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Stellaris Dev Diary #13 - Primitive Civilizations

Excerpt from lecture on Pre-Space Sentients by Professor Xirg Ta’Nolek
Royal Science Academy, Nishga VI
Galactic Stardate 394.41 (Post-Upheaval Reckoning)

<recording starts>


Settle down, class. Ah, as I look around the lecture hall and gaze upon your youthful visages, I am reminded of a younger, larval-stage me. Let’s hope you lot have more brains than I did back then!

Today we’ll be going over civilizations that have yet to develop the technology necessary for space travel. Such primitive civilizations fall into one of two broad categories - Pre-Industrial and Industrial. These categories have a number of subcategories, such as Bronze Age and Post-Atomic Age, that help us more clearly define a primitive civilization’s level of technological progress.

A spacefaring empire that has discovered a primitive civilization can deal with such a scenario in a number of different ways. The first way is the most straightforward, and the one typically favored by aggressive, expansionist empires. Can anyone guess what it is? Yes, Miss Choggrah-Zu?

Just so - outright conquest! As you can imagine, primitive civilizations have few means to resist a technologically advanced invader. Industrial and especially post-atomic civilizations can prove harder nuts to crack, but their weapons are still markedly inferior to those of a typical spacefaring culture. The big prize of such an invasion is the planet itself, of course, but the primitives are also a source of cheap labor once enslaved.

Now, there are many in the galaxy who frown upon such behavior. Let’s not pretend otherwise!
Whether due to a noble but misguided instinct to ‘shield’ primitive sentients from the horrors of the universe, like a Jaktagarian brood mother protecting her young, or for more sinister research purposes, many empires prefer the construction of hidden Observation Posts in high orbit over primitive worlds. This allows for the safe study of the primitives and their society, which can be quite a boon to an empire’s research efforts in the field of Society.

stellaris_dev_diary_13_02_20151214_primitive_civilization.jpg

The Neborite civilization of the Kahalajom system. They destroyed themselves shortly after entering the Atomic Age a few decades after this picture was taken.

Observation Posts typically have four exclusive missions that can be undertaken. I will now go over each of them in turn, so please take notes. This WILL be on the exam.

Passive Observation
Certain studies have shown that interfering with the natural development of a primitive civilization can have... detrimental effects. The scientific staff of an Observation Post operating under the Passive Observation mission will make every effort to conceal their presence from the primitives. The primary directive of the scientists is to safeguard the natives from any cultural or technological contamination, while studying them in secret.

Aggressive Observation
My own species was subjected to this one a long time ago, when we were still in our technological infancy. Yes, Mr. Igir-Zat, I can see your plumage rustling nervously over there in the back row. Don’t think we’ve forgotten what your kind did! At any rate, the Aggressive Observation mission calls for regular abductions from among the primitive population. The objective is typically to acquire genetic samples and to surgically attach implants on promising test subjects, among other naughty things. This provides more research data than what a more passive approach would, but it also tends to rile up the primitives a bit. Isn’t that so, Mr. Igir-Zat?

Technological Enlightenment
There are some who just can’t stand the sight of a primitive civilization wallowing in their muck. For whatever reason, they decide to bring the primitives up to the level of technology a spacefaring empire enjoys. This can be a monumental effort, of course, especially if the primitives are… well, especially primitive. It will require a significant investment of time, patience and Society research. Once the primitives have achieved space flight however, they will be turned into a Protectorate of their benefactors.

Covert Infiltration
This is an interesting one. Essentially, agents that have been surgically altered to resemble individuals from a primitive species are sent to infiltrate their society. Political and military leaders are gradually replaced, until a point is reached where the primitives can be made to willingly accept an offer of annexation. This spares the need of a messy ground invasion, but more importantly, the primitives will be more positively inclined towards their new overlords, since they are living under the illusion that they accepted their rule willingly.

stellaris_dev_diary_13_01_20151214_observation_station.jpg

An Observation Post in high orbit over the serene ocean world Lancord. Subspace modulation fields hides it from ground-based telescopes and primitive detection systems like radar.

Well, well... Mr. Zeq-Zeq! How nice of you to finally join us. Unfortunately for you, this lecture is just about to end. No, Mr. Zeq-Zeq, I don’t want to hear it! Save your excuses. For your sake, I hope that you will arrive on time for next week’s lecture, which will cover the uplifting of pre-sentient beings and how mutation and self-alteration can create new subspecies.

Class is dismissed.

<recording ends>

Stellaris Dev Diary #14 - Uplifting and Subspecies
 
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So I apologize if this has already been covered in a comment that I haven't read, but will we be able to do what the Covenant from Halo do and essentially absorb species into our empire to utilize their strengths?

The short answer seems to be yes, but it depends largely on what you mean by "absorb." I am unfamiliar with the Covenant's practices.
 
The short answer seems to be yes, but it depends largely on what you mean by "absorb." I am unfamiliar with the Covenant's practices.
In short they essentially either enslaved, hired, or uplifted various (usually minor, although there are two exceptions) races to serve as the bulk of everything but their administration.
 
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So, so awesome. I have abducted a number of platypuses. Finish and release Stellaris in the next five days and none of them will get hurt.



Very much yes. I want the primitives to form XCOM to resist my invasion.

In addition, could other alien races interfere with your interference? Like in Star Trek or in the Ringworld series?
 
I think this game will be first time in any game I attempt to play as the morally wrong. I always find that no matter what I always end up taking the right moral choices in video games. But I feel like this game will enable me to finally be able to be that murderous dictatorial leader.

I know that feel bro. I can't wait to crush some planets like they were humans (judging by the nature of this statement you can deduce that I will start out as an insectoid race).
 
I think this game will be first time in any game I attempt to play as the morally wrong. I always find that no matter what I always end up taking the right moral choices in video games. But I feel like this game will enable me to finally be able to be that murderous dictatorial leader.

Says the one with "killer" in his/her name.
 
I really liked this writing style, would be nice to see in future dev diaries. I can also see an engaging tutorial coming ;)

Can you stop a species from blowing itself up even if they really want to?
 
Eclipse Phase intensifies.
It would be nice if we had the option used against humanity in that setting - set a trap that only civilizations above a certain technological threshold can trigger, and then infect them with stuff that causes them to self-destruct.

Speaking of traps, the Morrigi approach from Sword of the Stars would also be a nice option to have - sprinkle resource rich locations and valuable planets with autonomous traps that would hamper attempts to colonize/exploit.
 
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I really hope those options are essential to the gameplay, not just one or two cosmetic options, which are not game relevant. It sounds like some Xcom light ;) I really hope this game is so great, as our expectations are going up with every DD and I really want it NOW... Please
 
My thoughts after this DD:
Professor Xirg Ta’Nolek is from race that was aggressively studied by Igir-Zat's species. They did not like this and attacked IgirZats, quickly surpassing them and taking their place among the stars. But they (Ta'Noleks) did not stop there and continue to aggressively expand their sphere of influence invading other, often primitive, civilizations.

Oh, they also planned to attack Neborites as well, but they wiped themselves before the subjugation fleet was ready.
 
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