Octopus Overlords

Posted: **Wed Feb 23, 2022 5:40 pm**

baelthazar wrote: ↑Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:37 am
Lordnine wrote: ↑Tue Mar 16, 2021 5:06 pm So I've only recently gotten into this game because of Humble Bundle. This reference made me chuckle a bit. I think I need to rush researching a Gellar Field soon...

" Liberate tu ta me ex inferis."

Totally “study the portal”. What can possibly go wrong…

Posted: **Wed Feb 23, 2022 6:13 pm**

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Wed Feb 23, 2022 3:40 pm So I haven't played Stellaris in four years and never got any of the DLC, but I'm looking to dive into something relatively new and this I think would qualify. Are there any DLC I should grab to enhance my initial playthrough?

UPDATE: I'm just looking at a basic sandbox playthrough, not a story campaign or whatever they would called them in Stellaris.

ASpec's Stellaris Expansion / DLC Buyers Guide provides a helpful and effective overview:

I think Utopia still provides the best bang for your buck, even at full price:

It adds Megastructures, Hive Minds, and some of the best, most interesting Ascension Paths. It's also the most relevant DLC to all playstyles, since it adds several different categories of new content, rather than focusing on just one.

But considering it's been four years since you last played, you're likely to discover that the game has improved and changed significantly. So, I wouldn't worry too much about DLC at this point. Focus on conquering the learning curve, and put some time into relearning and familiarising yourself with how the base game plays. This will help you develop a better sense of which particular features and mechanics you find most appealing.

Posted: **Thu Feb 24, 2022 12:47 am**

Also, in terms of relearning how to play Stellaris, I'd recommend watching the following playlist:

You'll find it provides plenty of helpful insight courtesy of the game's developers and designers.

Posted: **Mon Jun 27, 2022 10:50 am**

I am intrigued...

This mod turns Stellaris into the Mass Effect strategy game you've dreamed of

If, like me, you've always wanted to see a more strategic, zoomed-out take on the Mass Effect setting, you're in luck: the Binary Helix mod group (cheekily named for a genetic engineering corporation in Mass Effect) is creating the Beyond the Relays (opens in new tab) project for Stellaris—a total conversion of the space strategy sim to the Mass Effect setting.

Stellaris has a history of great total conversion mods, with previous efforts bringing Star Trek (opens in new tab) and Warhammer 40K (opens in new tab) to life in the setting. Additionally, talented modders have, in the past, made individual addons based on Mass Effect to Stellaris, but Beyond the Relays looks to recreate the entire setting down to its political climate and rules of space travel.

In its current 0.7.0 release, Beyond the Relays offers a selection of 24 civilizations to choose from, including sub-variants of major races like the Asari and the Turians, as well as second-string favorites like the Volus or Vorcha. The project also includes unique ship and location models like the Citadel and Omega deep space stations.

In an especially exciting move, Binary Helix has recreated the star systems and Mass Relay networks from Mass Effect, with the mod's galaxy map containing 400 solar systems based off those in the games and official lore. The star systems are organized into clusters connected by Mass Relays, and the map can be played in a basic sandbox mode, or in a scenario that replicates the factions' relative positions and prestige at the time of the Mass Effect series.

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:10 am**

Save me reading 36 pages...would I like Stellaris?

I like 4x games in general and am currently playing GalCiv3. I haven't bought Stellaris because I'm under the impression that it's hard to learn. Is there a tutorial, or is it sink or swim?

It's on sale for 9.99 thru 1/5 and I'm tempted. Galaxy Edition is 12.49...would that add a lot of complexity that would hinder learning?

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 2:25 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:10 am It's on sale for 9.99 thru 1/5 and I'm tempted. Galaxy Edition is 12.49...would that add a lot of complexity that would hinder learning?

I have the base edition and put in 33 hours on it, but most of that that was back soon after initial release and I don't remember much. Looking at the screenshots I took, the last time I put in any time was in 2018 just after 2.0 was released, they are now at 3.6 so any impressions would be way out of date. Also I never picked up any of the DLC.

Still, with Galactic Civilizations IV pretty much a bust for me and burned out on GC3, I too would like to know what folks say about the current state of the game, and which DLC are worth having.

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:38 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:10 am Save me reading 36 pages...would I like Stellaris?

