From viewing the forums around the net, one thing I've noticed is that people assume the default graphics settings are the only settings there are.

So some people don't realize just how good the graphics in the game are.  To change the graphics, players need to go into "EFFECTS".

Here are screenshots of not even the highest settings running at the lowest resolution.

 

 

There's some bug with my nVidia driver that the game will freeze if I set the bump mapping to highest. nVidia says they're looking into it. So the game can actually look better than this (just not on my laptop right now until the new driver update). So if you do run into a problem with your nVidia card, just tweak down the settings. We'll post when nVidia has an update. But it looks gorgeous either way.

Sins of a Solar Empire v1.02 is now available for download. To get it, use either Stardock Central or click on the update button within the game itself.

So what's new? We have the full official change log here. 

In brief:

1. Fixed a bug on Ironclad On-line where games in progress would sometimes linger and show as available resulting in a "Rejected by host" message.
2. Siege Frigates now use more fleet supply and have somewhat fewer hull points.
3. Pirate strikes come less often
4. Random map options that don't have pirates now available
5. Various tweaks and improvements to ICO (Ironclad Online)
6. Various tweaks and improvements to the game UI in game (more info available)
7. Various small tweaks to weapons and defenses
8. The map designer has been integrated into ICO so you can design your own maps and other players will use them within ICO.

We plan to provide regular free updates to the game to thank users for purchasing the game.  We hope you're having a good time playing the game!

Note: We've noticed from looking at player screenshots around the net that most people haven't changed the graphics from their low-res defaults. See this post for more info.

To get it: Use Stardock Central OR click update from within the game.

What I like about the Vasari in Sins of a Solar Empire is that they are ridiculously powerful. What you're actually dealing with in the game is the remnant of their exodus fleet. The entire TEC is fighting against what is effectively like their equivalent of Battlestar Galactic, a ragtag, fugitive fleet fleeing something horrific.

Stardock updated CursorFX today with a minor update to make it able to use CursorXP themes a bit more seamlessly. Thanks for everyone's feedback.

www.cursorfx.com

 

The first official post-release update to Sins of a Solar Empire has been released. Below is what's new.  You'll need to update in order to play on ICO.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gameplay / Balance:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tutorials moving into bad states at random fixed.
-Siege frigate survivability decreased.
-Pirate raid frequency decreased slightly.
-Later stage missions to destroy ships and structures have had their expiry times increased.
-Clairvoyance: duration increased from 30, 45 60 seconds per level to 50, 100, 150 seconds.
-Guidance: cooldown changed from 20, 15, 10 seconds per level to 20 seconds at all levels.
-Guidance: ability cooldown rate changed from +20%, +35%, +50% per level to +40% at all levels.
-Guidance: duration changed 20 seconds at all levels to 15, 30, 45 seconds per level.
-Reverie: friendly units will no longer auto-acquire enemies under the effects of reverie as attack targets.
-Reverie: duration increased from 15, 20, 25 seconds per level to 20, 30, 40 seconds.
-Gravity Warhead: range decreased from 7000 to 6000 at all levels.
-Gravity Warhead: cooldown increased from 18, 16, 14 seconds per level to 25 seconds at all levels .
-Gravity Warhead: antimatter cost raised from 80 to 100 at all levels.
-Gravity Warhead: duration changed from 12 seconds at all levels to 12, 15, 18 seconds per level.
-Gravity Warhead: Speed reduction changed from 15%, 30%, 45% per level to 30%, 45%, 60% .
-Gravity Warhead: Acceleration reduction changed from 20%, 40%, 60% per level to 60%, 80%, 120%.
-Nano-Disassember: range increased from 4500 to 6000 at all levels.
-Nano-Disassember: antimatter cost decreased from 85 to 75 at all levels.
-Ion Bolt: antimatter cost increased from 65 to 85 at all levels.
-Ion Bolt: cooldown from 9, 11, 13 seconds per level to 10, 12, 14 seconds.
-Shield Projection: radius of effect increased from 2500 to 5000.
-Game update rate change hooked to - and = buttons (singleplayer only).
-Two new pirate-less maps.
-First tutorial now handles players spending their ability point before they were intended to and thus not being able to spend it when instructed.
-Phasic Transmissions research is now effective even at max fleet supply research.
-Reduced Phasic Transmissions supply bonus from 20% down to 15%.
-Stopgap fix for market exploit until new market dynamics are fully tested.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Graphics:
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-Shield projection's bubble less opaque.
-Various new ICO art.
-Fix bug where skybox is always the same.
-New Advent bomber icons to better differentiate them from fighters.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Networking / Multiplayer:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Phantom games causing "Rejected by Host" error fixed.
-Multiplayer lobby screens now have Map Designer tab.
-Whisper functionality for ICO
-Refactored join game screen.
-Fix for not seeing friend's games.
-New chat friendly ICO font.
-ICO user names are now sorted.
-Self and friends are colored in ICO channel player list.
-Events for players entering and leaving channels.
-ICO nows preserves history when changing channels.
-ICO logged in user count now displayed. This number will only update when you change channels or login.
-Added some default lobby names.
-Reorganized numbered lobbies to increment sequentially as they fill.
-Added notification of what channel you are in.
-Fix for rare multiplayer lobby crash when host leaves a game in ICO.
-Various new ICO message strings.
-ICO server now ignores case when searching for channel names.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------
UserInterface / HUD:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Added counter descriptions for all frigates and fighters.
-Game menu now mapped to F10 by default instead of Esc so people can repeatly press Esc to close any submenu they be in w/o going all the way to the escape menu.
-Fix rare bug in group selection.
-Various strings cleaned up.
-Hooked up proper double clicking to text lists so clickng on something already selected doesn't try to join a game when it shouldn't.
-Hooked up ico-player name lists (both selecting player and chat lobby player names) to double clicking.
-Added infocard keybindings for quick-select buttons.

