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Stellaris Dev Diary #250 - Elevating Civilization

Greetings!

Last week’s dev diary went through the new Enclaves in Overlord, the Bulwark, some more Holdings, and the Imperial Fiefdom Origin. This week we’re going to look at two constructions, the Scholarium, Specialist Holdings and a summary of the origin revealed by Nivarias earlier this week.

As with all previews, numbers, text, and so on are not quite final and are still subject to change.

Orbital Rings​


Orbital Rings are a Tier 3 Voidcraft Engineering technology requiring Starholds, Galactic Administration, and Ceramo-Metal Infrastructure. Like Habitats, they do not require Mega-Engineering.

They are treated as a variant of Starbases, and while system control is still primarily determined by the actual Starbase of the system, the planets they surround cannot be invaded until the Orbital Ring has been disabled.

Orbital Ring

Orbital Ring

Initially your Orbital Ring will have two module slots and no building slots. As you gain additional Starbase technologies (Star Fortress and Citadel) and improve the planet’s capital building you can upgrade the Orbital Ring through two additional tiers, adding one module and building slot at each tier.

Starbase screen for Orbital Ring

Most of the Orbital Ring modules are similar to Starbase modules. Defensive modules trade piracy protection for extra hull and armor, and the Habitation Module is a Ring specific module that adds a district slot to the planet below.

Habitation Module
Orbital Shipyard
Orbital Anchorage
Planetary Defense Guns
Planetary Defense Batteries
Planetary Defense Hangars

Systems with multiple habitable planets can become an exceptionally thorny obstacle if you build multiple defensive orbital rings supporting a bastion starbase at the center.

Having a large conveniently placed ring around your planet provides an opportunity to enhance the planet with some interesting buildings. These stack with similar planetside buildings.

Low Gravity Mega-Refiners
Stratospheric Ionization Elements
Climate Optimization Stations
The Giga-Mall

Synaptic Relays
Orbital Maintenance Drops

Orbital Filing System
Orbital Logistics Systems

Alloy Processing Facilities

Many standard starbase buildings can also be placed on an Orbital Ring - though some are now limited to one per system.

Orbital Rings fill the same “orbital slot” as habitats, so you’ll have to decide which of the two you want over your worlds, and they can only be built around colonized habitable planets.

Quantum Catapult​


There comes a time in every overlord’s reign when a faraway crisis suddenly requires your attention. Things are going on halfway across the galaxy, a rival in the way has closed borders to you, and the Galactic Community is debating something about Tiyanki. Again.

A true galactic overlord has to be able to project their power at will, and doesn’t let these little things stop them from enacting their plans.

Quantum Catapult Tech

Built around Neutron Stars or Pulsars, Quantum Catapults can hurl fleets across incredible distances of space, but these megastructures have accuracy issues over long distances.

Quantum Catapult


Quantum Catapult Fleet Order

The maximum range of a Quantum Catapult is significantly longer than jump drive range but there’s a risk the fleet may not land exactly where they intended. The further the launch, the wider the scatter radius.

Higher tiers of the Quantum Catapult are both more accurate and have longer maximum range, with a well-placed fully-constructed Catapult able to threaten virtually anywhere, even in a huge galaxy.

After selecting a desired target system, a short windup later your fleet will arrive somewhere in a nearby system, without any lingering jump debuffs... But there is a chance, especially on spiral maps, that this “nearby” system is quite a few jumps away from your intended destination when traveling the hyperlanes.

Using the Quantum Catapult
There’s no clear route to this system, but the Catapult doesn’t care.

Quantum Catapults also have a passive effect that reduces MIA time for your missing fleets, which comes in useful when moving reinforcements to the front line, using experimental subspace on your science ships, or if your launched fleet lands in a system with Closed Borders.

The Scholarium​


The Scholarium is the last of the Specialists coming in Overlord. Dedicated to the advancement of science, the Scholarium relies on their overlord to defend them from enemies.

The State of Saathuma are our Scholarium minions, bringing us the secrets of the universe in exchange for our benevolent protection.

Scholarium

As with the other specialist empires, the penalties and benefits both grow as they tier up.

Scholarium Specialization Tier 1
Scholarium Specialization Tier 2
Scholarium Specialization Tier 3

Where the Prospectorium could discover valuable deposits in their space, the Scholarium instead finds opportunities to learn.

Scholarium Sensors

Scholarium Discovery I
Scholarium Discovery II
Scholarium Discovery III

The advisor perk, as you likely expected, improves your overlord’s scientific research.
Scholarium Advisory

And like the others, they have a Hyper Relay Network effect at Tier 1.
Part of Scholarium Tutelage

Next week? Yeah, why not, let's show it next week.

