[Noble713]

Space Empires needs a serious boost in the Eye Candy department. I haven't played a game of SE4 in weeks. Why? I feel no attachment whatsoever to my games. The universe has no *feel* to it. Things like good sound effects, voices, and emmersive graphics add to the ambiance of a game, and overall improve the experience. Just imagine if SE5 had an engine similar to Starfleet Command or Far Gate, imagine rotating your camera view around the planets of a system, or looking at your 50-ship fleet with an over the shoulder view as it closes with the enemy.

I've been playing Star Wars Rebellion for the Last few days. The gameplay is nowhere near as in-depth as SE4's, but it holds my attention because I feel like I'm in the SW universe and actually doing something. When C-3PO yells that Imperial troops are invading one of our planets, I care. Bells and whistles add emotion to Rebellion, whereas in SE4 I always feel detached from what my empire is doing.

As for customizability, most 3d games can be altered; there are dozens of user-made mods for Half-Life, Homeworld, Starfleet Command, Klingon Academy, etc. It requires higher-end software (usually 3d studio max), but you can use a full 3d model instead of a tiny rendered bitmap of it.