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Soooooooo Boring.....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 5
Date: August 23, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I mainly play first person shooters and RPGs (the last two games I played were Mass Effect and Crysis, which I loved) but I enjoy RTS games as well. I spent lots of time playing Empire Earth, Age of Empires 2 and 3, Dawn of War, World in Conflict, and others. After seeing so many positive reviews for this game, I went out and bought it.

As soon as I started watching the intro I knew I had made a terrible mistake. The voice-over is awful and the story was uninspiring. Then I expected to start a campaign, something with a story. Instead, when I clicked Single Player, I was presented with a list of maps to choose from. Come on, they could make a little effort to draw me into this game. I started playing the first tutorial, and between the irritating voices that acknowledge your commands and the utter dullness of watching the ships sit still firing their little lasers until one blows up, I was sure that this was not a game that I would enjoy.

I played Sins of a Solar Empire for about ten minutes, and it was ten minutes too long. Apparently there are lots of people who like this game, but if you like the kind of RTS games I mentioned above, don't waste your time with this.

I'D RATHER BE PLAYING EMPIRE AT WAR!

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: August 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

playing this game reminded me a little of playing SW Empire at War only worse. I quickly lost interest in this game and never finished more than a couple of levels. Maybe this game is better in Multi-player mode, but as far as single-player mode is concerned i'm gonna have to give it 2 thumbs down. Play Empire at War instead you will not be disappointed.

Stardock Changed the Rules

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 3 / 11
Date: July 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have supported Stardock for years now. I purchased Galactic Civilizations (2 copies), Altarian Prophecy, Galactic Civilizations 2 and Sins of the Solar Empire.

However that all ends now, since Stardock has changed course in midstream. They will no longer put out stand alone patches for the game, but now they are forcing the user to download and install Impulse to get any future content.

This method of DRM is not as bad as Spore's or MassEffect, but it still ends in control over the user. In fact Brad (owner of Stardock) basically said he does not care what others think, he is going to do what he wants.

It is now either Brad's way or the highway. My recommendation is take the highway, and stop being forced like cattle into the pens they tell you to go in to.

Take the highway, it is cheaper, less painful and you do not have a person or company dictating to you that you will download their software because they want it on your computer.

DRM is a DRM no matter how much they tell you it is not. They are now setting the rights by which you will be able to download any future content for their games.

Bombing planets? Where do I sign up?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

By doing a real-time strategy game mixed with elements from turn-based games (or 4x as they call it; Explore, Expand, Exploit, and Exterminate), Sins was doing something daring. They succeeded, to an extent.

First, it should be noted that although this game will work on most computers, it is capable of bringing the most powerful machines to their knees. Sins allows players to build a map with no limits. That said, if you play on a map your computer can handle, they graphics are simply stunning. From a horde of fighters racing by to planetary bombardment weapons (which are sinfully fun to watch), I was very impressed with the detail. Yet, only the best machine can deliver these results.

There is no plot to this game, simply a back-story that describes why the three species are in combat with each other. Here is one problem with Sins: they tried to build three distinct races (one based on commerce, another on technology, and another on psychic abilities) but in the end made them too balanced. Besides ship special abilities and technologies researched in the late game, all teams are essentially the same.

Another problem is the fact that you may be required to organize multiple battles at the same time, which can sometime result in your strategy losing its cohesion. Also, diplomacy in the game is somewhat... lacking. Simple demands by other races for favors, and if you complete them, you can sometimes agree to a cease-fire, alliance, or trade-rights. Still, these only tarnish a small part of the game.

The strategy part of the game is pretty standards; collect resources, colonize planets and improve them; but it's the fact that this is all running in real time. At any moment, an enemy fleet could show up on your door-step, whether or not you're ready. Buildable defenses can only do so much; you will need a fleet for defense. Everyone will have to develop their own strategies for this, which is some of the fun; I found there is lots of room for experimentation and development of technique.

Multiplayer is, quite simply, great. Combine the treachery of Civilization and the raw essence of RTS online game, and you'll get Sins. New players will have a tough time, though, getting indoctrinated into the community (Simply put, at first you're going to be slaughtered) and, like all games, there are people who exploit certain characteristic to their advantage (curse you, illuminator spammers!). Still, a very good online experience.