I like 4x games in general and am currently playing GalCiv3. I haven't bought Stellaris because I'm under the impression that it's hard to learn. Is there a tutorial, or is it sink or swim?

I suspect you'd enjoy Stellaris immensely. Much like any worthwhile 4X game, it has a learning curve but certainly nothing insurmountable. Considering your prior experience and enjoyment of GalCiv3, I doubt you'd have much difficulty learning your way around the game at all.

Stellaris does provide an in-game tutorial, which basically equates to a robotic advisor who provides advice and assistance to explain various aspects of the UI and such as you click around and play. It's useful to help initially familiarize yourself with the UI, and covers the bare basics of gameplay. But you're probably better off watching a Youtube quick start overview for the game if you'd prefer to get going ASAP, e.g. The Complete Beginners Guide to Stellaris by Col. Damneders and/or The Complete Idiot's Guide To Stellaris by Montu Plays. Or if you prefer text-based guidance, follow the Stellaris Wiki Beginner's guide in conjunction with the in-game tutorial.

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:10 am It's on sale for 9.99 thru 1/5 and I'm tempted. Galaxy Edition is 12.49...would that add a lot of complexity that would hinder learning?

The Galaxy Edition will not add any additional complexity that would hinder learning over the base game, since this is all it adds:

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 3:50 am**

jztemple2 wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 2:25 am
Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 1:10 am It's on sale for 9.99 thru 1/5 and I'm tempted. Galaxy Edition is 12.49...would that add a lot of complexity that would hinder learning?
I have the base edition and put in 33 hours on it, but most of that that was back soon after initial release and I don't remember much. Looking at the screenshots I took, the last time I put in any time was in 2018 just after 2.0 was released, they are now at 3.6 so any impressions would be way out of date. Also I never picked up any of the DLC.

Still, with Galactic Civilizations IV pretty much a bust for me and burned out on GC3, I too would like to know what folks say about the current state of the game, and which DLC are worth having.

In terms of Stellaris Expansions and DLC, I would stand by what I posted earlier. If you really have a burning compulsion for additional content, start with the Utopia Expansion. But I would still advise relearning and familiarising yourself with how the base game plays prior to purchasing Expansions and DLC. Because that will help you develop a firmer sense for which particular features and mechanics you find most appealing.

Or if you're a completionist with money to burn, the Stellaris Ultimate Bundle includes all Stellaris Expansions, additional DLC, Species and Story Packs, and is available at 55% off until 1/5.

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 11:12 am**

Thanks for posting those resources. I'm going to go ahead and buy the basic game while it's cheap.

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 12:25 pm**

I'll just add that I think you will find Stellaris entirely easy to grasp. There are a few game mechanics that only apply to certain types of species, etc - but you will come to find learning about it all isn't a task, but rather a fun exploration.

Its difficulty is also up to you - with a lot of options to tweak.

Posted: **Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:52 pm**

Boughten...along with Tropico 6, just because I've played every other Tropico and am in the mood for city building.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:44 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Jan 02, 2023 10:52 pm Boughten...along with Tropico 6, just because I've played every other Tropico and am in the mood for city building.

Congrats on your Stellaris boughtening.

BTW, here's another mighty useful playlist of Youtube tutorials from MaxTheCatfish which provides terrific insight on how to get started with Stellaris for beginners:

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:58 am**

Thanks again for all the resources. I'll revisit this thread and read/watch them when I'm ready to start a game. Right now I'm 20 hours into a GC3 game that's likely to last another 10 hours. After that, I might relax for a spell in Tropico. But I am looking forward to trying Stellaris.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2023 1:37 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:58 am Thanks again for all the resources. I'll revisit this thread and read/watch them when I'm ready to start a game. Right now I'm 20 hours into a GC3 game that's likely to last another 10 hours. After that, I might relax for a spell in Tropico. But I am looking forward to trying Stellaris.

Posted: **Thu Jan 05, 2023 3:15 pm**

I love the 2022. I bought Stellaris beta and probably started five times. The last time was sometime after Federations released. All five times I have picked up the game, it was completely different than the iteration before. Which was kinda cool actually. Like I kept getting a new game for free as long as I commit to not playing the old one.

