Not your standard base build and rush RTS
Has a slight learning curve but after playing a few games you will get the hang of it. Be warned though, if you are expecting the standard 5-min rush type RTS games this is not for you. The game is played on a pretty large scale and even the smallest maps with 7 planets can take 2 hours to finish.
The best way to describe it would be like combining Civilization with Starcraft. It has the depth of Civilization but plays in real-time like Starcraft.
The major negative points the game has are:
No single player campaign. The game starts to tell a good story about the 3 races in the game but then just throws you to the wolves so to speak. It would be nice if it had a single player campaign even a short on like Company of Heroes.
The standard edition didnt come with a shortcut card. The CE comes with one, but it would have been nice to include that with all versions.
Multiplayer isnt the most satisfying game unless you are playing with people you know. Games run long and people often drop and the AI doesnt take over for them.
But, for a game that you play with friends this game is a must buy. The really large maps can probably take weeks to complete and online games can be saved. Its perfect for a group of friends that want to enjoy a game with depth but dont always have a lot of time to play like most old gamers. ;)
If you are a person that loved the old school tabletop strategy wargames like Starfleet Battles or any of the old SSI or Avalon Hills games, you will love this game.