I posted most of this in another thread but I will share it here too!
I've also bolded my perspective on the most common complaint - repetitive gameplay.
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If you are a scifi nerd (especially works like Foundation and Dune), or enjoy philosophical scifi topics like AI rights and transhumanism, this will be up your alley. And possibly be enough in itself to trump gameplay frustration. I certainly felt my interest in the story and world building was what kept me going.
In contrast, I didn't enjoy FTL, as there wasn't much of a story to get invested in and the gameplay alone wasn't enough to hold me. If you disagree strongly with me, then you can stop reading here. :P
[[note: I haven't played the latest update, so my opinion is based on the old version]]
Gameplay-wise, I am personally garbage at RTSes! Because there is no pause function normally. Yet I found this a lot of fun and - especially after a bunch of upgrades - rewarding. So smash that pause button if you prefer to take time to think tactics.
I wasn't able to play on Hard, but Normal was an enjoyable challenge. Easy mode also exists, if you'd prefer that.
Note that for every chapter, I would select a new ship, which would bring with it a unique gameplay style. I found switching it up like that to be very fun and engaging.
I imagine having a "one true meta" playstyle would likely lead to the game feeling repetitive. That could be where complaints about repetitive gameplay come from, since a lot of the fun to be had was in trying new playstyles. It also never felt like I'd made a stupid descision, both in the choice system and in upgrade purchases. Just be mindful that money and fuel aren't things to be spent willy-nilly, learn to keep some for a rainy day, stuff like that.
There is also a demo for the game, so give it a try before you buy!
