Stellaris: Paradoxian Space Stategy.

[Manticoran]

I was trying of maybe building tyranids at some point. Militaristic, xenophilic, spiritualist. Expansionist like crazy. Depending on trait points, repugnant agrarian nomads.

...XenoPHILE? I guess technically Tyranids love other aliens... But really only for lunch.

Given how Tyranids work, I'd go for Fanatic Militarist, Xenophobe, or Fanatic Xenophobe, Militarist, for type of Empire.

[DigoDragon]

...XenoPHILE? I guess technically Tyranids love other aliens... But really only for lunch.

It's that sort of love of getting pizza with your fav toppings.

[factotum]

Also I was surprised to find that the Yogscast did a couple of videos on Stellaris.

It's actually not that big a surprise to me--the Yogscast do a lot of 4X games, and even have an entire channel (which used to be called Civilization, but I think has changed recently) devoted to them. They did a multiplayer playthrough of the Master of Orion beta recently, for instance.

[GloatingSwine]

I disagree somewhat. One of the things Stellaris does is have randomised techs, and since the main reason for focusing on tech in other 4X games is to follow some sort of "perfect research" line to get a game-breaking advantage, that isn't so much the case here because you're not guaranteed to get the techs you need dealt to you. You might thus be better off, for example, choosing traits that give you a military or manufacturing advantage, on the grounds those are guaranteed while tech is not.

You don't understand, the point isn't to optimise tech, the point is to uncover and research all of the techs that have the possibility to doom the galaxy.

[Leecros]

It's actually not that big a surprise to me--the Yogscast do a lot of 4X games, and even have an entire channel (which used to be called Civilization, but I think has changed recently) devoted to them. They did a multiplayer playthrough of the Master of Orion beta recently, for instance.

They do, but rarely is it featured on their main channel(Although I do know that only the first episode is there). That's still more attention from a larger group of youtubers than Paradox typically gets.

[Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll]

They've been really branching out. Their big multiplayer session had at least one journalist who never played a grand strategy game before.

[Narkis]

So apparently slaves can't currently revolt. At all. DDRJake in his stream was able to prevent factions from rising up by simply enslaving every pop in them. Disappointing, but I guess it wouldn't be a paradox release without a major bug or another.

[Razade]

So apparently slaves can't currently revolt. At all. DDRJake in his stream was able to prevent factions from rising up by simply enslaving every pop in them. Disappointing, but I guess it wouldn't be a paradox release without a major bug or another.

It'll be fixed before the game comes out I suspect.

[Narkis]

It'll be fixed before the game comes out I suspect.

Hopefuly. If not, I bet it's gonna be the very first patch. They have the whole week ahead of them to fix stuff like that.

[Teln]

The release time is set for 1800 GMT.

EDIT: That's 24 hours and 40 minutes away as of this post.

[factotum]

OK, I just broke one of my rules and pre-ordered the game, I hope I don't regret that decision in 24 hours plus however long it takes to download the thing...

[Sian]

Now matter how much i want to (having seen several youtubers play it), i can't help but be uncertain if I'm going to like Stellaris ... I like 4x (its probably the game genre that I played the most in my youth), and i like grand strategy (the game genre i play the most nowadays), but i just can't help but feel that Stellaris is going to be less than its parts, due to their respective complexity stepping on each others toes. Don't think i can sufficiently articulate exactly whats wrong before actually playing it, but my gut feeling tells me I'm not going to be as impressed as i want to be.

[Eldan]

...XenoPHILE? I guess technically Tyranids love other aliens... But really only for lunch.

Given how Tyranids work, I'd go for Fanatic Militarist, Xenophobe, or Fanatic Xenophobe, Militarist, for type of Empire.

They integrate everyone.

[GloatingSwine]

To be honest, it looks p. simple by Paradox standards, and basically all the concepts in it are already extant in other Paradox games.

Also, the addition of the demense limit to 4x is a great solution to what I've always felt is the weakest element of the genre, that you need some level of planetary micromanagement in the early game to give the player more interaction in the early game, but when you get too large an empire it becomes tedious to click through the same build order over and over but you need to do it because the automation AI will do it wrong every time.

