Sins of a Solar Empire

[IEC]

Originally posted by: Strebor
Trying to load Sins on a friend's laptop, Toshiba Satellite A105 (intel 945 graphics) running XP, and the game menu is solid white with no text. Saw that people were having this problem when running through Steam, but Steam isn't on this computer. Tried rebooting a few times, and versions 1.0 and 1.3. We managed to get into a game by clicking around and it plays ok otherwise, just very annoying not being able to see the menus. Anybody had to deal with this?

Thanks

Have you installed the latest Direct X 9.0c (March 2008) and Intel GMA drivers? That fixed some issues with a friend's computer.

 

[Sadaiyappan]

I tried to play this game online but it was too boring and I had no clue what was going on.

 

[Modelworks]

Its a good game , but its not one you can just load up and get a quick game in.
Its fairly slow paced.

 

[Strebor]

Originally posted by: Spartan Niner
Have you installed the latest Direct X 9.0c (March 2008) and Intel GMA drivers? That fixed some issues with a friend's computer.

I have done both, but got nowhere. Emailed support@stardock with some screen shots, but haven't heard back yet.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

For those of you who do play online multiplayer, how would a 3-on-3 game work? Six separate empires with two alliances of three players (probably on separate voice comm channels)? Kind of like Axis v. Allies?

 

[DannyLove]

Originally posted by: Martimus

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx

Originally posted by: Elcs
No Campaign?

Im not getting it. The campaign is what made the Homeworld games.

Graphics do not look like they have improved much over Homeworld2's either, viewing the HQ trailer. Perhaps its the "older games look great" feeling.

When I read the little thread blurb Space based RTS.... I thought Yes!!!! and reading the thread I feel depressed again.

I don't think the lack of a campaign hurts this game at all. Playing the skirmish modes in single player is just as good, and in many ways, much better than any campaign mode anyone could come up with for the game.

so... is it a skirmish/multiplayer only space rts? interesting...

Yes, currently there is no campaign, but you can read the bulk of the storyline here http://www.sinsofasolarempire.com/lore.aspx

It is believe that the modding tools due to be released in the next month will allow for scripting which will mean player made campaigns, on top of mods based on B5, star trek, star wars, battle star galactica, dawn of victory (book), Stargate, maybe even Firefly.

In about a year IC also plans on releasing a expansion that WILL include a campaign.

I have the game, but I would like a campaign much more than just a Skirmish/MP mode as it is. Once i play through the Campaign, I like those options, but a game just doesn't draw me in without going through a well written campaign first.

so true. imagine if homeworld or company of heroes was skirmish / multiplayer mode only, they really are cutting themselves short in terms of target market. I just enjoy a damn good story and then go into multi.

I'll still try it out though.

 

[Dimmu]

Originally posted by: DannyLove

Originally posted by: Martimus

Originally posted by: ZzZGuy

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: Krakn3Dfx

Originally posted by: Elcs
No Campaign?

Im not getting it. The campaign is what made the Homeworld games.

Graphics do not look like they have improved much over Homeworld2's either, viewing the HQ trailer. Perhaps its the "older games look great" feeling.

When I read the little thread blurb Space based RTS.... I thought Yes!!!! and reading the thread I feel depressed again.

I don't think the lack of a campaign hurts this game at all. Playing the skirmish modes in single player is just as good, and in many ways, much better than any campaign mode anyone could come up with for the game.

so... is it a skirmish/multiplayer only space rts? interesting...

Yes, currently there is no campaign, but you can read the bulk of the storyline here http://www.sinsofasolarempire.com/lore.aspx

It is believe that the modding tools due to be released in the next month will allow for scripting which will mean player made campaigns, on top of mods based on B5, star trek, star wars, battle star galactica, dawn of victory (book), Stargate, maybe even Firefly.

In about a year IC also plans on releasing a expansion that WILL include a campaign.

I have the game, but I would like a campaign much more than just a Skirmish/MP mode as it is. Once i play through the Campaign, I like those options, but a game just doesn't draw me in without going through a well written campaign first.

so true. imagine if homeworld or company of heroes was skirmish / multiplayer mode only, they really are cutting themselves short in terms of target market. I just enjoy a damn good story and then go into multi.

