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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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Looks great! Excited to see what’s coming in Andromeda too. Hopefully no one’s going to try to squeeze in some half-baked features for the anniversary this year… right?
 
Individualist machines? Glad to see it! Can they "ascend" into biologicals?

Synths/machines wanting to become real boys/girls/other; expectation commander Data. Reality, Illuminor Szeras.
 
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This looks extremely good for what it is, but I think I have to point out that biological and psionic ascension will be extremely underwhelming the second this goes live.

To be honest, doing a massive expansion of only half of the ascension options seems like a bad idea in the first place, just don't forget to do the rest next.
 
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For sure, but what about:
  • Techno Disasters
  • Pandemics/Bio threats
  • Galactic/Cosmic Weather catastrophes
  • Temporal Disasters
Did it hat to be something buried in time awakeing once again? ffs...
It fits the game’s conceit, tbf.

The game’s premise is: “The galaxy is ancient and full of wonders.”

As a result, a lot of mechanics are built around the narrative that there have been numerous galactic cycles before you and that you’re standing on the shoulders of giants.

That’s not to say having another “ancient and threatening evil menace” is the best possible choice, but it’s not shocking to see them reuse the concept.

Personally, I’ll wait to see what the new crisis is before judging. The Contingency are off-brand Reapers whereas, based on everything we’re getting with Machine Age, I suspect we’re getting off-brand Necrons. While they both fill the same “ancient evil machine” niche, they’re distinct enough concepts that I’m fine with them co-existing.
 
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This looks hella cool even though I don't touch those dangerous synthoids if I can help it. Love that you dropped something all the synthoid lovers have been begging for since they kind of got left in the dust by all these other bells and whistles from other DLCs for a long spell. Can't wait to see how these new things play in the AI hands for new funsies from the outside.
 
We are going to build a Great Galactic Wall! And Andromeda is paying for it!
This was done before the start of the movie, in "The Last StarFighter"
The crisis empire breaks the borders and the galactic coalition tries to mount a defence.

Great Movie, very old, but highly recomended.

1710443046655.jpeg
 
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This looks very promising indeed. I like how pretty much all of it is just extra content.
 
Yes, they are. Genocidal empires want to kill everyone. That's, like, what it means. Devouring Swarms want to kill everyone in the galaxy. Fanatic Purifiers want to kill all aliens. Etc.


Except it was sealed, by its creators. It went mad with isolation and deliberately hacked its activation even though the Class 30 singularity isn't even close, just to get to kill people.
I am sorry that this DLC doesn't sound worth it to you.

I understand the feeling, for me RimWorld adding bookshelves and wall lights is far more impactful to my colonies than all the horror elements in that newly announced DLC that I doubt I will interact with. Not every DLC can make everyone happy, hopefully something in future will excite you.
So literally just "Synthetic Dawn, but again"?

Also:

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?

I am skeptical as to how this will be in any meaningful way distinct from the Contingency.

Sorry, but I don't really see what the hype is about.
To counter your confusion, from this Dev diary:
"Building upon the system introduced in Nemesis, The Machine Age introduces a second player crisis path, focused on technological ascendancy at any cost."

Keywords:
"player crisis path" meaning the system of "Become the Crisis" ascension perk, menace points, unlocks, ship set and Aetherophasic Engine win-condition.

The second player crisis path doesn't mean the second genocidal empire, even if those two things sound similar.
We have lots of genocidal empires, more than just the ones you mentioned as any empire can be genocidal with planet crackers, even pacifists can shield every planet in the galaxy until only they are left to rule it... but currently we only have one special win-condition with building the Aetherophasic Engine

April 18The New Player Crisis

I look forward April 18th and finding out how the new player crisis will work. I hope it involves new choices, new Menace unlocks, new end-goals instead of just the shroud-themed Aetherophasic Engine and pirate-themed menace ships.

I was rather disappointed with the Imperial and Pirate ships in the Nemesis DLC (The DLC was fun to play, but not what was advertised). I still want some sleek elegant white and gold regal ships one day as well as more ships in the style of the Star Eater.

If I were involved in designing I would expand the mechanic of "Menace points" and unlocks to be made more flexible for increased replayability:

I was sad that Become the Crisis was so fixed and disconnected from the rest of the game. How to make it flexible and better integrated?

Earn Menace points earlier (from the start of the game) and unlock the positives and negatives of genocidal empires gradually rather than everyone hating genocidal civics at game start before they have done anything actually menacing.

With unlocks branching into several paths, more ways of earning menace points, new unlocks, new ship sets, new choices for win condition and so on.

If I was trying to integrate the genocidal civics with the Player Crisis mechanic I would:
Make civics like Fanatic Purifier, Devouring Swarm/Terravore, Determined Exterminator, Driven Assimilator count as taking the Ascension Perk if Nemesis DLC is unlocked and for each civic to generate menace points towards their own goals, unlocks and special victory conditions, little things like Driven Assimilator earning menace from assimilating pops, researching debris - to unlock new big chunky ships like Borg Cubes and special transwarp conduits/early jump drives.
(Even a simple re-theme of the Aetherophasic Engine for each empire type using a different resource, nanites/living metal/zro/dark matter etc)

So:
Everyone generates menace from doing evil things (threat from menace points decays when menace hasn't increased in a few years), and you can track what an empire did that makes everyone hate them, enough to eventually kick them out of the galactic community.
Become the Crisis Ascension perk/civics lets Menace points unlock new ships, burn starts for fuel and to eventually win.
More choices for your ideal type of evil.

Player Crisis paths could include:
1. Marauder Crisis with the pirate ships (more menace points from Vassalize empires/Conquest, unlock pirate ships, bases, unlocked vassal types and uncapped enclave creation)
2. Psionic Crisis with psionic entities, odd ships and Star Eaters (More menace from shroud interactions, unleashing more psionic entities on the galaxy)
3. Royal Crisis with Fancy ships (more menace from breaching laws, disruptive espionage operations - unlock new fancy ships, deals, laws, espionage operations and ways to usurp the custodian position)
4. Paperclip Maximizers with a swarm of identical ships and armies (more menace the more ships you build - unlock new ways of converting everything into paperclip factories)
...and so on.

For me the Aetherophasic Engine was cool once, but didn't have much replay value. And Gestalt Machines are great thematically and cosmetically but lacking mechanically.

So I'm looking forward to playing as individual machines, getting more player Crisis options and not being locked into a shroud-themed win-condition. It all sounds amazing so far to me *fingers crossed*
 
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