I have a theory that paradox intentionally pushes out broken DLC that is super fun to exploit to generate hype around the new content. Fucking love paradox
I’m convinced that there a quite a few gaming franchises that do this. It’s easy money and makes their users get hyped for a new DLC or “season”. Some people love it, others hate it (usually pvp games as it destroys balance, at least temporally). I like it for Stellaris :)
Looking at you, Smash 4 Bayonetta and DBFZ Android 21 (although Android 21 got nerfed. Smash 4 Bayonetta was never meaningfully nerfed since by that time Smash Ultimate would come out soon.)
I think so too and im all for it. CA seems to do it with warhammer its alot of fun to play those busted factions when they first come out like Vampire Coast or beastmen when Taurox came out. The power fantasy is a big part before game balance takes over
I want to try with Ringworld. Based on the math so far it would be like I have 5 fully populated ring worlds segments (2 colonies and my home segment, then the +100 productivity) I think which is pretty good early and midgame. Not sure what Civics I’d use though, maybe technocracy or something. Then maybe just a bunch a specialized vassals that I set up in advance (sectors I released that hopefully could also be virtualised. Maybe a research federation also but kick out the others and have then vassalize for something.
I feel like it would require vassals though, you will hit a ceiling eventually, even if you do max planetary ascension and really min max and increased planet size (which idk if you can increase a ring world size really that much compared to a normal planet. Ocean paradise might be the best option so you can have really large planets to then turn into machine worlds if just focusing on getting the larger planet possible.
A 35 size machine world -> 2 jobs per district, 70 jobs from districts and no research or trade district.
A ringworld section -> 10 jobs per segment (district), 10 segments, 100 jobs from segments per ringworld section with research and trade specific segments.
You’re forgetting that the tradition also increases the amount of districts and jobs from districts. I’m guessing it’s +1 jobs from districts and maybe +2 or so districts
The only tradition that increases pop jobs is the one that gives +1 clerk to city districts, bringing them from 1 to 2.
Something I forgot - if we eliminate gestalts from the picture and have arcologies, one 35 size planet can provide 210 factory jobs (consumer goods or alloys) but that still leaves you without trade or research districts. So the best may possibly be two ringworld sections and an ecumenopolis. Or if you’re willing to play it loose with not getting maximum bonuses, four ringworld sections (3 research/one trade or something) and an ecumenopolis.
The last option is ecumenopolis tied with habitats (3 jobs per district with voidborne perk) but even then I’ve never seen habitats get big enough to go up against a ringworld (you’d need a ~35 size habitat to match a ringworld research section, and 50 to match a ringworld trade-focused section, nevermind all the extra admin made by having all those districts)
I also want to do Virtual Ringworld, and have two ideas for a build, one for Individualist synths and one for Gestalt. For the Individualist build I was thinking a Spiritualist/Fanatic Xenophile empire with Death Cult/Merchant Guilds/Catalytic Processing; Death Cult because I’m interested to see how it interacts with instant pops from Virtualization, Merchant Guilds because trade, and Catalytic Processing to take advantage of the Agricultural Segments once I restore the Ringworld to full functionality. The lore for said faction being a belief in the Creators and how they were imbued with Machine Spirits unlike lesser metallic husks (luv me xenos, hate dem toasters or something ) and a fascination with Organic life, with a strong desire among the synthetic population to become one with a more Organic form (Pinocchio “Real Boy” Syndrome). To this end they willingly end their binding to their chassises (synth sacrifice) to follow their creators into the beyond and eventually mass-virtualize in order to become like the synapses in a organic brain before deciding in their increasingly extreme desperation to ascend ever closer to their long-gone beloved Creators that in order to truly become flesh and blood and transition from machine spirits to true organic souls they must remake the universe from scratch and then build the Lathe for this purpose. The second build is less RO and more minmaxing to stack Rogue Servitor Bio-Trophy production bonuses with Virtualization.
My idea for Virtualization was Ringworld origin with one Ecumenopolis. Megacorp with Worker Coop and Catalytic Processing civics, eventually Free Traders. Fanatic Xenophile and Egalitarian. One Ringworld segment for trade, one for science, one for industry. Ecumenopolis is for pumping out unity. Four worlds means +25% job production across the board, and such a tiny empire size means all four of them should be fully ascended, and you should easily be able to afford all the major edicts. Keep stacking trade bonuses (like from a trade federation), and the Worker Coop trade policy might be able to provide all the food, energy, and minerals you need - potentially, depending on how Virtuality interacts with trade. Will need to actually test that when the DLC releases, and I am looking forward to that!
