Stellaris Dev Diary #364 - Sights Unseen

[Tunon]

It would be amazing if a new ascension path, DLC, akin to the Machine Age, also introduced new dynamic portraits like Cybernetic and Synthetic, but with visible portrait evolutions for Psionics and Genetic Ascension. This could also allow for the filling of existing species portraits even more—for example, a psychic (aquatic) beaver.

 

[Ramidel]

Pirates and Crime
Space Piracy is a popular fantasy - we touched on it a bit with the Treasure Hunters origin in Grand Archive, but they could mesh well with the Nomads idea mentioned earlier or even a factional political expansion. Crime and Deviancy aren’t terribly engaging systems at the moment either, and might benefit from wider examination.

Lemme just say this. Right now, playing a Pirate Haven is completely at odds with itself, because even a Criminal Syndicate can't do pirate raids on powers that they have branch offices in, so you've got to choose between raiding and trading. That just plain sucks.

 

[Jrant]

The flag on the map is the RED UNE LOGO, and the voice is also egalitarian. How did you confirm that this is COM?

 

[Anry de Kornelle]

tell me, maybe I didn't fully understand, or is this just my fantasy about how it should work with espionage. if we get an asset, is it connected to one of the pops on the enemy planet? if we use it up, will this pop die? maybe one of the options for the future: evacuate the pop from the state to your planet? maybe the asset can be tied to the leader? who at the right moment will desert and take part of the fleet or ground garrison with him? or maybe we will be able to arrange revolutions on enemy planets, or really significant sabotage? maybe we can conduct operations where we can empty bunkers with resources? or leak scientific data as units of research?

 

[Anry de Kornelle]

perhaps it is possible to set up an agent network that will have its own buildings on the planet, only closed from the gaze of the planet's governments, but doing its dirty deeds. in addition, the bandit corporation would be more interesting if the owner did not know that he had opened an underground drug factory, where the bandits receive money, the priests on the planet receive negative signs of drug addiction. and the owner of the planet at the same time sees only an increase in banditry and that some of his priests have become drug addicts. but in order to find out who and what deeds decided to do, it is also necessary to organize planetary decisions to find the culprits and then when this is revealed, only then understand what to do with it

 

[cubelith]

With all the talk of scenarios and such, I think there's one thing that must not be forgotten: emergent gameplay. While all the pre-made stories are great, they're ultimately one-time things. The game also needs more "generic", "basic" options that can be combined to make nearly anything you wish. For example, there should be more "basic" origins than just Prosperous Unification - maybe make one for each ethic? And there still are no simple Food Upkeep species traits. And don't get me started on the lack of a "generic" Ascension Path. It seems like the Custodian team should do a pass or multiple and try to fill out such gaps. It's a relatively low cost for a great increase in customizability.

That being said, the stuff mentioned in the diary does sound pretty great too.

 

[diagrapher]

There's a lot of interesting stuff in there, I just thought about pitching in about the galactic core since it tickled my brain (or maybe that's just the slug...).
After playing some of the great Old Repucblic mod, where many kinds of routes first need to be discovered or are created by events, I thought that the core and/or the outmost regions could be an alternative or an add on to the L-cluster. Maybe even a full kind of map of "colliding galaxies" where the two halves of the map can't be crossed (easily) until midgame, allowing powerful rivals (maybe even with their own senate) could fester and grow - then either requiring a political solution for integration or a kind of midgame intergalactic war (without FEs, yet).
Alternatively, it might allow for a colonization race that is more akin to EU4 with semi-indepedent colonies, since for reason X, the regions are hard to reach, routes are unstable or communication is lacking and thus governing a bureacratic nightmare, allowing them to be fully integrated only after some time and technological progress.
Of course, the L-cluster provides something similar, but feels rather small and often it is a very short race of opening the gates followed by someone immediately blocking access (plus the mini-crisis that may pop up). I'd just like to reinvigorate that "Space is biiiig and full of horrifying wonders" feeling once more around the midgame mark...

