Strollen, this thread you are posting in is #2 in a series Tom is doing for a playthrough of Galactic Empire mode. Here is the first thread which contains both a link to Tom’s article and some discussion.
Here is Tom answering your question :O:
But to explain what I’m getting at, I need to explain Galactic Empire mode. Normally, you play a 4X as a one-off. You win or lose your game, then try again. But Galactic Empire introduces a persistent progression scheme that weaves context around all your games. For starters, this adds some compelling decisions when you start a new game. Which leveled up hero will you take? Which unlockables will you pack for your trip?
But the most significant decision is which planet will you visit. In other words, which mission will you accept on behalf of your empire? One of the challenges 4X games face is encouraging players to experiment with different set-up options. I’m guessing players rarely do this, since 4X games are already richly varied. The faction you play, and the factions against whom you play, add a ton of variety. Not to mention the choices you make as you develop your cities, build your army, and research new technologies. So who needs different layouts for land masses, or different types of native threats, or different victory conditions, or different rules for founding new cities? Never mind that Planetfall has a ton of cool options for your starting planet, each themed according to its lore. “If there’s one thing Planetfall doesn’t need,” the average player might think as he clears brainspace to make room for all the unit mods he’s about to research, “it’s more variety! Leave the wacky parameters to the Goat Simulator of 4Xs!”
But Galactic Empire mode refuses to let you opt out. So it gives you a choice of planets, each with dramatically different layouts, and each with different rules and victory conditions. Each planet isn’t just some template for procedural generated terrain. Instead, each planet is also a mission.