Hey Tarm,

I haven't tried the MP aspect so I can't comment on it.

SR2 is actually quite similar to SOSE in that it follows the 4X model. Colonize planets, build infrastructure, great space battles, tech research, etc. I love SOSE, but SR2 does those things with a bit more depth IMO.

One cool feature is the map size. It's literally unlimited compared to SOSE. Like the first SR, you could create a galaxy of literally millions of star systems if your rig can handle it.

Planets in SOSE level up by building infrastructure and research. The same is true in SR2 and then some. Planets will drain your wallet early on, at least until they reach Level 1 development, after which they'll start throwing off cash. Leveling up and maintaining that level requires a steady stream of resources like food and water. For higher levels they require additional resources from off-world. Some planets will produce a particular resource only when they've reached a certain level. Some planets will become the core of your economy and military while others play a support role. Plus each planet produces only one type of resource, like food, water, uranium, etc. Some are barren. This makes planet selection important. This mechanic eliminates the 'colonize everything in sight' approach and forces you to be more selective in the worlds you do choose to colonize and develop. You can also build structures on or around each planet, like factories and orbital defense stations, but they can be expensive to build and maintain. Mining asteroids for different resources like FTL crystals, spices or explosives can be used to further boost your economy and tech.

The economy works a little different in SR2. You don't accumulate money like SOSE. You have budget cycles which last 3 minutes. After the cycle ends, any unspent funds are lost, or can be applied to different areas like research, energy generation, labor etc. As your planets and trade routes develop, the amount of money per cycle should increase. I'm currently pulling in about 1.6 million in gold per cycle with just a few higher level core planets with the others providing support.

The combat is really nice to look at! Watching a flagship get skewered by a hot energy beam is really satisfying. It's not quite like SOSE, but it's nice nonetheless. Like SOSE, you have a flagship and a supporting fleet of ships.....lots and lots of ships. I haven't tinkered too much with the ship design feature yet, but I know you can create your own unique ship builds, providing you have the coin and the appropriate level of technology. Each fleet can be set to automatically cull out the dead crew members and replenish it's ranks. All customizable.

The research tree is a little strange IMO. In SOSE the tech tree is pretty straightforward and linear. Develop tech X to unlock tech Y further down the tree. The research scheme in SR2 uses a hex tile grid, so researching a particular tech like Business unlocks adjacent hex tiles like Infrastructure and Commerce. I'm still figuring it out. :P

Diplomacy uses cards with points you can spend to make key decisions or make proposals for the senate to vote on. I think the amount of influence you have determines how successful you'll be at getting what you want. You can also form alliances and treaties. Again, I haven't tinkered too much with it yet.

I do highly recommend SR2. So far, I've been having a great time with it. Hope this helps.

Conan