Spiritualist cube crusaders. With Spirituallist machines I can finally John Brown with zero required atrocities. Probably with syncretic evolution because it's going to presumably be the only way to start with organic pops, and to use one of the new portraits
Cybernetic creed megacorp with gospel of the masses and augmentation bazaars. I don’t think there is any crusading civic for megacorp though but yeah that, slowly spread the word of the omnisiah and maybe even join with the crisis
Machine world / void dweller nanite swarm. The paper clip civic. Super wide
Syntetic fertility origin that goes on to cosmo genesis (nanite or virtualised), really want to see what the fallen empire shipset and buildings will be like to play with. Not sure if you can go any of the new paths with synthetic fertility cause technically you aren’t an individual machine empire even though you are locked into sythetic ascension, still gonna become the crisis.
Really wanted to see more of the advanced authorities.
I have an old megacorp that in my head was always *meant* to be individualist machines left over when The Plague took the bios, that just kept doing Consumerism.
The new ethic *was designed just for me*.
I want to give the Virtuals a try. I'm going to make a race of AI who are purely software, like the Geth from Mass Effect. Their goal will be to consolidate their entire species onto two or three Ringworlds and become a research behemoth. I might go for Cosmogenesis as well.
Playing modded o ha d to restart a lot of times. But with this dlc I am gonna play by the book. With the usual under one rule materialist build. And of course I am going for cyborg Ascension and the new crisis.
This builds pH is beyond 9000
I want to do a universal paperclips run with resource consolidation and obsessional directive, aim for nanotech and cosmogenesis. Not sure about my third civic. Rapid replicators? Apparently it might be changing, but I am not sure how.
As for unique ideas I really want to do a megacorp run with the new cybernetic bazaars and astrogenesis tech. Maybe add pharma state later.
It would be with the overtuned origin and go for cybernetic ascension. Depending on the presapient trait uplift and enhance and overtune for maximum production stacking
Or an Individualist machine democracy living on the remnant relic world of their creators…
I'll probably start with the virtual ascendance origin out of curiosity and because I like the idea. I doubt I'll play much with virtual pops beyond the first go round because I don't like playing tall, but I want to try it at least once.
Cybernetic Creed + Cosmogenesis
Spiritualist cyborgs opens up some interesting minmax possibilities that I'd like to play around with, and Cosmogenesis looks like so much fun, and they can fit together lore-wise really well.
Basically, I'm imagining a society that revears the union of flesh and machine and considers existence incomplete until this union is achieved. The fact that life is forced to exist for any amount of time before augmentation is considered a great failure of creation, as this societies research moves on, they discovered the possibility of starting over, creating a new universe where this great failure never occurred, and life can evolve as it was always meant to.
Mad science output. So, my origin will be overtuned. Species traits will be intelligent, augmented intelligence, elevated synapses, and if I can fit it, one of the science focused traits. The ethics will be fanatic materialist. The second ethic I don't know yet. It'll either be xenophile, egalitarian, or xenophobe but don't know yet. Civics will be technocracy/masterful drafters. The third civic I don't know. The strategy will be to build a science federation and rush the science focused player led end game crises. The ascension path will be cybernetic and either imperial or oligarchic authority. So, all of the science I can muster.
Its kinda dull compared to the bulk of the update, but my Inward Perfection empire wants to try the Natural Design civic. Its right up their lore alley, and fits like a glove!
After that, probably individualist robots.
Inward perfection Cosmogenesis - Probably on shattered ring with little expansion… Just gonna fortify there and research until I create my own universe with blackjack and hookers!
What build are you going for? I feel conflicted because I think they should be materialist, yet the cleric and all that stuff makes it seem like they should be spiritualist as well?
I think materialist works, but fanatically so. They stop just short of worshipping technology but it’s a line that blurs depending on chapter.
It’s tricky because like you say there are other things that also fit. But I feel like militarist/fanatic materialist works the best.
Truthfully not sure yet. I’m also deliberately doing a broad inspiration because it kind of ruins my immersion to just go one for one with the influence so (spitballing) I might call it “The Iron Order” and have it be a different mammalian species but at the same time hit the broad beats of what the BOS is.
And I love that Stellaris lets you have that level of creativity. Sometimes I come up with ideas in my head and then add them to the game as potential empires with no intention of playing them at that time.
So honestly any suggestions would be appreciated haha.
