Stellaris Dev Diary #133 - The Caravaneers

[Sir Roderick]

Are we all Talking About the same Things? When I heard privateers I thought of the pirate fleets that spawned in the "wild" and had one System with a galleon in it.

Yes those are called Privateers, but they aren't really Privateers with letter of marque, they're just pre-spawned pirates named Privateers so you could distinguish them from empire spawned pirates. They should change the name to something else because it's confusing that Privateers are not actually Privateers. Something like Freebooter:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/freebooter

 

[LeSingeAffame]

Why not ? - Like the implementation of completely new features, it's a part of the game-development and far more important than such a new feature like these caravaneers ...
In fact, it's a death-spiral in regards to the quality-aspect of a game, that the newest DLC Y has not only to sell itself (through forced features like these caravaneers) since it has also to support / rework / overhaul etc. pp the base-game and all the previous DLCs as well for "free", so that it's even more difficult to do the same things for DLC Z since in addition, it has also to deal (for example) with these DLC-Y-caravaneers.

You said it yourself

far more important than such a new feature like these caravaneers ...

It's too important to be left in a dlc
The difference between the new mechanics and the current one is so astoundishing that even thinking about keeping both is incredibly stupid
It'd be impossible to maintain
Everything has been reworked to work with the new economy
It's just not possible

 

[Kayden_II]

It's too important to be left in a dlc

The difference between the new mechanics and the current one is so astoundishing that even thinking about keeping both is incredibly stupid

Careful since I've just recommended a new model in which PDS should get money (directly) from actual reworks / replacements / fixes of the base-game and its previous DLCs ...
(I admit, the the details for such a model are difficult, but it hasn't to be a DLC-only-one) ...
If you don't get it then let me tell you, that in this case, the incentive-focus for PDS changes towards more deeper, refined, fleshed-out and less buggy features of the base-game (like the planetary economy-rework) and its already released DLCs ...
On top of this, completely new DLCs with completely new (in the sense of additional) features are still possible, but not necessary anymore after each new cycle ...
(This would eliminate the release of new (additional), but rather questionable features like these caravaneers).

 

[FaintestVirus]

A space casino is a pretty cool addition, but gambling in any video game seriously needs to factor in the ability to save scum.

At a minimum, having reward outcomes trigger at least a month later takes out some of the worst of it. If you pull the lever, buy a raffle ticket, whatever, just delay the exposure of success or failure until the game has progressed enough that alt f4 won't redo your chance at the jackpot.

Personally I would love if many more MTTH events and/or RNG outcomes delayed their outcome a month+ so you cannot just crash out of them, but a casino is where I feel you NEED to do something.

Hadn't thought of that yet, but that does indeed remind me of a certain post-apocalyptic rpg set in Las Vegas, in which, despite my intense dedication to role-playing and legitimate gaming, found myself save/reload cheating the casinos for that fast cash. Such a mechanic should def be considered. Can't say I know of any method that could be used, but it's def something that could easily be abused. I am very aware of that feeling when you lose tons of money for little gain, then immediately remember you just saved it beforehand....

 

[Sir Roderick]

Hadn't thought of that yet, but that does indeed remind me of a certain post-apocalyptic rpg set in Las Vegas, in which, despite my intense dedication to role-playing and legitimate gaming, found myself save/reload cheating the casinos for that fast cash. Such a mechanic should def be considered. Can't say I know of any method that could be used, but it's def something that could easily be abused. I am very aware of that feeling when you lose tons of money for little gain, then immediately remember you just saved it beforehand....

There's a thing called Ironman, and in Fallout New Vegas you could win easily just by playing Blackjack and having an high Luck stat. If you're good at Blackjack you won't even need the Luck.

 

[Arkangilos]

Hadn't thought of that yet, but that does indeed remind me of a certain post-apocalyptic rpg set in Las Vegas, in which, despite my intense dedication to role-playing and legitimate gaming, found myself save/reload cheating the casinos for that fast cash. Such a mechanic should def be considered. Can't say I know of any method that could be used, but it's def something that could easily be abused. I am very aware of that feeling when you lose tons of money for little gain, then immediately remember you just saved it beforehand....

That's a personal issue not a game issue. Savescum prevention is the responsibility of the players. If you want to savescum then more power to you, and if not then more power to you as well. Our personal decisions are for no one but us. In other words, if you don't want to savescum then don't.

 

[Pointyearedgit]

That's a personal issue not a game issue. Savescum prevention is the responsibility of the players. If you want to savescum then more power to you, and if not then more power to you as well. Our personal decisions are for no one but us. In other words, if you don't want to savescum then don't.

Most of the time, savescumming is a trap, it usually doesn't make games more fun. However, if you need a result for your RP (positive *or* negative), I can get why you would do it. Doing it to gain an advantage though, you just don't learn how to play in the long run. One of the best examples I've seen this in is the XCOM series of games, where some savescumming players insist that the computer is cheating; while true, it is cheating *in the player's favor* at their difficulty level.

 

[Zarpaulus]

No. Pirates. Privateers are state funded pirates. Those don't exist in the game at the moment.

Privateers never existed in Stellaris, they are in Europa Universalis IV. Maybe this has got somebody confused about it.

There used to be these spacebourne aliens called "Privateers", they were supposed to be the remnants of some long-extinct empire's navy which patrolled their former territories.

