New to the game - should I play the base game first?

[Johnnyr]

Just wounding how this expansion works, should I get both and play with the expansion? Or is the expansion something to be played after the base game?

Thanks!

[Tuidjy]

Get the expansion. It has more stuff, and much more interesting galaxy dynamics. It may be a bit easier, because of the many more available options, but the difficulty can be increased way beyond what I, at least, can handle.

For example, you could try to take a hardcore ship with command zero to a sector level 200 win. I believe it's impossible to do so, but I may be wrong. Personally, I have to yet take a hardcore command 0 ship to ship level 100. (I have won a level 100 sector with a level 87 hardcore command zero ship, though)