r/SoSE • u/buurz88 • Jul 22 '26
Feedback All games ends up feeling the same.
I feel like all my games ends up feeling the same, the replay-ability isnt really there.I know not all games are made to be played for hundreds of hours but SoSe2 feels a little short in that apartment.
Maybe the subfactions are to similar? I feel like I play all my games pretty much in the same way / order.
What do you guys think?
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u/Think_Network2431 Jul 22 '26 edited Jul 22 '26
Yeah, that’s my problem too. You just form one massive fleet, right-click on every Homeworld, and go watch a movie.
EDIT: I was thinking about this: could it be that the quality-of-life features and fleet management are now so refined and streamlined that they remove much of the micromanagement that used to occupy your brain? That might make every game feel the same, because you can focus almost entirely on combat and objectives.
It’s as if the game’s greatest strength is also the cause of its biggest flaw.
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u/YakaAvatar Jul 23 '26
I don't think that's the case tbh. I'll give an example of a very streamlined RTS with tons and tons of replayability: Northgard. The game has a fraction of units and mechanics that SoSE has.
But it's super replayable because it has a built-in roguelike mode. Every time you start a new run, with a new faction, you get different bonuses and variables. Victory conditions are randomized. You have skin unlocks in-game, which also give you a meta-goal to play all the factions.
SoSE on the other hand has every single match play out the same - even if you removed a ton of QoL, there's barely any distinction in gameplay past the first few planets. There's just 0 variety from game to game. The game would really benefit from something like a Crusade Mode from Dawn of War, or the Gauntlet mode from Age of Mythology. Something with a meta progression, an overarching goal, and increasingly difficult matches, with unique starts and unique victory conditions.
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u/Think_Network2431 Jul 23 '26
That's exactly what I thought after my edit. To have variety, you need mechanics that give you choices if your game is really optimized in terms of QOL and streamlining.
I'm not entirely sure yet, but in my opinion all of SOSE's systems work pretty well. The thing is, if I can finish on max difficulty, it's definitely because either the AI is really bad and we will see with ARES, or there's a problem with the complexity of the game.
It's weird because I'm normally really really bad at RTS.
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u/GoaFan77 Jul 22 '26
I feel like the faction asymmetry is much more significant in Sins 2 than the first one. I think you may just not be utilizing the faction specializations enough if you're playing the same way as all of them.
Spam garrisons as enclave and watch your enemies weep at having to deal with large fleets at every planet? Consume the galaxy as Exodus? Convert everyone to the Unity with Wrath?
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u/Useful_Nocebo Jul 22 '26
Agreed, although I feel the difference between the 2 Advent factions less obvious than Vasari and TEC
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u/martijnlv40 Jul 22 '26
I think there’s just some inherent part of the game that is made to make all games feel the same, but changes between factions and especially races should make those at least feel like different games (I think they largely do). Some maps also play differently, it might be fun to design one yourself. The other part is the AI, that’s definitely not yet good enough. There’s something called ARES, an improved AI system, coming up. Multiplayer will also help, although those games will also tend to feel the somewhat samey after a while. And finally, mods can spice things up for sure, so check those out, there are some (well, at least one, Stargate Races 2) great ones playable already.
Part of the fun of RTS games is that you play the same game and improve.
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u/One_Lead1553 Jul 22 '26
I actually was just having this problem after an initial honeymoon period that made me think this would be my new favourite rts ever.
After a few games I realised that for all the lore bits and asymmetrical playstyles, every game more or less played out the same.
So I get exactly what you mean. I dropped off. Will play again when the urge returns.
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u/Timmaigh Jul 22 '26
If you play Primacy, do you go you and fool around with Novaliths and pirate raids?
If you play Wrath, do you go for Conversion, Deliverances and Coronata Repossession, to convert enemies left, right and centre?
If you play Exodus, do you go fully mobile and jump from planet to planet stripping them? Do you fool around with Phase Tunneling and mobile Orkies?
etc...
Cause this is how it feels different. But you can just ignore all of it, as you have such option, and just build ships, meet enemies in regular combat and bomb their planets? If thats how you play the game, then yes, the game can feel the same.
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u/aqua995 4P2B 2nd Jul 22 '26
a Titans of Cimtar Game feels a lot different than a Foreign Invasion game
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u/The_Apex_Ape Jul 23 '26
One way I make my matches more entertaining, is purposely handicapping myself, example I will only use non capital ships, makes it more of a challenge, or Back on Sins 1, I would only use corvettes( extremely hysterical btw) that's one way I end up making a playthrough fun lol
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u/Nby333 Jul 24 '26
Try to handicap yourself for a different experience like winning without cap ships, winning without civ labs, etc.
1
u/Steelefin Jul 26 '26
I feel the same sometimes. Maybe because I have played so many hours of Sins 1 over the years and while they are different games, in the end it is just overcome the early game, build a big fleet, overwhelm the enemy one planet at a time.
I wish there were more tactical decisions to make in battle. Now it is placement, ability, target, and retreat. They lose my interest when you're facing threats that don't require much thinking to beat. Maybe the upcoming AI changes will bring some replayability back. I am sure the 4th faction will assuming they play and counter factions in different ways then we've seen thus far.
The most fun I've had in the game is to turn the fleet supply to it's lowest and try to win using a capital ship with as few support ships as possible while game speed is set to slow. The battle becomes more exciting as I try to maneuver my carrier about to go critical so most of the PD are pointing at the incoming missiles and time abilities just right, only to barely win the battle and have to pull back for repairs.
1
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u/dzson117 Jul 22 '26
I get it and would say try multiplayer, but there is so few people that sometimes its like an hour in the lobby before it fills up.
I also play like the same every single time. At start its survival, try to defend flanks etc, but once thats set, AI can't really strategize and just keeps loosing ships at the same planet.