So Im bored, like really bored. Because of this, Ive been looking for a game to play but I either cant seem to find one I like or the few I find that seem interesting I am hesitant to install. What im looking for is a simple strategy game that takes place in space. Kinda like Civilization, but with lasers and aliens and....and space pirates! Ok, maybe space pirates arent necessary, but that would be cool. Oh! and its gotta be free.

I actually had a few customers suggest Alpha Centauri and Masters of Orion, but the versions I find are either so old I dont trust them, or arent free...or both. Please dont force me to see the day star, it burns!

Escape Velocity. Or Escape Velocity Nova. It's a birds eye camera space shooter / strategy game. You can be a trader, work for a variety of political powers, become a pirate, do whatever you want.

http://www.ambrosiasw.com/games/evn/

If you want to play the original first, just install the player made plugin in the plugin sections for "Escape Velocity"

They're right, MOO2 didn't become as famous as it did for nothing. SMAC isn't really what you asked for, you spend the game planet-bound, although it is my personal favorite.

If you really want a modern incarnation: GalCiv.

Thanks for the link Pyrocat, thats almost exactly what im looking for. The game keeps giving me the "online" vibe because of the AI running other ships in the background. The game was going well till I decided I wanted to try asteroid mining, and then it became a "WTF was I thinking?!"(too slow and little profit for the trouble). So now Im gonna blow stuff up. Thanks again!