Stellaris: New Paradox Sci Fi Grand Strategy

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:26 am

At this point I'm trying to avoid most coverage so as not to be spoiled. I did the same thing with XCOM 2.

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 2:08 pm

tgb wrote:At this point I'm trying to avoid most coverage so as not to be spoiled. I did the same thing with XCOM 2.

I did that with XCom 2, and I think it made for a much more enjoyable game, but with Paradox's Grand Strategy games the mechanics are generally so deep, I always like to learn as much as I can about them before I start. Just that much less to learn when I finally get to play.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Thu Mar 24, 2016 3:43 pm

The empire creation for this game is amazing.

I was thinking about how easy it would be to recreate almost any sci-fi race or empire:

Imperium of Man:
Militaristic, Spiritual, Fanatically Xenophobic and pick some form of Militaristic Empire government, Warp Engines, and Projectile Weapons to start.
Policies would include forced relocation, full military economy.

You could do the Federation by being Xenophiles, outlawing slavery, and allowing leaders who are not from the primary race.

So many choices. I look forward to watching the Blorg part 2 on Youtube.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:48 pm

MORE BLORG!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI-KCEqWNSE

They haven't yet put the entire twitch stream up. I suspect they will pop it out week to week.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 3:05 pm

baelthazar wrote:They haven't yet put the entire twitch stream up. I suspect they will pop it out week to week.

They said they would put the rest of week #2 up on YouTube when they get back from the Easter holiday. In the meantime you can still watch the entire 2 hours over on their twitch archive.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 5:23 pm

ColdSteel wrote:
baelthazar wrote:They haven't yet put the entire twitch stream up. I suspect they will pop it out week to week.
They said they would put the rest of week #2 up on YouTube when they get back from the Easter holiday. In the meantime you can still watch the entire 2 hours over on their twitch archive.

Thanks! Do you happen to have a link. I have no idea how to use/what to do with Twitch.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Sat Mar 26, 2016 8:56 pm

baelthazar wrote:Thanks! Do you happen to have a link.

Sure. https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive/v/56330432

It starts at the 00:14:00 mark. You can set the quality like you can on youtube and watch it full screen.

Edit: Also, Wiz answers chat questions at the end of the Stream. Some good new info there.

Hrdina · Post by **Hrdina** » Sun Mar 27, 2016 7:03 pm

I haven't been following this too closely (haven't read the dev diaries), but I really like what I've seen of this including the first chapter of the Blorg epic. I've enjoyed those Paradox games I've played (EU/EU2/EU3, CK2, Magicka) and I'm really excited about this one. My only concern is my lack of time to actually play it. I got into Distant Worlds a couple years ago, and played through a couple of games before being distracted by something else. I've been meaning to get back to DW, but you know how it is...

Sepiche · Post by **Sepiche** » Thu Mar 31, 2016 6:02 pm

Blorg chapter 3 is out:
https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive/v/57765929

Yojimbo · Post by **Yojimbo** » Fri Apr 01, 2016 3:03 pm

Watched 1-4 this morning.

I like most everything I see but I liked the different breathable atmosphere and ability to be from gas giants, etc from SE4.

It looks like we might be back to primitive "we all have to breath Oxygen" situation here.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Fri Apr 01, 2016 3:50 pm

Yojimbo wrote:Watched 1-4 this morning.

I like most everything I see but I liked the different breathable atmosphere and ability to be from gas giants, etc from SE4.

It looks like we might be back to primitive "we all have to breath Oxygen" situation here.

While I agree in principle and found SE4 to be a hallmark of the 4X space genre, it may be unfair to call this "primitive" when almost every other 4X game except SE4 does this.

I do like how you can set different planet types as preferable. It is cool to see tundra and other human inhospitable planets be included.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:27 pm

Yojimbo wrote: like most everything I see but I liked the different breathable atmosphere and ability to be from gas giants, etc from SE4.

It looks like we might be back to primitive "we all have to breath Oxygen" situation here.

I think you are very seriously underestimating the DLC machine that is Paradox here. I'm quite sure that methane breathers will be in one of the very first 10 or 20 DLC releases for this game.

In general it looks like the base game will be just that, base. Stuff like spying/espionage they have already strongly hinted will be coming later. More races, more ships, more diplomacy, more combat stuff, the addition of trading to the game. Lots and lots of room for future DLC. Just wait, it will all make it in there.

LordMortis · Post by **LordMortis** » Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:32 pm

You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

El Guapo · Post by **El Guapo** » Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:35 pm

LordMortis wrote:You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

To be fair, Paradox games are generally fully complete, balanced, and in depth as is. The DLC genuinely adds to the games - its not like they lop off basic parts to sell separately later.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:46 pm

LordMortis wrote:You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

I think it's fine. The way they do DLC means that the game will continue to be supported and (theoretically) improved at a high level for many years. The base game will be an enjoyable and complete experience on its own. Most of the DLC they add will be cosmetic stuff (16 different Blorg cultural variations).

