Stellaris

Stellaris Might Be The Game to Get You Into Grand Strategy

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It would be an understatement to say I've been looking forward to Paradox's Stellaris. While I'll have full thoughts/review next week, with the embargo lifted I can start talking a little about and showing the preview build I've been playing.

One of the most interesting questions to me about Stellaris is how well it's poised to bring new players into Paradox grand strategy gaming. While it still has that Paradox feel to it, this game is the most like a traditional 4X game I've played from the game studio, and it does an interesting job of walking the line between the depth and complexity of grand strategy and the familiar trappings of a game like Civilization or Master of Orion.

In many ways, particularly at the start of the game, when new players most need the support, Stellaris presents itself in terms almost any strategy gamer will be familiar with.

I recorded this video to take a deeper look at Stellaris and its approachability, particularly for players who've avoided or been nervous about diving into previous Paradox titles like Europa Universalis and Crusader Kings.

In addition I've started a more formal Let's Play working off the pre-release code. You can watch episode 1 here:

Comments

This is perfect timing. Really happy to know you made this. Will watch later!

Fantastic! I was anticipating this already, but those videos have me jumping up and down and squealing like my four year old! Thanks!

Good video. I hadnt really checked Stellaris out but it looks good. Im one of those who owns both EU3 and EU4 with many expansions for both and probably has about 3 hours played combined between them because of the density of information (and, lets face it, lack of pure fortitude).

When you say you start as France with wars and armies and vassals and complex relationships and trade agreements, thats what I feel like. Having the chance to build up from closer to scratch is appealing.

I'll call your video a success... Got me over the hump to preorder it. Thanks Sean?

Thanks, so much for these. They are well done. The years of podcasting experience really shows. Very listenable and helpful.

This is great. Thanks Sean. Already ordered.

I'm hoping by ordering and playing 1.0 of Stellaris I'll be able to grow with it. If you wait for the 3rd DLC of a Paradox title you are looking at a sheer cliff of a learning curve.

Carl

Thanks for the video, Elysium. I had been interested in Stellaris a few months ago, but was still afraid that it would have the steep learning curve for someone like me, who's never played a grand strategy game, although I've played and enjoyed a few 4X games over the years. After watching your video aimed at people like me, I decided to pull the trigger.

Will definitely be watching this when I get more time. I bounced off of the EU and Crusader Kings series *hard*, despite a genuine desire to get into them. It felt like a tidal wave of information without the context to let me know what I needed to care about.

For these games, I wonder if it might not be better to have the tutorial entirely divorced from the main game. Some fake, isolated country with one small neighbour, with an entirely contrived economic, political, and military progression that allows the tutorial to say "hey, your neighbour isn't happy with you right now, let's go find out why!" and so forth.

I feel like those videos you see of wild dogs circling an encampment. I really want to come to the fire, and the food smells *so good*, but it's bright and noisy, and I'm afraid of getting kicked in the ribs again.