Edit: This doesn't mean that the overall galaxy size needs to increase (since performance already can be tricky as I've read a lot and I'd agree); but just that I'd like some more variety for existing mechanics such as the L-cluster and take others, such as some of the more exotic galaxy shapes, to the extreme.

Yeah, more mid-game exploration would be a good thing to do with the core.

Also on the subject of more mid-game exploration; I should probably have said this last week, but at the time I was thinking "surely Paradox must have thought of this, and therefore must have rejected it", and also that I haven't, actually, played with Astral Rifts so maybe it's more fun than it sounds:

Astral Rifts is meant to add mid-game exploration. But arc sites don't really feel like exploration.

New star systems with weird stuff going on unlocked in the midgame do feel like exploration. And the obvious way to implement astral rifts seems to be "bypasses to special star systems with weird stuff going on that aren't located on the galaxy map".

 

[AlloyGray1]

This. Cybernetic used to be the first step to Synthetic Ascension, but they were later decoupled because peopoel wanted to play Cyborgs but it felt like inferior as gameplay-wise it was first step toward a different ascension.

Currently Biological should be about Genetically perfecting your species, and we should get a new one that focuses on complete overhaul of your species and turn them into what some could call horrific monsters, even give us Biological Ships. Could be connected to Leviathans and Space Faunas as you use their DNA to "improve" your species.

And when we are on the topic of adding new Ascensions, what about Biological Ascension for individualist robots, where they become fully biological or cybernetic? I can imagine some robots, especially spiritualist, wanting to leave their mechanical husks behind and become like their ancient creators.

What if we got Mutation as an additional Ascension? It could cover the Biological shipset, we could get a Biomaterial city, and a Monster-mash-up Species pack.

 

[The Scrungler]

Factions and Politics
Governments in Stellaris may hold a grudge against you for centuries for your atrocities but pops and factions are very quick to forgive and forget. There are no revanchist or irredentist factions that make trouble when borders change, nor variety within the factions themselves. I’d also like to see factions have their own tenets and goals and different ways that you can deal with them. There have been a lot of calls for an “internal politics” expansion, but I think that it would really be politics and culture in general, affecting both your empires and those around you.

Great to hear, I've long had this idea related to how ethics and factions could interact in a more dynamic way, for example ethic factions could start with one ethic, then adopt new ethics or fuse (or splinter) with other ethic factions, for example the current Imperialist Faction could emerge from the fusion of a purely authoritarian faction and a purely militarist faction, and could then further evolve with the addition of an additional ethic, with new, more specific demands emerging. For example a Materialist-Militarist-Authoritarian faction that demands the forced military vassalisation of other empires and the extraction of research points as taxes from them (or turning a number of them into scholariums if you have overlord), or an Egalitarian-Xenophobe faction that demands freedoms exclusively for the main species and wants Xenos to be disenfranchised.

Whether factions spilt or fuse could be related to how dominant their ethics are among the pops (as well as random events), like if the pop ethics are roughly equal between factions they are more likely to join together, but if one ethic-faction is dominant is has less of a chance of wanting to opening itself up to other ethics.

Additionally there could be a system related to how radical a particular faction is, based on how small it is, how much it dislikes current policy, whether it is being suppressed, and how compatible it is with empire ethics (also maybe Police State could provide a bonus against this?). This would make factions outside of your empires norm less of a nuisance and more of an internal threat, possibly enacting terrorist attacks, worker strikes or starting planetary rebellions.
This would also be further balancing militarism and conquering, having to deal with internal threats creating from conquering different ethics would be a check on how fast empires can snowball (Although this would only work if the attacks of radical factions are severe enough)

 

[TSBasilisk]

I like the idea of scenarios; I'd actually contemplated suggesting adding an option for game-length galaxy-wide event chains earlier. Like an ongoing series of dimensional incursions escalating to an end-game breach where Void Clouds flood through black holes, or a plague of Star Devourer young taking root in various systems which will grow into Leviathans given enough time.

