The next project from Civilization creator Sid Meier is a turn-based sci-fi title for PC, Mac, and iPad called Sid Meier's Starships.

Starships involves controlling a fleet of space vessels as you journey across the galaxy, protecting planets while amassing an army for your growing galactic federation.

You play as the admiral of a federation of planets, and the game’s key elements are the designing and building of your own starships.

Meier told Eurogamer the game will feature dynamically generated tactical combat across numerous maps, and that familiar faces from Civilization: Beyond Earth will appear.

In fact, Starships connects with Beyond Earth in some way, although the specifics have yet to be revealed.

There will be different kinds of weapons, stealth abilities, armour, and shields to develop, and also many ship variations.

“Take this fleet into the galaxy and in each star system you visit, there will be some sort of mission, a problem to solve, some way that you can help the people living there,” said Meier.

“After solving these missions, they become part of your federation. Eventually you run into other civilisations doing the same thing and you will recognise some of the leaders from Civilization: Beyond Earth.

"[Then] there is a galaxy layer, where you decide where to send your fleet and when you get to the planets thee will be actual tactical missions, where you send your starships to either fight bad guys or escort somebody for example.

“There will a whole variety of different kinds of missions that will appear on the different planets. So it is a combination of a tactical starship combat game and a strategy fleet game."

Victory conditions will include a population victory where more than half of the galaxy is controlled, a science victory where you lead in terms of technology, a domination victory in which you eliminate your opponents, and a wonders victory.

Starships is due to launch in early 2015.