Let’s not mince words: the warscore system (especially the cap to 100) is one of the biggest obstacles to enjoy Stellaris late game.
To the point that for me, finishing a game becomes a hassle, especially on larger maps (when you have 1000 stars, by the in game year 2500 you know you will win with mathematical precision, but the objective could drag itself for at least a millennium in real time). Don’t misunderstand: I find Stellaris a very good game (it was since SOASE that I didn’t grabbed a space RPG, and I’m damn glad I pre order it).
And I even understand (‘till a certain point) why a similar system has been hard coded in Stellaris: to protect and preserve a faction, so that no empire can glob down another with a single war. Realist or not, I care little to discuss it here, but without a doubt the system it’s too in place to save our collective necks should things go south, and the same should be valid for IA controlled factions.
In short, it’s add a bonus and a malus to the game mechanics at the same time: no reason to change it at all cost.
Still, I think it should be possible to tweaks some aspects to make everything a little more… enjoyable.
Warscore: let’s say the 100 cap stay.
But, with the next patch incoming, I hope we can have new victory conditions to alleviate the late game bleakness.
Idea from the top of my hat: let’s scatter 12 McGguffin in every map (or a proportional X number based on the number of stars, 12 to 1000, 9 to 800 and so on).
- They must be found, researched (you need a maxed out scientist to do so) and be inside your borders to count (not a vassal: your own, otherwise, is the vassal who “owns” it).
- After researching a McGuffing, you must defeat a monstrous guardian of some kind (or the McGuffing itself): I’m thinking something that has Leviathans like dogs have fleas, with no particular weakness to weapon types. So, it would require a big investment in naval fleets.
- If you fail to defeat a guardian in a single battle, you have to research the McGuffin again (it goes back in “sleep mode”, instead of “armed”).
- Once armed, the position of the McGuffin is notified to all factions in the galaxy, while the owner is informed by its own of the nearest McGuffin to find (so you must choose between defending the one you already have or rush to the next one).
- If you control at the same time all the McGuffin, you win.
And if you want to do things with style you could put stick them together with the precursors lore of the game. It wouldn’t be an “easiest” way to win, but I think it would be more fun and enjoyable.
Feel free to suggest ideas for alternative victory conditions.
Vassalization:
I would like to see this system tweaked a little: it’s strange, after all, to see a smaller empire to own another twice its size, all in the name of victory. So, vassalization, imho, should be possible only between two empires with the same number of inhabited planets (or less for the soon to be vassal). The bigger you are, the bigger your reach should be: which brings me to the last point.
Integration:
Personally, I feel like the game is peeing in my ear without the common courtesy of calling it rain, when I see >200 years of estimated time of integration. Or 500. Or 2000.
I mean, why bother at this point?
One way to make things better, (I hope), could be the following: let’s make integration a diplomatic only option.
- It would mean you have to show you care about your subject before they even consider it (so a positive relationship bonus is mandatory.)
- The better relationship you have with your vassal, the fastest it should be completed (multiplicative bonus, not additive: if two empires are in good relationships, and the subservient acknowledge the superiority of the other, they should be happy to join, not angry: even so, unity of borders doesn’t mean cultural “flattening”, so splinter groups should remain a possibility).
- If you are a xenophile empire, you should receive a bonus to the time needed to complete it, and a malus if you are xenophobe (let’s forget about war philosophies and ethos here, otherwise it becomes overcomplicated to balance: a simple evaluation based on net reputation value).
- Same as above if you have completed the research: xeno integration, or at least, showing the soon to be citizens of your empire you grant them the same rights of the others, should grant a positive bonus to the Estimated Time of Integration.
- To make Integration a viable possibility, I think the time needed should be lowered. A lot. Not the cost, which I’m good with, but the ETI should be calculated on planets. Not pops (certainly not single POP: tens at the same time, rounded to the nearest highest full number, maybe?).
In the end, the ETI should be calculated somehow like that:
ETI in years= (Tens of Pops)/ (Net Reputation Value + Xenophile – Xenophobe)
Rounded to the next round number.
This, imo, would make a lot more sense and integration a viable option late game.
