Brand New to Stellaris

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Just looking for tips etc... i dont even know how to get titan starships. and my military feels stagnant because of that in my first playthrough.

[HappySack]

Titans are from the Apocalypse DLC.

Stellaris is all about economy management to make more stuff to get more stuff in a repeating cycle, one of the most important things is to balance increasing all your advanced resources being research, unity, consumer goods and alloys.

And remember that resources have no interest so banking them also does nothing.

[Ink]

Originally posted by HappySack:

Titans are from the Apocalypse DLC.

Stellaris is all about economy management to make more stuff to get more stuff in a repeating cycle, one of the most important things is to balance increasing all your advanced resources being research, unity, consumer goods and alloys.

And remember that resources have no interest so banking them also does nothing.

Yes to all of this.

But.

Can we get a "why not?" for no interest? I ~constantly~ forget that I'm exceptionally profitable, I rely on that "you're outta storage space" alert, it'd be cool if I could set a cap and autosell anything over that for market price. Maybe set up an auto-invest, if my energy credits get too high it'll just buy a couple thousand rare materials?

[Sir Fanny de Derriere]

Titan's are deep in the tech tree, so I wouldn't rely on them necessarily.

I'd recommend getting to cruisers as fast as you can and manually build your ship's. Don't let auto build do your job.

The AI will make A LOT of corvettes and cruiser mix fleets. So be prepared to have a fleet composition w/ the necessary technology to address that. Otherwise, your cruisers will be overwhelmed. Small weapons are best at targeting corvettes IIRC.

[Sir Fanny de Derriere]

Also, always keep your alloys producing ships up to your naval capacity max. Always try and stockpile some when you're at your fleet capacity because when war hits, you're going to need to replace lost ships.

You CAN go over your fleet capacity, but you're going to put heavy strain on your economy with increased maintenance rates for the fleets (credits, etc.)

I only go over my fleet capacity when i'm about to go to war or if my economy can handle the extra costs.

[Baron]

I actually disagree with the "don't let the AI build ships for you" advice. Like, it's very good advice, but you won't be able to take it until you get a sense of the game as a whole and how all the parts fit together. I'd advise the opposite: automate anything you haven't learned and understood yet, and actively focus on one or two things each game, until you have a more complete picture. IMO, it should look something like this:

First game: basic economy/supply chains. Focus on exploration/surveying, getting enough Minerals to make Consumer Goods, enough Goods to make Research and Unity, and keep scaling up those empire development resources until it feels like you're really chugging through techs and traditions. If you get enough Alloys along the way to make some auto ships and fight some pirates or space cows, cool, but not obligatory. Along the way, we're learning the UI and figuring out how to build stuff both in space and on planets. Maybe we only play to like, 2250 or 2300.

Second game: internal politics/traditions/ascension. Let's reinforce what we learned in Game 1, but also juice it with buffs. We can get big numbers if we stack bonuses from leaders, council agendas, edicts, factions, and Traditions. Basically, we're doing the first game over, but focusing on the Unity system. Still only playing to like, 2250 or 2300.

Third game: advanced economy/war. First we continue building on what we learned in the first two games by trying to get a stable early economy more smoothly and efficiently than before. Then we juice our Alloy production/Research and figure out how to go about building an upgraded armada with all the bells and whistles that cost upkeep in fancy Strategic Resources. We start claiming nearby enemy systems, and using our beatstick on our unfortunate neighbours. Then we discover that Assault Armies and planetary invasions are a thing and swear angrily until we can build a separate fleet of ships just to make planets not take forever. Along the way, we're learning the diplomacy and claims UI, even if we're not using all of it yet. Now we play until 2350 or 2400, or until a midgame crisis shows up and throws the game way off kilter in a way we didn't yet understand how to prepare for.

Fourth game: More war, but also the nice kind of diplomacy. Maybe we get into trade and diplomatic agreements. Maybe we make some vassals instead of just claiming territory for ourselves. Maybe we get frisky and build a whole Federation even! Along the way, we play long enough to form the Galactic Community and learn how the Senate works.

Fifth game: Play until Crisis and try to win. Only now do we even consider touching the Ship Designer.

This method doesn't really work as described, because the game's systems are so interconnected we'll need to be learning things we're not "focusing" yet, just to get through whatever comes up chronologically. Nonetheless, I really feel like breaking the game down into more manageable chunks and pursuing those one at a time is the best way to reduce overwhelm.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by Baron:

I'd advise the opposite: automate anything you haven't learned and understood yet, and actively focus on one or two things each game, until you have a more complete picture.

