Help a new guy out! Please? :)

from Sins Forums
Hi everyone!

I'm finally going to get a chance to really try to get into Sins this weekend, after it's been sitting on my harddrive taunting me since I downloaded it on release day.

I was able to hop into the game briefly to do the tutorials, but unfortunately I seem to have encountered a problem in the first tutorial - that is, nothing happens. It's just kinda stuck. I'm able to complete the other 3 without a hitch.

Anyway that brings me to my point. While the tutorials that I was able to do walked me through clicking here and clicking there, here's this screen, etc, one gentle criticism I have is that it didn't put it into context for me, really. That is to say that yes, I know where some screens and menus are, but I don't really know the how or why of anything. Something that might help in this department is a tutorial more set into a scenario. Something like the enemy outnumbers you, so you need to raise your fleet cap in order to take them on - here's how to do it!

Sheesh, I'm sidetracking myself. Ahem! The point of this is that I need some help and direction. I had only 20 minutes or so to fire up the game last start, I started a skirmish... and was completely lost. :D I'd like some early direction from the pros here if I could.

What do I really need to be doing to start? I selected Random and got the advent, so I'm using them as a base. Do I throw down temples so I can research stuff ASAP? Build a capship ASAP (is there any one that's particularly good at the beginning, or others that should be avoided?). What are my early game goals and targets?

Anyyay, some simple, general direction will certainly help. I don't need detailed walkthroughs of what to do, or "build orders" like you'd find in a typical RTS, just a gentle nudge in whatever direction I'm supposed to be going in when the game first starts.

Thanks!
15,469 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Sins Forums Top
The best honest advice I can give is to read the manual. You will figure out a way to play the game that fits your style.
Reply #2 from Sins Forums Top
Firstly: The first tutorial is a known bug. I encountered it myself, but figured I could manage moving ships about without a tutorial :) I don't think you're missing a lot from it...

The first cap ship is free- so in my experience it's usually worth having one early on. Im somewhat of a newblet myself, but I go for worlds around me and choke points... conservative research and fleet construction. The AI especially loves those siege frigates, so make sure you don't overextend yourself and planetary "emergency" facilities are your friend in my experience.
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Reply #3 from Sins Forums Top
The Pause/Break button is your friend. Pause the game and spend some time looking at reqs. for building things and the different paths on the tech trees.
Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top
I guess, the best advice I can give you, is to build up slowly. I create a colonize ship first, unless I build the Capital Colonizer. Then I'll build a Capital Ship and as many frigates of the starting variety. Then explore with that. I will slowly build up my home planet, mostly start with one of each research, unless you want to with the 2nd Tier of Empire technology and run for technology that will allow you colonize other types of planets, if you run into a Ice or Volcanic planet.

Then expand, but expand at your own pace. Keep a defensive fleet at all times. Always build up that population/reduce the underproduction on the planet development to get money back.
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Whether to build tech labs or whatnot depends on the game you're playing(are you close to the enemy? Far? Enemy agressive? Defensive?). Tactical considerations like those are a big part of the game, you'll figure that stuff out on your own when you get a chance to actually sit down and play. Don't expect to win your first couple of games either. Just roll with it and see how stuff is working and why you're losing.

Seeing as the first cap ship is free, and is more than a match for the random defenders of habitable planets you'll want to claim for your own, I'd say definatly build one of those ASAP. I usually get the race's Battleship because it's the beefiest and it doesn't hurt to get a battleship leveled up ASAP, other times I'll go for the Cap ship with the colonize ability to save the money and fleet cap on a colonizing frigate, or if I'm going for an all-cap ship win.
Reply #6 from Sins Forums Top

The best honest advice I can give is to read the manual. You will figure out a way to play the game that fits your style.
End of quote


I myself found that even after I read the manual I was still a little confused. Believe it or not I did 2 things that really helped out 1)Got active on these boards. I asked questions, sometimes redundant ones, I read other peoples questions and the answers to them, I shared my experience and sometimes got some pointers on my input, etc.

2) I created a very simple galaxy (with Galaxy Forge) that gave me an advantage with start up resources and slightly better exploring options from the start. Sure it is sort of cheating, but I thought it a good way to get my feet wet without having to worry too much about the consequences of big mistakes. If you don't want to go that route you can always set up small map against an "easy" AI and at least remove the pirates from that map in the galaxy editor if they are giving you serious trouble - and save often. I took the pirate bases out all the custom maps that came with the game and added the easy one I mentioned above as well. If/when they are approved and uploaded you can find them here:


No Pirates Maps

As been mentioned in many topics, the best way to really learn is just by doing, sometimes learning from mistakes, or fun repetition! :-)

Later,
~JO