Observations from a long time Stellaris player. Do you agree/disagree?

[MrMess85]

Long time Stellaris player since the era of gates and warp drives.



Bought STI (in hindsight not a great name for abbreviations) as keen Star Trek fan and Stellaris. Reviews not amazing but thought I’d give it a try.



Some initial observations and intrigued if others have had this experience.



Positive

1. Nice ship models
2. Plays fast – reduced empires does that
3. Cool events
4. No bugs for me (touch wood)
5. Love the galaxy special features. Something baseline stellaris needs. Can the AI handle it though?

Negative

1. Galaxy feels very static. Nothing really changes bar empires expand, slowly. No other race seems to take on other empires. Just a slow progression.
2. Romulan star going up completely ruins them. AI can't come back from that.
3. Game feels to start too late. Starts 2350 and then before you know it the Borg have arrived and then it’s nothing else after. No big changes.
4. Being stuck with Miranda forever and no other ships feels immersion breaking. I get the game design but not a fun choice.
5. Borg. Very anti climatic. The stupid missions isn't fun, it's just taxing. Plus are they meant to be a threat?
6. The fact that you have to painfully go into menus to set an event as live to find it is annoying. UX isn’t great
7. Pirates. Happen too quickly. Hard to see whose a pirate vs neutral. Then they attack a system and you lose a starbase. Just not fun, more frustrating. Doesn’t feel like a challenge, just more you have to concentrate.
8. Feels way too easy to steamroll. That’s the curse of Stellaris but I feel in STI it’s too easy to just get to a point you know victory is easy. Partly because the galaxy feels so static.
9. Espionage feels pointless. Nothing seems to happen.
10. As federation. Everyone loved me. Always. So that took out the challenge.
11. Lack of ship models e.g. where’s the Akira class?

What have other people’s experiences been? Game shows a lot of promise. I feel it slightly hasn’t been worth the money but I’m ok with that but needs more love and after care. The lack of DD makes me feel this might not be the case. More updates please from developers.

 

[Cephir]

I am also coming from several thousands of hours of Stellaris. Overall I agree with everything you said. Here is what i think:

I have to say, that having a Star Trek themed Stellaris out now makes me feel super excited.

I really enjoyed my first 4-5 playthroughs of Star Trek Infinite but then it just becomes repetetive. I also feel the balance is quite off. The Federation is by far the strongest Empire in the game, it isn't even close. Followed by the Cardassians and then the Klingons. As being said before: The Romulans are really weak, not only due to the Sun blowing up.

What I hope and wish for the future is the following:

1. Earlier start date. Let us pick up helm of an empire at it's very beginning, where we have nothing more than our home-system or a few systems but nothing close to several worls being already colonized.
2. Earlier date means earlier events that correspond to the Archer timeline and move up from there... Let es enjoy the process of founding the Federation if we decide to play them. (New Horizons for Stellaris does that pretty well).
3. Chronological order of the tech tree. Don't make it possible to get the Intrepid class before the Galaxy class. That's highly immersion breaking.
4. More unique leaders and also let them appear in chronological order and don't make them part of the narrative when they don't and shouldn't even exist yet.
5. Kick pirates out of the game or make their attacks be something very rare. Most of all: It should never dismantle your outpost. As of now it is a bigger threat to your Empire than any other major competitor.
6. Events should not always be the same. It should be possible to have a playthrough where the occurance of events is not 100% the same as last playthrough. (Maybe something like an ahistorical mode like in HOI4).
7. Add the rest of the galaxy
8. Add the rest of the major powers / medium powers (Dominion, Breen, Ferengi, Kazon Clans, Gorn, Krenim Empire to name a few)
9. I would really love it if there wasn't only an endgame crisis but also early game ones like the Xindi attack on Earth. (Im sure there could be equivalent things for the other empires)
10. Make the Borg a faction on the map so they dont only pop out of thin air.
11. Abandon highway nodes... That seems very weird in a Star Trek game. Maybe replace it with trans warp tunnels or Structures that can be constructed by empires later down the tech tree.

Don't get me wrong. I love the game but I feel it is lacking in many ways, yet I feel like it is the basis for something great to come!

 

[Cassilda]

Pirates are quite irking as for now. An they could use Orions or Nausicaans rather than "generic" ones to add a bit of flavor.

 

[Pelianist-Picardist]

I am extremely worried that player calls for "balance" will ruin the game. This game is part stellaris (equal starts), part hearts of iron 4 (uneven starts, mission trees), part star trek (canon everyone loves the federation except those who don't, who are jealous of the love).

