Stellaris Dev Diary #218 - Plantoids Gameplay

[Miles Invictus]

Does the Idyllic Terraforming trait only exist for Plantoid/Fungoid species? It's unclear in the blog but you say "all normal Empires".

Also, does such a trait essentially nullify the use of the World Shaper perk?

 

[LystAP]

Idyllic Bloom: This Civic lets you transform planets into Gaia Worlds by building Gaia Seeders and upgrading them. The Gaia Seeders have 4 phases, with the 4th and final phase triggering the terraformation of the planet to a Gaia World. Available to regular empires as well as Hive Minds.

View attachment 745717

View attachment 745718View attachment 745719View attachment 745720View attachment 745723​

----

That’s all for this week folks! We’ll be back again next week, so until then, stay safe and be well.

Considering you can't remove the Civic, it doesn't seem strong, perhaps even outright detrimental - especially if you can just pick World Shaper or can get lucky with the Baol. It also becomes somewhat outdated if you go full Synthetic Path. I also notice that the Civic requires the target planet to be the 'ideal' habitable planet class as your founder species, this weakens the Civic more in that you'll basically have to terraform other planet classes anyways to that class then put in the Gaia formers. Would there also be additional benefits?

In memory of the Baol and the idea of adapting to come into harmony with the environment and species of a world, could the hive mind version also include ways for non-Hive Mind species to live with the Hive Mind, and perhaps vice versa for a normal empire with hive mind pops? Kind of like a Hive Mind Rogue Servitor. Or perhaps give them access to the Hive Mind Identity Sublimation or Normal Empire Hive Dissociation Assimilation without needing Genetic Ascension perks.

Does the Idyllic Terraforming trait only exist for Plantoid/Fungoid species? It's unclear in the blog but you say "all normal Empires".

Also, does such a trait essentially nullify the use of the World Shaper perk?

The World Shaper perk still has the advantage in that you can terraform uninhabitable planets with the Terraforming Modifier to a Gaia world. Doing it this way gives the formerly barren planet a lot more resources. And since the Civic can't be removed, World Shaper is better if you want more flexibility in your play.

 

[IntoTheStars]

This looks great. The race I normally play is a mushroom so I’m glad all of this appears to be available to them, too. Will definitely use that budding trait.

 

[bunkerman]

hmmmm now we just need a mod that buffs the budding trait to like 0.1, removes all the traditional growth and adds budding trait to all species for us to finally have the proper exponential growth

 

[Cassilda]

I always like to see more customization options for the playable species.

 

[Pale Blue]

There are things like the necroids in which it does not make much sense because it is intended to give the image not only of zombies, but also of vampires or the Wraith of Star Gate, but plantoids, fungids, robots and lithoids need their own distinctive features because they are not simply organic intelligent species, or rather, they are not animals or insects, their needs are different and these civics and traits emerge to be able to express those differences that make them unique.

Necroids DLC did it much better. There is nothing locked to the portrait of your species. Want to do a humanoid necroid? Go do it nothing prevents that.
The distinctive features a species has is what you give them. It is not the place of others to tell a player what species makes sense or what don't. It is a fantasy sci-fi game, it makes sense whatever you want to come up with.

Necroids is a prime example how a species doc can be done without limiting the player but instead give them tools to further customize their species and empire.

 

[tribnia]

Maybe some gluttonus civic to turn food into consumer goods? lol.

 

[sakang]

Finally reason to play Plantoids, Lord Pinky approves this salad bar

 

[Critical Ethics]

Restricting these new mechanics to fungoids/plantoids is a terrible idea. It blocks off a whole range of potential species ideas for no gain whatsoever. Why can't I make a species of photosynthetic avians? Why can't I settle a tomb world and genetically engineer the inhabitants to be radiotrophic? Why can't a mammalian species care for the environment of their planets and turn them into gaia worlds?

Mammalians can do that, they just do it through the Gaia World ascension perk. Fungoids and Plantoids can do it differently and earlier by using their own well understood roots and leaves and mycelium and spores to facilitate things.

A mammalian equivalent would be less a Gaia World and more some kind of Meat Planet

 

[Lorenerd11]

Are we going to get new Plantoid diplomacy/communications room, the way Lithoids and Necroids got theirs?

 

[Kaoru Sen'nin]

Necroids DLC did it much better. There is nothing locked to the portrait of your species. Want to do a humanoid necroid? Go do it nothing prevents that.
The distinctive features a species has is what you give them. It is not the place of others to tell a player what species makes sense or what don't. It is a fantasy sci-fi game, it makes sense whatever you want to come up with.

Necroids is a prime example how a species doc can be done without limiting the player but instead give them tools to further customize their species and empire.

