Amazingly good, even beginners can play. A 4x game that almost have everything, its deep and rich in concept.
This is a complex game that can be also easy as it gives you the ability to automate tasks and you can focus in things you want to do. The tutorial will give you some info and know hows to navigate and control your empire, but i encourage you to read or refer to the manual to give you a guide on how to play. Your goal is simple, survive, explore, expand, and reach the victory condition/s you set. There is an in game encyclopedia about almost everything present in the game.
The game is deep and rich and concept, but for us who likes 4x, this is exciting and interesting. You may spend hours playing a single game depending on how large your galaxy is.
Resources are not as simple as metal, organic, and gas anymore. The game uses lots of different metal, organic materials, and gases in game that are needs of your empire as well as in building things.
Your empire is divided into two groups, the state and the private sector. Private sector do things they want/need and you have no control on them. The private sector is responsible for transportation of materials/resources as well as passengers/population to different colonies. The state ships are in your control.
The economy depends on your population tax, your private sector tax, and your trade tax with other empire. You spend your money on building and maintenance of your ships/bases/troops.
There are different type of ships: explorers, colonizers, constructors, and you military ships. This are the only type of ships you can command.
This game have different species/races with their unique attributes. It also have different kinds of government that can affect the game play, especially the diplomacy.
This game gives importance to fuel, two sources of fuel depending on the reactor in the ship/base. ships mostly needs to refuel, while bases needs to collect energy for stars.
Black hole exists here and have importance to research. Their effects is also in play, as if ever your ship/s past the event horizon, it won't be able to come back.
There is also the concept of tourist/scenic spots where you could earn some cash. But beware, pirates also exists here and can attack your bases/mines, but even pirates can be put into good use, you can buy from them information, as you could also hire them.
In terms or technology or research, you don't have control on what to be discovered or research. The only way to influence it, is by building science facility attributed to a particular category of technology. Each component technology is divided into 4 categories, energy, weapons, high tech, and industrial.
Regarding the ship/base design, its like a combination of starships unlimited and space empire V. its not as complicated as if it has hard points where you could place the components, the components are much like of the space empires V but the assembly is much like starships unlimited. It's simple to just select the components you need and you want. There is a guide/message to what you need to include.
Improvements or features that other games lacked, the planets/moons rotate/revolve around their star. You can also colonize moons depending on the type. You can build mines in gas clouds/ gas planets. You could also mine from asteroids. And it only occupies as small space in your hard disk, approximately 700mb.
This game is like a compilation of other 4x real time games, it only lacks the ability to command the ship/s itself on battle. if you could only command and design the military ships like in the game, sword of the stars. The battle is simple as it hits or miss depends on range and weapon, but ships have shields and armors. Ships can be repaired using construction ships, or space ports.
Last thing i wish to mention, this game has an in game "game editor", you can modify your current map, place moons/planets or even remove existing ones.
I recommend to try this game for yourself. See screenshots and read other reviews, it a very interesting game. It's fun and exciting, a real strategy game, you'll need to use your mind.