Space Empires IV Deluxe?

[Kraken]

Just noticed that Steam is preloading Space Empires IV Deluxe. I must somehow have missed the original release over 5 years ago, but I just read some reviews about the original game and it did sound pretty sweet. I can't find out what is new in the Deluxe edition though, so I'm very curious if someone has either played the original and want to share some thoughts, or know what the Deluxe edition has that the original, reviewed one has.

Thanks for any answers!

 

[Nicolai]

The deluxe edition has all the stuff from the Gold edition plus a better drone system or something. All I noticed was that it had a new splash screen.

 

[Avé]

I want SE4, but hate steam

 

[Jason]

Just get it online through Strategy First.
http://www.strategyfirst.com/en/games/SE4DEluxe/

 

[obediah]

Great game. Whenever you get sick of it, lay off a week, then come back and download a new mod to play with.

 

[Avé]

I want SE4, but hate Strategy First(HELLO FIRING ALL SIR-TECH EMPLOYEES AFTER YOU GET THE JA IP, AND CONSISTENTLY RELEASING OVERHYPED MASSIVELY BUGGED GAMES, AND BONING STARDOCK ON ROYALTIES.)

 

[Human Shield]

I felt it was too heavy on 'eXterminate'. The alien interaction would have been good enough if it was more responsive, trying to trade for something is just blind hit and miss. And planet exploration isn't that fun.

And micro-management was too annoying for me. If I want to plant satellites on a warp point I have to design and build a satellite-layer, have a planet build the satellites, then have it go back and forth a bunch of times. The most annoying part is that whatever you research a new thing (ship size, satellite size or layer size, missle, etc...) you have to do it all over, and spent time sending the layer to get refitted. And fucking forget about it if you want to build fighter carriers or troop ships (troops fill up cargo holds you have to jump around planets to get enough).

The "governor" AI thing was retarded, they never made the ships I wanted and if I left it on they marked all my own as obsolete. Setting it to retrofit ships never seemed to do anything.

No food management system, colonies on planets are just miners with different %.

The combat felt retarded and too long-winded.

I liked a lot of the features but it was too annoying for not enough payoff.

I am looking forward to SE:V, mite be a lot better. Hex-based planet screens and systems.

 

[obediah]

I want SE4, but hate Strategy First(HELLO FIRING ALL SIR-TECH EMPLOYEES AFTER YOU GET THE JA IP, AND CONSISTENTLY RELEASING OVERHYPED MASSIVELY BUGGED GAMES, AND BONING STARDOCK ON ROYALTIES.)

You could always just pirate it and send Malfador a mysterious check.