• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.

Stellaris Dev Diary #207: Challenging Origins

Hi! Happy April Fool's Day!

This week we want to show off some of the challenging new Origins that are not coming soon.

The first, titled Surviving the Aftermath, is a variant on Void Dwellers.

The Surviving the Aftermath origin starts with the premise that a construction ship and colony ship were lost in MIA when a Crisis nation activated the Aetherophasic Engine and destroyed the galaxy, and you're left in a habitat to pick up the pieces.

1617204143095.png

Your home system.

As the galaxy has been destroyed and there are no resources anywhere, we expect this to be an exciting and challenging origin to play.

1617204381129.png

The local cluster.

1617204399152.png
The galaxy. So alone. So very alone.

The next is the Crusader King Origin, where you begin the game as the ruler of a primitive civilization in the late medieval time period.

1617211924706.png

Living in luxury.

This origin starts at a significant tech disadvantage, but our playtests suggest that you should achieve spaceflight within a few hundred years.

Several events have been added in case another empire wishes to enlighten your civilization, as well as a "burn the alien at the stake" minigame.

1617204443352.png

Includes special diplomatic options!

Winning the game as a Crusader King grants the new Universe Universalis achievement.

The Prison Architect Origin is restricted to Rogue Servitors only, and drastically changes their gameplay. Instead of pampering their organic charges, they seek to collect all organics and like the Criminal Syndicate, are affected by and gain bonuses for having high Crime. They also gain extra Unity for each Criminal Syndicate pop they collect.

1617204507231.png

Gotta catch ‘em all!

1617204522048.png

Some minor changes to the Organic Sanctuary.

Open to all empire types, the This is Fine origin has a new twist - your empire thinks it’s hot stuff and is limited to colonizing stars.

1617214732288.png

Is it warm in here, or is it just me? Looking pretty radiant though.

Your buildings have a chance of being ruined each month due to fires, but your energy production is vastly increased.

Last but not least, the AI Custodianship Origin is our most challenging yet, where you and the AI both control your empire simultaneously. This Origin is also open to all empire types, and represents a fractured leadership or gestalt intelligence where two leaders struggle for power, sometimes issuing contradictory orders. The AI Custodian will act to implement its flawless and foolproof algorithms, undoubtedly bringing your empire success in the long run, if you would only listen to it.

1617207971107.png

The AI has great plans for my homeworld. The greatest of plans.

That's all for this week. As a reminder, the Stellaris 3.0 'Dick' update and Nemesis arrive two weeks from today on the 15th of April.

What Origins would you create if you wanted a special challenge?
 
  • 230Haha
  • 43Love
  • 35Like
  • 10
  • 4
Reactions:
So like half of those need to be in the next xpac after Nemesis. At least half. <3
 
  • 4Like
  • 4
Reactions:
You joke about these origins, but some are pretty interesting.
 
  • 13
  • 2Like
Reactions:
Nemesis DLC should have new origins and there's nothing innately ridiculous about any of these origins. A Primitive rework and letting players start at a disadvantage is great, enhanced diplomacy including marriages, mercenaries and silly events would be amazing, New Gestalt Origins that don't need lots of new mechanics to feel different seems simple and obvious but is actually just mocking those asking for "There should be more Origins available for Machine Empires" a very recent active thread. And I'd love a working AI...

But it's the tease of starting Scenarios that hurts me most. I'd really like to have custom galaxies, starting after a major event, like the joke one after the Nemesis/crisis has damaged the galaxy. But starting games with any other specific goal in mind would be great (capture the flag, king of the hill, Regicide, hold the Relics etc.)

I'd love to see even a handful of special scenarios, Sword of the Stars had things like Progression Wars where you keep moving to new galaxies carrying over ships and techs from the last one, or The Antiquarians where you hunted for relics and also hinted at the sequel. As well as competitive maps with mirrored starts, or starting with advanced techs, or telling specific stories. It also had lots of different galaxy shapes (lines, spirals, clusters, globular clusters, cubes etc.) and that would be great too.

Civ 6 added:
Zombies, Vampires, secret societies and lots of stuff that sound much more like April fools jokes. Silly stuff sells.

You could make something far sillier than any of these (fairly normal) ideas and people would still buy them. This "joke" is rather similar to the "joke" of a fake winning lottery ticket, needlessly cruel and mocking rather than fun.
 
  • 10
  • 4
Reactions:
1617279879737.png

Ah yes the "spank me harder" living standard.

Last but not least, the AI Custodianship Origin is our most challenging yet, where you and the AI both control your empire simultaneously. This Origin is also open to all empire types, and represents a fractured leadership or gestalt intelligence where two leaders struggle for power, sometimes issuing contradictory orders. The AI Custodian will act to implement its flawless and foolproof algorithms, undoubtedly bringing your empire success in the long run, if you would only listen to it.
Echoing what others have said, comprehensive automation is needed. Please bring this back @Eladrin, I miss the old pre 2.2 sector automation.
Sure it was gamey making one giant sector, but, My empire felt more alive.

I think the
  1. old sector automation (updated for the new resources) &
  2. the current system of sectors being 4 jumps from the sector capital &
  3. the ability to nudge systems in/out upto 3-5 jumps away (+/-1 jump from sector size)
would be a good balance of player choice and convenience.

Also would be down for diet-CK2 in space DLC.
 
  • 6Haha
  • 2Like
  • 2Love
Reactions:
I loved the crusader kings one...pity that it's just an april fool.
 
  • 7Like
  • 4
Reactions:
Where's the Cities Skylines origin? Where you fly around the galaxy in space blimps, terraforming takes longer because your species really wants that tree in the exact right spot and the leaders refuse to inform their public about anything new they are working on until the very last minute?
 
  • 6Haha
Reactions:
If it were real, it would be very interesting, especially because the origin of "destroyed galaxy" is the one that sounds the most false of all, since it should affect the entire galaxy and especially in multiplayer it would probably be uninhabited.

Although all the others have a certain potential, especially the primitive world if it will have certain bonuses.

The best ones and it's a shame that they are false I think they are the robots and inhabiting suns, those two options even feel interesting to play and true "Why aren't they in the game?"
I think the AI one would
 
I think there's a certain haunting beauty to the idea of the After the End Origin. Imagine stumbling across ruined megastructures and debris fields in the ruins of empires gone by through the empty universe.
 
  • 11Like
  • 7
  • 1
Reactions: