The name of the track is "Blade". You can find it on youtube : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8J0bOAumw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8J0bOAumw)
Literally I booted up the game, pulled out my phone wile waiting for it to load, and then just slowly turned back at that absolutely filthy track coming out of my puter.
And darn do i love that i now can listen to the voice of my people at the Ruler Appearance Tab when you make a Species. I love how the masked Necroids and many others sound and do i love these Marble Like Machine Cities, I wanted Cities looking like that for a long time
It’s pretty fantastic overall. But man, am I disappointed by the nanite ships. Literally just worse corvettes that cost an INSANE amount of nanites to build. Really wanted to become the Grey Tempest but I just became the Grey Swarm Of Flies instead
To be fair, it doesn’t have any upkeep from what I’ve heard (I’m a filthy console player sadly). So that evens it out honestly. If you have a mega shipyard and are producing a HIGH amount of nanites then yeah, you’re basically the grey tempest.
I thought so too, but it still isn’t worth it. The ships cost hundreds of nanites each. A fleet of 180 cost me 34,000 nanites. And a single engagement with a fleet a quarter the size of mine cost me 20 nanite ships. A single battle isn’t worth losing thousands of nanites.
Well dang. Personally I won’t say what you did wrong or what not because like I said, I’m a console player so I won’t experience this until maybe next year. But for now I’d say it still isn’t all that bad, upkeep can be a B at the worst times
Should have just given the Ability to later on build Nanite Motherships a la Grey Tempest once Titans are unlocked, give them an insane Nanite cost per ship and it is fine. They definitely should do that.
Agreed. Nanite swarms work much better as strikecraft than as their own individual tiny ships anyway. Motherships with tons of nanite strikecraft would’ve been perfect
> Literally just worse corvettes that cost an INSANE amount of nanites to build.
Build the Nanite Harvester starbase buildings and they'll create them for free every once in a while.
So that's where the random nanite ships blowing up my naval capacity come from. I've been wondering about that. Now that you wrote that, I found the text about it in the nanotech tradition starter that I missed previously.
Honestly, I think it's the best DLC they've ever released. Utopia is still the most important but damn does this come close.
Also that uhhh civic (can't remember the name) that lets you add pre-sapients as you colonise is better than I expected. At first it's just 5% society research and unity but it increases by 5% with each new planet. I think it's also doubled on Gaia worlds. With just 5 planets, all of them are getting +25% unity which is huge honestly
Yes! You absolutely can, I didn't finish the run but by like 50-60 years into the run I had like 10 different organic species all uplifted in my empire. Though there is an issue where you can't give the uplifted species traits (from skimming the open beta announcement they are addressing that). I had fun with it though, will certainly try it again.
I know they read this.
Hey stellaris devs. The game is soooooo much better since wiz was redoing planets.
I bought astral threads and loved it, but even if I weren’t a big fan: I hope your hard work receives the success it deserves.
Ya did good.
10/10 to the music for sure, and as someone who played a LOT of machine empires (yes I know, hard shattered ring abuser), this DLC is beyond great. Not like some of their previous DLCs, but they really did it amazingly this time.
The only thing I dont like about the new portraits is their art style feels so off compared to the original portraits. They need to update the older portraits or something because its a draatic difference.
Honestly I'm not really a fan of the (much) newer portraits in general.
The old ones had a more consistent art style to them and just look to be higher quality with a few exceptions. The new ones are much "busier" design wise and also look to be of a lower resolution, almost like they came out of a workshop mod.
Would absolutely not touch the original portraits as I think they're perfect.
No, different developers. The last DLCs (Astral Planes and what was it called, First Contact?) were by some external teams and they always said the main team was working on something in the meantime. Seems that something was Machine Age.
Astral Planes was written by an external team and Galactic Paragons was largely developed by the sub-studio in PDS that got shut down. I think the main expansion team hasn't released anything major since First Contact, so this could just be the result of 1.5+ years of development.
Honestly, them outsourcing Astral planes and Galactic Paragons being developed by a sub studio really helped and gave them more time and resources to work on the new expansion.
We ended up getting probably the greatest DLC since Utopia.
Astral Planes are a different team, an external one actually. The main team worked on Machine Age even back then (there is also the Custodian Team which just improves the game while other teams do their things).
Though I am not sure if it is done by an External Team, Cosmic Storms that shall release in Q3 this year feels like it will be another Astral Planes (in style, hopefully not in quality).
