Hi everyone! About twenty minutes after we posted Dev Diary 280, the community had largely decoded the message we hid in there... CONTACT IS COMING. Last week, we had A Message from Minamar Specialized Industries, and it's time to take them up on that offer. [previewyoutube=MjGQJBZBKxI;full][/previewyoutube] I'm pleased to announce that the First Contact Story Pack will be released alongside the Stellaris 3.7 "Canis Minor" update. Click here to wishlist the Story Pack.

Look to the Stars, We Are Not Alone

For countless ages, your people have looked to the stars with wonder - is there anybody else out there? When we meet, will they be friends or enemies? Will we be the ones to discover them, or are they already here, hiding in plain sight? The First Contact Story Pack focuses on the experiences of these Pre-FTL civilizations, both from the point of view of the civilizations themselves as well as from the observers. Observation has been revamped with new enhanced systems relating to civilization Awareness, Diplomacy, and Espionage. New Insights can be learned from observing civilizations that have not been corrupted by the galaxy as a whole.
They've been here before.

The Universe Is Cruel, But Also Wonderful

Two Challenging Origins - Payback and Broken Shackles - revolve around the struggles of empires against the oppressive Minamar Specialized Industries, while a third standard Origin - Fear of the Dark - examines the fine line between paranoia and prudence. As befits a Story Pack, all three of First Contact's Origins are heavily narrative focused. Several new low-technology civics can change the way you take your first steps to the stars or how you interact with the pre-FTL civilizations you find.
One small step Nobody saw this coming in a Story Pack, but there's also Cloaking... We'll reveal more about that later.
Look, up in the sky... [url=pdxint.at/3ZD0cbw]
Wishlist Today! This Thursday, we'll discuss the vision and themes of First Contact in greater detail. See you then!