Also, with Nomads it could offer an option for a RPG-like scenario where you wander around a fully-developed galaxy. Maybe a Battlestar Galactica style story, where you're trying to find your homeworld through events and diplomacy while running from an enemy.

 

[Navar]

- Biological and Psionic Ascensions
My (short) wish list for Bio ascension is basically just a super version of Vocational Genomics, where instead of a single trait you get a new window that lets you assign entire species templates based on the job type. There would be a burst of micro you have to manage, then you could leave it be for the most part.

- Warfare and War Resolution
I do feel that warfare, mainly entering and exiting war, is too rigid. More windows of opportunity for going to war could help this. You should also be able to utilize your fleet diplomatically as well as militarily. Avoid open conflict by pressuring your neighbor to give up a system for example. "Why should we fight for this rock, you'd be crushed anyway so just give it up"

- Bio Ships
I would prefer this to be both a Civic and an Ascension Perk. For the civic, it would be a more powerful version of the ascension perk, and would allow you to play with those mechanics right from the start, as your people have grown into doing, while the Ascension Perk would be for those empires that pick it up elsewhere. I don't want it tied to Bio Ascension, but it could gain bonuses (like how certain civics change other tradition trees, like worker coop and mercantile).

- Factions and Politics
I worry about the average players dislike for the faction system, but I have always enjoyed them. I feel that they should remain as something you can play with instead of play around. New faction types would be welcome though, like separatist factions that you have to leverage your own spies to weed out, or a cult built around your scientist after they became an immortal. Gestalts getting factions would be great! I'd imagine they'd work as you describe, with the occasional "error" faction for the machines that have to be worked out of the system or suffer issues later on down the line. In all cases, gestalt and individualists, I think the situations system could be used a bit here outside of the situation system itself. Scales tipping one way or another tracking if a faction likes or dislikes your rule.

- Espionage
I look forward to these schemes. I think intel should be a bit more vital. I think you should be able to siphon resources (without actually removing stockpile). I think acquiring "assets" should be able to reward a leader from that empire. I think you should be able to build secret branch offices as megacorps, and get weeded out if you are caught (tie this to criminal syndicate). Theres a lot you could do that just isn't getting done!

- Playable Nomads
This could be fun, as you'd probably have to give them their own government types with unique civics. There's no way a nomadic space society would fit most of the other niches. Some? Sure, like how megacorps get copies of standard civics. But they'd work so differently compared to standard nations... they probably couldn't even use standard origins! Some, I could see: Clone Army, Scion, Necrophage, Knights of the Toxic God, Overtuned, Broken Shackles, Under One Rule, Cybernetic Creed, Storm Chasers, and Progenitor Hive. Some would need tweaks, others could just work as is. Others, like the default prosperous unification, would be far removed from the standard. Hell, you could even rework Lost Colony and Doomsday to work. Doomsday would be neat, becoming nomadic due to losing your home!

- Pirates and Crime
Actual pirate societies would be cool, and I do like the existence of crime, but the execution is flawed: either you have now way to actually stop the amount of crime comin' your way, or its a complete non-issue.

- Species Packs
I'm sure there are more to do, but I'm not sure if there's much point to it. I much prefer stuff like the Toxoids, less of a phenotype more of a theme.

- Scenarios
Never saw the appeal. This is a game about exploration, discovery! Why would I want a preset galaxy????

I love these sorts of dev diaries, though I do look forward to the proper glimpses of upcoming additions/changes.

 

[Pearbear60]

I am loving the Victoria style pop management and internal politics or multinational factions. It all sounds great!

 

[SHDU Studios]

I have a whole list of things I'd want to change/add. I'll cut out the things that were covered in this diary, which is a good portion of them. Without further ado:

The ability to change the start date to anywhere from 0 to 9999. The default would still be 2200, but it would encourage RP for alien empires and past/future versions of humanity. Not everyone starts in 2200. The default should at least be 2180 for that one civic that starts you out with limited technology (I can't recall the name).

