Stellaris Dev Diary #229 - Aquatics Species Pack

[korvmaskin]

I'd love it you could change the graphics for districts if you are playing as aquatics, to really sell the idea of a species living under the water

Immersion is king

 

[TobiOrNotTobi]

The new features look like you spend a good time thinking about how to implement the new content into the existing systems. Also it's nice that you decided to go for the aquatic species pack given that a lot of folks here were asking for it for a long time. Also it seems like you really wanted to come up with unique civics. And of course the ship set looks gorgeous as usual.

That being said and although I'm probably being a negative Nancy (and dispite me knowing that what you delivered is perfectly within the scope of a species pack), I cannot help to feel like many things introduced with some species packs feel kinda wonky to me. I always get the impression that you try to implement stuff which doesn't have sufficient mechanics to base them on. For instance now, due to the level of abstraction to planetary composition, this huge distinction of whether a species lives on land or in a body of water ultimately breaks down again to yet another set of modifiers and a job swap. I understand that there will be different types of DLC - the smaller ones who are "just" content and build upon existing mechanics and the larger ones that do introduce new mechanics. I simply would have prefered the more exotic species packs to be ones that actually come with an update to certain game mechanics which allows them to be set apart from the more ordinary types of species.

However, in the end this is just me and from the reaction here, you seem to have made a lot of the community quite happy, so kudos for that

 

[bluelotus]

I am on phone so I might have missed it, but can you be an aquatic necroid? Swedes got to have a Surströmming playthrough.

 

[Me_]

I'd rather figure out a way to optionally list portraits by either DLC or by "biology" sometime in the future. Ideally portraits could belong to multiple categories.

It would be nice to have a more interconnecting system. This is already an issue with Necroids, many of which feel like they should belong to existing groups and with Humanoids, as they should (mostly) count as mammalians.

 

[Ridixo]

Seashell-Bra Outfit for human, elf, dwarf, halfling and orc portraits?

But what about the guys? Seashell-armor?

 

[Ridixo]

I am phone so I might have missed it, but can you be an aquatic necroid? Swedes got to have a Surströmming playthrough.

Yes you can

 

[WeeBigTerd101]

I was really hoping for a flooded world of sorts where it is completely covered in ocean and would be like an ecu, machine, or hive world. But that's ok what you guys got now looks awesome

 

[korvmaskin]

I would have preffered limiting it to aquatic and molluscoid portraits. I don't like seeing AI empires with portraits that don't match this mechanic.

You'd do a disfavour to the aquatic athropoids and birds

 

[korvmaskin]

Have you think of making the Hydrocentric Ascension Perk give frozen worlds the TC modifier?

this idea sounds great imo

 

[causlord]

There are going to be an Aquamenopolis?

 

[joe9594]

There are going to be an Aquamenopolis?

Presumably. I mean every planet would have those for aquatic species. I guess not if you have agrarian ideal.
Also it is probably more politically correct to refer to them as aquapersonopolis.

 

[alphamikefox]

How about aquatic - lithoid - hive mind - clone army?

All craziness aside, while gameplay-wise it's fun to stack traits on top of each other like a Jenga tower what is the reasoning specifically behind how lithoid and aquatic interact? Like are they some sort of coral that gain strength from being hydrated and maybe become like brittle and cracked on dry planets? I'm just not exactly putting together a story behind this pairing that makes much sense to me...rocks just don't need water...

 

[Cassilda]

I'm really loving this, and also I cannot wait to see the new portraits

 

[Xenrek]

So, these traits/perks on a humanoid Criminal Syndicate with Distinguished Admiralty and the "Here be dragons" start, is basically a fleet of space-pirates who bring the ocean with them to drown their enemies?

Already have my first multiplayer faction after the patch decided on then

 

[Atomcreator]

This looks really good. Very much looking forward to the here be dragons origin and all the rest of it.

 

[riadach]

I would love it if for aquatic species the Ether Drake was a Kraken.

 

[LystAP]

I would have preffered limiting it to aquatic and molluscoid portraits. I don't like seeing AI empires with portraits that don't match this mechanic.

Aquaman Disagrees. The Oceanic shipset really reminds me of all the Atlantean vessels from the DC Comics.

Here Be Dragons Origin
Perhaps the most unique Origin yet, Here Be Dragons starts you off in a unique symbiotic relationship with an Ether Drake. Without spoiling too much, the drake will essentially protect you while you keep it happy. The drake is not controlled by you, but can rather be seen as a guardian ally, as long as you keep it happy.