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2023 6:46 pm**

Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:58 am Thanks again for all the resources. I'll revisit this thread and read/watch them when I'm ready to start a game. Right now I'm 20 hours into a GC3 game that's likely to last another 10 hours. After that, I might relax for a spell in Tropico. But I am looking forward to trying Stellaris.

Curious to know your (or anyone else’s) feedback on Stellaris vs GC3.

FWIW found this on Reddit but it’s 5 YO:

“Having played all of the 'big 3' - my thoughts {Stellaris, ES2, GC3}
I have over 100 hrs on stellaris, 50~ on ES2 and 40~ on GC3

That being said, I find that stellaris is actually the worst of them, it seems so interesting and expansive, but it is the most repetitive game, despite all the dlc etc. There is literally no gameplay difference from widely different 'builds' and the repetition mid/late game is unbearable.

ES2 never felt that deep to me, but I really enjoyed its style and presentation. I especially thought the wire frames models for invasion were cool, and the different story choices. Not a game to discuss 'strategy' of, but a fun romp. The best part compared to others is the turns remain fluid and fast throughout the game, avoiding the major slowdowns the others have.

GC3 has some good strategy and heart, but it a bit too complicated for its own good, and it really really gets grindy midgame. The lack of any size between 'med' and 'large' ships and it being hard to get weapons above 2 damage means that for hours on end it will simply be spamming the same med ship with 2x2 weapons on it - not exactly fun.

I really enjoy the early parts of GC3 but eventually the turns just slow down too much, too many trade routes, shipyards, enemy ships, mining bases and so on.

Summary: Stellaris is worst

GC3 is fun but bogs down hard mid/late game

ES2 is probably least deep but has a good pacing unlike other two“

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2023 7:43 pm**

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 6:46 pm
Kraken wrote: ↑Thu Jan 05, 2023 12:58 am Thanks again for all the resources. I'll revisit this thread and read/watch them when I'm ready to start a game. Right now I'm 20 hours into a GC3 game that's likely to last another 10 hours. After that, I might relax for a spell in Tropico. But I am looking forward to trying Stellaris.
Curious to know your (or anyone else’s) feedback on Stellaris vs GC3.

Broadly speaking, I think this 'Stellaris vs. Galactic Civilizations 3 (Which is better?)' write-up aptly sums up their differences, and what Stellaris does better. It mentions the Stellaris Nemesis DLC at the beginning, which came out in 2021, so it's also more up-to-date than what you found on Reddit:

LonerStrategyGames.com wrote:Comparing Gal Civ 3 to Stellaris
Stellaris and Gal Civ 3 have very much in common. Obviously, both are space-based games with planetary management and empire expansion. They both have espionage, especially with the new Stellaris Nemesis DLC. Both allow you to explore the galaxy in all its breathtaking wonder, both have combat and wars, and both have random events that pop-up from time-to-time with bonuses and sometimes with negative effects.

Both games have good interfaces in my opinion. Stellaris is a real-time, pausable game while Galactic Civilizations 3 is turn-based. The pausability of Stellaris blurs the line somewhat between turn-based and real time but I consider that an actual benefit to the game.

Both games have a really fun early exploration experience, which is one of the things I find most enjoyable about games with a space setting.

You meet aliens and make friends or enemies, with wars ensuing (there’s always someone who doesn’t like you or is standing in the way of your objective), so you need to prepare for that in both games. One difference is that war is vastly different between the two games.

In Stellaris there is a warscore system. You also set goals for your war, the more goals you have the harder it is to achieve them. If you win the war, you can only get whatever systems you set as your goals. Occupying other systems does not mean you get them at war’s end, although they do increase your warscore.

In Gal Civ 3 there is no warscore system and you get to keep whatever you conquer and lose whatever you lose.

Both games have a lot of mystery and intrigue. You never know what the next planet will look like or where it will be, or if the next alien race you run into will be friend or foe.

Both games have pop-up events that keep the game interesting although Stellaris has many more that are more diversified, like archaeological digs and espionage notifications.

Gal Civ 3 has ideologies which are similar to the Stellaris ethics and civics, which are a little more detailed and take things down to a finer degree.

Both games have pops (Gal Civ 3 calls them Citizens) that can be specialized to increase functionality on fleets or planets.

