# Stellaris - 4X/Grand Strategy Hybrid from Paradox **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 14, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001 "2016-03-14T18:59:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/1 "2016-03-14T18:59:52Z")
I’m super excited for this title, any other fans of it, 4X space games, or Paradox titles out there? So what is it, for those who don’t know? A fresh new take on space 4X and Grand Strategy games. The game is deeper than your average 4X, but there’s been considerable effort made to make the game much more accessible than Paradox’s other Grand Strategy titles. The UI looks like something a 4X gamer would be more accustomed to seeing, for one, and the various systems are introduced organically as you play - which is another feature of the game - the systems change and interact in new ways as the game progresses, leading to entirely new types of challenges for you to assail as your empire expands. For example, populations aren’t just little guys you move around your tiles to produce food or money or industry, they have their own ideologies and those ideologies can change as they adapt to new worlds and to an evolving galactic political scape, as well as your own decisions. They might band together to form political coalitions, they might change genetically as bio-science improves, and they will react differently to various external and internal stimuli: war, influx of alien citizens, political alliances, etc. In these types of games technology tends to play a big part, and it’s no different in Stellaris, But here, unlike in most other 4X space games, there is a random element to the technologies your civilization develops. There are things you can do to stack the deck in a particular direction, but new discoveries can be unpredictable, just like in real life. Some technologies can’t even be researched, but can instead be uncovered as a result of the trials and tribulations of space exploration. Anomalies, for example, can lead you down scientific “quest” lines than can culminate in discovering ancient alien technology, or in knocking a nearby planet off its orbit to cause havock in a system. Other civilizations can be extremely varied in their makeup: political, genetic, military, as well as in their disposition. You might encounter isolationist xenophobes which will want nothing to do with you, or aliens that will jump at the chance to form a federation of worlds. Pre-FTL civilizations who can offer all sorts of possibilities to your colonists, or ancient civilizations who were once masters of the galaxy, but are now Rome with barbarians at the gate. Traders, warmongers, zealots, the possibilities are limitless. Planets offer yet another multi-faceted system to play around with. Terra-forming planets is very HARD in Stellaris, so planets capable of sustaining life are precious, and they each offer various possible scenarios when encountered. Do you study pre-FTL civilizations to glean something of interest to sociologists? Do you oppress them, or kill them? Or do you welcome them into your galactic empire? Perhaps a particular planet is just just not hospitable to your species, but you might posses the technology to raise a native one to sentience, or maybe sending in robots to colonize might be a good option. And that brings me to the various stages of the game. At the beginning you are exploring the galaxy, meeting new cultures and expanding your empire. The middle game is about dealing with internal factions and external politics, as well as facing the possibility of wars. The end game can have you dealing with an empire on the brink of civil war, or a coalition of civilizations led by that one species that still remember how you probed them in the nethers when they were pre-FTL. And it can also be about dealing with a Galaxy wide crisis. Those robot you sent to Colonize Polaris IV? Well, they and a bunch of other AI’s around the galaxy have gained sentience and are ready to purge the galaxy of all disgusting meatbags. Or perhaps the Galaxy has been careful not to develop AI too much/too fast, but look, invaders from another galaxy with unheard of tech have reached us, and they mean business. From their website: Main Features [ul] [li]Anomaly Events – Strange discoveries offer emergent storytelling. [/li][li]Deep & Varied Exploration. [/li][li]Enormous procedural galaxies, containing thousands of planets. [/li][li]Numerous playable species, each with their own traits and engineering styles. [/li][li]Vast number of Unique Random Species. [/li][li]Advanced Diplomacy system. [/li][li]Ship Designer (even civilian ships can be customized). [/li][li]Stunning space visuals. [/li][li]Up to 32 player Multiplayer.[/li][/ul] I’m super excited about this game, in case you couldn’t tell! Unfortunately I was going to link to a video showing off some of the game, but it’s been pulled down, and won’t be available until tomorrow. I’ll link once it’s up. Trailers: Announcement - [STELLARIS - Reveal Teaser - GAMESCOM 2015 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxTT258PmNc) This guy on reddit, [https://www.reddit.com/user/Gargou\_MotW](https://www.reddit.com/user/Gargou_MotW), has a PDF with all of the developer blogs of the game so far. Great stuff to go through here if you’re interested: [Dropbox - Stellaris Dev Diaries.pdf - Simplify your life](https://www.dropbox.com/s/1njjh1ahejf76ii/Stellaris%20Dev%20Diaries.pdf?dl=0) ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/2 "2016-03-14T19:18:27Z")