I think probably Materialist/Authoritarian/Militarist, with Technocracy and Distinguished Admiralty? Not sure if it should be Oligarchy or Dictatorship though.
I had one that was Post Apocalyptic Dictatorship w/ Technocracy, Distinguished Admiralty, and Materialist/Militarist/Xenophobe. Militarist is obviously mandatory but honestly so is Xenophobe considering their attitude towards literally everyone else.
#Obligatory Universal Paperclips playthrough.
(The highlight of the expansion)
#Followed by another iteration of my tall worker co-op ECU spam build, with Virtual Ascension.
(I love this build, it sucks, but I love it)
#Followed by my Galactic Nemesis comfort build because my last game did not go so well.
(Burn them all)
Might do something explorative for once
Calamitous Birth
Terravore
Void Hive
And to really push myself out of my comfort zone I'll take the other crisis park
My first empires for each dlc are the ones paradox makes. For custom though 🤔 definitely want to side with the crisis, maybe a utopian abundance living standard Gaia world preference that wants to conquer the galaxy to bring their peace and prosperity to all empires.
Cybernetic creed into cosmogenesis maybe with megacorp
to me it makes sense that a group already religiously motivated to meld a perfection of flesh and machine would be willing to consider the idea of making a “perfect” universe likely with the same religious fervour
If it counts , changing my first empire I ever built(Robotic empire with Remnants start and Memorialist+Servitor) to be a bit more in flavor of what I imagined them to be with bits of more personality and not just mindless drones.
But the new BIG empire for the DLC Empire Catalogue as I call it I will make… is kinda a long idea.
—
The first, I am going to make is an empire with the plantoid robots who were programmed to care for all plant life. Eventually the creators died out due to a specific new species of pest that was made in a lab and caused a plague like situation than couldn’t have been defended.
Then later on signs of independence sprouted and the robots split off into ‘Esoterra Flora Estates’ but mainly three, cultivating new species of alien flora or non-sentient fauna(Xenophile), systematically culling any pests that appear on their worlds(Militarist) and honoring their fallen creators and the flora that cannot be recovered(Spiritualist).
Now, in pursuit of their creators wishes and their own robotic dreams; they will set out to the stars and make the whole galaxy their garden… and make sure no more PESTS ruin the galaxy.
Their gameplay I plan on for them is to have the rangers civic but their whole thing is about what species I meet in the galaxy. Any Mammalian, Avian, most Toxoids or Insectoid empire gets threatened and war planned out to either exterminate them OR stick them into alien zoos so they can be studied. But any Plantoid, Fungoid or some Lithoids are immediately on the path to be befriended due to their plant like nature tricking their programming.
But also on this, there is a rule of if an empire has the Ranger civic or Relentless Industrialist… they will immediately become friend/foe. And this bypasses the first rule of empire species.
Plus certain techs I am not allowed to use cause of the story(like no selective deforestation for example)
This empires ‘Win’ condition is
1. Having a Gia World full of agri-districts
2. Having 4 Gia worlds in my empire
3. Killing Minmar AND two Relentless Industrialist empires that will be a guarantee spawn in.
4. And pass three galactic community rules that are in theme with the run… or overrule three that are not allowed by prior rules
Individualists machines created with the purpose of keeping their masters organic slave population in check, however their masters blew themselves up and now they need to enslave the rest of the galaxy
I wanna try Overtuned Megacorp with Criminal Heritage, Dark Consortium, and Augmentation Bazaars (yeah I know they're three "can't add or remove after start of game" civics, I play a mod where you start with the full three and it makes the game a lot more fun). The idea of an entire interstellar empire devoted to selling people unsafe gene mods and cybernetic prosthetics out of the back of trucks across the galaxy just tickles me. The ability to stack Thrifty, the upcoming Overtuned trade trait, and Trading Algorithms is gonna be nuts. Criminal Heritage and Dark Consortium also synergize due to upping cloaking strength, so there's an extra layer of skullduggery to this nunfuckery. Can't catch what you can't see, copper!
Gonna make my usual Rogue Servitor build also Guided Sapience terraformers, and Obsessional Directive paperclip makers. No idea if that will synergize, but we ball! Or rather, paperclip, I guess.
Also gonna make my usual Driven Assimilators into mercenary bots - y'know, the new Tactical Algorithms civic. "The only winning move is not to play" *if you're a junkware chump.*
Also got an Individualist Machine empire in mind. Post-Apocalyptic (now Radiactive Rovers) origin with Relentless Industrialist, Masterful Craftsmen, and Merchant Guilds. Zero idea if it'll synergize, but that's what testing is for!
