Games may bore people after some time playing them; maybe the developer is no longer paying attention to its product, people are also bored about the same mechanics over and over again, stale lore or wanting new stuff, and more. This is one of the greatest features Sins has: its mods.
The community behind these projects are still so active, hearing people, launching patches and updates every now and then (and for free), and even the developer holds events using these community-made mods on a weekly basis. Just stay tuned to their social media, especially Twitter, and you’ll get a heads up about these events.
Do you love Star Wars, Star Trek, Halo, Stargate, and almost any space-themed movie, series, or game out there? There’s probably a mod for SoaSE about it. Maybe it won’t be complete, but most of them are totally functional and addictive.
First of all, remember that SoaSE is quite an old game so you must look for the last update or release date of the mod you want to install. Some of them are really old but still getting love from their creators and community.
Also, there’s something else you need to know: not all mods out there are about a new world inside the game; some incorporate a few more tweaks for the vanilla game like the E4X mod, with more technologies, balancing, and stuff. Others offer visual improvements like texture packs, visual effect packs and so.
If you don’t know how to install mods on Sins of a Solar Empire, I’ve found this video which explains pretty clear and easy what needs to be done. Just remember to follow the steps correctly and activate the mods in the correct order too. It uses as an example the Interregnum beta mod, which I featured as it’s the most recent one I could find.
(INSTALL TUTORIAL) for Sins of a Solar Empire Star Wars Interregnum (and other mods)
Some of these I have played, others I have known for some fellow players that have dedicated far more time to experience other forms of SoaSE. Most started as community projects and now are almost products of a gaming company due to their high quality. Enjoy each of them if you want and remember to stay tuned for events!
#1. E4X
Mod Spotlight: Enhanced 4X - Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
This little mod is a blast. Not only will power up the vanilla experience but also has been updated to be compatible with some of the newest mods available. If you think vanilla Sins needed a little tweak to become the game you thought it was, this mod will not only make you feel satisfied but will also defy you.
First of all, it rearranges the factions to the same three (renaming them) with their loyalists and rebels but with HUGE differences: a unique tech-tree which comprises technologies that will help you obtain the very best of the option you’ve chosen, early unit, and buildings unlocked, technologies and abilities.
All these new techs will take you deeper into the faction you’ve selected: you felt that TEC rebels were just a bunch of passive-aggressive people flying around a space gun? Well, now they even start with the capacity of building siege and structure ships without researching them!
This gives the game a major speed boost in terms of less research and more action early on. Every faction now has its own starting bonus, depending on the side of the “history” you’re joining in. Vasari rebels may start with Phase Jump Stabilizers from the start, Advent loyalists have bonuses to culture and planet development, and so on.
The mod is pretty balanced so don’t fear any “overpowered” faction crushing obscenely the others (unless, of course, you’re playing against a seasoned player). But, not only in playability the mod has offered Sins new fresh air.
With the possibility to gather and manage other mods and mini-mods inside its interface, that control graphic effects, sounds, menus, icons, tech trees, ships, races, this mod is really versatile tool to control and expand your vanilla Sins experience beyond what you may have imagined, despite having almost a year without launching a new patch.
Rated with a 9.5 this mod is a really great addition for any player wanting to enhance the Sins experience. It is also compatible with Interregnum mod and all DLCs from the developer. This mod is so good, that it’s even featured on the official YouTube channel.
Why E4X is fun
- Enhances a lot vanilla Sins
- Offers a renewed and different experience for vanilla
- Management of micro mods
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/enhanced-4x-mod
#2. Star Trek: Armada 3 Uprising
Sins of a Solar Empire (Star Trek Armada III Mod) - Let's Play - 1
“Star Trek: Armada III begins with the first stirrings of the Dominion War and allows players to take command of five unique factions, the United Federation of Planets, the Klingon Empire, the Romulan Star Empire, the Cardassian Union/Dominion Alliance, and the Borg Collective. Explore strange new worlds, seek out new life and new civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before”.
I bet you were hoping for this mod to be here and let me tell you something: is great. I’m not a mega fan that knows everything about it, but what I’ve seen has pleased both my eyes, ears and my desire to play as any of the aforementioned factions.
You will see almost all iconic Star Trek ships with some nice textures and details, as well as dialogues, voices, and music from the movies! It’s really an experience for every fan out there. Even the ships’ weapons sound like those we’re used to in this universe. Also, the most iconic factions are there too: The UFP, the Klingons, Romulans, Cardassians, and Borgs. Could you ask for more?
