Stellaris Dev Diary #364 - Sights Unseen

[Skyfire2275]

I hope the scenarios concept allows for pre-built static galaxies. I'd love to have the ability to set up scenarios with predefined maps.

 

[Tseudonym]

I like everything you just said!

 

[Tseudonym]

The 3.14.1592 patch

Join the Nerd Side. We have pi.

 

[Tseudonym]

Finally, I still don't understand why the Humanoid portrait category has 3 different version of the Human race.

The reason for this is: one is the original version, left in the game for those who like it; one is the revamped version, that was initially intended to replace the original, before they decided to keep it for legacy reasons, and one is the cybernetic version with dynamic portraits.

 

[SigilQuiver2]

I am excited for more bio ship stuff, but I would be a bit disappointed if it was only attainable by bio ascension, we have nanite ships but it feels good because it's niche, bio ships feels like a much wider net.

I think it would be nice to have slightly more in depth covenants with an easier path to get to the one you want. For example, the final reward being a ship component doesn't really make much sense for some of the covenants in my opinion. having the composer give buffs to bio ships could also be cool maybe some different armies and pop jobs could also spice things up a bit.

Lasly, if you are going to add growth stages to bio ships again please add a significant amount of ways to buff it up, it doesn't feel great on fauna right now, I usually only use it once or twice in a game. Maybe link it to growth/assembly speed on planets?

 

[Harkinian's Dinner]

All of these things sound hype. I wish implementing them would take priority over another risky rework of the economy system.

Only think I don't like is the idea of further reducing randomness of Psionic ascension. It already lost some of its mystery with the general Ascension overhaul a while ago. I think Psionic ascension is at its best and most flavourful when you have little to no control over it and it feels like you're messing with forces you don't understand. The slot machine aspect of it, which used to include even getting Psionic Theory in the first place, is a big part of the appeal.

 

[P0tat01]

I feel like the directives thing for machine intelligences could instead be flavored as interpretations, different views on how to execute their one directive. A video on the paperclip maximizer (i think it was by issac author, idk) talked about how even for paper clips you could have huge debates about what that means (example: is a paperclip something that binds information? Then just make a computer and make infinite folders. Does it need to be that shape? Ect). This could slot nicely into the established systems of traits and civics that already exist to describe a machine empires directive.

Aside from that i am hyped to see your interpretations of some of these things! Nomads i am especially looking forward to (i know its not a roadmap, but its cool the team is thinking about these cool sounding mechanics and systems)

 

[Silenalex]

Fallen Empires and old end game crisis are in desperate need of some love.

 

[Shadowstrike]

One thing I would love to see come back is shared systems (between different nations). I'm sure there must be a way to make it work under the "one starbase per system" rule. It would make things so much more logical with the FotD origin, and with sharing space with pre-FTL nations.

 

[Drullo321]

In general the outlook about what comes next looks promising in term of expected content.

However I'm not so fond of the ideas of scenarios, from my own personal (dis)interest but also having a look at similar games where scenario DLCs weren't well received (either at all or just compared to other games).
Have a look at other grand strategy, simulation or 4X games over the years, revent and older titles. Those where it wasn't well received wasn't because it was bad content, poorly delivered or bugged. It wasn't what the majority of people wanted and the dev time / DLC could have been spent on something more aligning with the game itself.

Stellaris already have some kind of scenarios by providing basic origins (P.Unification, Remnants, Mechanist) and Roleplay (and replayable!) origins like UOR, KotG, Treasure Hunters (a bit), Broken Shackles/Payback, FotD.

If there were separate scenarios I don't think i would be interested in. Simply because it is not why i play and like Stellaris. Those roleplay scenario like origins already in the game however are nice and I'm definetely not against some kind of roleplay origin/civic style DLC with 3-4 fleshed out origins.

In addition to that DLC it would be nice for the patch coming alongside to further enhance the new galaxy settings. Personally I'm still dissatisfied with the lack of customization settings the galaxy settings provide. On the one side we can (gladly!) customize storms and voidworm/cutholoids appearance into the smallest detail, however we still have no control over many other similar important things:
- Leviathan appearance (number and which)
- Ratio of authorities (playing MegaCorp and your 10 nearest neighbors are Gestalt and MegaCorp) and Hostility (peaceful<->aggressive ethics)

It isn't about to make it easy but to create a more personal experience and your own D.I.Y. scenario. I regularly start again arround 50 times on medium sized galaxy until I have a gamestart I want to play i.e. a start I consider myself fun to play. Therefore because of lack of game options i then have to unpack the savefile and search if certain things are present which other games simply provide game settings for.

 

[Nyrael]

Trade!

I think it is a system that could add so much to the game if done properly. The current system was a very big letdown. Link it to strategic resources, or create entirely new trade comodities. Add proper trade routes to foreign nations, make a more interactive system that you dont interact with only when piracy is a problem. I think the trader empire or megacorp fantasy simply doesnt work with the current system.

