Bioships, Psicraft, and Voidcraft Integration: Unique Ship Types for each Ascension Path

[Dementor4]

It seems to me that each of the Ascension Paths could/should have access to unique types of space craft-

Bioships-
Bioships are discussed in lore: you can find the crashed remains of them as anomaly events, and creatures like the Tiyanki and the Scourge prove that purely biological entities can travel through space and achieve faster than light speeds. It would seem fitting that specialists in bio-engineering would be able to replace their fleet of metal ships with biological ships instead. They might use less power and/or minerals than standard ships, consuming food instead for creation/upkeep.

Psicraft-
If you've ever played Escape Velocity Nova you're probably familiar with the Vell-os, psionic humans who can generate spacecraft around themselves using nothing but their own psycho-kinetic powers. Same concept. Psicraft creation would use no minerals at all, using energy instead. Massive forcefield buffs obliterate the need for armor or even hull points: weapons that ignore shields will simply do less/no damage because your ship is only made of shields.

Voidcraft Integration-
This is the full integration of a Migrated/Artificial Intelligence into a spacecraft, so instead of having a pilot the ship would BE the body of the entity operating it, allowing for superior control of the craft. Would probably use the same infrastructure (minerals and energy) as regular spacecraft but would be built faster, would cost less for upkeep (no crew to coddle) and would be generally more effective than normal (better evasion, fire rate, accuracy, etc) due to the more effective control of the integrated operator.

 

[Pharo212]

I really hope the hiveminds especially can get bioships, because the flavor of organic hiveminds having sentient organic ships just fits too well.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

I hope I don't end up with bioships going down the bio path. Just because I can grow a liver in a petri dish doesn't mean I want to cruise along in a Hans Geiger vagina-monster.

 

[Fluxx]

Even though I like your enthusiasm and idea's, there are some proper flaws in your logic. Also in game design terms... some are not that elogant.

Though you are right that full robotics would allow for full interface with a ship, and 'the mind' would occupy the ship as it being its body, the same would go up for living ships. A sentient ship has by definition full control over its body, and would not have any disadvantage or advantage over a sentient AI controlling a ship.
Also genetics on that level would allow for full symbiosis with a pilot.

Now for the psicraft part...it is only practical for smaller aircraft, and even then...
Weapons that bypass shields, and therefor bypass the craft? What happens to the hapless fella piloting the thing, does the disruptor beam just pass straight through him too?

I would love to see it reflected in the artwork though, going one ascension path would change the design of your ships, but game mechanic wise it might be alot trickier....

 

[Fourthspartan56]

I hope I don't end up with bioships going down the bio path. Just because I can grow a liver in a petri dish doesn't mean I want to cruise along in a Hans Geiger vagina-monster.

Except Stellaris unlike our world has actual examples of viable bioships, and growing a liver in a petri dish is pretty different from being a master of biology. The latter suggests far more comfort with biological processes than the former.

 

[SacremPyrobolum]

Except Stellaris unlike our world has actual examples of viable bioships, and growing a liver in a petri dish is pretty different from being a master of biology. The latter suggests far more comfort with biological processes than the former.

You don't understand. I don't want to have to fly around in a giant penis just because I want to go down the biology path. That would turn me off the entire tree.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

I'm of two minds on this.

On the one hand, biotech is kinda fun. On the other hand, I appreciate that Stellaris does have its own identity, and a lack of biotech outside of one of the Crises appears to be part of that identity and I can respect that.

Ultimately, I feel like it probably deserves its own DLC and shouldn't just be tacked onto the Biological Ascension route.

 

[Fourthspartan56]

You don't understand. I don't want to have to fly around in a giant penis just because I want to go down the biology path. That would turn me off the entire tree.

Right, or it could be optional. An event where you choose to use bioships or not, there is no reason that mastering biology would mean that a polity would definitely ditch mundane void-craft.

 

[Xoatl]

They might use less power and/or minerals than standard ships, consuming food instead for creation/upkeep.

It shouldn't be 100% food, but that is a creative idea.

I hope I don't end up with bioships going down the bio path. Just because I can grow a liver in a petri dish doesn't mean I want to cruise along in a Hans Geiger vagina-monster.

Different Voidcrafts could be a third optional AP unrelated to the other two perks except for being requirements.

 

[Felfox]

For those concerned, the new ships should be optional and probably be more of a playstyle change. I like the idea of a species that has mastered biology with surplus food and turning conquered races into food using that surplus to make living ships. On the other hand I also like the idea of a genetically perfect race using their gene therapy to make themselves so efficency that their resources are perfectly fit to keep making regular metal ships.

Then again, just give me a borg cube and I'll agree to anything else you say heh.

 

[Dementor4]

I hope I don't end up with bioships going down the bio path. Just because I can grow a liver in a petri dish doesn't mean I want to cruise along in a Hans Geiger vagina-monster.

I don't imagine they would be compulsory. Your existing ships wouldn't morph into Lovecraftian Horrors all of a sudden, you'd probably gain access to research allowing you to create new ship types and you would slowly replace your ships with the new ones... or not, in your case.

Even though I like your enthusiasm and idea's, there are some proper flaws in your logic. Also in game design terms... some are not that elogant.