The game is the same SoaSE with changes: planets’ gravity wells connected by space lanes, black market, diplomacy, all basics. But there’s something you need to master again: its interface and lore elements.
While it remains the same, at least on paper, adapting to its new icons, buildings and ships will require some dedication playing it. It won’t be easy if you’re really used to vanilla Sins and you might often feel lost. Also, having some knowledge about Star Trek lore will help a lot, so you won’t be building ships as crazy without knowing exactly how they would do (it happened to me with Klingons).
Both if you’re a fan or not of this exciting Sci-Fi world, be sure to read all descriptions on every ship and building when you hover the mouse over them. These will give you nice clues and with your previous Sins experience, you might be on track kinda fast.
Not only the game is an audiovisual experience with nice textures and designed ships, good use of sounds that will bring memories to those who loved this world,but the game also features improvements in one aspect that make it more enjoyable: the AI.
This is an AI that you can rely on helping you and making some nice moves to attack or defend its own assets and its allied ones. As an enemy, expect to have rough fights even in a FFA game.
One thing that gives this game a great attractive is that when you order to attack, your ships won’t lay still on their maximum range to attack; they will start moving around, shooting at their foes, simulating a nice chase/escape space battle.
Besides that, the last update (the one we’re talking about) of this mod has just come out this September 10, so it’s fresh new for the taking and a lot of games are taking place in multiplayer. Also, the community is great and the devs are really nice guys.
You won’t regret embarking on this experience that’s been valued as a 9.6 at moddb.com by the community. A treasure some of us have had the opportunity to witness and enjoy along with other fellow geeks. It just weighs 1,41Gb so, piece of cake even for South American standards.
Why Star Trek: Armada 3 Uprising is fun
- It pleases your Star Trek heart at its most
- AI is great
- Details are to the top
- Active community
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/star-trek-armada-3
#3. Maelstrom
Sins Of A Solar Empire : Mod Spotlight - Maelstrom!
If you’re looking for more of a vanilla SoaSE type of mod, Maelstrom offers you a great experience by boosting almost every aspect of the original game, with some particular addons that would turn on the spark of playing this game again.
By adding four more races, one that will bring you memories of a great old game (as you can see on the video early on), each one with its loyalist and rebels, the options for technologies and ships just go beyond the original experience.
These new races are the Pirates, which have some really great voice replies that will make you laugh a lot; Normalins who are some sort of religious hippie order (similar to Advent but not too spooky); the Alliance which is like a branch of TEC that are totally focused on combat due to not attending anger therapy; and the Replicants which replicate (duh!).
Also, the mod incorporates new planets, technologies, as well as some graphic improvements that may refresh a bit the experience of the game. The level of detail on ships is also really good and you might fall in love with some ships too.
As found on the reviews on the page, people complain a lot about the balance of the game, that some races are far more overpowered than the other. However, these balancing issues have been corrected and now you may find a better game than a year ago. Something you must notice is that the latest update is fresh new that had its last release just this July 3!
As it weren’t enough, the mod isn’t classified as completed, so the devs are still on their way to improve it more. Something that has the community so tuned up with this mod is the responsiveness the devs have with the people: they are really open to players’ suggestions.
This mod is the second place rated at moddb.com with a nice 9.4. Reviews are pretty great on it and the community is pretty active too. So don’t wait too long to get this little baby for more hours on SoaSE.
Why Maelstrom is fun
- Adds four more races to the game with more ships
- A lot of new planets to explore and exploit
- Adds more maps compatible with all and no DLC’s
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/maelstrom
#4. Stars
Sins of a Solar Empire Rebellion: Community game STARS
There is no video showcasing the mod, but here's a gameplay video of about two hours (you’ll know why hereafter) from a community channel that host replays of Sins online gaming.
This mod is basically an enhancement for vanilla Sins, adding a lot of new things that you may find interesting: more planets, technologies, race specializations, visual upgrades, soundtracks, and the incorporation of more “realistic” space physics.
The whole idea behind this mod is to offer a deeper experience into SoaSE, not only with race specialization where you must research if you’re gonna be a rebel, a loyalist or the in-between (of course, this will lock up some technologies for you, but is doable), but also to make you feel that space is a vast place, that nothing is too near and that playing like a crazy goblin won’t be too good.
