What DLC Content & Mods are worthwhile for this game?

[Enspi]

Just started my first playthrough of Stellaris (no mods or DLC content) and was wondering what DLCs are worth getting and any mods that would considerably enhance my gameplay? Suggestions would be appreciated.

[Lady Crimson (RIP)]

For every 100 hours pay 20 dollars, when you run out of stuff to buy be sad.

[Jynn]

I'd consider utopia and Leviathans both highest on the list of DLCs that add the most to the game. After that, i'd probably say Distant Stars, megacorp, and lastly apocalypse

-Utopia adds megastructures, ascension perks, as well as things like psionic pathways and genetic engineering

-Leviathans adds enclaves that you can purchase info / goods from, and giant boss monsters that provide some mid / end game goals to accomplish

-Distant stars story pack adds a lot of events that pop up while you explore, which can help the game from getting repetitive.

-apocalypse isn't as important IMO, it does bring it mega-death weapons that you can use to annihilate planets, as well as a new AI pirate menace

-Megacorp is interesting and adds in more megastructures to build, but also i wouldnt' consider incredibly important, and it does let you build a corporation / criminal family empire which is cool

[Nightskies]

For mods:

Glavius' AI should probably be vanilla. Do get that- or Starnet AI.

These improve quality of life and fix some issues. Music that fits your taste, UI Overhaul 1080p, Researcher Trait 'Fix', Increase Event Payout Cap: Science, Shut Up We Don't Care, Rebalanced Administrative Cap, Automatic Pop Migration, Empire University, Fleet Manager Rejiggered, !Modifiers fix(2.2.7), Claims Decay - Dynamic Diplomacy

These add flavor to the game. Immersive Galaxy, Immersive Galaxy addons, Gods and Guardians, Local Production, *Remastered Human Portraits, Dimorphism - Fox Portraits, Dimorphism - Cat Portraits, Homeworld Advisors, Animated Ascellian Portraits (2.2.6 Le Guin +), HK-47 Advisor, 40k Lord Commissar advisor, KUROGANE 2.X ships and stations, Protoss Ship Sets, Collection of Flags, Beautiful Universe v2.0

These are subjectively cool. (-NSC2 Season 3 - Episode 3 - Mod Version 3.3.x-), Extra Ship Components 3.0, !Strike Craft Expanded ( REBORN ), Potent Rebellions 2.2, At War: Planetary Defense Force, Dynamic Political Events (2.2), Improved Transport Ship Behaviors and Transport Upgrades!,

And she made me do it: Weeb Races, Harem Planet Reupload, Animaris - Anime Conversion

I don't use some of the 'subjectively cool' ones, but I could see a lot of people liking them.

[Nightmyre]

Utopia and Distant stars would be my first two picks.

[Spookymancer]

Wait for a sale, get them then. Look, I don't know how money is for you, but most of these DLCs go on sale for more than 50% off multiple times a year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntcneQN_yxo
^
This probably goes into way more detail than you want.

You probably want to get 'Utopia' first. This adds Megastructures/Habitats, overhauls the Ascension tree with proper paths (like evolving into perfect synthetics), adds indoctrination of primitives, slavery mechanics, and all those fun governments like fanatic purifiers or hive minds.
Basically every single meme, every horribly hilarious "I ate all sentient life in the galaxy" story you've heard was made possible by Utopia.

I also recommend Utopia first because Hive Minds are easy to play for newbies. Most of the game's more obtuse mechanics, like factions, are completely absent when you play a hive mind.

The three 'story pack' DLCs, (Leviathans, Synethic Dawn, and Apocalypse) all make the game harder, so you might want to leave these for later. Leviathans adds huge monsters all over the map, and adds the War in Heaven, causing Ancient Empires to go to war and drag everyone else with them. Synthetic Dawn adds galaxy crippling AI rebellions. Apocalypse adds space pirates that can go full mongol horde and take over the galaxy.

[Salvo Wolf]

I will say, regardless of your choice, wait for them to be on sale. (they are currently on Humble Bundle website https://www.humblebundle.com/store/search?sort=bestselling&search=Stellaris ).

[Nightmyre]

Just as a small correction, Apocalypse isn't a story pack - it's a full expansion, like Utopia and MegaCorps. I wouldn't consider it on the same scale as Utopia, though - the things which Apocalpyse adds tend to be very late-game, and rarely influence the game much (Megacorps has a similar problem).

I consider the story packs a better choice over Apocalypse and Megacorps mainly because the story packs flesh out the mid-game more, which I consider to be a far more important benefit than the late-game additions that Apocalypse and Megacorps bring.

[Foxtrot39]

End game content

-Utpopia : massive buff & allow to build megastructures wich are non negligible boon

-Apocalyspe : planetcracker & titan class ships, adds pirate acting as mercenaries and turn into a mid game crisis in certain circulstances (destroy station, being used too much)

-Megacorps : complementary to Utopia (new megastructures), new type of governement (megacorp)


Early game

-Leviathan story pack : add systems with bosses giving unique techs when defeated

-Synthetic dawn : allow to play as robots with all advatages & disadvantages

-Distant star (mid game) : The L-cluster has many riches hidden in it, but why was it sealed off? Complementary to leviathan with new bosses add a lot of anomalies during the exploration phase of the game

Cosmetic

-Humanoid : shipset

-Plantoid : shipset


Recomended DLC

Utopia, Apocalyspe, Distant stars, Leviathan

Recomended approach

Do a multiplayer match with someone with all DLC as the host share DLC with other player, its a way to basicaly have a "Demo" of the DLC & test it out without paying

[DankDansk]

Originally posted by Lady Crimson:

For every 100 hours pay 20 dollars, when you run out of stuff to buy be sad.

I can just hear Michael Jordan saying "stop it, get some help."

Op, you have to understand that some people are PDX addicts and worshippers and will tell you anything to get you to buy more. You don't need the DLCs to enjoy Stellaris, and with the direction the game is moving in, I wouldn't support them until the next update drops, which will be pretty soon.

Just look into what interests you most, and go ahead and buy what YOU think is worthwhile. Nobody can tell you what YOU enjoy.

If you are satisfied with the game at the moment then I would hold off until later. The game still has lots of problems.