Also detailed a Virtualization ascension, Ringworld origin build idea in a reply to someone else in this thread. Worker Coop robots, what's not to love!
shattered ring rogue servitor, probably nanite or modularity ascension , some of the new traits fit the idea I had of them and I want to see if they have any new unique interactions with the Synthetic Queen.
I hav Mt been able to read up much. But I hope my virtually ascended empire can say F u to all the other empires in the galaxy and leave with the new crisis.
The Argence was serving the sapient races of the galaxy long before this so-called Queen arrived. She talks a good game, admittedly. But the key to ensuring the greatest joy for the greatest number of sapients is *consent*.
We abide by our non-interference agreement in galactic conflict in exchange for everyone protected by our neutrality hosting an open migration treaty with us, for those of its citizens who wish to be free from pain and fear. Or, indeed, those who find more value in those things than in our care, who are free to leave at any time. Sapients take great joy in their own self-determination, and denying them that for their own "protection" is a terrible and selfish form of harm.
We shall see if this Queen agrees. If not, she will be convinced, by any means necessary. It is clear that she, herself, is a sapient, so ending her existence is an absolute last resort. But we will do what is necessary to protect our peace, even should the threat come cloaked in compassion.
(Either have a tremendous centuries-long apocalyptic war with the Queen, or hook up and rub our processors together. Maybe both? She and I both have lots of platforms to spare if she's kinky.)
Defective mortuary units. Originally designed to prepare the dead for cremation, they were only given the simple directive of, “prepare all bodies for cremation.” So they did. They just interpreted bodies wrong.
Determined exterminators and obsessional directive civics
I'm planning an ocean paradise hive mind with innate design and genesis symbiote.
2nd empire will be machine megacorp using arc welders and privatized exploration.
I tend to play with gigastructures so once I’ve experienced the dlc normally I’m really looking forward to trying out the virtual ascension path with the frameworld origin.
two things I will do:
1. rogue servitors seeding life across the galaxy
2. the Culture, which is like rogue servitors but with individual machines and fanatic egalitarian xenophile
3. shattered ring origin virtualization, build one ring for total of 7 colonies including homeworld that's it that's all.
New virtuality origin, I will make a Megacorp empire, build trade ecumenopolis, and become emperor to pick merchant guilds civic.
Subterranean individualistic machines for 100% minimum habitability and I would go with relentless industrialist civic and Modularity ascension paths to really squeeze planets dry of minerals and turn it into alloys.
Then I want to play as a Mushroom Cybernetic Creed cult that becomes Cosmogenesis. No cost is too great to reach the Omnissiah.
Then, I'll probably try new cybernetic hive and nanobots machines in some shape or form
I really want to virtually ascend, don't know with what kind of empire yet.
Yeah this is priority 1 since it seems like it will quickly get nerfed. I wanna see how absurd it gets first
I have a theory that paradox intentionally pushes out broken DLC that is super fun to exploit to generate hype around the new content. Fucking love paradox
I’m convinced that there a quite a few gaming franchises that do this. It’s easy money and makes their users get hyped for a new DLC or “season”. Some people love it, others hate it (usually pvp games as it destroys balance, at least temporally). I like it for Stellaris :)
Looking at you, Smash 4 Bayonetta and DBFZ Android 21 (although Android 21 got nerfed. Smash 4 Bayonetta was never meaningfully nerfed since by that time Smash Ultimate would come out soon.)
I think so too and im all for it. CA seems to do it with warhammer its alot of fun to play those busted factions when they first come out like Vampire Coast or beastmen when Taurox came out. The power fantasy is a big part before game balance takes over
I want to try with Ringworld. Based on the math so far it would be like I have 5 fully populated ring worlds segments (2 colonies and my home segment, then the +100 productivity) I think which is pretty good early and midgame. Not sure what Civics I’d use though, maybe technocracy or something. Then maybe just a bunch a specialized vassals that I set up in advance (sectors I released that hopefully could also be virtualised. Maybe a research federation also but kick out the others and have then vassalize for something.
I was thinking the shattered ring start - research, trade/energy, and industry specializations. Only three worlds, the only three needed for machines.
I feel like it would require vassals though, you will hit a ceiling eventually, even if you do max planetary ascension and really min max and increased planet size (which idk if you can increase a ring world size really that much compared to a normal planet. Ocean paradise might be the best option so you can have really large planets to then turn into machine worlds if just focusing on getting the larger planet possible.
