SC II was one of the great games, and a genre breaker. It combined aspects of RPG, adventure (inventory-getting), strategy, and arcade combat, with a lot of customization and some great humor. Too bad the company that acquired the rights for SC III felt they didn't want the Toys for Bob folks doing that game, and gave it instead to a team that had produced several mediocre titles.
If Stardock does an SC IV, hopefully they'll bring in the TfB folks--or at least, follow their design in spirit, if not to the letter.
