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Stellaris Dev Diary #151 - 2.3.3 beta patch [checksum 35d6]

Hello everyone!

We’ve been working on the 2.3.3 patch, but before we put anything live we will release it as a beta version as usual. To try the beta, right-click Stellaris in your Steam Library and select Properties. In the BETAS tab there should be a drop down list where you can find stellaris_test. Set your beta opt in to stellaris_test to try the 2.3.3 beta.

Save file compatibility between versions is never guaranteed. If you need to roll back to a previous version, do this: go to your Steam library, right click on Stellaris -> betas tab -> select the version you want.

The beta has a couple of known issues, but they are also things we will address before 2.3.3 goes live.

  • AI Robot empires are a bit slow to expand with outposts.
  • We have added a Relic stealing feature, but it only works while in a Galatron war instead of when not in a Galatron war
  • While Caravaneers no longer get stuck, they are prone to moving to the same destinations.

Here are some highlights of changes in the 2.3.3 beta:

Admiral XP
We’ve tweaked how admirals get XP from patrolling and combat. Admirals will now get XP according to the max piracy value as opposed to previously only checking current piracy. XP from combat should also be increased due to fixing a bug with how ship value, in terms of XP, was calculated. Disengaged ships now also provide some XP, not just destroyed ships. In general it should now be easier to level up your admirals.

Archaeology Site Rewards
We’ve improved a lot of rewards for the archaeological sites to make them more unique, more fun and in some cases stronger.

Grand Herald
Although we like how the Grand Herald can change the game quite a lot, we think it was a bit too common and too easy to get so early on. The Grand Herald site now spawns less frequently and the site difficulty is higher. When you complete the site, there is a chance that you find the Grand Herald in a weakened state. In that case it will be possible to restore it to its full glory.

Full patch notes here:
#################################################################
######################### VERSION 2.3.3 ##########################
#################################################################

###################
# Ancient Relics Story Pack Features
###################
* A number of archaeology sites have been overhauled to give more interesting rewards for completion, with new techs, empire modifiers, and ethics-based outcomes

###################
# General
###################
* Updated localisation for all languages

###################
# Balance
###################
* Further changed Precursor system spawning to always connect to an owned system, if possible, to reduce them appearing in inaccessible places
* More archaeological site events will grant minor artifacts
* Zroni chain grants Psionic Theory tech option for non-gestalts
* The Surveyor relic now has a chance to find multiple deposits during its activation time. It has also been reduced to a five year timer
* Adjusted the rate at which Admirals gain XP when patrolling and when in combat
* Daily patrolling XP is now based on the max piracy in a system rather than the current piracy
* Disengaged ship now also give xp, they have their own define: LEADER_ADMIRAL_FLEET_COMBAT_SHIPS_DISENGAGED_CONVERSION
* Zro is slightly more common
* Marketplace of Ideas trade policy unity per trade value increased from 0.15 to 0.25
* Grand Herald site is less common. When the Grand Herald is found it may be damaged to some degree, if so there is a special project to restore it to full power
* Finishing Arc Sites may yield Technology Research Options/Boosts
* Lowered the chance of archaeology sites being discovered when planets are surveyed
* Non-genocidal gestalt empires may now also seize the galatron from those who would withhold access to its glory

###################
# UI
###################
* Added MP DLC ownership icon for Ancient Relics
* Fixed line break in Zro Deposits causing unnecessary truncation of text
* Fixed displayed Army Recruitment time not including build speed modifiers
* You should no longer be able to see the orders of the fleets of other empires
* Fixed the resources going haywire in the trade view. Hopefully for the last time
* Added a country modifier to remind you that you can safely colonize Holy worlds as the chosen of Zarqlan

###################
# AI
###################
* Fixed so that the AI uses their idle science ships to assist research rather than just drawing salaries and doing nothing like typical freeloading intelligentsia
* AI empires will finish tradition trees before starting new ones
* Changed AI weight for consecration decision, so that it's actually used
* AI will now build city districts on planets if needed even if not many pops live there
* AI no longer juggles leaders back and forth, and also makes sure there is always at least one leader assigned to a ship
* Fixed the AI declaring war on empire they can't reach, or empires on the other side of the galaxy
* AI no longer needlessly upgrades starbases if they still have unused module or building slots
* Removed ostensibly arbitrary pop requirement for research buildings, also capped holo-theatres to one per planet

###################
# Modding
###################
* add_anomaly effect now adds the anomaly to the scoped country instead of the first country to survey the planet
* Added "min_jumps" and "max_jumps" parameters to the "spawn_system" command for better control of where and to what world spawned system appear
* min_jump and max_jump now use -1 to be ignored, so that you can make systems that attach directly to your base system
* Added `steal_relic = { target = TARGET_COUNTRY relic = <all/random/RELIC_NAME>` effect
* The `on_arrival_effect` is now properly called with a fleet scope
* Replaced hard texture limit with hybridarray for people that have excessive amounts of textures due to mods
* Added 'is_last_lost_relic' and 'is_last_received_relic'. Both trigger return true if the relice passed as a parameter is the last (lost/received) relic by the country from the scope country scope: is_last_lost_relic = <relic_key> / is_last_received_relic = <relic_key>

