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So what is the gameplay like?

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So what is the gameplay like?

from Sins Forums
I was wondering how battles are, like if you move and attack with fleets in formation or just throw the ships with attack orders, and if the first 10 min always are the same for base building (if there is like just 1 or 2 superior building paths for the first 10 min), or is there several good balanced paths to choose from? Is there enough tactics involved in battles, or are the more or less automatic?

I was also wondering if the mood (music/style) in the game resembles Homeworld or something similar in style? :)

And what is your impression personally for the Beta, will the finished product be a grail for an RTS fan as myself? ;p

I have also read that some think that the gameplay is too slow, boring and always plays the same. Is this true or does this just represent someone who has just played the smallest levels or somehting similar? (:(
strategy
26,615 views 55 replies
Reply #26 from Sins Forums Top

And from what I hear, from many old RTSers this game is a tad to slow to ever be a big multiplayer hit, or even be competitive online.

Bingo.

come on, Supcom no mavor on worlddom with no resource increase and no speed increase is 4-5 x faster than any game I've played on sins.


1. You mean that the game takes to long to finish(that would be peoples own fault for playing to larger maps than they like to finish), or the game mechanics are simple to slow to be fun(like it takes to long to build things and stuff and there is too little to do in this game)?
Is the phase of base building and unit production at the level of Homeworld or slower? As far as I have understood this is a 4X-RTS game, and 4X games are not meant to be finished in 30-60 min, unless you are playing a very small map.

- I have played and won World Dom. in SupCom and enjoyed it, and I never build Mavors, and never play with more than regular resource rate, giving that I dont play SupCom/FA as an spam fest, no pun intented ;P

2. Are the first 10 min always the same in this game?

3. How is the mood/music/style in this game, any good (how much % Jar-Jar and how much % Homeworld)?

4. I have also noticed that planets in this game are connected with some kind of lines. Are these the only angles in which you are able to approach and attack/conquer a planet, or can you freely travel anywhere between the planets?

5. And what about that battle UI previewed in Gamespy, can you use it's icons to tell your units to attack enemy units just by clicking on the icons (like, left click 1 friendly unit, and right-click an enemy unit to order an attack -/- open a order menu)? :LOL:

Edit:

6. Btw, im just wathcing a fanmade gameplay video right now, and it seems to me that there are these grey gravity things around planets, are these really the limitation of how far ships can go away from the planets, and how far away an attacking player can rally up his forces? :O You cant move outside this rings? :(

7. Still watching the video ;P Can you control at which altitude your ships fly in?

Apparantely, it looks like the small radius around planets in which your ships are allowed to move doesnt give much to tactical options, is this true? :.(

8. Done watching (link: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?forumid=402&aid=148534#1).
One last question, are the explosions for bigger ships nice looking? It somehow seems like the ships just disappear before the explosion can get the time to cover the ships, and like if there is no parts flying around from the exploding ships.
Reply #27 from Sins Forums Top
- I have played and won World Dom. in SupCom and enjoyed it,

hm, maybe we can play sometime? I'm having trouble finding anyone worth playing against.
Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #28 from Sins Forums Top
fsure, I go by the nick Lutjekabal, so just search to add me in friend list. I only play FA now though, he, I suspect this game might do Fa for me though. ;) Im not totally micro hardcore though ;p ...
Reply #29 from Sins Forums Top
I would say that Normal speed in the internal builds is now pretty fast (compared to Beta 4). That may have to do with the fact that the game is almost entirely different in many respects, but it plays nicely IMO.
Reply #30 from Sins Forums Top
Hm, so can we expect 2-3 exspansions if the game sells with like 4-6+ races added? :D lol. I most say that I didnt expect this game to go well 1 year ago, mainly because of the screenshoots, but now I must say that ketchup does not always taste the same. XD U can almost be sure for me to buy this game, giving everything turns out as good as I suspect it will. :P

But again, isnt the planet outer radius for ship movement to small for any real planned attacks and tactics in whole? ;p
Reply #31 from Sins Forums Top

1. You mean that the game takes to long to finish(that would be peoples own fault for playing to larger maps than they like to finish), or the game mechanics are simple to slow to be fun(like it takes to long to build things and stuff and there is too little to do in this game)?
Is the phase of base building and unit production at the level of Homeworld or slower? As far as I have understood this is a 4X-RTS game, and 4X games are not meant to be finished in 30-60 min, unless you are playing a very small map.


