Balanced Precursor Chains

[NilsFabian]

This topic might have been discussed with different precursor races as a point of discontent but if there isn't a general precursor debate and how to balance it, this might be a good thread

As the title suggest it might be useful to balance the precursor chains. At the moment First league and Cybrex are the cool ones, especially the first leage giving you an ecumenopolis.
The other precursors are simply meh...

Why not give every precursor a broken megastructure.
The Irassians get a science nexus
The Yuth a Strategic Coordination Cente
The Vultaum the Mega Art Installation.

This would make the other chains more worthwhile.

 

[Frozen Yakman]

I like the idea, the should probably come with a unique tech per-chain to allow the empire to partially repair the megastructure so that you can actually get something out of it earlier.

 

[NilsFabian]

I like the idea, the should probably come with a unique tech per-chain to allow the empire to partially repair the megastructure so that you can actually get something out of it earlier.

Or at least make clearing up the ecumenopolis of the first league bound to some technique

 

[ragehavoc]

Or at least make clearing up the ecumenopolis of the first league bound to some technique

it saves you an entire ascention perk and gives you one of the best planets for free, it doesnt need buffing, the other precursors definitely do though.

 

[Blurb]

it saves you an entire ascention perk and gives you one of the best planets for free, it doesnt need buffing, the other precursors definitely do though.

You may want to read that post again.
What NFZed is suggesting is to effectively lock the First League homeworld behind technology, meaning it'll take more time before it can be put to use: A NERF.

 

[DreadLindwyrm]

it saves you an entire ascention perk and gives you one of the best planets for free, it doesnt need buffing, the other precursors definitely do though.

Well, not an *entire* ascension perk - you can't make more ecumenopolis planets.

 

[ragehavoc]

Well, not an *entire* ascension perk - you can't make more ecumenopolis planets.

true, but lets be honest, you only really need one lol

 

[NilsFabian]

true, but lets be honest, you only really need one lol

More to the point, for a long period you can only afford one

 

[ragehavoc]

More to the point, for a long period you can only afford one

yes, very true, its much like the megastructure wonders, you CAN make more than one, but really in a single game you probably wont be.

 

[Adolf - Finite War]

I wouldn't mind having all precursors spawn in the same galaxy, their system(s) there from the beginning just locked away behind space monster ancient defense drones etc. rather than having their home system spawn in the most unrealistic/inconvenient places.


But to stay more on point you either want to downscale all to the same lvl which means changing the ecumenopolis to a broken world and the broken cybrex ring world to a broken machine world that both give research or upscale them though I'd propose the following.:

Irassians - Strategic Coordination Center
They were certainly researching for a cure but a long time before that the conquered and that's where the had success.
Yuht - Mega Art Installation
Non FTL spacetravelers, can't think of anything more fitting for them, maybe throw in a broken habitat on top
Vultaum - Science Nexus/Sensor Array
Researching ways to get out of the simulation or a sensor array for closer observation

To balance Fan Habbanis scaling down planet size and having to increase habitability with several research projects as well as dealing with other anomalies steming from living on a world filled with precursor tech would be start, but even with a terraforming requirement - it would still be the most desirable.

As for the Cybrex - ring worlds lost a lot of appeal with 2.2 so you'd have to make theirs something special maybe include something like a https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matrioshka_brain or partial dyson sphere that you can get energy/research from.

 

[ragehavoc]

completely agree, there is more than enough megastructures to have each precursor give you something.

 

[Foefaller]

The other precursors definitely need better rewards.

But, other than Cybrex having one of their ring world sections colonizable when you first find it, I'm not sure if any of the current Megastructures are a good fit.

I also think it would be wrong to constrain it to just Megastructures; The Irassian one, for example, might be a breakthrough on genetics from their research of the Pox that gives you a free trait point, or possibly an extra trait ala Xeno-Compatibility.

 

[Agamemnic]

The other precursors definitely need better rewards.

But, other than Cybrex having one of their ring world sections colonizable when you first find it, I'm not sure if any of the current Megastructures are a good fit.

I also think it would be wrong to constrain it to just Megastructures; The Irassian one, for example, might be a breakthrough on genetics from their research of the Pox that gives you a free trait point, or possibly an extra trait ala Xeno-Compatibility.

This. I think just having megastructures is too linear

You could have planets that yield a ton of rare resources. Not the +5 we have now, maybe +20 across many resource types

You could also have a precursor system with multiple special habitats that have unique districts

Or maybe even just a regular planet but with some ruined FE buildings

 

[PhroX]

I'd love to see some unique stuff from the precursor chains, not just an easier way to get something you could already potentially build. Maybe some special technologies or empire modifiers. Or if they are going to be planets/megastructures, make them different from the normal ones in some way.

 

[Adolf - Finite War]

This. I think just having megastructures is too linear

You could have planets that yield a ton of rare resources. Not the +5 we have now, maybe +20 across many resource types

You could also have a precursor system with multiple special habitats that have unique districts

Or maybe even just a regular planet but with some ruined FE buildings

Well the ton of ressources from a regular mining station are terrible when it comes to immersion they should have at least some unique damaged stations attached to it. Just because it's a precursor home system shouldn't mean that it has a gasplanet that yields 5x the amount of regular ones. I also don't see a reason why there shouldn't be useable remnants of the precursors in other systems.

 

[AlazkanAssassin]

Just nerf Fan Habbanis. I suggest this happen by making the clearance of its district blockers not possible without the ecumenopolis ascention perk.
It’s still cool and unique, just of more limited power in the early game.

 

[Novacat]

I also think it would be wrong to constrain it to just Megastructures; The Irassian one, for example, might be a breakthrough on genetics from their research of the Pox that gives you a free trait point, or possibly an extra trait ala Xeno-Compatibility.

This is actually a good idea. A free trait pick would actually make the Irassians competitive with First League.

 

[Ikael]

Cybrex: Ring world with living metal deposits. Perhaps add a unique tech to boost your synth population as well
Yuth: A ton of empty habitats ready to colonise and ruined megastructures because what else are you going to do if you don't have FTL tech?
Vultaum: Abbandoned planet full of really weird unique buildings with powerful effects that vaguely suggest inter-dimensional travel. What's a "Paradox forum", pray tell? ;p
Irassian: A unique tech that gives you additional trait points is a great idea, indeed

 

[Zenopath]

Just nerf Fan Habbanis. I suggest this happen by making the clearance of its district blockers not possible without the ecumenopolis ascention perk.
It’s still cool and unique, just of more limited power in the early game.

I think this is the easiest short term solution to nerf Fen Habbanis and make it more balanced with others. Although if you are going this route, might want to limit it to 3 districts open...

 

[Piotrzeci]

But some Megastructures are parts of DLCs, while Precursors are in vanilla Stellaris.