A comprehensive religion system, similar to how Megacorp works or the religion system in CK3. This would include a civic where the government is kind of psionic magocracy.

A new set of Megastructures, similar to Gigastuctures. Alderson Disks are a must here.

More planet types.

Post galactic conquest or unification content

The ability to play as an internal rebellion (like Star Wars). Maybe in an already conquered galactic imperium?

The ability to start as primitives along with the ability (for primitives or early empires) to establish limited colonies on barren worlds, like we’re planning to do with Mars. (This is kind of covered in the scenarios section)

More federation types such as a federation against a specific country, and a specifically pacifistic type.

The ability to travel to another galaxy… but make it somewhat balanced, maybe it’s a very small galaxy but with multiple empires. Like an L-Gate thing.

More crisis types and intentions beyond “conquer the galaxy”

More things like the Great Khan, where a minor empire can suddenly become very powerful.

The ability to play as a fallen empire.

More precursor civilizations!

More name lists, maybe culturally specific human ones and some more sci-fi and fantasy references.

An ability to change the “galaxy age” (separate from start date). This functions kind of like it does in Civilization. In a younger galaxy, there are more massive stars, but less abundant strategic resources. In an older galaxy, there are more red dwarves and black holes, with more strategic resources. There are far ends of the spectrum too, with a galaxy so old that it is almost completely black holes. This would create more roleplay opportunities.

Less humanoid alien portraits, let’s do some weird stuff. (Kind of covered, but it'd be fun to go weird too)

More fantastical elements, like more things to do with the Shroud. This would tie into that hypothetical religion update. (Looking at psionic ascension is a good start, but we could do more)

More ways to customize your government; succession types, power sharing (like a constitutional monarchy), certain leaders pushing for policies to be implemented (like Victoria 3).

Those are all of mine for now and please give me feedback if you feel so inclined. Thanks for reading.

 

[Killy_Blame]

I would love to see the Planetary Diversity Mod implement into Vanilla Stellaris.

 

[Metzelmänchen]

I don't want to be trolly but I think the different ways of Hypertravel the game had in the beginning were very cool and a nice way to set you empire apart. I know they were/are a balancing problem and not really fun to wage a war with but I think there can be ways found around without only having only hyperlanes. E.g. the FTL inhibitors could have an upgrade allowing it to affect hypertravel in an area where all travel is re-routed to that Inhibitor.
Or maybe it could be an universal setting, saying in this universe we are only playing hypertravel type A and the next one only with hypertravel type Y.

 

[RoboticManiac]

Having a victoria style pops system would be the holy grail of Stellaris development imo.

 

[Karlos Activia]

I got a Bit Sad about the First Contact DLC, like not being Able to Play a Fully Primitive Civilization, aswell as the lack of Interaction with the Pre-FTLs.

More Options to Interact with the Pre-FTLs would be Nice.

Plus, getting the Console Edition to the PC Edition. Like, Console is WAAAAAY behind of PC, it would be nice to get them to where PC is now and maybeeeee make Cross-Multiplayer?

Other than that, how about a Fallen Empire Origin, or maybe a Extended Goverment Type?

 

[Toybasher]

Hello!

