I also like how Space Empires has player controlled tactical combat with choice of strategic, multi player, carriers, design not only your ships but also your troops(mechanical), fighters, satellites, mines, planetary weapons platforms.

It has ship capture, different planetary types and environments for the many different races, using/capturing alien population, in depth diplomacy and intelligence operations, design of your own races and play against them, asteroids, ability to research more than one item at a time, systems with up to 15 planets(more can be created with technology), massive battles with many unique ships and items...

Well I'm rambling. I get like that some times. All of these choices in Space Empires allows for extraordinary strategies.

Also, I am not trying to recruit players to another game. I'm just trying to inform and connect to fellow gamers.

-Wade

the AI was the reason i stopped playing SE4. it was just boring and repetative, no matter how much freedom i had. GC2's biggest strength is the AI. the ship designer, unique planets and other graphical features give GC2 yet more strength (though, it's pretty disappointing that Earth is the only custom planet with a custom RAW map associated to it, and even more annoying how few PQ-0 skins there are, and how the extra planets in most of the custom systems are unnammed and don't have unique skins... thank goodness for modding!

personally, i'd rather play a simpler game with more complex AI than a more complex game with simpler AI. if SE5 can pull off good AI, it should be a very fun game.

while i don't really like the kind of cartoony feel that GalCiv2 has (while still loving the game). SE5 looks pretty heidous in terms of graphics.

The graphics in the Space Empires series have always been lacking when compared to most mainstream games -- although the gameplay has always been fun. The problem of course, is that MM is a single guy doing the programming with some contracted work. The money is not exactly available for a graphics department.

With SE:V, the graphics are moving from 3d renders to actual 3d models. To keep specs down for the game, the models tend to be low on polys - which still allows for the large battles many players enjoy. Although this sacrifices some quality.

The default AI is not very good, mainly because the time needed to make it better wasn't available for MM. The suckiness lies in the AI files themselves which haven't been optimized at all. However, a number of modders have put together a much better AI package for the standard game which really benefits the single player game. Of course, this doesn't solve all the AI problems - but does help a lot. SE:V has a scriptable AI, but again I might be too generous to say it will be top notch when the game is first released.

SE:IV multiplayer generally runs through the PBW online server, which performs the function of collecting the players' turns and running the turn when all players. In most cases, it's just a few turns per week so the time commitment is not much at all.