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Stellaris: Overlord is now available! Realize your Grand Design with
Stellaris: Overlord, the newest major expansion for Stellaris!
Overlord brings with it many new features designed to unlock the next level of your Empire. Experience new Origins, build new Megastructures, interact with new Enclaves, and Specialize your Vassals’ role within your Empire!
[h2]Vassal Specializations[/h2]
Overlord will allow you to assign a
Vassal Specialization to your subjects. Each Vassal Specialization has a specific focus: the Bulwark, which focuses on defense and military strength; the Prospectorium, which focuses on resource collection and production; and the Scholarium, which focuses on scientific advancement.
Each of these specializations will level up over time, unlocking unique new abilities available only for their chosen Vassal Specialization for you and your Vassals.
But beware: vassals now have Loyalty, and disloyal Vassals may swear Secret Fealty to another empire — and if you give them the opportunity, you may find yourself in an Allegiance War.
[h2]Holdings[/h2]
Holdings are buildings that are owned by the overlord but are established on a Subject’s planet.
Overlord comes with a plethora of additional holding building options, as well as the ability to build multiple Holdings in a single Vassal’s space.
Holdings also have the ability to change your subject’s opinion of you, so choose wisely: Whether you become a benevolent overlord, or tightly grip the reigns of power, will be determined by your actions.
[h2]New Enclaves[/h2]
There are three new enclaves included in
Overlord: the mysterious Shroudwalker enclave, the industrious Salvager Enclave, and the enterprising Mercenary Enclave.
The
Shroudwalkers will, for a fee, reach into the Shroud to attempt to determine your fate. The Shroud is fickle, however, and whether this proves to be a boon to your empire is not guaranteed. Should they trust you, they may offer you the ability to purchase a Shroud Beacon, which allows your ships to take a shortcut through the Shroud.
Salvager Enclaves pursue Engineering as their natural calling. They will gladly take your “combat-proven” starships, and will even compensate you for the opportunity. They also regularly have many second-hand vessels for purchase, and can offer you a unique starbase building to speed up repairs, salvage your debris, and more!
The
Mercenary Enclave is a change from what we normally know as an Enclave. The Mercenary Enclave is an enclave that you decide to host, as opposed to one you find in the unknowns of space. Rather than sending outdated ships for scrap or dismantling them, with
Overlord, you gain the ability to form a Mercenary Enclave, who will take your ships and fight for coin instead of country.
[h2]Megastructures[/h2]
One of the big complaints with Megastructures is that they come so late in the game.
Overlord addresses this by adding three new Megastructures, with tech requirements that are lower in the tech tree than Mega Engineering. The Hyper Relay allows fast travel across your empire, the Quantum Catapult can send your fleets on a one-way trip to a portion of the galaxy, and Orbital Rings will allow you to have extra starbase capacity in a system, or provide bonuses to the planet it encircles.
Hyper Relays, when constructed in adjacent systems connected by a hyperlane, will allow fast travel across those systems. No longer will your fleets have to slog across an entire system, now they simply enter the Hyper Relay Network, and jump from Relay to Relay across your empire. You can also construct Hyper Relays in your Vassal’s space and travel through your allies’ Hyper Relay Network.
The
Quantum Catapult allows its owner to fire selected fleets across the galaxy. Be warned that this process isn’t guaranteed, and sending multiple fleets can result in your forces spread across a sector — or even in uncharted or closed space — rather than orbiting your enemy’s homeworld as you intended.
Orbital Rings allow you to build taller than ever before. Orbital Ring installations can construct ships, optimize production on the planet below and even increase the living space on the planet they encircle.
[h2]Origins[/h2]
In the
Imperial Fiefdom Origin, your empire was met and subjugated by an advanced species before it developed faster-than-light travel. Now that you’ve discovered how to break the lightspeed barrier, your overlord will offer you the opportunity to choose your specialization. Will you be a loyal vassal and cater to your overlord’s whims, or throw off the shackles and become the overlord yourself?
With the
Teachers of the Shroud Origin, your species has lived under the influence of a Shroudwalker Enclave for many years, developing your species’ latent Psionic potential. Now that you’ve taken your first steps out into the stars, they’ve shown you how to build a Shroud Beacon, offering a way to take a shortcut across the Shroud.
Your ancestors spent eons watching mysterious streaks in the night sky before the lights went dark. In
Slingshot to the Stars, you can discover the device that caused these mysterious streaks, and bring to light the story of the empire that left the ruined Quantum Catapult behind.
Subterranean starts you off as a species forced to retreat underground. Whether for protection from predators, shelter from harmful radiation, or safe harbor from atmospheric storms: your species has lived underground for generations. Growing tired of just feasting on the mineral wealth of your home planet, now your species has their eyes set on the stars. Whatever the climate of the planets you find, you’ve spent generations preparing, and your species is ready to face the challenge.
Unlock the power of Offspring Leaders, with the
Progenitor Hive Origin. Build unique buildings on your starbases, allowing congregations of Overseers to steer your ships and control the battle. Your leaders have the ability to draw on the collective experiences of the hive mind and incorporate this knowledge into their decision-making, giving them skills and depth of knowledge that single-minded species could only dream of. Progenitor hiveminds can also release sectors as vassals, under the guidance of one of their Offspring Leaders.
Realize your Grand Design with Stellaris: Overlord today! 
written by Eladrin