At Tier 2, the Scholarium also gains a set of special traits for their leaders, and the ability to trade their Scientists to their overlord.

Scholarium Traits
Scholarium Scientists

Finally, at Tier 3 the Scholarium gains an advanced variant of the Science Ship, the Arctrellis. Like the Prospectorium’s Bulwark's Battlewright, it provides an aura in combat, but this time the scientists aboard the ship can cripple opposing ships piloted by AI - whether they be machine intelligences, sapient combat computers, or the Contingency.

Scholarium Arctrellis

It should be noted that as a Scholarium, the military penalties make it difficult to free yourself from under your overlord’s control. You may need some powerful friends to help you out.

Specialist Holdings​


Each of the Specialist empires has a unique holding that their overlord can build on their worlds.

Prospectoria can host the Offworld Foundry, which converts subject minerals into alloys for the overlord.

Offworld Foundry Holding

Bulwarks can have the Vigil Command, which grants additional Defense Platforms to their overlord. As the Bulwark increases in tier, these values increase.

Vigil Command Holding

Scholarium worlds can build the Ministry of Science. Surrounding their planet with additional Science Ships increases the effect of the building.

Ministry of Science Holding

One extra holding we’ll show this week is for the Tree of Life origin. It lets you share your blessings with your subjects, improving both the habitability and food production of your subject’s world, though a fair bit will be consumed by the sapling itself.

Tree of Life Sapling Holding
Overlord Arborist Job

Galactic Community​


It seemed natural that with such a large focus on subjugation, the Galactic Community would want to regulate things in different ways. Two more minor resolution lines are coming, in the new Suzerains and Sovereignty category.

Suzerains and Sovereignty Category

The Intergalactic Directives line of resolutions protects the rights of subjects and encourages the preservation and release of weaker societies.

Regulated Growth
Ensured Sovereignty
A Voice for All

You can’t take the sky from me.

Bureaucratic Surveillance, on the other hand, focuses more on the rights of the overlords, requiring a short leash on their subjects and encouraging the use of holdings. Resolutions in this line can only be proposed by empires that are overlords of another empire.

Administrative Insight
Borderless Authority
Personal Oversight

Borderless Authority and Personal Oversight force extra holdings into subject contracts, but since the total limit remains 4 the highest Holding Limit terms become redundant.

Teachers of the Shroud​


Teachers of the Shroud

With the Teachers of the Shroud origin, your civilization was identified as a civilization of interest long ago by the Shroudwalkers, and they carefully guided you as their visions instructed. Your species begins with the Latent Psionics trait and in contact with the Shroudwalker coven.

Your civilization is treated as if it already has the Mind over Matter Ascension Perk, meaning Transcendence is not far away. (And you cannot pursue Synthetic or Biological Ascension.)

Next Week​


Next week we’ll take a ride on the Hyper Relay Network, finally see those three Specialist perks, look at some other balance changes and additions coming in Cepheus and Overlord, and reveal another Origin.

Video versions of these dev diaries are available at the Stellaris Official YouTube Channel. Subscribe so you don’t miss them, and wishlist Overlord if you haven’t already!
 
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Will psi-empires and empires with a Chosen one have different interactions with the Shroudwalkers compared to normal empires? Will you also be able to buy Zro from them?

Because I have read in the last diary that there might be some additions to Psionic Ascension, does that include changes to already existing stuff? The psi-Avatar ship/army is kind of underwhelming because you can only have one, it might be better to get a technology research option from a vision that makes them buildable with Zro. The Chosen one ruler trait is also kind of underwhelming because influence isn’t that important anymore and you have plenty of other sources. So rather than making a God emperor it’s better to give the trait to a scientist, governor or admiral which have much better modifiers. Other Zro uses would also be nice like a planetary shield decision or higher level Psi Corps building with a Zro upkeep.
 
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It seems like planetary starports are making a return, in a somewhat different guise. The buildings seem quite powerful; the ability to have resource improvement buildings with only Strategic Resource costs but no upkeep seems particularly valuable.

Do Teachers of the Shroud Empires have Mind over Matter fill up their first Ascension Perk slot?
 
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Damn, the catapult’s function was my bet for the hyper relay! Second guess for the HR is that it lets you make a limited number of artificial wormholes to vassal systems, like shroud beacons for an overlord.
 
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I have to say, the Alloy Processing Facilities looks just straight up better than the orbital logistics system. Maybe it should have a higher construction cost or upkeep, since it's effectively twice as strong?

