So what are we all using as a reference to set our Stellaris expectations?

[ConcermedCanuck]

While we wait in agony wishing we'd started our YouTube gaming channels years ago, I'm wondering what games everyone is using as a reference going into Stellaris?

Personally I've got a ton of enjoyment out of the RTS Sins of a Solar Empire, which I find gets ship combat exactly right for me (mmmm, Titan ships!).. but of course it doesn't come close to Paradox at all the high level political straegy, so I was dreaming of Stellaris being the best of both worlds.

Anyone else have any reference games that set your expectations for best in class, either from the RTS or 4x turn-based genres?

And if anyone says Gal Civ 3, I'm coming to your house and ending your miserable excuse for existing. :-D

 

[Quickslow87]

I enjoyed Birth of the Federation a lot as well as Gal Civ 1. I haven't really played any other space 4x games.

 

[DàbiànLājīdàrén]

I will enjoy watching people's expectations crash and burn when they realize Stellaris is just a game and not the second coming of Christ.

 

[Eldorian]

I will enjoy watching people's expectations crash and burn when they realize Stellaris is just a game and not the second coming of Christ.

You shut your dirty mouth!

 

[Ziffallo]

I will enjoy watching people's expectations crash and burn when they realize Stellaris is just a game and not the second coming of Christ.

Wh....wh....what!!?!!?

 

[ParagonExile]

I'm comparing it to Distant Worlds: Universe.

It's the only game I know of that is similar.

 

[LordMM]

Distant Worlds Universe , when every other space game used the MOO system and failed to be creative in their approach Distant Worlds did things completely differently.
It will be interesting to see how Stellaris compares to Distant Worlds..

 

[LastLeviathan]

Played many 4Xs, Sins, Civ 5 but nothing has ever captured the cinematic experience of space battles like Star Wars Empire at War, of who's space combat was legendary. (Especially with mods) It is an RTS, bu still set a certain precedent for me.

 

[Oriflamme]

Nothing really. Honestly, I haven't paid much attention to Stellaris' development. Maybe that's why I consistently enjoy games more than some of my friends who get hyped up for months before a game comes out, only to find out that no game could possibly live up to their expectations.

 

[DàbiànLājīdàrén]

Honestly the only game I've played that looks even remotely similar is Sins of a Solar Empire.

 

[Exemplar Voss]

While we wait in agony wishing we'd started our YouTube gaming channels years ago

No?

I'm wondering what games everyone is using as a reference going into Stellaris?

EU IV. If they took too many cues from the last 20 years of 4x Space games, we're in for utter disappointment.

 

[Ariphaos]

EU4, personally.

I want to mod a starting scenario to the point where I can simulate a thousand years of vibrant sci-fi history for my pet setting.

 

[ConcermedCanuck]

@LastLeviathan Ya, you understood exactly what I was referring to... there's something magic that happens when you can watch in realtime a space battle that unfolds like a good sci-fi movie. Sins did that damn well for me (e.g. they even have a 'cinema mode' so you can sit back and watch it), but I'll give Star Wars a look and see if that manages to beat it. ;-)

And for those referring to the second coming of Christ, I'm well informed that Stellaris is going to be like the second AND third comings of Christ, but with extra vanilla ice cream cake.

 

[DàbiànLājīdàrén]

No?

EU IV. If they took too many cues from the last 20 years of 4x Space games, we're in for utter disappointment.

The trading system seems to be a step back from even CiV, where at least there were trade routes.

 

[Exemplar Voss]

The trading system seems to be a step back from even CiV, where at least there were trade routes.

It's true, there are not any trade routes. I'm not sure what the relevance is to EUiv, Space 4x games, or games used as a reference for Stellaris, but there is a lack of trade routes.

I can't really say it bothers me, given the intended scale of the game.

 

[ConcermedCanuck]

BTW, for the record, I looked up @LastLeviathan's recommendation and yep, that's a damn nice way to present a space battle. There's way more tactical management than we need at Stellaris' level, but it'd sure be a sweet way to watch our space battles go down.

P.S. For the Hype-monitors, we're just talking about our references for gaming here, not saying Stellaris must deliver this in two weeks. ;-)

 

[Reinhard von Lohengramm]

From the looks of the game, it is the closest you can get to leading a major coalition in EVE online, without becoming a slave to the game. (BTW, being a slave to EVE online is merely a necessary condition, but not a sufficient condition to have the opportunity to be a coalition leader.)

 

[tangled axile]

Primarily Endless Space and GalCiv 2, for most aspects of the game. The ship designer in particular will clearly have a lot in common. Haven't really played other space 4Xes.

The diplomacy and internal factions I can only really compare to EU; I love Endless Space, but its diplomacy was hilariously buggy as hell. Gotta love when your alliances suddenly go through some bizarre kinda flipping-every-turn loyalty cascade bullshit as the game constantly forgets and changes its mind about who's allied to whom. And when you're at 101% on the diplo victory meter but it doesn't actually give you the win for 10 more turns. Oh, ES.

The anomaly mini-quests obviously invite comparison to Endless Legend's quest system, for me.

On that note, it's always really weird to me when Stellaris promotional stuff touts the science ships as a totally new spin on things? Like... no, it immediately invites comparison to GalCiv's survey ships (i mean, specialized research vessels exploring space and investigating anomalies?), also the GC random events, and of course Endless Legend's quest system. Don't get me wrong, it definitely seems like a more in-depth system than eg GalCiv's, and I'm very excited for it. But it's a refinement of systems that already exist in the genre, not something completely out of the blue.

 

[Eldorian]

I'm comparing it to Distant Worlds only because it seems to be another high budget space 4x that isn't a clone of Civ or MoO

 

[KonradKurze202]

EU4