Both ethics (other than Gestalt Consciousness) and most civics can be changed throughout the game. Megacorporations, a government type added in the Megacorp DLC, aren't restricted ethics-wise like a hive mind is, but they can only choose civics unique to them. The ethic named Gestalt Consciousness makes the empire a hive mind or robotic empire, takes up all ethics points and gives new civics only available to hive mind and robotic empires. Fanatic versions of ethics give greater bonuses than their normal variants, but usually have even higher restrictions and always take up two ethics points instead of the normal one point per ethic.

These secondary species are created in a similar process to the one previously described.Īll ethics, other than the later added Gestalt Consciousness, have normal and fanatic versions which represent the alignment of the empire. Origins can include originating from a world ravaged by nuclear warfare or starting with a secondary playable race, such as robots or a strong but unintelligent worker race. Players also choose an origin, a kind of backstory for their empire. Traits give various buffs, restrict certain features (a Spiritualist empire cannot use robots, a Materialistic empire cannot outlaw robots) and governments from being picked (an Authoritarian empire is unable to be a democratic government and vice versa), and change the way information is presented to the player. In this phase, the player chooses the ethics and civics of their empire (with Ethics and Civics points, respectively) which are meant to represent the ideology the empire has adopted. Next, the player customizes the empire of their species. The first of these choices involves picking a mixture of positive and negative characteristics ('Traits') that make up their species. The process of creating involves several different choices. The game begins either by picking one of the premade empires or using a player-customized empire/species. There are also diplomatic options such as alliances and trade agreements with other races. Combat includes space combat and ground combat and is more centered towards the bigger picture, preparation, and strategy. The player controls ships, including science, construction and military vessels. Players play as a government of a species in early stages of interstellar space exploration, right after the invention of faster-than-light (FTL) space travel technology, ready to claim a place as one of 'the species of the stars.' Depending on several factors, such as the ethics of the civilization and the player's desires, the ultimate goal of the empire can range from galactic conquest, hoarding of resources and technological supremacy, to peaceful coexistence with or absolute destruction of all other sapient life. Stellaris is a real-time grand strategy game set in an alternate reality of space, in the distant future.

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