‘Stellaris’ Game: Real-Time Strategy Title May Put ‘StarCraft’ To Shame, But Not For The Reason You Think


The upcoming Stellaris game from Paradox interactive is looking to take real-time strategy in a different, much bolder direction. This title doesn’t appear to be competing with big-name titles like StarCraft or the Age series (Empires, Mythology, etc.), but rather taking a different, broader approach.

This doesn’t mean that hardcore RTS fans are losing their taste for the difficulty of defending a civilization while attempting to build it. The StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void trailer released in September still gained a lot of positive attention, as previously reported by the Inquisitr.

Paradox is shying away from the overly competitive aspects and focusing more on a real-time strategy method which emulates the original Star Trek, according to PC World. Players wander the galaxy as they build an intergalactic civilization and occasionally encounter alien races who may or may not be peaceful themselves.

This could make the Stellaris game a welcome change of pace for gamers who tire of the “rush” tactics often used in titles like StarCraft, or the AI harassment in games like Age of Mythology. The player can create their civilization in peace, allowing people to thrive, but building a good defensive side as well, just in case someone from another planet or civilization wants to start some trouble.

Director Henrik Fahraeus has also stated how most real-time strategy titles tend to drag on late in the game, as players have exhausted the tech tree by the end of the campaign and there is little left other than attacking other settlements to expand the empire. With over 10,000 planets available to choose from, there is less reason to attack other players, of which there are up to 32. It’s possible to spend hours simply managing and settling on new land without being attacked in the Stellaris game.

Paradox has also dealt with the late game issue by introducing “administrators,” or units to regulate established colonies so players can focus on establishing new ones. Sometimes these units can turn on on the player, who will have to decide between diplomacy or an iron fist, as GameSpot reports.

Of course the game is unlikely to head to consoles, since titles this complex are often only playable on PC. Old school gamers might remember when the original StarCraft was ported to the Nintendo 64. The console was barely able to play it, suffering from severe slowdown when the action came to a head. Paradox’s game is expected to be more on the scale of EVE Online, a title with a more Halo-style counterpart on consoles so everybody can share the galaxy no matter what their machine is.

The expansive nature of the Stellaris game also allows for gamers to possibly always learn something new every time they play. This could be a tech tree option that hasn’t been tried yet, or a strategy which can keep peace among the colonies where it may have failed previously.

As stated above, the Stellaris game could also give players sudden challenges as possibly hostile alien races invade colonies and the player is forced to make them back for their own good.

Even though Paradox’s game allows for peaceful gameplay and diplomatic colonization, players still have the option of playing the warmonger, enslaving other colonies and being the galaxy’s greatest menace. PC gamers play it their own way, and with up to 31 other players sharing the galaxy, plus randomly generating alien races, the game could change at almost any time.

As massive and ambitious as Blizzard’s StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void is expected to be, more laid-back gamers might prefer opting for more. By the Stellaris game’s release date, gamers will have the option of conquering a planet, or exploring the galaxy and dealing with the great unknown.

[Image via Paradox Interactive]

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