Now right of the bat, this game is extremely hard in the early and mid game, and doesn't exactly turn easy in the late game. If you're not into that, which is understandable, this game isn't for you. But if you enjoy yourself a bit of hardcore (and realistic) strategy/management games, then you'll find that in Patrician 3. And once you get past being very close to bankruptcy a couple of times, you'll actually start making a lot of money, which you'll need for all the political intrigue.
The game you blends elements from CiV and the old Master of Orion games (particularly II). If you loved Master of Orion, but thought it could use updated graphics and controls, or like CiV but really wish it were set in space (NOT a distant planet, but proper space -looking at you Alpha Centauri), then this is the game for you. There are however still many game breaking bugs however most are being patched out. So my verdict would be to wait a year or two for the price to drop and the bugs to go, before buy it.
It's a bit hard to play nowadays cause of the lack of fast travel and voice acting (for most dialogue), and the slightly annoying magic / Weapon fighting (can't use both at the same time :/). But if you look past all that, there's a gem of a game in there. With a beautiful story that thrusts you right into an ancient conflict in the decaying Land of Morrowind. My favourite game of the Elder Scrolls Series. You don't need to play any of the other "Elder Scrolls" games. each one tells a different stand-alone story.