No stations or planets, but a few fleets that could challenge a mid-game empire, including a flagship that was almost a match for a Fallen Empire's Titans.

Pretty sure they were taken out around Apocalypse, or the DLC swapped them out for Marauders.

 

[Sir Roderick]

There used to be these spacebourne aliens called "Privateers", they were supposed to be the remnants of some long-extinct empire's navy which patrolled their former territories.

No stations or planets, but a few fleets that could challenge a mid-game empire, including a flagship that was almost a match for a Fallen Empire's Titans.

Pretty sure they were taken out around Apocalypse, or the DLC swapped them out for Marauders.

No, they're still there, but they're a kind of pirate that's spaceborne aliens and they're called privateers even if they technically aren't, they're just pirates, but they have a different name to recognize them from player spawned pirates.

https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Spaceborne_aliens#Space_pirates

 

[Zarpaulus]

No, they're still there, but they're a kind of pirate that's spaceborne aliens and they're called privateers even if they technically aren't, they're just pirates, but they have a different name to recognize them from player spawned pirates.

https://stellaris.paradoxwikis.com/Spaceborne_aliens#Space_pirates

It looks like whoever edited that left in the Privateer home system and its fleets without differentiating them from other pirates.

 

[FiddleSticks96]

@Wiz Do you think we can get an "Upgrade All Defense Platforms" button in the fleet manager at some point? It would also be really nice if the building menu in starbases didn't move back up to the top of the list each and every time a building is queued. Please and thank you.

 

[Stardance]

Just popping in for a quick moment to share an idea (if something similar has been said before my apologies! I haven't read the entire thread).

I was reading about how some of the in-house jokes/sillines/casino-y nature of the caravaneers were rubbing some people the wrong way. Well it occurred to me that there are three fleets out there wandering space, right? Maybe you could have each fleet (each caravan) have distinct personalities, so that players have a chance to interact - and choose - which they resonate best with. One can be more on the silly side (who could resist buying fairy dust boxes from butterfly moth aliens), one can be more corporate/serious/greedy, and one can be … I dunno … a coop you can buy into for fairly treated natives, locally made goods. Give each their own flavor. That may broaden the appeal.

 

[Kakotheres]

Just popping in for a quick moment to share an idea (if something similar has been said before my apologies! I haven't read the entire thread).

I was reading about how some of the in-house jokes/sillines/casino-y nature of the caravaneers were rubbing some people the wrong way. Well it occurred to me that there are three fleets out there wandering space, right? Maybe you could have each fleet (each caravan) have distinct personalities, so that players have a chance to interact - and choose - which they resonate best with. One can be more on the silly side (who could resist buying fairy dust boxes from butterfly moth aliens), one can be more corporate/serious/greedy, and one can be … I dunno … a coop you can buy into for fairly treated natives, locally made goods. Give each their own flavor. That may broaden the appeal.

If you look at the screencaps in the first post, all three caravans do have their own personalities, including what they offer for sale.

The lootboxes are available for purchase from their home system, not from any of the individual fleets.

 

[Dreamifi]

On the trading away of pops. This already comes up in some fallen empire interactions and now it seems it will also come up in caravan deals.

As an avid egalitarian, I would like the option to make the pops themselves choose if I should accept the deal or not. I don't want to force anyone to work in an alien society, but I also don't want to deny the opportunity should they want to.

 

[Etrutian]

Can I spawn a Dimensional Horror with reliquary?

If not, why not?

My sense of pride and accomplishment would be immense if so.

 

[Skyfus]

For those who seek to enjoy some quality pastime, a visit to the caravaneer base is surely worth a visit! The caravaneers have some great deals on offer – only Energy Credits are accepted for being exchanged for the exciting CaravanCoinz! (Your primitive £, $, € won't be accepted here!)

Except for the bit where caravaneers are part of MegaCorp, an expansion I have to pay for with my primitive £

 

[WandererRTF]

Karavaanari on kaikkien kaveri... (the caravanner is everyone's buddy...)

Fellow posters from Finland will probably recognize that (if they are old enough to remember the comedy group shows of the past...). But let's skip the hedgehog grilling part this time around.

 

[Sir Roderick]

Except for the bit where caravaneers are part of MegaCorp, an expansion I have to pay for with my primitive £

Your £ is very bad! You should use Lira or Sestertium.

Proof:

“Un semplice «Me ne frego» sostituisce respiratori e vezzosi orpelli con cui le donnette arricchiscono il paese della sterlina e la marcia riprende."
"A simple" I do not care "replaces respiratory and charming frills with which the little women enrich the country of the pound and the march resumes."

And that's why when you use the Roman name list you shouldn't have to convert to Caravan Coinz.

 

[Pointyearedgit]

Your £ is very bad! You should use Lira or Sestertium.

Proof:

“Un semplice «Me ne frego» sostituisce respiratori e vezzosi orpelli con cui le donnette arricchiscono il paese della sterlina e la marcia riprende."
"A simple" I do not care "replaces respiratory and charming frills with which the little women enrich the country of the pound and the march resumes."

And that's why when you use the Roman name list you shouldn't have to convert to Caravan Coinz.

Up to you, but you won’t get your sense of pride and accomplishment without them.

 

[misiame]

DABO!