Stellaris Dev Diary #225 - 3.1.2 "Lem" Patch Update

[Enfield_PDX]

Yes.
Immigration:

Stellaris - Lem v3.1.1 (22a5) "Newly Founded Colony" immigration pull modifier disappears prematurely

Description Lem v3.1.1 (22a5) "Newly Founded Colony" immigration pull modifier disappears prematurely Game Version Lem v3.1.1 (22a5) What version do you use? Steam What expansions do you have installed? Synthetic Dawn, Utopia...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

Fleet Manager:

Stellaris - Lem v3.1.1 (22a5): Fleet Manager does not show actual ships or match Military Fleets.

Description Lem v3.1.1 (22a5): Fleet Manager does not show actual ships or match Military Fleets. Game Version Lem v3.1.1 What version do you use? Steam What expansions do you have installed? All of them. Do you have mods enabled? No Please...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

To tell the truth, I was hoping those issues would be addressed in 3.1.2, because they are pretty major for a Stellaris game.

Thanks for the reports. Both were reported just a bit late to make this patch, but we're looking into it.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Have you looked at @pmchem ’s reports on the economic AI?

Yup, been looking at them. Unfortunately I had a mini-vacation this week to play Wrath of the Righteous, so wasn't able to look at everything in as much detail as I would have liked. However, any AI changes that we'd like to make would require more development and testing time than we had for the hotfix.

The feedback is of course massively appreciated and we're having a lot of productive conversations about the direction of the AI, so I will repeat my thanks for the observations and insights folks are sharing.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Some basic math regarding Catalytic:

A Catalytic machine empire uses one pop to produce 5 food base. Due to various accumulated bonuses, that will probably end up around 6. A machine Catalytic drone turns 12 food into 4 alloys. So for every drone producing alloys, you need 2 drones generating the upkeep. With -50% upkeep, you'd need 2 drones to maintain "full" output

The exploit still exists. Just now instead of giving +200% effective alloy output, it now only gives +50% effective alloy output. Just make it -75% for now, this fixes the problem (takes 4 drones for no upkeep vs 3 drones when producing food). Even if in 3.2 you plan on completely overhauling how deficits work, please fix this before you move on.

Then there is also the issue that Catalytic is kinda worthless without the exploit. Reducing the food upkeep down to be even to minerals would both make the civic worth using.

Because the shortage system is just badly done and allows a lot of abuse.
If there is a shortage, just buy/sell a small amount to cancel it for a month.
An insignificant deficit compared to its economy generates maximum instantaneous penalties, which is both annoying and handicapping, more than it should be compared to the size of the deficit.
So that would have been an opportunity to improve the system, which can be very interesting and relatively simple, without really having to reform the economic system, just improve the scarcity system and take advantage of it to enrich the game.

Shortage - Prosperity : progressive

As much as we'd like to redesign how resource deficits work in the game, overhauling the system would be an impossible task for a hotfix given the relatively short time between the release of 3.1.1 and 3.1.2. However the fix for catalytic processing not intended to be a long-term solution and will hopefully be revisited again in the future.

 

[Enfield_PDX]

Would redesigning how deficits/shortages work be the scope for Custodians or the main team?

Not sure yet. But looking over deficits is common discussion.

Have you considered changing Shattered Ring to be a bit more viable? Right now it's basically a handicap.

Maybe make repairing the section require Anti-Gravity Engineering instead of Megaengineering, like the requirement to restore a Relic World.

Or maybe you could make the other two sections colonizeable Shattered Ring sections, in place of the Guaranteed Habitable worlds. The number of colonizeable sections could even match Guaranteed Habitable sections in the settings.

I am open to the idea that Shattered Ring got the nerf bat a bit hard. It's being looked into. Along with necrophage hiveminds

 

[Alfray Stryke]

How did it go? What class did you go for? C'mon, details!

El Arcanist with the Lich mythic path - going fairly well - hit level 15/mythic 5 last night!

Any plans to fix the once again half broken "In Breach Of Galactic Law" feature?
I made two bug reports

First one (confirmed and not fixed): https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/foru...w-and-associated-penalties-dont-work.1474003/

Second one (completely ignored):

Stellaris - [3.1.1] [22a5] "Last Resort Doctrine" breaks "Independent Tribunals"

Description [3.1.1] [22a5] "Last Resort Doctrine" breaks "Independent Tribunals" Game Version [3.1.1] checksum [22a5] What version do you use? Steam What expansions do you have installed? Synthetic Dawn, Utopia, Leviathans Story Pack...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

(I'm quite sure this one is valid even for other resolution trees, like unchained knowledge, eco protection, etc. The Greater Good on the other hand works correctly)

Oh, and also sanctions, which don't apply the correct amount of penalties

Cheers! I'll get these looked at

EDIT: Like you said, the first one is confirmed and logged in our internal bug tracker. Second one will be looked in more detail.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

What it really just needs is to reallocate penalties to resource types that are involved research production. The -50% research penalty from running a CG deficit should be moved to minerals for Hive Minds and Energy for MEs.

We're aware of these issues and have been discussing possible solutions.