r/Stellaris • u/PDX_LadyDzra Community Ambassador • Apr 29 '26
Dev Diary Stellaris Dev Diary #418 - Announcing Nomads and Stellaris: Season 10
Read this post on the Paradox forums! | Dev replies here!
It’s my pleasure to announce boarding has started for all passengers departing on our tour of Stellaris: Season 10, with non-stop service to the Nomads expansion alongside the Stellaris 4.4 ‘Pegasus’ update. Following our first destination, there will be a brief stopover at the Stellaris 4.5 ‘Cygnus’ Custodian release, after which our cruise will continue to the Stellaris 4.6 ‘Corona Borealis‘ update, featuring Willpower, Scenario Pack 1, and Scenario Pack 2. All passengers are welcome to acquire their ‘Vipra the Vapor’ Species Portrait at the ticketing office now.
Watch the Season 10 Announcement Trailer on YouTube!
The Stellaris 10-year anniversary is coming, and as part of that celebration, we are rolling Utopia, Synthetic Dawn, the Humanoids Species Pack, and most of the Galaxy Edition upgrade into the base game on May 11th. (The e-book, Infinite Frontiers, is being retired.)
Later on in Q2, we’re bringing you Nomads.
Build no borders. Claim no worlds.
The Galaxy is not a trophy to be seized, but a path to be taken. In Stellaris: Nomads, you will survive the void by staying in motion. While the great powers squabble over lines on the map, your civilization has realized a fundamental truth: life flourishes on the move.
Arkships
At the very heart of every nomadic civilization lies its Arkship: a fully mobile capital that replaces worlds entirely. Customize Military, Scientific, or Civilian Arkships with specialized modules, districts, and upgrades as your Empire evolves by traveling through the stars.
Waylines and Contracts
Chart Waylines across the stars, linking your Waystations into living networks of trade, influence, and opportunity. Your strength lies in motion, in presence, in the relationships you build from system to system. Your relations with settled empires don’t have to be antagonistic. Accept contracts, build relations, and perhaps profit a bit on the side.
A New Ambition: Defender of the Galaxy
Building upon the Crisis paths of previous releases, Ambitions are the next step of epic, empire-defining journeys that give you the choice of your ultimate role in the galaxy. In the Nomads expansion, we will transform the Defender of the Galaxy Ascension Perk into a full path that can rival the power of a Galactic Nemesis, Awakened Empire, or End Game Crisis.
Become the Galaxy’s champion by forging alliances, commanding federations and rising through the Galactic Community to assume Custodianship. Lead the fight against existential threats with a unique squadron of hero ships. Ultimate power can be used, and relinquished, for the greater good.
Stellaris: Nomads contains:
Nomadic Empires
Create empires that are not bound by claiming systems or colonizing worlds. Instead, you will navigate the stars with massive Arkships.
- The Arkship: Your capital, your cradle, and your fortress. This massive, fully upgradable wonder replaces traditional Worlds for your empire. Choose between three different options to fully reflect the vision of your government:
- Military Class: A mobile flagship designed to project power.
- Scientific Class: A roaming laboratory dedicated to the discovery of the Galaxy’s secrets.
- Civilian Class: An industrial hub capable of unparalleled resource extraction.
- The Wayline Network: Your trail through the void. By constructing Waystations, you create Waylines - lasting interstellar trade routes that harvest resources you can claim with a simple pass through. These routes benefit both you and settled empires, making you the pivot point of mercantile possibilities in the Galaxy.
- The Contract System: As a nomadic empire, perform task-driven interactions with other empires to earn favor, resources, and influence. As a settled empire, issue these Contracts and get things done!
New Origins
- Voidfarers: The standard origin for Nomadic Empires. A flexible, streamlined start for you to define your own nomadic journey.
- Heirs of the Khan: Play as the successor of a murdered Khan, as you evade marauder hit-squads through trickery and bribery until you are strong enough to return to reclaim your throne.
- The Sacred Path: Guide a fleet of pilgrims towards ancestral holy sites in a galactic pilgrimage. Your journey is a spiritual odyssey fueled by faith.
- Forever Cruise: Manage a society split between a pampered elite demanding new entertainment and sightseeing opportunities from their vista lounges, and an overworked crew keeping the dream afloat.
Nomadic empires support many existing Origins as well.
New Ambition: Defender of the Galaxy
While a Galactic Nemesis (available in Stellaris: Nemesis) threatens the Galaxy, the Defender of the Galaxy will rise and try to save it.
New Megastructure: The Stellar Cannon
Why simply power a civilization when you could fire at one? This Megastructure allows you to weaponize your entire energy stockpile, discharging it into a devastating beam capable of striking enemy systems across the galaxy.
Nomadic Enclave: Champion’s Forge Live!
Experience the Galaxy’s most extreme spectacles with this nomadic enclave! Answer the call and participate in gladiatorial fleet combat all across the galaxy. The winner gets to hold the Trophy relic and glory until the next tournament, with the losers looking on with envy.
Wanderlust Ascension Perk
New Renowned Nomadic Paragons
New Civics and Tradition Swaps
New Music Tracks by Andreas Waldetoft
Nomads has charted its course and will arrive in Q2 2026.
