Stellar Expedition Board Game Preview

About Stellar Expedition, from BoardGameGeek:

One of the many space gates left behind by the ancient aliens only known as the ‘Nameless', recently activated. The smartest scientific minds in the galaxy have come to the conclusion that once you enter the gate, you only have a limited amount of time before it shuts down again. You and your opponents are the chosen captains who take their spaceships through the mysterious gate and explore the riches that lay beyond. You can choose to represent the half-Robot, half-insect Hive mind of Tognath, the cunning and ruthless Maheri tribes, the spacefaring tree hugging Sky-Lords of Edda, or just be a plain old human of the United Nations Explorer Corps. Each of you will take up missions to gain Expedition points and win the most prestige with your superiors back home. But you won't be able to complete the missions on your own. Once through the gate, you will have to befriend the locals and assemble the best crew to overcome the dangers of this unexplored part of space. Explore, recruit crew members, build embassies, acquire resources, and go back through the gate before is closes again. The game is played over 8 different rounds. Whoever brings home the most Expedition points at the end will win this space race!