Stellaris Dev Diary #279 / Stellaris Dog Diary #2 - 3.6.1, Holiday Beta, and More

[DreadLindwyrm]

Can we get a doggo portrait in mammalians?

 

[HFY]

Can we get a doggo portrait in mammalians?

 

[Nefezer]

- Eliminate the minimum distance of use of the weapons, change it for a modifier of less effectiveness (accuracy and damage).
- Specify short-range range to 30 (can shoot up to other ranges, losing effectiveness over distance).
- Specify the medium range to 60 (can shoot up to other ranges, losing effectiveness over distance).
- Specify long-range range to 90 (can shoot up to other ranges, losing effectiveness over distance).
- The support range (fighter carrier) can be 130 or whatever you like.

- Combat computers should be specified as: 1. attacking the closest target, 2. attacking the largest ship, 3. attacking the smallest ship, 4. attacking escort ships (those with point defense against fighters/missiles/ mines), 5. attack support ships, 6. attack starbases. The ships will come up to the range that the player has specified (short, medium, long or support) towards their target and fire all their weapons.

- The frigates are not only torpedo bombers but also minelayers, as they move through the battle they drop camouflaged sensory mines that rush towards an enemy that approaches them and explodes.
- Frigates can also carry a cloak/obfuscation module where they cannot be detected by the enemy as long as they do not attack. These modules cannot be researched normally, they are only available in the debris after the fight against the escorts of the fallen empires. Their tactic is usually to cloak themselves and then go in to slaughter surprised enemy support ships (or enemy escort ships) at point blank range.

- Missile launchers do not fire a single missile but up to 9 of them if it is long range, 6 medium range and 3 short range. It is because they are numerous that they can become a threat.
- Energy torpedoes can be intercepted by point defenses but will only be able to mitigate the damage they can do once they hit their target and explode. These torpedoes have a guidance system like missiles.
- Proton Torpedoes have fairly high evasion systems and can only be diverted from their target with countermeasures. These countermeasures can be installed on destroyers, they are like energy trails that imitate the engines of ships that missiles and torpedoes are attracted to.

Damn, you had so much potential to change the combat system to make it AMAZING, and yet you threw your chance away. If the combat wasn't coded and we modders could get our hands on it... a shame, a real shame.

 

[TranscendentalDragon]

will memorialist lose the upkeep of their monuments? cause that civic is actively detrimental now

 

[CometBliss]

- Eliminate the minimum distance of use of the weapons, change it for a modifier of less effectiveness (accuracy and damage).
- Specify short-range range to 30 (can shoot up to other ranges, losing effectiveness over distance).
- Specify the medium range to 60 (can shoot up to other ranges, losing effectiveness over distance).
- Specify long-range range to 90 (can shoot up to other ranges, losing effectiveness over distance).
- The support range (fighter carrier) can be 130 or whatever you like.

- Combat computers should be specified as: 1. attacking the closest target, 2. attacking the largest ship, 3. attacking the smallest ship, 4. attacking escort ships (those with point defense against fighters/missiles/ mines), 5. attack support ships, 6. attack starbases. The ships will come up to the range that the player has specified (short, medium, long or support) towards their target and fire all their weapons.

- The frigates are not only torpedo bombers but also minelayers, as they move through the battle they drop camouflaged sensory mines that rush towards an enemy that approaches them and explodes.
- Frigates can also carry a cloak/obfuscation module where they cannot be detected by the enemy as long as they do not attack. These modules cannot be researched normally, they are only available in the debris after the fight against the escorts of the fallen empires. Their tactic is usually to cloak themselves and then go in to slaughter surprised enemy support ships (or enemy escort ships) at point blank range.

- Missile launchers do not fire a single missile but up to 9 of them if it is long range, 6 medium range and 3 short range. It is because they are numerous that they can become a threat.
- Energy torpedoes can be intercepted by point defenses but will only be able to mitigate the damage they can do once they hit their target and explode. These torpedoes have a guidance system like missiles.
- Proton Torpedoes have fairly high evasion systems and can only be diverted from their target with countermeasures. These countermeasures can be installed on destroyers, they are like energy trails that imitate the engines of ships that missiles and torpedoes are attracted to.

Damn, you had so much potential to change the combat system to make it AMAZING, and yet you threw your chance away. If the combat wasn't coded and we modders could get our hands on it... a shame, a real shame.

Wouldn’t it be better to make this a suggestion? Rather than just saying they “had so much potential” ??

 

[Caligula Caesar]

It’s possible that we will include a major rework to parts of galaxy generation (fixing many issues with static galaxies).

I figure I could clarify this. It's mainly a change that is relevant to modders and those who play mods. And yes, I can confirm that as things stand it will be in the beta - so I look forward to hearing feedback!

Basically, as things stand in Stellaris, there are two ways of generating a galaxy: using a random setup, or using a static galaxy. We only use the former, which means that it works more or less as we intend it (barring the occasional mishap). The latter however is interesting in particular to modders, because it lets you set up a particular scripted galaxy. For instance, you coukd create the milky way and put all the stars in the right place. Or you could replicate the galaxy of your favourite sci fi IP.