It is ok for the federation to be OP. It is necessary for the asymmetry of the game and for a rich world with prexisting history and canon. Playing against them should feel like picking the axis in hearts of iron 4: you are choosing a challenge to try to change the historic outcome that is a given otherwise.

The federation is also ONLY op if it leans into diplomacy hard, further reinforcing the asymmetric playstyles, which I love.

There is only one way to balance this without ruining the setup: have a counterweight multistate hegemony as a mirror to the peaceful federation.

Which means don't nerf the UFP, release the wormhole DLC

 

[Conclusion013]

As someone who has never played stellaris and was hoping for essentially a BoTF remake I think the biggest issue for me is the static starting situation. I understand from the developer log they did it this way for canon but why not have an option when creating a new game to randomize start locations/planets. I think the majority of us Star Trek fans would be fine with the planets not 100% aligning to the ST universe but I feel like that would drastically increase re-playability. I would also love to see the option to change map size. I'm worried they focused so much on trying to maintain the star trek storyline that they've taken away our ability as players to determine how we want each race to play. In BoTF you could be the federation and still be a warmonger or the klingons and be research based. I prefer having the ability to play the way I want to instead of being pigeonholed in to playing a specific way.

 

[John MacWhat]

I actually want the opposite. I'd like to see a map that is extremely canon accurate, including the positions of minor powers. What we have right now is a compromise between canon and preserving the sense of exploration known to Trek and Stellaris.

Ideally, the game should have multiple map options. One that is extremely canon accurate, where starting out is more HOI4 in space. One that is the current hybrid. And one that is pure sandbox.

 

[Pelianist-Picardist]

I actually want the opposite. I'd like to see a map that is extremely canon accurate, including the positions of minor powers. What we have right now is a compromise between canon and preserving the sense of exploration known to Trek and Stellaris.

Ideally, the game should have multiple map options. One that is extremely canon accurate, where starting out is more HOI4 in space. One that is the current hybrid. And one that is pure sandbox.

Yeah I think a fully random map would lose like 90% of the charm this map has, so it should totally be a nondefault option if included

 

[euromellows]

Thank you for this post and I largely agree. I have enjoyed this game and I really do see the potential. In 12 months, it will be amazing. Right now, it needs some polish. My thoughts at present and in order of priority/simplicity of addressing:

1) Reform pirates - scale back their power and do NOT allow them to destroy stations. Capturing or even raiding would be ok; right now it is just annoying.
2) Enable auto construction for Constructors. I didn't realise how much better it has made Stellaris now it isn't in STI.
3) Allow a sandbox map mode as an option.
4) Redesign the Romulan star explosion. I like the concept as a challenge, but as it operates currently it is broken. Can I suggest looking at how Stellaris handled the challenging start of a destroyed homeworld. That event had the same impact, but was handled much better and allowed you to plan and phase the evacuation - events would pop up on conditions getting steadily worse; unrest rising; panic setting in etc. In short, it was fun.
5) Expand the mission tree and allow a "ahistorical option" where the AI will actively pick different pathways (IIRC, it is based on a percentage chance of the AI picking a different choice in events and mission trees)
6) More races. Happy for it to be DLC. Please don't make Borg playable - they should be OP. At a stretch. 'Liberated Borg' might be playable but they would not be OP and indeed might have an increased vulnerability to the real Borg as an additional challenge.
7) Allow multiple starts/bookmarks where you could play historical eras.

I am sure there are others, but those were my big items.

 

[TehJumpingJawa]

I have enjoyed this game and I really do see the potential. In 12 months, it will be amazing.

What you're all saying is essentially "I like the idea of a Star Trek grand strategy lite, but this ain't it."

People have been saying the same about Stellaris for the past 7 years.
It's no closer to happening there either.

 

[Obeliskkai]

4) Redesign the Romulan star explosion. I like the concept as a challenge, but as it operates currently it is broken. Can I suggest looking at how Stellaris handled the challenging start of a destroyed homeworld. That event had the same impact, but was handled much better and allowed you to plan and phase the evacuation - events would pop up on conditions getting steadily worse; unrest rising; panic setting in etc. In short, it was fun.

The game needs a lot of work, something that has become increasingly apparent to me as I have played. It has unfortunately fallen into the trap all Paradox games seem to, that upon first release there just isn't enough there to justify playing it. And I can't justify playing a game of STI when I could spend the same amount of time in a far more satisfying game of Stellaris.