Thank you for reading and sorry for the wall of text.
To the point that for me, finishing a game becomes a hassle, especially on larger maps (when you have 1000 stars, by the in game year 2500 you know you will win with mathematical precision, but the objective could drag itself for at least a millennium in real time). Don’t misunderstand: I find Stellaris a very good game (it was since SOASE that I didn’t grabbed a space RPG, and I’m damn glad I pre order it).
And I even understand (‘till a certain point) why a similar system has been hard coded in Stellaris: to protect and preserve a faction, so that no empire can glob down another with a single war. Realist or not, I care little to discuss it here, but without a doubt the system it’s too in place to save our collective necks should things go south, and the same should be valid for IA controlled factions.
In short, it’s add a bonus and a malus to the game mechanics at the same time: no reason to change it at all cost.
Still, I think it should be possible to tweaks some aspects to make everything a little more… enjoyable.
Warscore: let’s say the 100 cap stay.
But, with the next patch incoming, I hope we can have new victory conditions to alleviate the late game bleakness.
Idea from the top of my hat: let’s scatter 12 McGguffin in every map (or a proportional X number based on the number of stars, 12 to 1000, 9 to 800 and so on).
- They must be found, researched (you need a maxed out scientist to do so) and be inside your borders to count (not a vassal: your own, otherwise, is the vassal who “owns” it).
- After researching a McGuffing, you must defeat a monstrous guardian of some kind (or the McGuffing itself): I’m thinking something that has Leviathans like dogs have fleas, with no particular weakness to weapon types. So, it would require a big investment in naval fleets.
- If you fail to defeat a guardian in a single battle, you have to research the McGuffin again (it goes back in “sleep mode”, instead of “armed”).
- Once armed, the position of the McGuffin is notified to all factions in the galaxy, while the owner is informed by its own of the nearest McGuffin to find (so you must choose between defending the one you already have or rush to the next one).
- If you control at the same time all the McGuffin, you win.
And if you want to do things with style you could put stick them together with the precursors lore of the game. It wouldn’t be an “easiest” way to win, but I think it would be more fun and enjoyable.
Feel free to suggest ideas for alternative victory conditions.
Vassalization:
I would like to see this system tweaked a little: it’s strange, after all, to see a smaller empire to own another twice its size, all in the name of victory. So, vassalization, imho, should be possible only between two empires with the same number of inhabited planets (or less for the soon to be vassal). The bigger you are, the bigger your reach should be: which brings me to the last point.
Integration:
Personally, I feel like the game is peeing in my ear without the common courtesy of calling it rain, when I see >200 years of estimated time of integration. Or 500. Or 2000.
I mean, why bother at this point?
One way to make things better, (I hope), could be the following: let’s make integration a diplomatic only option.
- It would mean you have to show you care about your subject before they even consider it (so a positive relationship bonus is mandatory.)
- The better relationship you have with your vassal, the fastest it should be completed (multiplicative bonus, not additive: if two empires are in good relationships, and the subservient acknowledge the superiority of the other, they should be happy to join, not angry: even so, unity of borders doesn’t mean cultural “flattening”, so splinter groups should remain a possibility).
- If you are a xenophile empire, you should receive a bonus to the time needed to complete it, and a malus if you are xenophobe (let’s forget about war philosophies and ethos here, otherwise it becomes overcomplicated to balance: a simple evaluation based on net reputation value).
- Same as above if you have completed the research: xeno integration, or at least, showing the soon to be citizens of your empire you grant them the same rights of the others, should grant a positive bonus to the Estimated Time of Integration.
- To make Integration a viable possibility, I think the time needed should be lowered. A lot. Not the cost, which I’m good with, but the ETI should be calculated on planets. Not pops (certainly not single POP: tens at the same time, rounded to the nearest highest full number, maybe?).
In the end, the ETI should be calculated somehow like that:
ETI in years= (Tens of Pops)/ (Net Reputation Value + Xenophile – Xenophobe)
Rounded to the next round number.
This, imo, would make a lot more sense and integration a viable option late game.
Thank you for reading and sorry for the wall of text.
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