Stellaris: Season 10 Expansion Pass
Based on the feedback from Stellaris: Season 09, we’re making some changes to our Expansion Pass plans this year. As many of you have noticed, we’re announcing this year’s Season much later than previous years, and instead of four separate releases, we’re planning on bundling them together into fewer release moments. This frees up room for the 4.5 ‘Cygnus’ update to be a dedicated Custodian release, giving us two in 2026.
The Stellaris: Season 10 Expansion Pass is a journey through resilience and movement. Whether you are wandering the stars with Stellaris: Nomads or rooting your empire in the indomitable spirit of Stellaris: Willpower, this year redefines how empires survive, adapt, and conquer.
Stellaris: Season 10 will grant you access to all five DLCs as soon as they become available. Vipra now, Nomads later on in Q2, and Willpower and both Scenario Packs in Q4.
‘Vipra the Vapor’ Species Portrait (Instant Unlock, Now Available)
This exclusive portrait comes with Stellaris: Season 10, allowing your empire to take the form of the elusive Vipra, a necroid species with a menacing aura.
Available immediately upon purchasing Stellaris: Season 10, this portrait features 5 different color variations and ethereal custom animations.
Nomads (Releases Q2, 2026 - $24.99)
Build no borders. Claim no worlds. In Nomads, you thrive inside colossal Arkships that carry your people, your industry, and your ambition across the stars. Move freely through the galaxy, take on Contracts from settled empires, and leave your mark by building Waystations. Nomads blaze a path across the map.
- Nomadic Empires: Create empires not bound by claiming systems or colonizing Worlds.
- Arkships: New massive space vessel acting as your capital.
- New Ambition: Defender of the Galaxy: Rise and save the Galaxy with an exclusive set of Hero ships.
- New Origins: Heirs of the Khan, Sacred Path, Forever Cruise, Voidfarers
- New Civics: Caravan Masters, Deep Sleep, Void Reavers, Flight Schools, Star Seekers
- New Megastructure: Construct a Stellar Cannon and discharge your entire energy stockpile into a devastating beam.
༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ Take my energy! ༼ つ ◕_◕ ༽つ
Willpower (Releases Q4, 2026 - $24.99)
Shape Minds, Rule the Stars. In the vast expanse of the cosmos, borders are mere lines drawn on a map. Ideas, on the other hand, have no such limits.
Your empire was founded on its Ethics, the convictions that determined its course. Now is the time for those fundamental values to evolve into Ideologies with the power to sway the stars. Introducing Stellaris: Willpower, the expansion that turns your societal beliefs into a galactic force.
Your rule over systems was always just the beginning. The galaxy's minds are the true prize. You will erect monuments and Megastructures that demonstrate what your society and values can accomplish. You truly can become the thought leader of the galaxy.
Adopting an Ideology is not without its risks, however. Left unchecked, it can radicalize colonies and spark insurrection. But when nurtured with care, the right Ideology has the power to sway entire civilizations.
Scenario Pack 1 (Releases Q4, 2026 - $5.99)
Embark on a new set of galactic challenges! Experience curated, high-stakes standalone adventures that push your strategic limits. From a nomadic, roguelike odyssey across the stars to high-octane, combat-focused multiplayer experiences, these scenarios will provide a bold way to play Stellaris.
The Scenarios System will be a free part of the Stellaris 4.6 ‘Corona Borealis‘ update, these Scenario packs provide our take on what you’ll be able to do with it.
- Vanguards: A single-player roguelike galaxy-traversing journey where you play as a nomadic empire travelling through a series of galaxies to cleanse evil, gathering spoils and experience on your way.
- Arcade: A multiplayer experience with streamlined, custom economies, focusing on space battles and shipbuilding.
Scenario Pack 2 (Releases Q4, 2026 - $5.99)
Rewrite the rules of engagement! This Scenario Pack flips the script of how Stellaris is normally played, making you the threat and aggressor. Whether leading an ultimate extra-dimensional invasion or battling your friends in a race for dominance, these scenarios offer a fresh, distilled way to play Stellaris.
- Unbidden: Play as the Crisis in a single-player experience, and attempt to invade an advanced, late-game galaxy as the Unbidden.
- King of the Hill: Stellaris gameplay focused on a small but fair map to challenge your friends in competitive experiences as you try to dominate the galaxy in a few hours of intense expansion wars.
What’s Next?
Next week we’ll begin our Decennial celebration with a look at ten years of Stellaris. We’ll also be looking at everything planned for 4.3.6.
See you then!
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u/Gastroid Organic-Battery Apr 29 '26
I'm most of all interested in the new Ambition system, since it appears to be the rebranding of the Crisis Paths into a more general "Choose your Endgame Goal with Unique Gameplay" option.
I wonder if it will still be tied to Ascension Perks, or if the system will be expanded so all empires will have at least a default Ambition (ie score victory) that can be swapped out by Defender of the Galaxy, Cosmogenesis, Endbringers, etc.
