[kupoartist]

I'm a big Homeworld fan, so you're in luck! TBH, i was disappointed with Homeworld 2... they were right to trim the micromanagment, but ordering your units about doesn't have such a personal edge to it anymore. Also, the story was overblown and weird at times, with the simplicity and logic thrown out of the window in favour of some mystical nonsense seasoned with plot holes and "so... why am I doing this at the moment exactly" questions.

Don't be discouraged though... these are the words of a rabid fan-person! The great thing about the Homeworld games, is that they occupy a sub-genre of strategy (360 degree Space 3D RTS) with about... 2 other games, so comparrisons with the original game are inevitable. On its own, Homeworld 2 is a great game. The gameplay is closer to standard RTS now (ie. it is more streamlined, though I personally prefer complexities) which should be great if your friend plays a few strategy games. The gameplay is still fun, and part of the problem I had is simply that the original's was simply different... and the presentation is as good as any top game I could name (interesting ship designs, brilliantly stylish "animatic" cutscenes that advance the story, music which ranges from "good" to "brillirantly dramatic" and voice acting which... well, it doesn't stink like 99% of voice acting does, even if its far from outstanding.) And the graphics are great if you have a mid-spec to top-spec PC (though the textures leave a bit to be desired if you zoom in real close to them).

Oh, and if your friend likes pretty explosions, the fireworks really go off when you destroy big spaceships... which can be strangely satisfying

One big problem though - HW2 is notoriously hard. The learning curve can be steep, as 3D can be strangely disorientating to unfamiliar players (no really...). Plus, the early missions can be pretty hard if you don't know what you're actually doing.