• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

Stellaris Dev Diary #187 - Post-mortem

Zaztl’s time had come. The Ritual of Elevation was soon to begin, and as she was inching ever closer to her own final destiny, she wondered “Is this perhaps the start of a new life?”. She couldn’t help but to latch on to hope in her moment of dread, but she also knew the futility of the question.

No Jeferian would ever know the answer to that question.

Shumon ins-Beth was born, the newest individual to join the Pasharti species.


---------------

1602149714895.png


The result of dark experimentation by the Jeferians - the former owners of the planet Taralon - the Pashartians are the ultimate parasites. Originally a semi-sapient creature dwelling in the depths of Taralon's mountains, the Jeferians uplifted and augmented them to act as a subservient slave race. However, their uplifting was rather too effective, and they unleashed a monster. Horrified at the capabilities of their creation - which included the ability to absorb other sentient species and turn them into Pashartians - the Jeferians tried to shut down the experiment. However, a small group of uplifted Pashartians escaped.

Over the years, they bided their time, managing not only to evade capture, but also gradually increase their numbers and develop a technological base to rival the Jeferians. Eventually, the Jeferians noticed that something was amiss, but by then they were powerless to resist.

Soon the Pashartians had seized control of the planet, unleashing violent pogroms on their erstwhile oppressors - all the while further increasing their numbers. Now poised to take to the stars, the Pashartians stand ready to pursue what they see as their solemn duty - the conversion of all lesser life forms to their likeness.


---------------

Hello everyone!

Two weeks ago we announced the Necroids Species Pack, and today we’ll be giving you more information about the gameplay aspects. But first, I’ll take the opportunity to link the trailer once again, in case you missed it.


For Necroids we wanted to add some new gameplay that would be available to many more different types of empires and species. Unlike Lithoids, these Civics and Origins will not require you to use a Necroid portrait. For Lithoids we felt like it made sense, but in this case we didn’t want to impose any limitations on your imagination and creativity.

Necroids gameplay includes:
  • Necrophage (Origin)
  • Memorialist (Civic)
  • Death Cult (Civic)
  • Reanimated Armies (Civic)

1602149745689.png

Necrophage is a new Origin that means that your primary species has a very hard time to procreate by themselves, but is instead dependent on transforming other Pops into themselves.

1602149789054.png

Necrophage Trait - live long and consume

1602149798241.png

Chamber of Elevation - when regular Uplifting isn’t enough

1602149808856.png

Necrophytes - Hey, what does the necro part of my job title stand for anyway?

---

In addition, there is also the Reanimated Armies civic that we showed in DD #185. This civic replaces the Military Academy with a Dread Encampment, and can recruit Undead Armies that are unaffected by morale.

1602149830251.png

Reanimated Armies - the ultimate in recycling.

1602149838710.png

Dread Encampment Building - wouldn’t want to get caught dead here

1602149846240.png

Undead Army - it’s not wight how they work them to the bone, but they don’t complain

1602149857376.png

Necromancer job - some say it’s a dead end job, but they’ve made a grave mistake
(Note: Above image includes the bonus from Ground Defense Planning)

This civic has a few restrictions - no pacifists, and it conflicts with Citizen Service since it replaces the Military Academy. Some subtle differences exist between Soldiers granted by Military Academies and the Necromancers from Dread Encampments - they’re Specialist tier and provide more defense armies, provide some research benefits, and will summon additional defense armies under Martial Law instead of increasing Stability.

---

That is all for this week! Next week we’ll take a look at the art process and all the effort that goes into creating the Necroid portraits!

We’ll be eagerly reading your responses, and remember that...
1602149867977.png

Jeff sees all
 
  • 154Like
  • 145
  • 16
  • 7
  • 4Love
  • 1Haha
Reactions:
What's going on with the ship colour in that preview? Looks more of a greenish colour rather than the glossy obsidian from other teaser images, you're not changing the base colour are you? D:

asfasd.PNG

dasfas.PNG


Seriously what've you done?
 
Last edited:
Jeff stands for

Just Effectively Fix (the) Faults.
 
  • 9Haha
  • 2Like
  • 2
Reactions:
OK so, we have a civic who just give you xenomorph army, and looking how useful armies are in this game, I don't know why a so genius idea don't come sooner.

Necrophage it's nice, original, interesting and... Oh, but wait! You get the exact same thing in the Forgotten Queens mod, except is more fleshed out with the special subjugation CB and its for free!
And one thing this FREE mod do, that this PAYING DLC don't is to give substance and consistency for Hiveminds, something that Pdx has never been able to do since release.

So yeah, great DLC, but quite sure anyone can find 5x more interesting and free mods on the Workshop with 2 clics. This DLC was really worth half a year of silence.
 
  • 20
  • 2Like
  • 2
  • 1
Reactions:
I'll be completely honest....

We need a version of this for Hive Minds. We absolutely need it.

Why, you ask? Simple.... With it, we could have people actually set up races like the Flood in a more true-to-form fashion.

Just 3 words (sorry for double post)
Forgotten Queens mod. It do exactly what you want.
 
  • 5
  • 2
Reactions:
OK so, we have a civic who just give you xenomorph army, and looking how useful armies are in this game, I don't know why a so genius idea don't come sooner.

