Good God I can't wait for C# Aurora, the wait is just tormenting.
Ever since I started playing Aurora many years ago, it made every other 4x game completely obsolete in my eyes. Not being able to determine the capabilities, weaponry and equipment of my starships feels like I'm playing a game strealined and made with the least effort, it's almost insulting. In any of the games such as Sword of the Stars, Distant Worlds, Stellaris, Endless Legend and such, I feel like everything's too easy. Colonizing your first planet should be a great challenge, not a mundane press of a button.
Not to mention the technologies, Aurora feels like the only 4x game that allows you to develope your own naval doctrine built around technological focus of your choosing. Focusing on "conventional" weaponry such as railguns and missiles is as viable as going energy weapons, as long as you build your tactics and strategies accordingly. Stellaris is the biggest offender of this in my opinion since you really can't practice "stand-off" missile engagement, because the A. I will fly your ships into energy/railgun range regardless.
I have tried drowning my misery by focusing on work and other videogames, but they're losing their effect gradually.
Right now I'm playing Hearts of Iron 4 with "Darkest Hour" modpack for extra challenge to keep me distracted, hopefully it'll keep me occupied for couple of months.
That doesn't go without saying that those grand strategy games aren't meant to be that in depth. To be honest for example take CMANO, sure you have control over individual units, you can set individual tactics, however its not something that most people who play HoI 4, EUIV, or Stellaris would pick to play, the same with SoaSE, Gal Civ, etc. Those individual games (latter ones) are made to appeal to a wider consumer base. The level of depth of Aurora (and also CMANO) would scare off most people who aren't willing to spend more than half an hour learning a game unfortunately.