What makes Stellaris more popular than other space themed 4x games?

[Nanami]

Im really curious, the other games like it such as endless space 2 and galactic civilizations 4 both have sub-1k concurrent players, stellaris in contrast have more than 10k concurrentplayers, I wonder why? What makes this games so special compared to others?

[yuzhonglu]

Endless Space won't launch for the majority of wannabe players. There's a bug. I refunded it.

Gal Civ is just not as good. I played Gal Civ II, and III, and Stellaris is just better. Gal Civ II was good for its time, but then Stellaris usurped it.

[Passive Extremist]

i dunno really. just browsing them, it seems like endless space multiplayer is very dysfunctional...even more than this one which is pretty funky itself and gal civ has a lot of poopy ai generated elements that people aren't fond of.

that's what i gather anyways but like i said idk.

[Nanami]

Do most people play this for the multiplayer?

[yuzhonglu]

Originally posted by Mya-Nee:

Do most people play this for the multiplayer?

No.

[iFrame]

Stellaris has storytelling, a new groundbreaking feature. The world feels alive. Sets it apart from other 4X games.
4X games have just that four X elements. The world feels dead and you play strictly by the four X rules.

GalCiv III tried to emulate that with its DLCs and updates but with limited success. GalCiv IV tried to build upon that but its still not as good as Stellaris and also its quite early on in its lifecycle.

[yuzhonglu]

Comes down to mechanics. A list:

1. The issue with most 4x games is Infinite Colony Spam. Stellaris influence limits the amount of planets you can get in the first 30 years. Also, new colonies don't pay for themselves for the first 20 years, so you have to actually balance expansion with military growth

2. The second issue with 4x games is using war to take advantage of the AI to gain more territory. Unless you've played this game a lot, the AI is good enough to stop that. Furthermore, influence and choke points limits the amount of territory you can gain in war.

3. Stellaris has Fallen Empires, which is a really cool idea, as they provide a mid-game challenge. They also have megastructures, which provide a mid game reward.

4. Stellaris has an endgame challenge.

5. The economic system is the best of the three games you listed. It's simple enough to understand after a few hours, but complex enough that you have to put effort into balancing it.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by yuzhonglu:

Gal Civ is just not as good. I played Gal Civ II, and III, and Stellaris is just better. Gal Civ II was good for its time, but then Stellaris usurped it.

The gameplay interface (especially how combat is resolved) and the theme music gave me a lot of flashbacks to Gal Civ 2 when I was first starting out.

[Ogami]

Stellaris is more sandbox then the others you named ( which i like too) and offers way more in terms of "roleplaying" a race/empire. Plus of course the hundreds and hundreds of events that shape your galaxy in each new game.
Its pretty unique.
On top of that the pacing is very laid back and its a great game to just let run and react to, at least for me.
Most of the other big space 4x games often feel more like work, especially in the late game while Stellaris is more of a , "let it run and react now and then" kind of gameplay.
Dont get me wrong, there are still highly intense parts like managing a big war or some unforseen event but its not ALL the time like in many other games.
Those parts feel more like highlights of your current story then something that is expected every time.

[Nanami]

I see, also some of the people I know who play these games says Stellaris is more complicated so they prefer other games I wonder how true is that

[corisai]

Stellaris is very casual-friendly with one of easiest game mechanics. Plus easily modable.

[Ogami]

Originally posted by Mya-Nee:

I see, also some of the people I know who play these games says Stellaris is more complicated so they prefer other games I wonder how true is that

As someone who played most 4x of the last 30 years or so, i think Stellaris is one of the easiest ones to learn. Its very beginner friendly.
There is still a learning curve of course like in most Paradox games but its not nearly as high as in many of their other games. You have the base mechanics down pretty fast.
Of course learning the basics and mastering all of them is a different beast but thats the fun, you always find new stuff to try, even hundreds of hours in.
But Stellaris is a game that is the definition of " looks much more complex then it really is".

[Geoff]

Originally posted by Ogami:

But Stellaris is a game that is the definition of " looks much more complex then it really is".

Yeah. Lots of moving parts and the UI is a bit of an adrenaline pump. I think it gives people the strong feeling that it's harder strategically than it really is. It gives you a strong sense of agency but throws enough curves at you that the gameplay is lots more varied than it is with most games.

The level of intricate detail on the simulator is just amazingm though. Like I was touring a neighbor's planet, and I noticed that they had recently taken in some refugees who had gravitated towards the entertainment industry. So it was like a working class mining world with lithoid refugees catering to the miners in their off-time... its fractals of detail are fascinating.

[Jenna Ortega Foot Shavings]

distant worlds 2 clears stellaris though

[yuzhonglu]

Originally posted by KratomMaxi:

distant worlds 2 clears stellaris though

Sell it to me.

[Eldrin]

Endless space is really good but once you get the feel for it feels really basic.

Stelleris will eventually also feel simple when you get the hang of it but there are WAY more possibilities here and ways to play. Which is why i think stellaris is played more.