Haven't played since around Nemesis, so a little over a year ago. How has the game shaped up with patches over the past year? are you enjoying where it's at going into Overlord?
State of the game currently?
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My thoughts:
Please don't take this as me denigrating the hard work the devs have put in over the past year, especially when things like the first contact system have revamped outdated systems; it just means the basic game structure hasn't changed, and the consistent challenges the game's development has faced (snowballing, AI, performance) remain to a greater or lesser extent. As for the upcoming expansion, I think it will once again clean up an old and cluttered system, but it won't reinvent the game.
- In case you left before the change, Nemesis brought with it a First Contact rework that was very needed (First Contact now runs off envoys and basically like the archaeology system). This really helps clean up a dated part of the early game.
- The intel and espionage system tends towards the underwhelming. Stellaris has not escaped the 4x espionage trap, where it's either too weak to be satisfying to use or too powerful for being on the receiving end to be fun.
- Meanwhile, the admin cap system has been removed in favor of something much more like the old tech / unity scaling. This means some level of sprawl for an empire is basically inevitable, which helps tamp down some amount of the snowball. With that said, administrators are now just another unity source, which is less good, and some people dislike that empire sprawl is unavoidable. Probably good in the long run, but some friction in the short term.
- More generally, there were some performance improvements that seem to have been lost in the most recent patch, so it's about a wash in total. The AI seems to be more competitive later in the game, but by mid-game a player comfortable with the game can still get a solid lead.
Please don't take this as me denigrating the hard work the devs have put in over the past year, especially when things like the first contact system have revamped outdated systems; it just means the basic game structure hasn't changed, and the consistent challenges the game's development has faced (snowballing, AI, performance) remain to a greater or lesser extent. As for the upcoming expansion, I think it will once again clean up an old and cluttered system, but it won't reinvent the game.
- 9
+ Best it's been since 2.0 broke a bunch of stuff.
+ Faster play, smarter AIs, more features actually work.
+ UX is steadily improving.
- Still nothing to build except war.
- AI is smarter but not actually smart.
- Meta seems largely solved and static.
- UX is still pretty awful.
The state of Stellaris is unfortunately Texas.
- 3
- 2
Well the AI is better, not exactly a huge challenge if you're an experienced player, but most of their economies won't crumble and once in a while they can even surprise you in a war. They're actually really strong if you play on the highest difficulty, so you may want to try a lower one, at least until you get your bearings again.
There's been a huge unity rework that came with an empire sprawl (empire size now) rework as well, which makes unity valuable and playing tall more viable. It's not as powerful as playing wide (though there's a debate to be had as to whether it should ever be), but it's a lot more fun now in my opinion. The rework itself is still not even "complete," as the devs stated they have more plans for it.
As for the DLCs, minor content added to Necroids (you can revive bubbles and a few other leviathans), lots of content given to humanoids and plantoids, and a new aquatics species pack that's pretty cool (also they have a trailer with a catchy space shanty if you want to see it).
Important mechanics have been overhauled and you'll have to relearn a large part of the game again, as is tradition. But once you do that, you'll find that the game is overall much better than it had been since Nemesis came out. You'll probably enjoy yourself seeing the new things that came up since you left.
There's been a huge unity rework that came with an empire sprawl (empire size now) rework as well, which makes unity valuable and playing tall more viable. It's not as powerful as playing wide (though there's a debate to be had as to whether it should ever be), but it's a lot more fun now in my opinion. The rework itself is still not even "complete," as the devs stated they have more plans for it.
As for the DLCs, minor content added to Necroids (you can revive bubbles and a few other leviathans), lots of content given to humanoids and plantoids, and a new aquatics species pack that's pretty cool (also they have a trailer with a catchy space shanty if you want to see it).
Important mechanics have been overhauled and you'll have to relearn a large part of the game again, as is tradition. But once you do that, you'll find that the game is overall much better than it had been since Nemesis came out. You'll probably enjoy yourself seeing the new things that came up since you left.
- 3
What would be great is the ability to pin things of interest, so you can quick find them.
Control groups work for most things you can select.
It even worked on enemy fleets and planets for a while, but that was cut.
Yeah but it's not as good as CK's method of pinning people of interest into your outliner
It’s the best it’s been for two years since I’ve been here. In my opinion anyway.
- 2
- 1
New expansions always get people playing again, like me! Performance isn't great, AI isn't bad, it's not great, watched the unbidden not move for years, didn't complain as it gave me time to refit and deploy. It's the best game in this genre though, depth/replay ability and so many systems inter operating well when the amount of them should make it a mess. Galactic market is broken and removes the need to seize strategic resources which should always be a factor.
Overall it's an 8.5/10 for me as it currently is, and a must buy for any RTS/4X gamer.
- 3
While I still play the game, its fun the first half when you are expanding but hits that wall of morass that there never seems to be solution for.
