In the future, the internet will be accessed through bizarre helmets. Fortunately no one will that that's weird.I was browsing the front page of Shacknews this morning when I stumbled upon an interesting announcement. Apparently, Stardock is working on a second expansion pack to its hit RTS Sins of a Solar Empire. The first expansion, entitled Entrenchment, focused primarily on the warfare aspects of the game. The latest pack will be called Diplomacy, and focuses more on the negotiation and peace making side.
Sins of a Solar Empire is a classic, the most epic 4X RTS game of its kind. In fact, it's probably the only one of its kind. I've seen a lot of games, but nothing is quite like this title. If you haven't played it yet, you need to. The closest comparison to Sins, would probably be Homeworld. An excellent game in its own right, it is nonetheless dwarfed by the immensity and elegance of Sins.
One of the best things about Sins for me, is how it recreates the space battles I've read and seen in various creative works. I'm an avid science fiction reader, and one of my favorite series of all time was Lensmen by E.E. "Doc" Smith. I know they'll never be a Lensmen videogame (as awesome as that would be). But Sins comes pretty close, and when a grand battle is playing out in the depths of space, I feel like I'm right in one of the many climactic battles I've read in the books.
For a game as colorful and dramatic as Sins, its a shame the story and races are so thinly developed. The Vesari, TEC and Advent have nowhere near the lore and characterization that made races like the ones in StarCraft so memorable. Perhaps this will be fleshed out in future expansions, or possibly a sequel. But the underdeveloped story simply fuels the imagination. For instance, I know nothing of the Champions Online world that Cryptic's newest MMO takes place in, but I'll be thinking of it as my own personal Watchmen RPG.
That's part of what makes Sins so great, the way that it makes me realize why I fell in love with sci-fi in the first place. The incredible technology, the larger than life scope, and the brutal atmosphere of galaxy wide warfare. It's hauntingly beautiful and morbid all at once. Vivid beams of light carving into sleek and graceful ships. War never looked so artistic and unforgiving. Vessels pummel each other into submission, fighters weave through them and the surface of worlds get slowly charred from orbital bombers. It conjures up so many images of the science fiction worlds I've experienced over the years.
Needless to say, I'm highly anticipating the newest edition to an already deep and satisfying game. This will definitely be something to watch out for.
Sins of a Solar Empire is a classic, the most epic 4X RTS game of its kind. In fact, it's probably the only one of its kind. I've seen a lot of games, but nothing is quite like this title. If you haven't played it yet, you need to. The closest comparison to Sins, would probably be Homeworld. An excellent game in its own right, it is nonetheless dwarfed by the immensity and elegance of Sins.
One of the best things about Sins for me, is how it recreates the space battles I've read and seen in various creative works. I'm an avid science fiction reader, and one of my favorite series of all time was Lensmen by E.E. "Doc" Smith. I know they'll never be a Lensmen videogame (as awesome as that would be). But Sins comes pretty close, and when a grand battle is playing out in the depths of space, I feel like I'm right in one of the many climactic battles I've read in the books.
For a game as colorful and dramatic as Sins, its a shame the story and races are so thinly developed. The Vesari, TEC and Advent have nowhere near the lore and characterization that made races like the ones in StarCraft so memorable. Perhaps this will be fleshed out in future expansions, or possibly a sequel. But the underdeveloped story simply fuels the imagination. For instance, I know nothing of the Champions Online world that Cryptic's newest MMO takes place in, but I'll be thinking of it as my own personal Watchmen RPG.
That's part of what makes Sins so great, the way that it makes me realize why I fell in love with sci-fi in the first place. The incredible technology, the larger than life scope, and the brutal atmosphere of galaxy wide warfare. It's hauntingly beautiful and morbid all at once. Vivid beams of light carving into sleek and graceful ships. War never looked so artistic and unforgiving. Vessels pummel each other into submission, fighters weave through them and the surface of worlds get slowly charred from orbital bombers. It conjures up so many images of the science fiction worlds I've experienced over the years.
Needless to say, I'm highly anticipating the newest edition to an already deep and satisfying game. This will definitely be something to watch out for.
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