Well well, 900 hours later I can without a shadow of a doubt recommend this game to anyone interested in the space strategy genre. With an active community and development scene, new DLC's dropping on a regular basis and free content improving the base game every update, the game never feels stale. There is a world of choice when it comes to how you wish to play the game and even if you choose to play the same empire over multiple games, you won't ever play the same game twice.
You want to conquer the galaxy and be the almighty overlord that leads the AI to victory against the end game crisis? Check. You feel like manipulating the galaxy from the shadows and revealing your true power by becoming Palpatine and proclaiming the galactic imperium? Check. You want to play with some mates and have a blast by creating a role play empire that has deep lore and determines the actions you take during the game? Check. Ever thought about becoming a hermit and living underground where the xenos cannot find you? Check!
While the wall of DLC's can look scary the base game is still a wonderful experience on its own. Once you find your style or feel like changing things up, do a little research and get the DLC's that make the most sense for you or join other multiplayer games where the host owns the DLCs you want to play with.
In any case I wish all of you the best of luck and many successful conquests.