Posted May 05, 2014

If it doesn't matter that fights are in space and not on planetside you could try Master of Orion 2, but it has more than just tactical combat, for me its the best 4x game with good and simple interface and lots of fun.
Also, someone should recommend Alpha Centauri, which has fantastic unit customization and is one of the best 4X games every made. And the Battle Isle games which inspired Kronos. I backed BW: Kronos on Kickstarter, and when I played it, I was reminded of both Deadlock: Planetary Conquest. and MAX.
Ooo! Ooo! MAX is a phenomenal game with tons of customization and some very rock-paper-scissors combat. MAX2 is a steaming pile of garbage, in my opinion, but I can heartily recommend the first.