Keeping it down to a few things to personally manage means that it won't become an endless chore to make sure planets are in working order.

[Razade]

Keeping it down to a few things to personally manage means that it won't become an endless chore to make sure planets are in working order.

Pretty sure they're on the record as saying this was number 1 on "We want to avoid" list.

[factotum]

but i just can't help but feel that Stellaris is going to be less than its parts, due to their respective complexity stepping on each others toes. Don't think i can sufficiently articulate exactly whats wrong before actually playing it, but my gut feeling tells me I'm not going to be as impressed as i want to be.

As GloatingSwine says, the game specifically limits how complex the 4X part can be by reducing the amount of planetary micromanagement you have to do once your empire is big enough that the "grand strategy" element comes to the fore, so I don't think they'll step on each other as much as you think. Guess we'll all find out when we get a chance to play it, though!

[Leecros]

Now matter how much i want to (having seen several youtubers play it), i can't help but be uncertain if I'm going to like Stellaris ... I like 4x (its probably the game genre that I played the most in my youth), and i like grand strategy (the game genre i play the most nowadays), but i just can't help but feel that Stellaris is going to be less than its parts, due to their respective complexity stepping on each others toes. Don't think i can sufficiently articulate exactly whats wrong before actually playing it, but my gut feeling tells me I'm not going to be as impressed as i want to be.

I think it's going to be a bit too 4x-y and a bit little Grand Strategy-y for my liking.

I'm going to get my money's worth. It's only $40(USD), but I would be surprised if i got the 2,000 hours that i've gotten out of EUIV and CKII.

The enjoyment of EUIV and CKII is that each game can play out dramatically different. You could have a game of EUIV where Russia dominates Eastern Europe, or a game of CKII where Byzantium inherits the HRE. These things make each game a very unique playthrough and offers varying challenges each time.

I think once all things are said and done, Stellaris will be a bit more homogeneous. After the novelty has worn off. After we run out of ideas for new space empires. We're going to be left with a fairly standard(but enjoyable) 4x space strategy game.

After that, it's largely going to be up to what kind of DLC Paradox decides to make for it that will dictate the game's longevity. The options are almost literally limitless.

However, we'll see. Time will tell.

[factotum]

I'm going to get my money's worth. It's only $40(USD), but I would be surprised if i got the 2,000 hours that i've gotten out of EUIV and CKII.

I wonder why it's so cheap in the States? It's £34.99 in the UK, which is about the normal price for a game.

Question: does anyone know if the game will be pre-loadable at any point, or will we have to wait until 6pm to even start downloading it? My Internet connection isn't the best, and if I don't start downloading until 6pm I don't think I'll have a chance to play it until tomorrow.

[Razade]

I wonder why it's so cheap in the States? It's £34.99 in the UK, which is about the normal price for a game.

Question: does anyone know if the game will be pre-loadable at any point, or will we have to wait until 6pm to even start downloading it? My Internet connection isn't the best, and if I don't start downloading until 6pm I don't think I'll have a chance to play it until tomorrow.

You're probably going to have to wait.

[Sian]

thinking more about it, I'm starting to believe that its probably the pacing of the early (4x) game that concerns me

[Knaight]

Based on my experiences with every Civ/4X kind of game I've played, Economics seems to be the secret to victory. Money builds your cities/planets/armies/starships, pays bribes to keep neighbors content, and funds the research into better technologies. Though some games may not have "money" (like in Space Empires IV) but have resources you mine which is pretty much like currency.

Economics is always pretty important, but there are a lot of games where research accumulated is a much stronger indicator for how dangerous a faction is than how much money they've accumulated, let alone income.

thinking more about it, I'm starting to believe that its probably the pacing of the early (4x) game that concerns me

I'd expect it to be the weaker part, if only because Paradox has vastly more experience as a studio in the grand strategy side than the 4x side.

[Narkis]

I wonder why it's so cheap in the States? It's £34.99 in the UK, which is about the normal price for a game.