Necroid are blocked behind an origin though. Odd way to claim it to be more "free" when it lock you out of all the other origins (and the gameplay associate) while the other option only lock you out of a cosmetical portrait.

 

[Ffc]

I like every civic and traits, it looks fun !
Thank you

 

[Reedstilt]

Necroid are blocked behind an origin though. Odd way to claim it to be more "free" when it lock you out of all the other origins (and the gameplay associate) while the other option only lock you out of a cosmetical portrait.

Necroids aren't blocked behind an origin. Any species can use the Necrophage Origin (I've got Necrophage Butterflies that turn the Capterpillars into more of themselves), and Necroid portraits don't have to be Necrophages - they can use any Origin.

 

[MSZ_93]

From "creating own fluff" perspective it seems pretty cool but from gameplay perspective I think new species traits are not worth it. Changing 50% of upkeep from food to energy seems like something neutral (both resources are equal to produce) so imho it should cost "0". Also budding cost is too high (0.02 is 1% of one spawning drone output) . "Catalytic Processing" however seems to be nice civic for endgame for my Hive Mind

 

[fodazd]

Isn't the Budding Bonus too low though ? For non Hive at least I don't think it works. It's better to just take reproductive.

Rapid Breeders gives you +0.45 growth per planet, assuming optimal conditions for organic pop growth. As soon as you get to 23 pops on a planet, Budding is better. Also, Budding is assembly, which means you get to decide which species of pop you want without penalty.

 

[MathyM]

These feel incredibly underwhelming

As far as content goes, I like it. I do wish they were slightly stronger, though. I don't think I'll use most of these, unless I'm going for a very meme run.

Budding and the food metallurgists seem fine. The civic that locks you into it has a few issues. The photosynthetic traits don't seem smart to pick from an economic perspective, unless you somehow end up with a lot of tomb worlds.

 

[Reedstilt]

Does the Idyllic Terraforming trait only exist for Plantoid/Fungoid species? It's unclear in the blog but you say "all normal Empires".

Looks like it allows "Normal Empires" (as opposed to just Hiveminds) but currently requires those empires to be Plantoids or Fungoids. I actually don't like that latter bit. Nothing in the flavor text indicates that it's part of their biology; it's a cultural emphasis on turning worlds into a paradise. The environmentally focused Scyldari sea otters would have an interest in something like that too.

And, sure, they could get that through Worldshaper, but so could the Plants. The value of this Civic is that it lets you start doing so immediately (important for Lifeseeded civilizations). Both are permanant choices, so it's a matter if you want to perma-lock a Civic for creating a Gaia world or perma-lock a Perk for Gaia worlds.

 

[Numkelis]

I can already see the warmongering, all-devouring Space Mold race with Shattered Ring origin and Agrarian Idyll + Catalystic Processing civics. Woohoo~

Edit: Yeah, I know but will mod Agrarian to work on Ring worlds. I just have to make it work.

Edit no.2: Or just simply ignore the Agrarian Idyll part. But it had such potential. I always wondered why they are mutually exclusive. Making a ring world segment with agricultural structures would be like paradise for them. Or dunno...

 

[Kaoru Sen'nin]

Necroids aren't blocked behind an origin. Any species can use the Necrophage Origin (I've got Necrophage Butterflies that turn the Capterpillars into more of themselves), and Necroid portraits don't have to be Necrophages - they can use any Origin.

You don't get what I meant.

You can't make a void dweller necrophage for example. Scion Necrophage ? Nope dude. Apocalyptic ? Go away bro. Ring world ? Not on my watch mate.
Sure you can use any portrait but that doesn't change the game.

Meanwhile you are not forced to play calamity birth for Lithoid.

Sure some origin are locked for some kind of gameplay but Necroid lock you out of all of them.

 

[Kaoru Sen'nin]

Looks like it allows "Normal Empires" (as opposed to just Hiveminds) but currently requires those empires to be Plantoids or Fungoids. I actually don't like that latter bit. Nothing in the flavor text indicates that it's part of their biology; it's a cultural emphasis on turning worlds into a paradise. The environmentally focused Scyldari sea otters would have an interest in something like that too.

And, sure, they could get that through Worldshaper, but so could the Plants. The value of this Civic is that it lets you start doing so immediately (important for Lifeseeded civilizations). Both are permanant choices, so it's a matter if you want to perma-lock a Civic for creating a Gaia world or perma-lock a Perk for Gaia worlds.

Since the text said you can use seed on your ideal planet (meaning your starting preference) I am afraid that it would be useless for Lifeseeded because that would mean you could just turn Gaïa... info Gaïa. Which is a shame to be honest.

But the text may be misleading so we'll see.