The problem with static galaxies is basically that as it stands the code that the game uses to generate the galaxy - and specifically the elements of empires within it - is completely different. Which means that whenever we fix a bug or change something in the random galaxy generation, we have to hope that someone remembers that the same has to apply to static galaxies. Unfortunately, quite a few bugs crept in.

The better way to do this is to share the code, or at least as much of it as possible. Which is what we will be doing now. (Hopefully, nothing about normal galaxy generation was broken - we don't think so, but that's why it's good to put this in a beta).

For modders, the rough change list would be:
- Fixed a number of bugs where empires were not set up properly for static galaxies. E.g. they were not given starbases, and secondary species were ignored.
- Various galaxy generation and game start on_actions are now called during static galaxy generation as they would be normally.
- Added an "effect = {}" field for static galaxy systems that will execute on that system after the galaxy is generated
- Added an example documentation file

For players, if you enjoy mods that do this sort of thing, hopefully this will allow a smoother and better starting experience.

 

[Aendolin]

Can we get a doggo portrait in mammalians?

 

[DarkSafire]

New Leviathan idea: Tofu

• Cannot be attacked due to Cute trait
• Will mess up your systems (but not destroy) unless given treats
• With enough treats given he will follow your fleets (boosting their morale) and play with enemy fleets (give debuffs but wont directly attack them)

 

[Idle America]

You are aware that if you keep posting dog pics we will demand they be added to the game, right?

It's practically a sin to release an update called "Canis Minor" and not include and Canis species, Minor or Major!

 

[malakhglitch]

Khorgis Khan demands a Tofu-san species to fight with.

 

[Starfire Breeze]

It's too bad that the open betas are only available for Steam editions of the game; I'd sure like to be able to provide feedback before release, when it's most valuably captured for bugfixes, regressions, etc., instead of afterwards when the focus has already moved on beyond that release of the game.

I'm curious to see how the new diplomatic aspects work with making vassals. From my observations, it seems like there's a few particularly notable tipping points right now :

1) On higher difficulty levels where the AI empires have enormous economic advantages out the gate, the first empire(s) to luck out with drawing that 30 naval capacity tech (or the next one after) seem to end up vassalizing their neighbors because they can almost immediately fill out their expanded navy and then their neighbors are willing to accept subjugation. Since those technologies provide such an enormous (relative to the base naval capacity) power boost and at that stage of the game, the AI empires won't have anchorages or fortress worlds, they dramatically inflate fleet power in one swoop, and that means dramatically inflating the ease of vassalization.

-> 1a) Alliances (other than the Federation vassalization block or the overlord vassalization block) don't seem to have a meaningful bearing on vassalization resistance, which also tends to magnify the impact of those early naval capacity technologies.

2) AI empires are (highly) susceptible to being vassalized immediately after exiting a war (or having an unfortunate early encounter with a space creature), even if they would very quickly be able to build their fleet given their economic potential. (Wars of liberation/ideology appear provide a temporary (10 or 20 years I think?) protection against vassalization but other wars don't seem to do so.)

I don't know to the extent that these are intended or not. But it's a bit unfortunate combined with the state of affairs as it exists today, because (AI empire) vassals are pretty much "sticky" even if they are often seemingly stuck at -100 loyalty basically permanently with their overlords; I've practically never seen an AI empire rebel/escape its overlord unless a human player manages to kick off a war of fealty, even when the AI empire vassals are actually stronger than their overlord. (That can happen because, as noted, the conditions that put the AI empire in a state to accept being vassalized are often fairly transitory, but the AI basically never is willing to transition *out* of being a vassal if it ever hits those conditions.)

As someone on the team opined elsewhere, it would have been interesting if there were more mechanics to break that mold up, like disloyal, or in general long-term more powerful vassals banding together to break out of their overlord's grasp (excluding the scripted events of the Imperial Fiefdom origin which isn't representative of how the AI empires approach vassalization anywhere else, unfortunately). Or, failing that, more safeguards to stop a temporary short-term condition from permanently taking an AI empire out of the equation by consigning them to being an inconsequential vassal indefinitely. Even having the AI use the diplomacy options to lift vassalization from other AI empires (would need some trading for favors and knowing how to use them for things other than the galcom) might help that permanent-vassal state of affairs to an extent.

 

[Ikael]

Doggos are based <3

But man do I really want fewer vassalization-prone AIs (and to know which plans you guys have for the next year!)

 

[SirBlackAxe]

It's practically a sin to release an update called "Canis Minor" and not include and Canis species, Minor or Major!

We've got a "parrot in a space suit" species, I'd love a "dog in a space suit" species. Could name my starting ruler Laika!

 

[Ferrus Animus]

All I Want for the Holidays is a Mod Jam…​

View attachment 924894​

Over this holiday season, we will be holding #MODJAM2022, our second-ever Mod Jam! Are you a modder? Do you like winning stuff? Well, you can go here for more information and to sign up!

