TLDR: Are there any posts talking about planned changes to multiplay? + Please give options to play Multiplayer the same way you would play single player.

I may have missed it or it may not be here but is there any official word on whether multiplayer is going to be given the same gameplay as single player?

Creating your own Sov, Tactical combat, Map size, saved games. Lan play, general bugs. I know I am more of a minority but I don't care if it takes me 30 hours to play through a game with 4 friends and 12 AI's. It does not bother me that I will have to wait through their combat turns before I can take my next turn,

I see lots of good gameplay changes being talked about for 1.3(cannot find 1.2 changelog if it exists) but I am guessing none of it is going to make multiplay?

Possible middle ground for Tactical combat in multiplay - Turn timer limit, 1 Minute(player selectable value)  to complete all unit action before the turn switches, Max combat time (player changeable value) 10 minutes. After the max time is hit combat ends and the units are reverted back to their original positions. Sure it could be used to "escape" a losing battle but I don't see that being a large issue.

Custom Sov disabled to prevent OP Sov's? With friends thats not an issue, (Lan enabled) for Impulse games allow the game creator to force stock or allow custom.