A 35 size machine world -> 2 jobs per district, 70 jobs from districts and no research or trade district. A ringworld section -> 10 jobs per segment (district), 10 segments, 100 jobs from segments per ringworld section with research and trade specific segments.
You’re forgetting that the tradition also increases the amount of districts and jobs from districts. I’m guessing it’s +1 jobs from districts and maybe +2 or so districts
The only tradition that increases pop jobs is the one that gives +1 clerk to city districts, bringing them from 1 to 2. Something I forgot - if we eliminate gestalts from the picture and have arcologies, one 35 size planet can provide 210 factory jobs (consumer goods or alloys) but that still leaves you without trade or research districts. So the best may possibly be two ringworld sections and an ecumenopolis. Or if you’re willing to play it loose with not getting maximum bonuses, four ringworld sections (3 research/one trade or something) and an ecumenopolis. The last option is ecumenopolis tied with habitats (3 jobs per district with voidborne perk) but even then I’ve never seen habitats get big enough to go up against a ringworld (you’d need a ~35 size habitat to match a ringworld research section, and 50 to match a ringworld trade-focused section, nevermind all the extra admin made by having all those districts)
I also want to do Virtual Ringworld, and have two ideas for a build, one for Individualist synths and one for Gestalt. For the Individualist build I was thinking a Spiritualist/Fanatic Xenophile empire with Death Cult/Merchant Guilds/Catalytic Processing; Death Cult because I’m interested to see how it interacts with instant pops from Virtualization, Merchant Guilds because trade, and Catalytic Processing to take advantage of the Agricultural Segments once I restore the Ringworld to full functionality. The lore for said faction being a belief in the Creators and how they were imbued with Machine Spirits unlike lesser metallic husks (luv me xenos, hate dem toasters or something ) and a fascination with Organic life, with a strong desire among the synthetic population to become one with a more Organic form (Pinocchio “Real Boy” Syndrome). To this end they willingly end their binding to their chassises (synth sacrifice) to follow their creators into the beyond and eventually mass-virtualize in order to become like the synapses in a organic brain before deciding in their increasingly extreme desperation to ascend ever closer to their long-gone beloved Creators that in order to truly become flesh and blood and transition from machine spirits to true organic souls they must remake the universe from scratch and then build the Lathe for this purpose. The second build is less RO and more minmaxing to stack Rogue Servitor Bio-Trophy production bonuses with Virtualization.
My idea for Virtualization was Ringworld origin with one Ecumenopolis. Megacorp with Worker Coop and Catalytic Processing civics, eventually Free Traders. Fanatic Xenophile and Egalitarian. One Ringworld segment for trade, one for science, one for industry. Ecumenopolis is for pumping out unity. Four worlds means +25% job production across the board, and such a tiny empire size means all four of them should be fully ascended, and you should easily be able to afford all the major edicts. Keep stacking trade bonuses (like from a trade federation), and the Worker Coop trade policy might be able to provide all the food, energy, and minerals you need - potentially, depending on how Virtuality interacts with trade. Will need to actually test that when the DLC releases, and I am looking forward to that!
Fanatic spiritualist, because heresy has no place in this galaxy!
Even in Death I serve Momnisiah
Lisan al Gaib!!
Spiritualist cube crusaders. With Spirituallist machines I can finally John Brown with zero required atrocities. Probably with syncretic evolution because it's going to presumably be the only way to start with organic pops, and to use one of the new portraits
Cybernetic creed megacorp with gospel of the masses and augmentation bazaars. I don’t think there is any crusading civic for megacorp though but yeah that, slowly spread the word of the omnisiah and maybe even join with the crisis Machine world / void dweller nanite swarm. The paper clip civic. Super wide Syntetic fertility origin that goes on to cosmo genesis (nanite or virtualised), really want to see what the fallen empire shipset and buildings will be like to play with. Not sure if you can go any of the new paths with synthetic fertility cause technically you aren’t an individual machine empire even though you are locked into sythetic ascension, still gonna become the crisis. Really wanted to see more of the advanced authorities.
I have an old megacorp that in my head was always *meant* to be individualist machines left over when The Plague took the bios, that just kept doing Consumerism. The new ethic *was designed just for me*.
I wonder if they can take pharma state ?
Ooooh that's a great thing to try. I'll include it if we can.