Everything you said is fairly accurate, but I just want to comment on this point as it is a personal bugbear of mine (as a huge Romulan fan). The important distinction with the Doomsday origin in Stellaris is that players choose that origin deliberately. The destruction of Romulus is an inevitable event for anyone who just wants to be the Romulans. I think this is going to have be tackled by the devs, I have seen it brought up in numerous complaints.

 

[mccoy4glory]

What you're all saying is essentially "I like the idea of a Star Trek grand strategy lite, but this ain't it."

People have been saying the same about Stellaris for the past 7 years.
It's no closer to happening there either.

The worst result is being abandoned like imperator rome...

 

[Volbound]

I actually want the opposite. I'd like to see a map that is extremely canon accurate, including the positions of minor powers. What we have right now is a compromise between canon and preserving the sense of exploration known to Trek and Stellaris.

Ideally, the game should have multiple map options. One that is extremely canon accurate, where starting out is more HOI4 in space. One that is the current hybrid. And one that is pure sandbox.

Personally, I think they need BOTH.

Have a Scenario Map that is lore accurate but than random maps.


I am still baffled how people keep comparing this to Heart of Iron 4 with Mission Tree. Mission Tree is FAR more like EU4, it just aesthitically looks like HOI4 and that is it.

HOI4 has focuses that complete after certain time and are not contingent (on most cases) to completion any actual objective

EU4 has missions that require objectives to be completed to advance. This is the same situation as Infinite. It isn't HOI4 in space, if anything it is EU4 in space. This goes for multiple people in this thread. I keep hearing HOI4 in space but that isn't true. If it was, I would just be clicking and completing the Federation Missions every 90 days.

 

[Volbound]

Agree with most of the comments on this thread. Here are some of my ideas:

1. Fix ships to be more cannon. I don't want a ton of classes and have it be overbearing like Star Trek New Horizon but at least have more accessible at start or early game for research. Also the ships should be in the tech path and not unlocked after certain time of game play. It takes too long to get ships like Sovereign that are necessary to completing missions

2. Eliminate Missions that require a leader to be alive who may die by the time of the mission

3. Romulan Supernova has been discussed way too much so no explanation needed

4. More Minor races

5. More hostility from Big 4

6. Dominion War tree for Cardassia and add it as end game event (I have a feeling this will be DLC and include Breen, Dominion, and new Mission Tree for Cardassia)

7. Music from Star Trek

8. Random Map and Set Map option as pointed out in my previous post

 

[Uhlume]

Agreed with the points made.

One thing that is either a bug or a missing feature is the salvaging of research progress from wrecks. Because you get progress, but those techs then do not show up in the research options. Which I assume is supposed to happen, just like it does in Stellaris.

 

[VagueInquisitor]

11. Abandon highway nodes... That seems very weird in a Star Trek game. Maybe replace it with trans warp tunnels or Structures that can be constructed by empires later down the tech tree.

I genuenly don't know why they didn't frame them as Iconian Gates. Instant transport left behind by an ancient empire? How did they miss that?

 

[Prussian Havoc]

@MrMess85,

I like the STI experience.
I like it a lot.

Is it a “complete” effort, a canon-accurate immersive experience? But at this point in a Paradox game’s lifecycle, I did not expect it to be. So I am not disgruntled or disappointed.

For me it, I had fun sussing out the developer‘s ”hooks” for future DLCs or Free Updates. Starship availability and timeline appropriateness is to me the number one attraction for STI to get me to pony one’s toward my next STI preorder. And preorder I will. I don’t mind the time-transcending Intrepid… it and the more appropriate Reliant are a great first ships for STI. And I fully expect in the fullness of time for the Intrepid to slide forward in the timeline and be replaced by the Constitution. And the Amira… I’d preorder that ship all by itself. That ship DLC doesn’t even need any other features. : )


For this next part I’ll follow along and offer up thoughts on your original comments…

Positive

1. Nice ship models ~ Yes, quite excellent ship models.
2. Plays fast – I have limited Stellaris play, but I quite like the packing up to and through the Borg.
3. Cool events ~ Events and missions are where the Star Trek in STI really comes through for me.
4. No bugs for me (touch wood) ~ Same here.
5. Love the galaxy special features. Something baseline stellaris needs. Can the AI handle it though? ~ Not familiar enough with Stellaris to recommend one way or the other.