I think this is excellent advice. It's true that the automated ship designs are mediocre compared to what you will eventually be able to design for yourself. But the computer opponents you face are pretty much using the same mediocre system as you are,

The game throws a lot of information at you. Learning to parse its UI is like trying to learn a very idiosyncratic and specialized language with someone yelling at you the whole time. You can't learn it all at once, you don't need to know it all at once. Focusing on the simple missions first ("how do I survey a system? How do I colonize a world?") will naturally lead you when you're ready to "how do I do this more complicated thing?" And the answers will make more sense when your questions are rooted in a groundwork of understanding.

Also, just in general ... I think if you want to learn the game, it's helpful to be prepared to walk away from training games rather than play them all through to the bitter end. For myself, when I reach a point where things would have turned out differently if I'd known sooner something critical that I understand now. At that point, to me, it makes more sense to let go of the game and go back with my new insights in mind.

[Kalemenos]

And also, start at the easiest difficulty.

[Xaphnir]

Originally posted by Kalemenos:

And also, start at the easiest difficulty.

I wouldn't recommend starting on the easiest, I'd recommend starting on ensign. The easiest difficulties give the player bonuses, meaning you'll learn to build in ways that will result in resource shortages on higher difficulties. I'd only drop to cadet or civilian if you're seriously struggling and want an easier experience.

OP, there are two standard tips that I like to give to everyone:

1. You'll be able to make more sense of this once you have one game under your belt: At the start of the game, open the market. Start a monthly trade for resources that are needed to get your first colony ship up and running. Once you have that, start monthly trades for the upkeep for the jobs that you're going to be districts/buildings for on your home planet, probably either researchers, administrators or metallurgists.

2. Disable clerk/maintenance drone jobs that are not necessary to maintain positive amenities unless there are no other jobs available for your pops to work. These jobs are incredibly weak, and your pops would better serve you in almost any other capacity.

Neither really addresses learning the fundamentals of the game, but they're two things that when someone starts doing, they'll generally see a massive jump in their ability to play the game.

Also, be aware that 4.0 is coming in a few months, and with it will be the biggest rework of the game in over 6 years. So a lot of what you learn right now might not apply. However, you can revert to previous versions of the game.

[Geoff]

Originally posted by Xaphnir:

I wouldn't recommend starting on the easiest, I'd recommend starting on ensign. The easiest difficulties give the player bonuses, meaning you'll learn to build in ways that will result in resource shortages on higher difficulties.

Yeah. If you get very frustrated from losing, then maybe starting on easiest would be good. For myself, I'd prefer to lose on an even level, and raise my game until I don't lose anymore. So I agree that it's better to play on Ensign. However, if you get stuck by something you don't understand, there's no shame in setting it down to an easier setting to make it easier to focus on understanding the mechanics.

If you're not in the multiplayer lobby, this game is a pretty solitary experience, so there's nobody really judging you but yourself. It can be easy to lose sight of that perspective sometimes from the forum posts, which have a strong bias toward judgey try-hards. But figuring out the pace and level where the game is fun to play is an important part of learning it. If that's at max speed on grand admiral against all the crises, then go that speed. If you have the most fun on the newbiest settings at the slowest speeds, do it that way.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Ricky LaFleur:

Brand New to Stellaris
Just looking for tips etc... i dont even know how to get titan starships. and my military feels stagnant because of that in my first playthrough.

Most tips are based on personal preference. I will not tell you that other tips are bad or anything like that - it depends on the person.

But knowing how hard it was for me at the release of the game, here are my two most important tips I like to give - plus mayhaps a bonus.

a) start with just a few numbers of AI empires, and no advanced AI empire start. You will still have a great experience if aside of yourself there are only 5-8 competitors. The normal difficulty is just fine with putting the aggressiveness of AI to low and as long as you learn when to slow down the game if necessary.

b) ally yourself quickly with another empire, whether per origin or through diplomacy - and get shared sensors / free roaming in their territory so you can check how they are building their stuff

And optional: start with the Scion origin as democrazy, like United Nations of Earth but origin changed to Scion, helped by a higher power.

Combine all those with a medium, larger size galaxy and you should get easily your fill of Stellaris' great story telling content while learning the game. Your aim is not to win for the first games, but to enjoy the content.

If it is too much with the galaxy size, there is no harm to tune it down to a tad smaller and only 5 other AI empires e.g.

Once you figured out your personal playstyle you will create game settings more fitting your desired gameplay. Until then keep it easy.

Oh, and if you want it a tad more predictable: create the AI empires yourself. You can then handicap them with e.g. pacifist civic / bad species traits and other settings you want them to have.

That is fun, and gives you more control. All you need to do is then set those custom self-made empires to forced-spawn and they will be spawned in place of any random AI empires.

Enjoy!

