How difficult is it to download patches from Impulse? I've got patch 1.05, but won't be able to download Impulse for a couple months because of the internet here. I've read a couple forums where people have had a hard time with it. Is that normal?
The way Impulse patching works is that it first does a file comparison and it only downloads the files that you need. This means that generally with Impulse patching you download less than it would be in a standalone since there you'd have to download everything, regardless of whether you needed it or not. So in that sense, it actually helps people with internet troubles. The downside though is that there's no single patch file to download and put on a disk, you'd have to backup the entire game.
Related to the above question: I registered my game on a computer I'm going to replace in the summer. Because I can't download impulse, would there be a way for me to re-register my game onto my new computer, without having to buy a completely new disc, or having to buy the game off Impulse? I read an article where a guy bought the game used, and tried to register it, but he couldn't because the previous owner had registered the game. I understand that Stardock has to make and if there were no other way, I would buy a new disc just for the registration code for my new computer, although I'd rather avoid going down that route.
I'm not sure how liberally you're using the word "register" here. Registration for Sins means attaching the serial number to your Stardock account (the same one you use to log-in to the forums). There is no per-computer registration for the game. There is also no activation, so simply installing it from the disk does not "register" the game. It's a manual process (if you bought the disk, if you bought online it's done automatically) either in Impulse or its predecessor Stardock Central. If you never did that, then your cd key is not yet in use. If you did do that, then all you'll have to do on your new computer is download Impulse and log into your account. The registration for the game is permanently tied to your account and it will allow you to download the latest version whenever you want. There are no hardware-related activation schemes with Sins, all you need is your Stardock account info and you're good to go.
Finally: what is the most effective way of getting rid of a swarm of bombers without using fighters? I tend to play TEC, by the way.
Besides the flaks mentioned in the previous post, each race has capitals with abilities good against mass strike craft. The TEC's Kol has a Flak Burst ability that damages all strikecraft in range and their Dunov has Magnetize Hull that makes nearby strikecraft squads crash into the target enemy ship, damaging all. The Vasari's Kortul has a Weapons Jam ability (admittedly bugged in 1.05 so it won't be of much use) that greatly increases their weapon cooldowns in the fixed state, and the Advent's Halycon carrier has a Telekinetic Push that pushes away all enemy craft and damages them at the same time.