I'll still try it out though.

I'm almost the exact opposite. I love playing skirmish matches, and occasionally bounce online to play with friends. I rarely (if ever) play the campaign modes in RTS games. I don't know why, I just find skirmishes to be far more fun. Thus SOASE is the perfect match for me.

 

[Maximilian]

This is one of the best games ive EVER played. It really is that good guys! I rate this up there with company of heros and starcraft which are my two all time favourite games.

This game is like homeworld mixed with imperium galactica mixed with civilization mixed with a little warcraft III, its great! Everything in the game makes sense, im never left wondering "why isnt there a button to do X Y or Z" because theres always a button there for what i need, AI places structures itsself button, a stack button for the empire tree, the interface is great, i didnt even do the tutorials i just jumped right into a skirmish game and figured it out as i went along.

The graphics are good like in homeworld, the gameplay is similar to imperium galactica II (a lot more tactical though), the gameplay is also similar to civilization on large scale maps, and the capitol ships are like heros that level up like in warcraft III. This is a first class game! I am really ticked that i had to order it in from the USA because the european distributors dont know a good game when they see it, blind soabs. Only thing missing is a campaign, the story sounds really interesting from whats in the manual, i mentioned this before in another post that the story is one of the main reasons i took interest in this game. Hopefully they will make a campaign of some sort eventually as has been said on their forums. The game dosent need one but it would make this game very close to perfection in my eyes.

 

[novasatori]

I think it also has a bit of a supreme commander feel with the scales and zooming.

I agree the game is awesome, the longer games can get boring (I only play MP with friends now) and it also gets incredibly laggy over MP. I think we're gonna try to get some mods that lower the unit count so huge long games wont be so laggy maybe.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I bought the game this morning on my way home from work. I don't drop $40 on a game very often, so I sure hope that I enjoy it for years to come.

 

[Maximilian]

The AI gangs up on me though :frown: Next time i play on a big map, im locking the damn teams. Four hour long game only to lose to a quadruple alliance of the other AI's. Well i couldve won but the repetivity it would have taken would have taken the fun out of it for me. Damned AI... maybe this is a sign of times to come? lol

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: Soviet
The AI gangs up on me though :frown: Next time i play on a big map, im locking the damn teams. Four hour long game only to lose to a quadruple alliance of the other AI's. Well i couldve won but the repetivity it would have taken would have taken the fun out of it for me. Damned AI... maybe this is a sign of times to come? lol

yeah good call...i just quit my game after the three hard AI ended up attacking me from three sides with their entire fleets pretty much continously til i couldn't hold them off any more.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I played a multiplayer last night of 6 friends v. 6 Hard AI. We were on Teamspeak and had fun. Game's a blast, IMHO. Wish I had known about it a couple weeks ago.

 

[Dman877]

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: Soviet
The AI gangs up on me though :frown: Next time i play on a big map, im locking the damn teams. Four hour long game only to lose to a quadruple alliance of the other AI's. Well i couldve won but the repetivity it would have taken would have taken the fun out of it for me. Damned AI... maybe this is a sign of times to come? lol

yeah good call...i just quit my game after the three hard AI ended up attacking me from three sides with their entire fleets pretty much continously til i couldn't hold them off any more.

This always happens to me and it's so difficult to gain AI allies. The tasks they give you to improve your standing are ridiculous. Destroy 6 tactical structures? You need a full fleet to do that because tactical structures take a lot to destroy and they're usually defended by enemy fleets. I hate getting these tasks early in the game when there is literally no way for me to complete them.

On a side note, has anyone figured out the map designer? This thing makes no sense to me at all...

 

[ZzZGuy]

Arg, why won't this thread die?

I have made a new one with the release of the demo, cut out all the stuff pre-release of the game.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2169022&enterthread=y

@Dman
yes, there is a slight problem with the AI ganging up on human players but the more serious issue is that they are sooooo easy to beat once you understand how the AI and the game works, even the unfair AI has it's limits.

As of v1.03 the time limit on the one sided tasks "demanded" of you by the AI has been increased and IIRC the rep hit you take for failing a task is reduced. I usually don't like being the AI's B**** so i kill em all.