There will then be the expansions which will include the meatier stuff. There won't be that many of those types of DLC (maybe 1 every year or 2). A lot of the improvements they make to the game in those expansions will be completely free to those that don't buy them. Then, at some point there will be a Stellaris 2.

Just look at EU4 and their other titles to see how it will probably work. I bet 99% of the DLC you'll be able to safely ignore because it's just cosmetic. Some people feel that they have to have all of that stuff and they are the whales that fund future support and development on the game for all the rest of us. So, let them fund it for us. Win, win, imo.

Buatha · Post by **Buatha** » Sat Apr 02, 2016 12:35 pm

So, I'm surprised they aren't taking pre-orders on Steam.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Sat Apr 02, 2016 8:42 pm

LordMortis wrote:You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

Sword of the Stars was pretty bland when it was first released. It was only after multiple expansions were added that it became a great game. While that's not an endorsement of a DLC heavy approach, it does illustrate that some games are worth waiting for.

As far as Stellaris goes, I'll wait for opinions here on OO, as usual, although I'm optimistic.

ezmacncheese · Post by **ezmacncheese** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 11:47 am

LordMortis wrote:You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

Paradox base games are very feature complete and fun games on their own. They regularly patch their games and give away a lot of free content. There are plenty of companies out there who release incomplete base games and terrible DLC but Paradox is not one of them.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 12:16 pm

LordMortis wrote:You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

I don't mind it, but - that being said - I am having a hard time justifying a purchase of the new Mare Nostrum EUIV DLC (and I study the history of privateers for a living, so that is saying something).

With Stellaris, I really love the look of race/empire creation, the modifiers and tech, the EU in Space feel, the ability to set a "personality" for your empire by choosing values (which can deviate over time), and the political/diplomatic options. But I have already identified things that are missing, such as espionage (which seems pretty glaring), terraforming (other than hazard removal), and trade routes (which seems REALLY odd since some of the empires are listed as traders/merchants in their personalities). Sure, all of these things are likely to get added in over time and I agree that the game will likely be a fully featured game upon release, like most of Paradox's games. Still, trade seems particularly strange, since it is a huge part of EUIV.

I also think that Twitch playthrough is highlighting some of the key elements that they haven't fully fleshed out yet, and I really want to see how they work. It is fairly telling that the guys said "oh, the Blorg would never take slaves that is just not friendly" and "manufacturing your own robot friends is just fake friendship." That feels like code for "we haven't gotten these fully finished and so we want to stay away from them as much as possible. As they are two of the most interesting options, not always available in 4X games, I would really like to see how they work.

Nightwish · Post by **Nightwish** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 6:54 pm

LordMortis wrote:You just turned me off to the game. I had my blinders up to endless Paradox DLC. That's such a huge turn off for me.

Yeah, if you don't have first world wages it's a fair chunk of change for what they add even with sales and key resellers. You mostly don't need them, so I guess I like supporting them since I never had similar experiences with other games (or played for so long), but I can't imagine doing it for all their series...

Yojimbo · Post by **Yojimbo** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:17 pm

Buatha wrote:So, I'm surprised they aren't taking pre-orders on Steam.

It popped up on Steam for me today - I think a new add. If only I knew the differences between the "Nova", the "Galaxy" and the regular edition are.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:19 pm

Yojimbo wrote:It popped up on Steam for me today - I think a new add. If only I knew the differences between the "Nova", the "Galaxy" and the regular edition are.

See the Stellaris buy page on their site. It's got the info you want.

click to enlarge

UPDATE: Steam has updated the store page to mention the two other editions, although oddly they are called the Digital Deluxe and Collector's editions. Apparently people aren't talking to each other! Also I notice that the new Alien race of the two upgraded editions and the five in the pre-order bonus are described as "Cosmetic DLC". I'm now disappointed not to see a "Estee Lauder" alien race

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 3:31 pm

Hmm... for me, the Nova edition looks the best choice, as I wouldn't mind the soundtrack and I like the Spider race pic. On the other hand, if the novel was decent, the Galaxy Edition would be nice.

FYI: Greenmangaming also has it up and I suspect you can use the 20% off coupon. The only downside is that they occasionally do not get enough keys at release (rarely happens) and that you cannot request a Steam refund if you hate the game (but, let's face it, it is a Paradox game and you won't know how you feel about it or if it works well until you are well past playing it for over 2 hours).