 

Sins of a Solar Empire allows players to resume saved games.

The Multiplayer Organizer is designed to allow people online to get together and more easily organize games that can be created and resumed at later times to allow for more epic games.

This way, if someone drops or can't finish, you can more easily arrange times to continue the game later.

Good luck!

Lest we get accused of adding features or making changes based on vocal members on the forums, below are some of the topics we've been discussing since before release for future updates:

1. Siege Frigate HP decreased (done in 1.02)
2. Time between pirate rates increased (done in 1.02)
3. More maps without pirates (done in 1.02)
4. More smaller maps
5. Game Speed: Very Slow (to slow pace further)
6. Game Speed: Very fast (to increase the pace of the game)
7. Resources: Very High (to start out with even more resources)
8. Super Weapon Limit: 1 per system
9. Counter Super Weapon Techs
10. More levels on early resource increasing techs
11. Tech that increases the fleet supply across the board (high level)
12. Advanced Phase Jump Inhibiter (must be destroyed before units can jump out)
13. AI level: Unfair (AI gets a 25% boost to resources)
14. AI level: Very Unfair (AI gets a 50% boost to resources)
15. AI level: Very Easy
16. Huge list of ICO improvements
17. Random Events
18. AI replaces dropped players (planned for 1.03)
19. AI smartly surrenders when it's losing badly (planned for 1.03)

This isn't a preview of what's going to be in future updates. These are just things we've been discussing MIGHT go into future updates. 

Now, some of you might say, why not just put these in? Why not on release? The answer is, every game has a list like this. Galactic Civilizations II: Twilight of the Arnor has a gigantic list, much bigger than this that just won't make it in that I'm sure players would love to see (player submitted United Planets issues, more treaties, better team setup at start of the game, updated economic system, etc.). 

The reason I'm even posting this is so that players already know some of the issues we've already discussed prior to release for future updates. A lot of this stuff users haven't even discussed yet.

 

 

After years of being told that PC gamers are really just console gamers but with different game controllers (mouse and keyboard) and that in-depth strategy was dying, we now have some conclusive evidence that no, that serious strategy games are alive and kicking.

Behold:

#1 at Gamespot:

#1 at IGN:

#1 at 1Up:

And what about sales?

#2 at Amazon.com, #3 at EBGames.com / Gamestop (And it sold out, they've replenished). Sales at other retailers who have it in stock say it's "selling very well" (but no rankings yet).

Why is this significant?

Because the reviews haven't hit yet.  People are buying this game sight unseen despite relatively little coverage, PC gamers so much want a real time strategy game that has 4X depth that they are going out, en masse to find out more about this game and buying it. 

You are making your voices heard.  People who buy PC games may have consoles but they don't necessarily want their PC games to simply be ported console games or console-like games.

We thank you for your support!  We hope we are living up to your expectations.

After years of being told that PC gamers are really just console gamers but with different game controllers (mouse and keyboard) and that in-depth strategy was dying, we now have some conclusive evidence that no, that serious strategy games are alive and kicking.

Behold:

#1 at Gamespot:

#1 at IGN:

#1 at 1Up:

And what about sales?

#2 at Amazon.com, #3 at EBGames.com / Gamestop (And it sold out, they've replenished)

Why is this significant?

Because the reviews haven't hit yet.  People are buying this game sight unseen despite relatively little coverage, PC gamers so much want a real time strategy game that has 4X depth that they are going out, en masse to find out more about this game and buying it. 

You are making your voices heard.  People who buy PC games may have consoles but they don't necessarily want their PC games to simply be ported console games or console-like games.

We thank you for your support!  We hope we are living up to your expectations.

 The latest Games for Windows podcast (2/6/2008) features a lengthy discussion of Sins of a Solar Empire. To find out what the editors of Games for Windows (formerly Computer Gaming World) think of the game!

Check it out!

View: http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?cId=3148397