 

[Maximilian]

Originally posted by: Dman877

Originally posted by: Malladine

Originally posted by: Soviet
The AI gangs up on me though :frown: Next time i play on a big map, im locking the damn teams. Four hour long game only to lose to a quadruple alliance of the other AI's. Well i couldve won but the repetivity it would have taken would have taken the fun out of it for me. Damned AI... maybe this is a sign of times to come? lol

yeah good call...i just quit my game after the three hard AI ended up attacking me from three sides with their entire fleets pretty much continously til i couldn't hold them off any more.

This always happens to me and it's so difficult to gain AI allies. The tasks they give you to improve your standing are ridiculous. Destroy 6 tactical structures? You need a full fleet to do that because tactical structures take a lot to destroy and they're usually defended by enemy fleets. I hate getting these tasks early in the game when there is literally no way for me to complete them.

On a side note, has anyone figured out the map designer? This thing makes no sense to me at all...

I really hope the diplomacy gets changed into something more civilization like, so its more useful. Its pretty useless to me as the only time i complete missions is by accident.

 

[DreamMystic]

Originally posted by: SovietI really hope the diplomacy gets changed into something more civilization like, so its more useful. Its pretty useless to me as the only time i complete missions is by accident.

I agree with that, it needs to be changed somehow. I think its a great game, probably one of the best I've played for a while. Yes the AI literally rapes you when you first start. But when you figure out a battle strategy that works from A-Z and how the AI works. Then they become fairly easy.

One thing I wish they change about the game is how long it takes to finish a map.

 

[ZzZGuy]

Originally posted by: DreamMystic

Originally posted by: SovietI really hope the diplomacy gets changed into something more civilization like, so its more useful. Its pretty useless to me as the only time i complete missions is by accident.

I agree with that, it needs to be changed somehow. I think its a great game, probably one of the best I've played for a while. Yes the AI literally rapes you when you first start. But when you figure out a battle strategy that works from A-Z and how the AI works. Then they become fairly easy.

One thing I wish they change about the game is how long it takes to finish a map.

Yes, the diplomacy options in Sins suck, would be nice to throw some features from GalCiv2 in.

And the v1.03 patch adds the ability for the AI to surrender when all hope is lost, but it seems to wait till the last bitter minute with it's down to 3 planets and its fleet has just been crushed, at least it removes the problem of the AI colonizing behind your back.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

I wouldn't mind an Alpha Centauri-like diplomacy.

Is it just me, or is it nearly impossible to access the SinsOfASolarEmpire.com discussion forums? It's as though the server is overwhelmed.

 

[ZzZGuy]

The site came under a DOS attack shortly after the v1.03 patch release, since then it's been iffey at best.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Re: AI ganging up on people:

I've found out that you have to go into the Game Options and LOCK the teams. Sadly, there was an oversight in the game and the teams can end up unlocked if you reload a saved game where you had them locked, but there's a very easy fix for this. After loading but before starting any saved game, go into the Game Options and make sure the teams are still set to locked (and check the other settings in that area). Locked teams basically turns off the diplomacy, preventing gang-up. I think Stardock said that they were going to fix this "unlock-on-save-and-reload" bug in the next patch.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

Man, after a couple of matches, I can't pull myself to keep playing. The total lack of a campaign killed the game for me

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Have you tried to play online with other people?

Some friends of mine are trying to get a pickup-games IRC channel going. We play using Hamachi virtual private LAN and Teamspeak voice comm.

Come to:

SERVER: irc.GameRadius.net
CHANNEL: #sinspug

 

[Malladine]

Originally posted by: WhipperSnapper
Have you tried to play online with other people?

Some friends of mine are trying to get a pickup-games IRC channel going. We play using Hamachi virtual private LAN and Teamspeak voice comm.

Come to:

SERVER: irc.GameRadius.net
CHANNEL: #sinspug

good to know, might try that.

On the AI ganging up: even locking teams doesn't help much, i guess they realize that the human is the biggest threat? i dunno...maybe i was just unlucky.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

This game is still too easy. Me and my housemate can still beat the new "unfair" difficulty 2v1v1v1v1v1v1v1v1. Well, to be fair, we haven't tried 2v8... Actually, I'll report back to you guys once we've tried that... We're going to start that game now haha.