Yojimbo · Post by **Yojimbo** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:03 pm

You all are great. Nova pre-ordered.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 4:50 pm

I don't understand what things like "send name" "creatures" "collectors" are.

jztemple2 · Post by **jztemple2** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 5:05 pm

GreenGoo wrote:I don't understand what things like "send name" "creatures" "collectors" are.

Pre-Purchase Offer
Creatures of the Void (Cosmetic DLC)
Five additional alien races exclusive to pre-order customers, each inspired by design suggestions from the community. These dark, creepy, and twisted creatures include: Hydra/Xenomorph, Evil Porcupine, Dinosaur Bird, Shadowy Anthropoid and Fungoid Infected Mammalian, with which to populate the galaxy.

Ringtones and Message Alert Sounds
Get the stirring Stellaris theme as composed by Andreas Waldetoft as your ringtone, and receive communications from across time and space! Also includes 5 sound effects from Stellaris suitable for text messages and alerts.

Blorg Forum Avatar
Become an official Spacefriend of Blorg (at Paradox Forum)!!!!!!!

Send Your Name into (almost) Space
We will literally take your name and launch it into the upper stratosphere on a weather balloon, and we´ll film the whole thing! Some day, extraterrestrial life may know that you dared to reach out to them! Must have a Paradox Account linked to your Steam Account to have your name included; must link accounts before June 1, 2016 to qualify.

All pre-order bonuses will be delivered on the release date (May 9, 2016), with the exception of Creatures of the Void (currently in production).

Digital Deluxe Edition

Stellaris Nova Edition includes:

Digital Original Soundtrack
The Stellaris soundtrack delivers two and a half hours of original music, including bonus tracks and alternate versions not included in the game. Composed by Andreas Waldetoft with appearances by the Brandenburg State Orchestra and Mia Stegmar, listeners will hear themes meant to evoke discovery and far-reaching exploration through the vast expanse of space through the fusion of orchestral and electronic music. MP3 and lossless FLAC are included.

Nova Forum Icon
An exclusive Forum Icon for the Nova Edition of Stellaris

Exclusive Alien Race (Cosmetic DLC)
Colonize the unknown and build a glorious spider empire! An exclusive alien race will be added to your game with a unique arachnid design. When your friends ask how you obtained these new spacefaring spiders, be sure to tell them you found the deal on the web.

If you pre-order "Nova Edition", you will also receive all pre-order content!

Collector's Edition

Stellaris Galaxy Edition includes:

Digital Original Soundtrack
The Stellaris soundtrack delivers two and a half hours of original music, including bonus tracks and alternate versions not included in the game. Composed by Andreas Waldetoft with appearances by the Brandenburg State Orchestra and Mia Stegmar, listeners will hear themes meant to evoke discovery and far-reaching exploration through the vast expanse of space through the fusion of orchestral and electronic music. MP3 and lossless FLAC are included.

Exclusive Alien Race (Cosmetic DLC)
Colonize the unknown and build a glorious spider empire! An exclusive alien race will be added to your game with a unique arachnid design. When your friends ask how you obtained these new spacefaring spiders, be sure to tell them you found the deal on the web.

Digital Collector’s Book
Join the creative team behind Stellaris to learn how the game's aesthetic was designed and realized for Paradox's most visually unique game to date. From concept art all the way through full illustrations and 3D renderings, this exclusive 130-page book includes a collection of game art unavailable anywhere else -- along with insight into the thoughts and research that drove these designs, the problems the team faced along the way, and the ways they finally brought these visuals to life.

Stellaris: Infinite Frontiers novel by Steven Savile (ebook)
From best-selling author Steven Savile comes an original novel based on the science-fiction setting of Paradox's Stellaris. When the Commonwealth of Man receives proof that they are not alone in the universe, humanity is divided: should our species seek salvation in potential friends among the stars, or prepare for an inevitable war? What discoveries await the colony ship as they journey into the unknown to find the source of a mysterious alien signal? Download and read on epub, mobi (Kindle) and PDF.

Exclusive Avatar and Galaxy Forum Icon
Show your love for Stellaris on the Paradox Forums and other social networks, and Make MySpace Great Again!

Signed Wallpaper
Pay your respects to the pioneers who ventured forth into the unknown with this desktop wallpaper signed by the Stellaris development team.

If you pre-order "Galaxy Edition", you will also receive all pre-order content!

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 5:05 pm

GreenGoo wrote:I don't understand what things like "send name" "creatures" "collectors" are.

"Collectors" = A group of aliens will come, take your DNA, and freeze you cryogenically for future study. (Actually, it is a digitial collector's art book PDF)
"Send Name" = Your name will be sent to the Men in Black, in order to keep you on a watch list for alien activity. (They are going to launch a weather balloon with everyone's name on it into the sky, this is really pretty silly."
"Creatures" = Paradox will send you larva of several unknown alien species for you to raise. Hopefully, one of them will be man-eating parasite! (This is the name of a future cosmetic DLC that will include several more races. I suspect it will be a pay-for DLC if you do not preorder).

