150 years is all we get?

[Scr3wballl]

Since this game was released and playing it since day 1, I have had 8 games/empires, all dealing with unbidden (even before I knew what they were) at 150 years (or something else happening before that). Is that all we get? So we live or die at 150 years which is basically 4-6 hours worth? Where is the depth of this game?

Spoiler: spoilers inside

All of these were 150 years or less....

1. First empire I had no idea what I was doing, 150 years and my little 3-5K fleets (had not even gotten to battleships yet) were wiped out within half an hour by the eyeball dudes that showed up 30 or so systems away.
2. Second one I was wiped out at 75-80 years by a fallen empire despite me doing nothing in their vicinity, guess they just got pissed at me for no reason.
3. Third empire had some federation with 3 big empires come after me around at around the 100 year mark. This one was individualist/xenophobe/militarist, very strong/solitary/repugnant. I think I will try this one again for my 9th.
   
4. Fourth I finally had a good setup, and just as I was about to run the extra-dimensional guys out with my multiple 30-40K fleets, a fallen empire decided I pissed them off somehow and I was wiped off with multiple 70K fleets.
5. Fifth empire I had a good setup, my first run with wormholes (love them) and the extra-dimension guys showed up on the other side of the galaxy, worked out military passage with a big empire that allowed me clear passage to them. I also learned a little trick, wipe out the first 17-25K fleet, come in with your science ships and research their remains, you can pick up some great new weapons, shields and power options. After I upgraded my fleets (one at a time while the other 1-2 helped keep them at bay), I limited them to around 15-20 systems before my 3 fleets at 30-40K each wiped them off and cleared them out completely. As soon as they were gone from the edges, the territories would return back to previous owner so I wasn't able to get them all but the galaxy was safe. After that it was pointless to keep playing since the "declare war" option was gone completely.
6. 6th empire I mixed it up and tried some other ethics like evil slavers with decadence, and once again at 150 years they showed up on the other side of the galaxy but this time I had no way to go get them, so I waited, and they sat there with around 30-40 star systems and never expanding. I got to around 250 year mark and no one was doing anything and research was dumb leftover stuff so I let that game go, I couldn't reach them since everyone along the way was stubborn and wouldn't open their borders.
7. The 7th I had easy access to the extra-dimensional guys, quickly wiped them up but this time left the territory as is so is easier to start taking over other empires.... Instead maybe 5 years after closing the extra dimensional hole before I could regroup, upgrade and go after someone else, a fallen empire decided that someone in the federation had pissed them off. We put up a good fight, I even had multiple 40-50K fleets at their home world, but somehow on top of the 8-10 fleets of 30-40K each they also had at least 15-20 fleets at 70K each which quickly defended their home world and then went after the rest of us.
   
8. My 8th was earlier today, 150 year mark came and this was only the second time I got the eyeball dudes. I was hoping I would have 200-250 since science seemed slower than previous empires. Guess what, they appeared right at my empire where I only had the capability of cruisers and maybe 40K TOTAL fleet size, but another empire had split my access in half so I had 20K or so on the other side unable to help defend the home world, which wouldn't have really done much anyways.... Quickly wiped out by fleets of 40-60K.

My point is, I have NEVER had a game go beyond the 150 year mark before the "end". I've tried big galaxies, small galaxies, lots of empires, few empires, no advanced, lots of advanced, and no matter what I've never been able to play out to the 200-250 year timeframe to better prepare.
Any "no unbidden" mods out there?

 

[Dalwin]

I have yet to see the unbidden. I have only taken a few games to the late stages and I get the Pretheryn instead, usually around year 200, but they had no real affect on the game. I ignored them and went on to win around year 300.

 

[wergy]

I'm well beyond 300 years and the invaders just appeared.

 

[kazper]

Only game (out of 4) that I saw the Unbidden was the one where I beelined Psi drive and thus expected them to show up early. Otherwise it's been the swarm every time. Just started a new game as a materialist to try and force the AI rebellion...

 

[Zealuu]

Wait, what. You can't declare war after an endgame crisis?

 

[Dalwin]

Wait, what. You can't declare war after an endgame crisis?

Of course you can. The crisis might be out of your reach. If you could not declare war the game would quickly become impossible to finish.

 

[Scr3wballl]

Only game (out of 4) that I saw the Unbidden was the one where I beelined Psi drive and thus expected them to show up early. Otherwise it's been the swarm every time. Just started a new game as a materialist to try and force the AI rebellion...

