The New Order: Last Waltz of the Galaxy
The New Order: Last Waltz of Europe is an irregular compilation of music tracks from various sources, meant to accompany The New Order: Last Days of Europe, a large modification for Hearts of Iron IV that aims to bring a new timeline and setting to the strategy game, with due gameplay, artistic and narrative overhauls. It is perhaps the closest a HOI IV mod has got to being a game in itself, and certainly a milestone in Paradox modding all around.
As a mod, it benefits from using content from other media, without worries of legal copyright or excessive infringement. Though the mod is beginning to have an official OST, pioneered by Admiral Ackbar or Ayden George to name two key composers, the main bulk of its music remains Last Waltz of Europe’s borrowed tracks.
In this album, TNO rescues the tracks from East Vs West, a cancelled Paradox project set in the Cold War, ideal due to the sheer quantity of tracks it brings and the affinity of their style. Additionally, it contains a few select pieces from DEFCON, Supreme Leader, World in Conflict, Wargrame or Phantom Doctrine, each of them relevant to the mood of geopolitics, espionage, intrigue or modern warfare.
This mod brings the entirety of its content to Stellaris. People have ported over flags and stuff, so why are we late to make this?
To each their own, but star empires feel like serious business to me. With the Nemesis DLC overhauling diplomacy and bringing espionage into the mix, it feels like players have the ability to take the politics of the galaxy more seriously despite the fact Stellaris remains a rather light-hearted game when it comes to that matter; or, at least, far more light-hearted than TNO. This mod is for players who want a soundtrack that reflects this mod’s vibe over the "space epic" style of the vanilla soundtrack.
Unless Paradox overhauls the music player or music mod parameters, this mod will always work regardless of patches. It is compatible with any other music mod, they just stack.
Unlike in HOI IV, there is no contextual music: tracks can play both during war and when at peace, and there is no association to certain countries, etc. If you already know the soundtrack, I suggest disabling the vanilla tracks and handpicking which suit your empire better. If not, give it a go and eliminate as you go. Especially East Vs West has many pieces that likely won’t match your build.
Leave a suggestion if you like. I’m aware that the TNO mod itself (regardless of Last Waltz) contains tracks of its own now, especially originals, which I may add if there’s demand. Remember that this first version is based on the actual Last Waltz compilation, so whatever isn’t there, likely isn’t here.
Hope you enjoy!
