Recs.
Updated
SpecsUpdate
Pros
Pro Easy to efficiently colonize and manage planets
The player can explore the galaxy and leave behind orders to the AI to colonize planets left behind and build whatever the player told it to focus on.
This removes the need to micro-manage everything and makes the gameplay efficient and not time-consuming at all.
Pro Interesting technology and research system
Instead of using a linear path for research, this game uses a different approach for research and technology. There are two paths: Applied and Fundamental.
Fundamental allows you to gain access to more branches of science and to gain more "exotic" technologies (I.E. Antimatter).
Applied gives the player the actual technologies that they can use.
Pro Random events keep the game fresh and engaging
The random events in this game keep the game from becoming stale and boring. You can be extremely powerful and feel like nothing can threaten your empire, but an external threat caused by a random event outside of your control can come and change everything.
Cons
Con Diplomacy could use some work
While the diplomacy system is present in this game and provides you with multiple choices of dialog and outcomes, it's pretty hard to determine how much you are gaining from a particular choice.
For example, when making an economic treaty there's no way to find out how much you are gaining from it or how it will affect your other resources.
Another thing that's annoying related to diplomacy is that you can't see what causes other factions' attitudes to change toward you and it all feels quite arbitrary.