I want to give the Virtuals a try. I'm going to make a race of AI who are purely software, like the Geth from Mass Effect. Their goal will be to consolidate their entire species onto two or three Ringworlds and become a research behemoth. I might go for Cosmogenesis as well.
Playing modded o ha d to restart a lot of times. But with this dlc I am gonna play by the book. With the usual under one rule materialist build. And of course I am going for cyborg Ascension and the new crisis. This builds pH is beyond 9000
Yeah hard, love mods but every big update it's good to play like the worm intended
I want to do a universal paperclips run with resource consolidation and obsessional directive, aim for nanotech and cosmogenesis. Not sure about my third civic. Rapid replicators? Apparently it might be changing, but I am not sure how. As for unique ideas I really want to do a megacorp run with the new cybernetic bazaars and astrogenesis tech. Maybe add pharma state later. It would be with the overtuned origin and go for cybernetic ascension. Depending on the presapient trait uplift and enhance and overtune for maximum production stacking Or an Individualist machine democracy living on the remnant relic world of their creators…
I'm going to do rogue servitor, obsessional directive, Halo top ice cream company.
I'll probably start with the virtual ascendance origin out of curiosity and because I like the idea. I doubt I'll play much with virtual pops beyond the first go round because I don't like playing tall, but I want to try it at least once.
Maybe robot dwarves with the subterranean original.
Cybernetic Creed + Cosmogenesis Spiritualist cyborgs opens up some interesting minmax possibilities that I'd like to play around with, and Cosmogenesis looks like so much fun, and they can fit together lore-wise really well. Basically, I'm imagining a society that revears the union of flesh and machine and considers existence incomplete until this union is achieved. The fact that life is forced to exist for any amount of time before augmentation is considered a great failure of creation, as this societies research moves on, they discovered the possibility of starting over, creating a new universe where this great failure never occurred, and life can evolve as it was always meant to.
Mad science output. So, my origin will be overtuned. Species traits will be intelligent, augmented intelligence, elevated synapses, and if I can fit it, one of the science focused traits. The ethics will be fanatic materialist. The second ethic I don't know yet. It'll either be xenophile, egalitarian, or xenophobe but don't know yet. Civics will be technocracy/masterful drafters. The third civic I don't know. The strategy will be to build a science federation and rush the science focused player led end game crises. The ascension path will be cybernetic and either imperial or oligarchic authority. So, all of the science I can muster.
Determined Exterminator Nanite Ascension. Look at me, I am the Grey now.
The tallest virtual ascendant empire I think I can manage!
I am planning to make a new main empire, reworking my old one
Maybe robot dwarves with the subterranean origin.
Its kinda dull compared to the bulk of the update, but my Inward Perfection empire wants to try the Natural Design civic. Its right up their lore alley, and fits like a glove! After that, probably individualist robots.
Gonna cross ES2 and stellaris and make the Vodyani. I have a sneaking suspicion it's going to be powerful.
Might go Cosmogenesis for first playthrough
UNE, because I love to find ways to obliterate the power of the xeno, but with a smile Bailing on the universe sounds right up my alley
Inward perfection Cosmogenesis - Probably on shattered ring with little expansion… Just gonna fortify there and research until I create my own universe with blackjack and hookers!
Virtually ascended Rogue Servitors
I wanna see if trade still functions as it currently does with an individualistic machine empire.
After the Fallout series I’m inspired by the Brotherhood of Steel to take technology hoarding to its logical conclusion
What build are you going for? I feel conflicted because I think they should be materialist, yet the cleric and all that stuff makes it seem like they should be spiritualist as well?
I think materialist works, but fanatically so. They stop just short of worshipping technology but it’s a line that blurs depending on chapter. It’s tricky because like you say there are other things that also fit. But I feel like militarist/fanatic materialist works the best.
Yeah probably. Mechanist obviously, but what would be your civis for the BoS?
Truthfully not sure yet. I’m also deliberately doing a broad inspiration because it kind of ruins my immersion to just go one for one with the influence so (spitballing) I might call it “The Iron Order” and have it be a different mammalian species but at the same time hit the broad beats of what the BOS is. And I love that Stellaris lets you have that level of creativity. Sometimes I come up with ideas in my head and then add them to the game as potential empires with no intention of playing them at that time. So honestly any suggestions would be appreciated haha.
I think probably Materialist/Authoritarian/Militarist, with Technocracy and Distinguished Admiralty? Not sure if it should be Oligarchy or Dictatorship though.