Though you are right that full robotics would allow for full interface with a ship, and 'the mind' would occupy the ship as it being its body, the same would go up for living ships. A sentient ship has by definition full control over its body, and would not have any disadvantage or advantage over a sentient AI controlling a ship.
Also genetics on that level would allow for full symbiosis with a pilot.

Bioships wouldn't necessarily be sentient. I figured they'd have a crew and somewhat traditional controls. They'd have a "brain" only to the extent that a regular ship has a computer.

Now for the psicraft part...it is only practical for smaller aircraft, and even then...
Weapons that bypass shields, and therefor bypass the craft? What happens to the hapless fella piloting the thing, does the disruptor beam just pass straight through him too?

For point one, I don't see any reason a crew of telepaths couldn't combine their talents to create a battleship-sized psicraft, with different systems created by officers according to their role and rank, with the captain coordinating the whole enterprise.

And to point two, I expect weapons that bypass shields entirely would have no effect on psicraft with the explanation being that ship-to-ship weapons don't have the necessary accuracy to strike targets as small as individual humanoids.

 

[Darustet]

Having different shiptypes tied to ascension paths makes sense thematically, but I doubt that Paradox is going to put too much focus on ascension paths later on, since new shiptypes/titans/modules/specialized weapons (e.g. AoE, EMP) etc. can fill a DLC or an expansion of their own and different expansions need to be able to work independently from each other.

Still, I love bioships and hope to get the others too! Researching unique ship types would spice up the warfare and help individual navies stand out. Building giant pyramids with guns that projects happiness and lowers ethics divergency in any system it's passing through would be a dream come true for my necron influenced f. spiritualist. Or an eldar type massive flying city w/ dreadnought worth of firepower, that is actually a moving habitat with pops, would be equally awesome for science oriented races.

(also workable carries!)

 

[Milten]

Balance issues aside it does sound interesting, but with one month before release it's simply irrelevant, there is no time for that anymore. According to Stellaris team strategy, Ascension paths are going to be out of focus until other parts of the game look good enough.
Modding is always at your disposal though.

 

[ThatRabidPotato]

Whenever people start talking about Bioships, I think of the Yuuzhan Vong.

While I don't like how they were implemented in the Star Wars universe, I think their model of biotech is perfect for the Biological ascenscion path and can be the logical end goal of it- a society where all mechanical tech is replaced by biological tech.

 

[Cipher3]

Ultimately, I feel like it probably deserves its own DLC and shouldn't just be tacked onto the Biological Ascension route.

This makes a lot of sense, especially when you realize the amount of effort required for unique ship designs - Paradox has always maintained there was a lot of modelling involved with Plantoids, which is what justified the price when many complained - it's one thing to release a new face pack, another to make a whole new set of ship models of all sizes in a completely unique and high-quality style.

 

[Drakonn]

I'm of two minds on this.

On the one hand, biotech is kinda fun. On the other hand, I appreciate that Stellaris does have its own identity, and a lack of biotech outside of one of the Crises appears to be part of that identity and I can respect that.

Ultimately, I feel like it probably deserves its own DLC and shouldn't just be tacked onto the Biological Ascension route.

For those concerned, the new ships should be optional and probably be more of a playstyle change. I like the idea of a species that has mastered biology with surplus food and turning conquered races into food using that surplus to make living ships. On the other hand I also like the idea of a genetically perfect race using their gene therapy to make themselves so efficency that their resources are perfectly fit to keep making regular metal ships.

Then again, just give me a borg cube and I'll agree to anything else you say heh.

Agreed that if the devs go down biotech more it should be something more than Biological Ascension. I like the way the devs are putting Biological Ascension towards mastering genetics as opposed to fully organic ships and what nots.

 

[Sinister2202]

I hope I don't end up with bioships going down the bio path. Just because I can grow a liver in a petri dish doesn't mean I want to cruise along in a Hans Geiger vagina-monster.

It can always be one of those ship modules. (like spinal bow, torpedo module...etc) Biomodules should have tough flesh like the prethoryn but vulnerable to energy weapons and no shielding capabilities. It would be awesome if you can mix and match - hybrid part mechanical part flesh.

It would also be awesome if each ascension paths gave unique and powerful ship mods. Psi for psi shield, bio for (even better) regenerative hull tissue or an even more powerful plasma cannon, synthetics for drone module that does both bombing and dog fighting (better than fully upgraded fighters and bombers).

 

[zukodark]

I think each path should at least get one unique type of ship part:
Biological armor or upgraded regenerative hull tissue for bio.
Psi shields or cannons for psi.
Upgraded combat computer for synthetic.

I think unique ship designs is too much to ask.

 

[alteration]

200% we are not going to get this, I feel like Bio and Synth paths lack of unique gameplay mechanics, instead the Psy path is very unique. Probably the modders will do something about that

 

[Felfox]

200% we are not going to get this, I feel like Bio and Synth paths lack of unique gameplay mechanics, instead the Psy path is very unique. Probably the modders will do something about that

You're probably right but seeing as ships are more of a warfare change (even if the ships in question would be tied to the ascension paths) There is still hope that upon changing or adding to the warfare system down the road, we might see new abilities or ship types.