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

In response to everyones awesome feedback. i have played up to 2400- 2500 like 3 times. still have only half a clue how everything works. i managed to conquer about a quarter of the galaxy until one of my allies got into a conflict that ended with me being taken over by the strongest empire in the galaxy at the time mine probably being about 4th in just diplomatic and fleet power. very interesting how stacking alloys and minerals and using the sell monthly to keep energy credits high but manageable. is awesome but fleet strain and starbase strain are really kicking my ass mid to late game not to mention unemployment once we get into the 15- 20 planet range. i feel like my pops and planet size make empire size almost unmanageable once im in war, if anyone would like to maybe get into a discord call one day and explain what im doing wrong as i do it it would help alot being a tertiary learner

[Baron]

Originally posted by Ricky LaFleur:

if anyone would like to maybe get into a discord call one day and explain what im doing wrong as i do it it would help alot being a tertiary learner

Yeah, man, shoot me a FR on Steam and we can hop on Discord sometime.

EDIT: And yeah, I think anyone below like, thousand-hour veterancy would get overwhelmed trying to manage 15+ planets manually. But I bet I can help with that, too.

[アンジェル]

Originally posted by Ricky LaFleur:

In response to everyones awesome feedback. i have played up to 2400- 2500 like 3 times. still have only half a clue how everything works. i managed to conquer about a quarter of the galaxy until one of my allies got into a conflict that ended with me being taken over by the strongest empire in the galaxy at the time mine probably being about 4th in just diplomatic and fleet power. very interesting how stacking alloys and minerals and using the sell monthly to keep energy credits high but manageable. is awesome but fleet strain and starbase strain are really kicking my ass mid to late game not to mention unemployment once we get into the 15- 20 planet range. i feel like my pops and planet size make empire size almost unmanageable once im in war, if anyone would like to maybe get into a discord call one day and explain what im doing wrong as i do it it would help alot being a tertiary learner

That is quite a common issue, regarding empire size.

The size itself does not matter much, as it increases costs. As long as you can cover the costs you are good.

The more common issue is with amenities, and whether your people are happy with war. Depending on the ethics.

Regarding unemployment: make more jobs / declare population control. There are also good starbase upgrades and other methods to make auto-resettlement easy. As in: if a planet has no jobs the inhabitants gets easily green cards for another to keep a flow.

It can be a tad micromanaging if you do not let the AI control it. I prefer it doing myself, so I often slow the game down to have managed everything.

Also, if a planets tends to be rebelllious, I usually make sure it is governed by a leader and has a standing army at the ready with precinct and garrison.

I have to go for a doctor appointment now. Later I can happily share some empire suggestions to you with explaination how certain things address those specific issues.

Though, which addons do you own?

[MinusTaurus]

Originally posted by Ricky LaFleur:

Just looking for tips etc... i dont even know how to get titan starships. and my military feels stagnant because of that in my first playthrough.

you dont need titans at all, you can play the game with just destroyers

[Grand Admiral Thrawn]

Originally posted by アンジェル:

Originally posted by Ricky LaFleur:

In response to everyones awesome feedback. i have played up to 2400- 2500 like 3 times. still have only half a clue how everything works. i managed to conquer about a quarter of the galaxy until one of my allies got into a conflict that ended with me being taken over by the strongest empire in the galaxy at the time mine probably being about 4th in just diplomatic and fleet power. very interesting how stacking alloys and minerals and using the sell monthly to keep energy credits high but manageable. is awesome but fleet strain and starbase strain are really kicking my ass mid to late game not to mention unemployment once we get into the 15- 20 planet range. i feel like my pops and planet size make empire size almost unmanageable once im in war, if anyone would like to maybe get into a discord call one day and explain what im doing wrong as i do it it would help alot being a tertiary learner

That is quite a common issue, regarding empire size.

The size itself does not matter much, as it increases costs. As long as you can cover the costs you are good.

The more common issue is with amenities, and whether your people are happy with war. Depending on the ethics.

Regarding unemployment: make more jobs / declare population control. There are also good starbase upgrades and other methods to make auto-resettlement easy. As in: if a planet has no jobs the inhabitants gets easily green cards for another to keep a flow.

It can be a tad micromanaging if you do not let the AI control it. I prefer it doing myself, so I often slow the game down to have managed everything.

Also, if a planets tends to be rebelllious, I usually make sure it is governed by a leader and has a standing army at the ready with precinct and garrison.

I have to go for a doctor appointment now. Later I can happily share some empire suggestions to you with explaination how certain things address those specific issues.

Though, which addons do you own?

I dont own any addons just base game and i use a few QOL mods and i recently added a custom system. just tinkering with mods before i get into any dlc content.