Having spent several hours with 3.0 the past couple days, I'll admit I don't hate it, at least not yet. I definitely need to spend more time with the game, though, before drawing any real conclusions.
At this point, all I can really say is that colony management actually does feel like less of a chore, and I like how first-contact works now. it feels a tad more involved and less abstract, which appeals to me.
Biggest issue I'm seeing so far, is that the AI Sector management doesn't seem to want to build housing when a planet needs it.
I haven't gotten far enough into the game yet to see if I have that same issue, but I'll keep an eye out for it.