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Stellaris Dev Diary #175 - Space Fauna

Hello everyone!

As I mentioned last week, we have begun working on a larger free update targeted for May, and it would be fun to share some of the new things you will be able to discover.

2.6.3 is still planned to be released as an opt-in beta SoonTM, so stay tuned for more information about that.

But for now, let’s continue and talk a little bit about what you’ll expect to see in the free May update.

Background
We’ve felt that the galaxy sometimes feels a bit empty now, compared to how it used to back in the day. Since the AI is a bit more proactive in hunting down hostile space fauna you are encountering these alien lifeforms much more seldom. We wanted to reinvigorate the galaxy with more alien life, and allow them to continue existing for a longer period of time.

Tiyanki
The tiyanki now have a home system, Tiyana Vek, which can continue to spawn more space whales throughout the continuation of your game, unless the tiyanki in the system have been hunted to extinction. The spawning of new tiyanki will also depend on galaxy size, which sets an upper limit for how many fleets can spawn (in relation to already roaming around).

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Tiyana Vek, in all its gaseous glory.

The tiyanki themselves have also been updated, and there are now hatchlings in addition to the previously existing Bulls, Cows and Calves. The roaming tiyanki fleets are now also a bit more randomized in their compositions.

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Space whaling.

Hunting the tiyanki will yield energy credits and exotic gas, but xenophile empires will not approve.

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Successful hunt. No, bounty numbers are not final.

Space Amoebas
Similar to the Tiyanki, the space amoebas now also have a home system from which they can spawn. The space amoebas spawning behaviour is slightly different from the space whales. The amoebas that spawn in the home system will have a cooldown, but may occasionally leave their system in large numbers and seek a new home.

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Behold! Amor Alveo, home of the amoebas.

As before, it's possible to complete the Amoeba Pacification Project to turn them non-hostile if you are a xenophile or pacifist empire. If you have pacified the space amoebas, it's possible for some of them to spawn in your territory. These amoebas will be friendly towards you, but perhaps not to your enemies!

Galactic Community
As we showed last week, there will also be a few new resolutions that allow you to decide how the galaxy should feel about the tiyanki.

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With the Tiyanki Conservation Act, an empire that kills a tiyanki will become in Breach of Galactic Law.

With the Tiyanki Pest Control, an empire will be in Breach of Galactic Law while they are harboring any Tiyanki within their borders.

We’re also working on a resolution for pacifying amoebas, which you can propose if you have already pacified them. Empires will get a choice whether or not they will agree to pacifying the amoebas, which will share pacification if they agree.

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These are the first steps we’re taking towards reinvigorating the galaxy a bit. We’ll give you more information in the next couple of weeks, so stay tuned for future dev diaries!
 
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When you achieve the goals of synthetic evolution, when your population becomes robots, most of the bonuses of the traditions of harmony become useless. It would not hurt to replace them with traditions for robots. A fallen empire of spiritualists forces you to surrender and your empire of robots becomes fanatical spiritualists, which contradicts the logic of the game, the faction of spiritualists even then will be extremely weak.
 
beautiful idea to bring more depth into the game. And it sounds to me like changes that are not too invasive to the game mechanics - great! Because the game really needs currently a lot of bugfixing and qol enhancements. I hope you'll have the possibility to focus on this as much as possible.
 
It's strange for wildlife to have a centralized homeworld, I'd expect them to be nomadic and just kinda appear all over periodically and have multiple "nests" perhaps, but more life in the galaxy is definitely appreciated.
 
It's strange for wildlife to have a centralized homeworld, I'd expect them to be nomadic and just kinda appear all over periodically and have multiple "nests" perhaps, but more life in the galaxy is definitely appreciated.

Likewise, I'm surprised they don't utilise the new juggernaut mechanics to allow the matriarch to build new fleets of fauna.
 
It’d be pretty funny if the extreme xenophiles will start demanding rights for Ether drakes and Dimensional Horrors - sure those space fauna deserve rights too?
 
It’d be pretty funny if the extreme xenophiles will start demanding rights for Ether drakes and Dimensional Horrors - sure those space fauna deserve rights too?

Ether Drake, yes, it is a critically endangered species and deserves protecting too! The Dimensional Horror? By the Shroud, no! It's pure evil given form!
 
Background
We’ve felt that the galaxy sometimes feels a bit empty now, compared to how it used to back in the day.
How can it feel empty when it is full of bugs? *ducks*
 
What about the option of taming more Space Amoebas like Bubbles, especially if I own their home system? I want to darken the skies of my enemies with my numberless pets. Also, as a somewhat proxy for bio-ships.
 
I'm surprised no one's asked this, but will we be able to create our own space fauna reserves in special systems? Maybe set aside a system or two that resembles their home system for space wildlife (i.e setting aside a system with gas giants for the Tiyanki or a system with a Neutron Star for the crystals or even having a Nidus of our own).

Will controlling their home system (regardless of the species being dead or not) yield any advantages? Are they resource rich systems or will they house any more unique rewards?

Also what is going to happen to the Crystal Nidus? Is it going to spawn on the space crystal home system now? Is the Great Wound going to be the Void Cloud home system?
 
Will the resolutions for the Tiyanki also take into consideration the Tiyanki Matriarch? I would Imagine that passing the conservation act would take special measures for protecting the most ancient of these beautiful creatures.
 
Something I've thought would be a cool addition for space fauna would be if Driven Assimilators and genetically ascended Hive Minds could assimilate space amoebas and tiyanki and add them to their navies.
 
Ether Drake, yes, it is a critically endangered species and deserves protecting too! The Dimensional Horror? By the Shroud, no! It's pure evil given form!

Can we have a nature reserve for the Prethoryn Scourge remnant after we kill most of them? Reserve like a planet for them to just live in
 
thank you, that's awesome! please also focus on fixing some of the longer lasting bugs as well; combined with that, this update will be the best!!
 
FFS, fix the multiplayer out of synch issue that was reported multiple times already.
99 bugs in the code. Patch one down, 105 more to go. OOS will be improved. Maybe they'll switch to resynch-by-lag. But make no mistake, the only question about desync in games is how well it is hidden and compensated for. One will be fixed, others will remain.
Whilst I can see the direction of your point
there's so much content that could be done for either Senate, or Federations (i.e. coming up with actual AI decision making instead of static YES/NOs), that would fall into the content design territory as well. Deciding to do Space Cows instead is just adding insult to injury.
I wasn't aware you did the priorisation for the team. They do what they want and think sensible. You get free stuff. If you don't like the stuff, you have a very simple choice: Don't buy. Oh, wait. Its free.
Could you be a little bit more specific than "SoonTM"? Maybe like "planned before or after this weekend"? I don't want to "stay tuned" in hope of some 2.6.3 gameplay for this weekend, if you intend to release it at the beginning of next week. I had my hope up already last weekend.

Thank you.:)
Yes! @grekulf give us the exact day and hour! Down to the epoch! Divergence will be met with less influence gain! ;-)