Stellaris Dev Diary #94 - Ascension Perks & Surveying in Cherryh

[arc2611]

Just for clarification does surveyed on established communications mean I actually get the data and can't survey them anymore (includeing that auto explore will ignore those planets) or just that it will no longer yield anomalies? Because there is other stuff to consider like the extra science from discovery traditions.

I believe it's that you can't survey them anymore. So yes, you lose the bonus science from the Discovery traditions.

On the other hand, that can be easily tweaked by adjusting the numbers on the Tradition, and not making deposit information available by default would throw a wrench into the new wargoal system.

"So... you're saying that we spent countless energy credits and lost an entire battlefleet for... this? Two 1-mineral deposits in a system of no real strategic value?!"

"We had no idea! We couldn't get survey rights because they closed their borders, and our science ships kept getting blown up!"



Obviously the above scenario is highly exaggerated, but not being able to see what value a system has in terms of resources would make it very annoying to plan out your claims and wars.

 

[zimxavier]

Translation of CK2 is handled by a community member for the French part. They previously relied on a company, but the results were, to be honest, ashaming (most of the medium/long texts were cut in half, most of it didn't even make sense, that sort of stuff). Now the results are far far better, and it's really great to have a readable French version.

That's a nice compliment

 

[defy]

About the ability to discover anomalies in other empires' space:

If I obliterate other empires (so unsurveyed stars become my or neutral space), can anomalies then again be discovered where there used to be some other empire's space?

 

[Nictis]

I don't like the idea of another empire just knowing what I have in my space when they say "Hi." No real point in having closed borders early on if they already know my space too.

"Hello Stellar Devourers, did you know I have three 25 tile worlds? Look at them, they're great! This one has three betharian stone! Isn't my stuff awesome?"

Nice to know that anomalies don't trigger if they've already been found, helps explain why the Living Metal tech is so rare.

 

[pcavalcanti]

As someone who has bought Utopia, I back the developers' decision on this 100%. The tendency to introduce a completely unrelated new mechanic in each DLC to try to justify the price tag instead of building onto previously introduced systems is the biggest problem with the development model used for Europa Univeralis 4. Designing an interrelated set of mechanics between all DLCs when each individual player may own any given combination of them, without ever carrying any of the DLC mechanics being built upon over to the main game on account of some DLC buyers complaining that their money was "wasted", would be a development nightmare and a recipe for player confusion, and in this case the developers decided to unlock one of the features being built upon from a previous DLC for all players to simplify the dependencies.

Remember that the purpose of the DLC is to fund the many years of post-release development that make the Paradox development model unique. Your money does not disappear to the ether, it funds the addition of the numerous features and fixes that Paradox provides to all players, including you, in a free patch. It's better to not obsess over whether someone else ended up eventually getting some feature of a DLC you bought "for free" - it will all ultimately result in a better game for everyone.

EDIT: Grammar.

So, instead of the "buy" button for the features described on Steam it should say "Contribute with $X to the further development of the game and get a gift for it". If what you say is true then Stellaris should be Early Access.

 

[Ur-Quan Lord 13]

So paradox should just adopt unfair policies because other companies are doing the same thing? Just because a lot of people are doing the same thing does not make that thing right.

Thanks for ignoring the rest of my post explaining how this particular example is one of the fairest things I've ever seen, and less of a "loss" than pretty much everything else you're not complaining about, so you can hold on to your irrational anger

Seriously, don't worry about it, it's a normal reaction to being presented with views opposing your own. Maybe later you'll think about it on your own, and realize "okay, so it's not that bad, but that Ur-Quan guy is still a total douche and completely wrong.'

You know what? There's a ToS probably somewhere on steam, that you agreed to. Look through it. If it doesn't allow pdx to do what it's doing... Sue them.

Or, when you find out of course it's allowed, stop playing the game you payed for in protest of this horribly unfair "giving away like $2 of what you paid for free after a half year to people who have bought the base game so it can be improved on" that's completely way worse than all the "giving away literally everything you paid for at like 20-50% of the price just for the extra revenue" that's completely standard practice and nobody's complaining about.

Otherwise, let all us reasonable people, who are currently thinking about this rationally, discuss other things until you calm down and realize nobody has actually wronged you in any way.

 

[Molikroth]

Thanks for ignoring the rest of my post explaining how this particular example is one of the fairest things I've ever seen, and less of a "loss" than pretty much everything else you're not complaining about, so you can hold on to your irrational anger

Seriously, don't worry about it, it's a normal reaction to being presented with views opposing your own. Maybe later you'll think about it on your own, and realize "okay, so it's not that bad, but that Ur-Quan guy is still a total douche and completely wrong.'

You know what? There's a ToS probably somewhere on steam, that you agreed to. Look through it. If it doesn't allow pdx to do what it's doing... Sue them.

Or, when you find out of course it's allowed, stop playing the game you payed for in protest of this horribly unfair "giving away like $2 of what you paid for free after a half year to people who have bought the base game so it can be improved on" that's completely way worse than all the "giving away literally everything you paid for at like 20-50% of the price" that's completely standard practice and nobody's complaining about.

Otherwise, let all us reasonable people, who are currently thinking about this rationally, discuss other things until you calm down and realize nobody has actually wronged you in any way.

Anyone who has played Star Control, knows that the Ur-Quan are ALWAYS wrong.