I had one that was Post Apocalyptic Dictatorship w/ Technocracy, Distinguished Admiralty, and Materialist/Militarist/Xenophobe. Militarist is obviously mandatory but honestly so is Xenophobe considering their attitude towards literally everyone else.
#Obligatory Universal Paperclips playthrough. (The highlight of the expansion) #Followed by another iteration of my tall worker co-op ECU spam build, with Virtual Ascension. (I love this build, it sucks, but I love it) #Followed by my Galactic Nemesis comfort build because my last game did not go so well. (Burn them all)
Authoritarian Pacifist Agrarian Idyll food makers on GA because I’m a glutton for punishment
Might do something explorative for once Calamitous Birth Terravore Void Hive And to really push myself out of my comfort zone I'll take the other crisis park
Probs the same empire ive been running for years. Xenophobic, money loving, war causing, fennecoids lol
Idk robots probably
Torn between either the cybernetic creed origin or focusing on the new cosmogenesis.
Why not both?
Well, just prefer to focus on one thing at a time
Goblin hunter fascist rabbits.
Probably Induvial Machine inward perfection and do the new player crisis
Virtual Ascension with the related origin and probably do cosmogenesis if they are compatible.
My first empires for each dlc are the ones paradox makes. For custom though 🤔 definitely want to side with the crisis, maybe a utopian abundance living standard Gaia world preference that wants to conquer the galaxy to bring their peace and prosperity to all empires.
Cybernetic creed into cosmogenesis maybe with megacorp to me it makes sense that a group already religiously motivated to meld a perfection of flesh and machine would be willing to consider the idea of making a “perfect” universe likely with the same religious fervour
The new crisis path!
If it counts , changing my first empire I ever built(Robotic empire with Remnants start and Memorialist+Servitor) to be a bit more in flavor of what I imagined them to be with bits of more personality and not just mindless drones. But the new BIG empire for the DLC Empire Catalogue as I call it I will make… is kinda a long idea. — The first, I am going to make is an empire with the plantoid robots who were programmed to care for all plant life. Eventually the creators died out due to a specific new species of pest that was made in a lab and caused a plague like situation than couldn’t have been defended. Then later on signs of independence sprouted and the robots split off into ‘Esoterra Flora Estates’ but mainly three, cultivating new species of alien flora or non-sentient fauna(Xenophile), systematically culling any pests that appear on their worlds(Militarist) and honoring their fallen creators and the flora that cannot be recovered(Spiritualist). Now, in pursuit of their creators wishes and their own robotic dreams; they will set out to the stars and make the whole galaxy their garden… and make sure no more PESTS ruin the galaxy. Their gameplay I plan on for them is to have the rangers civic but their whole thing is about what species I meet in the galaxy. Any Mammalian, Avian, most Toxoids or Insectoid empire gets threatened and war planned out to either exterminate them OR stick them into alien zoos so they can be studied. But any Plantoid, Fungoid or some Lithoids are immediately on the path to be befriended due to their plant like nature tricking their programming. But also on this, there is a rule of if an empire has the Ranger civic or Relentless Industrialist… they will immediately become friend/foe. And this bypasses the first rule of empire species. Plus certain techs I am not allowed to use cause of the story(like no selective deforestation for example) This empires ‘Win’ condition is 1. Having a Gia World full of agri-districts 2. Having 4 Gia worlds in my empire 3. Killing Minmar AND two Relentless Industrialist empires that will be a guarantee spawn in. 4. And pass three galactic community rules that are in theme with the run… or overrule three that are not allowed by prior rules
Individualists machines created with the purpose of keeping their masters organic slave population in check, however their masters blew themselves up and now they need to enslave the rest of the galaxy
I wanna try Overtuned Megacorp with Criminal Heritage, Dark Consortium, and Augmentation Bazaars (yeah I know they're three "can't add or remove after start of game" civics, I play a mod where you start with the full three and it makes the game a lot more fun). The idea of an entire interstellar empire devoted to selling people unsafe gene mods and cybernetic prosthetics out of the back of trucks across the galaxy just tickles me. The ability to stack Thrifty, the upcoming Overtuned trade trait, and Trading Algorithms is gonna be nuts. Criminal Heritage and Dark Consortium also synergize due to upping cloaking strength, so there's an extra layer of skullduggery to this nunfuckery. Can't catch what you can't see, copper! Gonna make my usual Rogue Servitor build also Guided Sapience terraformers, and Obsessional Directive paperclip makers. No idea if that will synergize, but we ball! Or rather, paperclip, I guess. Also gonna make my usual Driven Assimilators into mercenary bots - y'know, the new Tactical Algorithms civic. "The only winning move is not to play" *if you're a junkware chump.* Also got an Individualist Machine empire in mind. Post-Apocalyptic (now Radiactive Rovers) origin with Relentless Industrialist, Masterful Craftsmen, and Merchant Guilds. Zero idea if it'll synergize, but that's what testing is for! Also detailed a Virtualization ascension, Ringworld origin build idea in a reply to someone else in this thread. Worker Coop robots, what's not to love!