Although they did not talk about it in this diary, they did mention that they are designing a new Trade system, and potentially making it connected to supply lines. So it seems to be on the TODO list.

 

[workbot]

I just wanna say, I'm so grateful for the cyborg clone ascendant fix.

I abandoned my game where my goal was clone-bugs that went with democratic interlink... We're back baybee!!

 

[Nyrael]

All of these things sound hype. I wish implementing them would take priority over another risky rework of the economy system.

Only think I don't like is the idea of further reducing randomness of Psionic ascension. It already lost some of its mystery with the general Ascension overhaul a while ago. I think Psionic ascension is at its best and most flavourful when you have little to no control over it and it feels like you're messing with forces you don't understand. The slot machine aspect of it, which used to include even getting Psionic Theory in the first place, is a big part of the appeal.

That can be handled in other, more immersive ways, I think.
For example, there could be a safe limit to which you could cast Psionic spells. But the more you go past the limit, the more likely it is that you get events that punish you. If it goes too far, you might cause a massive Galactic Crisis that endangers you and everyone else (like unleashing Psionic monstrosities upon the Galaxy, a planet being permanently corrupted, dozens of your POPs disappearing, etc.). The more you go past the limit, the more dangerous it gets but you don't know in what way.
Stay under the limit, and you may occasionally get random free gifts.

RNG is still there, risks are still there, yet you have a lot of agency.

 

[Zergor]

I feel that the "risk of too many habitable planets" with allowing frozen or molten world to be colonized problem could easily be solved by both a pop rework and a rework of colonization itself and how planets are managed.
Habitats already break the system a bit by creating a world in each system and you had to prevent the AI to make too many of them because it was basically optimal but slowing the game.

I feel that a good option would be to have pop growth be empire wide and not planet wide so that having more planets is not always strictly better. On top of that, not all planets would need to be fully customizable. That could be reserved for a few important planets of the empire that would be regional capitals. A molten world could be colonized easily by molten aliens of for a high price for other species (both at start and a low habitability increasing upkeep) and be for example a mining world, where pops generate minerals but with no building slots or districts.

I feel that planets create too much useless micro because all can be fully customized and require so for minimal gain. In the end specializing planets is the optimal solution so might as well simplify most of them.

In my vision of a possible stellaris you would have at most one or 2 real planets in each sector (the ring world could be transformed in a single huge planet for instance). Those planets would contain most of your population and be the place where science and administration is done. And the rest would be minor colonies where you don't have to do much. They produce basic ressourses using a few pops. You could upgrade them for scalability (accept more pops and be more efficient), a bit like the lathe but not a lot more. Habitability and amenities could be taken care of by buildings in the few major planets that would affect all minor planets in their sector. This would make empire seem both wide and be more manageable micro wise.

If you put a cost in maintaining major planets and make it redundant to have more than one or 2 in a sector, that could take care of the sprawl problem. If on top of that pop growth is empire wide and not planet wide, having too many major planets would be detrimental because you can't have enough pops to fill them.

 

[cryptkeeper]

-Bio ships
One thing I would like to suggest is either allow the lithiod shipset to work with this idea or make another lithiod shipset. Another thing we need planet eating collossi. Perhaps sneak in a new planet cracker weapon that allows you to crack any planet for resource deposits .

-Warfare system
Has been a burden for a long while, while I like some aspects to it. It needs more fluidity like you have stated. Diplomacy should matter even in war.

-A faction and culture system. I really want it expanded but, it should not bog down the game, and should simply be another avenue to "conquer the game"

-playable nomads need to be able to ignore borders and even steal resources. At diplomatic penalty of course.

-species packs
This is some thing I very much want to see, including Gas planet dwelling species + gaseous species, I would be fine with them being just creature that float with gas bags. Also molten and frozen world species intrigue me as well. My suggestion is we need multiple types of the planets they hail from, 4 types to be exact, with the 4th being uninhabitable by any species. I would also suggest these species being so adapted to their home worlds type that they need to terraform or highly limited on other types. So 4 different gas planet types, 4 different molten world types, 4 different toxic planet types, 4 different frozen world types, all dependent on their composition. Example: frozen worlds with deep oceans underneath for a aquatic dwellers.

As far energy being, I believe they should be ascension not a starting species. I also don't think they stray to far into fantasy, as so many sci fi literature or media has them. Fact is I think the game has room for 2 more ascension for normal BIO empires, one being energy beings, another being a clones( another bio ascension that would work closer to virtual ascension) . For hives I think they need some special ones.

 

[Ikael]

Fascinating stuff! Out of the things mentioned here, let's go point by point:

- Reworked psionic and biological ascension
Hell. Yes. Gimmie pls.

