While once thinking about a game of GalCiv2 I remembered an old game I equally loved, Lords Of The Realm 2.
Has the Stardock team ever thought of making a Medieval version of GalCiv2?
The Medieval might lack the extensive tech tree but would offer crating new towns and like.
One thing that might also work well in such a game (as well as galciv) would be to incorperated the threat of an empire breaking appart.
Just some food for thought.