Man, it's just not there.

[AngleWyrm]

I liked: Fleet subdivisions! Grouping ships into Strike group, Marine lander group, long-range fire support group, Civilian group. Each with separate strategies. Great idea.
I disliked: Having to do it over and over. No saving important creations.

I liked: Detailed Treaties! Fantastic, and loads of fun to think about. In theory.
I disliked: AI drained the joy out of them with clueless responses/proposals. Also couldn't save those treaties for later use.

I liked: Huge tech tree, that does a good job of being better than just a spreadsheet optimizable choice.
I disliked: research interface designed to keep players in the dark. Bug or a feature? Depends on who you ask. I certainly didn't enjoy it.