----

I do foresee a possible issue here, especially if the Leviathan is hostile to other empires. In the late-game, if people build a Gateway in their home system, powerful endgame empires (particularly Awakened Empires) will see it as a threat one system over from their territory, and come to murder it. Your allies might even murder it if the federation fleet changes to their control while it is in system or just their powerful endgame fleets decide to pass through (such as a ownerless GDF) . Is there any eventual way for it to come under your control? Otherwise, I foresee instances where it just dies eventually when the power scale of empires reaches the planet killing heights of endgame.

It could be a event that triggers when the midgame or endgame date is reached where you convince the dragon to formally join your empire in return for its safety.

 

[Fox McCloud]

I'll be honest, I think it'd be neat if this was more generic.

That is to say, there's a kind of trait, like this, for all categories of planets---that is to say, frozen and dry.

The theme seems to be doubling down on local habitability (while still allowing colonization), while detrimentally impacting the others.

This doesn't seem like something that would be unique to ocean habitats.

 

[Reedstilt]

So, these traits/perks on a humanoid Criminal Syndicate with Distinguished Admiralty and the "Here be dragons" start, is basically a fleet of space-pirates who bring the ocean with them to drown their enemies?

Swap out Criminal Syndicate for Barbaric Despoilers and you got Space Greyjoys, drowning for the Drowned God.

This looks really good. Very much looking forward to the here be dragons origin and all the rest of it.

I've had a empire that uses the Dragon reptilian portraits that worshiped the Ether Drake as their Divine Ancestor. They always searched the galaxy for it and protected it as best they could when they found it. This Origin is going to simplify matters a lot for them. I'll definitely have to re-build them once this pack is out.

Otherwise, I foresee instances where it just dies eventually when the power scale of empires reaches the planet killing heights of endgame.

Maybe there's an event chain where you can choose to either 1) liberate yourself from the Dragon's demands and kill it yourself, or 2) continue sacrificing to the Dragon's demands, supercharging it for the late game.

If not, perhaps we can get that in a future update if it seems necessary.

 

[The Wolf with the Dragon]

I'm excited for this, but I'm a little bit concerned about a few things:

The descriptions on what many of these civics and traits are and what they do is messy. I get that we want to make as interest civics as possible, but the sheer variety of what one civic actually does is a bit much and the restrictions are a bit too relaxed. I at least feel that for new players this will be a bit too much.

This for example. The fact that this doesn't require you to at least start on a wet planet feels a bit weird. But the fact that it doesn't require you to not have picked the Life-Seeded Origin feels like an oversight. It opens the door for so many new players to pick this without fully realizing how useless it might be for them, because Life-Seeded doesn't mention the fact that habitability on any other worlds than Gaia aren't just bad, it's zero.

So yeah, all this freedom comes with making the game just a bit less accessible to new players in general. Because there is so many things to keep track on and they will start to feel like "okay, what civics can I actually pick?", because the game doesn't openly state that Anglers-Life Seeded isn't a good combo. We don't want players to have to know mechanics of the game before they have even tried it. We tell Lithoid-players to avoid Shattered Ring for a reason.

Speaking of Life-Seeded, isn't Ocean Paradise just stupidly better than Life-Seeded? I know I might attract mockery talking about balance and people going "what game have YOU been playing", but let's ignore that.

Life-Seeded gives you a 25-size Gaia World, which in turn gives you 100% habitability, +10% happiness, +10% Pop output, increased capacity and one of each exotic resource. (None of this is actually stated when picking the Origin by the way. It just says "Some rare planetary features")

Ocean Paradise meanwhile gives a 30-size Ocean World with what seems like many of the same resources that Life-Seeded get and "Rich Food deposits". You lose out on 100% habitability but in turn you are in no way limited to just living on one world, or even just ocean worlds. And coupled with the Aquatic trait, which is a free trait, you gain your 100% habitability, -10% housing, +10% output on most menial jobs, +10% Hull strength and then you're not even strictly limited on living on just one world. And then combine it with Anglers civic, to give you uncapped Agricultural Districts and even more resources from them.

But then combine this with an ascension perk made specifically for you which gives you +50% more bonuses from your trait and makes it easier to terraform even more ocean worlds!

What I'm afraid of is that this level of synergy is the start of a power creep that is leaving old origins and civics behind. I know they we're very recently buffed but it almost feel like nothing else comes close to synergy like this. How good it'll be we'll find out, but it feel like Ocean Paradise by itself leaves Life-Seeded behind as it just plainly a better world that doesn't limit your habitability on other planets. 1 exotic gas, 1 rare crystal and 1 volatile mote feature just doesn't feel like it can compete.