ASnogarD

Join Date 05/2011

Feedback from a first time ever playing a Sins game

Bought the game, started the beta

Note: This isnt about putting the game down, it is merely what I experienced the very first time I tried this game.

Downloaded and installed without hassle, ran the game and immediately got a screen asking me to log in / create accounts...

My thoughts: Why the fu... do I need to login and create accounts to play the single player portion of the game ? Damn annoying.

Got the account stuff sorted easy enough and fiddled with the options...

My Thoughts : Why is there a effects section that basically adjusts a lot of video options, why not have just a video... ahh well its not too bad.

Went through the tutorials...

My thoughts : No voiceovers for the instructions ? Nice space battles... what the turrets dont move ? Thats lame , hmm lacks the punch of a HW2 space battle. Economy tutorials ? Damn this boring stuff, yawn , what was that , ok you..err , and press...ummm, what a load of stuff to remember.

Started my first game...

My thoughts : Ahh the single player campain, err where is the campaign... seriously just a pile of maps ? Hope there is a set of campaigns for the retail game.

Started a small random map ( first one on the list ). Set if for easy AI , random for both me and the ai.

Game started. Sent out my initial 2 seekers scouts one each on the two phase lanes to explore, started building a capital warship, built some research facilitys ( 1 military, 1 civilian ) researched defence platforms and better lasers / shields.

Started to wonder what happened to my scouts I sent off, so I built a few frigates (not scout ones ) and sent them with the capship to the first phaselane and found some frigates there which were dispatched fairly easy ( oh so thats what happened to my scouts, a message would of been helpfull ), lots of messages about pirates ( oh scary ) ...

[ speed up the narrative... built lots of stuff, researched lots of random stuff ]

... whats this grey ships all of a sudden ? These are pirates ? Its a bloody fleet of the buggers ! Build laser def platforms, build more frigates , send all available ships to the planet, retreat my capship back to the capital to the repair platforms. Phew saved my capship, better build some more defenses at my other worlds.

[ speed up again ]

I want to build trade ports but the game insists I used up all my logistical points , but on what ? I upgraded my planet to the max but all I can see it 2 civ research stations, 3 extractors on the asteroids, capship and frigate factories, 2 military research stuff.... surely all this stuff cant be the most I can build on a capital planet...how do I squeeze in the culture towers , refineries and trade ports while keeping a decent defence ? Is it something I can research but I cant build more research structures here ( I realised later I can build them on other planets and it will count to the total for research purposes )...

My thoughts: It isnt too clear what research does what, even with the infocards so most will end up researching random stuff and getting lost there. The battles lack substance to be honest, theres very little 'action' going on... ships face each other and shoot at each other till one dies ( add some more chatter, sound effects , visual effects that a ship is in trouble , audio lacks a punch as well... I suggest the guys go play some Homeworld 2 ( By Relic , published Sierra ) for ideas here ).

In ending: I enjoyed the game enough to want to play another map but I did find the initial game to be a little lacking, it really needs a single player campaign to introduce all the games aspects in a more controlled and enjoyable manner ( not sure if this is just a beta lack ? ). The battles were a bit dull as the effects ( audio and graphics ) really didnt convey any exciting combat...just ships all focusing on one ship then the next. I was also confused at the structure placement system.... I mean I would of put the beam defences to guard the phase lane but even at the closest point a invader could simply by pass the platform and get around...or it could even ignore the planet and jump to the next planet, it wasnt clear if you could use a lane between 2 enemy planets without neutralising the first planet in the phase lane.

TLDR: Confusing but fun potential, gfx and audio needs some work, needs a single player campaign. Good work devs and keep at it.

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I'm fairly sure everyone here knows HW2, including the Devs *cough*.

You have a limited amount of logistic slots that is defined by planet type, earth planets can house 24 logistic slots, and every building eats up 4 of them so you can build 6 buildings there. You have to choose what structures you want to place on which planet. Also refineries and culture centers do not have to be placed on every planet to work (mines on asteroids take 0 slots).

Defense structures have their own slots, tactical slots. They are independant of logistic slots so you can place many defense structures even if you already built all civilian structures.

Yeah, the tutorials are second-rate... nothing to say there.

You fought an easy AI, try a hard or unfair AI. You will find that battles won't be won by looking at your units decimate the enemy anymore. You will have to trigger the abilites of your capital ships and fleet smartly in orer to win. You will probably have to use the empire tree for that. Especially unfair and stronger AIs are very challenging. However playing against humans are usually be best oppoents in the game if you're looking for a challenge.