Schod was exaggerating. A lot.


2. Are the first 10 min always the same in this game?


In some ways the first few minutes are the same, in some ways not. Scouting, for example, lets you know the map around you -- and adjusting to that (on a random map, especially) can produce significant changes. There is nothing like playing a random map and finding out all the planets around you require civic research before you can go anywhere with colonizing them!


3. How is the mood/music/style in this game, any good (how much % Jar-Jar and how much % Homeworld)?


The music is award winning. Hollywood could learn from this music :D

4. I have also noticed that planets in this game are connected with some kind of lines. Are these the only angles in which you are able to approach and attack/conquer a planet, or can you freely travel anywhere between the planets?


Phase lines control the routes you can take between planets -- it helps avoid issues where gameplay becomes "wack-a-mole".

5. And what about that battle UI previewed in Gamespy, can you use it's icons to tell your units to attack enemy units just by clicking on the icons (like, left click 1 friendly unit, and right-click an enemy unit to order an attack -/- open a order menu)?


You can right-click on an enemy unit to give a manual attack order, if thats what your asking...


6. Btw, im just wathcing a fanmade gameplay video right now, and it seems to me that there are these grey gravity things around planets, are these really the limitation of how far ships can go away from the planets, and how far away an attacking player can rally up his forces? :O You cant move outside this rings?


Pretty much -- its called a "grav well". Inside one ring, your stuck with STL transit. Outside that, but inside the next ring, your ships are free to fire up their FTL drives if they're near enough a grav well to travel down it. Generally ships aren't supposed to go outside that outer ring, if they do its a bug.


Apparantely, it looks like the small radius around planets in which your ships are allowed to move doesnt give much to tactical options, is this true? :.(


No. There is plenty of tactics. Not as much tactics as in some games perhaps, but the fact that you have actual strategy makes up for that.


8. Done watching (link: https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/?forumid=402&aid=148534#1).
One last question, are the explosions for bigger ships nice looking? It somehow seems like the ships just disappear before the explosion can get the time to cover the ships, and like if there is no parts flying around from the exploding ships.


The devs haven't released the final graphics to us -- IIRC, explosions are one of the things they just plastered something in for.
Reply #32 from Sins Forums Top
But again, isnt the planet outer radius for ship movement to small for any real planned attacks and tactics in whole?


Nope! It was specifically designed so that static defenses can't bottleneck fleets on jump-in. Some planetoids have special properties for smaller/larger grav wells, but in general there's plenty of room to maneuver your fleet. It's very common for me to send some of my weaker close-range ships that would get shredded by defenses around to attack unprotected mines labs, while the heavier hitters take care of defenses and such. Sometimes the defenses are so misplaced (I jump in from an angle that makes it very easy to bypass entirely) that I don't even bother with them because they pose no threat :P
Reply #33 from Sins Forums Top
What, you dont place your defence yourself? :D Btw, Hollywood could learn from a monkey punching a guitar. ;P
Reply #34 from Sins Forums Top
I sure do! Doesn't change any of what I wrote, though :P
Reply #35 from Sins Forums Top

What, you dont place your defence yourself?
 

Yes, you can place all your defenses yourself. There is also an auto-place option for those that don't want to micro placement. Its really up to you. The auto-placement can't read your mind, but 90% of the time its exactly where I want it :)

Reply #36 from Sins Forums Top
The auto-placement can't read your mind


We need a psychic Skynet for Sins AI...
Reply #37 from Sins Forums Top
I would say that Normal speed in the internal builds is now pretty fast (compared to Beta 4). That may have to do with the fact that the game is almost entirely different in many respects, but it plays nicely IMO.

more things to do trumps more done every time, so that sounds good.
Reply #39 from Sins Forums Top
I must say, I am a speed freaq, and would love it if a game could be played under ten minets (can we have a speed feaq setting? maby as like a cheat or hint or something?)

