WP’s Mysterious Worlds
In vanilla Stellaris you learn absolutely everything there is to know about a habitable planet on your first visit to the solar system. As soon as the science ship completes the first scan, that’s it. We don’t even have an outpost by the star yet, damn! Where is the mystery?
I want to explore the surface of these alien worlds. I want the story of the colony unfold steadily. Perhaps when we first landed our people thought they’d live their lives on a quiet agricultural outback – that was, until a deposit of rare crystals was discovered that made them rich. Or a hidden valley teeming with alien pets. Or worse… dangerous wildlife!
This mod is fairly simple. At galaxy creation some planetary features found on habitable worlds are concealed so that you won’t know what they are. Instead, you’ll find a variety of "unexplored" places . After colonising you can send teams of ground surveyors and adventurers to check them out. Only after these surveys, which steadily unlock as your population expands, will you know what’s waiting for you beyond the alien horizon.
Exploring is done in the new "Planetary Exploration Menu" I made. This screen looks fancy but simply displays unknown territories and their relative locations down on the surface. Your explorers have offered up some early intel, too: Their best guess as to what is in each region in terms of resources and risks. You can use their tip-offs to make informed decisions about how to proceed. Let’s say I think it’s really important to hunt for food. Perhaps my best bet is on the western islands? Or is it at the south pole, where there is more projected agriculture and also the risk of a blocker? Then again, I could build some very profitable generator districts on those equatorial beaches….
Not all Planetary Features are a mystery. A couple are initially visible and this is important for a few reasons:
- You still get useful information to use when it comes claiming solar systems.
- It ensures the colony will have at least some workable industry as soon as you land but before starting your first explorations.
- I think it’s totally fair to expect these futuristic Stellaris societies to learn at least something about a planet before landing.
For overall balance I’ve aimed to have this feel as "Vanilla-Like" as I can. There are no new deposits in this mod (except the unexplored regions, which do nothing), nor any changes at all to how vanilla ones work. It’s fairly light weight and it’s all about the exploration.
Yes, the AI does exploration and they are following the same rules as you do!
- This is compatible with both Planetary Features Expanded and Dangerous Wildlife Expanded and I recommend you guys use all three together! You’ll get all kinds of interesting and new deposits.
- If you run my Planet View mod you’ll have a more convenient "Explore Surface" UI button on the main screen, saving you a click and an awkward 1 days delay while waiting on the build queue.
- This works with all mods that add new deposits. It won’t mess with their content at all. Just be aware that their deposits won’t be "hidden" and will always be the variety you can see from orbit right away.
- A big shout out to The Blocker Mod from VeryBigBeard, an alternate really cool take on Planetary deposits you might like.
- For more recommendations and compatibility advice check my collection at the top of this page.
Check out the threads below for more game-play and technical info. I’d love to read your feedback!
[discord.gg]
