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Our good buddies at Paradox are soon to release a grand strategy/exploration galactic scale space/sci-fi game.
They've just today started taking pre-orders at 3 different tiers on Steam and presumably elsewhere. linky to Steam
I will be pre-ordering if I can.
I snagged the mid-tier pre-order last night with a wry grin and a sigh of approval by Missus Turin.
The Let's Play videos have been crucial in getting me interested in both Stellaris and HoI4.
*sigh*
Another ambush murder prepared for my PayPal...
*sigh*
Another ambush murder prepared for my PayPal...
Betting it'll be worth it. *grin*
3 weeks from today, I can't wait.
Already planning (based on current information) my first play as "boring" Hoomanz from Sol.
Starting ethos: individualist, materialist, militarist. I figure game play will slather in all manner of xenophilia and xenophobia on its own accord, let alone further ethics drift amongst the sectors.
Starting traits:
- enduring
- natural engineers
- quick learners
- repugnant (negative, adds 1 point to pay for the three positive traits and brings hoomanz to the cap of 4 traits in total).
Home World: Continental.
Starting FTL drive: warp with all 3 types available.
Starting space-to-space weapons systems: I'm torn on this one, all three are viable and each has their limitations and strengths. Any ideas?
Starting gov't options should be from among
- military junta (-10% cost to build ships; -25% cost to upgrade ships; admirals/generals eligible for gov't positions)
- science directorate (+1 "card" dealt with each technological research opportunity; scientists eligible for gov't positions)
- military republic (-15% military upkeep costs, +25% war tolerance, admirals/generals eligible for gov't positions)
- direct democracy (+4 core sector planets)
I'm thinking direct democracy is the way to go, although the science directorate has a strong appeal too. If the live streams are an indication, that should put the "core worlds" total at 8 or 9 planets before hitting efficiency penalties.
I'd prefer to be able to colonize 1-3 other bodies in-system (Luna, Mars, perhaps others could be considered viable although in the scale of Stellaris "colonies" on these are mining outposts, research stations et al).
Dev comments seem to indicate that an empire's starting systems have but 1 colonizable body. Presuming that this remains true, then that leaves 7 or 8 additional core planets able to be integrated into the [insert gov't name here] instead of 3-4 before having to create sectors. Based on the live stream it is entirely possible that other systems will have multiple colonizable worlds, albeit probably a mixture of planet types depending on that particular system. Then of course there's the matter of how worthwhile a given planet is as ones with fewer tiles to work with are less desirable than ones with 16-25 tiles (25 being the cap).
The science directorate lends itself well to a hopefully more fine-tuned technological development plus of course a slightly better crack at getting those rare shiny purple techs sooner rather than later. Decisions, decisions...
Starting galaxy: 4 arm spiral, 1000 star systems, 20 AI empires, 4 fallen empires (1 for each fallen "archetype" is my thought - right now I'm presuming there are 4, although there could easily be more) with all of the n00b empires starting on the same footing.
I'm curious - but Fallout 4 is already a big enough time sink for me.
You obviously recommend this game, though, so I've been looking at it.
Does look interesting; and willing to give it a go.
I'll be curious how this compares to Sins of the Solar Empire or Endless Space. I guess having so many alien groups would put more in the Galactic Civ or Master of Orion category.
Otherwhere, I fully expect Fallout 4 to gather copious dust between Stellaris and Hearts of Iron 4. It's gathering dust as-is thanks to HoI 3. I'm playing a final farewell as a war-on-a-shoestring Italy.
HoI2 was my introduction to Grand Strategy and I've been hooked every since. Some iterations of it I grasp better than others, with varied results.
I have to say that Stellaris promises the greatest replayability yet in a game I've encountered. I don't think HoI4 offers as much, although it offers a lot on its own accord between historical, ahistorical and 7 majors of varying capabilities.
Alex Martin, this bad boy is huge. 20 AI groups is small considering the maximum start plus assorted primitives and any uplifting you and the AIs engage in. Paradox supports up to 32 multiplayer, including the ability to "hot entry" as a player into an existing 'empire'.
Add in the strong early game exploration elements, mid-game huh? moments and the varied late-game WTF?! stuff that is lurking in the wings, I expect that several hundred hours, if not 1k-2k hours, being invested into Stellaris. Heck, I put close to 600 hours in on CK2 without getting anywhere close to the end of the game, much to my chagrin.
I've not been overly satisfied with most preceding sci-fi themed large scale games. Civ2, Civ: CTP and to a degree Civ: Alpha Centauri kind-of scratched that Grand Strategy-in-Sci-Fi itch ... kind of.
Edit: add in that moddability is super-easy with all of their titles, mix with a usually phenomenal modding community that (relative to the games being modded) easily stands against all of Bethesda's modders and full cooperation with Steam's Workshop (unlike FO4, grrr) and you have games that last as long as the operating systems that will run them. Add in that they play no favorites with graphics cards, and that seals the deal for me.
