Any decent 4x space strategy games for OS X?

[Proteus_MST]

So, I have played a little bit SE 3 (the downgraded version that is freely available) and now te demo of SE 5 (with 100 turn limit).

Is it normal that fighters are so megastrong?
In a space simulator battle I took around 44 small fighters (Level 3) along with a carrier against 5 destroyers, 3 of which were filled to the top with the newest AA guns/rockets (aside from standard components like shields, combat scanners and the like of course ) whereas the other 2 had a mix of AA and Anti capital ship.
According to the minerals you need to build fighters, the carrier and the destroyers one could assume that both forces would cost roughly the same to be built.

The battle however showed that the fighters were far superor to the destroyers. All 5 destroyers were destroyed within short time, with only 6 of the 44 fighters getting destroyed.

Looks like, at least in SE5, an empire with fighters is able to pwn every empire without fighters.

b7w.
I don´t seem to have any major problems with the 3D interface of SE5. What causes me more problems is, that I haven´t discovered any way yet to scrap existing buildings on planets (which of course sometimes might be useful if you have researched a new type of building and want to replace an existing building with it)

[Patroklos]

Another question, what are your thoughts about trade and research alliances with other races. I'd like to be friendly at first but I'm somewhat reluctant to make them since I'm far more advanced then my neighbors and I have a huge surplus in all resource areas.

Its basically just points, so I don't worry about it. Some races like the Eee will almost never break a treaty, so there is no problem. In any case, normally I treaty up with everyone I can, as long as I have a treaty they won't attack me, and I will have a warning before they do (they will break it first).

How can anyone take Space Empires IV seriously?

It was made by one man in his house, not some large studio with millions of dollars. Its the gameplay that rules, and the art is more than adequate for what its doing.

Looks like, at least in SE5, an empire with fighters is able to pwn every empire without fighters.

If you think that is bad try SEII.

SEV sucks. I waited five years for it and then played maybe 2 hours before chucking it out the window.

In SEIV fighter usefullness goes in waves depending on how fast each empire researchs shields/PDC. The problem with fighters is that they are not infinite. They have to be produced and moved to carriers, so if they are destroyed 5 systems away from your territory then you have to build more, load them onto a transport and wait 10 turns for it to get to you. For this reason I usually have a very robust system of auxillaries constanty moving back and forth between my fleets and home.

Normal gun type ships (assuming they are undamaged) are good to go with the exception of supplies, which your fleet tenders can harvest from stars as you go with solar panels (I hope you have fleet tenders!)

And of course fighters can't warp, so they need not only a ride to the battlespace but also a dedicated carrier to launch them (offensively, you can always launch them from your planets on defense).

[Riesstiu IV]

@Bkeela - if you don't like the standard races you can create your own or simply download some of the many custom race/shipsets that are available.

[Patroklos]

It should be noted that the stock AI sucks, so once you start importing races with custom AI you will notice they will kick the **** out of the stock races.

The Fractal Function (one of my favorites) are known for this.

Though because the stock AI sucks so bad, you should replace them all (at least the AI portions) anyway.

[Riesstiu IV]

Tougher you say? Do you have any suggestions on what shipsets/custom AIs to use as replacements?

[Kuciwalker]

I love how humans are always represented as American. I think Galactic Civilizations even went so far as having all ships named USS something or other.

Dude, that dates back to Star Trek.

[Proteus_MST]

Not so in SE5,
the human on the in game image looks exactly like Shaddam IV, Emperor of the known Universe (from the Dune Movie by Dino de Laurentis)

[Riesstiu IV]

Also, Humans in SEIV are naturally aggressive capitalists and don't really follow the standard peaceful diplomat race as seen in Master of Orion. In my current game, a neighboring system with a neutral race is being systematically conquered by the Terrans.

[Patroklos]

Tougher you say? Do you have any suggestions on what shipsets/custom AIs to use as replacements?

The Fractal Function, Ghizera, Amalgamation, Tylamai for starters. They tear the stock apart. Thats all I remember off the top of my head. Try SpaceEmpires.net for more info.

Terrans like missiles, PDC>missiles

[Proteus_MST]

So, I had the chance to get SE5 for not too much money on eBay (around 20 Euros including package and handling) and got it.

To be honest, I like it more than SE4, of which I have played the Demo.

The UI is something you have to get used to, but after some learning it isn´t a problem anymore. Some things I like abvout SE4 more, but there are also things that are better in SE5 (the right click menu for example).

The AI of course is extremly weak, which was something I expected from the descriptions, but after alll I read (in this thread and outside) that is something the stock game has with SE4 in common and both games can be fixed by using mods.

(to give a brief overview about the underwhelming capabilities of the stock AI to handle its empires:
At the moment (in my first full game) 20 years have passed. My research rate has constantly risen to around 700k and my tech levels to 1k.
Thanks to immigration I got races that breathe 3 different atmospheres and was able to populate a number of planets to their full capacity with them.
At the same time the reseach rates of my AI companions show almost no increase and is lower than 100k for all races I know, although 2 of the AI empires even possess more planets than myself. The tech levels of the best AI therefore is only around 250 and that for soem AIs even just half as much.
Looks like the AI seems to have big problems with the concept of using the right breather for the right atmosphere and therefore is stuck with planets that are used to less than 25% of the capacity that they could be used if the AI would just remove the population that breathes the wrong atmosphere from its planets.
To compare the AI with Civ I would give it a Chieftain-Level )

As soon as I finish my first game (which I only continue playing because I´m eager to build ringworlds and Dyson spheres ) I will try my first games with SE5 mods (and hopefully with a more competitive AI)