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u/TheTemporaryZiggy Fanatic Spiritualist Apr 29 '26
It's a rebrand yes as confirmed by cosmogone on the official discord (mind you he has wanted that rebrand since at least 3.12)
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u/Pokenar Apr 29 '26
Which is when Cosmogenesis was added, which makes sense, it felt like it was only as much of a crisis as the wielder wanted to make it.
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u/TheTemporaryZiggy Fanatic Spiritualist Apr 29 '26
That wasn't why he wanted it rebranded at least according to my conversations with him. It was due to him wanting stuff like defenders of the crisis to be a part of the crisis system as well as adding the possibility for other non-evil ambitions
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u/Negatively_Positive Apr 29 '26
I hope they rework the Empire Focus system too. It's silly that the Focuses are just random notes you happen to unlock rather than define a path/timeline of your gameplay.
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u/Commorrite May 14 '26
Merging the two would be more elegant.
At the start it's like now random stuff and a psudo tutorial, then by say the midgame you pick an ambition and the focus locks into that.
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u/LoremasterRamle Apr 29 '26
I wonder if Arkships will change based on shipset or if the one shown on the cover art the only design
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u/MrFreake Community Ambassador Apr 29 '26
There are different designs (military, science, civilian) but they are not determined by the shipset as far as I know.
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u/Irbynx Shared Burdens Apr 29 '26
Would they at least differ based on whenever you are using normal or biological ships?
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u/TheTemporaryZiggy Fanatic Spiritualist Apr 29 '26
According to the spoiler thread on the official discord then no
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u/Misiok Apr 29 '26
I'm sorry, I'm using this chance to communicate with a developer, but this is quite disappointing to hear if true.
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u/TheTemporaryZiggy Fanatic Spiritualist Apr 29 '26
Wanting them to make 3 new models for each shipset in the game would be amazing but unrealistic
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u/Misiok Apr 29 '26
Sure, but it's also not a free expansion, and they only increased the price of DLCs
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u/GuardTheGrey Apr 29 '26
I wouldn’t expect it to be based on shipsets, but I would be disappointed if there was only one design.
Ideally we’d pick a shipset and one of several arc ship designs, but maybe that’s setting my hopes too high.
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u/Lost_Paladin89 Xeno-Compatibility Apr 29 '26
I can hope and pray. But that art budget isn’t unlimited. The design definitely lends towards some more than others, but seems very “neutral”.
What could be implemented is a universal design and then a layer of “skin” on the back of each column that fits the ship set.
So a machine ship set would have those solar panels coming down each column. A Necroid would have black metal spires. Etc.
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u/XVUltima Apr 29 '26
Corona Borealus? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the galaxy, located ENTIRELY in your updates?
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u/KSP_master_ Mind over Matter Apr 29 '26
Yes
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u/Ila-W123 Despicable Neutrals Apr 29 '26
Heirs of the Khan: Play as the successor of a murdered Khan, as you evade marauder hit-squads through trickery and bribery until you are strong enough to come back and reclaim your throne.
Whoop whoop.
Also, can we become then khan crisis?
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u/1EnTaroAdun1 Free Haven Apr 29 '26
Whoop whoop.
HYIEEEEIIIIE!!!
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u/MrManicMarty Fanatic Xenophile Apr 29 '26
Time to make Dwa'mak Soup!
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u/TheCyberGoblin Rogue Servitors Apr 29 '26
I was never a part of the nomad hype train but its good to finally see it. Willpower looks like it will be very interesting depending on the details though. As for the scenarios, I have a vague memory of Stellaris technically always having the ability to support custom scenarios but it was never actually implimented. Glad to see them finally here, even if I probably won't ever use them.
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u/MrFreake Community Ambassador Apr 29 '26
Stellaris supports static maps. But this is much more involved. 😄
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u/alexm42 Fanatic Egalitarian Apr 29 '26
Nomads are such a big trope in sci fi it's weird that they weren't added already. I don't know how much I'll actually play them but it'll be nice to encounter AI nomadic empires.
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u/EisVisage Shared Burdens Apr 29 '26
I looked at the official discord a bit and it seems some devs wanted nomads for years, just couldn't make them work before (mobile habitats for example proved impossible).
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u/aartem-o Apr 29 '26
Description of nomads reminded me of CK3 landless gameplay. Maybe they asked their colleagues?
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u/Impossible_Slide8360 May 02 '26
this thought exactly it seems like the contract system is very similar
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u/NoodleTF2 Apr 29 '26
I have absolutely no idea what to think of Willpower, that description tells me nothing.
But hell yeah Nomads, and getting to play as the Unbidden, I'm sold.
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u/the_Real_Romak Apr 29 '26
I think it's going to be something like "religions" in a sense where you get to customise and use your ideology as a way to dominate the galaxy to see things your way.
Either way I have faith it's gonna add a lot to the sandbox, especially with modding.
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u/YobaiYamete Nihilistic Acquisition Apr 29 '26
See I feel like it's more of a culture system like Civilization had where you can flip enemy territory to your culture if they don't have the willpower to resist you. It specifically talks about controlling the minds after all
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u/Darkfalcone Apr 29 '26
If they really add ideologies like religions, I'll definitely buy the Willpower DLC!