Question: does anyone know if the game will be pre-loadable at any point, or will we have to wait until 6pm to even start downloading it? My Internet connection isn't the best, and if I don't start downloading until 6pm I don't think I'll have a chance to play it until tomorrow.

It's been confirmed there will be no pre-loading.

[DigoDragon]

Economics is always pretty important, but there are a lot of games where research accumulated is a much stronger indicator for how dangerous a faction is than how much money they've accumulated, let alone income.

My library of played games isn't grand, so I probably just haven't found one of those yet. I love the games where bankrupting your enemy is a viable tactic. :3

[Leecros]

I wonder why it's so cheap in the States? It's £34.99 in the UK, which is about the normal price for a game.

If i had to guess, probably marketing. They know that the United States is a larger market for their game, so they offer it at a slightly lower price to incite more sales.

It's a bit unfair, but I have seen other companies do similar things where a game will be less expensive in the States, but more expensive in Europe.

My library of played games isn't grand, so I probably just haven't found one of those yet. I love the games where bankrupting your enemy is a viable tactic. :3

This used to be my tactic in the old Warcraft and Starcraft games. I would just turtle until the AI used up all of their resources. It was viable up until Starcraft Brood War where some of the later levels, the enemy had so much of an advantage over you; they could just overwhelm you if you didn't move quickly. After that, Warcraft 3, the AI outright cheated in order to not be forced into bankruptcy and would only use up 1 gold in the mine and get the standard amount in return.

[AgentPaper]

Game is up! Canary empire is a go!

[Leecros]

finally decided on my first race with the help of my girlfriend(she picked the name and race).

Spoiler

Show

Basically, a close-knitted Fennec race with a sort of Pharaoh-type divine ruler(If i'm understanding the description of that government right). Also, I took the avian ship design, because I have to say...Of all of the types of ships, I think the avian ones look the most elegant.

I really hope they add more designs later.

[Manticoran]

finally decided on my first race with the help of my girlfriend(she picked the name and race).

Spoiler

Show

Basically, a close-knitted Fennec race with a sort of Pharaoh-type divine ruler(If i'm understanding the description of that government right). Also, I took the avian ship design, because I have to say...Of all of the types of ships, I think the avian ones look the most elegant.

I really hope they add more designs later.

150% Alien Slavery Tolerance! Could have gotten 100% alien slavery tolerance from just Xenophobe, and then picked up Fanatic Spiritualist or social trait like Militarist. Militarist+Xenophobe+Spiritualist with Divine Mandate gives you 100% Slavery Tolerance for aliens and 100% War Tolerance, letting you be perpetually angry at the universe. :D

[Leecros]

150% Alien Slavery Tolerance! Could have gotten 100% alien slavery tolerance from just Xenophobe, and then picked up Fanatic Spiritualist or social trait like Militarist. Militarist+Xenophobe+Spiritualist with Divine Mandate gives you 100% Slavery Tolerance for aliens and 100% War Tolerance, letting you be perpetually angry at the universe. :D

It's fine, i'm sure. It'll grow back...


Interesting story. My first bit of combat is with basically a bunch of heretics who hijacked a small fleet. So...my first bit of combat is with rebels.


Yep, this is a Paradox game.

[Aotrs Commander]

Almost forgot... Was so busy quest-writing (as I do on Mondays that) I didn't notice the time - so probably as well roleplaying is cancelled today, otherwise I'd have to be leaving right about now. But instead I can stick it on to download.

Though I should finish my first EUIV run first, seeing as I've got meely 70 or years to go before I will have to decide to go into Extra Time...!




Edit: So, Paradox... er... manual?

Or are we supposed to play with no instructions at all aside from the extremely bare (understandably) wiki?

'Cos there's no "manual" link on steam.

[OrcusMcP]

It's fine, i'm sure. It'll grow back...


Interesting story. My first bit of combat is with basically a bunch of heretics who hijacked a small fleet. So...my first bit of combat is with rebels.


Yep, this is a Paradox game.

I can't get Stellaris yet, sadly, but now I know that when I do I will be right at home.