A THREAD FOR FIRST THOUGHTS (NO DEBATES, PERHAPS?)

[DanielPrates]

Let's collect our first impressions! I would suggest, perhaps, we refrain from debating... really just place here inital impressions.

A few I had:

- The first contact protocol works even with space animals, like cristal entites, amoebas etc.? Strange, the thought of envoys trying to dialogue with them. Perhaps it would be best left only for actual empires.

- I like how you only see part of a new empire's frontier, it adds to the feeling of unknown.

 

[DimensionalHorror]

Does first contact for space animals actually have unique storytelling or is it just a bug?

 

[Kelarys]

you want a thread in the stellaris forum with no debates? what?

Anyway, we need more dick jokes

 

[Zoomy]

- The first contact protocol works even with space animals, like cristal entites, amoebas etc.? Strange, the thought of envoys trying to dialogue with them. Perhaps it would be best left only for actual empires.

Why would that be strange? They're aliens, you can't make any assumptions when it comes to aliens. That mess of crystals floating in a nebula could be the President of Crystaltopia, and the president might get mad if you just presume they're a mindless animal.

 

[Maethendias]

my first thought?

a dlc about becoming the crisis

the main focus of the dlc?

being the defender against the crisis

 

[lilsaihah]

My Criminal Syndicate was going well. Too well. My Branch Offices added so many Criminal jobs to the planet that the Trade Value became negative and I started generating -18 EC on those planets.

 

[HugsAndSnuggles]

AI seems to be somewhat better at building up fleets early on, while I seem to be doing worse. Guess, I need to tweak a few things.

 

[Cymsdale]

My Criminal Syndicate was going well. Too well. My Branch Offices added so many Criminal jobs to the planet that the Trade Value became negative and I started generating -18 EC on those planets.

Oh damn, this was my first time seriously trying criminal empire too.

 

[Gali77]

Why is the Ai allowed to run operations against me if I don't have nemesis. Really annoying and it takes time to relearn economy but it is really annoying that nemesis is so pay to win

 

[Dr. B]

My first impression is that I like the new planet interface, but why oh why is not similar buildings grouped?

 

[Ryika]

So far I've successfully finished a single covert operation: I found an Asset that, apparently, was a hacker.
Few months later, the asset was lost because their empire now belonged to me.

My other neighbors were gone before I even had enough intel to collect Assets.
I'm beginning to think spying might not fit my playstyle.

 

[sillyrobot]

Does first contact for space animals actually have unique storytelling or is it just a bug?

Unique dialog. I just completed drones.

 

[DanielPrates]

Some nice surprises. Don't remember if this was explained during DDs, but, if a target of espionage has high sprawl, it is easier to infiltrate (which is very logic).

 

[sillyrobot]

1) The first contact system is reskinned archelogy which isn't too shocking since that's what we'd been told. Less information is available to the player (the rolls seem hidden or I haven't found the detail yet). I haven't found another active empire -- just critters and FE.

2) You can't build ahead in the early game. Even though the districts and some of the building are unlocked, districts still consume empire sprawl which is precious.

3) Research and administration are going to be more painful to collect. Losing 4 building slots doesn't sound like much, but the colonies feel much smaller in action.

 

[DaleDVM]

I like the first contact protocols and even with the encounters that are not other empires. The fact that the early exploration extends deeper into the game is incredible!!! The fact that you do not have to halt societal research to engage others is great as well.

After 4 or 5 attempts with my envoy and the RNG I couldn't find out dick about one xeno... so I pissed them off after they caught me trying to hack them for information. I am guessing these might be a race with high crypto... This is so cool!

 

[tremor3258]

I tend to be careful on early builds but feel like I'm feeling the sprawl already. I encountered one species through an anomaly (and they're fanatical purifiers) so getting to test espionage. First contact and it through archeology adds some interesting randomness so not to bad. Don't have the DLC yet so the intel system is hard to say what's really going on, basically just right now an envoy going up to figure their borders.

 

[KNakamura]

I feel the intel system makes a lot of things worse rather than better. Like "you can't know why they don't like you"
Sure, I mean, I suppose I can't just watch their media. Wait..

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Why is the Ai allowed to run operations against me if I don't have nemesis. Really annoying and it takes time to relearn economy but it is really annoying that nemesis is so pay to win

If the AI is running espionage operations against you without Nemesis enabled or owned, please file a bug report with the save attached.

 

[Cymsdale]

I'm still annoyed that district cost bonus is attached to designations. It seems to encourage gamey behavior or switching the designation whenever you want to build a new district in the early game. They should be "after the fact" bonuses only.

 

[JarzHuntz]

cant have a pop shuffling problem if you can never fill up a planet to begin with ( Determined Exterminator ) what the heck is this man