Stellaris Dev Diary #391 - Shadows of the Shroud

[Swarm lover]

Also 3 things i noticed after rewatching the trailer that i dont see anyone mentioning.

1) The guy who arrives next to the guy on the throne is clearly not the same species, look at their hands. Different structure, different skin texture so its not even one guy just covered in armor. So makes me wonder why is he there, why can he casually walk up to what seems to be the leader of the assembly and kind of "take over" speaking on his behalf.

2) In the first part when the voices cry out about being doomed and such one of them says "we were fools to trust them". Them as in plural and based on the trailer their patron is clearly the eater of worlds so why was it not "we were fools to trust it". Was he talking about the shroud patrons in general or talking about the group/species the armored guy belongs to.

3) There are floating smaller versions of the statue floating around the crowd that seem to be "alive" as in organic. Are they "extensions" of the patron or are they another psionic species thats part of the group?

 

[Nyrael]

Looking at the end of the cycle "circle" i feel like that is what you will end up having once you commit to a covenant with a patron (maybe patronless one too). Like once the pact is sealed it no more sucking up to other patrons.

End of the Cycle should be its own Patron. Always has been, and was always special. Now he just gets his own special interface, as it suits something of its power.
Doesn't mean that other Patrons won't have their own unique interface, but I actually hope they don't: End of the Cycle deserves to be something special.

1) The guy who arrives next to the guy on the throne is clearly not the same species, look at their hands. Different structure, different skin texture so its not even one guy just covered in armor. So makes me wonder why is he there, why can he casually walk up to what seems to be the leader of the assembly and kind of "take over" speaking on his behalf.

Good eye, maybe it's a new Paragon that at least one of the Patrons gifts you if you form a Covenant. Like a god sending a prophet or avatar.

2) In the first part when the voices cry out about being doomed and such one of them says "we were fools to trust them". Them as in plural and based on the trailer their patron is clearly the eater of worlds so why was it not "we were fools to trust it". Was he talking about the shroud patrons in general or talking about the group/species the armored guy belongs to.

Maybe "they" are the Zroni who remained loyal to the Divines (as recent lore heavily implies that the Divines and the Shroud Entities are one and the same)?
Or maybe they are a species that formed the Covenant with the Patron in an earlier Cycle? Maybe they are the Cosmogenesis winners of the last Cycle?

We'll probably know when the DLC is out. Overall, it seems like this DLC may bring some new lore and narrative content (and for last few years, Stellaris did up the lore-building).

The eye in question is also one of Species portraits you can play with, so I feel like it may be the second.

 

[Swarm lover]

End of the Cycle should be its own Patron. Always has been, and was always special. Now he just gets his own special interface, as it suits something of its power.
Doesn't mean that other Patrons won't have their own unique interface, but I actually hope they don't: End of the Cycle deserves to be something special.



Good eye, maybe it's a new Paragon that at least one of the Patrons gifts you if you form a Covenant. Like a god sending a prophet or avatar.



Maybe "they" are the Zroni who remained loyal to the Divines (as recent lore heavily implies that the Divines and the Shroud Entities are one and the same)?
Or maybe they are a species that formed the Covenant with the Patron in an earlier Cycle? Maybe they are the Cosmogenesis winners of the last Cycle?

We'll probably know when the DLC is out. Overall, it seems like this DLC may bring some new lore and narrative content (and for last few years, Stellaris did up the lore-building).

The eye in question is also one of Species portraits you can play with, so I feel like it may be the second.

Pretty sure the lore made it clear the zronni themselves are dead and the shroud entities were born from the emotions of their civil war.

The end of the cycle is confirmed to be its own patron but dont agree with it being the only one having the "circle" if you seal a covenant with it. Sure its bonuses and aura's etc should be much stronger given what happens if you fail to keep it happy but i personnaly hope each shroud patron gets its own interaface once you form a covenant with it. (Same if you go no patron.)

 

[Zellith]

I want to ascend my people as a psionic entity and then have that entity become a patron option of the "lesser species" in MP games.

 

[Falrinn]

I think the reason why the End of the Cycle gets it's own interface is because there's a lot more spinning wheels to manage when you are actually involved in that particular Covenant. It might not be a Crisis Path in terms of core mechanics, but it should be seen as being close to a Crisis Path in practicality. Whereas normal covenants are simply a thing you do during your journey through the Shroud.

They could probably have a unique interface with all covenants, but they probably shouldn't do that if it's just a fancy way of displaying mostly static information that can easily fit on the general Shroud window.

