Name a good space RTS

So you want a Sins that is more "4X"? Probably doesn't exist lol. Real time games naturally lean more towards combat, turn based ones more micro management, for many reasons.

Look into a game called Imperium Galactica 2: Alliances.  Its an old game, from 2000, but it might be right up your ally.  Combines real time with the micro of a Masters of Orion.

Homeworld was the better game as far as I am concerned. Homeworld did everything so much better, the story (both the backstory and the campaign) was one of the best I have ever seen, the gameplay was great, and the music was the icing on the cake.

I have only played the demo for Homeworld 2, and I wasn't that impressed, I didn't like the voice acting, and the gameplay was okay, strike craft squadrons and the improved interface were the only things I really liked. Unfortunately, good luck finding anything Homeworld nowadays. I have never even heard of a 3D RTS that was as good as Homeworld, not even its sequels.

GoaFan77 is right as far as I know, I have never heard of a game that fulfills those requirements.

You should maybe keep your eye open for the upcoming game Gemini Wars.

http://geminiwars.camel101.com/

An older and great game is Conquest: frontier Wars...if you can find it.

Sins is the best space RTS available. Try playing on larger maps.

There's also Haegemonia...you can find it from GOG.

Distant Worlds was given high rating by Reviewers, but when I saw the trailer / YouTube Video it was 2D.

Whereas Star Ruler is 3D, a nice new tutorial shows the basics, and the YouTube links on the Forum shows what the game can do.

Sins is a polished game, optimised for RTS, and lots of fun, but its an apples to oranges comparison with Star Ruler.

I would compare Star Ruler with Sword of the Stars, somewhat, when it comes to customization.

I still consider Birth of the Federation best 4x space game. Especially if you are into MP part of these games.

Maybe look into some of the mods for Sins.

Go to moddb.com and look for mods for Sins and Homeworld 2. Lots of good stuff out there. Original Homeworld is awesome! Take another look at Distant Worlds. The new expansions are freaking awesome.

By space RTS do you mean Homeworld-styled or just a futuristic/space-themed RTS?

If you mean the first, then I do not know anything better than the Homeworld series.

If you mean the second, then Starcraft, Total Annihilation, Dark Reign, EARTH 2150, even Battlezone 2 can also be considered a futuristic-space RTS.

• Starshatter the gathering storm - sorta 4X but really a space fleet sim
• star trek armada II - with fleetops mod (awesome) - an RTS really... a true RTS
• sword of the stars II - real time combat - this sounds most like what you are looking for but the strat layer is turn based
• star wars empire at war - not sure if campaign is turn based
• Conquest Frontier Wars - an RTS with some sins elements and jumping to other solar systems
• Star Ruler - this may be exactly what you are looking for come to think of it

You are like me, you want a real time version of a complex 4x game. Sins of a Solar empire would have been my first suggestion, but does not really cover enough.

The campaign is in real-time.  Pretty fun, though, and the space battles are very good IMHO. 

Indeed, Sins is by no means a complex game, at least by the usual standards of the 4x sub-genre.  Quite the opposite, actually -- it's, at most, a "light" 4x title. 

EaW/FoC are pathetic without mods.

It's definitely better with mods (I use the Absolute Enhancement Mod myself), but I wouldn't say it's "pathetic". 

Of course, you've probably played the game more than I have, so it's entirely possible the vanilla version has long since worn thin for you.    

I'm not sure about the full 3D aspect (is it really that important to you? Isn't 2.5D sufficient?), but your answer may be not in the past but in the near future. You have the following titles to look for in the coming months, that somewhat match your requirements:

• Legends of Pegasus (4X, strategic TBS, tactical RTS, screenies look great) ETA:May, 29 2012
• StarDrive (4X, RTS, alpha looks very promising with some absolutely gorgeous graphics) ETA: Q2 2012
• Gemini Wars (light 4X, RTS, looks promising) ETA: ~April 2012
• Sins Rebellion

Then you have also mods for Homeworld, Homeworld 2 and Sins.

The reason why I say EaW/FoC are pathetic is the unit selection was rather limited, even in the limited scope of the Galactic Civil War, the lack of any Galactic Conquests that didn't have the Zann Consortium, and the Zann Consortium in general being little more than Petroglyph's overpowered dream team.

I have beat each campaign at least once, but have grown tired of dominating the AI pretty consistently, and if it wasn't for mods like Phoenix Rising and Ultimate Empire at War, I would have uninstalled them a long time ago. I used play the Absolute Enhancement Mod and its counterpart Absolute Corruption Mod, but they lack the polish I am looking for. I don't even play a true vanilla version anymore, mine have my personally modified Master Text Files that fix stupid things like the Victory-class Star Destroyer being called the Victory Cruiser, the Heavy Assault Vehicle/transport B5 Juggernaut being called the HAVT B5 Juggernaut, etc.