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preview :: sins of the solar empire
Sins of the Solar Empire
Reviewed on: PCAvailable on: PC
The evil chickens have succeeded in breaching the outer quadrants of the Red Rooster solar system. It appears as though they’ve upgraded their lasers and ion cannons, as their capital ships are having a devastating effect on our fleet.
Players: 1 - 10 Players
Genre:
Release: 2008-03-01
Genre:
Release: 2008-03-01
Developer: Ironclad Games
Distributor: Auran Gamer
Distributor: Auran Gamer
Excerpts taken from Fleet Commander R. McDonald
Captains log, Day 384
The evil chickens have succeeded in breaching the outer quadrants of the Red Rooster solar system. It appears as though they’ve upgraded their lasers and ion cannons, as their capital ships are having a devastating effect on our fleet.
However, their movements are threatening our home McDonalds system, and I’m sure it won’t be long before they begin preparations for invasions.
Captains log, Day 412
Damn them, damn them to hell! The evil chickens have won a vital crystal laden asteroid, and now have access to some of the most important mining systems. Manufacturing of our new cruiser lines will be halted in days without those materials and the strain on our population is at breaking point already.
I was sent Colonel Grimace’s head that had been pecked right off his podgy purple body. Those animals! His wife and small purple children were devastated.
I’ve sent our diplomat The Burgerlar to try and form a strategic alliance with the Burger King Coalition over in the Hungry Jacks Star System, but I hold little hope of help due to our blockade of their home world several months ago to prevent them from releasing a new ‘Whopper’ class Destroyer.
Captains log, Day 452
All is lost, the evil chickens have destroyed the remnants of my second in commands fleet and laid to ruin our sister planet. They come now to destroy us at our home planet of McDonald-ton.
How I rue the day we exterminated KFC from our star system. We should have known the evil chickens would rise again.
Fear the chickens, FEAR THEM!
Pew Pew Pew! I’m the Starship Enterprise, SHIELDS UP!!
I was given access to a Sins of the Solar Empire BETA key by Yug and have been enjoying myself immensely as I play the game. Classed as a hybrid mix of the 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) and RTS genre’s, it reminds me a great deal of Imperium Galactica, Star Wars: Rebellion and Galactic Civilisations, although I personally draw a lot of comparisons with SW:R as I spend more time thinking about it.
I’d also go so far as to include the 5th X (eXperience) as your units gain more experience with every battle they win as well as the upgrades you can purchase. Essentially, units you’ve held for a long time become very valuable, and losing them can mean a good hour or two (And in some cases a lot more) of time spent trying to redevelop a new capital ship or cruiser with the same capabilities as the one you’ve lost.
The game is due for release in February 4th via online download, TotalGaming.net. Even so, the BETA itself plays like a finished game with very few noticeable bugs and impressive graphical capabilities already. Small improvements with regards to unit selection, fleet management and space station infrastructure can and should be made as it can be a tad clunky at times trying to select various buildings and / or units when viewing the planet from a zoomed-out perspective.
What impressed me the most about the game was the size. The galaxy you’re playing in is just huge. Most solar systems sport planet and asteroid populations of around 5 – 15 and the scale you’re working within doesn’t become apparent until you are forced to expand due to new material requirements.
The resource management is fairly easy. Planets get you tax (Which equates to credits) and various moons / asteroids circling the planets give you materials to use towards production. Metal is the most common, and crystal the most valued.
Diplomacy is rather easy but very important. Having allies in a solar system generally translates to having a buffer for your various planets. The various planetary defence systems are reasonably adept and stalling an invasion, but not for extended periods.
The strategic elements of the game revolve around positioning and possession. Strategically position a fleet at a star, and you possess the solar system as nobody can get in and at later stages out of that area without coming across your fleet. Lose possession of the star and any Tom, Dick or Harry can and will enter your ‘back yard’ and create havoc.
Boom headshot... I mean hull shot!
On a military side of things, the capability for interesting and involved battles is there, but I have a feeling it will be more of a case of ‘My guns > Your guns = Win’. Something I was really looking forward to was the inclusion of a ‘Z’ axis to the game and by extension some really interesting and tactical battles that would separate the boys from the men. Sadly, the game has no ‘depth’ to it, and I think this was an element of the game that they could have really built on. Considering space is the three-dimensional entity we all know it to be, I find it slightly ludicrous that you can’t order a ship to ‘drop below’ and flank from underneath. Still, this doesn’t ruin my enjoyment of the game too much.
The real time nature of the game itself also means that you have to constantly be on the ball. Attacks can come at any time, and often are from the pirates that inhabit most of the solar systems in various little hideouts. They prove to be generally annoying and help stall a planets progress, so from that regard it is generally in your best interests to wipe them out from early one.
One part I’ve been desperate to trial but haven’t had a chance to give it a whirl is invading a planet. Although I realise you can bombard from space the planet itself, you are given the chance to also invade in order to occupy a new planet. I am hoping this will give you the option to command your troops ala Imperium Galactica and Total War, but I have a feeling this may not be a feature that Ironclad Games have worked in, which would also be a shame.
You get the chance to play three different races, each with their own agenda. I haven’t noticed too much in the way of racial traits in the BETA and this is either due to my ignorance or the fact it hasn’t been built in yet.
All in all I think this could be a winner. Games like this interest me as the 4 (And 5)X genre’s are generally games that allow you to be sucked in and lose 4-6 hours playing before you realise you need to run to the dunny so your bladder doesn’t explode from neglect of bodily functions. Definitely one I would look out for.