 

[Idle America]

"Bring forth The End. Your patron commands it."

"We don't take orders from false gods."

 

[Shekelnator]

not to be rude but maybe you should fix the game first before releasing it in this broken state?

 

[George Fernell]

So, for people who will not purchase this DLC, will the shroud delving process still be a gamble of Energy Credits?
Or is the new UI available for all?

 

[grommile]

not to be rude but maybe you should fix the game first before releasing it in this broken state?

I mean, they pretty much have to get this DLC shipped by the end of the month. (Season Pass rules.)

 

[Shekelnator]

I mean, they pretty much have to get this DLC shipped by the end of the month. (Season Pass rules.)

ah yes great indeed. I am sure this DLC reviews if the game is not working well shall be having the best reviews ever.

 

[Critical Ethics]

ah yes great indeed. I am sure this DLC reviews if the game is not working well shall be having the best reviews ever.

Potentially breaching a contractual agreement is prooobably a little bit of a bigger concern.

 

[Sin Of Sloth]

Also 3 things i noticed after rewatching the trailer that i dont see anyone mentioning.

1) The guy who arrives next to the guy on the throne is clearly not the same species, look at their hands. Different structure, different skin texture so its not even one guy just covered in armor. So makes me wonder why is he there, why can he casually walk up to what seems to be the leader of the assembly and kind of "take over" speaking on his behalf.

2) In the first part when the voices cry out about being doomed and such one of them says "we were fools to trust them". Them as in plural and based on the trailer their patron is clearly the eater of worlds so why was it not "we were fools to trust it". Was he talking about the shroud patrons in general or talking about the group/species the armored guy belongs to.

3) There are floating smaller versions of the statue floating around the crowd that seem to be "alive" as in organic. Are they "extensions" of the patron or are they another psionic species thats part of the group?

They talked about the great beast and that it can't be tamed. At the beginning, we saw that eye with the behemoth egg, so most likely, the Psionic Empire got one of their planets eaten when the behemoth became hungry, and now they are angry for trusting bio ascendants in their alliance against synth ascendants.
I am more interested in why there is a symbol of an instrument of desire in one corner and most likely in other 2 other two patrons and why the eye is used in the ritual of the eater of worlds, not jaws. Is it possible that Whisperers in the Void is now acting as translator between the shroud gods and their followers?

LOVE the new trailer, would love to see some events animated in game, but that probably won't happen.

 

[ahicaar]

AAAWWWW man so no psionic crisis. That sucks, i know there the end of cycle origin that i imagine can work similar to a crisis but really sad its aint happening.

The end of the cycle is a literal existential threat to the entire galaxy which uses bespoke mechanics for the empire following that path. Why in the actual hell does it matter whether or not they’ve got a crisis tab in the tradition window which tracks crisis resource to level up the 5 step crisis ladder?

 

[Calvax]

1) The guy who arrives next to the guy on the throne is clearly not the same species, look at their hands. Different structure, different skin texture so its not even one guy just covered in armor. So makes me wonder why is he there, why can he casually walk up to what seems to be the leader of the assembly and kind of "take over" speaking on his behalf.

Those two guys, and all the people in the crowd, are different psionic portraits. Specifically the guy on the throne is the psionic fungoid and the hooded faceplate is one of the humanoids (from last week's dev diary)

They are all there together probably because it's not a xenophobic empire so it has multiple species in it who are psychic.

2) In the first part when the voices cry out about being doomed and such one of them says "we were fools to trust them". Them as in plural and based on the trailer their patron is clearly the eater of worlds so why was it not "we were fools to trust it". Was he talking about the shroud patrons in general or talking about the group/species the armored guy belongs to.

They're agitated about a behemoth fury empire and the people they're trusting are the human faction that created it. The last few trailers have been a continuation of the same story.

In the season 9 trailer it sets up the idea that the galaxy is suffering under some sort of war with the machines (100% a reference to how last year's big expansion was Machine age).

In the biogenesis trailer we see a different faction of bioship using humans who have betrayed everyone in the fight against the machines by deciding the only way to survive is to become the number one predator

The start of the SotS trailer shows the person at the end of the previous trailer kneeling on the egg, then cuts to the conclave discussing how they've been betrayed, before ultimately deciding that their patron will help them beat the behemoth

3) There are floating smaller versions of the statue floating around the crowd that seem to be "alive" as in organic. Are they "extensions" of the patron or are they another psionic species thats part of the group?