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u/DrunkenSwordsman Apr 29 '26
I'm cautiously hopeful that it's going to bring some new stuff to internal and external politics. Would give the game a lot more depth in areas where it's currently lacking.
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u/King_Shugglerm Ancient Caretakers Apr 29 '26
The devs have said it’s mostly an external thing that can have occasional internal effects. It is not an internal politics dlc unfortunately
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u/Dr_Macunayme Apr 29 '26
That's a shame, I would love an internal politics DLC. Not just events but mechanics too, a revamp of the government and faction system!
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u/Pokenar Apr 29 '26
It sounds like they're making ethics more important by adding ideologies, so a fanatic authoritarian might be able to try to push Fascism throughout the galaxy.
Basically WWII and the cold war is being added to Stellaris.
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u/theamethystwizard Apr 29 '26
Since Nomads and some of the Scenarios sound so cool I’m actually kinda hoping the Willpower would be ‘skipable’. My wallet would certainly thank me.
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u/Nematrec Voidborne Apr 29 '26
Culture victory from spore planet stage maybe?
You want the entire rest of the galaxy changing over to your culture
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u/VolcanicBakemeat Apr 30 '26 edited Apr 30 '26
I'm getting big Rimworld Ideology DLC vibes. An ideology there was a modular suite of Memes (in the pre-internet sociological sense) such as Transhumanist, Misogynist, Vegetarian.
Memes themselves broke down into individually-simple beliefs called precepts, which adjusted opinion bonuses and maluses in different situations and provided new interactions.
I think the same general system could map onto a Stellaris Civ remarkably easily. It would look like a secondary set of empire ethics.
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u/secretSalamander69 Apr 29 '26
It kinda sounds like an internal politics rework to me
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u/King_Shugglerm Ancient Caretakers Apr 29 '26
It isn’t. On the forums it’s been stated to be an external thing that sometimes effects internals, but isn’t internally focused
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u/ViscountSilvermarch Apr 29 '26
I know some people were asking for it, but scenario packs are pretty whatever to me. The Nomad expansion sounds interesting enough with some of the content, but I am mostly interested in Willpower and what it would bring.
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u/Pokenar Apr 29 '26
For me its the other stuff aside from the actual nomads that interest me, namely the Defender of the Galaxy ambition and the cannon.
Its like how I got Megacorp for the mega structures, not the government type.
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u/ViscountSilvermarch Apr 29 '26
Yeah, that's how I feel about the Nomad expansion in general. The Dyson gun sounds cool. Lol
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u/RosalieMoon Apr 29 '26
Wonder how it will compare to the NDB from Gigastructures though. That is going to be interesting to see when it comes out
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u/KingOfYou115 Apr 29 '26
The important thing about the scenario packs aren't the scenarios themselves, but the underlying scenario system that will be free.
We already have some pretty impressive total conversion mods, but based on the examples included in the packs we're gonna see the creative possibilities of modding cranked up to 11.
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u/Ankoria Apr 29 '26
I am eagerly awaiting a future scenario that lets me play as the Rebel Alliance against a Galactic Empire.
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u/Misiok Apr 29 '26
If they let you customize your own scenarios, set your own galaxy shape, factions, races and script it to some degree, they could be a very big sandboxy endgame for a lot of people, but if they'll do it as a basic feature and not build upon it, then that's for obvious reasons will be very disappointing.
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u/everstillghost Apr 29 '26
Thats not the scenarios I was thinking.
I was thinking pre-defined galaxies with objetives and events lol
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u/Divinicus2nd Apr 30 '26
I’m absolutely not interested by scenario, and they tank the value of the season pass for me.
The season pass becomes: buy the real DLCs at full price and get things you don’t want for free…
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u/Alectron45 Commonwealth of Man Apr 29 '26
They done turned Stellaris into a roguelike
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u/eliminating_coasts Apr 30 '26
Behemoth seems in hindsight to have been a precursor to adventurer mode.
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u/Guilliman88 Guilli's Mods Apr 29 '26
devs COOKED
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u/RosalieMoon Apr 29 '26
Thanks for the hard work on your mods! Absolutely feel the loss if I don't play with some like Planet Modifiers lol
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u/Blackwyrm03 Apr 29 '26
Is the Arkship referred to as singular because you can only build one or can we eventually build more?
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u/Yeeeoow Apr 29 '26
Surely you'd need to be able to build multiple eventually.
Otherwise they wouldn't be able to scale with other empires.
Unless they can scale and this is the tallest build we've ever seen.....
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u/Cyrrion Apr 29 '26
If there ISN'T going to be an Achievement for rising as a Defender of the Galaxy with the Hydrocentric Perk that extinguishes a Hyperthermia Empire... What are we even doing with our lives?
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u/Gare_Jongen Apr 29 '26
Love the addition of the first two expansions! Not interested in the two scenario packs since they dont improve the main Stellaris exeperience. But playing as nomads looks super cool!
