Read this thread, i notice, that different kind of ppl interested at different things. Someone want graphic so detailed, so is detailed in first-person shooter with RPG elements - like Oblivion. Other want Sims-detailed dynasty tree, with regents, legacy 2 kingdoms, maybe taking prisoners, gathering ransoms and other stuff things. I think it all will good to see, but this only moments from gameplay, spots and no more, so it is not so matter.
I will better to see some global changes in gameplay, like changes between Sins of Solar Empire, and its first addon - Entrenchment. As you can remember, this addon add many defensive structure and change gameplay, it give front-line, and gathering of fleets for breaking into enemy supply lines and home planets.
I think first turns in Elemental have amazing point of interest, but when your Empire grow - nothing can stop you, and game become not so challenge as on start. In fact game know how end after first few battles: if you won - nothing will stop you, if not - nothing can save you. I know, that many war-conflicts in history depends from 1-2 great battles, but this game have more strategic potential to be long played interesting game. So this my few suggestions about gameplay:
1. Bigger Empire need be more hard to control, it need more attention. It implement by rise unresting level, depend from number and ranges between cities, and can control by special buildings/units/technology. Unresting level can rise enough to separate town from you control to be neutral faction, with own ruler. It good point, because give us 2 important thing:
a. First - even if you win all your enemies, game not over. You can try to hold this huge Empire, and it not so easy at all, with influence of dynasty - you even can fight with you sons or brothers for throne of Empire. You just can have another win-condition, without conquer, like handle throne for n-turns, or fight-out absolute evil like pirates in SoSE, or something else.
b. Second - as in Civilization, one of good point of strategy - don't devastate AI player and try put all towns to your control, but leave other faction with his small number of towns and peace treaty. It give your troops, gold or research from em. It like idea some self-goverment parts of your Empire
2. Defeated sovereigns (or their children) can return to rule after some turns. Like in Master of Magic - sovereign return after some number of turns in cosmos. In this game it can just be represent like unknown population of Empire, and children of falling sovereign can hide in population, feared by conquer. This childs can take lead of riot, and take pair of your cities, and maybe get some good troops, what be very chalenging, if you already have war on another side of Empire, or you Empire already have civil-war, or maybe just exhaust after number of wars.
And it maybe even more interesting at all, because imagine situation - you start as unlucky sovereign and you Empire conquered, you sovereign killed, actually game over and it time to load or start another game. But! For example - you play with you 5 friends, and they want continue, but what you should do?
In this situation you can wait some turns and choose you sovereign again (from children of you sovereign, or someone new), who can lead riot. You can prepare ppl and doing some stealth work - place your ppl near towns of player, buy equipment, doing some quests and wait for good time to move. (maybe your troops will be invisible, or just like neutral adventurers, but you will control them). And you have limit of turns for start riot. When this turns out - your troops will be visible and enemy players can attack em.
So you just wait for good time to move, hit to back and conquer few towns from big empire, ask for alliance of another players and just be like one of the factions before. So even falling players can enter into game like rulers of minor factions and give some more interesting to all players in game.
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Frogboy (aka Brad) - thank your for the best grand strategy game ever, and for great job with community. With this game our dreams (as players) about ideal strategic world can be real. Many thanks! )
And i'am too exited and want play it right now 
soz4my english
