Honestly the pure min maxing that the game currently favors is flustering... and it removes any engagement with the game... I'm not a space Emperor leading a civilization... I am a guy playing a computer game...
Why? cause Knowing how the game works I make counter-intuitive choices to maximize the efficiency of the game... there is nothing about the game that actually feels like your choices are affecting an empire or a nation... just moving numbers on a production wheel...
Even the new combat system... the MOST efficient way to build a fleet is to have a few escorts that are armored through the nose but have either no weapons or very few weapons... paired with a bunch of capitol ships that have nothing but weapons and no armor.... throw in a few interceptors to deal with fighters and you are good to go.
Want to maximize production? make a world that NO ONE would ever want to live on and force everyone to work in a factory....
Same with research...
At it's base it is a game about gaming the game... not an empire builder... there is no balance, there is no repercussions for going too far to one side or the other... in fact the game encourages it.
I don't mean to be harsh, but to go from GC2 final version to GCIII is a major step backward in almost every area... there are cosmetic improvements but gameplay has not improved and this is very very flustering.