Publisher Iceberg Interactive and developer Little Green Men Games announce Starpoint Gemini Warlords, calling this a spin-off of Starpoint Gemini 2, rather than a sequel. They say this will incorporate suggestions from Starpoint Gemini 2 Early Access, and say this title should enter early access by the end of this year (to collect ideas for Starpoint Gemini Warlords 2?). There's preliminary word on the Starpoint Gemini website, and here's word on how this will be different from the first two games:

About Starpoint Gemini Warlords
The spin-off to Starpoint Gemini 2 introduces coveted strategic elements into the tactical space simulation that is the Starpoint Gemini franchise. Conquer territory, conduct research, scavenge for resources and defeat your enemies. In Warlords, think BIGGER! Bigger universe, bigger ships, bigger stations. Expect many tweaked features; the community has decided on what they want and now they are getting it!

New Features:

• Headquarters. Construct and upgrade your own personal space station; a massive structure that enables you to conduct research, build ships, assemble autonomous fleets and much more.
• Conquer Territory. Gradually expand your reign over unclaimed territory, by battling minor factions, or conquer the entire Gemini sector, by facing off against familiar strong Gemini foes, familiar from the previous Starpoint Gemini titles. Reinforce conquered regions to defend themselves.
• Conduct Research on simple weapon enhancements, obtain the expertise to construct a titan class behemoth, or boost the effectiveness of your non-combat fleets. Equipment, ship systems, enhancements and ships can still be bought, but he best ‘stuff’ can only be researched, constructed and improved in your HQ.
• Construction and research demand the allocation of resources. Gather them by conducting missions for other factions, trade or purchase resources, or conquer regions providing a steady flow of resources, and bonuses.
• A far larger game world will allow more distinction between ship sizes, pockets of empty space to travel through and your own giant space HQ where ships can be ‘parked’.
• Skill classes, attributed skills and perk progression will be revamped and rebalanced, as will levelling-up, the reputation system and diplomacy.
• Storyline vs Free-roam: The campaign storyline will be blended in with the more generic conquer quests. Free-roam mode strips all main storyline missions, but leaves side quests and generic freelance missions intact.
• A full branching dialogue scheme, the industry standard in modern RPGs.
• Technical additions include: x64 system only, projection mapping, deferred shading, physically based rendering and realistic physics.