###################
# Stability
###################
* Fixed a freeze when editing trade routes from a system you stole
* Fixed a crash when using mature galaxy in observer mode

###################
# Bugfixes
###################
* Colony automation now has a 3 day cooldown after a building completes in order for recently completed constructions to take effect
* Increased weighting of favorited jobs so that they're properly prioritized
* Made the logic for buy/selling slaves better. AI is now more likely to both buy and sell slaves, wrote someone in the 21st century
* Fixed automation not working on planet capitals or new colonies if you don't change the designation
* Conquered habitats will now convert districts that are not permitted by their new empire type
* Fixed so that rogue servitor AI will no longer just build organic sanctuaries
* All non-Exterminator Machine Intelligences should now be able to make Farming Colonies
* In MP only the first player to discover the Baol or Zroni precursor will begin their chain. Others are free to discover different precursors
* Fixed overflow issues in AI diplomacy due to relative strength calculations
* The result of "Reverse-Engineer Minor Artifacts" is now properly randomized
* Disabled map-ping for finished arch sites
* Admiral XP is based on the total cost of ships instead of just minerals
* Fix for all buildings swapping issues
* Secrets of the Irassians will no longer sometimes give machine intelligences a tech they can't use
* Changed so that arch sites and certain events use the correct GFX files
* Fixed Growth species disappearing every other month in some cases
* Ship build speed modifiers are no longer applied twice
* Fixed Build Speed modifier being applied twice to buildings
* Fixed some new Tutorial Lines not playing VO (VO for a bald eagle flying out of an explosion with a pistol grasped in its beak didn't arrive in time for today, alas)
* The Caravaneers roam space once again instead of sitting in orbit ringing your doorbell for all eternity with an "offer you can't refuse"
* Deficit modifiers are properly applied again
* Master Builders no longer ever affects Habitat size
* Rare resource tech will also be researchable if any planet you own contains an Industrial sector deposit
* Primitives living on Ring Worlds will no longer build normal districts on them when invaded, enlightened, or if they naturally develop spaceflight, because inscrutably we have created a game where apparently such things are possible
* Maintenance Drones again have a positive weight for the Emotion emulators trait
* Fixed ships not going MIA when they can't return because they don't have access
* Presapients can now be found again to be uplifted/exploited/devoured as your whim decrees

stellaris_test is the version you need to be in to crossplay between Steam, GoG, and Paradoxplaza versions of the game.

Our goal is to fix whatever issues may arise and be able to set 2.3.3 live next week before we disappear on summer vacation.
 
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And there we have it. As predicted, the answer to "Why doesn't Paradox just rush out a beta before the summer holiday?!" and my response "Because people will yell at them if it doesn't fix every single bug in the game" has been proven true.

Of course, it wasn't exactly an Oracle at Delphi level prediction.

Firstly, they didn’t rush out the beta. They’ve been working on it for a few weeks. Secondly, in what universe is one unreasonable and poorly informed person getting upset a good reason not to do anything?

Thirdly, your prediction wasn’t that there would be an upset poster, it was that PDS wouldn’t release another beta. You were wrong.
 
I almost exclusively browse the forum on mobile which never shows signatures. I'd forgotten they were even a thing. I still can't find a way to see that link.

Is the bug a bad one?

Helpful tip, if you tilt your phone to landscape (sideways), the signatures should show up again. Of course, then you’re trying to browse in landscape mode, which is :confused:
 
They are certainly moving around; I've played 31 years of a 2.3.3 game where I bordered their citadel after a decade. They've moved in and out of my territory a few times, but not excessively many and they aren't staying there. I got 2 destroyers, one governor, and 15% trade value from their visits, and I turned their offers down some 6 or 7 times, I guess, something like that at any rate.

The notes say that they are prone to moving to the same destinations - I haven't been looking at that.

I've played multiple games up to ~2300 and none of them have entered my territory in any of the games. Still bugged as far as I'm concerned.
 
... after playing with the current patch for a while, my impression is that endgame again slows down to a level on which not the enemies but the fun dies. The time slows down, the galactic map starts stuttering on cam moves, even when I press space to pause it meanwhile takes so long that I sometimes press it again because of the reaction delay.

With no mods, and good hardware (i7 4790k, geforce gtx 970, 16gb, ssd, ... and no problems in the system).
I am now in the year >2600, having >130 planets and >10.000 pops.
 
I've played a few short games and I found out the L Gates did not generate on the map for any of these games.
I downgraded to 2.3.2 and started a new game and the L Gates appeared again.

Don't know if anyone else is having the same problem but looks like the patch broke the L Gates for me.
 
... after playing with the current patch for a while, my impression is that endgame again slows down to a level on which not the enemies but the fun dies. The time slows down, the galactic map starts stuttering on cam moves, even when I press space to pause it meanwhile takes so long that I sometimes press it again because of the reaction delay.

With no mods, and good hardware (i7 4790k, geforce gtx 970, 16gb, ssd, ... and no problems in the system).
I am now in the year >2600, having >130 planets and >10.000 pops.