Both games have victory conditions. In Gal Civ 3 once you achieve those the game is over, in Stellaris the game can go on indefinitely. I like both methods so I can’t say either game handles that option better.

Both games feature anomalies that usually help you out. Overall, they both help with both technological research or increase your treasury.

…

What Stellaris Does Better
Stellaris does a better job at allowing you to create complex strategies. Stellaris has many interacting resource systems allowing for a lot of detailed approaches. It has strategic resources placed in very few systems, which makes controlling that system vitally important if that strategic resource is something you really need. It has a lot of depth when it comes to various strategies.

Stellaris handles wars better. With the warscore system you will probably only lose a few systems no matter how badly you lose a war. Unlike a lot of games, a resounding defeat does not spell inevitable doom for your empire, you can live to fight another day.

Another thing that Stellaris has going for it is mod support. There are many, many more mods available for this game when compared to Gal Civ 3. This adds even more replayability and diversity to Stellaris.

Something else Stellaris has done, with pretty good success, is turning the end game into something interesting instead of letting it become a grind, and that is the end game crisis. The end game crisis can be tailored to your tastes so you have some degree of control over how difficult this event will be. Think you’ve got the game won? Not until the end game crisis happens, which can totally change everything.

Although I hate to admit it, I like the starlanes better than the freewheeling approach in Gal Civ 3. With starlanes (hyperlanes) you can create chokepoints to slow down or even halt an enemy advance. This allows for both a good defensive and offensive strategy. Without starlanes you never know exactly where your enemy is going to strike next.

Which One To Get?
What’s the best game? I own both and thoroughly enjoy them both. I would give a slight nod to Stellaris but only because I like the complexity of the resource systems, the use of hyperlanes and the warscore system. When I want something a little less challenging strategically and want to play a campaign with a storyline, then Gal Civ 3 is my obvious choice. Both games rank highly in my list of favorites.

It's also worth remembering what LordMortis correctly observed above: Stellaris is one of those games that has changed and developed significantly with numerous iterations and improvements over the years. As he said, it can feel like a whole new game if/when you to return to it after not having played for a while.

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2023 8:06 pm**

I like Stellaris. There are some key differences between the different ideologies/species, and I get a lot of enjoyment out of the tech tree and building up to the mega-projects and terraforming worlds.

Posted: **Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:26 pm**

LonerStrategyGames.com wrote:Comparing Gal Civ 3 to Stellaris
Although I hate to admit it, I like the starlanes better than the freewheeling approach in Gal Civ 3. With starlanes (hyperlanes) you can create chokepoints to slow down or even halt an enemy advance. This allows for both a good defensive and offensive strategy. Without starlanes you never know exactly where your enemy is going to strike next.

Actually this point is why I like GC3 and dislike what GC4 has done with their sectors. I like the idea that an enemy can strike at different locations, meaning my fleet builds and my technology have to adapt to counter this. I find that chokepoints just mean I toss everything including the kitchen sink into one location and whoever has the biggest fleet wins.

A number of years ago I was playing a mega-game of GC3, fighting a war on what I termed my "North" and "Northwest" fronts. And these were huge fronts. I play with the option turned off of knowing when an alien ship is in my influence, so I only knew if an enemy fleet was approaching if it was in range of my sensors. I adapted by creating picket ships, ships with large sensor ranges and setting them up along the front. I then created flying squadrons, the space equivalent of the early 20th century battlecruisers. So when the enemy would slip in a fleet equipped with warships and transports I could quickly intercept it. Even then I was still vulnerable so I would have to offensively move into enemy territory to cause havoc, forcing my enemies to keep trying to counter my fleets. It was like playing WW2 in the Pacific, but in space.

Obviously if your interest in a 4X space game is more on mysteries and less on operational planning and execution, GC3 can be rather dry. I think that both games are good in their certain areas, it's what you are looking to get out of them.

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 7:43 pm It's also worth remembering what LordMortis correctly observed above: Stellaris is one of those games that has changed and developed significantly with numerous iterations and improvements over the years. As he said, it can feel like a whole new game if/when you to return to it after not having played for a while.

Your point here is very good and may be what gets me back to Stellaris. While I do like GC3, the gameplay hasn't really changed in three years. Stellaris is now sounding more interesting to me, so thanks for your post!

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2023 12:17 am**

Last q and I’ll shut up and play one already!