However, the reason I like ten minute games is becouse my schedule is tighter than a frozen lock.

so, in short, I use fast all the time, can't stand normal, takes way to long to do anything.
Reply #40 from Sins Forums Top
Honestly, it's just not possible to start a new game and win it in 10 minutes. It was never designed that way and I never see it happening.
Reply #41 from Sins Forums Top
Personally, I'm hoping a game can take a long time (singleplayer, not interested at all in multiplayer) with a level of depth and complexity as GalCiv2, but easier to play. (RT4X vs TBS, in TBS games empty turns just bug me...) I'm more interested in building and running an empire, and if it's over in 30 minutes, even an hour, there'll be no epic feel to it at all. Short games don't interest me, because when it's done all there is to do is to re-do it, and I don't want to play a bunch of short uninteresting games, but a long epic game.

I want to be able to tweak and set every kind of option I can (ala GalCiv2) and rule the universe, but at my own pace. With a high level of options, every game could in fact be different. Short skirmishes aren't interesting, epic campaigns to take over the universe using economy, diplomacy, treachery, and eventually military might to oppress other citizens is what I'm looking for...

As I read more and more of the postings here, I'm getting a feeling people want to play this as an RTS, quick and fast. I'm hoping the gameplay will offer to both types of players. Those who are interested in only short, quick, and overly competitve gameplay, and those who are more inclined to play slowly, thoughtfully, and looking for longevity in their empires.
Reply #42 from Sins Forums Top

Honestly, it's just not possible to start a new game and win it in 10 minutes. It was never designed that way and I never see it happening.


Just do a 2 planet star... my planet his planet.

Watch the fun begin.
Reply #43 from Sins Forums Top

True...you could do that...

Reply #44 from Sins Forums Top

Personally, I'm hoping a game can take a long time (singleplayer, not interested at all in multiplayer) with a level of depth and complexity as GalCiv2, but easier to play.

Well, it's not as deep or complex as GC2 since it's real-time, but Sins is pretty nice. ;)  You can easily play on a Large map or generate your own with the built-in map designer to create a galaxy with multiple stars and hundreds of planets that would take you months to complete. :)

Reply #45 from Sins Forums Top
And what is your impression personally for the Beta, will the finished product be a grail for an RTS fan as myself?


Oh... according to Beta 4, you'll like this game as it is really more RTS than 4x IMO. According to the devs, the final version should be more balanced between RTS and 4x. If it is to much RTS for my taste, e-mail me and I'll sell you my copy :)

I would say that Normal speed in the internal builds is now pretty fast (compared to Beta 4). That may have to do with the fact that the game is almost entirely different in many respects, but it plays nicely IMO.


So, the normal speed of Beta 4 is now pretty fast? Is the new "Slow" = the Beta 4 "Normal"?
Reply #46 from Sins Forums Top
The final version strikes a good balance between 4X and RTS. It's definitely a lot more 4X than Beta 4.
Reply #47 from Sins Forums Top
you make my day, Yarlen.

What about the speed settings? I like slow paced games. Will I be able to have the "normal" speed of Beta 2-3-4?
Reply #48 from Sins Forums Top
There's Slow, Normal and Fast settings.
Reply #49 from Sins Forums Top
yeah, I know. My question is related to this comment:

[quote]I would say that Normal speed in the internal builds is now pretty fast (compared to Beta 4). That may have to do with the fact that the game is almost entirely different in many respects, but it plays nicely IMO.[\quote]

If normal is now really faster than what was present in Beta 4 (where the normal speed there was ok for me), I don't want to play on normal speed. Will the Slow speed be something like the normal of Beta 4?

To resume, I want to play at the same pace (or slower) than Beta 3. Will it be possible?
Reply #50 from Sins Forums Top
well you could load up your pc with lag that would slow down the game  ;p