Overall I like the game. Familiar for those from original sins. Moving planets is cool tho comes very hard on top 2 diff settings. When there are too many ways of AI to run mass forces to back planets, there is easily 4 fronts going.
Few things:
- Diplomacy?
Cant really understand it and to be fair you dont have time to check out diplomacy menu or the context there.
I see a lot of AI's gang up on you and on hard -> nightmare it is truly a nightmare. But perhaps some barometer on HUD which shows your place in galaxy and if tech envoy or something is mastered perhaps and info light for race open for a discussion? I like the fact that trade routes offer some intel.
Overall the faction and minor faction menus are mess, currently only time I use them is to check if someone died.
In the end I recall Sins1 what stats screen? It gave some very good information how to do things differently compared to others.
Can we have it?
- Handling of the Empire
Any change for area governor? Highlight 2-3 nodes and set up area and give task to set defence / build ships / boost economy / boost science / mine raw materials. If they feel left our and out of resources they can come own faction on them selves (rare). Its not something on early game but in the end when you conquer side brances you really dont have time or need to take care of them.
- tech tree
For me its more like apply that and that when resources are available. I would like to have few main points on tree which effects truly on the path you are taking. Perhaps highlighting the path example to agile missile based force with good trade culture or I want big space stations. Perhaps you could highlight one end part skills and it shows the lagging main elements on screen in brief even outside the tech tree.
1500 supply limit rare materials is nice but again you should always have to option to buy the material out of market on heavy price or giving our planets or something. Again this is something that needs to be done on tech tree. Its fustrating to notice that I need to get that 1500 supply or I get run over... and then you get info on missing metal and no info on how to even get that?
Same goes to all tech tree brances. User needs the info that needs to be done to get that and set some goals in advance.
- Battles
I like the general mayhem of things. Some sort of battle reports would be nice. You have the crew they could actually tell something usefull in tactical perpective... "Enemyhave more fighters and we lag the defence". Scouts could actually report on some facts like enemy is building major force near xxxx... "Enemy A and B are massing together" Chat screen perhaps on battle reports?
Anyways looking good.