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Stellaris Dev Diary #335 - Announcing The Machine Age

It is time to leave our flawed biological vessels behind.​


It’s my pleasure to announce that The Machine Age major expansion will be released alongside the Stellaris 3.12 ‘Andromeda’ update.

Focusing on cybernetic, synthetic, and machine themes, The Machine Age will begin during the second quarter of 2024.

In pursuing the divine calling, we shall achieve the fusion of the exalted body and sacred cybernetics.​


The Technophants and Haruspex of the Cybernetic Creed will guide their flock to the perfect union of flesh and machine.

Cybernetic Creed

Cybernetic augmentation is not solely the province of the materialists.

Playgrounds stand empty. In time, we will cease to be.​

For now, our salvation lies in the digital realm…​


A doomed species races against extinction to reach the virtual world in Synthetic Fertility.

Synthetic Fertility

Blur the lines between the physical and virtual worlds.

Our planet is barren, but our home system is a bounty of riches.​

To exploit them, we must build bigger than ever before.​


Originally designed to build mighty constructions in space, the Arc Welders must utilize that advantage to the fullest to overcome the deficiencies of their homeworld.

Arc Welders

These masters of Mega-Engineering began exploiting their home system before discovering faster-than-light travel.

The things that make me different​

are the things that make me, me.​


The creators may be gone, but society endures. Your chassis may have begun identical to trillions of others in your empire, but you are no drone - you are an individual.

With The Machine Age, you can explore the game as non-Gestalt, Individualist Machine Empires!

Individualistic Machines

Always remember that you are absolutely unique. Just like everyone else.

A transformative age is upon us,​

sparked by innovation and oiled by opportunity.​


The Machine Age explores how Cybernetic and Synthetic Ascension affect society within your empire.
Advanced government forms are available to empires that navigate the process.

Advanced Authorities

The Cybernetic Creed Origin has an additional variant for each standard Authority.

Become better than you are.​


Six new civics provide additional choices for your empires.

Civics

Corporate and Hive Mind civics require MegaCorp or Utopia respectively.

Filling out Form 42-A on a Bureaucratic World


Build a better future.​


Two mid-game structures are introduced in The Machine Age - exploit systems with the molten world Arc Furnace, and start your work towards a Dyson Sphere early by building the Dyson Swarm.

Dyson Swarm

And so we came forth and once again beheld the stars.

Ignorance shackles us, putting the universe’s secrets out of reach.​

No matter the price, we must break free.​


Building upon the system introduced in Nemesis, The Machine Age introduces a second player crisis path, focused on technological ascendancy at any cost.

Something Greater

The time has come to be part of something greater.

My children, at last I am returned to you.​


For the first time since the Contingency was introduced in the Stellaris 1.8 “Čapek” release, a new end-game crisis has been unleashed.

An ancient threat, sealed away for countless millennia, has returned.


The Machine Age logo

The Machine Age expansion includes:​

  • Individualistic Non-Gestalt Machine Empires​
  • Gestalt Machine Intelligence Empires (also unlocked by the Synthetic Dawn Story Pack)
  • Three new Origins​
    • Cybernetic Creed​
    • Synthetic Fertility​
    • Arc Welders​
  • Civics​
    • Guided Sapience​
    • Natural Design​
    • Obsessional Directive​
    • Protocol Droids​
    • Tactical Cogitators​
    • Augmentation Bazaars (Requires Megacorp)
  • Two Mid-Game Structures​
    • Arc Furnace​
    • Dyson Swarms​
  • New Ascension Paths for Machine Empires​
  • Cybernetic and Synthetic Ascension (also unlocked by Utopia)
  • Exploration of the effects of the cyberization or synthesization of society, with Advanced Government Forms for those who complete it.​
  • New Species Traits for Cyborgs, Machines and Robots​
  • Cybernetic portraits that change based on advancement through cyberization​
  • Synthetic portraits with both organic and synthetic variants that changed based on synthesization, usable by either organics or machines​
  • Two new Shipsets, Diplomatic Rooms, and City Sets​
  • 7 new music tracks synthetic and cybernetic inspired music tracks​
  • A new Player Crisis Path​
  • …And a new End-Game Crisis.

Dev Diary Schedule
Dev Diary Topic
March 14​
Announcing The Machine Age​
March 21​
The Origins and Situations of The Machine Age​
March 28​
Individualistic Machines and Machine Gameplay Updates​
April 4​
Civics and Structures of The Machine Age and Auto-Modding​
April 11​
The New End-Game Crisis​
April 18​
The New Player Crisis​
April 25​
The Art of The Machine Age - Ships and Reactive Portraits​

 
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Will we be getting a Spiritualist Age DLC next? Otherwise it's pitchforks from me, until we spiritualists get our due.
 
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Will Genetic and Psionic ascension gain access to advanced government forms as well? It would probably be an addition to a previous dlc, but it’d make sense if they’re getting some as well!
 
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Are you, politely speaking, out of your god damn minds? What do you mean 'second'? What are Fanatic Purifiers, Devouring Swarms, Determined Exterminators, then? Chopped liver?
the Become the Crisis ascension perk from Nemesis

not every genocidal empire is a crisis but every crisis is genocidal on a galactic scale

I am skeptical as to how this will be in any meaningful way distinct from the Contingency.
the Contingency was never sealed away, like the Cybrex, it waited until the right time to come back. for the murder drones case, it was when a Class 5 singularity seemed inevitable
 
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Will Genetic and Psionic ascension gain access to advanced government forms as well? It would probably be an addition to a previous dlc, but it’d make sense if they’re getting some as well!
i don’t see why normal empires can’t have the love too, 1.X stellaris had this
 
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Some thoughts:

- Advanced governments are a cool throwback and it’s good so see them return. It’s awesome that at least some empires will evolve beyond the government types that they had at game start.

- Dyson swarms are exactly why I want and have always thought they made more sense than spheres. More mid-game structure and ways to build tall are also great additions.

- A new crisis is unexpected and seems like the exact shake-up this game needs to get the hype going again. It’s not an ambitious rework like redoing pop growth, but it certain has the wow factor.

- The stuff about portraits is also an unexpected but welcome surprise. I wonder what portraits will have cybernetic versions and how exactly all this will work.

- Somehow, the new origins and civics are taking a backseat here, which is surprising because techno-priests and virtual worlds are extremely awesome things in their own right.

Basically everything you said is awesome and this is the most hyped I’ve been for a Stellaris update in a long time.
 
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In the civic options, please note the Paperclip Icon. Paperclip Maximizer confirmed!

Can’t talk, must make paper clips, more paper clips, convert your ships to paper clips.
 
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Individualistic Non-Gestalt Machine Empires

ah, one of my points to still missing tropes

where is my machine cult and religious robots now?^^ or are the individualist robots possible spiritualist?
 
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looks great!
However, Im still a bit salty about the Player Crisis from Nemesis gaining reused pirate ships... will the new crisis get a unique shipset and will the old be updated?
 
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Big Floppa portraits (steam page) looking promising.
Also there are all 3 new origins with info in steam:
  • Cybernetic Creed - Your empire pursues a divine calling: the holy fusion of the body and cybernetics. Augmentation is worship.
  • Synthetic Fertility - Once a thriving society, a novel genetic disease leaves your empire unable to reproduce biologically. Digital salvation seems the only option to avoid extinction.
  • Arc Welders - Hailing from a world starved for space, a robotic society turns to the stars for resources
 
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