EDIT: NINJA'ED! But I like mine better...

Fitzy · Post by **Fitzy** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 7:41 pm

I like the tier rewards. They all seem to be additions people might like, but not a single one of them are game play related. That is too rare these days. I'm tempted to pre-order just to say thanks for not screwing people who didn't buy a higher tier or pre-order.

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:01 pm

When they talk about races, and call them cosmetic, what do they mean exactly? Are these just someone's race using the in game designer, or do they have their own ai/art/whatever? I don't think of new races as cosmetic. Maybe new skins for pre-existing races?

Max Peck · Post by **Max Peck** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 9:34 pm

From what I see in the Stellaris forums, I'd expect the cosmetic race DLC to provide art assets, such as avatar portraits that can be selected during race creation when you start a game, but nothing that adds actual gameplay elements.

baelthazar · Post by **baelthazar** » Thu Apr 14, 2016 11:11 pm

GreenGoo wrote:When they talk about races, and call them cosmetic, what do they mean exactly? Are these just someone's race using the in game designer, or do they have their own ai/art/whatever? I don't think of new races as cosmetic. Maybe new skins for pre-existing races?

While you can play the pre-built races, most races you play will be customized and created by you. So, like Max said, these additions are basically race graphics (pops, leaders, diplomacy screen, etc.) and likely ship graphics. They have no gameplay effect, other than neat little animated pics for your pops and leaders (so you can play the incredibly charismatic and peaceful giant ugly spiders if you want).

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 12:28 am

Max Peck wrote:From what I see in the Stellaris forums, I'd expect the cosmetic race DLC to provide art assets, such as avatar portraits that can be selected during race creation when you start a game, but nothing that adds actual gameplay elements.

Ah, ok. I'm not one for cosmetic DLC typically, but something like this would really impact my enjoyment of the game, in a positive way.

ColdSteel · Post by **ColdSteel** » Fri Apr 15, 2016 10:54 am

I preordered the regular edition. It's around my birthday and I already knew I was going to get it so what the hell. My first ever preorder. The extra new race portraits was just enough incentive for me to pull the trigger.

Yojimbo · Post by **Yojimbo** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 9:31 am

I ordered too (not nearly my first, sadly). Nova edition for me.

So, my Paradox release day experiences have been "varied". Let just say that if Paradox built airplanes I would not want to be on the shake-down flight.

But they do get games right, it just takes time for them.

Buatha · Post by **Buatha** » Sat Apr 16, 2016 9:47 pm

I went for the Nova Edition as well since it seems to be the sweet spot for items.

After Stardock and Kerberos Productions burned me with their pre-orders of Elemental and SotS II, respectively, I will swear off pre-orders forever if this game doesn't work after the prerequisite 1-2 month of patching.

I have a 3 strike policy in life.

Fitzy · Post by **Fitzy** » Sun Apr 17, 2016 8:14 am

Buatha wrote:
I have a 3 strike policy in life.

Plus the required 1-2 months.

Apollo · Post by **Apollo** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 11:51 am

With every passing day I find myself wanting this game more and more and "No Man's Sky" less and less. Sure, they are very different games, but "No Man's Sky" looks like a tech demo and this looks like a Real Game, with tons of juicy depth. The fact that it is being made by the same company that brought us Europa Universalis, Crusader Kings, and Victoria, makes me even more excited. And to think that this game wasn't even on my radar until a few weeks ago...

Can't Wait!

GreenGoo · Post by **GreenGoo** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:41 pm

4X is my favourite genre, and after taking some time off, I'm playing Stardrive 2 and thinking it's excellent. It's not excellent, but I'm so hungry for a new 4X that I think it is. If Stellaris has excellent reviews and the forum effect kicks in, I'll almost certainly buy it at (near) full price, which is pretty rare for me.

hepcat · Post by **hepcat** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 1:01 pm

I may regret it, but I went ahead and preordered the standard edition from Greenman using the 20 percent off code. 32 bucks isn't that bad, considering what I spend on other stupid things.

Now, I just need to select the right pair of boxers to spend the day in, and the perfect beer to drink when it releases.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Mon Apr 18, 2016 2:28 pm

Yojimbo wrote: But they do get games right, it just takes time for them.

It used to be when that time came, the games were selling for $5 (or less). Their releases tend to be midway point during the development cycle, and I suppose the need the cash to actually finish the game. Assuming they use the cash to finish it and not leave it perpetually broken (as they have at least once).