Questions from Single Player Newbie

from Sins Forums

Hi everyone,

First off, my apologies if these questions are obvious and has been asked multiple times before. I've had SINS Rebellion in my Steam library for a very long time but never got down to playing it. Just started on the tutorials, but had a couple of questions and was hoping for some advice before I invested any more time.

1)  I will be playing Single Player only, kids and family schedule simply doesn't allow multi player. I've seen various complaints about the AI on the forum. Is the game worth playing in single player? I'm a Civ4 veteran so in time I should be able to beat an incompetent AI.

2) I see a list of static maps in single player. Are the planets here dynamic? I see there are 2 DLCs which seem to add more stellar phenomenon and more planet types. Do these automatically show up in existing maps, or do maps have to be created which contain them? If there are no maps with them there's no point buying them...

3) Given it's single player only, if you had to choose between SINS Rebellion and Gal Civ3, which would you recommend? GC3 appears to have dynamically generated systems so that is a plus for me. I have both but very limited time, so can only play one..

Thanks and sorry again for the newbie questions.

 

29,738 views 9 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top


I will be playing Single Player only, kids and family schedule simply doesn't allow multi player. I've seen various complaints about the AI on the forum. Is the game worth playing in single player? I'm a Civ4 veteran so in time I should be able to beat an incompetent AI.

Absolutely. The vast majority of players just play single player, it just has its occasional quirks. Only the most competitive sorts can't stand it, which is probably not you if you don't want MP anyways.

Do note this is a real time strategy game with 4X elements, so being good at Civ might not directly translate to this game at first if you have no RTS experience.


I see a list of static maps in single player. Are the planets here dynamic? I see there are 2 DLCs which seem to add more stellar phenomenon and more planet types. Do these automatically show up in existing maps, or do maps have to be created which contain them? If there are no maps with them there's no point buying them...

Random maps are always random, and will use any of the planets or other celestial bodies form the DLCs you get. Some of the "static" (fixed, or non-random) maps may use random planets as well, but a lot of them don't. The game has random planet lists that can be used even on fixed maps (the planet type is random, but a planet with always appear in the same location). So it really just depends, and there isn't an easy way to tell from in game. I mostly play random maps to be honest.

You can also make your own random maps with the in-game map designer, or fixed maps (which may used standard or random planet lists, your choice) with the galaxy forge tool located in the game install folder.


Given it's single player only, if you had to choose between SINS Rebellion and Gal Civ3, which would you recommend? GC3 appears to have dynamically generated systems so that is a plus for me. I have both but very limited time, so can only play one..

Gal Civ 3 is a 4X Turn base Strategy game like Civ, Sins is an RTS/4X hybrid. Sins is probably more unique and has better battles simply due to its real time nature (there is a pause button if you need to take some time to think/issue orders for single player). I haven't played GalCiv 3, so beyond that I can't say anything.

Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top

Thank you, really appreciate the advice. There will be a learning curve with RTS and that's ok as I'm really playing to enjoy myself, winning is secondary.  Purchased the new DLCs so hopefully will have some random goodness show up in my maps. Will put Gal Civ3 back on the shelf for now.

Galactic Civilizations III
Reply #3 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

If you want the Sins AI to be a challenge, don't read the forums or ask for advice, because as soon as you understand the game and learn a few key tips, you will absolutely wreck the AI...

GC3 has significantly better SP experience and you can expect the AI to improve dramatically in the future, something that you won't see with Sins....Sins is a streamlined game with a clear cut counter system that facilitates a strong MP experience -- it lacks the depth to give the player the same SP experience that something like Civ or GC can give...

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 3

If you want the Sins AI to be a challenge, don't read the forums or ask for advice, because as soon as you understand the game and learn a few key tips, you will absolutely wreck the AI...

GC3 has significantly better SP experience and you can expect the AI to improve dramatically in the future, something that you won't see with Sins....Sins is a streamlined game with a clear cut counter system that facilitates a strong MP experience -- it lacks the depth to give the player the same SP experience that something like Civ or GC can give...

