AstroEmpires is a hoot. I was put onto the game by a self-loathing friend who has nothing to live for. AE helped him achieve this.
If you find a good group to play with, then it's a good time. A chore. But a (kinda) fun chore.
The pure loss of self worth when you hit the wrong fleet in a crash, compared to that sexy dopamine hit when you get a juicy pillage or a beautiful ratio. It's just a rollercoaster.
For the full AE experience, you have to join the AE Unofficial Discord group. There's never been a more wretched hive of scum and villainy. The most cretinous group of $#*!posters in the world.
I want to hate it, and them… but I can't. Whether I like it or not, I'm trapped here. In an endless cycle of self-loathing, dopamine and $#*!posters.
$#*!.