I want to recommend you the following link
www.galciv.com
I think this game will be good if it is released in february or so. Like SEIV it will be fully moddable and supported for more than one year with new features. The designers are very capable and take attention of new ideas.
Galciv is an old OS2 4X game and it has probably the best AI of all 4X games. Now its re-released for WIN. It is primarly not a combat game. You cannot design ships and dug it out tactically, but there are alot more politic options (you have different political parties in your empire!) game than in any other 4X game.
And the max. galaxy is really HUGH. It will comprise in a later Version next year up to 1600 sectors, with each sector consisting of several star systems. Each star system has also several planets. (means 60.000+ planets to colonize. Colonization is similar to MOO2, just simpler)
I think it will be a worthy enrichment till SEV is coming out.
Klaus
OT Galactic Civilization - a promising game
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