I would recommend Space Rangers. It is a blend of RTS, arcade and economic simulation inspired by such games as Elite, Star Control and Homeworld.
The graphics in the game resembles that of Star Control 3. But the main feature of the SR is the vast script-free and live world. That is what the developers tell us about their product:
Quote:
"Space Rangers" opens a new era in space adventure. Now you can forget about stages, missions, and passing the game on a piece of paper. Events in the game occur “for real” and are not just triggered by a date, or other event, following a fixed script.
We offer you a whole universe. It is a coherent and live world in which each character really exists. Even leaving players’ field of vision, other ships and planets continue their own adventures, living their own lives as long as the game lasts.
All captains of the ships are real, and have their own plans and purposes. Computer intelligence’s main goal is to survive at any cost. They will get money by trade, or possibly bribery and extortion; upgrade obsolete equipment and repair broken items; they will attempt to flee from the battlefield if they think the enemy is too strong. All this happens all the time. Pirates look for easy targets to milk for money or cargo, transports are obsessed with making profits, military fleet will protect its star system from enemies. The most intelligent and versatile characters are rangers, free pilots whose primary task is to help the military in stopping the invasion of new unknown enemies, Klissans. Any ranger you meet in the game could be a hero, or possibly a rascal who has become a ranger for easy money.
You have the chance become one of the adventuring Rangers, and it is possible that it is you who will, in the end, save the Galaxy. Every living thing in the world is in grave danger!
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http://www.elementalgames.com/eng/r_all.php
The graphics is rather old-fashioned, but cute (2d tends not to age as quickly as 3d does), the picture resembles of Star Control 3. But the gameplay is something unmatched by any of the modern hi-end games. They managed to create a world without scripts, driven only by AI, which doesn't leave us feeling alone. It's like playing an MMORPG!
The game is a hit in Russia, but for some reason, it is practically unknown to the rest of the world. It is sold in the US as a value-product (I believe it still is), so I recommend you to look for it.
BTW, the "Space Rangers 2" have already been released, so I guess if you are interested, you'd better look for them.