This is a mod to play with more time than you could dedicate to vanilla Sins (or along a great amount of time), with patience and with far more strategic decisions than a normal Sins game. You will find that maps are huge and every star is quite distant the one from the other
Research, ship production and building times have been increased a bit, as well as resource gathering. Some say that resources are scarcer now but that will depend on map configuration and luck (remember that if you’re playing random maps, resources go in accordance with planet types generated). You can always play with both research and upkeep to do a great development run before sinking into bureaucracy.
If you’re considering giving this mod a chance, please I do remember you another time that this is a low-paced mod, that will make a normal game slower. Also, there are not too many small/medium maps, as this little baby tries to resemble what the universe is: a vast thing where things are not fast, nor near, nor easy.
Despite a few terrible reviews, mostly by persons that like a faster game, this mod has an incredible 93% of rating by the community. It’s just the incredibly immersive experience that offers alongside music, visual effects, and vastness of maps, and the strategic decisions you must take to compensate for long travel routes, research, and building times.
Nothing is easy in this mod but hey, that’s the idea when playing something different and escalated to a little portion of what it represents.
Why Stars is fun
- If you’re more a strategist this is the mod for you
- It can let you develop your race to the most if you want before attacking
- Playing with friends compensate a bit for the time spent in a game
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/stars
#5. Star Wars Interregnum
What is... Star Wars Interregnum - Sins Of a Solar Empire (NEW Star Wars Mod)
“Star Wars: Interregnum is an upcoming mod for Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion that builds off of the highly successful Enhanced 4X Mod. Fleeing the unknown terror that is chasing the Vasari, the factions of Sins of a Solar Empire stumble on a temporary wormhole that takes them to a galaxy far, far away. The sudden arrival of armadas with trillions of refugees and thousands of warships between the events of Episodes 5 & 6 forever alters the Star Wars universe and plunges the galaxy into an unprecedented period of chaos and violence. Begun, a new conflict has.”
Rebels and imperials, there’s a great feeling I get when activating this mod and the soundtrack starts to play: I wanna conquer the whole galaxy!!! That’s like the summary of what most persons feel when entering this mod that is a crossover (please, don’t hate me or the mod Star Wars fans).
I must warn you that it is still under development, currently in beta, but it is completely playable and compatible with the E4X mod, which is a great feature. Also, a couple of months ago the devs talked about a new release featuring The Dark Empire, where Palpatine has been resurrected and is amassing a new fleet to rule over the galaxy again.
The concept art found on their moddb.com page is really impressive, bringing new particular ships I, personally, never saw on any Star Wars movie/comic (sorry, I’m not so deep into the lore, please forgive me) and some good old ones. Just take a look at it when you can.
The mod features both Galactic Empire and Rebel Alliance, along with the vanilla Sins races. The Star Wars factions each hold two sub-factions which are, basically the same in terms of core units with some adjustments and unique technologies and ships. But, personally, I always choose the empire to get the Super Star Destroyer with Darth Vader on board.
The game is better balanced since the last update, which can let you use vanilla Sins factions with some confidence of performing pretty well against the new ones (still lacks a bit of escalation in terms of skill damage but it’s doable). By using the E4X mod, things also get more balanced as well as to let you use textures and effects contained in it for this mod.
Despite the “sin” that this crossover may represent, the mod offers a really enjoyable experience, using also DLCs’ and unique features like heroes: Thrawn, Akbar, and more, which are “summonable” by using the starting building that lets you hire them upon research (and fleet supply). Each of them has unique abilities, so use them wisely to turn the tide of the battle in your favor.
Also, there are some artifact buildings and planetary artifacts that may turn the tide of the game in any non-competition map out there. And, if you want a map that takes hours if not days to complete, check “A Galaxy far, far away” which has the famous planets of the saga incorporated.
This mod is very popular and games are often being held via Discord server, despite not being totally finished. It also doesn’t have a rating at moddb.com but it has its own forum and polls where the devs are always on the run to give an answer or to help you with your inquiries.
Why Interregnum is fun
- Lots of Star Wars ships to play with
- Excellent ship design and audio tracks
- Is supported by E4X mod to enhance playability
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/star-wars-interregnum
#6. Sins of the Prophets
Sins of the Prophets TRAILER (Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion mod)
“Sins of the Prophets is a total conversion mod for Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion which replaces models, effects, music, and all other assets with those of the Halo universe. SotP recreates Halo's iconic and brutal space combat in its full visual glory across a galactic battlefield.
