Looking forward to jumping into this and getting a feel for things.As an aside - Adam and co., I'd like to suggest you give a listen and read to the following (if you haven't already):The article and podcast above both dig deep into the topic of endgame arc's and how it relates to victory conditions.I'm not sure what you have planned for the final game here, but I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY urge you to think creatively about how to add or work in an interesting victory trigger that goes beyond the typical conquest/council/econ/tech style victories we see. Even something akin to the seal's victory in Age of Wonders 3 (which is basically a multi-point "King of the Hill" scenario) does wonders (no pun intended) for orienting the game-play towards a more interesting objective and - crucially - cuts out the tedious mop-up portion of the late-game that plague most 4X games.I have high hopes for ISG, and as a traditional 4X game it's overall mechanics are very well thought out and do a great job creating interesting choices. If all of this fine work can be coupled with an overall structure to the gameplay that ties it all together in a compelling way, I think the game will go far. If it doesn't address these late-game concerns (and I'm not passing any judgement yet on how much of an issue it will be in ISG, since we're still talking alpha), then I think it's going to be an uphill battle to get the game to standout.I can only speak for myself and those I know more personally - but a lot of us are getting burned out on the traditional 4X gameplay arc. If there is anything that can be done to generate a different experience it will help your game stand out in the crowd.EDIT: I have a LOT of ideas on this front, so if you want me to brain dump here or via PM let me know - I'd be happy to share.