ironclad-games posts

As we await the release of the second mini-expansion for Sins of a Solar Empire, developer Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock have released a new patch for the original space strategy game and its first expansion Entrenchment. The new update can be downloaded automatically via the Impulse client.

The new patch invalidates all previous save games but contains quite a few bug fixes in terms of both gameplay and graphics along with some improvements for game modders. In related news, the beta testing for the upcoming second mini-expansion, Diplomacy, has officially ended. Anyone who pre-ordered the expansion and participated in its beta testing will regain access when the final version is ready on February 9.

If you are in the current beta for Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy, you got a new build to try out today. Developer Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock have got a new version of their upcoming micro-expansion to their hit space strategy game to download via Impulse.

The change notes for the new beta are quite extensive and have some new content including the addition of Pirate Missions and a new Bomb Planet mission type (that seems self-explanatory). You can still get into the beta by pre-ordering the $9.99 expansion which is expected to be released in early February alongside the new retail collection Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity.

As we head out of 2009, we are also heading into the very crowded release schedule of the first quarter of 2010. One of the games that's being released during this time is Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy, the second and final micro-expansion to Ironclad Games' space strategy game. This week the second beta build for Diplomacy was sent out to beta testers.

A check of the beta's release notes on the game's official web site reveals that the expansion won't have embassies anymore and has some changes and improvements to the diplomacy tech tree and the envoy cruisers. You can get into the beta by pre-ordering either the expansion or by the just announced Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity collection which will have the original game and both micro-expansions when its released on February 9.

The 2008 space strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire was a surprise hit for developer Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock. Now the title is heading back to store shelves in a new collection that contain the game's first micro-expansion Entrenchment and the upcoming second micro-expansion Diplomacy.

The collection is called Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity and will be headed to both store shelves and via Stardock's Impulse download service on February 9, 2010 for $39.99. People who pre-order the new collection will also be able to get in the current beta test for Diplomacy which presumably will also be released via download on February 9 for previous Sins of a Solar Empire owners.

Ironclad Games' next micro-expansion for their hit space-based RTS game Sins of a Solar Empire, titled Diplomacy, is about to begin its first beta test. A note on the game's official web site has announced that the first beta release of Diplomacy will begin sometime on Monday. While the beta won't be feature complete nor "fun" to actually play (as per publisher Stardock's warning about their beta tests) it will go live for anyone who has pre-ordered the $9.99 expansion.

As we reported during PAX 2009, this will be the final micro-expansion for Sins of a Solar Empire with the final version to be released sometime this spring. Plans for a third micro-expansion have been canceled but it looks like Ironclad and Stardock have major future plans for the game franchise.

Fans of Ironclad Games' 2008 space strategy title Sins of a Solar Empire now have a new update to download. The 1.18 patch for the game is now available via Stardock's Impulse client. There's also a 1.04 patch update for the game's 2009 micro-expansion Sins of a Solar Empire Entrenchment.

You can check out the massive change log for the patches at the game's official message boards. The patch mostly has a number of balance changes for the game's units and many of the changes have come at the request of the game's fans. As we reported earlier this year a second and final micro-expansion, Diplomacy, will be released in 2010.

The wait to get the second micro-expansion for Sins of a Solar Empire got closer this week when Stardock announced that they were taking pre-orders for Diplomacy via Impulse. The $9.99 expansion is expected to be officially released sometime in 2010 but its likely that anyone who pre-orders the expansion will be able to get into the game's beta test beforehand.

As Big Download reported earlier this month, Diplomacy will in fact be the last of the micro-expansion for the game. Stardock and developer Ironclad Games have a lot of ideas on how to continue and expand on Sins of a Solar Empire but those plans won't fit into a third micro-expansion. Details on those new plans have yet to be revealed.

Fans of the space strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire might remember that around this time last year developer Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock announced plans for three micro-expansions for the game to be available via digital download for $9.99 each. The first such micro-expansion, Entrenchment, was released last spring and the second, Diplomacy, is due out in spring 2010. But what about the third micro-expansion?

Today at PAX 2009, Stardock CEO Brad Wardell announced that plans for the third micro-expansion for the game have changed. Why? According to Wardell, Ironclad and Stardock have so many things they want add and improve to the game that putting all of them into a third $9.99 downloadable micro-expansion would simply not work. So what does that mean? Will there be a larger commerical expansion to the original game? Perhaps even a full-fledged sequel? Wardell admitted to nothing today but did say that fans of the original game should know that the future of the series is looking good.

Gamespot has a short preview of Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy, giving more info on the second micro-expansion to the space strategy game from Ironclad Games and Stardock. The expansion will add a diplomatic tech tree to the game and will allow players to form treaties with other alien races.

The expansion will go into beta later this year and will be officially released sometime in the winter of 2010. The price for the second mini-expansion will be the same as the first, $9.99. The Gamespot article also has a new preview of Stardock's next major title Elemental, which is due out in 2010 as well.

The Penny Arcade Expo is usually considered to be a "fan" event; it's not supposed to be a place where stuff is officially revealed for the first time like E3. That may be changing, however. In a new update on the Impulse web site, Stardock CEO Brad Wardell has revealed that they will be showing off a new product at the show.

In addition to showing off Demigod, their most recently published game (with Gas Powered Games) and their own upcoming fantasy strategy game Elemental, he stated they will also be showing "Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy" at their PAX 2009 booth. This is likely the second of three planned downloadable mini-expansions for the hit space strategy game from developer Ironclad Games (the first, Entrenchment, which focused on defensive units, was released earlier this year).

Wardell says they will also be showing "lots of other cool stuff" at their PAX booth......hmmmmmmm....