Stellaris a game of great ideas with far too much hindered by poor execution or implementation
Damn it. I get on the nit pick train and its so hard to get off... CHOO CHOO
Stellaris a game of great ideas with far too much hindered by poor execution or implementation
- AI has improved, they can almost consistently develop their planets
- capable of keeping up in the tech race
- far too many refineries and commercial zones
- seems locked into never using holo theaters type buildings for amenities but instead commercial zones
- Can't quite seem to keep their fleets together, either they do or they don't and there doesn't seem to be an in between
- seems to be one or two conditions which crater an AI empire permanently
- Some AI empire types delete all housing, might just be the Khan
- Economy is still a mess
- I am not sure if there is more than two empire types that can survive without the market until late game when it doesn't matter
- UI still needs a lot of work
- no means to locate specific resources
- cannot use it to find mega structures you own or don't own
- some notifications don't take you to the event location; the green megastructure notification is one
- Sectors still suck
- Removing any means to effectively manage sprawl is the antithesis of a 4x game
- However they do have this nice new shiny DLC you can buy to remedy a lot of that - GO FIGURE
- Traditions, Civics, Ethics, Technologies, Ascension Perks, and edicts, all need to be adjusted to work in the new system but they weren't.
- Seriously they did a last minute hack of setting base empire size penalty threshold to 100!
- District cost is still 1 per district instead of .5 and they have been shown that more than once
- If you are going to change something then put in the effort to change it RIGHT
- Got to love a new system where you empire starts with edict cost penalties day one and never can remedy it
- Diplomacy is still bollocks
- seriously there are still choices the AI is always going to refuse, trading systems is one
- no means to trade intel on a related foe
- no means to get them to break agreements with others
- do I need to go on ? Diplomacy in this game is dreadfully boring
- total war empires still have stupid advantages in taking over another empire
- AI won't settle a war with you if its fighting another unless it hits exhaustion
- allies who cannot affect the wars can still prevent you from achieving goals (they magically protect their ally home system)
- Espionage was dead on delivery
- twenty plus year old Master of Orion games had better espionage
- missions to expensive to use early on
- intel gathering takes too long
- by the time its remotely useful you don't need it
- Being the crisis was fun once
- Fleet composition is still the same
- Wars tend to be rabbit hunts at times where you have to go find that one enemy fleet that magically is looping around the galaxy yo get you.
- travel time of fleets is excessive which is fun in the face of instant transfers of leaders and resources
- Pirates - can we just be done with this unfinished system?
- L-Gates needs another violent option other than Grey Tempest
- Seriously, am I the only one who wants to meet them than the other alternatives ?
- Game is still very pretty
Damn it. I get on the nit pick train and its so hard to get off... CHOO CHOO
- 6
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- 1
The game has improved a lot since a year ago. The custodial dev team has cleaned up a lot of glaring bugs like the crissis not doing anything as a example. I have definitely noticed positive improvement over the past 9 months.
- 1
I'm quite enjoying semi challenging but immersive games. Game feels in a fairly decent state to me atm but im not a sweaty minmaxer tbf.
- 1
Heavily depends on your expectation.
I am enjoying it. Although I am definitly a more chill player, and not one to metagame hardest possible. The Custodians did good. Especially perf got better (or rather, more consistent, the slowdown late game isn't as bad). I'd disagree with the "Espionage ded on arrival", because it is a nice diversion and imho the MOO3 comparison is bad, because that system was designed to allow you to win the game by espionage, which the Stellaris system isn't, same for diplomacy (no diplo victory), no economic victory, this isn't Alpha Centauri. But if you expect Alpha Centauri IN SPESS, you'll be dissapointed.
But yeah, according to some, the game was bad, is bad and will never get better because the it isn't exactly how they want it. But they have 1000+ hours in game. I'll leave you to fishing out the ulterior motives.
- 3
The AI is a LOT better and the game runs much, much faster. The modding community has a lot of great stuff in it, too, but I've been playing it vanilla lately. The latest change was to unity and it was a very healthy direction that has made the early and mid-games far more interesting to me, just by way of how these systems all interact.
- 1
i’ve been playing the game more than ever. it’s good, and if the ai fleet update comes in the next patch and is good, i’d have very little to complain about.
- 1
Basically all of this except sprawl. (sprawl possibly should be hidden like it was prior to 2.0?)
And all of this.
The new changes to the pop growth system also feel a bit ham-fisted. They fixed one problem to create new ones, like Eucanopoli and Ring Worlds now being almost impossible to fill, and it makes pop-micro even worse
That said, this is the first time I would say that the game is as good as it was in 1.9
- 2
I am also no minmaxer, i mostly rp along my plays. The game is in the best state since 2.0 and of course better since 2.2.
The worst things are ironed out. Performance got better, the economic AI can do really well depending on your skillevel. The military AI will be patched with the next update, if its on the level as the AI update things will get even more interesting.
The dev-team really took the right path with the custodians, it was just a bit to late in my eyes. I am stil looking forward for the future of this game, the last year was very positive in my eyes.
The worst things are ironed out. Performance got better, the economic AI can do really well depending on your skillevel. The military AI will be patched with the next update, if its on the level as the AI update things will get even more interesting.
The dev-team really took the right path with the custodians, it was just a bit to late in my eyes. I am stil looking forward for the future of this game, the last year was very positive in my eyes.
- 3
- 2
We're close at least. 1.x had rebellions which made conquest and blobbing more difficult to manage; 3.3 still makes conquest a bit too easy.
To me at least, 3.3 is the first version since 1.9 which is literally playable -- as in, playing through vanilla right to the crisis is worthwhile, the AIs don't commit economic suicide, the Awakened Empires actually attack, the 1x Crisis can win battles, etc.
Yeah. I don't want to downplay the existing problems -- because there are a lot, and they are significant -- but the recent direction is very positive.
The game is currently the best it's been since the 2.0 changes.
- 1
This is only true if you expect to fill several rings and ecus at once.
It's still casually easy to start remnants and have 150 pops working on your cap at 2300.
- 1