Stellaris

So. Many. Changes. Can't wait to try it out. Had to skim the notes - only so much time in the day. Just a handful of changes, I thought were interesting:

* Every empire now starts with the Hyperdrive FTL.
* Wormhole Travel and Warp Travel are no longer available FTL types at the start of the game, and have been changed into additional (and very different from before) modes of travel detailed below.

* System ownership is now determined by who controls the Starbase in it. Starbases are similar to Frontier Outposts and Spaceports combined into one, and they can be upgraded and specialized with different modules and buildings. You must now fully survey a system before constructing a Starbase in it

* Sensor range is now a measure of how many FTL jumps away you can see rather than euclidian distance. A sensor range of 1 gives view of only the same system, 2 of same and neighboring system, and so on

* You now start with your home system explored, and largely fixed (slightly randomized) number of resources present

* Added Resource Replicator building, which converts 50 energy into 30 minerals per month

* Only science ships staffed by scientists can now enter systems that you completely lack intel on (stops 'corvette exploration')
* Added Force Disparity mechanics. In combat, a smaller force that is engaging a larger one (based on total combined fleet sizes) will now get a bonus to firing speed, to make casualties in battles less lop-sided

* Leaders now cost 200 energy to hire instead of 50 influence

* Stars now always have some sort of deposit, so that there are no completely useless systems

So if I played the hell out of CK2 will I enjoy this?

That leader change is glorious.

Gavinmad said:

So if I played the hell out of CK2 will I enjoy this?

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You’ll at least be familiar with the Clausewitz engine play style. That’s a pretty big hump for people coming from Civ. The maps are random and it’s nowhere near as character-based as ck2 but the mechanics will feel familiar.

Also its subreddit will never be as awesome as r/shitcrusaderkingssay...which still produces lulz with any random screenshot to this very day:

I'm so excited for this patch. I've been playing a few one planet games and its been fun. Looking at the patch notes, the Starbases game feels a lot like how you'd want to play a one planet - plop down starbases where you can to carve out a ton of systems w/o having to use planets.

Will be a day 1 DLC buy for me

Too lazy to go find the text, but there are now permanent worm holes connecting parts of the galaxy, and star gates you can get the tech to use (later in the game) as well as build your own. So they aren't gone, just changed and put in later.

Aaron said:

So what was the reasoning behind limiting to starlane travel only? I thought it was one of the better things about this game that you could chose which type you started with. Gave more variety.

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If i was to guess Id say they support the more strategic playstyle that a hyperlane only game adds. Most MP games have been hyperlane only and I at least have found it to be more enjoyable.

Other than that, they want to add more useful ways for static defense to work. Defensive spacestations, etc, dont work if you just wormhole/warp past them.

Byr said:

If i was to guess Id say they support the more strategic playstyle that a hyperlane only game adds. Most MP games have been hyperlane only and I at least have found it to be more enjoyable.

Other than that, they want to add more useful ways for static defense to work. Defensive spacestations, etc, dont work if you just wormhole/warp past them.

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It also improves the tactical AI significantly, as well as decreasing late game lag - a lot of time was apparently spent pathfinding by the AI players.

They had a couple blogs about the FTL travel when they announced it because they knew it'd be a contentious change, but I am mostly on board with it and their reasoning. Basically summed up as "makes balance and strategy a fucking bitch to develop on". As someone already pointed out, the tech still exist in the game so it shouldn't be hard for modders to reduce requirements or just reintroduce as an option for people that want it.

I'm excited for the expansion and the patch. It's been a year of strategy games for me so far.

* Only science ships staffed by scientists can now enter systems that you completely lack intel on (stops 'corvette exploration')

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Maybe I'm misunderstanding but this seems an overly harsh fix to an early game only problem. If I'm in a war of conquest late game I have to basically suicide a manned science ship into an opponent's core system in order to invade? Or does a sensor range >1 bypass the lack of intel?

Downhammer said:

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but this seems an overly harsh fix to an early game only problem. If I'm in a war of conquest late game I have to basically suicide a manned science ship into an opponent's core system in order to invade? Or does a sensor range >1 bypass the lack of intel?

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You forget that you automatically get reports for other empires youve contacted.

Early game might be a bit of a nightmare with the first couple wars.

I guess maybe it isn't too bad then. Early game you're less likely to face instant death jumping into an FTL inhibitor but with the dependence on hyperlanes any defensive fleet worth its salt in a chokepoint system will camp the inbound point.

I feel like I should know this answer but can you attach a science ship to a fleet and jump that way?

Apparently somewhat early on there's a +1 sensor range tech which then allows your military ships to explore. Basically this just fixes it so you can't do it day 1, which is fine.

Downhammer said:

I guess maybe it isn't too bad then. Early game you're less likely to face instant death jumping into an FTL inhibitor but with the dependence on hyperlanes any defensive fleet worth its salt in a chokepoint system will camp the inbound point.

I feel like I should know this answer but can you attach a science ship to a fleet and jump that way?

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I think I read something that they are changing FTL inhibitor mechanics too. When a system has a FTL inhibitor you can only exit that system through the same hyperlane you came in through.

I have very little 4x experience, but I have this game in my Steam cart trying to decide to buy it or not. It's not a matter of its cost; I just don't know if I'll like it. That, and the learning curve looks pretty steep. I mean, I know I'll be able to "play" it, but my limited experience with other 4x felt like I was playing basketball with socks on my hands.

Buy it or not?

Grabbit Allworth said:

I have very little 4x experience, but I have this game in my Steam cart trying to decide to buy it or not. It's not a matter of its cost; I just don't know if I'll like it. That, and the learning curve looks pretty steep. I mean, I know I'll be able to "play" it, but my limited experience with other 4x felt like I was playing basketball with socks on my hands.

Buy it or not?

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Stellaris will be one of the easier 4x to get into, if youre scared of getting into the genre its an excellent game to start off with. If i were you Id download a 'trial' version and see how you like it.

Downhammer said:

Maybe I'm misunderstanding but this seems an overly harsh fix to an early game only problem. If I'm in a war of conquest late game I have to basically suicide a manned science ship into an opponent's core system in order to invade? Or does a sensor range >1 bypass the lack of intel?

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It’s a way to slow down the early game; or at least make early rushes more expensive. With the old method of splitting up your 3 starting corvettes and queuing up their jumps you could reveal all the potentially habitable systems in your third of the galaxy in a year or two.

Thing is, you could still do the same but you’d have to get a third science ship and queue up its jumps without assigning it to survey.

khorum said:

It’s a way to slow down the early game; or at least make early rushes more expensive. With the old method of splitting up your 3 starting corvettes and queuing up their jumps you could reveal all the potentially habitable systems in your third of the galaxy in a year or two.

Thing is, you could still do the same but you’d have to get a third science ship and queue up its jumps without assigning it to survey.

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Yeah, cost is a little different though. Since you also need to recruit a scientist for that ship. Plus leaders cost energy now, so I imagine you'll be limited early game on leaders because of starting energy + slow energy income.

At a high level, I like them choosing to slow down exploration of the galaxy. Being able to explore the majority of the galaxy in the first 30 years with corvettes seemed kinda bad

Arumba streaming the new expansion right now if you can't wait until thursday. I couldn't