 

[m3n78se]

Another questionable decision. I'm not about ascension perks(but i don't feel too nice about this), but about that instant exploring all another empires systems. It's at least illogical if fanatic xenophobic species will gladly give all the strategic information to xeno****.

 

[arc2611]

It's at least illogical if fanatic xenophobic species will gladly give all the strategic information to xeno****.

I hope you enjoy spending influence to claim systems when you have absolutely no idea what resources said systems contain, then.

 

[Seb_Jean]

I always thought the idea of surveying a conquered territory was a waste of time because you usually didn't know what ressources you fought for. I think this new system will be better than the current one that you can share your star charts with anyone and that even if you were isolationist, if you shared them with someone, you could be sure that everyone knew.

About the perks becoming free, I don't see any problem because they were basic. If it means that we get a better system and better perks in the end, why not. I'm not gonna revolt because Mastery of Nature is now free I bought Utopia because I wanted to have these perks as soon as they were released. I consider it was a good investment because I played a lot with it.

 

[m3n78se]

I hope you enjoy spending influence to claim systems when you have absolutely no idea what resources said systems contain, then.

But maybe at least xenophobes will not share so valuable information?

 

[Slynx]

@Wiz correct me if i'm wrong please.

let's assume we have Empire A, Empire B and other galaxy - C.
* if empire A don't want to know anyone and wan't to leave peacefully alone, but Empire B's ships will find it - Empire B can research A via project? (same system we have right now)
* then things gets more nasty. Empire B met others (C) and decide to share communications with it.
am I right to assume that now the whole galaxy knows about A and can spam it with diplomacy proposals, rivalries, insults and etc?

and A can't possibly stop B from researching it and from telling everyone about it? even if it's a Vatican-like empire in the middle of someone else's territory(who decided to close borders to the world), right?

if yes...i'm a bit concerned about such system. because some empires (slavers, those who bombard, purgers and etc) want to minimize the number of known empires.

ps: bonus question: if there will be empire D (evolved primitives or anyone else) and it'll meet C after all events. will D also find out about A?

 

[mysticdueler]

I hope you enjoy spending influence to claim systems when you have absolutely no idea what resources said systems contain, then.

Is that actually a bad thing? It presents a choice for the player. I can deny everyone info on me, but by that nature I have no info on them. Do you take the risk of exposing yourself to the universe, or the risk of claiming weak, near-worthless system(s) for conquest?

Edit: Besides, the playstyles that would tend toward never sharing anything (i.e. DS, FP) don’t care what is in the system - they want you dead regardless.

 

[pcavalcanti]

No they are not. The right to receive patches is bought with original game.

I agree. I supposedly bought a finished product. If it's not finished then it's their job to finish it through patches. But that's not how the Gaming Industry works nowadays - they ask full price upfront to finish the product later.

And I'm a big fan of Paradox - I have HOI 3 complete, Victoria 1 and 2 complete, EU IV(no dlcs), HOI IV(no dlcs), CK2(all dlcs except Jade Dragon) and Stellaris - all dlc, even the plantoid ones. I'm really happy to support them but what they've been doing lately is really questionable - besides the fact that they themselves so often say how bad some of the mechanics of the game are/they're not happy with it that I'm about to lose all confidence in them if they ever start working on Stellaris 2 or whatever because they might have to re-make the game one or two years after launch.

 

[Slynx]

I hope you enjoy spending influence to claim systems when you have absolutely no idea what resources said systems contain, then.

I always thought the idea of surveying a conquered territory was a waste of time because you usually didn't know what ressources you fought for. I think this new system will be better than the current one that you can share your star charts with anyone and that even if you were isolationist, if you shared them with someone, you could be sure that everyone knew.

huh? why do you need to know resources? you'll just capture everything.

also on the streams Wiz said that they want to any at least something in every system. because it's not fun to claim empty systems (or something like that)

 

[G-Flex]

@Wiz
if yes...i'm a bit concerned about such system. because some empires (slavers, those who bombard, purgers and etc) want to minimize the number of known empires.

Have you considered that maybe expecting people not to spread word of the very existence of your genocidal slaver regime might be a bit unreasonable?

 

[Praseodymius]

Have you considered that maybe expecting people not to spread word of the very existence of your genocidal slaver regime might be a bit unreasonable?

There's a difference between other people knowing about you, and you willingly talking to them? It's reasonable everyone would spread word of the fanatical purifiers and determined exterminators and devouring swarms. It is unreasonable to think you can talk to them, and get anything out of them other than 'we will purge/eat you.'

 

[Slynx]

Have you considered that maybe expecting people not to spread word of the very existence of your genocidal slaver regime might be a bit unreasonable?

sure. but I want to at least have an option to tell them something like "if you speak about me i'll kill you, all your friends and everyone that knows about me, otherwise - have a cookie\research agreement\etc"
my problem was that you share all info. and you can't choose parts you don't want to share

 

[Ur-Quan Lord 13]

Anyone who has played Star Control, knows that the Ur-Quan are ALWAYS wrong.

Human. We Ur-Quan never lie. NEVER!
It is a weakness to lie and, as you have noticed, the Ur-Quan are not weak!

 

[Strager]

my problem was that you share all info. and you can't choose parts you don't want to share

THIS - The new system is not granular enough. There is no way to say "I don't want to be contacted by unknown empires" no way to say "don't trade my communications" and if I want to know about a specific empire, I have to trade for ALL communications you have to get it (or go exploring myself and hope no one else runs into me)