Announcing the Aquatics Species Pack!

[StellarXe]

I hope this would bring a lot of interactions, like planets/landarmy/new traits/ mechanisms on how game works in different way instead of it being too human-like

I wonder how energy credit works for this species pack if everything is underwater. or maybe a new resources type?

 

[Skyfus]

My boi PDX out here with some Amplitude level trailer, almost thought this was an announcement for Lumeris V2

Edit: also, being able to play as tentacle monsters is enough motivation for me to finally try xeno compatibility

 

[Ch4rybde]

Edit: also, being able to play as tentacle monsters is enough motivation for me to finally try xeno compatibility

Cthulhu and Japanese approve this message.

 

[Thoughtful Gaming LP]

Seems fishy, but I'm hooked!

 

[Juboboman]

I literally love every single thing about this. The shipsets look great, the 3 portraits we saw look great.

This is exactly what I was hoping for thematically

 

[tribnia]

Well, well, well.
Now it won't surprise me if we were to have some Lovecraftian species in the future.

 

[Ch4rybde]

Well, well, well.
Now it won't surprise me if we were to have some Lovecraftian species in the future.

I admit playing Cthulhu in stellaris would be great. Then rush become the crisis and destroy the entire galaxy for "Greater Purpose".
Terrific

 

[Sarmatian]

An isolationist crab nation led by an emperor Sebastian

 

[Yurichenko]

While it's possible that the screenshot is erroneous on this front, I don't think that's likely. The "Main Features" described on the Paradox page (seen here) indicates a distinct Trait for making your species dependent on oceans. Now, this could be a Trait like Lithoids which is built into the portraits, but I get the feeling that its something you can select during empire creation, since its described as a choice.

That said, the screenshot itself is definitely using placeholder assets in other ways. It's showing the Mammalian cityscape instead of the Aquatic cityscape.

Something tells me that despite looking very interesting, this dlc will bring many disagreements. I hope to be wrong.

 

[Reedstilt]

Something tells me that despite looking very interesting, this dlc will bring many disagreements. I hope to be wrong.

I don't think there's going to be post-release disagreements (at least not too badly). If it turns out I'm wrong and all Aquatic portraits are locked-in to having the Aquatic Trait and living on Ocean worlds after all, I'll happily admit that I misinterpreted the screenshots and preview text and was wrong about that point.

Hopefully we'll learn a bit more in tomorrow's Dev Diary.

 

[Zenicetus]

New species, ships and origins are always very well received.
I may risk drawing conclusions, but it is possible that this dlc brings some kind of redesign of planetary battles. Currently I do not see how an army of a terrestrial species can attack an underwater population. Besides the orbital bombardment I don't think it's very effective either.

Interesting points, but I guess we'll just have to roleplay it.

Imagine soldiers in exoskeletons or mechs adapted for underwater combat. Orbital bombardment heats up the oceans, or uses torpedoes that alter ocean chemistry. I wouldn't want to have to research a specific new tech for this, unless that's done for all the planet types.

 

[Zenicetus]

Here's a question: can/should aquatics even be able to live on an Ecumenopolis?

My head canon for Aquatics is that they're all actually Amphibians and not completely water dwellers. Without fire, it's hard to imagine a propulsion system that would let them develop rockets and spaceflight, so they had to adapt to dry land at some point. So yeah, they can live on an Ecumenopolis.

 

[Ch4rybde]

My head canon for Aquatics is that they're all actually Amphibians and not completely water dwellers. Without fire, it's hard to imagine a propulsion system that would let them develop rockets and spaceflight, so they had to adapt to dry land at some point. So yeah, they can live on an Ecumenopolis.

I think a 100% aquatic species could reach space. It is not beceause our (humanity) evolution path require us to tame fire than it is the only way to reach advanced technological levels. The ocean is vast and rich of ressources on our planet, and several aquatic species like octopus and dolphin are well know for their intelligence (and for the second also their taste), for exemple an aquatic species could use submarine volcanic activities for melting metal and doing metallurgy. Moreover, you do not need fire to build submarine house.

 

[Yurichenko]

Interesting points, but I guess we'll just have to roleplay it.

Imagine soldiers in exoskeletons or mechs adapted for underwater combat. Orbital bombardment heats up the oceans, or uses torpedoes that alter ocean chemistry. I wouldn't want to have to research a specific new tech for this, unless that's done for all the planet types.

I do not rule out your answer as the possible reality since PDX usually takes everything hypothetically without giving too many explanations. But I have two things to say about it:

1st: Regardless of military technology, underwater combat is diametrically different from surface combat so fighting beings that are literally "fish in water" must be highly inefficient. Let's just think that these creatures live in 3 dimensions naturally while the terrestrial ones only in 2 (unless they are birds of course)

2nd: I can believe that with good sensors, infrared and underwater reading methods, spacecraft can effectively perform some orbital bombardment. But indisputably the damage from said bombardment must be much less. Another detail is that I only see possible that kinetic weapons are capable of this because are we really going to shoot plasma into the water, or lasers, matter blasters (maybe), missiles, torpedoes? I do not know, I do not want to be detailed but it is difficult for me to visualize it.

 

[Yurichenko]

Let's launch a few well-loaded transports of oil and fuel. I bet it will be much more efficient to kill marine life <--- Earth is witness

 

[Cassilda]

The species pack will be released this year?

 

[Reedstilt]

The species pack will be released this year?

Probably sometime next month. That's when the next update is scheduled to be released.

 

[Yurichenko]

Well guys tell me if I'm wrong but don't you think PDX would be considering giving a wash for some original ship designs? It's just that between the Humanoid, Necroids, Imperial and now Aquatic ships there is already a trend towards improvement. Oh my God! just look at that battleship shaped like a hammerhead fish and those corvettes !!

 

[Zenicetus]

I think a 100% aquatic species could reach space. It is not beceause our (humanity) evolution path require us to tame fire than it is the only way to reach advanced technological levels. The ocean is vast and rich of ressources on our planet, and several aquatic species like octopus and dolphin are well know for their intelligence (and for the second also their taste), for exemple an aquatic species could use submarine volcanic activities for melting metal and doing metallurgy. Moreover, you do not need fire to build submarine house.

The reference to fire wasn't just as a technology path, but about the energy requirements to lift a heavy object out of a planet's gravity well. A controlled explosion in a rocket motor is a very high energy reaction. I don't know how you'd do that in a water environment. Maybe a 100% aquatic species could build rockets after discovering nuclear tech, with steam-powered rockets?

Or since this is science fiction, maybe they they've been around long enough as a technological civilization to invent anti-gravity propulsion.

 

[Yurichenko]

PS: About who said that maybe aquatics can live on land, I'm not really sure about that. Note that their ship models have large pools or fish tanks so I doubt they can live outside the water.