As a long-time player of Galactic Fleets, I can easily say this is a great game.
This game has a realistic economy sim, with recessions, booms and everything in between. Your citizens aren't just numbers, their opinions matter. If you keep them happy, the economy flourishes. If you don't the approval rating plummets, along with your funds.
Galactic Fleets has an ingenious war system, giving ships bonuses against eachother, and bonuses depending on where in the fleet they are. I've never seen an MMORPG with a function like this. Although you don't actually see the ships moving into battle, their position matters very much. Whether a ship is in the Primary, Assault, Support or Defensive line really matters. Planet invasion is pretty advanced, too. In most games, you land and let out your troops. But in this one, you can actually send Agents ahead to gather information, or Saboteurs to cause some havoc.
Tribes in the game are really neat, too. You start as a member of one of four tribes: Altian, Casian, Raxian or Solian. None of them have bonuses. This creates an array of conflicts: Tribe v.s. Tribe, Intertribal Faction v.s. Faction, Civil Faction v.s. Faction, the list goes on. Trade between tribes is also restricted, allowing economys to fluctuate drastically.
Last but not least, the community is great. Lots of helpful players, among Traders, Pirates, Ship-Builders, War Commanders, and more. The game is very newbie friendly, and is staffed by a great Admin, plus countless volunteers such as Chat Voices, Game Guides and Forum Mods. Many personalities cover the community, from the shy type, to the crazy guy. Overall, this is a game I think you should try. Chances are you'll like it. But, if you don't, you can always try Chosen Space or CS Galaxies!
