is building up a mid-size fleet of caps with a titan and then ignoring your worlds and just going around eating planets a viable strategy in single player? What about multiplayer? It seems like a neat concept, but I'm not sure if it's a viable strategy or not.

I feel like it's dumb to devour currently owned planets. They are giving resources afterall. I've only had one time when eating a planet was useful and that was when I took a planet that was heavily contested with 3 other factions way outside of my territory. I wouldn't have kept it for long anyways in that case.

I usually play large maps, but I bet on smaller maps and with pvp that this has some great uses.

 

[maniac5999]

I feel like it's dumb to devour currently owned planets. They are giving resources afterall. I've only had one time when eating a planet was useful and that was when I took a planet that was heavily contested with 3 other factions way outside of my territory. I wouldn't have kept it for long anyways in that case.

I usually play large maps, but I bet on smaller maps and with pvp that this has some great uses.

I was actually thinking something along the lines of going completely world-less (or almost world-less) with income and labs from your caps, and resources from eating worlds. Reinforcements would mostly be from summoning the dark fleet, or occasionally from building a shipyard on a planet before devouring it.

It strikes me as either having the ability to work spectacularly or fail spectacularly. I'm currently testing it out (but only an hour in) on a huge multi-star single player map.

 

[Kalmah]

I was actually thinking something along the lines of going completely world-less (or almost world-less) with income and labs from your caps, and resources from eating worlds. Reinforcements would mostly be from summoning the dark fleet, or occasionally from building a shipyard on a planet before devouring it.

It strikes me as either having the ability to work spectacularly or fail spectacularly. I'm currently testing it out (but only an hour in) on a huge multi-star single player map.

I was under the impression that the dark fleet forces were temporary units.
You might be able to create a star base that has a ship construction bay and not worry about needing a planet for one. Just drag the starbase around with you.

This sounds fun. I might have to give it a try.

 

[maniac5999]

I was under the impression that the dark fleet forces were temporary units.
You might be able to create a star base that has a ship construction bay and not worry about needing a planet for one. Just drag the starbase around with you.

This sounds fun. I might have to give it a try.

I rarely used Dark Fleet before the expansion, and haven't since, but I believe that they are permanent reinforcements.

Re: The starbase idea, unfortunately, you're mixing up Vasari factions. The Rebels get starbase mobilization, the Loyalists get income producing ships, and get to eat planets.

 

[Maximilian]

I was under the impression that the dark fleet forces were temporary units.
You might be able to create a star base that has a ship construction bay and not worry about needing a planet for one. Just drag the starbase around with you.

This sounds fun. I might have to give it a try.

Its the TEC who build stuff from their starbases, pretty sure vasari cannot do this at all. The dark fleet thing is from phase stabilizers, the titan can poop these out every 10 minutes so it can be used to reinforce.

 

[neit]

So I've never played a Sins game and wasn't really in the market for one until I saw the sale last night. Just to make sure, rebellion is the full game + expansion up to this point? I know it's a standalone expansion, but does that mean I'm missing out on the original game?

I was also considering the X series, kicking myself that I missed the superbox for $10, but might get the x3 goldbox before the sale ends. Are these games comparable? I probably only have gaming time for one, I wish either had a demo so I could get a feel for it.

 

[Carmen813]

So I've never played a Sins game and wasn't really in the market for one until I saw the sale last night. Just to make sure, rebellion is the full game + expansion up to this point? I know it's a standalone expansion, but does that mean I'm missing out on the original game?

I was also considering the X series, kicking myself that I missed the superbox for $10, but might get the x3 goldbox before the sale ends. Are these games comparable? I probably only have gaming time for one, I wish either had a demo so I could get a feel for it.

You get everything from the original plus some new toys.

 

[Craig234]

Based on reviews, more players would prefer sins over X. You could get the Sins Trinity package for $5, and the X series...

 

[Exterous]

Man - I had completely forgotten this was even coming out! Looks like Stardock will be getting some more of my money

Side note on checking up on what they have been up to:
http://frogboy.joeuser.com/article/427738/The_galaxy_after_Twilight_of_the_Arnor

I can't wait for another one - GalCivII was one of my all time favorite games

 

[neit]

Based on reviews, more players would prefer sins over X. You could get the Sins Trinity package for $5, and the X series...