Fight as the UNSC in a desperate struggle for survival and the defense of your colonies, or annihilate as the Covenant while leading immense fleets through vast swaths of space; glassing any planets in your way.
SotP brings with it a solid, balanced, and engaging universe for players to explore; for both competitive plays, and for those seeking the Halo lore they crave. SotP provides a gameplay experience suited for every type of play”.
You love spaceships, right? And you also love Halo? Bang. This is the mod for you. Don’t expect too much diversity on races in this mod as only the USMC and the Covenant are available but do expect fearsome battles, nice ship modeling, and really tough opponents.
First of all, this mod changes everything: menus, icons, music, ships, technologies, buildings, planets, all. Feel obliged to take some time and play a bit on your own to fully adapt to these. Personally, I got a headache the first time I tried it ‘cause I couldn’t find where the things were.
Aside from that, the mod offers you an excellent visual experience, making use of iconic ships of the Halo saga. It also uses some voices that may be familiar to those playing it. But there’s something else that this conversion offers to players: a challenge.
My first games were to try and figure out things like the icons and menus, what do ships were for, and that kind of stuff. Despite my experience in SoaSE and other mods, I couldn’t even take a chance on those first games. I was utterly decimated in like twenty minutes.
The scale of this game is not too similar to Sins, as you need to amass great fleets to stand a chance against enemies. Also, you need to support your fleets with special ships that carry supplies when fighting off your territories.
There are also unique tech trees for each of the two factions, planet developments, and more that will make you amass that desired fleet to bust some reptile butts. Sadly, there’s one thing I haven’t been able to sort out but I’m trying my best: the Flood still pawns me.
This is a neutral faction, like pirates in the original Sins, but to me deadlier and annoying than those water squirrels. One of those games I was playing as a proud USMC with lots of ships and these things came, turned over my ships against me, and I got pawned. I’m still playing to try and survive those things.
The mod is still having lots of attention by its devs, to the point they’re announcing a total makeup called Sins of the Prophets 2, in which they practically state making the mod from the scratch once again and it will modify everything from the base game: music, icons, techs, ships and more.
Also, this mod has a lot of activity on multiplayer games, been featured a couple of times by Sins' official Twitter account and on the Discord server. Also, the mod developers have their own Twitter account to keep you informed about this awesome mod and to interact with them for any issue or request you may have (as well as offering your service if you have the experience). Follow them at https://twitter.com/SinsOfProphets
This mod doesn’t have a rating on the moddb.com list, but it’s one of the still developed and most played mods out there, with special love to the devs that are still working hard to deliver a great product.
Why Sins of the Prophets is fun
- Fast-paced Halo-themed spaceships battles
- Audiovisual effects that resemble the original game
- A challenging mod to play
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/halo-sins-of-the-prophets
#7. Stargate Races
Let's Try Stargate Races | Sins Of A Solar Empire: Rebellion Mod
“Stargate Races brings the Stargate universe into Sins of a Solar Empire as an expansion mod. The mod adds 5 new playable Stargate-themed races to the existing 6 in the base game. They are the Ancients, the Asgard, the Goa'uld, the Ori, and the Wraith. Several other notable groups or factions also make appearances as Minor Factions (DLC required), Events (DLC required) or random map encounters”.
Well, oh well. Who didn’t spend time watching that awesome series where we, humble humans, were rocking the universe via portal traveling, sabotaging spaceships, and a will to overcome any situation no matter how messed up it was. I really enjoyed my lunch watching the series on tv during my teenage days.
But this mod is a great addition to the Sins family ‘cause it packs the best of the series in one RTS game, as well as using the base of SoaSE and mods like Sins Remastered to offer you a nice graphic and strategic experience to play.
Each race has its own tech tree and ships, featuring unique skills to adapt to each particular gameplay the races have, as well as planets with artifacts that will make every game a memorable fight.
The last update of the mod was almost a year ago, but the developer is a single person that’s doing the best he can to bring a greater experience to every release. With some patience, we’ll see more content soon as the game has more possibilities to offer.
Despite this, the mod is pretty active within the community, which is also still claiming for more releases on the dev’s social media. Also, the dev is said to be seen on multiplayer games playing his mod as well as other ones.
As a note, you need all DLCs in order to fully play this mod. It is deeply based on all official Sins content to work properly, so take advantage of those sales that appear constantly on Stardock or Steam and get yours fast.
