The Masters of Orion games had no campaign. Alpha Centauri, widely acclaimed as the Best Game Ever Made Ever, had no campaign. Sure, they both had in-game stories you could follow, but they didn't have a dedicated mission-based structure. Both of those were stellar (har har) 4X games. Sins is a 4X game st in real ime, so why should it have a campaign when it doesn't need one?

Frankly, I'm of both minds. I would love to know what and how the storyline introduced in this game proceeds. Granted, I don't have to have Ironclad tell me because I can create the story myself by playing a multi-system game (and I soon will) with multiple opponents...but still, I am curious what storyline would be.


I don't think it needs a scenario based storyline. It would be nice if they could introduce storyline events into the game...like the Antaran raids in MoO2, the Gaia story from Alpha Centauri and numerous other examples. Heck, I even like the weird encounters in Sword of the Stars.

I think most people expected a scenario based storyline due to the RTS mindset. There haven't been, in my recall that is, any RTS games in recent years that did not have single-player scenarios. Which would have been fine. But, I think it is not needed. Nice yes, welcomed yes, but not needed.

I think something like SupCom's expanding scenarios would be a good addition. Slowly drawing back, letting more and more research come into play, more and more stars as players hit certain advance points (be they spatial, conquest, or research points) to move the story along. An integrated story, told without discreet scenarios...that would be cool in my opinion.


Still...got to leave something for Sins 2. (Heck, look at the jump between Gal Civ 1 and Gal Civ 2.) Keep in mind...this is the first game. I give it a great deal of credit for what it tried and accomplished. I hope they push it more in the sequel.

many multiplayer games last from minutes to a couple of hours, so alot of the advanced upgrades are never reached.

A multi-system unlocked game against a number of AIs makes the game unique to any other RTS out there. Hense the RT4X Genre.

He forgot to add, "Among fans of Alpha Centauri."

Sandbox = games of your own creation. What is singleplayer but the task of playing by yourself with what you're given. You dont go to the beach and cry theres no manual on how to swim! You learn, you play, you learn to play. Imagine. The same stories can only be told over so many times. The only way to get a truly 'orignal' story and or campaign is for you to make one. From you, for you, by you.

Visit my site. Click on the Advent Story or Chapter 1 labels. Granted, I don't have much of a story YET, but I see the games more from the angle that each skirmish is for a reason, a purpose.

Sandbox is about seeing the games with your imagination. This is your empire, you build it how you want. They may crush you in a certain map, but that just causes you to fall back and regroup in another sector. Build your OWN castle. It's not that there's no singleplayer, it's that people are having a hard time seeing it for what it is. Inspirational.

I'm in no way troubled by the lack of a campaign, I never play story based campaigns anyway (and usually only buy RTS's that have strategic map campaigns these days, as I vastly prefer those). However, because the diplo system is so bad, the SP utility of Sins is more limited than it should be.

there is always room for improvement... what is nice is this game lends itseelf to such improvements as one disires.. I can see single player mods being developed that will meet the needs of almost any style player

Civ games are completely different to Sins. If you want comparable games to Sins then you need to look at games like Homeworld and Hegemonia, both of which had story driven campaigns as well as skirmish modes, what the OP calls "sandbox" games. Homeworld (and expansions/sequals) also had a vibrant multiplayer community.

The problem with Sins is it begins to tell a story then promptly ignores this story in favour of an online multiplayer expereince. This is not neccessarily a bad thing, it simply depends upon your point of view but if you're going to make comparissons to Sins, do it properly and don't compare Apples with Pears.