Peaceful victory possible?

[SirMaoh]

Hey everyone, haven’t played for quiet some time. Is it possible to win the game (in its current state) in a peaceful way? What should I focus on for something along that line? :)

[Ryika]

Sure, just focus on technologies and spam habitats.

"Winning" the game isn't a good goal though, since the victory condition is very arbitrary and anti-climactic. Your mindset should be to play an empire that you enjoy playing.

[Катя]

With strong ethics and authority, you can very much "win", even peacefully.
Build starbases to scare off agggressive AI empires, or diplomatically tame them. Focus on technology to better your empire.
Defating crisis is optional.

[HappySack]

The only win conditions is to get to the victory year with the highest score or kill every other empire in the map so nothing has changed at all, Nemesis only makes the latter faster and easier to achieve.

[CthuluIsSpy]

Sort of.
You will need a fleet to protect yourself against attacking empires and the crisis, but it is totally possible to get a huge score through tech, population and federations.
You don't have to be a warmonger, that's just the fun way of doing it.

Its why there's a pacifism civic.

[pete3great]

The viability of a peaceful victory has come and gone over the lifespan of the game. I think the main question we have to ask is: what constitutes victory? Is it getting to the game's official end date with the highest score? Is it defeating the end crisis? Is it owning the entire galaxy (and if so, does that mean directly, or through a federation and/or vassals)?

[Das Boot]

You can make it so the only AI empires that spawn are the ones you design. Fill the galaxy with fanatic pacifist Empires and form a federation.

[Malkuth]

Not trying to over stepping what others have said. You can play peaceful. But I guarantee you will get attacked in that first contact war. Dozen games so far I have not had one time where the first few civs have not hated my guts. Usually a good one and a bad one. The bad one always comes for me within first 10-20 years. And it’s usually a the hardest part of the game.


So peaceful ya. But your still going to need to build a fleet like the rest of us. Once you become super powerful. Than you can have peace.

Minus mid game and end game crisis.

Just be aware. You be fighting defensive wars.

[mss73055]

You can go ultra peaceful, Authorative, Scion. And not build a fleet at all.
You will have +15 stability +10 happiness to boot.

Daddy will fight your wars. At some point you will get a little spiffy T6 fleet to explore and to deal with pirates and stuff.

[CrUsHeR]

Ironically, playing a pacifist empire makes it more difficult to win without ever declaring wars.

Problem - you need to make federations if you want permanent peace. And the primary, and usually unsurmountable obstacle to start a federation is your war policy.

If you play a regular empire, you can change the war policy to Liberation Wars, this removes the -50 acceptance from pacifist empires (and other empires opting for pacifist policies, these are not only those with pacifist government ethos).
Then you start the federation, and can change your policy back after 10 years.

If you play a pacifist empire and want a federation with an empire with Unrestricted Wars, you cannot change your policy. So you will likely never get past the -50 acceptance.

[coolman552]

there is no set in stone winning in stellaris unless you havent turned off victory year

make your own goal, reach greater heights