Stellaris - Paradox new sci-fi grand strategy game

[Quigs]

Matalarata : I'd avoid it. It's great early game, but the mid and late game are horrible.

 

[razvedchiki]

distant worlds is the best space 4x game period.
just wait until its in discount cause they still sell it full price.

 

[Average Manatee]

distant worlds is the best space 4x game period.
just wait until its in discount cause they still sell it full price.

Is a thing a game if you can set it on automatic mode and watch the game win itself?

Perhaps we should call it a non-scripted visual novel.

Matalarata : I'd avoid it. It's great early game, but the mid and late game are horrible.

Rather, there is no mid or late game. You know you've hit the end of the early game when you hit the end of content. Past that there's only researching incremental techs and endless doomstack wars. The stuff that would theoretically make a mid game or late game (megaprojects, ascension perks) are boring and barely worth completing. But then its hard to estimate how much the new patch will shake things up.

 

[Matalarata]

Distant world has one distinct problem. I bought it 7 years ago. DW brings out the worst autistic side in me, and I already have Dominions multiplayer for that. Now I need something simpler, to play more casually, I need something new!

I've kept myself up to date with this thread somewhat and know the game has many shortcomings. Basically my questions boils down to "Do you think the current base game has enough fun in it to be worth 16e?" and "Are there any DLCs you'd recommend?" Utopia and Leviathan are both -50%, the first is more or less a must amirite? Is the second worth 5 gold coins?

 

[razvedchiki]

Is a thing a game if you can set it on automatic mode and watch the game win itself?

Perhaps we should call it a non-scripted visual novel.

whats the matter?you cant metagame it enough?

 

[Average Manatee]

Wouldn't say that any of the DLC is a must. Utopia mostly just adds new bonuses to unlock. Aside from cheesing the game with certain very overpowered unity unlocks (which are probably going to be nerfed in a week anyway) the only core gameplay addition that really matters is Habitats. It's the kind of DLC that looks really good on paper (or on advertising bullet points) but doesn't add much in practice. The base game is fine, check back in a year to see if the DLC have cumulatively added enough to make the end game meaningful.

Is a thing a game if you can set it on automatic mode and watch the game win itself?

Perhaps we should call it a non-scripted visual novel.

whats the matter?you cant metagame it enough?

No, I can't game it enough.

 

[Quigs]

Rather, there is no mid or late game. You know you've hit the end of the early game when you hit the end of content. Past that there's only researching incremental techs and endless doomstack wars. The stuff that would theoretically make a mid game or late game (megaprojects, ascension perks) are boring and barely worth completing. But then its hard to estimate how much the new patch will shake things up.

For me the game would be made entirely better if worthwhile perks came sooner, and your sectors built *fucking anything*. You tend to hit the endgame crisis with more minerals per tick than you can possibly use because you're stuck with 5-10 usable worlds and the rest of your empire patiently waits to get exterminated.

You make so many meaningful choices before the game starts, and then the first real choice you get with ascension perks is a let down. 10 percent research? Better terraforming? BFD. Hand out habitats or something. Get you on a path sooner.

 

[Jimmious]

Distant world has one distinct problem. I bought it 7 years ago. DW brings out the worst autistic side in me, and I already have Dominions multiplayer for that. Now I need something simpler, to play more casually, I need something new!

I've kept myself up to date with this thread somewhat and know the game has many shortcomings. Basically my questions boils down to "Do you think the current base game has enough fun in it to be worth 16e?" and "Are there any DLCs you'd recommend?" Utopia and Leviathan are both -50%, the first is more or less a must amirite? Is the second worth 5 gold coins?

The game is fun enough for sure. Especially if you don't "overplay" it. If you'd go for only one expansion, definitely go for Utopia

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

I'm starved for a sci-fi 4x, is this worth the purchase at the current sale price? Base game + Leviathan + Utopia is around 32 euros, 16 for just the base game...

Gib monocled opinionz bros, plz.

it's an extremely simple and basic grand strategy, easily entry level for people who just enjoyed civ6. drown it in mods, especially "alphamod", and you have a respectable game.

 

[coldcrow]

I'm starved for a sci-fi 4x, is this worth the purchase at the current sale price? Base game + Leviathan + Utopia is around 32 euros, 16 for just the base game...

Gib monocled opinionz bros, plz.

Get Endless Space 2. It's the best traditional Space4X that has come out in the last years. Combat is a pity, though. It would have been glorious with TB combat and all likely planned DLC already in (spy mechanics, expanded political stuff, starbases).

 

[Matalarata]

Combat

I do own endless space 1 and consider it a fine game, the lack of combat totally killed my interest though. Still, thanks for your advice!
I'll just pass and ask again in a year or two. I'm fairly sure I had already posted something similar, about one year ago...
...Stellaris, Stellaris never changes...

