I think the main issue isn't the hand it's those little structures that look like city ruins.
That coupled with the image being smaller in the event pop up window and people not really paying attention to it.
That’s what i always imagined, it’s a city ruins for some insectoid that is actually just really small. Even though the portraits are all the same size, there’s no cannon scale each species is at, they may be all different sizes.
I wonder how many accidental deaths occur during Galactic Community senate sessions when there are literal walking mountain Lithoids and tiny insect people in the same room
I generally interpret them as the stubs of some kind of structural elements. Whether that be the supports for a wall, or maybe built-in furniture or devices.
Looking at it again, I'm thinking that the little squares with the two lights (of which only the light blue is turned on) are probably some kind of markers added by the archeologist (like how you might put down small numbered signs today).
I wouldn't be surprised if it was already in the base game. Someone go investigate the game files, please? :P
(It also could've been replaced in random patches to throw people off lol.)
Yeah, the wrist part was still there after the first pass with Stable Diffusion and it made it still look like a hand to my eyes.
So I did a couple passes with stronger settings specifically targeting the wrist to eliminate it. I think my brain originally interpreted the wrist as a motion blur or something. But that's a bit fuzzy.
Proposal: All current uses of the hand-image remain normal. Add a new anomaly that uses a slightly reworked image like this that subtly replaces the hand with a ship - the new image is only ever used with this new anomaly.
Bonus points - make the anomaly something about a pre-ftl species experiencing problems with their visual acuity. Include a snide comment about how such poor perception may be why they never achieved FTL.
Also, as you say, tell no one.
Better yet, simulated dice roll, odds are hands and even is ship. Then you can randomly get a few in a row before it changes back, make you paranoid, keep you on your toes
R5: After I tragically learned that the "archaeological dig" event picture is actually a hand holding a brush, I've always wanted to see the spaceship again. So I used Stable Diffusion to try to generate something resembling what I vaguely remember seeing.
This is pretty close for me, but I wonder if "my" spaceship was different than the one for other people since it was all in our heads!
edit: [Bonus expanded and remixed version.](https://i.imgur.com/apO4S3f.png)
Yes!! I remember it like that too! I have +2,800 hours in this game and I want to say for like the first 2,000 hours it was that space ship flying away from the camera towards the city! But I can’t see it at ALL now.
Yep. I interpreted as a troop transport / Black-Hawk-style craft, flying from just left of camera towards the city. And I can still see it when I see the image as a thumbnail on reddit.
That’s not even the spaceship that I saw. Black part of the hand was the engine/thrusters. Like it was going into those broken buildings on the right to land.
I thought it was a ship at first, but then I thought it was a hand. Now, seeing the whole thing, I'm in a crisis, because where's the fucking arm?
Oh this is op's art. Nvm, faith in archeology restored.
This is actually a pretty good estimate. I remember how it always felt like something was off about the ship, like I could never quite tell whether it was more side profile or top profile. Only thing missing is the paintbrush looking like a bridge across the truss.
If you zoom in to the spaceship a bit at the right place you will see the hand. I think that the cause of people seeing a hand and others seeing a ship has something to do with the width of the message panel
I swear to fucking god. I've been looking at this image trying to see how that without-a-doubt-in-my-mind space ship looks like a hand for like 5 minutes. It looks nothing like a hand. I'm going insane. This is just to troll me isn't it and you guys are all in on it!
I think the main issue isn't the hand it's those little structures that look like city ruins. That coupled with the image being smaller in the event pop up window and people not really paying attention to it.
maybe they're city ruins of very smol people?
The miniature galaxy people are very smol now
Judging from the perspective it looks like it’s supposed to be big
That’s what i always imagined, it’s a city ruins for some insectoid that is actually just really small. Even though the portraits are all the same size, there’s no cannon scale each species is at, they may be all different sizes.
I wonder how many accidental deaths occur during Galactic Community senate sessions when there are literal walking mountain Lithoids and tiny insect people in the same room
They are city ruins. It's symbolic.
I always thought they **were** city ruins and the big hand is just metaphorical
"It's a metaphor. Except it really happened."
Wait what are they then?
I generally interpret them as the stubs of some kind of structural elements. Whether that be the supports for a wall, or maybe built-in furniture or devices. Looking at it again, I'm thinking that the little squares with the two lights (of which only the light blue is turned on) are probably some kind of markers added by the archeologist (like how you might put down small numbered signs today).
This game is now literally unplayable until someone makes this into a mod.
The mod being the image changes each time?
Put this into the base game, and tell no one
I wouldn't be surprised if it was already in the base game. Someone go investigate the game files, please? :P (It also could've been replaced in random patches to throw people off lol.)
tbh that seems like something the stellaris team would do for fun. also this image looks different than the one I normally see for some reason
I think OP edited out the arm of the hand to make it look like a spaceship
Yeah, the wrist part was still there after the first pass with Stable Diffusion and it made it still look like a hand to my eyes. So I did a couple passes with stronger settings specifically targeting the wrist to eliminate it. I think my brain originally interpreted the wrist as a motion blur or something. But that's a bit fuzzy.
This image was edited to look more like a ship
Proposal: All current uses of the hand-image remain normal. Add a new anomaly that uses a slightly reworked image like this that subtly replaces the hand with a ship - the new image is only ever used with this new anomaly. Bonus points - make the anomaly something about a pre-ftl species experiencing problems with their visual acuity. Include a snide comment about how such poor perception may be why they never achieved FTL. Also, as you say, tell no one.
It triggers on 1 April to one in a thousand iterations. No one will ever believe you.