I’m pretty stoked about this. I’ve played nearly all of Paradox’s titles with varying degrees of obsession (I could never really get into Crusader Kings while I’ve spent hundreds on EUIII, EUIV, and the Victorias). ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/3 "2016-03-14T19:36:19Z")
Is it still going to be Paradox-style open-ended “go until you can’t/don’t want to go anymore,” or are we going to have traditional 4x win conditions? ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2016, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/4 "2016-03-14T19:50:53Z")
> [@Johnny\_Bravo](#): > > Is it still going to be Paradox-style open-ended “go until you can’t/don’t want to go anymore,” or are we going to have traditional 4x win conditions? The video I couldn’t link to says that there will be end conditions, but they were vague as to what those were since they are still working on them. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/5 "2016-03-15T16:15:55Z")
Paradox is at GDC apparently, and there’s a ton of news supposedly coming out of them in terms of Stellaris and a collaboration with other devs, including Obsidian (probably too early for a Pillars of Eternity 2 I would imagine). But I’m guessing we’ll get a release date and more info on the game, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them announce a release date that isn’t too far off. Maybe early April? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/6 "2016-03-15T16:24:10Z")
What I don’t like about Paradox Games is the combat system, while “sending x divisions to region Y during a period of time P” is certainly more realistic than the clasic Civilization’s “micromanage every military unit in a turn based system” it also bores me to tears, is there any hope in that area for this new game?. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/7 "2016-03-15T16:32:43Z")
[Paradox forum](https://forum.paradoxplaza.com/forum/index.php?forums/stellaris.900/) link filled with Dev Blogs and breathless anticipation. Hope it’s good. The EU series always sucks me back in, CK not so much and the various HoI and Victoria games never really grabbed me. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/8 "2016-03-15T17:35:39Z")
Here’s that demo/presentation video I wanted to link to: [Stellaris Explained - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=biS4AmnS1BY) There isn’t a single thing that guy says that didn’t resonate with me. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/9 "2016-03-16T00:05:52Z")
Paradox stream is starting up: [Twitch](https://www.twitch.tv/paradoxinteractive) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/10 "2016-03-16T00:17:08Z")
Lol at the music in the stream. Very Paradox. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/11 "2016-03-16T00:55:02Z")
Make Space Great Again! Release date is May 9th! Cant’ wait! ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/12 "2016-03-16T00:56:16Z")
New Stellaris Trailer: [Stellaris - "The Vast Unknown" In-game Trailer GDC 2016 - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJYRLFvJVFg) Obsidian on stage now, talking about PoE. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/13 "2016-03-16T01:02:01Z")
The obsidian collaboration is light on details. Some type of isometric RPG, where you play the bad guys? it’s not clear. > **[Tyranny - Paradox Interactive](https://www.paradoxinteractive.com/games/tyranny/about)** > > Paradox Interactive is a world leading PC games publisher known for games such as Cities: Skylines, Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings. Might be using the PoE engine… which is Unity ;p ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/14 "2016-03-16T01:04:07Z")
