Stardock and Ironclad Games have officially begun Early Access for Sins of a Solar Empire II with a playable technical preview! Anyone who preorders a copy of the game will be admitted into the preview, which currently only features single-player content using one of the ingame factions, TEC.
Touted like the old-school “beta program”, the early access period will be utilized by Stardock to improve mechanics and test different styles to find what works and what doesn’t. This Technology preview will focus on the TEC faction to get feedback from players on everything from gameplay to different UI art styles.
Overall, the goal for the early access period is to enable players to give the developers feedback early enough that they can actually tailor what ideas work or what should be scrapped. Some of the new game elements featured in the tech preview include:
“Universe in motion: Play on a map where phase lanes adjust as planets orbit, closing doors to some opportunities while opening windows to others as the game progresses.
Detailed tactical simulation: New turreted weapons track targets along firing arcs, simulating realistic limitations to fields of fire. Point defense weapons shoot down enemy missile swarms while stronger units help to block incoming fire to protect vulnerable fleets.
Enhanced/Improved planet development: Tailor colonized worlds with a diverse planetary development system. Players can focus planets towards research, ship construction, mining, or other needs based on their position within the solar system.
Diplomatic intrigue: Neutral NPC factions will help players develop their solar empires… or hinder them.
The new Iron Engine: The first build released publicly will focus on trying out the new, 64-bit, core-neutral game engine developed by Ironclad that supports tens of thousands of ships without any performance degradation.” -Stardock and Ironclad Games Press Release
Along with this release and announcement, they have also unveiled the roadmap for the next few months of development:
Sins of a Solar Empire II is currently in Early Access. Check it out here and pre-order for access to the technical preview now. Take a look at the Announcement Trailer below and let us know your thoughts in the comments!