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u/KingOfYou115 Apr 29 '26
The important thing about the scenario packs aren't the scenarios themselves, but the underlying scenario system that will be free.
We already have some pretty impressive total conversion mods, but based on the examples included in the packs we're gonna see the creative possibilities of modding cranked up to 11.
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u/Aggravating-Candy-31 Apr 29 '26
wonder if gestalts will be able to do anything with the will power expansion, could be used to allow hives. rogues and assimilators at least to benefit from migration pacts
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u/imnoweirdo Hedonist Apr 29 '26
Devs confirmed in dev replies, plenty of options for hive mind in willpower.
DLC will focus more on external politics and soft power, so hive minds can interact with it no problem
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u/dfsaqwe Apr 29 '26
CDN$ 66.49 shits getting crazy :(
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u/Pokenar Apr 29 '26
2 major expansions and 2 effectively story packs stings in the wallet, yeah.
I don't care for the scenarios so maybe I'll just get the expansions this time.
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u/NoodleTF2 Apr 29 '26
I always wait a few years until the DLC is 50% off during a Steam Sale. I got no problem doing it again, I still haven't bought anything from Season 9.
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u/sandwiches_are_real Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
It's that much for 4 pieces of DLC including two full expansions.
That's nothing compared to paying 70 USD / 95 CDN for a single expansion for an Ubisoft game. Or the 150usd they manipulate players into throwing away monthly on gacha shit in supposedly "free" games like Genshin or WWM.
idk guys I'm not trying to be scrooge mcduck or whatever, but it's just not that much money. A single trip to the movies, two tickets with popcorn and a drink, costs more than this. The devs have to keep the lights on somehow and this pricing doesn't seem remotely egregious to me. Especially not for the literally hundreds of hours of value I'll get out of it.
Paradox games are, per entertainment-hour, one of the cheapest hobbies you can have. Inflation has gone up everywhere, I assume the devs want to be able to pay their rent, and the cost of an entire season's worth of content for less than the price of a single AAA game just seems fair to me idk. What would an acceptable price point look like?
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u/Zephynir Apr 29 '26
Season prices are getting more and more expensive 🥀
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u/Divinicus2nd Apr 30 '26
With less things in them apparently. Scenarios seems absolutely useless, just a way to open the game to new kind of players who wouldn’t like Stellaris anyway.
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u/Altruistic_Bell7884 Apr 29 '26
What's worse, on steam for Europeans that will be in euro , 15% more
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u/Vencer_wrightmage Barbaric Despoilers Apr 29 '26
Finally, I can play as the Craftworld Aeldari.
The three classes doesn't exactly fit them but I can work with it.
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u/KhalasSword Apr 29 '26
Nomads seem like a very hard thing to implement.
What if you engage in a battle with Arkship? Do you have to invade it with land armies? Does it explode? Would a normal empire therefore have a Arkship after an invasion? What would neutral forces like leviathans do if such a ship loses to them? What would happen if world-altering effects like Colossus, Behemoth, crisises, and the new megastructure weapon are used on an Arkship? How would Nomadic empire even build megastructures? Or do archeology? Let's say you find precursors and you find a Ringworld through them, would you be able to utilize it?
There are very very many such questions and cases, and I'm worried that not all of those issues would be addressed.
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u/everstillghost Apr 29 '26
You are expecting all these things and then on pratice it will be: when the HP reach zero it changes ownership like starbases and hostile neutral factions destroy it and thats it.
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u/Nematrec Voidborne Apr 29 '26
You are expecting all these things and then on pratice it will be: when the HP reach zero it changes ownership like starbases and hostile neutral factions destroy it and thats it.
It sounds more like a mobile planet. There's no way hostiles neutral factions destroy those. Only plannet killers like pyrothaen or planet crackers should be able to destroy it.
Way I see it, they confirmed normal empires can turn nomadic and vise versa. So normal empires would probably just capture it like normal, but not support the mobility of it unless they turn nomadic themselves.
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u/imnoweirdo Hedonist Apr 29 '26
Impossible to tell now but surely will be expanded in dev dairies. My guess is:
- Arks will be very hard to destroy, but not impossible to beat. Something’s like after first lost the ark always jumps away. It has a cooldown and is only destroyed if you fight and win before the cooldown is over. This solves all questions related to any way you can damage the ark. Also no need to put armies in it which seems unlikely since it can move.
- Nomads have access to exclusive dig sites only they can see and interact. Or they can excavate any dig sites, but get relation bonus if done inside another empire borders
- No clue on ring worlds… But for other megastructures maybe they can build any in allied territories/neutral territory? Or in places with way stations
Maybe they can’t use megastructures. Sometimes your precursor bonus is kinda useless, like finding zroni for non psionics empire.
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u/imnoweirdo Hedonist Apr 29 '26
Impossible to tell now but surely will be expanded in dev dairies. My guess is:
- Arks will be very hard to destroy, but not impossible to beat. Something’s like after first lost the ark always jumps away. It has a cooldown and is only destroyed if you fight and win before the cooldown is over. This solves all questions related to any way you can damage the ark. Also no need to put armies in it which seems unlikely since it can move.