For the rest of you, modders will have 3 weeks to make... something. We're not going to tell you what it is yet, the modders won't even know what it is until the working time begins. During the three weeks, be sure to keep an eye on Stellaris social media, the forums, Reddit, and Steam, because we'll be posting teasers of what the modders have been working on!

At the end of the three weeks, on or around January 10th, we'll release the Mod Jam mod, and you'll get to play and vote on your favorite! The winning modders (by Community Vote) will win some cool prizes from our sponsors at ROG!

Get more info about the Mod Jam here!
Sign up here!

Will you ensure the modjam mod will be updated for some time given the last modjam had issues literally starting with the patch after?

 

[Dragatus]

(Hopefully, nothing about normal galaxy generation was broken - we don't think so, but that's why it's good to put this in a beta).

Your optimism is endearing.

 

[HFY]

I figure I could clarify this. It's mainly a change that is relevant to modders and those who play mods. And yes, I can confirm that as things stand it will be in the beta - so I look forward to hearing feedback!

Basically, as things stand in Stellaris, there are two ways of generating a galaxy: using a random setup, or using a static galaxy. We only use the former, which means that it works more or less as we intend it (barring the occasional mishap). The latter however is interesting in particular to modders, because it lets you set up a particular scripted galaxy. For instance, you coukd create the milky way and put all the stars in the right place. Or you could replicate the galaxy of your favourite sci fi IP.

The problem with static galaxies is basically that as it stands the code that the game uses to generate the galaxy - and specifically the elements of empires within it - is completely different. Which means that whenever we fix a bug or change something in the random galaxy generation, we have to hope that someone remembers that the same has to apply to static galaxies. Unfortunately, quite a few bugs crept in.

The better way to do this is to share the code, or at least as much of it as possible. Which is what we will be doing now. (Hopefully, nothing about normal galaxy generation was broken - we don't think so, but that's why it's good to put this in a beta).

For modders, the rough change list would be:
- Fixed a number of bugs where empires were not set up properly for static galaxies. E.g. they were not given starbases, and secondary species were ignored.
- Various galaxy generation and game start on_actions are now called during static galaxy generation as they would be normally.
- Added an "effect = {}" field for static galaxy systems that will execute on that system after the galaxy is generated
- Added an example documentation file

For players, if you enjoy mods that do this sort of thing, hopefully this will allow a smoother and better starting experience.

I'd really love to see some kind of graph-based galactic template functionality.

- Fit a system into the graph based on some constraints.

- Overlay features onto a cluster based on some constraints.

- Generate a new system or cluster into empty space of a particular kind (e.g. between arms, outside the rim, inside the core, in an internal "blank" where it won't intersect any existing hyperlanes, etc.).


Some existing functionality, like the local Sol cluster, could be simplified with a generally usable template system, and it might help mods co-operate with each other.

 

[improff]

Barring unexpected developments, this will be the last patch to the live branch of Stellaris for the year.

I'm wondering if we could get some comments on the state of MacOS and Linux issues? While I can run the same set of mods on Windows, there are some very sad-making issues that make the other two platforms incompatible with huge swathes of mods.

edit: highlighting that it works under Proton, but not native, which ... may imply compiler issue? It's fascinating~

Stellaris - CTD on Launch, only using DLCs plus Gigastructural engineering

Description CTD on Launch, only using DLCs plus Gigastructural engineering Game Version 3.6.1 What version do you use? Steam What expansions do you have installed? Synthetic Dawn, Utopia, Leviathans Story Pack, Apocalypse, Megacorp...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

 

[Abdulijubjub]

will memorialist lose the upkeep of their monuments? cause that civic is actively detrimental now

I'd be happy if just the gas got removed. It made sense when the base building had no jobs, but now it's 2 gas for 15 stability, which is absolutely brutal.

 

[HFY]

I'm wondering if we could get some comments on the state of MacOS and Linux issues? While I can run the same set of mods on Windows, there are some very sad-making issues that make the other two platforms incompatible with huge swathes of mods.

edit: highlighting that it works under Proton, but not native, which ... may imply compiler issue? It's fascinating~

Stellaris - CTD on Launch, only using DLCs plus Gigastructural engineering

Description CTD on Launch, only using DLCs plus Gigastructural engineering Game Version 3.6.1 What version do you use? Steam What expansions do you have installed? Synthetic Dawn, Utopia, Leviathans Story Pack, Apocalypse, Megacorp...

forum.paradoxplaza.com

This got fixed with the latest release of Gigastructures.

It would be nice if those errors didn't crash-to-desktop and PDX can definitely do better in terms of error handling but that one roadblock has been removed.

 

[SirBlackAxe]

I'd be happy if just the gas got removed. It made sense when the base building had no jobs, but now it's 2 gas for 15 stability, which is absolutely brutal.

tbh I wish we could toggle the monuments between no upkeep or jobs (default) and both upkeep and jobs. Often I'll want to build a monument for the direct unity but don't want to deal with workers promoting into the culture worker jobs before I can disable them.