Space Opera (1998)

This board game from Italy is one of exploration, development, war and conquest set in the far future. The players begin fairly far apart and can conquer neutral systems before running into each other. An interesting aspect of the game is the technology. You keep track of when ships were built on a ship record sheet. Newer ships have better technology and gain a bonus in combat against older ships. You can pick a specific area to develop every few turns: offense, defense, movement, etc. Ships range from transports to fighters to large battlecruisers. Lots of planets to discover and develop - some produce energy, others food, others spaceships, etc.