4x games you would recommend that are newer?

[Hoodlum25]

I'm looking for a 4x game that's got real time space combat and preferably be able to customize your ships loadout! (if you can change the way it looks even better) I've played endless space and like it but want real time combat instead of cards. I got Legends of Pegasus and loved it and that's kinda what I'm looking for except to be released in a finished stat and all of the features working. I'm also looking for something that looks a bit newer.

So what do you guys think?

 

[Samasson]

The only space 4x game I can think of that I've really enjoyed was Sins of a Solar Empire. It doesn't really meet all your criteria but it is up there in terms of how it looks and how much stuff you can do. Especially if you buy the version with the expansions.

 

[Hoodlum25]

Do you mean rebellion or trinity?

 

[Pink Gregory]

Doesn't Sword of the Stars have what you're looking for?

SOTS 2 has been fixed recently as well, apparently.

Do you mean rebellion or trinity?

Apparently SOASE Rebellion has all the stuff Trinity has. Don't quote me on that, though, don't have first-hand experience.

 

[Dryk]

Apparently SOASE Rebellion has all the stuff Trinity has. Don't quote me on that, though, don't have first-hand experience.

It does contain all the previous content. However the ship customisation is limited to skill points on capital ships when they level up, and it does not affect them cosmetically.

 

[Antari]

Do you mean rebellion or trinity?

Get Rebellion its the latest edition. An update on trinity.

 

[Grottnikk]

Fallen Enchantress is a very fun game. Much better than the Elemental game it comes from. It's on the Stardock site and Steam.

 

[Samasson]

Do you mean rebellion or trinity?

I would look into that though. But if I remember correctly the expansions add more customization to flagships and lets you build large orbital bases that also have customization options. It also adds the possibility of a diplomatic victory I believe.

 

[Hoodlum25]

sword of the stars sounds like what you are looking for. you have ship building plus it changes the way your ship looks. combat is in real time.

if you want the only 4x game that made me feel like im actually running an empire then i would recomend distant worlds. up to 1400 systems and 50,000 planets.its more hands off than you normally see but does it ever work. plus its a good feeling when private merchants start purchasing the freighters you have personally designed because they like them

Do you mean sword of stars or sword of stars 2? What would yo recommend?

 

[Tanis]

GalCiv 2 is still the best 4X game I've played.

Sins of a Solar Empire is a pretty good game, but it's not a traditional 4X game.
It's a mix of RTS+4X.

 

[Orange12345]

AI war: fleet command, the main game has tons of ships all varying in style and one of the expansions has customizable "hero" units. It is a RTS + 4X it's a lot of fun with other people and has one of the BEST overall soundtracks I have ever heard

 

[Hoodlum25]

I just read about 4 reviews and they all basically say all though the combat and ship design in Sword of stars 2 is great the rest of the game still needs alot of work, an those were reviews for the enhanced edition

 

[Evil Smurf]

I know it's old, but check out Sid Meier's Alpha Centuri.

 

[Hoodlum25]

Any more idea's guys or games you've head about being currently worked on?

 

[veloper]

Space 4x + realtime combat really limits your options.

Sins of a Solar Empire is pretty good. It's all RT though, so more of an RTS with a bigger scope than usual. It lack the ship customization that you wanted though (there's only generic ship upgrades available).

Then there's Star Ruler. It's got the most expansive ship customization you'll ever see in a 4X, but it's light in other areas. You should probably give it a try though since it has all your checkboxes marked.

SOTS2 is an interesting one, but I'd still recommend waiting for a version with all the problems fixed. There's already been a ton of patches after the horrible launch of the game, but it's still not quite there yet.

Armada 2526 is a fun little 4X with a design philosophy that is about short turns with choices but no fiddling with small percentages. Again only generic ship upgrades, but the tactical combat is RTS (though simple) while the strategic overview is turn-based.

Lastly, if you have 150 bucks to burn on the playable version of the game, there's Distant Worlds. This is a game that I intend to try myself on day when/if I get bored with Master of Orion 2 and Space Empires 4 (those 2 are the game to play if RTS is no must BTW) and the price has dropped to more reasonable levels.
By all account the most complex 4X game out there and it should match all your criteria. Maybe someone else can recommend you DW.

Edit: I almost forgot about Space Empires 5, but that's prolly because I much prefer SE4. Unlike it's predecessor SE5 does have real-time combat. The game has proper ship design like SE4. SE5 also has everything you asked for in the OP.

 

[Owyn_Merrilin]

When you say realtime combat, do you mean the whole game, or just the combat needs to be in real time? Because I can think of one series in particular (the Space Empires series) that is turn based until combat starts, at which point you go into a real time tactical setup. Fair warning, it's super complex, although if you like ship building, at least the most recent two games (SEIV and SEV) have very detailed ship builders. This is one of those games where the common complaint about the genre being nothing but spreadsheets with graphics is actually pretty accurate, although if that's what you're into, it seems to be pretty awesome. Personally, I've never been able to play long enough to actually make first contact, and it's not for lack of time spent with the game.

 

[FourCartridge]

Lastly, if you have 150 bucks to burn on the playable version of the game, there's Distant Worlds. This is a game that I intend to try myself on day when/if I get bored with Master of Orion 2 and Space Empires 4 (those 2 are the game to play if RTS is no must BTW) and the price has dropped to more reasonable levels.

Would anyone recommend the $40 base game? What I've been hearing about Distant Worlds seems right up my alley, but this and not having anything else to spend money on other than Bioshock Infinite if I get the base game is making me uneasy.