Necrophage it's nice, original, interesting and... Oh, but wait! You get the exact same thing in the Forgotten Queens mod, except is more fleshed out with the special subjugation CB and its for free!
And one thing this FREE mod do, that this PAYING DLC don't is to give substance and consistency for Hiveminds, something that Pdx has never been able to do since release.

So yeah, great DLC, but quite sure anyone can find 5x more interesting and free mods on the Workshop with 2 clics. This DLC was really worth half a year of silence.

To be fair to paradox originality practically died with Shakespeare. Besides it is possible Paradox did draw influence from the mod, or from things decades older than the mod or even stellaris.

Is it really so far fetched for those making a game to add things found in third party add ons that those that play the game find popular?
 
  • 4
  • 1Like
Reactions:
To be fair to paradox originality practically died with Shakespeare. Besides it is possible Paradox did draw influence from the mod, or from things decades older than the mod or even stellaris.

Is it really so far fetched for those making a game to add things found in third party add ons that those that play the game find popular?

You missed my point, I have no issue with the fact they take inspiration from mods, it's even a relief for things like Glavius AI! And for the necrophage civic, I think they are entirely able to have this idea by themselves without "stealing" from mods (on which I think they have intellectual property IIRC)

I was just asking myself, why should I spend money on a feature that already exist in a free mod, and it's even more interesting in this free mod, than in the DLC?

No, IMO, the real question is how is it possible that after remaining silent for almost a year, they come with a barren and sparse DLC like this, they have a team of professionals, payed to work on the game, and 3 or 4 modders managed to make a better job just on their free time.
 
  • 14
  • 2Like
  • 2
Reactions:
I am honoured to be able to tip this post towards disagree.

Maybe this content will be cool someday when the game is playable. Too bad this DLC is worthless until then.

Hell I already waited with baited breath for the last two major DLC to make the game playable, i'm not waiting for the next big DLC after this pittance one for a patch I expected over a year ago.
 
  • 19
  • 2
  • 1Like
Reactions:
Is it just me, or does this origin seem ludicrously overpowered? Two primitive civilizations on your guaranteed habitables?! Even if they're Stone Age, that's still 8 pops at a point in the game where every single pop is precious, and that still lets you get past the "newly colonized" malus much faster then usual. And as far as I can tell, there's nothing saying they have to be Stone Age, meaning you could easily get two machine or space age primitive civs for 40+ pops on in 2201, which is absolutely ridiculous. That's even ignoring the fact that you save a lot of resources by invading instead of colonizing (rather than 400 alloys, 400 CGs, and 400 food, you'll need at most 3-400 minerals for armies, which you can then reuse to invade your neighbors with all that specialist output you just saved) and there's no colony development speed (+transports travel much faster then colony ships, although this is virtually irrelevant compared to the rest), meaning the colonies are up much faster then other origins and have way more pops.
Unless I'm missing something, this would appear to make Shattered Ring, Scion, Hegemon, and Void Dwellers look like the epitome of good balance.
Finally someone on the chat who thinks!
Seriously everyone else has been "waaah a company is pushing its product rather than addressing my complaint, why aren't they prioritizing me over pushing their product...waaah I've never played Warhammer 40k but i just assume even GW listens to their fans better than this."
Or "new origin unplayable because i can't read or do maths"

I honestly personally didn't even think of the primitive civilizations, i thought the thing said pre-sapient and now i have to go back and double check because if it is primitive then yeah in terms of power this is right up there near Scions in terms of OP.

But combine this DLC with the coming patch qnd we're looking at another shakeup of the game. Though honestly i do hope they give Gestalt's a update next, or give us a playable nomadic species.
 
  • 11
  • 3
  • 1Like
Reactions:
I have a hypothesis that there are actually some big revamps to certain systems in the works, including assimilation and armies, and that it is going much slower than anticipated - but that ideas related to those system revamps are getting worked on first because of internal organization. Armies are a fairly boring in-game concept, but if the system is approached differently, then suddenly undead armies might be super interesting. IE - What if stationed armies on a planet normally produce .05 stability, but undead armies actually speed up their host race's species growth (or something similar.)

Anyhoo, I am pumped for Necroids, but also really pumped to see Beta Releases again. I love seeing what you guys make.
 
  • 4Like
  • 1
  • 1
Reactions:
Oh, I'm sad that the new origin is incompatible with Gestalt Consciousness. This is the closest this game has gotten to being able to create the Flood from the Halo universe. Maybe when its features are available for modding...
Seriously. What are they thinking to make an 'Assimilator' civic and NOT give it to hive minds?!
 
  • 9
  • 1Like
Reactions:
Could we get something like Necrophage for hiveminds?

it could be a game deffin8ng mechanic like devouring swarm, which in many ways is the only game deffining civic/origine hiveminds have.

and uhmmm it would be really cool
 
  • 5
  • 3Like
Reactions:
*Reads the room* To quote a certain British band. “I predict a riot!”
 
  • 4
  • 3Like
  • 2
Reactions:
Im probably a bit unique in my opinions but this seems to be a bit out of character/theme for stellaris.
 
  • 6
  • 2Like
Reactions: