Space Empires has been around at least 10 years. From what I can garnish from the screenshots that are availible, it's going to be an update of Space Empires IV with better graphics, some kind of 3d planet building interface. Space Empires is more of a spreadsheet game, very bearbones, easy to mod, easy to add a lot of content. It plays very differently. The best thing it has going for it is content (see below) which gives you a lot of strategic options but the AI is weak (remember: one guy with volunteers helping on the artwork). Lots of mods that tweak AI though, still nothing close to what we're being promised here. If you have somebody to play with, as I fortunately did, Space Empires provides a very epic multiplayer experience (a game will take at least a few days). Lots of people play by email. It doesen't have the production values that Galciv 2 seems to but it gives you a lot of freedom. It does break down into number crunching though (who can produce the most). In short it's worth a look but it's a kinda different way of treating the same subject.

content:

Space Empires has {tactical combat you can control} laser weapons, pulse cannons, missles, torpedoes, point defence, psi-attack, organic weapons, kamakazi warheads, boarding parties, defence marines, shield skipping weapons, shields to block them, another generation of weapons to skip those shields, and another generation of shields etc... wormhole generating weapons, cloak, tractor beams, repulser beams, computer virus's, armor skipping weapons, severall types of armor, fighters, fighter bays, religious talismans, planetary napalm, different sized weapon mounts, and a variety of ratial traits that make a huge difference. You can build ringworlds around a sun, send one into nova and create a black hole, basically anything you've ever seen in Sci Fi is there. There's a lot of stuff I left out too!!!

If Space Empires V's AI and Diplomacy are updated to be equal to Galciv 2's it would be at least on par and much deeper in regards to combat.

Nice post well written. However I am inclined to disagree with you totally. Both games are like apples and oranges. Comparing them is not a good way too promote SE series here. One game is simplistic very easy too dive into without any huge learning curves. (GC series) The other is super complex with a huge learning curve and has quite a few different ways to play it.

SEV will be a good game but there are many aspects of it that turns me off especially hex style map that is old school.

I tried the demo of SE4 and found it to be one of the driest, 'unfun' games I have ever experienced. If 5 is anything like it, I wont be going near it!

For a game in the same vein, I would suggest the X series. X2 was a lot of fun, letting you dip into combat, run stations, set up trading empires. Unfortunately, even though I bought the new X game, I can't play it due to their stupid disk protection!!

Here is the oficial site if you are interested::http://www.malfador.com/

There is another game coming out sometime in May.. Sword of the Stars. http://www.kerberos-productions.com/sots.shtml It is more along the lines of a Total War game style.. Space: Total War It has a simplified strategy game interface (like Rome: Total War) but a fairly complex 3D tactical battle interface. (also similar to Rome: Total War)

Rob

This Sword of the Stars does look very interesting i must say. Strange that i've never heard of it before. Judging from the screenshots the combat part looks awsome but the strategy map seems a bit strange to me.

I am playing Rome: Total War these days and if it's anything like that, the strategy interface will probably just be an excuse for the strategic battles wich as i understand will be the main attraction of the game. But R:TW is an icredibly addictive game so SotS might also be a very good game in this regard.

Both SEV and SotS seem nice and promising games. Who knows, i may even buy them along with GC2 if the reviews are favourable. And i though GC2 would be my only space strategy game.

But still, GC2 will be the king... as soon as they add the terror star! (sorry but icouldn't help it)

Gal Civ I and II are tbased more on the Civ franchise and in that regard rule the roast. Space Empires IV is not an RTS, it is a 4x (eXpand, eXploit, eXterminate, and eXplore) game that provides long and addictive, deeply rich games. SE IV and soon SE V, is the undisputed King of 4 x Gaming.

I will buy both GalCiv 2 and SE V. They will scratch different itches, all within the 4x turn based space strategy genre. Loved MOO 2; too bad MOO3 turned out sooo bad. I've played and loved SE IV. I bought X3 and Nexus, and although their three-dimensional modeling is absolutely beautiful to behold, they aren't really what I wanted. I stopped playing each of those early on.

Unless I'm badly mistaken, GalCiv hasn't been around nearly so long.

Well, it is the case for Galciv on Windows platform. But originally, Galciv was an OS/2 game in 1994.

And if I have correctly understood the differences between Space Empire 5 and GC II, it boils down to:
SEV : big multiplayer experience
GCII : big single player experience.

Since the focus ins't on the same thing, it is very difficult to compare them.

*double post*

I too will buy both games as both games are worth my attention.

GalCiv has a tough AI, much tougher than that of unmodded SEIV (modded SEIV is a different matter...much tougher AI !). However, there's a reason for it. The GalCiv tech tree is rather simplistic, comparatively. Thus, the AI has less to cope with, less to compute, to decide. If you don't mind a simplistic tech tree, that's great. If you do mind a tech tree like that and want something much deeper, you go with Space Empires, since that's one of the area's it shines. Everything's a trade-off.

I liked the deep complex tech tree of Space Empires III & IV. However, I found in the demos I could design ships with normal shields and weapons that skip normal shields and easily take out enemy fleets. They never changed their designs to replace normal shields with armor or more advanced shields plus this weapons to skip my normal shields! The AI needs to be able to adapt to my actions! SEIV had 2D graphics and SEV has 3D graphics. I hope the AI has also been upgraded! How do the mods improve the AI?

To be honest, I played GalCiv for a while, but got bored. Very bored. Why? The AI cheats, and that's something that irks me immensely. They know where all the class 15 and above planets are!

This is because they have had space travel much longer and have already explored much of the galaxy. In GalCiv2 you are not restricted to playing as a human. If you play as an alien, the human AI must explore and search for the best planets.

So my word: support indie developers like Stardock, Malfador and Slitherine...they give us the best games.

I agree! Microsoft does not need our dollars but these companies could, plus you can tell they love making games and their customers. I'm not familiar with Slitherine, what have they done?

have been playing Space Empires since 2000. I was one of the first people to buy Gal Civ. I played Gal Civ for about a year before loosing interest. I have not lost interest in Space Empires IV and that can say a lot about the game. Sure it is basic, but for a game, especially a garage style game made buy basically one guy, to do so well over so many years, says more about the over all qaulity of the game than any post by any person who has never played the game could say. People who judge games based mainly upon graphics and out dated reviews by people who only played the demo for abotu 20 minutes or so, shouldn't be reviewing games. Games are about game play and Space Empires IV, and soon to be V, have heart where heart counts, in game play, replayability, and long term enjoyment. Space Empires is one of the most successful 4x games of this century. It has been King Of The Hill since 2000, and looks to be holding that title for many more years to come.

I think Space Empires (the series) appeals to a somewhat different demographic.  For me, AI is king. That's what drives me. 

And as an FYI, I wrote the original GalCiv by myself when I was in college.  Even the 2003 Windows version only had 4 full time people on it.   So let's not cast this as a David and Goliath type thing.