14 DAY TRIAL // One of the most interesting titles coming to the strategy genre this year is Stellaris from Paradox Development Studio, a title that aims to bring some of the core grand strategy concepts to an unfamiliar setting: space.
A new developer diary from the studio offers a first look at the extensive ship designer and customization options, which will allow gamers to tweak their spacecraft and their fleets to better suit upcoming battles or to simply keep peace in controlled space.
Every ship in Stellaris will have at least one section on which a variety of components can be placed, with the larger battleships getting access to three of them in order to fit a lot of hardware that makes them formidable as part of a fleet.
The developer explains that "The number of slots on each section (slots to place components) may vary between different sections. You can choose all different sections by yourself. The sections are divided into categories based on where they are placed on the ship, so a stern section cannot be placed in the middle section position."
Gamers can place weapons in slots that range from small to large, with each type having different requirements and offering offensive and defensive capabilities that suit a wide variety of built and play styles.
Shields, power reactions and types of Faster Than Light engines are also required to make a ship design viable, and thrusters and computers are also required for those spacecraft that plan to engage in combat.
Only ships using the same system for interstellar travel will be able to join the same group and travel and fight together.
Gamers will get the option to auto-generate ships, using an algorithm that the Artificial Intelligence will also use if they are not interested in tweaking the designs themselves.
Solar systems defense lines and military stations can also be created in the mid and late game.
Stellaris will offer some innovative mechanics
Gamers will be able to design their own civilizations and then choose how they want to explore and colonize the space around them, before interacting with other empires diplomatically and economically and, sometimes, choosing to go to war either to defend their possessions or to expand them.
Paradox wants to create a complex game, with a full semi-random tech tree for every campaign and complex interaction between characters at various levels of power.
Stellaris is not focused on ship design and combat, and it allows players to carefully manage their planets and the way they develop their civilization.
The studio says that its new design will be influenced by its previous titles but will also introduce some entirely new ideas that are suited to the science fiction setting.
Paradox has a long history of delivering solid grand strategy experiences, but until now they have focused on major historical events or periods, creating a system of extensive long-term support via both free patches and downloadable content with major new features.
Stellaris will only be offered on the PC and does not currently have a launch window.
