Since the board is about GalCiv2, I'll assume that the OP is talking about GalCiv2.
It's mostly a matter of taste, actually. I like space opera flavored games, so I like GalCiv2. In many respects, because of the flavor of the thing, it should really be compared to the pinnacle game of that genre - MOO2, rather than any of the Civ titles. Moreover, certain parts of GalCiv2 are calculated to appeal to a forum demographic.
Thus, the customization features of GalCiv units in terms of weaponry and defense is meant to be (and is commonly thought to be) an enjoyable pastime, not a chore. I personally enjoy keeping my secret weapons and armor techs hidden as much as possible from my enemies in order to surprise them when they initiate a war of some sort. In fact, it's sometimes advisable to field in and display obsolete or weak units of the wrong weapons and armor such that the computer is fooled into investing and researching the wrong things (and it satisfying does so, too).
It goes without saying that the AI in GalCiv is its strongest point and customizable units is an important facet of this. Moreover, creating preset units such as was done in GalCiv was met with almost universal dislike, coming off from the customizability of MOO2.
GalCiv2 is also extremely easy to control, although a good deal more could have been done in terms of flavoring the techs and in fleshing out the manual. All the controls you need to rally all your units and planets are at your fingetips. Even with large galaxies, the game remains quite manageable.
Apart from offense and defense, the game also offers customization of ships in the purely aesthetic sense, and I believe that this is a popular minigame in and of itself. People spend hours attaching doodads and hulls and fins to their ships such that they appear quite attractive in the strategic and tactical maps. There is a lack of tactical gaming, but there isn't one in Civ either, and most people in MOO2 automated their battles as well, so it's not a big deal.
I don't know that there's such a steep learning curve with GalCiv2. I found Civ3 to be much more arcane and it took me quite a while just to move to Noble and thence to Monarch. After Monarch, the game just becomes too "gamey" for me and I refused to play a harder setting.
In GalCiv2, you don't have cheating AIs most of the time, so that makes it more fun for me. It means that everything the AIs do, I could have done as well. In fact, I found the AI to be completely satisfying. They declare war when they think I'm weak, and offer tribute to placate me when I appear strong. This is more than can be said for other AIs. They also won't trade military technology, regardless of the offer, which is strange, but totally human. I know some people who will also look very suspiciously at any deal that seems too good to be true.
Surrendering to your enemies is something the AI does only if you piss it off. If you declare a war because of an alliance, and generally maintain a high approval rating (you take care of the captured planets well), they are quite likely to surrender to you!
Adjustment of the economy is also finer in GalCiv. You can completely dial down military spending to 0 and make no ships whatsoever. It's harder to do that in any Civ.
Starbase treatment was also very satisfying. No longer mere buildings, starbases in strategic locaions can be more important than entire planets and systems. Defend your Starbases!
Planetary characterization is different from city charaterization, but both are comparable. You certainly don't want to be making a Research world on your outskirts, unless you have Ruins that make it tempting enough to do so. In fact, you should occasionally shift planetary leanings, maturing your inner planets so that they provide money for your manufacturing hubs and outer planets.
For joelwest:
You really shouldn't upgrade ship design every time a new technology comes along. Most of the time, the increase is marginal in nature and not worth the trouble. As a rule of thumb, I upgrade ship design every 5 or 6 new ship technologies, and only if at least 3 of those are in the same line. Sometimes, I'll make a new ship design out of turn and start production in response to an imminent invasion, or to make a show of force to prevent an attack, but that is the exception and not the rule.
It's mostly a matter of taste, actually. I like space opera flavored games, so I like GalCiv2. In many respects, because of the flavor of the thing, it should really be compared to the pinnacle game of that genre - MOO2, rather than any of the Civ titles. Moreover, certain parts of GalCiv2 are calculated to appeal to a forum demographic.
Thus, the customization features of GalCiv units in terms of weaponry and defense is meant to be (and is commonly thought to be) an enjoyable pastime, not a chore. I personally enjoy keeping my secret weapons and armor techs hidden as much as possible from my enemies in order to surprise them when they initiate a war of some sort. In fact, it's sometimes advisable to field in and display obsolete or weak units of the wrong weapons and armor such that the computer is fooled into investing and researching the wrong things (and it satisfying does so, too).
It goes without saying that the AI in GalCiv is its strongest point and customizable units is an important facet of this. Moreover, creating preset units such as was done in GalCiv was met with almost universal dislike, coming off from the customizability of MOO2.
GalCiv2 is also extremely easy to control, although a good deal more could have been done in terms of flavoring the techs and in fleshing out the manual. All the controls you need to rally all your units and planets are at your fingetips. Even with large galaxies, the game remains quite manageable.
Apart from offense and defense, the game also offers customization of ships in the purely aesthetic sense, and I believe that this is a popular minigame in and of itself. People spend hours attaching doodads and hulls and fins to their ships such that they appear quite attractive in the strategic and tactical maps. There is a lack of tactical gaming, but there isn't one in Civ either, and most people in MOO2 automated their battles as well, so it's not a big deal.
I don't know that there's such a steep learning curve with GalCiv2. I found Civ3 to be much more arcane and it took me quite a while just to move to Noble and thence to Monarch. After Monarch, the game just becomes too "gamey" for me and I refused to play a harder setting.
In GalCiv2, you don't have cheating AIs most of the time, so that makes it more fun for me. It means that everything the AIs do, I could have done as well. In fact, I found the AI to be completely satisfying. They declare war when they think I'm weak, and offer tribute to placate me when I appear strong. This is more than can be said for other AIs. They also won't trade military technology, regardless of the offer, which is strange, but totally human. I know some people who will also look very suspiciously at any deal that seems too good to be true.
Surrendering to your enemies is something the AI does only if you piss it off. If you declare a war because of an alliance, and generally maintain a high approval rating (you take care of the captured planets well), they are quite likely to surrender to you!
Adjustment of the economy is also finer in GalCiv. You can completely dial down military spending to 0 and make no ships whatsoever. It's harder to do that in any Civ.
Starbase treatment was also very satisfying. No longer mere buildings, starbases in strategic locaions can be more important than entire planets and systems. Defend your Starbases!
Planetary characterization is different from city charaterization, but both are comparable. You certainly don't want to be making a Research world on your outskirts, unless you have Ruins that make it tempting enough to do so. In fact, you should occasionally shift planetary leanings, maturing your inner planets so that they provide money for your manufacturing hubs and outer planets.
For joelwest:
You really shouldn't upgrade ship design every time a new technology comes along. Most of the time, the increase is marginal in nature and not worth the trouble. As a rule of thumb, I upgrade ship design every 5 or 6 new ship technologies, and only if at least 3 of those are in the same line. Sometimes, I'll make a new ship design out of turn and start production in response to an imminent invasion, or to make a show of force to prevent an attack, but that is the exception and not the rule.
