It will probably be better if you've seen Battlestar Galactica.
Though it's a prequel so that's not essential.
But, like BSG, it's something greater than the sum of its parts. BSG was just "the remnants of humanity fleeing evil killer robots in space," but anyone who's seen the show will tell you that the writing, acting, character development, and subplots elevate it far above its premise.
The basic premise of Caprica is just "scientist creates robot (which eventually becomes the evil killer robots of BSG) with his daughter's mind in it because his daughter died." But, like BSG, it's something much more than its TV Guide synopsis.
