It's been roughly two weeks since this game came out and the only thing I can really complain about it the amount of sleep I've lost because of it.  Stardock and Ironclad should be forced to put a warning label on this game as it is clearly habbit forming.  When I first heard about SoaSE I was pretty skeptical about the idea of blending 4x with RTS, but I was confident that if anyone could pull it off, Stardock was the shop to do it (I've purchased a lot of their games -- specifically the Galactic Civilzations series).  Even though I generally never preorder a game and wait first for the reviews to come out, I make an exception with anything Stardock does.  I'm happy to say that Sins hasn't disappointed, and I'm excited to see how this game will continue to evolve and improve into the future.

As I've looked through the forums recently it seems that there are a lot of negative posts cropping up.  Some express legimate concerns or suggestions for improvement -- others are obviously written by trolls with way too much time on their hands.  As I said before, I'm a big Stardock fan.  These guys pour their souls into everything they do, and it looks like they're keeping good company with Ironclad.  So if anyone reading this post is still deciding whether or not to buy Sins, and you've been scared by some of the trolling you've seen on this site, consider the following:

• No other publisher from whom I've purchased a game shows more respect for their customers.  Stardock (and Ironclad) don't burden their customers with annoying copyright protection garbage.  Unlike most other publishers, they have no problem at all with people installing a game on both a desktop and a laptop with only a single lisence (gasp!).  They choose to find ways to reward those who purchase the game legitimately, rather than punish everyone for the actions of a few pirates.
• No game is perfect...period.  However, these guys will listen to legimate feedback (not trolling) and release updates and improvements for months to come -- long after the game's sales have peaked.  So if you are concerned about a rough edge here or there, relax -- if enough people ask for the same improvement you're probably going to see it at some point in the future.
• It's always tougher to take a risk and venture into the unknown than it is to stick with a proven (and tired) formula.  I agree with some of the criticism this game has received, such as not having more controls for managing research and building queues -- but give me a break!  These things are minor.  When you compare these minor glitches (which will probably be fixed in a future update) with groundbreaking balance of 4x and RTS elements, it's pretty ovious the pros outweigh the cons.  From what I can see, this game has yet to receive a single negative review from any professional critic -- how many other games can make that claim?
• Finally, and most importantly, despite any minor problems here or there, this game is fun!  It is true that the learning curve is steep, and that the tutorial could use some improvment, but once you get the hang of things you'll be hard pressed to find a more rewarding strategy gaming experience anywhere.  The game actually puts strategy into real time strategy (another gasp!) and allows you the time to think about what you're doing.  Your victories feel like real victories (consequently defeat can really bite, but that's a good thing).  So if you're tired of the button-smashing, jumbled rush of most RTS games you've found a winner here.  If not, and if you're hellbent on comparing the strengths or faults of this game against games like Command and Conquer, that's probably where you should be spending your time.

So once again, I would like to say "thank you" to Stardock and Ironclad for the amazing job they've done here.  You guys have pulled off something truly amazing and I look forward to future updates/expansions to this game.  For those who might be sitting on the fence, don't worry -- this is a great way to spend your gamind dollars.  For those who are enjoying this game as much as I am, I hope you'll take a moment to register your praise as well -- maybe we can be a counterbalance for some of the trolls out there who won't be satisfied until everyone is equally miserable/disappointed because this game (or any other) isn't absolutely perfect.