So you're sying the Psi related research may be an "early" trigger for them? I almost always research it, I will try without this next go around.

Wait, what. You can't declare war after an endgame crisis?

On that 5th game I couldn't declare war after unbidden was gone (was with patch 1.0.1 or .2). On the 7th (with patch 1.0.3) I had the option, but never had a chance to make use of it.

Spoiler

I suspect the fallen empires are set to go after you after you reach a certain level anyways meaning the chance of going much past 200-300 years is the end.

 

[-Marauder-]

It's somewhat "random" and depends on a bunch of factors. Latest I've seen was 2400+, earlierst I've had was 2180~.

So you're sying the Psi related research may be an "early" trigger for them? I almost always research it, I will try without this next go around.

It's not an early trigger, it's THE trigger. Anyone using Hyperdrive/Psi Drive can cause them to show up time it's used.

 

[Dalwin]

It's somewhat "random" and depends on a bunch of factors. Latest I've seen was 2400+, earlierst I've had was 2180~.


It's not an early trigger, it's THE trigger. Anyone using Hyperdrive/Psi Drive can cause them to show up time it's used.

But even if the OP chose warp so that he himself could not trigger them, there is always a decent chance that one of the AIs will. I suppose the unbidden could not possibly appear in an all warp galaxy.

 

[-Marauder-]

But even if the OP chose warp so that he himself could not trigger them, there is always a decent chance that one of the AIs will. I suppose the unbidden could not possibly appear in an all warp galaxy.

Yeah, I'm pretty unlucky myself. I never actually get hyperdrives offered as a choice, even as fanatic spiritualist psi drives evade me like the plague. Also even as Neural Network Administration do I manage to get sentient AI/Synths in time to prevent some AI triggering unbidden or the Prethoryn showing up.

 

[Scr3wballl]

It's somewhat "random" and depends on a bunch of factors. Latest I've seen was 2400+, earlierst I've had was 2180~.


It's not an early trigger, it's THE trigger. Anyone using Hyperdrive/Psi Drive can cause them to show up time it's used.

thanks, I will try avoiding that line of research to see if it changes or helps....

 

[-Marauder-]

thanks, I will try avoiding that line of research to see if it changes or helps....

You still have the AI around to mess things up for you though! They do research these things also.

 

[Ezumiyr]

150 or 300 years, it's kinda the same : not much compared to other Paradox games. I also found Stellaris more linear, compared to CK2 where empires often rise and fall. In Stellaris, a powerful empire will almost never cease to grow and be a powerful empire. I expected more dynamism from the federation system...

Also, when the end game crises fires too early, you're screwed, when it fires too late, you crush it with ease. I would rather expect that the power of the end game crisis empire would scale with the combined power of the galaxy... (except for the rogue AI).

 

[Duuk]

From a player standpoint, we really need the "dangerous" techs to get sexier so you're willing to take the risk. Make them all choices that you have to think about because there is good and bad instead of just avoiding the dangerous ones automatically.

 

[PalmettoExplorer14]

I haven't even reached 150 years yet. So y'all got me beat. I'm at 2281 right now so yeah not there yet.

Although I have an admiral who I've had since I started from day 1 and he's now 108 years old! My ruler is in her early 80s. Thank you resilient trait!

 

[lepeluga]

The only game where i saw the unbidden was on a multiplayer game around 300 years in, it wasnt a problem at all though, they spawned inside a fallen empire and havent been able to expand. The rest of the galaxy is too focused on a gigantic war to even worry about them anyway...

 

[Nyanako]

On the unbidden, its not nessessarily jump drives that set off the ticking. According to the event scripts, there is a chance they will appear when Warp/Hyperspace/Wormhole 3 is used. Its just the chance it will happen is increased expodentially when Jump Drive is used

 

[Red Death]

150 or 300 years, it's kinda the same : not much compared to other Paradox games. I also found Stellaris more linear, compared to CK2 where empires often rise and fall. In Stellaris, a powerful empire will almost never cease to grow and be a powerful empire. I expected more dynamism from the federation system...

Also, when the end game crises fires too early, you're screwed, when it fires too late, you crush it with ease. I would rather expect that the power of the end game crisis empire would scale with the combined power of the galaxy... (except for the rogue AI).

The excessive stability may be changed when they fix ethics divergence.

 

[Iamscotty]

year 2364 here, no end game yet

 

[Praetorian44]

4-6 hours to get through 150 years? Wow, you play a hell of a lot quicker than I do.