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4X is a genre of strategy-based games in which players control an empire and "eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate". Emphasis is placed upon economic and technological development, as well as a range of non-military routes to supremacy. Games can take a long time to complete since the amount of micromanagement needed to sustain an empire increases as the empire grows.

Utilized combat systems where characters or teams take turns making their next move. Turns often have no time limit, allowing for a greater opportunity to think about strategy. The opposite of real-time combat.