Could either of these possibly be compared to Civ? I guess if you could make the comparison, GC3 seems to be the closer analogue due to the turn based approach?

I’m here bc I have once again gone through another Civ V playing cycle …and looking for something similar…but different.

I just cannot get into Civ VI no matter how much I try, and I don’t even know why. It’s weird. Figured I would try space!

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2023 12:28 am**

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 12:17 am Could either of these possibly be compared to Civ? I guess if you could make the comparison, GC3 seems to be the closer analogue due to the turn based approach?

I don't think GC3 and Civ are really comparable. The tech trees are different in the sense that GC3 is for unlocking bigger and better ships and things for ships, as well as buildings for colonies. Also the GC3 is very large and you can really focus on quite a variety of different paths. In Civ, IMHO, you pretty much just unlock almost everything as you go along.

In Civ terrain is very important, while in GC3 the map is about inhabitable planets and harvest-able resources. Combat is very different. And so on. I don't really think I'd say they were comparable.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2023 2:23 am**

Carpet_pissr wrote: ↑Sun Jan 08, 2023 12:17 am Last q and I’ll shut up and play one already!

Could either of these possibly be compared to Civ? I guess if you could make the comparison, GC3 seems to be the closer analogue due to the turn based approach?

Personally, I wouldn't describe either as having much in common with Civ 5. Stellaris is an excellent game, but I wouldn't think of it as Civ 5 in space. Because I've always found Stellaris to be more akin to a role-playing sandbox. The storytelling / world-building is very strong in Stellaris. Stellaris excels in allowing you to create and customize your own empire. You make your own race, establish their ethics and civics, and quite quickly you have new motivations for how to play the game. Optimal play can be tempered by thinking and acting as your leader would, which takes the game into some really interesting, unexpected, and compelling directions. Whereas playing Civ tends to be mostly about winning. You can play Stellaris that way too, but I find it more rewarding and engaging to build an empire, "roleplay" it, and embrace the emergent storytelling it then provides.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2023 2:58 am**

Interesting, thanks!

I was trying to narrow it down to one or the other, just due to the perceived learning curve, but dammit, I think I will have to try both.

Posted: **Mon Feb 13, 2023 3:00 am**

After poking around Stellaris for a couple of hours I can tell that I'm going to like this game...eventually. There's a lot to learn but I'm starting to get the rudiments. If someone had only told me that it has a 3D star map I'd have been on it long ago.

Posted: **Mon Feb 13, 2023 11:09 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Feb 13, 2023 3:00 am After poking around Stellaris for a couple of hours I can tell that I'm going to like this game...eventually. There's a lot to learn but I'm starting to get the rudiments. If someone had only told me that it has a 3D star map I'd have been on it long ago.

Good to hear you've dipped your toes into the cosmos Stellaris provides.

Fret ye not over the initial learning curve. There is a lot to learn, but the best way to go about it is just to dive in and embrace the notion that you're likely to err along the way. While first starting out, I simply focused upon reading all of its prompts and just played almost akin to a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure book. So, try every button, and every interaction, and accept that failure and loss are intrinsic to the learning process. Make mistakes and learn from them. Then, start your next game using the knowledge you gained. Rinse and repeat. Just going through the game, role-playing various empires, and experimenting is a great way to develop "the feel" for the game, and can create epic and insane stories of grief and glory.

Also, don't forget that you can almost always find helpful descriptions of everything within the game's UI by simply hovering your mouse pointer over it. I cannot stress that advice enough. The game really explains itself quite coherently if you get used to reading all hover texts; they're everywhere, from buildings, to traits, to edicts, to techs.

Posted: **Tue Feb 14, 2023 12:40 am**

Definitely poke around, try and fail a few times. Then restart with a different strategy or goal.

Games where you're trying to Assimilate the universe as a Borg collective play differently than a Ferengi trading union, or a Federation style open diplomatic corps. I enjoy leaning heavily into tech and then terraforming every planet within my chosen sphere, cloning my population into an economic juggernaut that the rest of the galaxy approaches warily.

Posted: **Tue Feb 14, 2023 2:25 pm**

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sat Jan 07, 2023 7:43 pm It's also worth remembering what LordMortis correctly observed above: Stellaris is one of those games that has changed and developed significantly with numerous iterations and improvements over the years. As he said, it can feel like a whole new game if/when you to return to it after not having played for a while.

