Stellaris Dev Diary #133 - The Caravaneers

[WhapXI]

Have we reached the filler arc of the diaries? Feels like very little new info for anyone who's been actively following the coming expansion.

That said, I kinda like the Caravaneers. Maybe they're slightly too goofy, but idk. My one concern is whether or not they're actually useful or whether they're just a collection of punchlines to make the galaxy feel more alive.

 

[Reedstilt]

I love the caravaneer ship designs, and I'm looking forward to someone modding them to used by empires.

Unless Paradox wants to beat them to it... I'll pay you in CaravanCoinz.

 

[RhoxOS]

How is the expectation value for the random box compared to the price of it? Is it better than ratio of mobile games?

 

[LeSingeAffame]

Finally, the ability to get a Sense of Pride and Accomplishment™

 

[henzington]

Ah, alrighty, I quess it was at twitter or at stream?
ty for quick reply

Stream

 

[Jorrhast]

Does the color of their bridge turn to purple by any chance?

One of existing trader enclaves already can sell you info on that phenomenon

 

[OverlordTNT]

If they can't be disabled, I'm going to go observer - damage 999999 on all their fleets and homebase, start of every game. I want some peace and quiet instead of lootboxes and bad deals being shoved in my face constantly.

 

[BillyMcG]

I'm curious, do these guys actually occupy their system or are we able to control it to get a passive opinion increase (like with enclaves if I'm not mistaken)?

Another thing, I don't think I saw it being covered but will our opinion with the caravaneers actually affect anything?

 

[ross-g]

@grekulf Wanted to mention, this year has been an outstanding one for Stellaris and I've loved everything we've seen of 2.2 so far.

Except for this ... I can't see the Caravaneers as anything other than a few gaming culture in-jokes (reliquaries and CaravanCoinz funny once , maybe twice) coupled with some random, one-off trade mechanics. It seems like such a waste of a magnificent ship set and I cannot believe that this is an actual feature you are charging for as part of Megacorp.

You might not be charging real money for the lootboxes, but you are selling the lootbox feature to people ... and while I realise this is just one minor feature amongst many great ones in Megacorp, I'm still slightly disappointed in this being such a gimmick.

 

[Hyomoto]

Instead of ask, I'll just speculate: I can't imagine they would release right in the holiday period, I assume the developers have families too, and they don't usually announce the release date one week prior. I imagine they also want to have it out for the holiday period but have a little time to handle any major bugs, so early December seems most likely. Somewhere in the 04 to 15 range. A skeleton crew would likely handle any major bugs that come up through Christmas, and they'd have a fresh slate for the new year. That puts the announcement at next week, or the week after.

 

[Avalon8782]

Can we disable them, please? I don't want random space casino nonsense being constantly shoved in my face while i'm focusing on my internal development. And the random deals seem incredibly unhelpful- pops take forever to grow, i'm not giving them up.

Kill them.... Kill them all! They don't deserve to live!

 

[OverlordTNT]

No I mean like an option like for marauders where you can just switch them off and they don't spawn.

 

[LeSingeAffame]

I'm curious, do these guys actually occupy their system or are we able to control it to get a passive opinion increase (like with enclaves if I'm not mistaken)?

Another thing, I don't think I saw it being covered but will our opinion with the caravaneers actually affect anything?

From what we've seen on stream, they occupe their space like the Marauders

 

[Deggial]

Is there a game-play reason behind those "CaravanCoinz" or is it more for immersion and fluff (= in order to mimic casino chips?).

Because realisticly, they add some (unnecessary?) clicks/complications and a straight energy-credit transfer would be easier ...

 

[WotanAnubis]

Is there a game-play reason behind those "CaravanCoinz" or is it more for immersion and fluff (= in order to mimic casino chips?).

Because realisticly, they add some (unnecessary?) clicks/complications and a straight energy-credit transfer would be easier ...

As far as I can tell, immersion, fluff and to satirize lootboxes and predatory microtransaction schemes.

 

[DarwinPon_y]

I get the feeling that the release date is close... between 2 weeks and a month I would say )

 

[Zebak]

I'm curious, do these guys actually occupy their system or are we able to control it to get a passive opinion increase (like with enclaves if I'm not mistaken)?

Another thing, I don't think I saw it being covered but will our opinion with the caravaneers actually affect anything?

Very good questions... yet I fel opinion alone would change little - games of chance often care little for the player - maybe it may open more expensive options.. maybe if there is an inkling of an advantage, that may tip the odds a little on your favour... but my guess would be no change at all.. Now controling (and protecting) their system could offer a small bonus like lower cost or better fleet-deals..

Except for this ... I can't see the Caravaneers as anything other than a few gaming culture in-jokes (reliquaries and CaravanCoinz :rolleyes: funny once , maybe twice) coupled with some random, one-off trade mechanics. It seems like such a waste of a magnificent ship set and I cannot believe that this is an actual feature you are charging for as part of Megacorp.

You might not be charging real money for the lootboxes, but you are selling the lootbox feature to people ... and while I realise this is just one minor feature amongst many great ones in Megacorp, I'm still slightly disappointed in this being such a gimmick.

It is a feature.. as awesome or empty as it may be - all in the oculars of the eye tyrant.. there are enough pop ups for events that one more, one less would be no different, imo, and one can click ignore / no.. sure, charging for the ever-holow golden promise of loot-boxes of awesome, that one bit (boxes and slots) could get into the free side of the update, as a 4th station to be found - leaving the caravans and ship-set to the paid side of the update.

The slots and loot boxes remain an optional part, and one fully left to chance.. seems to me a way to spend excessive energy credits other then massive terraforming sprees.. and one that if not a concrete direct bonus, at least some giggles for hte good humoured (seeing wiz get an empty one at that stream sure made me laugh heartly).

In the end, it is an extra feature that, free or inside a paid package one may get or choose not.. and may use or ignore it fully along with many other features (not every player / empire uses all ascention perks.. or slavery, devour, armageddon bombing and planet exploding / converting, etc..)

 

[alex1983]

I get the feeling that the release date is close... between 2 weeks and a month I would say )

I get the feeling we will not see dls in this year

 

[steve.bd]

Will it be possibile to disable caravaneers by game setting?
I really don't like the idea of seeing them around in my games...

 

[Magnavier]

In a earlier dev diary (the one about trade routes) it has been mentioned that pirates will be able to pillage trade routes. In continuity to that my question is: will normal empires be able to raid other empires trade routes? Example: I would raid the trade routes of my unfriendly neighbor.
If this is not a thing, I think that would be a nice functionality.