Mar 2, 2011 22:31 GMT  ·  By

Developer Ironclad Games and publisher Stardock have announced that they are working on a new game in the Sins of a Solar Empire series, called Rebellion, which is set to be delivered this year and will be stand alone, playable without requiring the player to own the original game or any of its two mini expansions.

Rebellion will allow gamers to choose between Loyalist and Rebels factions and fight for domination of their original faction, using a new array of combat options and a number of new ships.

The stand alone expansion will deliver a new class, the Titan size, which is bigger than normal capital ships seen in Sins of a Solar Empire with the developers saying, “these deadly new monsters are capable of wiping out entire enemy fleets single-handedly.”

There is also a new capital ship linked to each of the two factions in Rebellion, allowing for more tactical choices, and each faction also gets a number of small ships, with the existing cruisers and frigates also gaining versions that are better suited for various play styles.

Rebellion also delivers new victory conditions for each faction and an updated game engine which creates even more impressive visual effects in combat.

Brian Clair, who is the director of publishing for Stardock, has stated, “Rebellion is the first stand-alone expansion to the Sins of a Solar Empire universe. Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion will add many new ships, refresh the visuals and integrate Impulse::Reactor features to support achievements, multiplayer leagues and much more.”

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion will use Impulse Reactor in order to deliver Achievements and allow gamers to chat with friends and organize games.

The developers working on the new space-based strategy game say they are working hard for a 2011 launch, but that the quality of the game is their main aim.