 

[Riel]

distant worlds is the best space 4x game period.
just wait until its in discount cause they still sell it full price.

I grabbed it with its expansions a few months back on a GOG sale, I still need to give it a good try.

I do own endless space 1 and consider it a fine game, the lack of combat totally killed my interest though. Still, thanks for your advice!
I'll just pass and ask again in a year or two. I'm fairly sure I had already posted something similar, about one year ago...
...Stellaris, Stellaris never changes...

Endless Space problems are far more than just lack of tactical combat.

 

[coldcrow]

Well I only say it's the best of a bad deal. The last true 4x is moo3 + chocolate.

 

[Zboj Lamignat]

Stellaris is the first paradox game I, sort of, enjoyed since HoI2 arma. It lasted for around 50h and now I feel 0 urge to get back to it. It's true that it's pretty basic/repetitive, urging you to restart over and over, but also more of a computer game compared to their other screensavers. At a steep discount I'd say go ahead and try it. It does look like it's gonna degenerate the swedish way though, with sheer idiocy like "choke points in space" et al.

 

[Hellion]

A few hours into Apocalypse and I have to say the game feels completely different in some key aspects, most notably expansion (and everything this affects, like space stations and techs/ascension perks that dealt with border range) and fleet building/maintaining. I'll have to reach the end-game and unlock the death stars in order to check the non-free content though.

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

i hate the "new" borders system. it's so... basic. anonymous. uninteresting.

 

[Average Manatee]

i hate the "new" borders system. it's so... basic. anonymous. uninteresting.

Hard to even call it borders IMO. Systems are a series of point objects, can't have an interior for a point.

 

[Jimmious]

I think it will make the game much more interesting tactically with choke points etc. Getting the right systems will have a bigger impact

 

[Space Satan]

i hate the "new" borders system. it's so... basic. anonymous. uninteresting.

It is way better than previous shit. You didn't even had clear understanding from where your border growth comes. Number of pops? Developement? I'd rather see a clear indication that certain resources will be mine, rather than, oh fuck borders again fluctuated and you lost Gargantua with 10 physics output. Plus, overextension now a thing and borders and assets should be actually protected.

 

[Average Manatee]

i hate the "new" borders system. it's so... basic. anonymous. uninteresting.

It is way better than previous shit. You didn't even had clear understanding from where your border growth comes. Number of pops? Developement? I'd rather see a clear indication that certain resources will be mine, rather than, oh fuck borders again fluctuated and you lost Gargantua with 10 physics output. Plus, overextension now a thing and borders and assets should be actually protected.

Pretty sure it was just pure # of pops. Border fluctuations weren't a problem so long as you were always expanding and therefore they were fluctuating in your favor.

Sad that you won't be able to be a fanatic purifier stacking massive +border bonuses to just push back all borders and scare other empires into giving up 90% of their resources.

 

[Space Satan]

Well, now you have to actually play like fanatic purifier - conquering neighboors, instead of pushing them with borders peacefully.

 

[Average Manatee]

But any empire can conquer just fine. If you want to conquer you're better off min-maxing minerals rather than locking yourself into poor ethics and civics.

 

[Space Satan]

Fanatic Purifier have no diplomacy options. It is literally eternal war government. It is not suited for hundreds of years of peace and border pressure. Because pre-2.0 it was. You could just sit and utilize all your supremacy+purifier+civic border bonuses, never ever starting a war. That was fitting for a common xenophobe empire, but not fanatic purifier or devouring swarms or else.

 

[Raghar]

i hate the "new" borders system. it's so... basic. anonymous. uninteresting.

It is way better than previous shit. You didn't even had clear understanding from where your border growth comes. Number of pops? Developement? I'd rather see a clear indication that certain resources will be mine, rather than, oh fuck borders again fluctuated and you lost Gargantua with 10 physics output.

I loved that part, especialy when I spend effort got outpost and got it back.

Imagine that THE massive population growth and system improvements shifted ownership in system without your colony, or outpost. Also the mechanics prevented you to spam outposts everywhere. Now, Stellaris reminds me of MOO3. And Paradox developers are trying to put EU IV mechanisms into Stellaris. Looks like quite lazy development, and you know the saying about lipstick on a pig...

 

[MadMaxHellfire]

if there's something i'd like to see in a space 4x is dynamic borders and skirmished without war declaration. civ4 has the former, but i'd like to see something more dramatic, and asking for the moon i'd like to be able to move them through diplomacy. endless legend tried the latter: when there isn't a peace treaty you're free to attack other units in neutral regions and in your own, and in this case the ai won't even get angry. what we have now are fixed borders set in stone which won't move ever. you'll never claim property of a system because you have huge colonies nearby. i want the means to fight for the annexion of macau, or its indipendence, depending which side i'm on.
of the map in stellaris was fluid, now it's exactly like any other paradox game.