As for researches... you will need to find out what researches are the most useful at the beginning, but going for a balance of eco and military researches and not just researching everything as it becomes available is a good way to go. Advent should research shields, hangar defense and temples of communion early, Tec should probably go for trade ports, hull and armor as well as repair bays.

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WHIPperSNAPper2008

Join Date 03/2008

+126

It's a great game, but it has a learning curve. To make more logistics slots, you have to upgrade the amount of logistics slots the planet can support. Planets have several properties that can be upgraded -- Population, Hit Points, Logistics slots, Tactical slots, Exploration (search for artifacts), assign home planet. Asteroids and Moons can have up to 12 (3 slots). Ice and Volcanics can have up to 20 (5 slots). Terrans up to 24 (6 slots). Deserts can have up to 36 (9 slots). The TEC also have a special Level 6 civic research ability that can add 4 extra logistics points (1 slot).

It takes a while to learn, so just take it slowly and try to explore everything; give yourself a chance to learn the game. It's a lot of fun once you get up to speed and you're ready for online multiplayer PvP.

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Volt_Cruelerz

Join Date 06/2008

+115

There a very large amount of things in Sins that you'll basically just have to learn from experience. We agree that a SP campaign would be nice, but the devs seem to have their hearts set on not having one. At this point, I only hope that they will unlock the tutorials because that would allow modders to make them. Everyone knows that the day that the tutorials became moddable modders would immediately start work on campaigns. Would be wonderful.. But alas, I don't find it likely... [e digicons]:'([/e]

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Tridus

Join Date 03/2008

+110

You'll want to have more then one planet under your control before you try to build stuff like trade ports. Build a colony frigate or the capital ship with the colonize ability (Akkan/Progenitor) and go take over some nearby stuff.

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Had another session, went a lot more smoother gameplay wise... as in I was getting somewhere, not particularily quickly or efficiently but progress was being made.

Wasnt very amused at the Novalith cannon ( the haha I sit at my capital planet and shoot your planets all day weapon ), the AI was knocking out my planets as fast as I could re-colonise without even needing to send a scout ship to spot the rock... what was my Star fortress, defence hangar with repair facilities and laser platforms there for, AI didnt even need to send ships with that. ( least the fortress seems to prevent the planet getting neutralised but I cant pop a fort on every piece of dirt I got people on ).

Got to see different ships fighting it out, with different abilities and could see the options for tactical battles... shield ship in the mid, drone ships to the rear and put the tankies capship with the aggro grabbing ability front facing.. fun.

Was a bit annoying when the enemy ships would fly right past all my massed defences and go cruising through my systems with not much difficulty ( was going to tech to phase lane disruption... but game crashed )... though hangars and drone ships sorted most of those trips out fast enough.

Game crashed with a runtime error and hid the warning message behind the game screen so had to alt tab about to get out...but that was a few hours in and not too bad for a beta.

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GoaFan77

Join Date 10/2008

+629

Quoting ASnogarD,

reply 5

If you don't want to worry about the AI sending Novalith shells at you, you may like this map I made. The AI is stuck at its homeworld so it won't be able to find you, much less harass you with novalith strikes. That means you are free to explore, expand, and fight at your own pace while you figure things out. The map doesn't have to be boring though, leave the pirates on so you have something to test your defenses against. There are also several well fortified neutral colonies that won't expand, but have good defense forces, which will expose you to almost every unit in the game. You can win the map by the occupation victory, research victory, or by a secret route that will allow you to attack the enemy homeworld even if they can't attack you.

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WHIPperSNAPper2008

Join Date 03/2008

+126

Note that starbases can be upgraded to prevent you from losing planets to Novaliths.

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The one thing I can agree with OP on is that audio needs some work. Even as someone who has put hundreds of hours into the series I can agree. There just isn't that much music and the ships really need to be more vocal.

Other than that, yeah there is a bit of a learning curve and you'll figure out the right things you should build. Part of that learning curve is learning how to manage your logical and tactical slots. One tip I always do is after I build that first capital ship I scuttle my factory. Also, after building my starting fleet I scrap the frigate factory also, and proceed to build that in a better suited planet and use the rest of that for trade/research.

But hey, you'll get the hang of it. Personally, I listen to my own music while playing =]. Good luck.

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