They're also generally much easier on players' hardware to run. Simple Notepad use lets you edit your own stuff if you're of the mind and have the patience.
Sadly, I don't think my Mac mini can play this. :(
2.3 GHz Intel Core i7
8GB RAM
Intel HD Graphics 4000 1536MB
It's not for gaming - that's what my XBox is for. But, it does look interesting...
Mac System
Requirements as of 8th March 2016
Minimum:
OS: OS X 10.8.5 or newer, Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 2.5Ghz, Memory: 4 GB RAM, Graphics: ATI Radeon HD 6750 / NVIDIA GeForce 320 or higher with 1024MB VRAM, Storage: 4 GB available space, Controller support: 3-button mouse, keyboard and speakers, Special multiplayer requirements: Internet Connection or LAN for multiplayer
Recommended as of 8th March 2016:
OS: OS X 10.11 or newer, Processor: Intel Core i5 @ 2.9Ghz, Memory: 4 GB RAM, Graphics: Nvidia GTX 750M or AMD R9 390M with 1024 VRAM, Storage: 4 GB available space, Controller support: 3-button mouse, keyboard and speakers, Special multiplayer requirements: Internet Connection or LAN for multiplayer
Looks like you can unless I'm misreading something.
Oh, I did misread. You're short a few MHz on the processing speed. :( That totally sucks an egg.
Hm. I MAY be able to play this after all, though obviously at the minimum settings.
I checked online. My 2.3 i7 is a better processor than the 2.5 i5.
I was more concerned about the graphics because I have no idea where "Intel HD Graphics 4000" falls in comparison to ATI/NVIDIA cards. Is that enough? Nowhere close?
I'm running the most current OSX (10.11.4)
Hm. I MAY be able to play this after all, though obviously at the minimum settings.
I checked online. My 2.3 i7 is a better processor than the 2.5 i5.
I was more concerned about the graphics because I have no idea where "Intel HD Graphics 4000" falls in comparison to ATI/NVIDIA cards. Is that enough? Nowhere close?
I'm running the most current OSX (10.11.4)
Tentatively, barring help from those who know better than I, it seems you can run it on the low or lowest settings as-is.
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Aw well.
Any games that are like EVE Online (without being EVE online)?
I like the space exploration and sedate pacing as something to keep me entertained but without a lot of micromanaging.
Aw well.
Any games that are like EVE Online (without being EVE online)?
I like the space exploration and sedate pacing as something to keep me entertained but without a lot of micromanaging.
Don't give up on it just yet. You have any friends on Steam who are going to get it? They can share it with you after a fashion (you can play it when they aren't).
Micromanagement seems far reduced from what it is in any HoI game (this is what sectors are for!), let alone the nightmare that was Victoria 1.
As far as "vast galaxy to explore" games, none that I've heard of.
Besides, in a while they'll end up with a hellacious bundle deal after a year or so. Perhaps you'll be able to afford a somewhat more robust Mac mini by then?
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it will probably work for you, some games can be played with well below minimum requirements
I like the space exploration and sedate pacing as something to keep me entertained but without a lot of micromanaging.
No Man's Sky may be something in that range when it releases in June. It is supposed to be procedurally generated and huge with potential for lots of first-person exploration. IGN has done quite a few first-look videos on it here.
No intention to deflect from the original point of the thread, by the way.
I like the space exploration and sedate pacing as something to keep me entertained but without a lot of micromanaging.No Man's Sky may be something in that range when it releases in June. It is supposed to be procedurally generated and huge with potential for lots of first-person exploration. IGN has done quite a few first-look videos on it here.
No intention to deflect from the original point of the thread, by the way.
No Man's Sky is not one for me. Good suggestion, Alex!
Thanks for the suggestions, guys!
But, back on topic: I can totally see the replay value Stellaris has. That's part of my interest in it. Plus, it supposedly has a more gradual learning curve than their other games, which can be pretty hard.
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It looks fairly gentle compared to most previous titles. Enough micromanagement to get you invested in a given campaign, not so much as to become unplayable as it would be by the mid-game.
Add in VIR (the voiced "Tutor"/advisor) and what appears to be decent-to-good tutorials, learning the basics seems to be a cinch.
"Pausable RTS" is one phrase oft used to describe Paradox's GTS games. It's a feature vital to its success. Need time to think or deal with the management aspects of the game? Pause. Nothing much going on? Kick the clock to higher speed and await alerts and/or notices from VIR. Fit about to hit the shan? Pause, assess, address, unpause. Wonderful, for me at least.
It looks fairly gentle compared to most previous titles. Enough micromanagement to get you invested in a given campaign, not so much as to become unplayable as it would be by the mid-game.