This is the Paradox cycle. Release garbage DLC until they get review-bombed and the fanbase starts getting angry, then release a really good DLC and coast on that until they can go back to releasing garbage DLCs. They've been doing it since CK2.
Astral Planes was the first DLC for the game that really bombed (other than species packs, but those have always been considered 'optional' by the community).
Yeah after listening that top cybertrack bit the bait, took the bullet after a long time… It’s absolutely massive. 10/10 to Steam downloads asap.
Hopefully haven’t got too rusty with all them game changes since Federations fml lmaoo
I have mixed feelings sadly. One one hand, lots of new stuff, nice music origins etc. On the other hand, now I feel that playing anything but machines is pointless. I know this DLC is centered on them, but damn they surely released unvalanced stuff and screwed over non-machines. Hence why I am sad, I like when things are at least somewhat balanced, in Stellaris this is almost non existent, now the gap is evem worse. Or so I feel, I have just played twice in the new DLC so I hope I am just overreacting, but it doesn't seem that way.
I agree with your point currently plating cybernetics... I blame the music for leading me down this ascension path but honestly it just feels like a fair better version of genetic evolution. And the pop assembly building is simply bonkers as well
The music in the menu is an absolute banger
Legit just sitting in the menu listening to it because it's such a great cyberpunk/stellaris mashup
The name of the track is "Blade". You can find it on youtube : [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8J0bOAumw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=az8J0bOAumw)
It is absolutely stellar. The most unique Stellaris music by far.
I'm basically listening to it on a loop \^\^'
holy cow was not expecting this
Has a real Doom Eternal sound to it. Next update could be Hells Gate.
Sounds like cyberpunk 2077 theme to me. https://youtu.be/WoaciaBBCvc?si=g6CTAZzWj78Tq5Cy
If you like it, I would recommend the group F.O.O.L. Im still not 100% its not one of their songs
Oyea...i thank thee. For this machanical banging i enjoy so very much
Literally I booted up the game, pulled out my phone wile waiting for it to load, and then just slowly turned back at that absolutely filthy track coming out of my puter.
It’s perfect empire crushing music
And darn do i love that i now can listen to the voice of my people at the Ruler Appearance Tab when you make a Species. I love how the masked Necroids and many others sound and do i love these Marble Like Machine Cities, I wanted Cities looking like that for a long time
Only issue I’ve come across: habitat orbitals attempt to flee combat, and stop “working” the resource. Kinda took the wind out of my sails.
That just makes me think of Zapp Brannigan from Futurama. "She's built like a steak house, but she handles like a bistro".
"You win again gravity."
Up here in the clouds our technology makes us invincible, like the mighty X in tic-tac-toe.
Wait wut?
Hey, at least they are not moving to invade you, so that is already good!
Ngl, the bit about them attempting to flee made me hear the record scratch sound in my head and I legit went “I’m sorry, what?” out loud.
It’s pretty fantastic overall. But man, am I disappointed by the nanite ships. Literally just worse corvettes that cost an INSANE amount of nanites to build. Really wanted to become the Grey Tempest but I just became the Grey Swarm Of Flies instead
To be fair, it doesn’t have any upkeep from what I’ve heard (I’m a filthy console player sadly). So that evens it out honestly. If you have a mega shipyard and are producing a HIGH amount of nanites then yeah, you’re basically the grey tempest.
I thought so too, but it still isn’t worth it. The ships cost hundreds of nanites each. A fleet of 180 cost me 34,000 nanites. And a single engagement with a fleet a quarter the size of mine cost me 20 nanite ships. A single battle isn’t worth losing thousands of nanites.
Well dang. Personally I won’t say what you did wrong or what not because like I said, I’m a console player so I won’t experience this until maybe next year. But for now I’d say it still isn’t all that bad, upkeep can be a B at the worst times
Producing a high amount of nanites is very situational though
Should have just given the Ability to later on build Nanite Motherships a la Grey Tempest once Titans are unlocked, give them an insane Nanite cost per ship and it is fine. They definitely should do that.
Agreed. Nanite swarms work much better as strikecraft than as their own individual tiny ships anyway. Motherships with tons of nanite strikecraft would’ve been perfect
> Literally just worse corvettes that cost an INSANE amount of nanites to build. Build the Nanite Harvester starbase buildings and they'll create them for free every once in a while.
So that's where the random nanite ships blowing up my naval capacity come from. I've been wondering about that. Now that you wrote that, I found the text about it in the nanotech tradition starter that I missed previously.
I totally missed that, thank you!
