STELLARIS: New Paradox Game in SPAAAACE

[The Brain]

In the supreme contest between civilizations the State must sometimes lend a close hand. You cannot expect the market to put the nukes exactly where you want them.

[jimmy olsen]

Sounds balls to the wall awesome.

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/dev-diary-8-the-situation-log-and-special-projects.890612/

[garbon]

That might be a bit of over-exuberance. Sounds like a standard questing system.

[The Brain]

That might be a bit of over-exuberance. Sounds like a standard questing system.

Collect 10 murloc heads. Drop rate: 10%.

[Tonitrus]

That might be a bit of over-exuberance. Sounds like a standard questing system.

Maybe.  I fear that it may be really cool stuff, that gets really boring/tedious after colonizing planet #47.

[garbon]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. Sort of like the questing in the El Dorado expansion for EU4. Fun at first but then rapidly becomes tedious. We'll see, hopefully I'm wrong.

[Eddie Teach]

I agree. Building buildings was always the most tiresome part of Paradox games.

Fighting rebels, by far.

[jimmy olsen]

Squee!

https://youtu.be/uRp7T5irXTQ

[jimmy olsen]

Looks so fucking good.

I hope if a planet you're observing covertly goes nuclear, you get the choice to shoot down the ICBMs.

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/stellaris-dev-diary-13-primitive-civilizations.897491/

Excerpt from lecture on Pre-Space Sentients by Professor Xirg Ta'Nolek
Royal Science Academy, Nishga VI
Galactic Stardate 394.41 (Post-Upheaval Reckoning)

<recording starts>

Settle down, class. Ah, as I look around the lecture hall and gaze upon your youthful visages, I am reminded of a younger, larval-stage me. Let's hope you lot have more brains than I did back then!

Today we'll be going over civilizations that have yet to develop the technology necessary for space travel. Such primitive civilizations fall into one of two broad categories - Pre-Industrial and Industrial. These categories have a number of subcategories, such as Bronze Age and Post-Atomic Age, that help us more clearly define a primitive civilization's level of technological progress.

A spacefaring empire that has discovered a primitive civilization can deal with such a scenario in a number of different ways. The first way is the most straightforward, and the one typically favored by aggressive, expansionist empires. Can anyone guess what it is? Yes, Miss Choggrah-Zu?

Just so - outright conquest! As you can imagine, primitive civilizations have few means to resist a technologically advanced invader. Industrial and especially post-atomic civilizations can prove harder nuts to crack, but their weapons are still markedly inferior to those of a typical spacefaring culture. The big prize of such an invasion is the planet itself, of course, but the primitives are also a source of cheap labor once enslaved.

Now, there are many in the galaxy who frown upon such behavior. Let's not pretend otherwise!
Whether due to a noble but misguided instinct to 'shield' primitive sentients from the horrors of the universe, like a Jaktagarian brood mother protecting her young, or for more sinister research purposes, many empires prefer the construction of hidden Observation Posts in high orbit over primitive worlds. This allows for the safe study of the primitives and their society, which can be quite a boon to an empire's research efforts in the field of Society.



The Neborite civilization of the Kahalajom system. They destroyed themselves shortly after entering the Atomic Age a few decades after this picture was taken.

Observation Posts typically have four exclusive missions that can be undertaken. I will now go over each of them in turn, so please take notes. This WILL be on the exam.

Passive Observation
Certain studies have shown that interfering with the natural development of a primitive civilization can have... detrimental effects. The scientific staff of an Observation Post operating under the Passive Observation mission will make every effort to conceal their presence from the primitives. The primary directive of the scientists is to safeguard the natives from any cultural or technological contamination, while studying them in secret.

Aggressive Observation
My own species was subjected to this one a long time ago, when we were still in our technological infancy. Yes, Mr. Igir-Zat, I can see your plumage rustling nervously over there in the back row. Don't think we've forgotten what your kind did! At any rate, the Aggressive Observation mission calls for regular abductions from among the primitive population. The objective is typically to acquire genetic samples and to surgically attach implants on promising test subjects, among other naughty things. This provides more research data than what a more passive approach would, but it also tends to rile up the primitives a bit. Isn't that so, Mr. Igir-Zat?

Technological Enlightenment
There are some who just can't stand the sight of a primitive civilization wallowing in their muck. For whatever reason, they decide to bring the primitives up to the level of technology a spacefaring empire enjoys. This can be a monumental effort, of course, especially if the primitives are... well, especially primitive. It will require a significant investment of time, patience and Society research. Once the primitives have achieved space flight however, they will be turned into a Protectorate of their benefactors.

Covert Infiltration
This is an interesting one. Essentially, agents that have been surgically altered to resemble individuals from a primitive species are sent to infiltrate their society. Political and military leaders are gradually replaced, until a point is reached where the primitives can be made to willingly accept an offer of annexation. This spares the need of a messy ground invasion, but more importantly, the primitives will be more positively inclined towards their new overlords, since they are living under the illusion that they accepted their rule willingly.



