The developer has looked long and hard at 4X space sims like Master Of Orion and isolated the adrenalin packed end game, where giant space fleets clash in an orgy of destruction. There's no need to research technologies, make alliances, construct new ship designs, etc. All of this meat has been cut away. Thankfully the marrow of actual combat is rich in tactical game play and there is even a sprinkling of strategy.

So what are we left with? Organizing space fleets, selecting formations? Nope. Just click on one of your planets, mouse wheel a percentage of ships to take flight and then click on the destination. Once all the planets on screen are flying your colors you've won.

Surely there is more to it than that? No, there isn't. It takes seconds for the idea to sink in and then you're off. You can click and drag to select any number of planets, set the percentage of units to launch and then unleash hundreds of tiny vector arrowheads (iconic ships) to annihilate your neighbor.

Some definitions we need to be clear on:
-Tactics - the technique of deploying and directing troops in effective maneuvers against an enemy.
-Strategy - a plan of action designed to meet some particular goal that may contain a number of steps or sub-goals.

When a developer tries to abstract some complex idea into its absolute bare essentials we can often lose tactics, strategy and immersion. Galcon requires a great deal of tactical skill in wielding your ever-growing armada. Launch an attack, weakening your source planets and the enemy will counter attack, grab your fleet while still in flight and swing them around to hit his newly weakened planets while launching some reinforcements from your rear guard to bolster your defenses. Soon you'll have mesmerizing "seas" of ships flowing back and forth. In single player the strategy is too condensed, requiring only that you bolster your front line planets and select new conquests carefully to maximize resource potential. However, if you can get online with friends then team games add a new strategic layer as alliances are made and broken.

That something so simple could capture such strategy, tactics and speed is amazing. The problems begin to surface as a direct result of this simplicity and speed. Although there is a specific tutorial, the single player game is really just one big tutorial. Time to get online. Usually a game starts out with each player frantically grabbing planets before the field becomes evenly split. If you're unlucky someone will have a faster mouse hand a quicker eye, they'll have an immediate advantage in numbers and it will soon be all over. If you're lucky then all sides will reach balance and the play field will stabilize. Each side will send probing attacks at the other and as one-player gains the advantage another will help the victim drive them off and restore balance. Maintaining this equilibrium is very difficult and signals you have some evenly matched thoughtful players. In fact when a game isn't evenly matched players can get quite upset and express their frustrations with colorful language . If you're lucky then you're in for a hyper condensed ten minute treat.

yes cos im asian :S BANN FOR RACIST COMMENTS PLOX TANOY MY KNIGHT IN CG ARMOR!!

p.s. i was actually talking to the 'somebodies'