Sins tried something new, and considering that, they did quite well. Although a bit rusty, the game still has a very addictive charisma. And, like Civilization, you'll get that "one more turn feel", except there are no turns, creating quit a dilemma.

Superb! But some bad points.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 15, 2008
Author: Amazon User

When I played my first battle, I easily grasped it due to the tutorial. But, I found 0 campaign missions. This really upsets me because I thought you can actually grow with the game as you go on. Also one misleading part is the box said you can customize your own captial ship by inserting various skills. I found out that no matter how you add your skills, you will end up with the same ones at lvl 10. It didn't really matter how I build it.

What this game has.

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 1 / 11
Date: July 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

If your hoping for a story line give up now.
There is no story! That's the pig point, some of these reviews say a Si-fi noval. If you loved homeworld or hegamonia, or Nexus You will hate this game. When you start a new game it asks you to choose a configuration for the galixy (how many suns and there colors, planets are random) Then you hit start and it generates the map and you start with a planet and you start to build you move into other suns and mattering on the diffcualty you get attacked your forces get push back or you move forword bomb there plants or visa versa and then your done. DONE thats it pick the next one and then your off doing the same thing. You can make a random map but it's just like the other options. There's nothing to keep you playing.

Mediocre at best

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: July 02, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game based on all the ecstatic reviews, comparisons to master of orion, etc, etc. The game is boring. It has a neat premise. It's the kind of game I want to play and want to like. One of the things I do like is that your ship crews gain experience.

It's basically a lot like MOO2, only the combat is boring. That's really what kills the game for me. The whole "buy off the pirates at the last second so they'll go kill the other opponents" is just retarded. The tech trees are pretty boring.

Basically, the game has all of the right elements. It's like baking bread. They have the yeast and the flour and the sugar and etc. It has everything bread should have. But the bread just isn't good. I want to like it, I want it to be delicious, but it's very bland.

The thing that kills it is the combat. It's boring. There's no action. It's completely formulaic. There's no real chance for a come from behind victory, or for you to design a ship to exploit an opponent's weakness. You just group up a bunch of ships and sit there and yawn while your ships and their ships slowly whittle away at each other. It quickly becomes a foregone conclusion who is going to win. There's no drama, or action, or thrill. It's boring and very repetitive.

Not at all like Master of Orion. The factions are also boring and uninspiring. Basically I'd go load MOO2 and skip this title. I applaud their effort and their desire to make this sort of game, but it just doesn't have the magic that makes a game great. Quickly forgotten.

Overall a very good game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game based on the reviews I read in Amazon. They were, for the most part--dead on. As a pure RTS game it's at or near the top. Lack of a campaign (like the Homeworld one) kept me from giving the game full marks. In-game campaigns go all the way back to the original Command & Conquer--they aren't "necessary" but they surely add to the experience.

The zoomed in graphics during space battles are very pretty, but the game is unplayable when zoomed in. I also would have liked it if ALL my ships gained prowess from combat--vs. just the huge ones. It would've made the zoomed in combat a bit more interesting, since I'd care more about that "baby" Corvette I created at start and brought ALL this way to the huge battle I am zoomed in on.

The only thing it lacks is a Campaign mode.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: June 05, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have nothing but high praise for Sins of a Solar Empire in every category. The Graphics are top notch, the gameplay is both unique and intuitive, not to mention addicting! And the sound and music is spot on. The only thing that would make this game better would be a single player campaign.

Gave in to the hype. Now scratching my head!!!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 7
Date: May 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I agree with some of the reviewers here that are scratching their heads about this game. I gave the game 2 stars for fun factor and 3 overall as a reward for no copy protection. I played it for a full weekend and just didn't get what the gushing reviews were about. There is no real strategy to Sins except with dealing with a unit cap. It just reminds me of Warcraft 2 in space. I really thought I was missing something when you crank out ships and then they will go and automatically shoot enemy ships on their own until they or the enemy blows up. There is very little else that keeps you interested in this gameplay. I then realized that I was actually looking for tactical space battles that didn't exist in Sins of a Solar Empire. I really didn't feel that involved in the game especially during the space combat. I went on to playing Sword of the Stars and was quite pleased with the gameplay and the tactical space battles.

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