First of all, great job devs. This is the most fun I have had in stellaris since the start. And that is despite not have wars for nearly 150 years. Also this will be a long read summarising my game so far. First paragraph might be helpful for you though.
So launched up stellaris megacorp. Seeing all the economy changed figured I should first do a fanatic xenophile megacorp thats friends with everyone (using the -100% diplo cost from the diplo tradition). Just to learn the ropes. Also if anyone reading this is struggling with the new economy, I suggest going fanatic xenophile for those reasons. You can avoid wars for basically most of the game.
First ~150 years.
Life is great, had a handfull of economic... errors but for the most part I kept my empire running. This was btw a LOT of fun, despite not having any wars.
By the 100 year mark I became the major galactic economic power though my fleet is still lagging behind till the late 150s. Now being a megacorp I was limited in my empire size somewhat. I did go over the cap and picked the private prospector civic which gives additional admin cap but still.
So I focused on building very powerful trading & manufacturing planets. I built city planets. I built tech planets. And after a near complete disaster, I built some food planets. the ONLY thing I didn't have was minerals. But I couldn't do much about it, due to lack of mineral districts and no way to expand.
So I traded.
And traded.
And traded.
And now minerals are more expensive than food.
And now minerals are more expensive than consumer goods.
And now minerals are more expensive than alloys. (I though I was supposed to not have ENOUGH of these)
And now minerals are more expensive than all the strategic resources except dark matter.
And that is when I realised I needed to change something, unfortunately the only nearby black hole had a ruined science complex on it, so the new galactic wonder wasn't an option.
The Northern Campaign
What do you do if you are running out of money because prices of one of the basic resources is skyrocketing almost exclusively because of your empire's 3 city-planets massive consumption ?
You send most of your fleet (roughly 3/4) up north to request monetary assistance from some khan remnants and weak AIs. 3 wars and subsidiaries later my northern fleet is currently on the opposite edge of the map securing one last subsidiary after having fought every empire & space station from there to home with one exception.
Said exception, a very friendly machine empire, declares war on one of my newly-acquired subsidiary, after vassilising the only empire which I couldn't make a subsidiary of.
Now my northern fleet is stuck in the middle of enemy territory. Fighting TWO enemies at the same time, with no chance of reinforcements. The rest of the fleet also has to quickly be massively upgraded and expanded since I kinda sent 3/4 up there. Long war later and I white peace with one and win a subsidiary.
Ok now its over, mineral income not entirely fixed but better, for now. The northern fleet definitely needs a rest, upgrades and reinforcements. Come back he-
**WAR IN HEAVEN**
...
...
...
oh
shit
W.E.W.T.S.
(aka When Everything Went to Shit.)
Now guess where the two awakened empires are ?
On the far edges of the galaxy ?
Nope, on my literally doorstep. One bordering me to the East, the other North of my first subsidiary to the north with about 4-5 weak empty systems before it hits my border.
Great, guess I'll join the Eastern spiritualist one since its next to my science nexus and has like a humongous fleet. Plus killing robots. Can't trust these soulless constructs.
And now the ENTIRE REST OF THE GALAXY JOINS THE NON-ALIGNED. With the exception of my ex-vassals and awakened empire I am surrounded by enemies on all sides. and since I am at a hyperlane crossroad it's all gonna happen here.
At least my northern fleet is b-.
Nope. They were in "allied territory". and now are stuck on the other side of the galaxy... AGAIN.
Current Status
-My mineral balance is about -600.
-Prices have collapsed on the market for everything except minerals.
-My mineral reserve is 0 (no more districts, armies, or consumer goods).
-SOMEHOW I am still producing about ~70 net alloys (was over 200 before), not sure what they are made out of.
- I am in the middle of the war in heaven, most of the fighting is going on here (only other battlefield is where my northern fleet is)
- Northern fleet is stuck having to destroy the same space stations for the THIRD TIME in the last 30 years of constant combat while not being upgraded or reinforced (luckily I got most of the tech by then though so its all tier 4). Also they have to do this WHILE non-aligned & Northern fallen empire (all enemies) battle it out for supremacy up there.
- Main fleet is bee lining it to literally ANYTHING with a positive mineral income.
- oh and the entire galaxy is on fire. Colossi are just greeting each other while on their way to blow each-other's planets.
-annndd I am considering getting colossi just to blow up all the planets which DON'T have positive mineral incomes for good mining stations.
