Zerg of the Stars. No matter what, every game is a zerg rush.
The combat is real time, had it been turn based, (Like in Space Empires 4), most of the problems it has could have been avoided.
All the ship abilities you can 'use', you don't need to use. Ships will use them on their own and just as effectively. When there are more than 5 ships on each side, controlling them becomes a nightmare. Yes you can change the starting positions, but once the battle starts, it's virtually impossible to effectively control your fleet.
But it gets so much worse when inevitably the game turns into a massive zerg where the AI attacks your 50+ ships with their 50+ ships. Due to the poor implementation of the combat there is nothing useful you can do in such battles but watch.
Due to the limited control of your planets, every single game comes down to the same thing; capture more planets than the AI, build more ships than the AI. Managing planets better and building better ships is simply not an option in SotS - thats not to say that it cannot be done, but it is impractical unlike in other 4X games, such as Space Empires 4, and Gal Civ 2.
In closing, this game does not feel like a 4X due to the extremely simplistic empire management and combat that comes down to numbers. That doesn't mean that it's a 'bad' game. If you're looking for a simple fast paced space strategy game where you get to watch lots of ships blow up, you're in luck. If you want deep strategy, empire management, tactical combat, wait a few weeks for Space Empires 5 or pick up Gal Civ 2.