Multiplayer server?

Will the multiplayer include some manner of persistent campaign server, as well as simultaneous turns, similar to Civ IV's Pitboss?

I really enjoyed playing Civ IV with my friends, but we often work different shifts and it's hard to find a consistent time that we can all get online and play together.  Pitboss was a *perfect* way for us to be able to play a multiplayer strategy game asynchronously.  We could log on, make our turns, then log off and wait for the last person to finish.  We would have these epic campaigns which would last 6 months.  This was especially effective with simultaneous turns enabled.  We didn't have to play our turns in a specific order each round, which helped keep the game flowing without having to wait too long for individual players.

Gal Civ seems like a game which is ripe for a similar feature.  For instance, I would love to be able to do things like log on and edit my ship designs while waiting for the next round to start.  Is this a planned feature for Gal Civ III?  Could it be??