Do orbital Rings cost a starbase slot? Can I build them around habitats or uninhabited planets? (edit: answered in original post. Only around normal habitable Planets, and likely not habitable moons since those can’t have habitats and ab orbital ring takes the same ‘slot’ as habitats do)
 
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Two notes

  • Orbital Ring included, just give us full design control over star bases so we can slot the weapon types and sizes we want for all armament
  • There needs to be a means to destroy star bases, gateways, and megastructures. While a Colossus can destroy a habitat why can't it be used against gateways and megastructures. Let alone why can't we destroy our own?
 
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Orbital Rings​


Orbital Rings are a Tier 3 Voidcraft Engineering technology requiring Starholds, Galactic Administration, and Ceramo-Metal Infrastructure. Like Habitats, they do not require Mega-Engineering.

They are treated as a variant of Starbases, and while system control is still primarily determined by the actual Starbase of the system, the planets they surround cannot be invaded until the Orbital Ring has been disabled.

Orbital Ring

Orbital Ring


Initially your Orbital Ring will have two module slots and no building slots. As you gain additional Starbase technologies (Star Fortress and Citadel) and improve the planet’s capital building you can upgrade the Orbital Ring through two additional tiers, adding one module and building slot at each tier.

Starbase screen for Orbital Ring


Most of the Orbital Ring modules are similar to Starbase modules. Defensive modules trade piracy protection for extra hull and armor, and the Habitation Module is a Ring specific module that adds a district slot to the planet below.

Habitation Module

Orbital Shipyard

Orbital Anchorage

Planetary Defense Guns

Planetary Defense Batteries

Planetary Defense Hangars


Systems with multiple habitable planets can become an exceptionally thorny obstacle if you build multiple defensive orbital rings supporting a bastion starbase at the center.

Having a large conveniently placed ring around your planet provides an opportunity to enhance the planet with some interesting buildings. These stack with similar planetside buildings.

Low Gravity Mega-Refiners

Stratospheric Ionization Elements

Climate Optimization Stations

The Giga-Mall

Synaptic Relays

Orbital Maintenance Drops

Orbital Filing System

Orbital Logistics Systems

Alloy Processing Facilities


Many standard starbase buildings can also be placed on an Orbital Ring - though some are now limited to one per system.

Orbital Rings fill the same “orbital slot” as habitats, so you’ll have to decide which of the two you want over your worlds, and they can only be built around colonized habitable planets.
Oh wow, these are incredible!! :D Can't wait to build those!

Something that stands out to me though, why is Artisan upkeep smaller than Metalurgist upkeep here? Don't they usually have the same upkeep?
 
Two notes
  • Orbital Ring included, just give us full design control over star bases so we can slot the weapon types and sizes we want for all armament
  • There needs to be a means to destroy star bases, gateways, and megastructures. While a Colossus can destroy a habitat why can't it be used against gateways and megastructures. Let alone why can't we destroy our own?
We should definitely be able to disable a megastructure to shut down its output and energy upkeep, as well as dismantle one for alloys. That said, the dismantling process should be slow, cost some energy, take some time to complete, and be instantly canceled if the system changes owners or becomes occupied.

We should also be able to use a planetary decision to dismantle a Habitat, and once a Habitat is dismantled or destroyed, we should still be able to build a new one around that planet afterwards (or if it was build in orbit of a habitable planet, allow for building an orbital ring in place of the dismantled habitat).

And if we dismantle a megastructure that was built by us, rather than conquered/repaired, doing so should also allow us to rebuild that megastructure type elsewhere. Likewise, if the megastructure we built is conquered and destroyed or dismantled, we should be able to build a new one too.
 
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Regarding ethics attraction for vassals, is that really something an overlord would want? I get it for regular vassals but for the specialist ones it would be better to keep beneficial ethics.

If I’m F. authoritarian-militarist I don’t want my F. materialist-xenophile Scholaria changing. At least not their materialist trait.
 
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The Quantum Catapult cannibalizes from jump drives, L-gates and juggernauts.

Orbital Rings fill the same “orbital slot” as habitats, so you’ll have to decide which of the two you want over your worlds, and they can only be built around colonized habitable planets.

By the numbers given, there seems no good reason to build a Habitat if instead you can build a planetary ring.
 
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Regarding ethics attraction for vassals, is that really something an overlord would want? I get it for regular vassals but for the specialist ones it would be better to keep beneficial ethics.

If I’m F. authoritarian-militarist I don’t want my F. materialist-xenophile Scholaria changing. At least not their materialist trait.
Not everyone would want it, but some certainly would.
Even if just or RP reasons because you want to rid the galaxy of those ignorant materialists.
 
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Overlord looks more amazing with every dev diary.

Quick question(s): Can the AI use Quantum Catapults? If so, could the AI catapult a fleet into my space even if I've closed my borders to that AI? Or even beyond any Bulwarks I've created?
 
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