The new Diplomacy expansion pack for sci-fi strategy game Sins of a Solar Empire adds a new layer of interaction among the players. It doesn't do a lot for smaller head-to-head games. But it works wonders for anything with, say, four or more factions vying for control of the galaxy. You can take advantage of all new options for interacting with and influencing everyone else. Park a ship on a diplomatic mission in orbit around your neighbors home planet, and before you know it, the two of you will be like a couple of lovebirds exchanging pacts for stronger lasers, boosted culture, and extra space bucks all around. The Diplomacy expansion also serves as a sort of game clock, which make epic Sins games more manageable. Unless someone gets busy with the conquering, one of the players is going to win the galactic popularity contest and claim a diplomatic victory.

The expansion, which came two weeks ago, just got its first patch. Among the changes:

The pirates now have a unique armor type that will allow them to take less damage from all weapon types.

Pirates will always try their best to nuke a planet before leaving. It's the only way to be sure.

If you thought the pirates were tough before, it's worse now. These guys can easily knock you out of the game if you're not careful. In fact, that's one of the things I really love about Sins of a Solar Empire that doesn't really exist in any other real time strategy games. You get the sense that it's not just a map waiting to be divvied up. It's a hostile universe, with a terrible force prowling around that might come gunning for you. Yeah, sure, there are neutral creeps loitering around the map in RTSs like Warcraft 3. But they're just patiently waiting to be farmed for experience points. The pirates in Sins of a Solar Empire are the most terrifying force in a sci-fi strategy game since the Antarians in Master of Orion 2.