Beyond Earth is what I found easier then V to get a grasp of; the tutorial is just a little bit more user-friendly and it is perfect for any new Civ players. Other then that though I found it not much better then V. It's somewhat shorter and easier to win with only a small amount of corporations and the "large" map not being as big as in the previous game. There isn't much advantage to being one race over another which is okay and the choices you make affect the outcome a lot more then any choices you would make in V but there are no mods, nothing strange like being able to be a facist dick to everyone and that is where Beyond Earth just doesn't shine like the other Civ games. Beyond Earth is V with a fancy coat of paint, different enemies and a more intuitive tutorial. If you're new to Civilization, buy it, but if you're a Civilization veteran and you don't have too much money to spend then leave it be and just get some more mods.

Besides, it's fun being a Nazi Russian warlord on Earth, and you can't do that in space....right?

COST-

Sometimes a special edition may only be an extra $40, but I have seen some pretty pricey collectors editions. Some games even come with different levels of bonuses, for different prices. When it comes down to it, it's the game which will ultimately persuade you to pre-order or not.

BONUSES - 

For me, the best pre-orders are the ones where you get the bang for your buck. Large detailed statues, in-depth art books, the soundtrack of the game, additional content and a cool box it comes in. If a pre-order offers me all that it's a done deal. But more often than not, you'll see maybe only a statue or a coin. It's really personal preference, but there are plenty of people willing to pay $150 for a nice statue. Honestly more pre-orders should offer a copy of the soundtrack, it's not difficult and takes up limited space. I'm sure the game's composer would appreciate more people hearing his work too. Right now 

WHAT ABOUT YOU?-

You need to decide whether or not you're over-hyped. For me, I pre-ordered Assassin's Creed 3 because I was super hyped for the game, I got the game and enjoyed it but don't think I would have paid as much for it as I did. Especially since i didn't get much in the way of bonuses. You need to think rationally. Look at the bonuses and decide whether you really want to pay nearly double for the game for the bonuses.  

FINAL WORDS-

In my opinion, most of the time it's not worth pre-ordering. You can pick up the game on the day it comes out, if you wan't to get it. If you the pre-order is too good to be true: Well priced, Full of neat stuff and you know enough about the game to know you'll like it, then go for it. If you feel at all hesitant, that feeling won't go away. Buyers regret is a pain in the ass.

Also I'm real sorry if none of this applies to anyone, I'm Australian and our video games are really weird . . .