This is a game that I feel holds a lot of potential. Definitely worth picking up when it comes out. It did take a few hours to get into, but once I got sucked in I was finding myself up quite late.
Captains log, Day 384
The evil chickens have succeeded in breaching the outer quadrants of the Red Rooster solar system. It appears as though they’ve upgraded their lasers and ion cannons, as their capital ships are having a devastating effect on our fleet.
However, their movements are threatening our home McDonalds system, and I’m sure it won’t be long before they begin preparations for invasions.
Captains log, Day 412
Damn them, damn them to hell! The evil chickens have won a vital crystal laden asteroid, and now have access to some of the most important mining systems. Manufacturing of our new cruiser lines will be halted in days without those materials and the strain on our population is at breaking point already.
I was sent Colonel Grimace’s head that had been pecked right off his podgy purple body. Those animals! His wife and small purple children were devastated.
I’ve sent our diplomat The Burgerlar to try and form a strategic alliance with the Burger King Coalition over in the Hungry Jacks Star System, but I hold little hope of help due to our blockade of their home world several months ago to prevent them from releasing a new ‘Whopper’ class Destroyer.
Captains log, Day 452
All is lost, the evil chickens have destroyed the remnants of my second in commands fleet and laid to ruin our sister planet. They come now to destroy us at our home planet of McDonald-ton.
How I rue the day we exterminated KFC from our star system. We should have known the evil chickens would rise again.
Fear the chickens, FEAR THEM!
Pew Pew Pew! I’m the Starship Enterprise, SHIELDS UP!!
I was given access to a Sins of the Solar Empire BETA key by Yug and have been enjoying myself immensely as I play the game. Classed as a hybrid mix of the 4X (eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate) and RTS genre’s, it reminds me a great deal of Imperium Galactica, Star Wars: Rebellion and Galactic Civilisations, although I personally draw a lot of comparisons with SW:R as I spend more time thinking about it.
I’d also go so far as to include the 5th X (eXperience) as your units gain more experience with every battle they win as well as the upgrades you can purchase. Essentially, units you’ve held for a long time become very valuable, and losing them can mean a good hour or two (And in some cases a lot more) of time spent trying to redevelop a new capital ship or cruiser with the same capabilities as the one you’ve lost.
The game is due for release in February 4th via online download, TotalGaming.net. Even so, the BETA itself plays like a finished game with very few noticeable bugs and impressive graphical capabilities already. Small improvements with regards to unit selection, fleet management and space station infrastructure can and should be made as it can be a tad clunky at times trying to select various buildings and / or units when viewing the planet from a zoomed-out perspective.
What impressed me the most about the game was the size. The galaxy you’re playing in is just huge. Most solar systems sport planet and asteroid populations of around 5 – 15 and the scale you’re working within doesn’t become apparent until you are forced to expand due to new material requirements.
The resource management is fairly easy. Planets get you tax (Which equates to credits) and various moons / asteroids circling the planets give you materials to use towards production. Metal is the most common, and crystal the most valued.
Diplomacy is rather easy but very important. Having allies in a solar system generally translates to having a buffer for your various planets. The various planetary defence systems are reasonably adept and stalling an invasion, but not for extended periods.
The strategic elements of the game revolve around positioning and possession. Strategically position a fleet at a star, and you possess the solar system as nobody can get in and at later stages out of that area without coming across your fleet. Lose possession of the star and any Tom, Dick or Harry can and will enter your ‘back yard’ and create havoc.
Boom headshot... I mean hull shot!
On a military side of things, the capability for interesting and involved battles is there, but I have a feeling it will be more of a case of ‘My guns > Your guns = Win’. Something I was really looking forward to was the inclusion of a ‘Z’ axis to the game and by extension some really interesting and tactical battles that would separate the boys from the men. Sadly, the game has no ‘depth’ to it, and I think this was an element of the game that they could have really built on. Considering space is the three-dimensional entity we all know it to be, I find it slightly ludicrous that you can’t order a ship to ‘drop below’ and flank from underneath. Still, this doesn’t ruin my enjoyment of the game too much.
The real time nature of the game itself also means that you have to constantly be on the ball. Attacks can come at any time, and often are from the pirates that inhabit most of the solar systems in various little hideouts. They prove to be generally annoying and help stall a planets progress, so from that regard it is generally in your best interests to wipe them out from early one.
One part I’ve been desperate to trial but haven’t had a chance to give it a whirl is invading a planet. Although I realise you can bombard from space the planet itself, you are given the chance to also invade in order to occupy a new planet. I am hoping this will give you the option to command your troops ala Imperium Galactica and Total War, but I have a feeling this may not be a feature that Ironclad Games have worked in, which would also be a shame.
You get the chance to play three different races, each with their own agenda. I haven’t noticed too much in the way of racial traits in the BETA and this is either due to my ignorance or the fact it hasn’t been built in yet.
All in all I think this could be a winner. Games like this interest me as the 4 (And 5)X genre’s are generally games that allow you to be sucked in and lose 4-6 hours playing before you realise you need to run to the dunny so your bladder doesn’t explode from neglect of bodily functions. Definitely one I would look out for.
This is a game that I feel holds a lot of potential. Definitely worth picking up when it comes out. It did take a few hours to get into, but once I got sucked in I was finding myself up quite late.