Just a comment to reinforce this. LM and AB are right, the current iteration of Stellaris is significantly different than it was on release. Most people feel the changes have been for the better.

Not going to go into the differences in philosophy and design of grand strategy vs 4x strategy, mostly because I'm not qualified, but there are intentional differences.

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:51 am**

I'm plodding through a first game that might last forever. Every time anything happens, I hit pause, check up on and fiddle with various things, and then unpause for another 10-15 seconds.

I still don't know what I should be prioritizing, but I'm enjoying the exploration/expansion aspect. I found a second habitable planet right next door but had to look long and far for more.

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:01 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 12:51 am I'm plodding through a first game that might last forever. Every time anything happens, I hit pause, check up on and fiddle with various things, and then unpause for another 10-15 seconds. I still don't know what I should be prioritizing, but I'm enjoying the exploration/expansion aspect. I found a second habitable planet right next door but had to look long and far for more.

Sounds like you have the right attitude. In the early game I generally aim to have 2, 3, or 4 science vessels for the exploration/expansion aspect you're enjoying (this depends upon how and where I'm situated; the more directions you have to spread out for exploration, the more science vessels you'll likely want to do so). In terms of early game priorities, I'd suggest prioritizing growing Pops and expanding to maximize your Pops, as this will maximize your resources gathered and gained.

If you need further guidance, the official Stellaris Wiki Beginner's guide is mighty helpful while first learning the basic mechanics of the game, and provides plenty of guidance to point you in the right direction. BTW, the question mark button illustrated below opens an in-game browser on the main page of the official Stellaris Wiki, so you can click on the Beginner's Guide there to read it from within your game:

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:06 am**

Thanks, I've been wanting a manual so I'll peruse your link before I play again. I'm starting to get comfortable with the UI and basic game mechanics but have little clue about strategery.

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:40 am**

Stellaris might be my favourite 4x/grand strategy in space that I've never really played. I want to like it, but have never gotten past the initial learning curve (not because it's overly complex, there are many games much more so) but because it just never grabs me enough before I find something else to do.

I love the idea of Stellaris more than the game itself.

Posted: **Sat Feb 18, 2023 1:31 pm**

GreenGoo wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 11:40 am Stellaris might be my favourite 4x/grand strategy in space that I've never really played. I want to like it, but have never gotten past the initial learning curve (not because it's overly complex, there are many games much more so) but because it just never grabs me enough before I find something else to do.

I love the idea of Stellaris more than the game itself.

FWIW, I think the key for discovering the most engaging aspects of Stellaris is to embrace the idea that it's predominantly a superb role-playing and emergent storytelling sandbox.

When I first began playing Stellaris, role-playing did not come naturally at all, because I'd get too focused upon the mechanics. But that would inevitably lead to a min-max funk. This meant that much like you, my games of Stellaris would not grab me sufficiently before something else would distract my attention away and I'd lose interest.

However, there's one simple trick I learned that helped me break out of that min-max funk and truly delve into the role-playing side of Stellaris. I forced myself to pause the game every twenty years or so, and do a sort of 'State of the Galaxy' bullet point run down. So, I would look at my empire, and jot down two or three bullet points about the key developments of that time period. It only takes around 30 to 60 seconds at most, but I found that doing this really helps visualize your empire much more clearly. Usually the bullet points will focus on interpreting a tradition, ascension perk, or technology through the lens of my specific empire. I look at all the aliens, and see what they're up to. Who are they allied or rivals with, and why? Basically, this compels you towards making the effort to envision them as more than just different coloured blobs on a map, which is what I otherwise defaulted towards. Then I would come up with a plan for the next twenty years, and continue accordingly. The point being, you learn to take into account the events that occur within your game while grounding yourself in the morals and perspective of the empire you built. So it becomes second-nature to digest those events and extrapolate how your people might respond. Peaceful empires turned savage from brutal attackers. Isolationists turned expansionist from the Great Khan’s depredations, vowing to never be taken advantage of again. Militarists turned pacifists from a war so bloody that even they said "enough."