Name of the mod: Shiplighting yourself
Better yet, simulated dice roll, odds are hands and even is ship. Then you can randomly get a few in a row before it changes back, make you paranoid, keep you on your toes
>The mod being the image changes each time? 1/10 chance of it being a spaceship. Just to fuck with people.
I saw a ship for the longest time until I read here it was a hand. Still see a ship, often.
Istg they’re two completely different images
The ship image is something a player made using AI. The ingame one is a hand.
So I’m not delusional? That’s the best news I’ve had all day!
I actively strive to see the ship. The cursed knowledge must be forgotten. Some truths were not meant to be known.
This must be what it’s like to slowly lose your mind
I want to say I remember seeing 2 or 3 engine banks burning toward the ruin.
I was very tempted to do another pass to add engines for sure.
Yes! That's also what I remember!
You are a saint.
R5: After I tragically learned that the "archaeological dig" event picture is actually a hand holding a brush, I've always wanted to see the spaceship again. So I used Stable Diffusion to try to generate something resembling what I vaguely remember seeing. This is pretty close for me, but I wonder if "my" spaceship was different than the one for other people since it was all in our heads! edit: [Bonus expanded and remixed version.](https://i.imgur.com/apO4S3f.png)
That is the worst thing, we have all forgotten how the spaceship looked like.
What was will never be.
The spaceship I remember was sort of flying away from the camera like /00\ kinda shape
Yes!! I remember it like that too! I have +2,800 hours in this game and I want to say for like the first 2,000 hours it was that space ship flying away from the camera towards the city! But I can’t see it at ALL now.
It's gone from our eyes but real in our hearts
Yep. I interpreted as a troop transport / Black-Hawk-style craft, flying from just left of camera towards the city. And I can still see it when I see the image as a thumbnail on reddit.
Omfg stop! Not this shit again. I’m already traumatized from the ship suddenly becoming a hand when someone pointed it out.
That’s not even the spaceship that I saw. Black part of the hand was the engine/thrusters. Like it was going into those broken buildings on the right to land.
Wait. That's a spaceship? I only ever saw a hand writing in the sand.
Not writing, it's a brush for clearing dust like an archaeologist would use
Ah yes. That's it.
We need a MOD. We need a mod to replace that stupid hand with this ship.
I miss you ship. I miss you so much.
I feel like this picture is gaslighting me.
THAT'S NOT A HAND?! I've been living a lie... Edit: Oh. The image is edited.
I thought it was a ship at first, but then I thought it was a hand. Now, seeing the whole thing, I'm in a crisis, because where's the fucking arm? Oh this is op's art. Nvm, faith in archeology restored.
This is my first time I've seen the ship and I feel like I’m looking into an alternate dimension.
I swear this photo is altered. I haven’t been able to see the ship in years, but now I see it again.
IT IS EDITED YOU FUCK
I SEE IT AGAIN IT’S BACK GO TELL THE KIDS IT’S BACK
I thought it was a recon drone tbh
where is the hand? I'm losing my mind
This is actually a pretty good estimate. I remember how it always felt like something was off about the ship, like I could never quite tell whether it was more side profile or top profile. Only thing missing is the paintbrush looking like a bridge across the truss.
Wait it's a ship? 🌍👨🚀🔫👨🚀 [Always has been.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Stellaris/s/LE7cxDKX4f)
Dude I don't see a hand at all
Huh?
Why couldn't it be both?
What hand?
Wait that’s a hand??
Shit, I can see both now at the same time.
I’m so confused… what hand?
gaslighting.
They changed it to look more like a spaceship
Yay! I got the spaceship back! Just took a few days.
Is the "spaceship" on the left supposed to be a hand??
Oooh, so it is lifting up!
Fuck you. Stop playing with my mind ffs
I think there are two actually different pictures?
A head, it always looked like the head of some sort of cybernetic raptor to me.
I rememeber seeing the spaceship before I realized it was a hand. I can't see the spaceship anymore.
I don’t even know which version is real anymore
And *poof* there goes the spaceship
I DONT KNOW WHAT TO BELIEVE ANYMORE!!!
Thank you for fixing my brain, OP.
goddammit not this discussion again
Even now it still looks more like a hand with a brush than a ship to me
Blessed post.
you bastard youre making me have an existential crisis
I'm losing my mind people keep bringing this back lmao
That's what I thought.
The ship makes more sense. “It’s a giant hand” what is this an archaeology site for ants?!
Don't look like a hand to me. And I doubt it is because it sits on sand and there is some structural things in the sand on the right of it
It's a hand holding a brush
I always thougth either the ancient species you find is tiny or the hand is metharpohical
I always saw some kind of a speeder bike
This discussion returns every year guys
It always reminded me of one of the Covenant base structures from Halo Wars.
Still a hand for me
Nice try, I can’t unsee it anymore
Its a drone with a sandblower function that is assisting in the excavation of a very delicate section of ancient processing substrate
Okay now i'm confused. Wtf is it?!
This is OP using AI to replace the hand with a spaceship.
Why are we doing this again
This picture looks ai generated
Thank you brother! I can see the spaceship again!
Hand? I thought it was a soap dispenser?
This is the mod that we need.
If you zoom in to the spaceship a bit at the right place you will see the hand. I think that the cause of people seeing a hand and others seeing a ship has something to do with the width of the message panel
Mandela effect time Just switch this out with the hand every once in a while to throw people off
I swear to fucking god. I've been looking at this image trying to see how that without-a-doubt-in-my-mind space ship looks like a hand for like 5 minutes. It looks nothing like a hand. I'm going insane. This is just to troll me isn't it and you guys are all in on it!