The mod is rated 9 at moddb.com!
Why Stargate Races is fun
- Playing with the races of your teenage/childhood series? Definitely yes!
- Variety of ships and techs
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/stargate-races
#8. Dawn of the Reapers
The Reapers have Returned | Dawn of the Reapers Mod NEW UPDATE | Reaper Gameplay EP1
What can I say? This is just a beautiful mod. The interface has been changed to fit the Mass Effect visuals and it looks great and the UI is pretty good looking too; pretty simple and straightforward, and you won’t have a hard time finding buttons as with other mods. But if you’re a true fan of the saga you might be a bit disappointed.
There are only 5 races in this mod! But, despite that, playability is smooth and races are quite balanced, so you will have a great time trying to outcome your foes. But, as with every mod, you need to familiarize yourself first with the units, buildings, and technologies to fully enjoy the mod.
This mod needs a lot of empirical treatment as menus in all factions won’t show the description of the technologies you’re researching so; you need to find it for yourself. The descriptions and menus are pretty simple and straightforward, allowing this mod to let you focus more on the action.
Also, it still needs some work to comply with all the proposed features on the mod page, which consists of heroes, more ships, and technologies, just to write some. The mod is really a promise and the dev has done a great job so far.
Sadly, the developer has some years away from the project (hopefully on “vacations”), but it is still pretty solid with a popularity of 118 from 46772 titles out there, making it one of the top mods for Sins. However, people are still in touch and awaiting any new release (let’s hope so).
Why Dawn of the Reapers is fun
- Nice and powerful ships
- Fast gameplay
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/mass-effect-dawn-of-the-reapers
#9. Sins of the Younger Races Remastered
Mod Spotlight: Sins of the Younger Races
Are you a Babylon 5 lover? Well, this is the right mod for you. Despite a long history of failures, fights, and closings, this is another attempt to make things right and to give the community a great mod that, for now, is making its way again to improvements.
Yeah, it is not complete and lacks some things, but it is playable and has enough elements to give you a nice experience. With its last release this last August, devs seem to be back on track, hearing the community and finally leaving aside those problems that led to past failures.
It incorporates new Vorlon and Narn ships, as well as correcting some crash issues due to the lack of some files that were essential during the last update. It seems that this latest patch also has corrected some balance issues and UI details that needed to be addressed.
The total races to choose are The Earth Alliance, the Mimbari Federation, the Centauri Republic, the aforementioned Narm Regime and Vorlon Empire, and the Shadows. Quite a nice selection with their own ships and techs.
The mod sees fair action during multiplayer games, so it should be tested as soon as possible to give some nice and welcomed feedback, as well as having fun and immerse ourselves in this interesting Sci-Fi world.
On a side note, this last release had a message from the dev asking the players to deactivate Minor Factions DLC in order to let the mod work properly. This is something they’re working out as soon as possible, so it won’t hurt to turn it off for a while.
Despite all its troubles and stepbacks, the mod is rated with an eight. Although it will need more people testing to really reach what should be a great mod that’s already on the way to honor a great Sci-Fi history.
Why Sins of the Younger Races Remastered is fun
- Variety of races to choose
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/sins-of-the-younger-races
#10. Sins Remastered
Last but not the least, this is not a playable mod. But it has a lot to do with all of the mods in here especially for those that are still being updated and being developed. This is a visual enhancement patch that will make your Sins of a Solar Empire and every mod a better graphic experience.
Including PBR shaders (Physically based rendering), textures, texture rendering, advanced image processing, and more technologies that give a glow up to lights, shadows, visual effects of explosions, lasers, missiles, beams, particles, planet details. This mod is a must to fully take advantage of the latest graphic content of mods, as well as your hardware.
Also, if you’re a modder yourself, this little baby can be used as a base for the graphic configuration of your mod, as the developers explain on their mod page at moddb.com. You have no excuse to get this great feature asap.
Besides, remember that SoaSE is a somewhat old game and these kinds of mods are what refresh a bit the visual content of the game, despite being the original game or the mods developed for it.
It is rated 8.7 at moddb.com and is one of the top 20 mods on that page.
Why Sins Remastered is useful
- Better graphics
- More textures and details
Get the mod here: https://www.moddb.com/mods/sinsre
There are still lots of mods being developed and improved now, so if you want to take a chance on testing any new release on any page, just take the stand and test them. Mods rely on community reviews and opinions to improve their little jewels.
