Stellaris Dev Diary #289 - Hide and Seek

[verybad]

I think I just had a game related orgasm...didn't know that was possible till now.

 

[SeraphAscending]

This right here.

Even outside of Syndicates or branch offices, som sort of cloaked piracy would be nice to see.

Even if it is just a component that needs to be added.
Something like "while in enemy territory: 0.1 piracy per day". Would make it fun to just disrupt the enemy economy with ultra-stealth covert fleets causing chaos.

 

[Harkinian's Dinner]

Underrated improvement from this DLC: The tech trees will be better balanced now! Seems Physics and Society will be getting most/all the new powerful techs, making them more competitive with Engineering.

 

[SeraphAscending]

Simple question. Was or will the tradition tree "Subterfuge" be revised to add bonuses to cloaking and recon?

From what i got:
no tradition tree got a detection bonus, but subterfuge got a stealth bonus +1

 

[Bhaala]

Will any of the crisis factions (Grey Tempest - Unbidden) have cloaking themselves?

 

[BaBoFantasy]

New AI component. Modders can also specify that AI should prefer a given ship role for certain ship types now.

This is REALLY GREAT! I've always been looking forward to AI empires being able to properly use the ship role system.

 

[BaBoFantasy]

Eh, here's the entire script for the first tech.

Could you just show us more - the scripts for component itself?

 

[Auztin]

What is the influence cost for building starbases as the jumpdrive empires, and how will trade be handled?

I'm definitely going to tell my pre 1.9 purist buddies about this and hopefully I can convince them to give it a go when the dlc comes out.

 

[FleetMaster]

Looking forward to this.

Just one question - do Bulwark stations/admirals get any detection bonuses?

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Could you just show us more - the scripts for component itself?

For the tier 1 cloaking device, why not.

Spoiler: Basic Cloaking Device

# Basic Cloaking Device
utility_component_template = {
    key = "CORVETTE_CLOAKING_1"
    size = aux
    icon = "GFX_ship_part_cloak_1"
    icon_frame = 1
    power = @power_S2
    resources = {
        category = ship_components
        cost = {
            alloys = @cloak_s_t1_cost_alloys
            exotic_gases = @cloak_s_t1_cost_strategic_resources
        }
        upkeep = {
            energy = @cloak_s_t1_upkeep_energy
            alloys = @cloak_s_t1_upkeep_alloys
        }
    }

    modifier = {
        ship_cloaking_strength_add = @very_low_strength
    }

    triggered_ship_modifier = {
        potential = {
            is_cloaked = yes
        }
        modifier = {
            ship_shield_reduction = 1
        }
    }
    custom_tooltip = "CLOAKING_1_TOOLTIP"

    ship_limit = 1

    size_restriction = { corvette frigate crisis_corvette offspring_corvette }
    blocked_by = {
        CORVETTE_CLOAKING_2
        CORVETTE_CLOAKING_3
        CORVETTE_CLOAKING_DARK_MATTER
        CORVETTE_CLOAKING_PSI
    }
    prerequisites = { "tech_cloaking_1" }
    component_set = "CLOAKING_1"
    upgrades_to = "CORVETTE_CLOAKING_2"
    ai_tags = {
        gunship_stealth
        explosive_stealth
        carrier_stealth
        screen_stealth
        artillery_stealth
        brawler_stealth
        energy_torpedoes_stealth
    }

    ai_weight = {
        weight = @basic_cloaking_weight
        modifier = {
            factor = 0
            no_resource_for_component = { RESOURCE = exotic_gases }
        }
        inline_script = ship_components/weights/roles_cloaking_devices
    }
}

 

[G S Palmer]

Eh, here's the entire script for the first tech.

tech_cloaking_1 = {
cost = @tier2cost3
area = physics
tier = 2
category = { field_manipulation }
ai_update_type = all
is_rare = yes
prerequisites = { "tech_shields_2" }
weight = @tier2weight3

potential = {
has_first_contact_dlc = yes
}[/CODE
[/QUOTE]

So cloaking is locked behind the DLC? I thought the general goal was to have important mechanics be base game.

 

[Gorehuchi]

Love basically everything I'm seeing! Can't wait to try it out for myself!
The civics do seem a bit weak though, despite being wonderfully novel. Do those civics give any kind of benefit to using proper jump drives, once you have them? Maybe a reduction to their cooldown? Your empire would more adapted to the tech after all, and it would give some late-game payoff to the civic.

 

[ASGeek2012]

I think the idea was to make mixed composition more combat efficient. This new situation is to offer one small specific niché for small ship only fleets - not to have those fleets be the default or always the best choice. It's just one strategic option if you're going more for general control over combat prowess.

