Stellaris grand strategy space game by Paradox discussy thingy thready thingy

Mark_L · 2016-05-18T06:45:28.000Z

triggercut:

Tom’s front page review is up. Brace for impact!

But other than that, Mrs. Space Lincoln, how did you enjoy the holocron?

Fifth_Fret · 2016-05-18T06:48:25.000Z

Totally fair review.

Ginger_Yellow · 2016-05-18T06:52:22.000Z

I guess Tom isn’t getting review code for HoI4 any time soon.

ArmandoPenblade · 2016-05-18T06:56:46.000Z

Ginger Yellow:

I guess Tom isn’t getting review code for HoI4 any time soon.

He might, it just might be delivered via brick-through-window.

Or artillery. More thematic that way.

tgb123 · 2016-05-18T06:57:18.000Z

There he goes, driving down the Metacritic score again.

triggercut · 2016-05-18T07:03:14.000Z

Ginger Yellow:

I guess Tom isn’t getting review code for HoI4 any time soon.

Ha! I thought the same thing.

Juan_Raigada · 2016-05-18T07:04:03.000Z

Yeah, pretty much nailed all the problems with the game currently. While I still think this can become a great game, there’s a lot of work for Paradox to do for it to be so. Probably the most they ever needed since Sengoku.

Enidigm · 2016-05-18T07:04:21.000Z

triggercut:

Tom’s front page review is up. Brace for impact!

Wish he hadn’t spoiled the ring world. That was cool to discover.

Otagan · 2016-05-18T07:06:00.000Z

Ginger Yellow:

I guess Tom isn’t getting review code for HoI4 any time soon.

Thankfully, Paradox values the freedoms of critics to make any review they see fit, as well as that reviewers should have absolute freedom to give their own opinions of a game, free from external duress of any kind.

Or so they said last week.

Enidigm · 2016-05-18T07:06:49.000Z

Fifth Fret:

Totally fair review.

You know, I guess so. But I’m having fun despite the problems. I actually have a big theory post worked up and then forgotten about, regarding why games that are fun aren’t necessarily “good”, but basically some of my most memorable moments in strategy gaming came about not just despite imperfect game design or game play or game income levels, but because of it.

Richard_Holt · 2016-05-18T07:07:15.000Z

I think I mostly agree with Tom’s comments on the gameplay, UI and scripted content.

But for me the randomized pile of traits to make a species works. Sure it gives the aliens less personality and makes them feel generic, but ups the feeling of the unknown and of discovering a new galaxy. That said I wish they’d taken it further, with more meaningful gameplay differences between the races.

Has anyone tried the game on harder difficulties? I’ve been playing on Normal and was wondering how challenging they get.

Soapyfrog · 2016-05-18T07:08:12.000Z

MikeJ:

I agree, and I think it’s down to the scaling between in-system travel, interstellar travel, and production. If FTL travel was slower, you’d have to think a lot more about your fleet dispositions, because you can’t ride to the rescue across your empire in the time it takes your enemy to drive across the system. Since FTL travel time is small, differences in time due to different travel methods are less important.

I think the game is designed to scale up to deal with huge empires. Maybe moving between your 5 colonies is quick, but a hyper lane route across my 150 colony empire can take weeks or even months. At that level you absolutely need different fleets in different areas.

MikeJ · 2016-05-18T07:14:51.000Z

Soapyfrog:

I think the game is designed to scale up to deal with huge empires. Maybe moving between your 5 colonies is quick, but a hyper lane route across my 150 colony empire can take weeks or even months. At that level you absolutely need different fleets in different areas.

Well, they have a mechanism for adjusting travel speed in the various drive techs. Maybe it needs to start from a lower point and reach current levels in the end game. Huge empires should feel really huge.

Fifth_Fret · 2016-05-18T07:17:34.000Z

Enidigm:

You know, I guess so. But I’m having fun despite the problems. I actually have a big theory post worked up and then forgotten about, regarding why games that are fun aren’t necessarily “good”, but basically some of my most memorable moments in strategy gaming came about not just despite imperfect game design or game play or game income levels, but because of it.

SotS is one of my favourite games, and I have heard it described as ‘the worst best space game ever’, and I’d agree.

Stellaris is worse than SotS by a long way right now. It has a lot of potential depth, but that’s useless unless they make it actual depth. Maybe they will.

Enidigm · 2016-05-18T07:17:53.000Z

Warp drive is already a pain in the ass. Hyper land and Wormholes are much faster (IMO).

Soapyfrog · 2016-05-18T07:18:04.000Z

Richard Holt:

But for me the randomized pile of traits to make a species works. Sure it gives the aliens less personality and makes them feel generic, but ups the feeling of the unknown and of discovering a new galaxy. That said I wish they’d taken it further, with more meaningful gameplay differences between the races. .

Yup I agree, I like wild randomness and insane racial variety and all the odd political combinations that ensue.

Also you can create races and have them be AI empires in your games, so if someone really wanted a static set of races, there is probably a way to do that.

Enidigm · 2016-05-18T07:22:52.000Z

Fifth Fret:

SotS is one of my favourite games, and I have heard it described as ‘the worst best space game ever’, and I’d agree.

Stellaris is worse than SotS by a long way right now. It has a lot of potential depth, but that’s useless unless they make it actual depth. Maybe they will.

I think it’s like how people enjoy playing Civ V despite it not being a “good game”; the hardcore fans miss the challenge of gaming the system and overcoming impossible odds like they did with Civ II-IV. There’s almost no system to game in Civ V, and no reason to game it most of the time.

Stellaris is that sort of game where there is a lot of stuff poorly document and maybe not perfectly working going on. As long as I don’t peer behind the curtain too much I can have a great time.

triggercut · 2016-05-18T07:25:04.000Z

Otagan:

Thankfully, Paradox values the freedoms of critics to make any review they see fit, as well as that reviewers should have absolute freedom to give their own opinions of a game, free from external duress of any kind.

Or so they said last week.

Wester himself harangued Tom about his reviews a few months ago.

Otagan · 2016-05-18T07:27:36.000Z

triggercut:

Wester himself harangued Tom about his reviews a few months ago.

I don’t think I can embed my tongue in my cheek any more firmly than I already have.

Enidigm · 2016-05-18T07:28:55.000Z

triggercut:

Wester himself harangued Tom about his reviews a few months ago.

To be fair, he was ‘wrong’ about Crusader Kings 2, if his score and the judgement of history are to be taken into account. As he is (IMO) about Uncharted 2 or 3 which are better games than 1. Now there’s nothing wrong with having differences of opinion of course, but what it comes down to is how much weight you give to your objections of where you found the game wanting, and if that’s a ‘fair’ evaluation of the problems (whatever that means). Game reviewing is a weird thing.