Add in VIR (the voiced "Tutor"/advisor) and what appears to be decent-to-good tutorials, learning the basics seems to be a cinch.
"Pausable RTS" is one phrase oft used to describe Paradox's GTS games. It's a feature vital to its success. Need time to think or deal with the management aspects of the game? Pause. Nothing much going on? Kick the clock to higher speed and await alerts and/or notices from VIR. Fit about to hit the shan? Pause, assess, address, unpause. Wonderful, for me at least.
I need the pausable feature as well. Even if only to see how REALLY screwed I am.
I've never been good at resource management/micromanaging types of games. Heck, I even suck at chess! I love the idea, but just don't grok the game. (I studied for about a month with a Master, who tried to help me, but - like music - while I enjoy it, I have no real talent for it.)
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A little background for those who are interested:
Anyhow, I guess I'll live vicariously thru your stories of how this is playing for you!
Still playing that?I'm curious - but Fallout 4 is already a big enough time sink for me.
You obviously recommend this game, though, so I've been looking at it.
Yep. I haven't finished the Main Quest yet, either. I keep starting new characters every time they add something new. lol
I did the same thing in Skyrim. I had over 1000 hours in Skyrim, probably about 700 before I ever completed the main story.
I find their storylines kind of meh. It's all the other stuff you discover that keeps me going!
It looks fairly gentle compared to most previous titles. Enough micromanagement to get you invested in a given campaign, not so much as to become unplayable as it would be by the mid-game.
Add in VIR (the voiced "Tutor"/advisor) and what appears to be decent-to-good tutorials, learning the basics seems to be a cinch.
"Pausable RTS" is one phrase oft used to describe Paradox's GTS games. It's a feature vital to its success. Need time to think or deal with the management aspects of the game? Pause. Nothing much going on? Kick the clock to higher speed and await alerts and/or notices from VIR. Fit about to hit the shan? Pause, assess, address, unpause. Wonderful, for me at least.
I need the pausable feature as well. Even if only to see how REALLY screwed I am.
I've never been good at resource management/micromanaging types of games. Heck, I even suck at chess! I love the idea, but just don't grok the game. (I studied for about a month with a Master, who tried to help me, but - like music - while I enjoy it, I have no real talent for it.)
-----
A little background for those who are interested: ** spoiler omitted **Anyhow, I guess I'll live vicariously thru your stories of how this is playing for you!
Well, it's not like you have to tell your farmers to harvest every 24 hours' real time or anything. ;)
I'll be happy to linky to any AAR (Paradox's nomenclature for campaign journals) I put together for Stellaris.
Edit: Come to thing of it, when they fire up the AAR section, I'll linky that instead.
Regarding your spoiler ... yeah, more than a few can empathize with that experience. Everyone has to figure out what works best for them. :)
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Sigh...preordered on nova level...
Welcome to the club. Blorgwiches are on the left, but avoid the plants, they're toxic.
3 days until release.
cKnoor is planning to twitch stream from 6 a.m. EST Monday 9th May until they push the magic button.
There's a metric ton of Let's Play videos on YouTube.
3 days until release.
cKnoor is planning to twitch stream from 6 a.m. EST Monday 9th May until they push the magic button.
There's a metric ton of Let's Play videos on YouTube.
How's the game going?
How's the game going?3 days until release.
cKnoor is planning to twitch stream from 6 a.m. EST Monday 9th May until they push the magic button.
There's a metric ton of Let's Play videos on YouTube.
It doesn't go live for us normal people until 1 PM EST. I think.
My laptop runs Civ 5 OK at the lowest levels... Think I'd manage to run this?
~Amused look~ I am sorry that covertly taking over your society upset you, the people of [insert species name here]. But at least I will not invade your world and destroy you all.
How did you do that? I've only gotten an hour or so in (stupid appellate brief) and I've just now encountered a couple of other civilizations.
This game is really interesting!
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Still playing that?I'm curious - but Fallout 4 is already a big enough time sink for me.
You obviously recommend this game, though, so I've been looking at it.
Yep. I haven't finished the Main Quest yet, either. I keep starting new characters every time they add something new. lol
I did the same thing in Skyrim. I had over 1000 hours in Skyrim, probably about 700 before I ever completed the main story.
I find their storylines kind of meh. It's all the other stuff you discover that keeps me going!
Heh, I have 24 days of gameplay in Witcher 3. And now I've installed Hearts of Stone.
I keep thinking we're talking about Solaris, and that I'd have to brush up on my Russian.
~grrrr~ Damn it! I set up a galaxy of 800 star with 10 civs and what happens? One of them is RIGHT beside me. Why can't you leave me alone? ~sighs~ I guess I will have to start looking into crushing your civ sooner than later.