For me, the optimal end date is 2350 for a short game, 2450 for a long one. If you’re playing past 2600 with >130 planets... you’re really pushing the game to the limit.
 
For me I think the best overall map choice is medium with 1.25 habitable worlds. Late game is repetitive in Large, let alone huge...

In medium it´s a nice balance between claims and vassalization, unlike Large and Huge where you HAVE to use vassalization to expand properly. Also a good setting for megacorps and machine empires. But that is a topic for other thread.

I've played a few short games and I found out the L Gates did not generate on the map for any of these games.
I downgraded to 2.3.2 and started a new game and the L Gates appeared again.

Don't know if anyone else is having the same problem but looks like the patch broke the L Gates for me.

Worked fine for me.
 
Either:

A) Holotheatre cap should be removed/increased for Warrior Culture

or

B) It should add Duelist every X amount of pops, similar to the prosperity Merchent bonus.

This is potentially a sting to a great improvement for Warrior Culture. Just because someone discounts it their min/max spreadsheet doesn’t mean the average joe should the ability to create a “Gladitor” planet/habitat that massively improves their fleet capacity.



Also, as a side, I REALLY would like to see more special, ethic driven buildings for Megacorp. Having the option to add a duelist to a planet through a gladiator arena would be very thematic. I envision this being a special building based on your ethic that can’t be built on planets on empires with the opposing ethics (so no gladiator arenas on Pacifist planets). PLEASE make something like this happen!! Megacorp could really be propelled further then it is. It’s a great idea that only cooked 75-80% it seems (the actual Megacorp side of the expansion).
 
For me, the optimal end date is 2350 for a short game, 2450 for a long one. If you’re playing past 2600 with >130 planets... you’re really pushing the game to the limit.
That's the way I play - I want to rule the whole galaxy, but I take it in a gentle way, not by total war ;-) it takes the time. The game allows me to do so - and I am for sure not the only one playing this way. Unfortunately, it seems that it is technically (performancewise) not well equipped for what it allows me to do. And I have to raise this when patches come, because this issue did not exist in a similar way when I started playing solaris "my style" a few tousand gaming hours ago.
 
New bug: The Rubican relic world spawns in an inaccessible system with no hyper lanes (50% of the time... ALL THE TIME).
I just came here to post something similar. Not sure if mine is a bug or just bad luck but on my first play-through on the new beta the Rubicator system spawned off of the scavenger bot system.
 
Somehow I am getting "Unfriendly" attitude from empires with positive opinion in my Xenophile Megacorp Ironman run, followed by rivalty declaration. But after loading the save all rivalties are cancelled and they re-rival me again after certain period of time passes. Not sure if it's just 2.3.3 issue.
Also, the "Rubricator system" spawned without any hyperlanes leading to it. - know it was mentioned before, but... here's a screenshot.
O8Y2gY1.png
 
Also, the "Rubricator system" spawned without any hyperlanes leading to it. - know it was mentioned before, but... here's a screenshot.
It has been reported at least 4 times in the bug forum due to people not doing a search before reporting, presumably, and even more times in this thread, so I'd say it has been well and truly reported by now. :D

But even so I sort of understand why people keep reporting it despite knowing that it has been mentioned, because it is bloody annoying when it happens.
 
It has been reported at least 4 times in the bug forum due to people not doing a search before reporting, presumably, and even more times in this thread, so I'd say it has been well and truly reported by now. :D

But even so I sort of understand why people keep reporting it despite knowing that it has been mentioned, because it is bloody annoying when it happens.
It's more about the "I don't feel like reading 9 pages of the thread before posting". I only read the "Known issues" thing in OP, and it's unfortunatelly not listed in there as of now.
 
It's more about the "I don't feel like reading 9 pages of the thread before posting". I only read the "Known issues" thing in OP, and it's unfortunatelly not listed in there as of now.
You know what else isn't listed in the known issues thread...

...Peter's POP ethics thing.

What, you thought I was going to say something else?
 
I call this reason number one for "Why I only play Gestalts now." I'd like to try lots of the cool things that non-gestalts get. But knowing the faction catastrophe is coming makes it not worth investing the time.
I'll be honest, I'm really curious what you all are doing to get this result. I consider Deviants a free trait point, at least in the early game, I never promote or suppress factions, I never take Hearts and Minds unity ambition, and I only rarely pick up One Mind ascension perk... yet I approximately never have a problem. Yes, in long games I have sometimes managed to get all seven factions (including both xenophobe ones, although in that game I did have xenophobe in my governing ethics) but my governing ethic factions always end up being two of the top three. In my most recent game I get the Worm and most of my empire shifted to Militarist right as everybody on my borders got pissed at me, and yet 50 years later the militarist faction dropped to 0% support (I had both Strong and Weak pops in the empire, and no other notable events) without me even touching it.

Now, I haven't played Spiritualist in a while, but the last time I did... no problems at all with keeping my pops Spiritualist. Xenophile faction does pretty reliably show up a bit early, even when my governing ethics are Xenophobe, but if you limit your diplomacy it takes a very long time (and I'm pretty sure it would never show up at all for an FP empire).