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Stellaris Dev Diary #15 - Fallen Empires

Hello and happy new year! I’ll be your substitute Doomdark for today and in this week’s dev diary we’ll take a closer look at Fallen Empires.

The galaxy is vast, old and unknown. New species constantly flare into existence and some are even able to take their first cautious steps towards other stars. Of those that do some are arrogant enough to assume that they are the first and only chosen. They fail to realize that others may have taken those same steps before them, others who have found amazing wonders and unraveled their secrets, others who reached the furthest edges of knowledge only to crumble away. Those others are called Fallen Empires.

These are once-glorious empires that for unknown reasons have stagnated and often fallen to infighting or crippling apathy. That which once covered hundreds of systems have shrunk to a fraction, barely held on to by superior technology and what little remains of a once glorious fleet. Fallen Empires are isolationist and will look at newer species with disinterest or outright contempt. Diplomatic attempts are futile and they will most likely attack any unknown ships entering one of their remaining systems.

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The response of Fallen Empires vary greatly when approached. It is rarely friendly though.

Design Reasoning

We’ve added Fallen Empires to the game for a couple of reasons. They have the potential to enable some really cool stories and there is a bunch of different directions we can take to ensure players get a different experience from game to game. Players should never feel confident in how a Fallen Empire may react to different events in the galaxy. If left alone they might resurge as a reaction to a galaxy-wide threat or become outraged when their most holy planets are colonized by lesser races.

Gameplay-wise the Fallen Empires can act as a potential source of advanced technology for players willing to invest the military forces required to defeat one of their fleets in battle. In Stellaris, all ships destroyed in combat will leave debris behind and through reverse engineering a player may discover the technologies required to build the weapons and components equipped by those ships. Players can also invade planets belonging to Fallen Empires, allowing them to utilize whatever advanced buildings placed there. This of course means dealing with a new species within the Empire.
While the rewards may be tempting, players may want to consider the risks before attacking a Fallen Empire. Who knows what horrors they have unearthed during the ages, what forbidden secrets their planets hold within, what captives might be unleashed should their wardens be struck down.

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Fallen Empires will use a separate series of models for their ships and stations.

Next week the good Goosecreature will be back with a dev diary on the events and mishaps that may befall colonies and their inhabitants. Until then!
 
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I wonder if Paradox is amused by our slavish devotion to their upcoming game(s) or annoyed by the constant demands for more information? :)

So on that note, I would deeply appreciate if the new Dev Diary was posted so I could stop checking every couple of minutes and actually get some work done today. :)
 
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I'm not so sure they take human hearts. I hear they take credit cards though.
Wait, so you mean I bought a herd of goats, one to sacrifice before every Dev diary for no reason?
 
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Credit cards have no hearts to sacrifice! :(
 
Only a heretic of such foul lies, blessed be his name, would defile his will to this extent.

You have been warned, utter another word in defiance to the high Council of Terra and your world shall be erased from the history of man.

The Emperor protects, and his greatest gift to humankind is hatred.

There's only one God-Emperor, and he's not wearing some whimpy shiny armour...
 
There's only one God-Emperor, and he's not wearing some whimpy shiny armour...

May The Emperor have mercy upon your poor wretched soul, Heretic. Because his children won't.
 
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These are once-glorious empires that for unknown reasons have stagnated and often fallen to infighting or crippling apathy. That which once covered hundreds of systems have shrunk to a fraction, barely held on to by superior technology and what little remains of a once glorious fleet. Fallen Empires are isolationist and will look at newer species with disinterest or outright contempt. Diplomatic attempts are futile and they will most likely attack any unknown ships entering one of their remaining systems.

This description reminds me of the Arkonides and Akonides. Somebody please make a Perry Rhodan mod.
 
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This description reminds me of the Arkonides and Akonides. Somebody please make a Perry Rhodan mod.
There will be (at least) one, that's for sure. And when all sci fi mods are completed that are possible, someone will make a "I put everything together" mod where every single sci fi universe is available (and can be mixed). Wraith attacking the Romulans, which are also at war with the Vorlons... nice imagination ^^
 
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There will be (at least) one, that's for sure. And when all sci fi mods are completed that are possible, someone will make a "I put everything together" mod where every single sci fi universe is available (and can be mixed). Wraith attacking the Romulans, which are also at war with the Vorlons... nice imagination ^^

That would be cool. Imagine all the possibilities of Borg assimilation.
 
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so the Borg vs the Reapers? :p

Considering that the borg love to "assimilate" alien technology they would probably gotten themselves indoctronated immedeatly.
 
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Imagine the Borg going after the Daleks :eek:
 
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