Stardock has shared a very early gameplay video for Galactic Civilizations III. Bear in mind the game is still in the early stages of alpha, and the video itself has been sped up.
So, what we have for now is combat and exploration elements. The game already has scouting and colonizing. There is a survey ship that can move through galaxies at a rapid pace. Getting to key locations 1st means you are 1st in line to get resources, including cash, and you will get the most of them. The video shows conquest undertaken via blitzkrieg, but this is for presentation purposes only, and you can definitely set the pace for your own voyage.
Lastly, a very huge part of the game is not represented here. Diplomacy will be important for the final game, but people signing up for Alpha access now won’t get to play it yet, as that will be added in as the game proceeds into beta.
Galactic Civilizations 3 is coming to PC. You can purchase the Founder’s Edition now to get into Steam Early Access for it, when the alpha becomes available this March 27.