Negative

1. Galaxy feels very static. Nothing really changes bar empires expand, slowly. No other race seems to take on other empires. Just a slow progression. ~ My game progressed differently. My backing of Empires at War was made a difference two out of four time, a third was a run away with my choice winning regardless of my backing. And the last was an abject loss despite my backing. While I stymied Cardassia early, I helped cripple the Romulans early and then could not pull them back from the brink later on. Between those and then my joining the Bolians in their ultimately successful defense against the Klingons, I felt I had an impact on the ebb and flow of Empires rising and falling. It was Fun.
2. Romulan star going up completely ruins them. AI can't come back from that. ~ Agreed… but it makes me want to play the Rolulans next and see what can be done… even an obstacle like that can hold a monstrously fun game, just trying to salvage a viable State from those particular ashes of Empire.
3. Game feels to start too late. Starts 2350 and then before you know it the Borg have arrived and then it’s nothing else after. No big changes. ~ Again, it leaves many “hooks” for future DLCs. I particularly like the discussion on a DLC focused on Archer’s timeline.
4. Being stuck with Miranda forever and no other ships feels immersion breaking. ~ I get the game design but not a fun choice. Mirandas and Intrepids, defeating the Borg! : ) Another opportunity for a future DLC to sho value as it brings more ship types and an appropriate appearance timeline into play.
5. Borg. Very anti climatic. The stupid missions isn't fun, it's just taxing. Plus are they meant to be a threat? ~ More ship types and strengths early, would open up the opportunity for some actual Borg encounters/fights as they probe the out edges of the Federation and or use a trans warp conduit nearer to Sol.
6. The fact that you have to painfully go into menus to set an event as live to find it is annoying. UX isn’t great ~ It can be improved, but without Stellaris too fresh an experience, I found it fine, very workable.
7. Pirates. Happen too quickly. Hard to see whose a pirate vs neutral. Then they attack a system and you lose a starbase. Just not fun, more frustrating. Doesn’t feel like a challenge, just more you have to concentrate. Pirates were a challenge to me. And it was fun to overcome them. They were the catalyst for me to build defensive fleets and to learn to maneuver against such a target… 3-4 fleets, located at Starports move toward but not past the inbound aggressors, then turn and begin to shadow them toward their target with fleets arrive in time to distract pirates from Starbase. I’ve lost systems… (a discount to rebuild would be immersive / reflect reality), but as my research and economy heat up. I use these encounters to unlock Worf with his 3 battles.
8. Feels way too easy to steamroll. That’s the curse of Stellaris but I feel in STI it’s too easy to just get to a point you know victory is easy. Partly because the galaxy feels so static. An efficient economy and a heavy investment in research can lead to steamrolling… but that’s where a Dominion DLC can come in on its “hook” and offer up an effective counterpoint.
9. Espionage feels pointless. Nothing seems to happen. Yeah… I spent waaaaaay too much time trying to stir up trouble in Bajor and Cardassia in general. Never had any success.
10. As federation. Everyone loved me. Always. So that took out the challenge. Yeah… I kept waiting for a turn coat or hidden foe, someone to join the Cardsssian or Klingon faction against me. It never happened.
11. Lack of ship models e.g. where’s the Akira class? …in time, much will be possible! : )

 

[Lamartine]

Bought STI (in hindsight not a great name for abbreviations)

STInf?

 

[Prussian Havoc]

STInf?

Star Trek Infinite, yes. :bow:

 

[fabsh]

Where is this idea that everyone loves the Federation coming from? Has anyone of you seen TNG lately? Almost every new race they meet is very sceptical of the Federation's ideas and values. The Ferengi are a great example. They constantly try to mess with Starfleet because they don't respect the Federation and think hoomans are just gullible idiots and plain stupid. Two major powers (Romulans and Cardassians) are constantly at the brink of war with the Federation and even the Klingons, who are allied, don't like it much.

The reason while the Federation never gets attacked fullscale aside from the Borg is that it is an incredible military power. It's slow to rise, but when it does, nobody stands a chance. The Dominion kinda tried later and they get picked apart.

Bottom line: For this game to be true to the TNG/DS9 feel, I want a constant threat of war looming over me. I want Romulans probing the Neutral Zone constantly and I want the possibility of the Klingons going hostile on me because Gowron ate some stale gagh. The Federation playthough as it stands right now is waaaaaay to leisurely.

 

[Prussian Havoc]

Kirk.
Janeway.
Sisko.
Archer.
Picard.

They’re heroes, fighting the good fight against incredible odds.

Gowron?
Dukat?
Tomalak?

Not so much…


so what if WE were the hero of the Federation?
what could WE do with the Federation’s resources?
…at the helm of a Galaxy class starship?

yeah, the Federation is rightly feeling a whole lot of love right now.

….and I write this as a Romulan gamer, for the now. : )