Hello,
I'm something of an amateur historian, and lately I've been interested in trying to organize the history of the game, both in terms of development (what were the designers shooting for, what changes did they make and why), and strategy (how have the continual changes to the game altered the strategy of players, what differences can be found between the single and multiplayer experience?). This is going to be quick and dirty for now, but hopefully it can be expanded upon later. I know all of this can be found with a little digging, but I thought gathering the history of the game`s development in one place would be useful. Also, the Internet has a habit of devouring itself over time, so some of this might be lost.
Sins of a Solar Empire Development - In the Beginning
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/sinsofasolarempire/news.html?sid=6159660&mode=previews - First impressions of Sins at GameStop. It's touted as a cross between Galactic Civilizations and Homeworld. Mention is also made of what hopes to be a "robust diplomacy system", but many would argue that this failed to come off (hopefully the 2nd expansion will fulfill this goal). And check out this old screen shot! Source: www.gamestop.com
http://www.gamespot.com/pages/image_viewer/frame_lead.php?caption=Starship%2Bcombat%2Bis%2Bgoing%2Bto%2Bbe%2Ba%2Bmajor%2Bfeature%2Bof%2Bthis%2Bconquer-the-galaxy%2Bstrategy%2Bgame.&path=2006%2F283%2Freviews%2F935993_20061011_embed001.jpg&img=1&pid=935993&sid=6159660&popup=1
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3157343&p=1 - Blair Fraser and Brian Clair give Games for Windows: The Official Magazine a look at what Sins will bring to the RTS/4X genre. It's obvious from the beginning that the core of what will become Sins is clear in the developer's minds. That being said, some things did turn out differently. Apparently each race was only going to have one unique tech tree each (instead of two), and there's mention of a mysterious "special one" that may have become the supply/cap ship tree. There's even a hint as to where the backstory and flavour of Sins get's its inspiration from. Source - www.1up.com
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3157333&p=1 - A much shorter article than the first, it mostly uses similar quotes. A different writer offers a different perspective. Source - www.1up.com
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/sinsofasolarempire/news.html?sid=6169556&mode=previews - An interview with Blair Fraser, taking place around the second phase of beta testing. It announces the delay of Sins until 2008, what games inspired Blair and his brother to create Sins, and talks about what Ironclad has worked on to make an RTS/4X game manageable - to quote Blair, "pacing, automation, and user interface." There's also a good chunk devoted to the backstory of the Sins universe. Source: www.gamestop.com
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3164667&p=1 - A mini-preview of the game in it's fourth beta phase. Check out some early screen shots of the races' ships. I think that's a Percheron in the second shot. Source - www.1up.com
http://pc.gamespy.com/dor/objects/775249/sins-of-a-solar-empire/videos/sins_beta4_gameplay.html - Brad Wardell plays through the Beta 4 of Sins and gives the players his running commentary. Source: www.gamespy.com
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/strategy/sinsofasolarempire/news.html?sid=6178649&mode=previews - A generic preview, detailing the features of the game. Source: www.gamestop.com
http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3165369&p=1 - The last preview of vanilla Sins on 1up.com. It talks about the lack of story in the game, as well some of the weaker AI tactics. The final verdict of the author is that multiplayer will be the more interesting part of playing Sins.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/165619 - In which Blair Fraser discusses the difficulties in tweaking fighter, bomber, and flak frigate behavior over the course of the beta testing process.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/170693 - Discussing what went into making the AI for Sins what it is today, as well as reducing micro.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/174451 - A chat with the developers that broaches a wide range of subjects.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/177602 - Blair Fraser rolls out some basic ship counters for v1.02.
Sins of a Solar Empire Development - A Work in Progress
Charting the path from v1.0 to 1.14
http://sdc1.stardock.com/public/sin/production/history.htm
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/329902 - The first update for Sins that required a user to run Impulse.
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/332539
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/337903
https://forums.sinsofasolarempire.com/340290