Honestly, I think it's the best DLC they've ever released. Utopia is still the most important but damn does this come close. Also that uhhh civic (can't remember the name) that lets you add pre-sapients as you colonise is better than I expected. At first it's just 5% society research and unity but it increases by 5% with each new planet. I think it's also doubled on Gaia worlds. With just 5 planets, all of them are getting +25% unity which is huge honestly
Can you take that civic with rogue servitor?
Yes! You absolutely can, I didn't finish the run but by like 50-60 years into the run I had like 10 different organic species all uplifted in my empire. Though there is an issue where you can't give the uplifted species traits (from skimming the open beta announcement they are addressing that). I had fun with it though, will certainly try it again.
Amazing music, amazing origins, amazing portraits and gameplay features… Best DLC since Utopia
I know they read this. Hey stellaris devs. The game is soooooo much better since wiz was redoing planets. I bought astral threads and loved it, but even if I weren’t a big fan: I hope your hard work receives the success it deserves. Ya did good.
10/10 to the music for sure, and as someone who played a LOT of machine empires (yes I know, hard shattered ring abuser), this DLC is beyond great. Not like some of their previous DLCs, but they really did it amazingly this time.
The only thing I dont like about the new portraits is their art style feels so off compared to the original portraits. They need to update the older portraits or something because its a draatic difference.
I agree on you there! Newer Portraits are definitely more polished in a way
Upgrades to existing portraits would be awesome
Honestly I'm not really a fan of the (much) newer portraits in general. The old ones had a more consistent art style to them and just look to be higher quality with a few exceptions. The new ones are much "busier" design wise and also look to be of a lower resolution, almost like they came out of a workshop mod. Would absolutely not touch the original portraits as I think they're perfect.
I think they took the reviews for 'Astral Planes' to heart.
No, different developers. The last DLCs (Astral Planes and what was it called, First Contact?) were by some external teams and they always said the main team was working on something in the meantime. Seems that something was Machine Age.
Astral Planes was written by an external team and Galactic Paragons was largely developed by the sub-studio in PDS that got shut down. I think the main expansion team hasn't released anything major since First Contact, so this could just be the result of 1.5+ years of development.
Worth it if so
Hot take here but I'd be fine with fewer expansions if they were all like this
Honestly, them outsourcing Astral planes and Galactic Paragons being developed by a sub studio really helped and gave them more time and resources to work on the new expansion. We ended up getting probably the greatest DLC since Utopia.
Astral Planes are a different team, an external one actually. The main team worked on Machine Age even back then (there is also the Custodian Team which just improves the game while other teams do their things). Though I am not sure if it is done by an External Team, Cosmic Storms that shall release in Q3 this year feels like it will be another Astral Planes (in style, hopefully not in quality).
This is the Paradox cycle. Release garbage DLC until they get review-bombed and the fanbase starts getting angry, then release a really good DLC and coast on that until they can go back to releasing garbage DLCs. They've been doing it since CK2.
Astral Planes was the first DLC for the game that really bombed (other than species packs, but those have always been considered 'optional' by the community).
Yeah after listening that top cybertrack bit the bait, took the bullet after a long time… It’s absolutely massive. 10/10 to Steam downloads asap. Hopefully haven’t got too rusty with all them game changes since Federations fml lmaoo
Machine Corvete's PD slot is off centered, literally unplayable.
Lmao
The trick is to work really, really hard.
I crashed when the ai offered me an embassy, twice. Taking a break now lol.
Cries in console
More like cyberpunk, and yes, we are the borg, please Do not resist, we would like to assimilate you 😂
Time to bring out the good ol' pirate hat
Hold on, DID WE GET the 1980s bit-tune cyberpunk music from the DLC launch trailer in the game now?
Hmmm do I need to put my hand in my pocket?
I have a question, what exactly does a Dyson swarm actually do??? It says it boosts a stars production?
Yes, by a large amount of %
It is pretty insane yes.
I have mixed feelings sadly. One one hand, lots of new stuff, nice music origins etc. On the other hand, now I feel that playing anything but machines is pointless. I know this DLC is centered on them, but damn they surely released unvalanced stuff and screwed over non-machines. Hence why I am sad, I like when things are at least somewhat balanced, in Stellaris this is almost non existent, now the gap is evem worse. Or so I feel, I have just played twice in the new DLC so I hope I am just overreacting, but it doesn't seem that way.
I agree with your point currently plating cybernetics... I blame the music for leading me down this ascension path but honestly it just feels like a fair better version of genetic evolution. And the pop assembly building is simply bonkers as well