good but not great...
As it is, a Real-Time strategy game is hard to make on such a large scale, as most strategy games include some form of micromanagement. However, SOASE has done this really well, having an easy to pick up and play game that is a little slower than other RTSs. It takes no more than 1 or 2 games to learn the controls and nuances of how to play the game. However, there are a couple of faults that I have noticed.
1) When I say it's slow. Its SLOW:
It took me around 10 hours to finish a single game in a moderately sized map against a single computer player. Granted, I made a few mistakes which made me take a little while, but the game has a much slower pace than the typical RTS.
People who have played said typical RTSs like Starcraft, Warcraft, etc will find this pace to be mundane and will have to adjust.
2) There is practically no story:
In the beginning of the game they have a short, uninteresting cut-scene which talks of some outcasts returning with strength "while the empire is still weak". However, they say nothing about what happened or what will happen. For those of you who need a good story to drive you through a game, this isn't the game for you.
Also there is no single player campaign, limiting the game to player vs. computer skirmishes and pvp play.
3) Lack of complexity:
This has a somewhat mixed opinion. SOASE is a much simpler game than you would first take it to be. This can be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on how you take it. You can pick up the gameplay easily and it won't boggle your mind, but at the same time it seems too simple sometimes, with nothing really original or innovative.
So apart from these 3, SOASE is a very good game for reasons mentioned earlier. The story was my main disappointment, but if you don't mind that and love Strategy/Space games, Sins could be for you.