You have the right idea.
This is a 4x game, where you eXplore, eXpand, eXploit and eXterminate. You start out with a homeworld and an ok system, and it is your job to colonize more planets, increase your wealth and army, and explore the map for things to kill or run away from

This is a waiting game, where you press a few buttons and wait for something to happen. Players are encouraged to play something else or to learn more about the game, or talk to other players.

Games end after a victory condition is met (of which I believe there is 3) and zarksoft claims this takes around 2 months to achieve. Nothing is kept, you are forced to start all over again. It is also possible to lose your homeworld, and get eliminated. A tutorial server is used to prevent things like this from happening.

So it is like Tribal wars, evony etc. except there is no paying advantages and games don't last forever, so the top player doesn't dominate forever.