<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2008	O
science	O
fiction	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Ironclad	O
Games	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Stardock	O
Entertainment	O
for	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
operating	I-Application
systems	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
(	O
RTS	O
)	O
game	O
that	O
incorporates	O
some	O
elements	O
from	O
4X	B-Application
games	I-Application
;	O
its	O
makers	O
describe	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
RT4X	B-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
package	O
combining	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
with	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
expansions	O
was	O
released	O
at	O
that	O
time	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
title	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trinity	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
II	O
was	O
announced	O
on	O
September	O
16	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
is	O
a	O
space-bound	O
real-time	O
strategy	O
game	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
control	O
one	O
of	O
three	O
different	O
races	O
:	O
the	O
industrial	O
TEC	O
,	O
the	O
psychic	O
Advent	O
,	O
or	O
the	O
alien	O
Vasari	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Notably	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
mode	O
,	O
but	O
games	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
against	O
AI	B-Application
opponents	O
offline	O
and	O
other	O
players	O
online	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
has	O
three	O
main	O
resources	O
to	O
gather	O
:	O
Credits	O
,	O
Metal	O
,	O
and	O
Crystal	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
multiple	O
types	O
of	O
colony-supporting	O
planets	O
and	O
asteroids	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
expansions	O
and	O
later	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
increasing	O
the	O
available	O
planet	O
types	O
over	O
the	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
DLCs	B-Protocol
have	O
added	O
traveling	O
hazards	O
such	O
as	O
plasma	O
storms	O
,	O
random	O
rebellions	O
,	O
economic	O
downturns	O
and	O
coronal	O
mass	O
ejections	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Pirate	O
forces	O
are	O
,	O
with	O
one	O
exception	O
,	O
TEC	O
frigates	O
,	O
cruisers	O
,	O
orbital	O
defense	O
platforms	O
,	O
and	O
mines	O
(	O
and	O
the	O
only	O
exception	O
still	O
bears	O
a	O
similarity	O
to	O
Trader	O
ships	O
)	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
are	O
all	O
unshielded	O
,	O
have	O
heavier	O
armor	O
,	O
often	O
have	O
their	O
armament	O
switched	O
to	O
autocannons	O
,	O
and	O
are	O
heavily	O
customised	O
with	O
spikes	O
and	O
stylized	O
holographic	O
"	O
Jolly	B-Application
Rogers	I-Application
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
:	O
Diplomacy	O
expands	O
upon	O
the	O
Diplomacy	O
mechanic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
an	O
alien	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
can	O
increase	O
economic	O
efficiency	O
across	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
empire	O
,	O
while	O
an	O
ion	O
field	O
technology	O
can	O
fortify	O
planets	O
against	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
can	O
engage	O
in	O
online	O
multiplayer	O
against	O
either	O
a	O
single	O
opponent	O
or	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
a	O
team	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Ironclad	O
Online	O
system	O
or	O
by	O
setting	O
up	O
a	O
LAN	B-General_Concept
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
was	O
released	O
without	O
any	O
form	O
of	O
copy	O
protection	O
,	O
but	O
a	O
product	B-Application
key	I-Application
registered	O
to	O
an	O
Impulse	B-Application
account	O
was	O
required	O
for	O
updates	O
and	O
multiplayer	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
16	O
,	O
2011	O
,	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trinity	I-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
for	O
purchase	O
on	O
Steam	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
engine	O
features	O
bump	O
mapping	O
on	O
planets	O
and	O
ships	O
,	O
specular	O
lighting	O
,	O
dynamic	O
fractal	B-Application
generation	O
for	O
stars	O
and	O
clouds	O
,	O
and	O
bloom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
includes	O
various	O
customization	O
features	O
,	O
among	O
them	O
a	O
level	O
editor	O
that	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
generate	O
maps	O
for	O
both	O
single	O
and	O
multiplayer	O
use	O
by	O
setting	O
their	O
general	O
properties	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ironclad	O
has	O
released	O
three	O
main	O
expansions	O
,	O
which	O
are	O
available	O
on	O
Ironclad	O
's	O
website	O
and	O
Stardock	O
's	O
digital	O
distribution	O
service	O
,	O
Impulse	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
expansions	O
are	O
available	O
in	O
a	O
combination	O
package	O
entitled	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trinity	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
opponent	O
AI	B-Application
,	O
pacing	O
and	O
number	O
of	O
game	O
scenarios	O
are	O
also	O
improved	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Diplomacy	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
February	O
9	O
,	O
2010	O
;	O
the	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
:	I-Application
Trinity	I-Application
combination	O
package	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
expansion	O
uses	O
Valve	O
's	O
Steam	B-Application
to	O
download	O
and	O
install	O
updates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
user	O
was	O
then	O
able	O
to	O
access	O
a	O
steam	B-Application
activation	O
key	O
to	O
access	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
the	O
platform	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Four	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
packs	O
have	O
been	O
released	O
for	O
Rebellion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Stellar	O
Phenomena	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
6	O
,	O
2013	O
,	O
and	O
adds	O
interstellar	O
hazards	O
such	O
as	O
black	B-Application
holes	I-Application
,	O
pulsars	B-Application
,	O
coronal	O
mass	O
ejections	O
and	O
neutron	O
stars	O
,	O
which	O
have	O
various	O
impacts	O
on	O
combat	O
and	O
exploration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Minor	O
Factions	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
December	O
17	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
and	O
included	O
15	O
AI-controlled	O
minor	O
factions	O
,	O
each	O
offering	O
assistance	O
and	O
unique	O
services	O
to	O
players	O
,	O
if	O
diplomatic	O
relations	O
are	O
established	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
II	O
was	O
teased	O
by	O
Ironclad	O
Games	O
on	O
September	O
16	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
was	O
awarded	O
"	O
Best	O
Strategy	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
2008	O
"	O
by	O
GameTrailers	O
,	O
and	O
best	O
PC	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
by	O
IGN	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Much	O
praise	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
has	O
been	O
directed	O
towards	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
clever	O
blend	O
of	O
RTS	O
and	O
4X	B-Application
gameplay	O
,	O
the	O
seamless	O
zoom	O
function	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
user-friendly	O
Empire	O
Tree	O
and	O
UI	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
September	O
2008	O
,	O
Stardock	O
's	O
CEO	O
,	O
Brad	O
Wardell	O
,	O
stated	O
that	O
Sins	B-Application
of	I-Application
a	I-Application
Solar	I-Application
Empire	I-Application
had	O
sold	O
over	O
500,000	O
units	O
,	O
with	O
100,000	O
of	O
those	O
being	O
download	O
sales	O
,	O
on	O
a	O
development	O
budget	O
of	O
less	O
than	O
$	O
1,000,000	O
.	O
</s>