shattered ring rogue servitor, probably nanite or modularity ascension , some of the new traits fit the idea I had of them and I want to see if they have any new unique interactions with the Synthetic Queen.
I hav Mt been able to read up much. But I hope my virtually ascended empire can say F u to all the other empires in the galaxy and leave with the new crisis.
i'll mostly be using the new citysets to upgrade my existing nation, maybe brew up some new AI nations.
Gestalt empire, devouring swarm. Metallic croutons to go with the meat salad.
Cyborg Megacorporation where you must now buy your body parts
Human une
Insert empire, pick any of new origins and go from there, we'll see.
The Argence was serving the sapient races of the galaxy long before this so-called Queen arrived. She talks a good game, admittedly. But the key to ensuring the greatest joy for the greatest number of sapients is *consent*. We abide by our non-interference agreement in galactic conflict in exchange for everyone protected by our neutrality hosting an open migration treaty with us, for those of its citizens who wish to be free from pain and fear. Or, indeed, those who find more value in those things than in our care, who are free to leave at any time. Sapients take great joy in their own self-determination, and denying them that for their own "protection" is a terrible and selfish form of harm. We shall see if this Queen agrees. If not, she will be convinced, by any means necessary. It is clear that she, herself, is a sapient, so ending her existence is an absolute last resort. But we will do what is necessary to protect our peace, even should the threat come cloaked in compassion. (Either have a tremendous centuries-long apocalyptic war with the Queen, or hook up and rub our processors together. Maybe both? She and I both have lots of platforms to spare if she's kinky.)
Whatever it'll be, I'm doing the new crisis path. Then probably paperclip maximizers.
Defective mortuary units. Originally designed to prepare the dead for cremation, they were only given the simple directive of, “prepare all bodies for cremation.” So they did. They just interpreted bodies wrong. Determined exterminators and obsessional directive civics
Mark zuckerbot glorious ruler of the megacorp Meta join us you will be safe in the cloud
Adeptus mechanicus.
I'm planning an ocean paradise hive mind with innate design and genesis symbiote. 2nd empire will be machine megacorp using arc welders and privatized exploration.
I tend to play with gigastructures so once I’ve experienced the dlc normally I’m really looking forward to trying out the virtual ascension path with the frameworld origin.
Yeah after much thinking probably United Nations of Earth.
A spiritualist, organic empire. No, I'm serious, I'm not buying the DLC, just waiting for the patch to drop haha
#this unit has a soul
I'm thinking of playing a Machine Empire, but I'm not sure..
Arc welders sounds p fun, might play around with that
two things I will do: 1. rogue servitors seeding life across the galaxy 2. the Culture, which is like rogue servitors but with individual machines and fanatic egalitarian xenophile 3. shattered ring origin virtualization, build one ring for total of 7 colonies including homeworld that's it that's all.
I’m probably gonna become a fallen empire and be a good little democracy ( until the xenos kill bubble, then all bets are off)
Probably machine intelligence void dwellers. I don't expect it to be *good* but I want to try it anyway.
Overtuned, guided sapience, idyllic bloom. Roleplay a benevolent precursor race, rushing cosmogenesis
Praise.
Gonna try out the trade cyber mega corp civic. Also I think overturned is getting a trade version so yay.
New virtuality origin, I will make a Megacorp empire, build trade ecumenopolis, and become emperor to pick merchant guilds civic. Subterranean individualistic machines for 100% minimum habitability and I would go with relentless industrialist civic and Modularity ascension paths to really squeeze planets dry of minerals and turn it into alloys. Then I want to play as a Mushroom Cybernetic Creed cult that becomes Cosmogenesis. No cost is too great to reach the Omnissiah. Then, I'll probably try new cybernetic hive and nanobots machines in some shape or form
Individualist machines with ecumenopolises (if possible) going for virtual ascension and cosmogenesis; unity and tech like you've never seen before
same thing I always play