They are another psionic species. The molluscoid one

Who can be seen in greater detail here

It's unclear what the big space beholder is and how it's related. Possibly a new shroud beast that happens to look like the molloscoids.

 

[Swarm lover]

The end of the cycle is a literal existential threat to the entire galaxy which uses bespoke mechanics for the empire following that path. Why in the actual hell does it matter whether or not they’ve got a crisis tab in the tradition window which tracks crisis resource to level up the 5 step crisis ladder?

Because you are forced to bind yourself to a patron, i prefer when the crisis is caused by the empires own actions for an ultimate goal. Not to forever stave off a hungry patron. If i go a "crisis" route thing i want my empire to be on top at the end not subservient to someone forever.

 

[Swarm lover]

Those two guys, and all the people in the crowd, are different psionic portraits. Specifically the guy on the throne is the psionic fungoid and the hooded faceplate is one of the humanoids (from last week's dev diary)

View attachment 1359143 View attachment 1359144

They are all there together probably because it's not a xenophobic empire so it has multiple species in it who are psychic.



They're agitated about a behemoth fury empire and the people they're trusting are the human faction that created it. The last few trailers have been a continuation of the same story.

In the season 9 trailer it sets up the idea that the galaxy is suffering under some sort of war with the machines (100% a reference to how last year's big expansion was Machine age).

In the biogenesis trailer we see a different faction of bioship using humans who have betrayed everyone in the fight against the machines by deciding the only way to survive is to become the number one predator

The start of the SotS trailer shows the person at the end of the previous trailer kneeling on the egg, then cuts to the conclave discussing how they've been betrayed, before ultimately deciding that their patron will help them beat the behemoth

They are another psionic species. The molluscoid one

View attachment 1359148

Who can be seen in greater detail here

View attachment 1359149

It's unclear what the big space beholder is and how it's related. Possibly a new shroud beast that happens to look like the molloscoids.

True forgot to check but like you said still raises the question why there is a statue of the molluscoid.

I do really wonder how psionic patrons would allow them to try to beat the behemoths. Like is it just gonna be stat boost? Abilities? unique ships?
Really want to know more.

 

[Swarm lover]

I just noticed but the rulers chair is in the "middle ground" of the eater of worlds and the center, considering the little we know of how psionics are gonna work i think these guys arent fully devoted to the eater of worlds just yet. Imagine in good relations but i wonder if there is gonna be a continuation where they take it further.

 

[ahicaar]

If i go a "crisis" route thing i want my empire to be on top at the end not subservient to someone forever.

Nemesis destroys the entire galaxy, and it’s ambiguous whether the aetherophasic engine actually worked as intended given how insane the plan actually is. Cosmogenesis has a couple “good” ends, a whole lot of “FUCK that didn’t work like we wanted” options and a few “fate worse than death” bad ends. Behemoth fury ends with your society being metaphorically and literally devoured, their wills subsumed by the monster of their own making.

In all of these paths, you “win” because you accomplish the path’s goal. It is NOT a given that said goal is to the benefit of your nation.

 

[Imperator Adrian Yang XIV]

Behemoth fury ends with your society being metaphorically and literally devoured, their wills subsumed by the monster of their own making.

And even in one of the endings it just vanishes

 

[Swarm lover]

Nemesis destroys the entire galaxy, and it’s ambiguous whether the aetherophasic engine actually worked as intended given how insane the plan actually is. Cosmogenesis has a couple “good” ends, a whole lot of “FUCK that didn’t work like we wanted” options and a few “fate worse than death” bad ends. Behemoth fury ends with your society being metaphorically and literally devoured, their wills subsumed by the monster of their own making.

In all of these paths, you “win” because you accomplish the path’s goal. It is NOT a given that said goal is to the benefit of your nation.

Nemesis's huge ambiguity is why i dont like it. Cosmogenesis has only a few bad ends if you do something really stupid like jumping into the black hole of the dimensional horror and even the "that didnt quite work" endings make it clear your people can just do it again until they get what they want and have a couple of 100% we won endings. Behemoth is actually the opposite you subsume the monster keeping the raw power but suppressing the rage and instincts to the point that your people actually control it, its even why behemoths tolerate each other once you have stage 4 as your people can now force the behemoths to act as you want it whether it be their instinct to not tolerate other super predators (themselves) or ignoring their hunger (as now even stage 1 and 2 no longer rage if not fed).
Yes your population is merged into one body (although its implied you mentally merge with every behemoth you have) but they are very much the ones in control.