Alternatively how much like Eve online is it? It may be weird but I'm looking for the "spreadsheets in space" experience. I've never been able to get into eve because of the overwhelming social aspect. I know I should check out Sins, but I'd rather cut my teeth on this since it's on steam, and easier to get. Looking at screenshot, and the tech tree I'm getting a real Civilization vibe. I haven't heard much else about the game. What are some parallels?

I enjoy Endless Space, in the past I played a lot of EVE Online - I would not recommend Endless on the back of its economic game. This is very much a Civilization game, and I don't think it'll provide the experience you are looking for. The economy can be summed up as :

Planet Type * Population * Strategic Resource bonuses = Productivity per Turn.

This game is comparable to Galactic Civilization, Sword of the Stars and Sins of a Solar Empire.

I've often thought the X series of games ( the newest being X3 Terran Conflict and Albion Prelude ) are like EVE in Single-player, though really they're a modern take on the old Elite games. It controls as a cockpit-seated flight Sim, and I'd advise you to be ware of that, but there is a proper, commodity based, dynamic economy operating in the background.

Its entirely possible, to end up operating a network of ships (from fighters and trading barges up to Capital ships) and stations across the game universe which is comprised of several dozen discrete systems. The recent games look great, but that does make them fairly system intensive, you'll want a Crysis capable machine.

Endless really is Civ in Space, and they both share a very similar economy focus. Endless has a bit more since you have systems and then individual planets, and each planet can have multiple buildings that have certain effects (more dust/science/production/food).