What kind of spreadsheets do you guys use?

[3rdMusketeer]

So... I don't use spreadsheets when I play Stellaris... I hear all the time about people using them. My question is... What do they use them for?! Would they help me? I can barely make it into the mid-game without getting the compulsion to start over...
I'm weird. But an answer would be greatly appreciated because this has confused me for a bit. Thanks!

 

[Moonshadow101]

This... sounds like something a crazy person would do?

 

[Oscot]

This... sounds like something a crazy person would do?

NOT using spreadsheets when playing grand strategy is insanity. You are double crazy if you both don't use them AND consider the practice mad.

At the bare minimum, spreadsheets are necessary to:

• Keep track of where all your biome-specific pops have the right ethics / are going in the right direction pending Re-Education
• In the early game, keep track of where all the 4-planet systems are that you will eventually use as shipyards
• Keep the population info you get from bombardment of any enemy planets whose "human resources" make them priority targets next war
• Where pre-sentients are for uplift purposes
• Just general RP notes on who stabbed you in the back last session, for imminent retribution

Honestly I don't know how you can even claim to be playing Stellaris in any legitimate capacity if you haven't got Excel open on the second screen.
Plebs and CoDkiddies, I swear...

 

[Chirs]

• Just general RP notes on who stabbed you in the back last session, for imminent retribution

I don't need a spreadsheet to remember not to trust a filthy xeno

On a serious note, I don't use spreadsheets either, but thats because I can usually remember all the things you listed in the back of my head.

Except for where the presentients and primitives are hiding, but since those are listed in my contacts, why bother?

 

[Pyramid_Head]

We welcome fellow spreadsheet enthusiast from RimWorld and Dwarf Fortress.
May autism flow strong in you.

 

[Rubido]

NOT using spreadsheets when playing grand strategy is insanity. You are double crazy if you both don't use them AND consider the practice mad.

At the bare minimum, spreadsheets are necessary to:

• Keep track of where all your biome-specific pops have the right ethics / are going in the right direction pending Re-Education
• In the early game, keep track of where all the 4-planet systems are that you will eventually use as shipyards
• Keep the population info you get from bombardment of any enemy planets whose "human resources" make them priority targets next war
• Where pre-sentients are for uplift purposes
• Just general RP notes on who stabbed you in the back last session, for imminent retribution

Honestly I don't know how you can even claim to be playing Stellaris in any legitimate capacity if you haven't got Excel open on the second screen.
Plebs and CoDkiddies, I swear...

OMG! I am doing it all wrong!!!

 

[ZomgK3tchup]

In the absence of a meaningful way to make notes in-game, I take notes on a document or spreadsheet, depending on the game. It's pretty easy if you have two monitors going on; one monitor has the game while the other has your notes, the forum, the wiki, and probably the work that you should be doing.

 

[Alblaka]

... I feel like people using spreadsheets are vastly overcomplifying the game. It, currently, doesn't take a lot of planning or even strategy to 'win' (aka, do whatever you want).

 

[DarkFenX]

In many games i'm using notepad / spreadsheets / scripts / tools to minmax many things (e.g. calculating optimal routes to wonder X in civ 5, checking when colony stops being research burden compared to empire w/o colony).

In stellaris, I've mostly used this one to minmax fleet stats (not taking ship behavior into account):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...UI573NNoFdC9QzkfsLVn5OuGQI/edit#gid=715470517

 

[safe-keeper]

This... sounds like something a crazy person would do?

Yeah, sometimes I make notes like "remember this or that research come 1942" in a notebook just to remember things in HOI, since it's a complicated game, but a spreadsheet? Nah. I stick to an RP approach when playing Paradox games, thank you very much .

People who can't play PDX games without spreadsheets remind me of those people who can't go on a simple short hike without recording and publishing their route, selfies, 200 photos, calories burned, and all their FitBit stats.

Just enjoy the game already .

 

[DarkFenX]

Munchkins are munchkins (or, minmaxers, myself included), they find it hard to enjoy game without optimizing their play. Doing spreadsheets and theorycrafting is even more fun than playing game itself.

 

[klingonadmiral]

Spreadsheets would make sense *if* Stellaris had any depth.

 

[ZomgK3tchup]

... I feel like people using spreadsheets are vastly overcomplifying the game. It, currently, doesn't take a lot of planning or even strategy to 'win' (aka, do whatever you want).

I can't speak for anyone else, but for most Paradox games, I use Excel for charts to keep track of information, not necessarily for complicated math. I'm certainly not doing multiple regressions for a video game.

 

[Rubido]

Yeah, sometimes I make notes like "remember this or that research come 1942" in a notebook just to remember things in HOI, since it's a complicated game, but a spreadsheet? Nah. I stick to an RP approach when playing Paradox games, thank you very much .

People who can't play PDX games without spreadsheets remind me of those people who can't go on a simple short hike without recording and publishing their route, selfies, 200 photos, calories burned, and all their FitBit stats.

Just enjoy the game already .

I can be wrong, but i think it's about overall games experience. In my early plays (it was years ago) i often took notes. But now it just familiar patterns everywhere. So i think it's OK.

 

[Agamemnic]

If you're not frequently alt-tabbing to a macro-infested spreadsheet then you have failed at Stellaris and life in general. Unwashed casuals.

 

[misterderp]

I don't use spreadsheets. I use a derivative of my savegame analyser so I have a 6 month interval feed of the economic status of my empire (both global and sector/core planet very useful to see at a glance which planet can best use what edict) and ethos distribution. It adds a nice touch/immersion to have have economic reports coming in at regular intervals. Since I only use one monitor to play the game the other can just display this information.

 

[LastLeviathan]

I don't use any. I'm the ruler of the nation not an accountant. Plus, I have a lot less information to deal with than most apparently, since I keep my empire pure from xenos...

 

[Milten]

I prefer custom MatLab scripts personally.
On a serious note, these people are crazy, but they are "normal" "crazy", sort of cosplayers for strategy genre.

 

[Wyrm]

I sometimes play EVE Online. Does that count?

 

[Slarkon]

i use my second screen to re-watch shows ive seen for those slow bits in stellaris.
truthfully i dont see how a spread sheet can help in stellaris because empires seem to change their names at random - not only when they are liberated or vassalised so your info becomes out of date quickly.

The ideal solution would be to build this feature into stellaris. have a button that brings up a static map of stellaris with the option to left click and add a comment (the little red arrow in the top right of an excel box) beside a solar system would allow for note taking without cluttering the main game view?