I’m very much looking forward to this game. I’m a huge fan of Paradox. I’ve spent uncounted hours in CK2. And plenty in EU4, Vicky2, and HoI3 (we’re close to #4 in that series). Plus earlier versions. The main drawback of Paradox is that initial releases of games and DLCs are typically very buggy. But they always patch. And are easy to mod. Just beware of the initial release and fervor. I’ll buy on release. Things I’m liking about Stellaris. Different FTL technologies. Each species will use one of three techs, each with different strategies and tactics. Characters who can change the course of an empire. Unpredictable end games–it’s not a game of conquering the universe (although you can do that)–it’s a game of meeting galactic challenges. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/15 "2016-03-16T02:04:28Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > I’m very much looking forward to this game. I’m a huge fan of Paradox. I’ve spent uncounted hours in CK2. And plenty in EU4, Vicky2, and HoI3 (we’re close to #4 in that series). Plus earlier versions. > > The main drawback of Paradox is that initial releases of games and DLCs are typically very buggy. But they always patch. And are easy to mod. Just beware of the initial release and fervor. I’ll buy on release. > > Things I’m liking about Stellaris. Different FTL technologies. Each species will use one of three techs, each with different strategies and tactics. Characters who can change the course of an empire. Unpredictable end games–it’s not a game of conquering the universe (although you can do that)–it’s a game of meeting galactic challenges. Hearts of Iron 4’s release date was announced in the stream: d-day. ---
**Author:** ![Palooka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/palooka/32/2902_2.png) [@Palooka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palooka)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/16 "2016-03-16T02:39:39Z")
I want to be the kind of person who likes Paradox’s games, but I’m not. They are opaque. I won’t play it, but I’ll buy it when I see it 75% off since I feel like I should. If it is more approachable, this may be the first one I can get something out of, which is an interesting prospect. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/17 "2016-03-16T15:00:39Z")
The Paradox youtube channel has a 30 minute video with Quill18, and there is also a video of gameplay on Quill18’s channel. He’s trying to build up a Cat empire! > **[ParadoxExtra](https://www.youtube.com/user/ParadoxExtra/videos)** > > Paradox Extra is the channel where Paradox Interactive works together with the community to bring content to our beloved Paradoxians. > **[quill18](https://www.youtube.com/user/quill18/videos)** > > Quill18 wants to rule the world. What could possibly go wrong? > > Tune in to one of the biggest strategy gamers on YouTube as he conquers his foes in strategy and simulation games, like Civilization, Europa Universalis, SimCity, and Dwarf Fortress.... ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/18 "2016-03-17T13:58:20Z")
There’s going to be a stream today featuring the latest build version of the game, the videos released yesterday were apparently recorded back in January! > [@Palooka](#): > > I want to be the kind of person who likes Paradox’s games, but I’m not. They are opaque. I won’t play it, but I’ll buy it when I see it 75% off since I feel like I should. > > If it is more approachable, this may be the first one I can get something out of, which is an interesting prospect. I’m with you there. I’ve tried with Crusader kings, but nope. That UI. Everything I’ve seen about Stellaris however makes sense to me. I don’t feel lost at all. I understand what’s happening and why. Of course I’ve only seen a combined hours of gameplay and just of the early game, but I’m confident that this will be the first Paradox Grand Strategy game that I really sink into. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/19 "2016-03-17T14:20:26Z")
Is the game going on pre-sale any time soon? ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2016, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001/20 "2016-03-17T14:25:46Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > The main drawback of Paradox is that initial releases of games and DLCs are typically very buggy. But they always patch. And are easy to mod. Just beware of the initial release and fervor. I’ll buy on release. This is true, but they’ve also been refining their release and development cycle a lot. Especially since HOI4 got delayed so many times. They have a shit ton of quality control and require a team to jump through a lot of hoops just to get a game approved as being in “Beta” status now. In fact, one of the reasons HOI4 was delayed again recently was because it didn’t pass their Beta QA process. Granted EU4 DLCs are still buggy and undertuned as hell at release, but I’m willing to put that mostly on the hands of them adding onto an older codebase before they had those quality controls. Also, EU4 and CK2 have to deal with a ton of tiny little countries everywhere and it would take a QA team a lot of effort to make sure they new mechanics don’t fuck up the power of the national ideas of a single OPM nobody ever plays in Asia. Especially if it doesn’t become apparent until 1600 and it only makes them overpowered “on average”. I expect HOI4 to be more susceptible to these problems than Stellaris. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stellaris-4x-grand-strategy-hybrid-from-paradox/749001.md?page=2)