An Observation Post in high orbit over the serene ocean world Lancord. Subspace modulation fields hides it from ground-based telescopes and primitive detection systems like radar.

Well, well... Mr. Zeq-Zeq! How nice of you to finally join us. Unfortunately for you, this lecture is just about to end. No, Mr. Zeq-Zeq, I don't want to hear it! Save your excuses. For your sake, I hope that you will arrive on time for next week's lecture, which will cover the uplifting of pre-sentient beings and how mutation and self-alteration can create new subspecies.

Class is dismissed.

<recording ends>

https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?threads/stellaris-dev-diary-14-uplifting-and-subspecies.898648/

Excerpt from lecture on Uplifting and Genetic Self-Improvement by Professor Xirg Ta'Nolek
Royal Science Academy, Nishga VI
Galactic Stardate 394.48 (Post-Upheaval Reckoning)
3 hours before unconditional surrender of planetary authorities

<recording starts>

Excellent. I'm glad so many of you could make it, given the present conditions. Especially you, Mr. Zeq-Zeq! Please, don't let the sound of the orbital bombardment distract you.

Now then, let us begin! First I will be talking about the uplifting and genetic manipulation of pre-sentients.

While surveying planets, explorers will sometimes come across a pre-sentient species that shows particular promise. These are beings who would likely evolve some manner of intelligence on their own if they were left alone for a few million years... but that is a long time to wait. Many spacefaring empires instead take it upon themselves to accelerate this process, turning the pre-sentients into productive galactic citizens within the span of just a few years.

In addition to the gift of sentience, the uplifted species is often bestowed with new genetic traits as well, to better suit whatever purpose their benefactors might have in mind for them. Perhaps they are looking for a hardy species to serve as shock troops in their ground armies, or industrious workers that are skilled at mineral extraction. Uplifted species are also frequently used as colonists, to settle worlds with climates that are unsuitable to an empire's dominant species.



After successfully rebelling against their masters, the uplifted Hulfir would eventually go on to establish a twelve-system interstellar empire.

Let us not forget the tragic example of the Shigarans, who were used to...

<recording ends abruptly, and is resumed 43 minutes later>

...there, I think power has been restored. Don't worry, that was only a near-hit. How I can know that? Miss Zuka, if it hadn't been, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Will someone please check on Mr. Zeq-Zeq? I saw him take a nasty blow on his pileus when the roof collapsed.

In the meantime, I believe the smoke has cleared enough for me to resume the lecture.

When an empire has reached a certain level of technology, they will have unlocked the tools necessary to modify the genetic code of their citizens. Whether or not they choose to make use of those tools, their citizens sometimes take it upon themselves to do so - especially if they find themselves in an adverse environment. There are several recorded instances of colonists modifying themselves to better cope with a planetary climate that is too cold or too hot, or any number of other things that their frail organic bodies weren't designed to handle.

Focus, Miss Zuka! Ignore the flashes - what you are seeing is just tracer fire from the local garrison. Nothing to be afraid of.

Now, the changes introduced by the colonists into their genetic code may eventually be of such magnitude that they have essentially mutated into what must be considered a new subspecies. From experience, I can tell you that once you have modified yourself and your family to better deal with the cold, it can be very tempting to also increase your strength, or your fertility, or whatever else you think will give you and your kin an edge in a cold and uncaring galaxy.

No, you may not be excused, Mr. Kolosch! Sit down!



The birth of the Post-Cynn. Their failed attempt to eradicate their parent species would leave billions dead in a conflict that lasted almost two decades.

A new subspecies that is stronger and more formidable than their parent species may eventually come to see themselves as... superior. Why should they bow down to their lessers? Meanwhile, the unmodified members of the parent species often come to regard a subspecies with jealousy and suspicion. Fear of that which is different has been a driving force in the creation of conflicts since the dawn of this galaxy, and the creation of a subspecies can often be followed by civil strife and unrest.

The fighting appears to be drawing closer, so I'm afraid we'll have to cut this lecture a little short. Many of you will be leaving shortly in an attempt to break the orbital blockade so that you can celebrate Khartaz-Ya with your loved ones. I wish you good fortune, and since there will be no lecture next week in light of the holidays, I hope to see those of you who survive in two weeks time.

Oh! That was a close one. I believe the shockwave will hit us soon. As my old mentor, Professor Kalabux, used to say, "Ji ka vixa, zu na...!"

<recording ends abruptly and does not resume>

[Richard Hakluyt]

They seem to be on the right track to make a great game 

Though there is always the risk of "spreadsheets in space", I hope the story type elements are powerful enough to make the universe seem alive.

[Grallon]

When is this coming out already!?!  Take my money Paradox.



G. 

[crazy canuck]

They seem to be on the right track to make a great game 

Yeah, I am really looking forward to this.

[KRonn]

Very much looking forward to this game!

[Jaron]

We want it now!

[Norgy]

Really? Now?
When you know space will be full of Swedish special events?
Gain +5 tax base in Alpha Centauri, get 6/6/6 general for free.