Regarding the Combat and interface in the new MOO I will quote gamestar here:
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http://www.gamestar.de/spiele/master-of-orion/news/master_of_orion,52363,3237284.html)
Andere Fans monieren mehr oder weniger direkt das Fehlen der taktischen Kämpfe im Video. Die insgesamt zwei Raumschlachten, einmal gegen Piraten und einmal gegen ein Weltraum-Monster, werden binnen weniger Sekunden im Hintergrund berechnet und noch dazu auch nicht allzu effektreich präsentiert. Und auch die von einigen Spielern als billig und an Mobile-Games angelehnt empfundene Nutzeroberfläche wird kritisiert.
Dass es im fertigen Spiel taktische Raumschlachten geben wird, hat Wargaming allerdings bereits mehrfach bestätigt. Eine entsprechende Einstellung scheint es in der gezeigten Spielversion auch schon zu geben - sie ist lediglich ausgegraut. Auch in unserer Anspielfassung auf der Gamescom 2015 war das Feature noch nicht integriert. Insgesamt hinterließ das Spiel auf der Gaming-Messe aber einen äußerst guten Eindruck bei uns. Und auch das Interface schien bereits ausgereift zu sein.
And this is my quick translation:
Other Fans criticize more or less that the tactical combat is missing in the videos. Both of the space battles (one against pirates and one against a space monster) are done within few seconds via a background calculation and also not presented with many effects. Also the user interface, which some players call cheap and mobile-gamish is critized.
But it was already confirmed via Wargaming multiple times that there will be tactical battles in the final game. A setting for that is already in the game version they showed - it's just greyed out. Also in the version we played at gamescom 2015 this feature was not implemented yet. Overall the game left a very good impression on us on the convention. Also the interface was already well polished.
The combat is a very…controversal topic because everyone expects and wishes for something completely different which also depends on their playstiles.
Personally I enjoy playing 4X games most when I play against one or more friends and a couple of computer enemies. Now in this system neither a combat as in Civ5 works (except if you play pure turn based, which will take ages) nor the combat in MOO2 which is turn based and naturally takes ages.
Now the approach Civ 5 did opened up additional problems:
1. They were unable to program an AI which can actually handle this system. It's horribly bad in using the hex system to it's advantage.
2. The simultaneous turns have the problem that the turn based game almost becomes and RTS. The player who clicks faster with his scout gets the hut. If one player drives his scout into the range of a city or artillery and the other player is fast enough he can shoot it before the other player can use his second movement point. Combats become a big mess. My group played with houserules to avoid that.
So to me the best approach is actually how GalCiv 3 did it. Movement is turn based, all other actions are simultaneous. And combat works via an automatic simulation which ideally also shows you what actually happened (well, that last part didnt work in galciv 3).
There are 4x games like Armada 2526 which already offer you to exclude the tactical combat system, but in this case for example, this means that you basically receive no feedback at all. After a fight you have no idea why you lost or won.
So what I hope is that if they make a tactical fight, they also make a simulation which leaves you with enough info to draw conclusions.
Because if the combat is an elementary part of the game like in Age of Wonder 3 for example and you cut that part out, there is no use to play the rest of the game.
