sins-of-a-solar-empire-entrenchment posts

Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy is the second and final micro-expansion for the unique sci-fi real-time strategy game. When combined with the previous expansion, Entrenchment, the game becomes Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity, a fully-rounded Sins experience. Don't let the term "micro-expansion" fool you. Although it might not have as much content as a full expansion, Diplomacy significantly changes up the way Sins is played. Where Entrenchment improved gameplay by introducing things like fully customizable starbases so that players could build a stronger defensive posture, Diplomacy (as its title suggests) brings in a much subtler approach to conquering the galaxy. Using politics will unite the galaxy under your rule. Of course, interstellar peace doesn't have to be all about peace and love. Players who prefer to build up a strong economy in addition to fortifying defenses can now put that money to use by paying off more aggressive players and letting them do all the dirty work for you.

Download the Sins of a Solar Empire Demo
Check out the Sins of a Solar Empire: Diplomacy downloads

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.

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.

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 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....

Ironclad Games hasn't forgotten about their 2008 space-based RTS game Sins of A Solar Empire. Today folks who own the registered versions of that game and the more recent expansion pack Entrenchment can now download and install new patches via the Impulse client from Stardock.

The patch (1.17 for the original Sins and 1.03 for Entrenchment) contain some new unit balance adjustments along with some other bug fixes and changes. Ironclad is reportedly working on the second expansion pack for Sins of a Solar Empire but so far they have declined to give any specific details other than it will deal with the diplomatic features in the game.

With fans now enjoying the first micro-expansion, Entrenchment, for Sins of a Solar Empire, many are wondering when the second of the three planned expansions for Ironclad Games' space strategy title will be released. Well you may have to wait a while. 1Up.com quotes Ironclad's co-founder Blair Fraser as saying, "I guess the only answer I can give to the second micro expansion release date is it'll be done when it's done. "

As we have previously reported the second micro-expansion (which doesn't have a title yet) will concentrate on expanding the diplomacy features in the game. However, Fraser said that in between expansions they might release some special things that "have nothing to do with patches, upgrades, or expansions". Some of that stuff was content that Ironclad cut due to issues with the ESRB ratings board. Hmmm. . . . we wonder what that could be.

It's been over a year since Sins of a Solar Empire released and successfully combined the careful planning of a 4x (eXploare, eXpland, eXploit and eXterminate) empire building game with the fast paced real-time strategy action. Its developers, Ironclad and Stardock, have been working on a multitude of game enhancements since then and the product of all that hard work comes forth in Entrenchment, the first mini-expansion for Sins.

It look a little longer that first anticipated but today developer Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock have finally released the first of three planned "micro-expansions" for their best selling 2008 space strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire. The expansion, titled, Entrenchment, is available exclusively via digital download from Stardock's Impulse service for $9.99

As we have reported before, Entrenchment is all about adding defenses to your space fleet including space mines and the building of huge star bases to protect your fleet and entire planets. The second micro-expansion is expected to add more diplomacy features to the main game while the third expansion is a secret for now.

It looks like you will have to wait just a little bit longer for the first Sins of a Solar Empire "micro-expansion" to be released. Originally the plan was to release the $9.99 download, Entrenchment, by the end of 2008, and then it got pushed back to Feb. 11.

Now publisher Stardock's have sent over word that Entrenchment has had its digital download release date pushed back yet again. The epansion for Ironclad Games' space stategy title will now be released via Stardock's Impulse service on Feb. 25. Stardock said the delay was to "allow for Ironclad's development team to incorporate feedback to date and allow for another round of beta testing."

[Via email press release]