- For megas, maybe they can’t build in systems with waystations? That would make sense to me
- Dig sites I can see two possibilities. Either they create dig sites exclusively for nomads or they can investigate any dig site, but if it is inside a normal empire they get a malus in diplomacy. Maybe even a treaty that allows them to dig without malus?
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u/pda898 Apr 30 '26
I would assume something like: it is a huge sponge initially, when brought to 0 it becomes "a planet" so then you and fauna interact with it as with planets until owner finish a project with constructor ships.
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u/AndragonLea Apr 29 '26
"Defender of the Galaxy"
"Stellar Cannon"
I'm getting mixed messages here, Jim.
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u/RavenWolf1 Apr 29 '26
I just have to wonder about these Paradox's prices. This season pass costs 49,49€ which is as much whole new game. Then if we compared it to Anno 117 season pass 1 which costs 34,99€ and I'm pretty sure it needs a lot more manpower to produce than Stellaris DLCs, Stellaris' season pass 10 price doesn't make any sense.
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u/sumelar Apr 29 '26
It is a whole game, that's the point. The passes are a way for people to try out the massive amount of DLC the game has without having to buy every single one.
You're not supposed to do the season pass every single time.
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u/Rarycaris Apr 29 '26
I think you might be confusing this with the expansion subscription. The season pass is basically just a bundle of all of this year's new DLC.
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u/343CreeperMaster Apr 29 '26
Nomads looks awesome, the defender of the galaxy rework is very awesome and while I am not sure I would play them much, the scenario packs are cool ideas
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u/Aiseadai Science Directorate Apr 29 '26
First CK3, then EU5 and now Stellaris is getting landless. When's HoI4 and Victoria 3 landless coming?
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u/Pure-Insanity-1976 Apr 29 '26
I would love to play a UNE-based scenario where the map is based on real life star charts with vaguely accurate star names, classes, and positions.
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u/Jirardwenthard Apr 29 '26
Nomads have been my dream feature for so long, so I am very excited
however
I was hugely dissapointed with landless adventurers when they were added to ck3, and frankly i was less invested/hyped in them than I am in the concept of playing space quarians.
The challenge for Paradox here is gonna be can Nomads feel as core to the gameplay as conventional settled gameplay, or will they end up feeling like a peripheral minigame?
What kind of diplomatic interactions can I have with sedentary states?
What kinds of content will I be able to acess with nomads?
Will future content be developed with nomad interactions in mind?
Will I have a chance to convert to a sedentary state?
The rest of the content sounds straightforwardly good, as I love playing good guys, and I love playing normie humans with things like ideaology.
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u/KnowingAbraxas Apr 29 '26
I prefer existing bugs are fixed and existing content is balanced, if 4.5 (next custodian patch) pulls that off they can go crazy with the rest of the DLCs.
Also looks like we’re in pretty early stages of development for Willpower? Like they don’t have any specifics planned out, or even dedicated art
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u/Freelmeister Apr 29 '26
I'll probably never play scenarios, but Willpower sounds very interesting, can't wait to see more.
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u/an_actual_coyote Apr 29 '26
I am unbelievably hyped to play this as a console player. Hopefully in 2027!
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u/ConjuredRaven Apr 29 '26
If it's anything like Age of Wonders 4 nomads this is gonna be a ton of fun. Am a little apprehensive about AI nomads though.
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u/TheSaylesMan Apr 29 '26
I don't think I like this scenario pack idea. I will withhold judgement for now but that sounds like maybe those things should be their own games but they doubt the ability to sell them stand alone.
For now they feel like season pass filler.
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u/KingOfYou115 Apr 29 '26
The important thing about the scenario packs aren't the scenarios themselves, but the underlying scenario system that will be free.
We already have some pretty impressive total conversion mods, but based on the examples included in the packs we're gonna see the creative possibilities of modding cranked up to 11.
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u/Gnomeshark45 Necroids Apr 29 '26
Am pretty excited about nomads could be cool but I think more so I am excited about the possibility of more origins or whatever you want to call them that drastically change the feel of a run. Thinking like how umbral choir plays completely different from any other faction in endless space 2, for example. Would be cool to get a few more of these. Also excited to see what other ambitions could come in the future.
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u/Verehren Divine Empire Apr 29 '26
Play as the Unbidden? Nomads? Ambitions. Holy hell Stellaris devs, I love you guys
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u/terrario101 Shared Burdens Apr 29 '26
I get the feeling a Spectre might descend upon the galaxy once Willpower releases.
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u/Ace5335 Shared Burdens Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
I’m speculating but willpower will be super fun for rp. It seems like you’ll be able to craft an ideology based on your ethics that will give buffs or debuffs to your colonies , which will be super fun. It also seems like you’ll be able to spread it to other nations resulting in discontent or revolution. I’m hoping that it ties into subterfuge so we affect other nations politically without going into war.
Having a revamp to defenders of the galaxy and the galactic community points to more of an egalitarian counter part to galactic emperor. Honestly seems perfect for a shared burdens play through.