Thought I might chip in with the ideas being thrown around as of late.
- Remove forced peace
- Remove war cool down
- Remove forced Introductions
- Assignable faction leader to ships (same as the Khan)
- Dismantle ANY megastructure (sentry array and synaptic lathe to be specific)
- Cosmic storms severity level (Seasons?)
- Selectable voice ques on/off (new research specifically)
- Future Shroud focused DLC (Shroud breeding?)
- Persecutions
- Drugs (opium wars style)
- More secret fealty
- More trade options (ships, armies, pops?)
- True Closed Space (I know you can attack them regardless)
- Dealing with crime from encouraging it to the extreme
- Select All option species menu

Espionage:
- Assassinations
- Bribery
- Crime
- Corruption
- Cyber attacks

- Leader pets
- Mobilization Council agenda
- King lists
- Royal Marriages with or without strings attached
- New notification menu? (Sims 4)
- Imperial coronation
- Imperial Family (Extra positive/negative traits, Similar to Government Council focused on succession and failsafes)

I agree on your war changes. I still think some mechanics still need to exist, but for instance, I feel War Exhaustion could be changed so instead of a forced end to the war through game mechanics, it instead applies stacking debuffs to stability and population happiness, ethics attraction, etc. so empires will want to end the war due to instability and unhappy pops. Basically if the player still wants to wage the war at 100% war exhaustion, let them, but they'll potentially have a civil war on their hands if they can't keep their pops happy. Think something like how EU4 handles war exhaustion.

Or something like 0-100 War exhaustion is unchanged, past 100 war exhaustion, scaling debuffs to happiness etc. at 500 war exhaustion, forced peace possible like before so we can't have forever wars.


Also, I feel truces need to be looked at. It's weird we can't break them like in CK3 or EU4 and it makes little sense for determined exterminators to care about truces. Only concern is game balance since a genocidal could declare war on the same empire back to back.

 

[McLenny]

This is all exciting stuff. Since we are being prompted to share our visions of the future of Stellaris, I'd have one request.

As far as I know, there is no such thing as "dynamic music" in Stellaris. Of course, it is probably too late to implement such a feature officially, since most songs haven't been made with being played in specific situations in mind.

So how about about implementing modding capabilities for dynamic music? Perhaps by giving certain songs a bigger chance to play if certain conditions are met, such as being in a war a the crisis being present, etc.

As someone who makes music mods, I believe that this relatively minor addition could add a great deal of awe to the game.
As far as I am aware, no such feature exists, but if it does, be sure to correct me and I'll start updating my mods right away!

Anyhow, I love how engaged the development team is with the community. Truly, this is one of the best examples I've seen in the gaming landscape. Keep up the amazing work

 

[Gokki]

I think a tiered system of population would work well enough.

Tiered pops are set on a logarithmic scale for every decimal of pop increase:

• Tier 0 - 0-999 pops, an outpost or research base
• Tier 1 - 1000-9999 pops
• Tier 2 - 10'000+ pops
• Tier 3 - 100'000-999'999 pops
• Tier 4 - 1'000'000+ pops
• Tier 5 - 10M+ pops
• Tier 6 - 100M+ pops
• Tier 7 - 1B+ pops
• Tier 8 - 10B+ pops
• Tier 9 - 100B+ pops
• Tier 10 - 1 Trillion+ pops, a super megalopolis hive superplanet

This way, the game only has to worry about the tier number when calculating pop outputs. Bonus: remove tier 0 or 10 to have single-byte memory function for this.

The various specialists would be a simple pie chart of percentages of population in those roles. Perhaps, instead of using specialists, use Economic Sectors and how much % of the population is engaging in those sectors. Examples:

• Public Sector
  • Administrative 0.15% (district maintemance)
  • Healthcare 1.56% (pop growth)
  • Waste Management (ecology)
  • Infrastructure (building maintenance)
• Private Sector
  • Transportation (resource cost)
  • Manufacture (resource output)
  • Research
  • Agriculture
• etc etc

When it comes to calculating planetary and country output, you could probably just sum each of these up to have empire-wide outputs that are simple to compute.
Another alternative is the concept of "yearly budgets" - performance in the previous year will dictate the empire and galaxy-wide calculations for the next tear at fixed rates. So things like mineral outputs can be a fixed value across the empire based on monthly performance in the previous year - this allows for certain calculations to run separately from the tactical simulation and avoids frame-to-frame degradation by doing timecode-based calculations on the sector outputs.