Edit - Of course this is also the galaxy where my home world has 5 energy, 16 minerals, and two of each of the sciences in orbit.
48 hours currently played on Stellaris (admittedly a couple tabbed out checking the wiki).
After Genetically modifying some of my humans to help with habitation of different planet types, I settle some of the less desirable planets. Few months/years game time later and I'm getting events and pop ups how those people are now genetically modding themselves, getting traits like rapid breeders and strong and calling themselves "Trans-Humans", furthering to terrorist escalation against regular Humans..and terrorist actions back. At this point i realise that with 39 other space faring civilisations..my own people have killed more of my population than "aliens" at this point.
I love this game.
Coincidentally, I'm hoping to one day have the dangerous research triggers happen at almost the same time. I want to see who wins when it's AI uprising Vs Creatures from the Warp.
*Comes up for air*
There are some nifty tricks you can use.
Robots/droids are a prime method for rapidly collecting single-pop crappy planets upon which to plop spaceports.
Given that you're getting zilch from the planet, you're gonna want to use only the basics on the droid starports: solar panels, crew quarters, engineering bay, size as far as you like. This is for the sole purpose of increasing your naval capacity with a ridiculous number of fallback ports.
Most of your resources are going to come from your space assets and your core worlds.
Sectors are the hardest part to grok because of the current sector AI flaws in not recognizing that robots/droids/synths do not need food (energy credits are bad enough).
Generally speaking, I've found that lovingly building up 2 or 3 planets to hand off to the sector AI is an enormous waste of time. Colonize those puppies, rip out any extraneous frontier outposts and fork 'em over once the base starport is up and running. The AI will (eventually) generate a respectable sector - and unlike players, they don't have a cap on how many worlds they can control.
It can take hours to feel out your neighborhood unless the clustering smacks you in between two to four neighboring star empires with not-your-interests at heart. On the upside, everyone is supposed to have two colonizable worlds in decent proximity. How good those planets actually are is anoher matter...
You can "stack the deck" with a combination of ethics and researcher specialities. Example: If you are militarist and have a doctrine specialist slotted into Society research, you have a MUCH better chance to get ahold of the Doctrine techs.
Starting out as a 5-year election cycle gov't is usually going to be the fastest way to collect gobs of influence. After a century of the constant mandates (or less), you will hopefully have researched the advanced gov't tech and can go to town.
Early on I like 1 or 2 core worlds, generally expanding in pairs of colonies. Terraforming is awesome if you have copious energy income and the patience.
Today was the first time I'd encountered pre-sentient species, so now the Terran Empire has TWO of them colonizing arctic and tundra worlds for me...
Of course you can ALWAYS tear down the research satellites and rebuild them. Yes, it is a waste of minerals, but you do get the influence.
The (near) future of Stellaris.
edit - At least three planned free "updates" in the works even before the first DLC drops.
FE's seem to field ~80 to 100k fleet strength. Each. Of advanced designs.
Tachyon Lances, point defense, lots of shields.
I like the gist of it.
For my tastes, I'm going with kinetic weapons as primary with point defense and LOTS of shields and hull points.
I've fielded corvettes with a 94% evasion rating - they ignore everything I've seen thusfar for all practical purposes. Those cautious admirals do wonders for their corvette flotillas' survivability!
Starting position in a spiral arm galaxy with hyperlanes is crucial. My recommendation on these for a new game (commencing Wednesday night for me) is to fire up one with an acceptable starting position, then save game, then send out the n00blet corvettes in either direction to see what's around you. If you're doing well at the start, you'll find that you are at either end of a cluster of empires, giving you one primary direction of expansion.
Reload save game if you like, new game if you don't. weeee!!
I've come to appreciate the nature of hyperlanes. You *want* those chokepoints denied to everyone else. They make space forts worthwhile despite their sometimes prohibitive energy maintenance.
But then, it's pretty sweet having an interdiction minefield supported by a perimeter of miniature death stars with their own minefields blocking the only entry point along (axis X) into your space.
The nasty part is ... you can plant them anywhere. Ill-advised if you don't own that space however ...
I'm surprised that the FE didn't have more of a navy on standby. From what I've seen in the let's play videos, 20k of FE navy is a woefully understrength one.
Had others been nibbling on them prior to your taking the ringworld?
How has the assimilation been going with the FE pops?
Hopefully you had orbital bombardment on light. The ringworld tiles have irreplaceable buildings!
"Threat" (Bad Boy factor in EU) seems to be why that alliance fired up assorted insults and rivalries. A large enough alliance of lesser tech as you've done to the FE can still take you to task.
Out of curiosity, what was the evasion rating on your corvettes, if you remember?
*sigh* I spend hours reading the wiki because of you. My budget can't handle spending 40 euro on the game currently :/