Stardock Entertainment announced today that they'll be releasing the game's first micro-expansion, Entrenchment late in the year. Entrenchment will add a few new units to the PC sci-fi strategy game and avoid one of the common pitfalls of expansion packs.

The micro-expansion enhances the defensive options for each faction by adding Starbase defense platforms (powerful bases able to defend entire planets), power/range upgrades for turrets, mine fields, and a Subspace Inhibitor platform to slow down enemy ships. Not a huge amount of changes, but then again, Entrenchment will only cost $10. You'll be able to purchase it via Stardock's digital distribution platform, Impulse.

Entrenchment is one of three micro-expansions planned for Solar Empire. The other two micro-expansions in the works will expand diplomacy options and add new technologies and ships. Don't worry about not being able to find a game if you don't buy the expansions, though. You can still join a multiplayer game with someone who owns the additional content, but those new features will simply be disabled for the game.