Hello Stellaris: Console Edition Community!
It has been awhile since we had any updates on Overlord for Console Edition, but I’m now able to share with you that we’re still on-pace for an early 2023 release! We don’t have an exact date to share just yet, but there are a lot of changes coming alongside Overlord, and it’s about time we started talking about them!
Coming alongside Overlord will be a combination of the PC 3.3 “Libra” patch and the 3.4 “Cepheus” patch, included in this update will be a near-total overhaul to how the Unity and Influence resources work in Stellaris: Console Edition.
Previously Unity was extremely weak when compared to other resources, used mainly for unlocking traditions, but something that you could ignore for most of the game and still expect to unlock most (if not all) of your traditions and ascension perks, and then (maybe, if you were feeling especially industrious) use Unity Ambitions to spend the excess. Additionally, any changes to how Unity works, should also factor in just how powerful new technologies are since Administrative Capacity was introduced.
So what did we do?
Unity is now used for internal actions within your Empire. For example, using Edicts, hiring Leaders, unlocking Traditions, constructing most Megastructures, and Ascending Planets (more on this later), now all cost Unity.
Influence is now used primarily to expand your empire’s sphere of influence, for creating living space and means of travel within your empire. For example, building a starbase in an unclaimed system, making claims during wars, building a habitat, or a gateway.
We’ve also changed the cost of being over Administrative Capacity, and the calculations for being over Administrative Capacity. The changes we made to Empire Sprawl were sweeping enough that we felt that it was important to make a clear distinction between the older and newer mechanics. Empire Sprawl is now known as Empire Size and all the means of increasing Administrative Capacity have been removed from the game, but since the penalties are lower than under the old Sprawl system, a well built empire is able to outproduce the old system.
Administrative Buildings now become the primary source of Unity for your empires, alongside Factions and several other unity generating buildings such as the Autochthon Monument.
Empires will start with a small amount of Empire Size (just your homeworld, starting system, and pops) and will be given up to 100 Empire Size for free. Staying below 100 Empire Size incurs no increase to tech cost. Going over Empire Size will gradually increase the costs of new technologies and traditions. These cost increases represent the cost of distributing new technologies across sprawling empires, and while the extra costs associated with being over your Empire Size can greatly increase the cost of technologies and traditions, they are more than able to be offset by using your additional living space to construct more researcher jobs.
This does have the net effect of making tall play – that is, keeping your empire small, and specializing and optimizing your planets – more viable, but expansion will still be more profitable than staying small – as we feel it should be.
Planetary Ascensions
Another new feature you’ll notice in the new version of Stellaris: Console Edition is the ability to Ascend your planets. After unlocking three Ascension Perks, you will be able to Ascend planets to level one, plus one level for each additional Ascension Perk unlocked. Once you unlock all of the Ascension Perks the cap increases to level ten. Each Ascension will increase the cost of following Ascensions by 50%.
(Left) Before Planetary Ascension Tier 1 (Right) After Planetary Ascension to Tier 1
Ascension is meant to help you further specialize your core worlds, with each Ascension increasing the Planetary Designation bonus by 25%, as well as reducing Empire Size from the planet by 5%, and increasing Automatic Resettlement Chance by 50%. You should not be able to ascend all of your planets, Ascension is meant only for a few specialized core worlds before the cost becomes prohibitively expensive.
Edict Changes
Part in parcel with the new Unity changes, Edicts are changing to now have a Unity Upkeep, and the Edict Cap will be changed to an Edict Fund of Unity. There are techs, traditions and Ascension perks that will allow you to increase your Edict Fund. It is also possible to go over your Edict Fund, with the overage deducted from your monthly Unity income.
Edicts and Unity Ambitions are also now toggle-able, meaning they will remain on until you turn them off (or run out of resources to pay for them).
That’s it for this week, be sure to join us again next week when we’ll talk more about other free content coming alongside Overlord Soon™!
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