Suffice to say, getting into the habit of role-playing your empire makes the game feel much, much more alive and interesting. In my experience, it's so much more dramatic and rewarding to play to your empire's ideals than strictly playing logically so far as game mechanics are concerned. "Winning" is not the goal. Having a fun time playing is the goal. In fact, I've often had the most fun in games I ultimately lose. Because playing this way invariably produces more epic and memorable moments, and allows for a different storyline to develop for your empire in every game.

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:27 am**

Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:01 am
If you need further guidance, the official Stellaris Wiki Beginner's guide is mighty helpful while first learning the basic mechanics of the game, and provides plenty of guidance to point you in the right direction.

I read the sections on the early-to-mid game and found that I made one blunder -- I colonized a "tomb world" that's only 10% habitable because I had explored so many stars without finding anything. I ultimately found and am colonizing a couple of better worlds, but it's not clear that they'll be able to cover my tomb world's drain. Apart from that I'm more-or-less in line with the wiki's recommendations.

Posted: **Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:49 am**

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Feb 19, 2023 1:27 am
Anonymous Bosch wrote: ↑Sat Feb 18, 2023 3:01 am
If you need further guidance, the official Stellaris Wiki Beginner's guide is mighty helpful while first learning the basic mechanics of the game, and provides plenty of guidance to point you in the right direction.
I read the sections on the early-to-mid game and found that I made one blunder -- I colonized a "tomb world" that's only 10% habitable because I had explored so many stars without finding anything. I ultimately found and am colonizing a couple of better worlds, but it's not clear that they'll be able to cover my tomb world's drain. Apart from that I'm more-or-less in line with the wiki's recommendations.

With appropriate tech and investment of resources you can increase adaptability to tomb worlds, or eventually terraform them into something habitable. Robots don't care about habitability, so if you produce them you could actually work the natural resources of your tomb world. Also, for role-playing purposes, even if colonizing is sub-optimal, I find that tomb worlds can be very thematically fitting for a penal colony.

Posted: **Mon Feb 20, 2023 11:27 am**

Thanks AB. I often played themed races in other games, such as custom races in MooII (and it's modern equivalent). Also, games like Sword of the Stars have such different game mechanics for each race that they come already flavoured in one direction or another, and you can choose to play a race that matches your mood.

I will keep roleplaying in mind the next time I fire up Stellaris.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2023 6:48 pm**

So after hearing some talk about this game in the Civ 6 thread and it being on sale now; I now have Stellaris console edition.

I probably won’t really get to play much for about a week but I’m looking forward to jumping in.

I just bought the base game. There are 20! DLCs for the PlayStation and none on sale so I didn’t bother with any of the DLC.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:00 pm**

There are DLC buyer's guides that will outline what each DLC contains, which you should prioritize, and which can be skipped. I highly recommend reading one if you decide to dive into the DLC pool.

A million DLC's is how paradox operates. There are pros and cons to it. While I don't like the idea of giving up more money after the initial purchase, I think I mostly fall on the pros side of things.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:39 pm**

Dramatist wrote: ↑Mon Mar 20, 2023 6:48 pm So after hearing some talk about this game in the Civ 6 thread and it being on sale now; I now have Stellaris console edition.

I probably won’t really get to play much for about a week but I’m looking forward to jumping in.

I just bought the base game. There are 20! DLCs for the PlayStation and none on sale so I didn’t bother with any of the DLC.

Rest assured, you'll have plenty to enjoy learning your way around the base game. Since you're playing the console edition, have a butcher's at the Stellaris Console Wiki and Beginner's Guide there to help ease the learning curve.

Posted: **Mon Mar 20, 2023 8:52 pm**

I'm plodding through my first real game (after one abortive start). 45 years in, I'm nearing the end of the expansion phase and interacting more with AI players. My empire is long and thin and bordered by neighbors on all sides, so I'll probably crumple fast if two or more of them gang up on me. I'm concentrating on holding a few important chokepoints while still exploring the last open area. I'm enjoying the learning process. I can imagine adding some DLC eventually, but for now the basic game is quite a handful.

Posted: **Tue Mar 21, 2023 10:46 am**

Hey AB, do you think we need a new guide now that 3.7 is out? Or will the older guides still cover enough to make them worthwhile?

I have found in the past it has been difficult to find accurate detailed game mechanics guides due to the ever changing nature of the game.

Octopus Overlords

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