On my drive to work I figured I would this just this. I'll get trinity and see if it's for me and snag rebellion when it drops further in price. I'll jump on the x3 goldbox/superbox if it's a daily deal, otherwise I'll save it for the future (or x4...)

 

[Rifter]

Ok Craig234 this post is for you

So now that i have logged 40 hours into this game according to steam here are my thoughts on it.

It kicks ass.

That is all.












Just kidding.


I think its a great game, ill break this down into things i like and things i dont like.

Things i like:

- Huge scale, larger maps allow absolutely massive battles

- Customization of units and tech through research is unlike most strategy games and can for sure be game changing and swing the balance of power very easily

- The ability to zoom right into a single ship and watch battles up close

- The ability for diplomacy to be a viable option

- The races are actually different(unlike say supreme commander where every race is the same with a differnt skin/animation but underneath is pretty much identical), this allows for huge strategy changes when playing a different race, and can make multiplayer games alot of fun.

- The customization of speeds(so you can play a real fast game or slow game depending on what you set income/build/move speeds to)

- I love capitol ships! Alot!

- I love starbases! Alot!


Ok now what i dont like or think they could improve:


- Graphics, for a new game that cost me $30 and came out in 2012 they reall yreally need to imrove the graphics

- Engine performance, huge battles(like 4+ player epic battles) can slow down even my system(i7 930 @ 4.2Ghz and overclocked SLI 460's) which should not be happening, im assuming this is only single threaded which is just a joke for a 2012 game.

- Time to play multiplayer, it can take up to 4 or 5 hours to play a huge game if the players are close in skill and all play on teams and work together like they should. I just dont have the time to put into gaming anymore, when i was a teenager this would not have been a issue but finding time for a long haul multiplayer game now is alot harder.

- Enemy AI, its better than original sins from what everyone has told me but its still not great.

- There should be a longer delay for phase jumping, i have played a multiplayer game where this asshole kept jumping his capitol ship back and forth from this one system to another and it took like 30 min to kill him, had to split fleet and leave half at each end and then take 10 second potshots at him as he just kept going back and forth.



Overall i really like it, unfortunately its alot of fun multipplayer but i just dont have the time for that anymore so most of my playtime will be single player.

 

[Kalmah]

- Engine performance, huge battles(like 4+ player epic battles) can slow down even my system(i7 930 @ 4.2Ghz and overclocked SLI 460's) which should not be happening, im assuming this is only single threaded which is just a joke for a 2012 game.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it's single threaded as well. When it's standard to have at least 2 cores in a typical machine these days it's time to steer away from single threaded games. This is more like an expansion to an older game though, so same engine; which seems reasonable all things considered.

I'm curious what Stardock plans to do next. While I love this game I'm also ready for a new engine. If they release more expansions in this same one I'll probably not bother with them.

 

[Craig234]

Ok Craig234 this post is for you

Not sure why it was for me, but good post

 

[WhipperSnapper]

- Time to play multiplayer, it can take up to 4 or 5 hours to play a huge game if the players are close in skill and all play on teams and work together like they should.

In practice, your average online multiplayer PvP game--say 4v4 or 5v5, only takes 1.25-2 hours to play. How is that? For starters, the standard settings are all Faster speeds and Quickstart on. Also, most of those games are played on single star maps. Proper etiquette is for players on the losing team to call it "gg" and quit or surrender once it's clear that their team cannot win, which spares the winning team having to go through the boring mop-up motions and allows a new game to be formed.

 

[Maximilian]

You can save the multiplayer games as well, i play with friends so its easy to pick up the game later. We usually fight together vs the tougher AI's, we get shafted about 50% of the time lol.

Had a fun game where my ally had to abandon the main star on the gateway map and flee to the other star, he later retaliated against the AI with novalith spam from the other star, decent comeback :thumbsup:

 

[Northern Lawn]

Still haven't played it but what about Endless Space vs. Sins Rebellion?

I'm so easily swayed by positive reviews