Only if you prefer Empire management and Turn base game side my friend. I've been enjoying some Civ myself lately, but I'm definitely more of an RTS player and I would say Sins still wins the single player department.  ;)

Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top

The AI can still be a challenge for speed-running purposes even once you understand its flaws. Offensively it basically can't beat well-supported starbases, defensively it can't handle a critical mass of bombers, and economically its expansion is anemically slow. Put it together and a game plan of "grab key strategic choke points, fortify them, build up a powerful economy, then mass bombers" is pretty easy to pull off against any difficult AI in any scenario. However, if you're going for a speed-run then putting up starbases is tricky without crippling your offense and a critical mass of bombers is just not happening in terms of affordability. While there still are some blatant abuses you can pull, bringing down an AI's homeworld in under an hour on a random 1v1 map is pretty challenging at unfair difficulty.

I can attest that Sins is pretty awesome in singleplayer despite the AI's flaws.

Reply #6 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 4

I'm definitely more of an RTS player and I would say Sins still wins the single player department.

Have you played any of Paradox's games?  Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Victoria, Hearts of Iron....all of them have way more depth and most have better AIs than Sins, which really only has the "space genre" thing going for it, and Stellaris will soon take away that too...I mean to each their own but there's a lot of RTS games out there with tons of depth and singleplayer emersion, Sins really doesn't hold a candle to them in that regard...

Reply #7 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting Seleuceia, reply 6

Have you played any of Paradox's games?  Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, Victoria, Hearts of Iron....all of them have way more depth and most have better AIs than Sins, which really only has the "space genre" thing going for it, and Stellaris will soon take away that too...I mean to each their own but there's a lot of RTS games out there with tons of depth and singleplayer emersion, Sins really doesn't hold a candle to them in that regard...

Nah, tried a but of EU 3 which I got from some humble bundle. Couldn't get into it. I have no doubt any Turn Based game will have more depth in things like diplomacy or research and other Empire building stuff, but each player values certain things more than others. So depth there just might not be as rewarding for a more RTS focused strategy gamer.

On the other hand, I couldn't get into the Wargame series, an RTS, because it was entirely about tactical, real time battle depth. It seemed if your units were in the best terrain cover or any of the other niddy gritty details, you would just get massacred. I don't quite like that Real Time Tactics end of the spectrum either. Sins is a fantastic middle ground.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 1


Gal Civ 3 is a 4X Turn base Strategy game like Civ, Sins is an RTS/4X hybrid. Sins is probably more unique and has better battles simply due to its real time nature (there is a pause button if you need to take some time to think/issue orders for single player). I haven't played GalCiv 3, so beyond that I can't say anything.

Well after playing for a couple of days, I can attest that there is a steep learning curve coming from a turn based game to a RTS. I keep freaking out looking at the moving counters on top, and expect an enemy fleet to come barreling down any minute. I'm sure I'm quite some time away from worrying about AI limitations.

Reply #9 from GalCiv3 Forums Top

Quoting GoaFan77, reply 7

So depth there just might not be as rewarding for a more RTS focused strategy gamer.

None of the games I mentioned are turn based, they are all RTS...

Quoting chanukya, reply 8

Well after playing for a couple of days, I can attest that there is a steep learning curve coming from a turn based game to a RTS. I keep freaking out looking at the moving counters on top, and expect an enemy fleet to come barreling down any minute.

It helps to have "plans" in mind that you intend to execute, as a lot of time can be wasted on deciding what to do instead of just doing it...

As an example, say you are playing as the TEC Loyalists on a roomy map (larger with empty player slots) with quickstart on...you know that fast colonizing is your first priority so you can immediately queue up an akkan capital ship (it can colonize planets), 2 additional scout ships, a colony frigate, and then a continuous stream of cobalt light frigates until you run out of fleet supply...you also can queue up 2 civilian labs so that you can research some of the technologies that unlock planets...that is all decision making that can be done before the game even begins, and will make managing all those things easier since you are not spending time actually making decisions but rather implementing them...

Obviously if you are new to the game and new to RTS in general then you don't yet know what decisions are good yet, but you can at least develop a routine and stick to it for several starts in a row...even if it is not the best strategy, the consistency will help you manage other things and take a lot of the stress out of it....refining your routines can occur later as you get better at the game, for now just focus on developing specific routines (colonization, tech beelines, etc.) and cookie-cutter fleet compositions (like heavy cruiser + flak frigate spam)...