I would like to remind you at this point that I am a fanatic xenophile mega corp who just wanted to be friends with everyone...
So launched up stellaris megacorp. Seeing all the economy changed figured I should first do a fanatic xenophile megacorp thats friends with everyone (using the -100% diplo cost from the diplo tradition). Just to learn the ropes. Also if anyone reading this is struggling with the new economy, I suggest going fanatic xenophile for those reasons. You can avoid wars for basically most of the game.
First ~150 years.
Life is great, had a handfull of economic... errors but for the most part I kept my empire running. This was btw a LOT of fun, despite not having any wars.
By the 100 year mark I became the major galactic economic power though my fleet is still lagging behind till the late 150s. Now being a megacorp I was limited in my empire size somewhat. I did go over the cap and picked the private prospector civic which gives additional admin cap but still.
So I focused on building very powerful trading & manufacturing planets. I built city planets. I built tech planets. And after a near complete disaster, I built some food planets. the ONLY thing I didn't have was minerals. But I couldn't do much about it, due to lack of mineral districts and no way to expand.
So I traded.
And traded.
And traded.
And now minerals are more expensive than food.
And now minerals are more expensive than consumer goods.
And now minerals are more expensive than alloys. (I though I was supposed to not have ENOUGH of these)
And now minerals are more expensive than all the strategic resources except dark matter.
And that is when I realised I needed to change something, unfortunately the only nearby black hole had a ruined science complex on it, so the new galactic wonder wasn't an option.
The Northern Campaign
What do you do if you are running out of money because prices of one of the basic resources is skyrocketing almost exclusively because of your empire's 3 city-planets massive consumption ?
You send most of your fleet (roughly 3/4) up north to request monetary assistance from some khan remnants and weak AIs. 3 wars and subsidiaries later my northern fleet is currently on the opposite edge of the map securing one last subsidiary after having fought every empire & space station from there to home with one exception.
Said exception, a very friendly machine empire, declares war on one of my newly-acquired subsidiary, after vassilising the only empire which I couldn't make a subsidiary of.
Now my northern fleet is stuck in the middle of enemy territory. Fighting TWO enemies at the same time, with no chance of reinforcements. The rest of the fleet also has to quickly be massively upgraded and expanded since I kinda sent 3/4 up there. Long war later and I white peace with one and win a subsidiary.
Ok now its over, mineral income not entirely fixed but better, for now. The northern fleet definitely needs a rest, upgrades and reinforcements. Come back he-
**WAR IN HEAVEN**
...
...
...
oh
shit
W.E.W.T.S.
(aka When Everything Went to Shit.)
Now guess where the two awakened empires are ?
On the far edges of the galaxy ?
Nope, on my literally doorstep. One bordering me to the East, the other North of my first subsidiary to the north with about 4-5 weak empty systems before it hits my border.
Great, guess I'll join the Eastern spiritualist one since its next to my science nexus and has like a humongous fleet. Plus killing robots. Can't trust these soulless constructs.
And now the ENTIRE REST OF THE GALAXY JOINS THE NON-ALIGNED. With the exception of my ex-vassals and awakened empire I am surrounded by enemies on all sides. and since I am at a hyperlane crossroad it's all gonna happen here.
At least my northern fleet is b-.
Nope. They were in "allied territory". and now are stuck on the other side of the galaxy... AGAIN.
Current Status
-My mineral balance is about -600.
-Prices have collapsed on the market for everything except minerals.
-My mineral reserve is 0 (no more districts, armies, or consumer goods).
-SOMEHOW I am still producing about ~70 net alloys (was over 200 before), not sure what they are made out of.
- I am in the middle of the war in heaven, most of the fighting is going on here (only other battlefield is where my northern fleet is)
- Northern fleet is stuck having to destroy the same space stations for the THIRD TIME in the last 30 years of constant combat while not being upgraded or reinforced (luckily I got most of the tech by then though so its all tier 4). Also they have to do this WHILE non-aligned & Northern fallen empire (all enemies) battle it out for supremacy up there.
- Main fleet is bee lining it to literally ANYTHING with a positive mineral income.
- oh and the entire galaxy is on fire. Colossi are just greeting each other while on their way to blow each-other's planets.
-annndd I am considering getting colossi just to blow up all the planets which DON'T have positive mineral incomes for good mining stations.
I would like to remind you at this point that I am a fanatic xenophile mega corp who just wanted to be friends with everyone...