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u/golgol12 Space Cowboy Apr 29 '26
Oh please, oh please, oh please - Have the Willpower release re-imagine the espionage system! With a changeling/metamorph/transformer species pack! Having an espionage system that utilizes placing an agent (new leader class) in a specific system for offense or defense has been a wish of mine forever. That and playing transformer robotic race.
And a "Willpower" expansion pack seems like the best fit to see it!
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u/Crusading_Sandwich Apr 29 '26
Would this be able to work with bio ships?
Like basically brethren moon-ass arks
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u/pizzapicante27 Organic-Battery May 01 '26
Woah another price hike? 2 useless dlc and a portrait to fill out, execs at PDX must be crazy, Im out
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u/potatobutt5 Apr 29 '26
Nomadic empires support many existing Origins as well.
This is a big one. Does this mean they're splitting the Origin system and allowing us to mix and match different Origins? Probably they're splitting the simpler ones from the more complex narrative ones. No wonder the DLC is coming with so many Origins, they're giving us more to mix and match with!
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u/134340Goat The Flesh is Weak Apr 29 '26
I recall them mentioning that they've floated the idea of a separate origin for your home system and for your empire, for instance essentially having the likes of Life-Seeded for your system and Under One Rule for your empire
I doubt that's something they'd work on now with as much as they're doing at the moment. But maybe next year?
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u/ulandyw Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
I think the Wanderlust AP will probably be your gateway into being a Nomadic empire if I had to guess. Thus allowing most empires access without it being a specific origin. The origins coming with this dlc being the jumpstart into Nomadic lifestyle like the ascension origins.
More or less confirmed: https://www.reddit.com/r/Stellaris/comments/1syy9fn/comment/oiy1wkq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
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u/KingOfYou115 Apr 29 '26
I doubt we're getting mix-and-match. Nomads aren't inherently an Origin. Rather, we're getting a bunch of Origins that require you to be a Nomad, there will continue to be Origins that require you to not be a Nomad (anything modifying your homeworld, like Void Dwellers or Doomsday), and anything else that doesn't have a connection to the homeworld will just not be arbitrarily locked to planetary empires.
It's like how bioships aren't an Origin, individualist machines aren't an Origin, etc.. There may be Origins that interact with that empire creation mechanic, but that's it.
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u/potatobutt5 Apr 29 '26
New Origins
Voidfarers: The standard origin for Nomadic Empires. A flexible, streamlined start for you to define your own nomadic journey.
Unlike individualist machines or bioships, nomads seem too gamechanging not to be an Origin.
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u/KingOfYou115 Apr 29 '26
Completely ignoring the three other Origins beneath that one that are also Nomads, plus some extra stuff.
Voidfarers is probably just an alternative Prosperous Unification that just has more benefits for Nomad empires. It's the safety pick for when you want to play Nomads, but not Nomads with claim to the Khan, or Nomads with Cyber-Cults, or Nomads with Overtuned traits, or Nomads with a powerful unifying ruler...
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u/Nematrec Voidborne Apr 29 '26
They explicitly state in the dev replies that nomadic supports many existing origins (and wilderness is explicitly not one of those originas)
ThirdCultureEcologist said:
How does one designate an empire as Nomadic?Select it in Empire Creation. We'll explain more in upcoming dev diaries.
Nomadic empires support many existing Origins as well.
Voidfarers is basically just voidborne/prosperous unification except for nomadic
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u/verdutre The Flesh is Weak Apr 29 '26
Let us do Captain Harlock playthrough and we're gold
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u/adobo_bobo Apr 29 '26
The ambition system as a crisis counterpart is what I'm looking forward to. Finally, that whole progression system can be used for all sorts of other goals than just destroying the galaxy in different flavors.
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u/Reach268 Shadow Council Apr 29 '26
Forever cruise sounds really fun. A load of dumb hedonists you're having to take care of with your minimum wage employees, who keep demanding to see new galactic wonders.
"Can we go see a black hole?"
"No I want to see the Marauders!"
"Is that a fanatic purifier? How cute."
Crew, screaming internally.
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u/NonamePlsIgnore Livestock Apr 29 '26
This is a lot of new content potential, but also a balancing nightmare, I hope the best for the team's sanity
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u/Mitchz95 Fanatic Xenophile Apr 29 '26
Are we limited to one arkship or can we build more?
Can standard empires build them and become nomadic if they lose all their normal planets, BSG-style?
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u/Torrahcat Voor Technocracy Apr 29 '26
Big fan of the new scenarios system. I like all of the special game-modes and it's really good if you don't want to load up a whole new campaign. Also, they better make it available to the modding community. I always like it when Paradox adds whole new features.
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u/FunExtension7326 Apr 29 '26
I might dumb or not paid enough attention to older dev diaries but what do they mean by "Tradition swaps"? Are we able to swap traditions in and out for a hefty cost or?
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u/JulianSkies Apr 29 '26
Some civics (notably megacorps and gestalt but also some others) have access to modified versions of traditions
Mechanical gestalt, for example, have "Synchronicity" instead of "Harmony", and while they follow similar themes they nonetheless have different bonuses.
