I really agree with most of this. I love Traditions and Factions - having played without the first and with the others being less good, they really add a lot to the game. I hadn't thought of it before but you're right, the fact that you could keep a lot of factions happy (in that they're not self-contradictory) but sometimes have other priorities is a really powerful aspect.
I do sometimes wonder if we're all too hard on the mid-game because of how awesome the early game is. I mean, most of classic strategy games like Civ, Lords of the Realm, etc. involves all the different nations being squashed against each other and jostling for position and those are good, but because the early exploration in Stellaris it can seem like a let down. It is true that before wars used to be gruelling but hopefully the new claims/vassalise/total war etc. options (plus better fighting) make it a lot better.
One thing I remember thinking before was that the technological advance didn't seem to make much difference to how the game played, compared to a lot of earth-based games - which was a bit unsatisfying as they had such great names. I'm hoping the new features such as gateways, Dyson spheres and so on might change this now though.
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Date: 2018-07-19 09:45 pm (UTC)I do sometimes wonder if we're all too hard on the mid-game because of how awesome the early game is. I mean, most of classic strategy games like Civ, Lords of the Realm, etc. involves all the different nations being squashed against each other and jostling for position and those are good, but because the early exploration in Stellaris it can seem like a let down. It is true that before wars used to be gruelling but hopefully the new claims/vassalise/total war etc. options (plus better fighting) make it a lot better.
One thing I remember thinking before was that the technological advance didn't seem to make much difference to how the game played, compared to a lot of earth-based games - which was a bit unsatisfying as they had such great names. I'm hoping the new features such as gateways, Dyson spheres and so on might change this now though.
Tardigrades would be cool. :-)
P.S. I'd definitely recommend the expansions.