I can see a strategy developing where I create a fleet of fast corvettes and frigates, send them cloaked into an empire I want to war against, and poise them to either take out a potential reserve fleet to cripple their firepower, take over a starbase with lots of shipyards to hamper reinforcements, or take a cluster of stars with lots of mining bases to wreck their economy. The main battle force would then be heavier capital ships of cruisers and battleships, where cloaking is not as critical a need.

So,, yeah, there might be some monofleet shenanigans, but different from just-build-battleships. The cloaking tech I feel makes smaller ships useful into the late game.

 

[DeanTheDull]

Eh, here's the entire script for the first tech.

Spoiler: Basic Cloaking

tech_cloaking_1 = {
    cost = @tier2cost3
    area = physics
    tier = 2
    category = { field_manipulation }
    ai_update_type = all
    is_rare = yes
    prerequisites = { "tech_shields_2" }
    weight = @tier2weight3

    potential = {
        has_first_contact_dlc = yes
    }

    # Unlocks Active Reconnaissance
    feature_flags = {
        active_reconnaissance_unlocked
    }

    prereqfor_desc = {
        hide_prereq_for_desc = component
        custom = {
            title = "TECH_UNLOCK_CLOAKING_1_TITLE"
            desc = "TECH_UNLOCK_CLOAKING_1_DESC"
        }
    }

    weight_modifier = {
        modifier = {
            factor = value:tech_weight_likelihood
            OR = {
                research_leader = {
                    area = physics
                    has_trait = "leader_trait_expertise_field_manipulation"
                }
                research_leader = {
                    area = physics
                    has_trait = "leader_trait_curator"
                }
                research_leader = {
                    area = physics
                    has_trait = "leader_trait_fotd_scientist"
                }
            }
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = @ap_technological_ascendancy_rare_tech
            has_ascension_perk = ap_technological_ascendancy
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = @federation_perk_factor
            has_federation = yes
            federation = {
                has_federation_perk = rare_tech_boost
                any_member = { has_technology = tech_cloaking_1 }
            }
        }
        modifier = {
            factor = 5
            has_tradition = tr_subterfuge_adopt
        }
    }

    ai_weight = {
        modifier = {
            factor = 1.25
            research_leader = {
                area = physics
                has_trait = "leader_trait_expertise_field_manipulation"
            }
        }
    }
}

Can anyone help clarify what
weight = @tier2weight3
actual weight is?

The rest I think is clear enough-

The tech is a Tier 2 physics/field manipulation tech, so it can be as early as your fourth physics tech (in theory).

The scientist traits that boost the chance of the tech are: scientist with field manipulation trait, a curator scientist, or "leader trait fotd" (Fear of the Dark origin / the secondary planet?)

Other things are: technological ascendancy AP, having adopted the Subterfuge tradition, or having a federation member who has it.

For the Subterfuge tradition, that seems to have a weighting of 5 times?

 

[DeanTheDull]

So cloaking is locked behind the DLC? I thought the general goal was to have important mechanics be base game.

The important mechanics would seem to be the primitive system, which doesn't require cloaking. (You'll get awareness, but you still can get insights and such.)

 

[Idle America]

I'm gonna do that annoying thing I do every diary: We need an "original template" for nerve-stapled species in Fallen Empires, so we can free them without taking the genetic ascension path.

 

[DeanTheDull]

What is the influence cost for building starbases as the jumpdrive empires, and how will trade be handled?

I'd expect the same way it works for colony ships and system claims with jump drives in the late game- cost is still based on hyperlane jumps, trade still has to be protected, etc.

Trade protection in unclaimed systems would probably be countered by jump-driving corvettes into the system. Piracy grows to 25% of the trade value, 1 corvette is 10 piracy suppressed, so 1 corvette per system per 40 trade going through.

 

[Lorenerd11]

Second: Why is the invention of cloaking a normal tech for everyone? I had expected a Ascension Perk or another "gate" for inventing them. Not every empire in the known sci-fi tropes has got such a thing.

I don't see an issue with it.

Subterfuge still provides benefits to cloaking, compared to empires without it.

 

[Peepijeep]

But you can use preplanned growth...

What do you mean with preplanned growth? With -10 pops, you will have a very difficult start (every realm will beat you)

 

[SeraphAscending]

I don't see an issue with it.

Subterfuge still provides benefits to cloaking, compared to empires without it.

Yes, that and also it is simply immersive for people to research technologies that they know others have, too.
You need to understand how something works to build effective countermeasures - even if you never intend to use the technology yourself.