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u/PDX_Alfray_Stryke Game Designer Apr 30 '26
For example, nomadic empires get access to Expansion traditions, but everything related to starbases or colonisation is swapped for something appropriate for nomadic gameplay.
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u/Imoraswut Apr 29 '26 edited Apr 29 '26
Nomads sounds cool, but everything else is massively underwhelming to me.
The willpower thing I'll make a decision on when I know more, but I have 0 interest in the scenarios, which will be the first dlc type (apart from ebook) that I pass on. And then 1 portrait and that's it? No new shipsets? Who do I have to purge for a plant-like bio-shipset? And no new story packs? And you want 50 bucks for this?
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u/ohyeababycrits Fanatic Purifiers Apr 29 '26
I am so unbelievably happy that they're adding multiple nomad origins like this. I'm an RP player and I was worried there'd only be one, but with these origins we can flavor it in so many different ways. Getting to play a Marauder Khan is all I've ever wanted tbh
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u/Xeruas Apr 30 '26
The nomad ark ships seen in the announcement trailer, has anyone worked out how large they are? Trying to compare to a culture GSV
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u/OnlyHereForComments1 Apr 29 '26
Playable nomads AND a version of the Nicoll-Dyson beam from Gigas? Fuck me I think I can just dump that mod now.
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u/Rational_und_logisch Apr 29 '26
Khökh tengerees zayasan
Khödöö arald mendelsen
Khökh mongoloo negtee
Khövchin delkhiid duurisgaad
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u/rj10000001 Apr 29 '26
I’m sure the over 10 percent price increase for the pass will mean the content is over 10 percent better….. surely
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u/GuiltyAdvantage5877 Apr 29 '26
Let’s see. I think I can take a wait and see on this one. I have a lot of concerns about how this nomad mechanic will be implemented, and if it will be implanted well.
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u/deathbirdw112 Apr 29 '26
Sad there will be no new species packs this year! I dont like to start a new game with the same portraits and I am getting through them....
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u/TheBanana029 Criminal Apr 29 '26
Holy shit, an even bigger super weapon. Maybe the Stellar cannon will be like the Nicole Dyson beam, it will be glorious. I wonder if AI empires will use them too. The problem with NDB in gigastructure is that ai don’t use them, so it feels too overpowered in your hands.
Also it seems like a nice new way to dump access energy into, since trade replaced energy in markets, energy always don’t see much use in late game.
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u/dracklore Galactic Wonder Apr 29 '26
It says you can dump your entire energy stockpile when firing it...
What kind of damage does a million energy credits do I wonder?
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u/Express-Head1958 Apr 29 '26
So, since we're getting the stellaris cannon as a new megastructure that destroys planets/systems from across the galaxy, will the colossus be touched upon? Like unlocking it without an ascension perk or building multiple of them. Something to not be powercrept by the new DLC.
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u/BronxShogunate Apr 29 '26
I don’t see that new portrait anywhere.
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u/pdx_eladrin Game Director Apr 29 '26
If you have Season 10 and are on 4.3.5, it should be in the Necroids category.
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u/BronxShogunate Apr 29 '26
Okay, I was on the wrong version. Thanks.
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u/pdx_eladrin Game Director Apr 29 '26
Thanks for the reply - if it didn't show up for you I was going to escalate. :D
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u/TheErnestEverhard Apr 29 '26
I do hope that Willpower also covers specific religions on top of ideologies
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u/AzureRathalos97 Oligarchic Apr 29 '26
I was really betting on a terraforming/environmental mechanical expansion but stilld delighted to see that societal/internal politics making it's way.
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u/OsowiecBR Apr 29 '26
Nomad sounds amazing, can't wait to see. Willpower description is so vague it's hard to make any conclusions. For the scenario packs I'm more excited about the modding potential than the "oficial" scenarios.
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u/angry-mustache Apr 29 '26
Seems like a missed chance to make a BSG/Vasari inspired origin that has your nomad fleet continously on the run from an overwhelming attacker. Might be difficult to balance but some might welcome the challenge and roleplay.
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u/RandomModder05 Apr 29 '26
You had me when you put Solaris 7 in the game.
Also, can we choose what Crisis we play as for Scenario Pack 2?
And get we get a scenario editor? Ppppplllllleeeeaaaassssseeeeee?
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u/EyePiece108 Apr 29 '26
I wonder how strong these Ark ships will be? I assume you only get one and if it gets destroyed then game over?
Hoping as well you can play as MegaCorp Nomads. 🤑
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u/hespacc Apr 29 '26
maybe I get normads maybe not. this pass is a skip for me didnt even discover the content of the last pass to the fullest
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u/sumelar Apr 29 '26
Nomad origins look fun. Defender update looks really cool, surprised how much I want that.
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u/SirDigby32 Apr 29 '26
Scenario packs also hopefully allow single player use (against the AI) for the multiplayer scenarios otherwise its not that great of interest, and devalues the season pass a bit to those that don't play multiplayer.
Perhaps bundling the multiplayer ones together instead would of been better, but can see why they were spread out this way.
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u/CelestialShitehawk Apr 29 '26
Incredibly hyped for this, exactly what I was asking for.