- Organic ships
MEATSHIPSMEATSHIPSMEATSHIPMEA

- Warfare and war resolution
A conundrum as hard as the pop growth question. Good luck tackling this problem, for Stellaris does have indeed a warfare problem. Until then, pacifist runs for me

- Factions & politics
We need an update on those, like, yesterday. So another "hell yes" from me. Also, I would love to see space cultures, too (we kinda have them in an implied, not explicit sense).

- Espionage
Probably the system is more susceptible to improvement. A politics rework would be a perfect moment to tackle this sad mechanic.

- Playable nomads
I thought that this was not actually possible with the current engine (!) I would love to see those! Execution, however, will be key. I have tons of ideas as to how it could work with the current mechanics (long story short: nomads could very well be symbiotic or parasitical entities for sedentary empires depending on circumstances). Eager to see what you guys have in mind.

- Pirates and crime
Ehhhh I'm not a big fan of those, at least in their current form. Piracy is an extremely annoying mechanic. I would like to see them scrapped and reworked from zero. But yeah, the space pirate fantasy is lacking, and there are a metric ton of suggestions for reworking criminal megacorps.

- Species pack
That was never my jam, and Toxoids did little to change my opinion regarding those. You would need far more radically different traits and mechanics for me to dip into species packs. It is going in the right direction, tho.

- Scenarios
Not a big fan of scenarios per se, but an "advanced start" could certainly help to avoid the whole "the entire game is decided by the time you annex your first two neighbor's capitals".

More scify fantasies of my own to add to the wishlist:

- More good guys stuff.
The game has plenty of genocidal fantasies, but right now the only thing you have for roleplaying good guys is a drop-down menu to allow Utopian living standards and maximizing citizen happiness for the lol. The rewards for those being minimal certainly do not help, either. Also, a psionic entity not hell-bent on eating your face would certainly help (no Jedi knights in this game, or so it seems).

- Greatly expanded hiveminds.
Parasitical hiveminds, benevolent hiveminds, terrifying alien queens, symbionts, Rick Sanchez's hivemind lover... there is a lot of ground to be covered here, guys!

- Updated fallen empires & more fallen empire types
I would love to see things like fallen Megacorps or fallen hibernating Hiveminds.

- Soft power worth a damn.
Where is my Culture winning the war of ideas and enlightening societies?

- Less static power blocks (vassal swarms & Federations)
We really need to give those a balance pass, specially regarding vassal & federation interactions

- Victory conditions
I think that the mid-game could improve a lot with those. Cosmogenesis looks like a great model for this type of stuff.

Wew, there is more life in this game than I assumed!

 

[Jaredlov]

I am excited to see that internal politics is already on the table. I think seeing new ways of functioning of the factions is a good path. I would also like to see the new vision of trade and populations continue to be explored and the topic of how to improve crime and piracy excites me. I think these would be my topics of interest for the future of stellaris:

- internal politics, parliament, factions, laws.
- population
- trade, pirates and crime.
- espionage

 

[Great_Triangle]

My personal thing I want from Psionic ascension is a way to interact with the shroud on the map. The shroud could be a region of the galaxy, similar to the L cluster, where ships and planets go, or a more abstract realm where leaders and pops go on quests.

I think that being able to build megastructures in the afterlife, or confront the gods and win powerful boons from them would give the Psionic ascension something unique and powerful that isn't as dependent on RNG. The nature of the shroud could change based on the state of the galaxy, so it could be a very different place in a galaxy where the Galactic community safeguards justice, as opposed to a galaxy half destroyed by fanatic purifiers.

The other fantasy I think could be cool from a revamped Psionic ascension is super powered beings that can fight entire fleets. While Psionic avatars are already in the game, super heroes or godlike beings are a cool fantasy that could play well with narrative focused origins like under one rule and payback.

 

[Kiwibaum]

Internal Politics is certainly the most important part of this for me.

Regarding one thing in the text: You wrote THE egalitarian faction. How about AN egalitarian faction. It woud be kinda neat to have the possibility of multiple factions with similar or the same ethics, that disagree on a few points or have different priorities.

I hope this will be a way to "attack" other empires that isn't military and be a point where big empires have a weakness compared to small ones. After all a big empire with a few dozen planets will surely have differing cultures and some of those might not be as happy with how the government is running things as others.

 

[LystAP]

Biological and Psionic Ascension
First things first, I strongly believe that remastering the remaining Ascension Paths is a top priority. The Machine Age dramatically improved Cybernetic and Synthetic Ascensions, and gave machine empires proper ascension choices, but left the others behind. Biological Ascension isn’t in a good state right now mechanically or as an overall experience. Psionic Ascension is better off as it is affected tangentially by most content releases, but is a bit too reliant on random events and luck. Both of these Ascension Paths will be revamped, though since they are very distinct from one another, I intend on having them focused on in two separate releases.

Here's hoping to learn more about the Animator of Clay, sibling to the Composer of Strands, blesser of the Warform, warden of Cetana, guardian of Zevox, patron of the Prophet Zarqlan, bestower of souls, and God of Machines. Perhaps a Machine Psionic origin?