Team Nessassity Mods - Massive Lhûren Rework And ALL The Things Happening Early Next Year, Once I Manage To Figure Out How To Navigate Patreon's New Layout... Again

DECEMBER! MONTHLY MOD REPORT! NEW YEAR! STUFF!

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Okay, that's the short version. Now for the signature wall of text you're all here for!

So! First of all, let me thank you again for your continued influx of feedback regarding our recent updates to MEC: Asari and Elves of Stellaris!

Last month, we went super in-depth on the near-complete MEC: Asari rework, and with the release of Stellaris patch 3.10 and the Astral Rifts DLC, we finally felt confident enough to officially take it out of beta, which means that focus has shifted from bugfixing and polishing into more content that will be seeing... quite soon!

However, today's MMR won't be about that! Because of how long the rework took, I had neglected some of our other mods, so now is the time I gave them a little overdue love! First up: Elves of Stellaris!

Ah... but before that... THE ADO! Show thyself, villain, and begone!

Elves of Stellaris (DLC Dependency Policy)

Alright! So let's start with the big one: addressing a recent change in our policy regarding DLC dependencies.

With the recent EoS update, we decided to clean up some redundancies in our design, co-opting some modern vanilla features to replace our legacy systems that used to serve a similar purpose but weren't as well integrated into the game.
As we were doing that, however, it occurred to us that some of those things greatly resembled normally DLC-restricted features, and we were afraid that the Paradox modding policy would frown upon us making them partially available in a free mod.

But the move proved (understandably) unpopular. We received a lot of constructive feedback in response, which led us to conclude that... maybe we went juuuuust a little overboard with the restrictions.

Locking previously freely available civics, presets, etc. behind a DLC wall in their entirety because one minor aspect was similar to DLC features was an overreaction on our part, and we are deeply sorry for that!
In order to fix that, we are planning to implement the following changes to the mod and our overall policy soon:

• We will avoid completely DLC-locking Civics, Origins, Prescripted Empires and other Empire Creation elements UNLESS they are entirely built around a particular DLC.
  (For example, a civic like Illium à la Mode and all related features, which are strictly designed and balanced around a Corporate authority empire, will always require the Megacorp DLC.
  However, if we wanted to use a DLC civic in a preset, such as with Diplomatic Corps and Asari Republics, but the empire could reasonably function without it, we would instead provide two versions of the Prescripted Empire.)
• In cases where one of our features interacts with or is identical to a DLC-locked feature, we will try to find a way to ONLY restrict that particular feature.
  (For example, if an Origin hypothetically started the player with a ruined Juggernaut that could be turned into a functional one, they could still progress through the process of repair, but the option to fully restore it would only be available to owners of the Federations DLC.)
• Wherever it is possible, and not too complex to implement, if a DLC-free alternative can be provided to non-owners, we will try to provide one.
  (So to continue with the above example, non-owners of Federations would probably be offered an alternative reward of equivalent value instead, such as being able to repurpose the ruined Juggernaut into a fleet of carriers.)
• In cases where one of our features might grant access to something that is usually DLC locked, HOWEVER, there already exists vanilla precedent for being able to acquire it via alternative means, we probably won't DLC-lock it, but will try to make the process of acquisition appropriately challenging or limited to maintain its rarity.
  (For example, since it's possible for anyone to obtain an Ecumenopolis by conquering the Materialist Fallen Empire's capital, granting the player access to one unique Ecumenopolis without requiring a DLC should be acceptable.)

Implementation of this plan might take some time, (some creative reassembly required), and we are grateful for your patience, but we will try to make it available to you as soon as possible!

Additionally, if we run into a similarly conflicted dilemma in the future, we will communicate it a lot earlier and a lot more transparently, as well. It was unfair to drop such a drastic change on our users without warning, and we definitely should have taken some feedback before committing to it. As the Team's de facto voice, it was one thing I should not have neglected! >.<

Elves of Stellaris (Upcoming Content!)

Okay! To avoid leaving it out on such a bitter note, here's some sweet, sweet shiny new stuff that will be coming soon to Elves of Stellaris!

As it happens, two happy coincidence are about to occur in a couple of months!

For one, 2024 will be the year of the Wood Dragon!

And you know what that means, right?

That's right, Elves are getting their long-awaited wooden spaceshi-

No! No... nononononono...

Something much better! I am about to start implementing the long-teased and long-planned but long-delayed Lhuren Rework! Seriously, if it took any long-er, it would turn into a dragon too!

...

Please don't leave!

Okay, okay, okay! Let's set the jokes aside for a moment and go over what it's actually going to entail!

Ahem...

The galaxy is empty.
For all it has to offer us.
A flawless paradise is here.
So why do we long for the sky?

What ails the insular celestials of Aurlûnor Velande? What could possibly trouble those who have already achieved immortality, tranquility and enlightenment?

Perhaps... the galaxy will soon know?

For the first time in uncountable millennia, the stars from beyond shine upon Lhûmar, as the Heavens' Chosen watch their painted sky rain down in horror.
The Great Firewall... the cocoon of tranquility which had insulated the Lhûren from the Void Beyond The Heavens...
It is no more. The shield has collapsed and light has faded from the Eternal Array.

What happened? Who is to blame? Can the Lhûren yet regain their familiar sky?
And... will they want to, now that they have glimpsed a greater universe, and not all found it... as ugly as they remember?

...

So um... as you might perhaps suspect by now, the Celestial Throne Origin is about to receive a few... changes. Without further ado, let's go over them!

• The narrative premise and lore have been fleshed out. The Lhûren are no longer just Chinese-styled Elves who happen to live on a planet that quirky dragons visit sometimes.
  
  Now, they are an ancient species of once-mortal elves, who had abandoned their homeworld in search of True Immortality. At the end of their journey, they found the planet now known as Lhûmar, which was located at an intersection of universes. And there, they made contact with mysterious higher-dimensional beings who possessed the power to grant wishes - to reweave reality - but only if the Lhûren were willing to meet the price...
  In exchange for immortality, they would become the eternal guardians of this world in the material realm. They would cultivate life and beauty upon the virginal garden and allow no war and no disaster to desecrate its purity.
  
  And so, the elves constructed the Eternal Array around the planet, a device that would encase it inside an impenetrable shell upon completion, forever insulating Lhûmar from the troubled galaxy outside while the Lhûren enjoyed the fruits of eternal paradise.
• However, no good things last forever! Celestial Throne Origin now starts with a unique (sorry, I don't have pictures yet, but you're going to love it when you see it! >o<) deactivated Orbital Ring, and is no longer protected by the Great Firewall!
  Over the course of the campaign, the player will be given the option to work towards restoring the Eternal Array, although they might find that doing so, among the new and alien stars teeming with intelligent life and interstellar empires, might prove more challenging than it was back when the galaxy was younger... So perhaps the different circumstances call for new measures?
  Also, if you're curious if there are any consequences to losing, abandoning, or letting Lhûmar be destroyed... well, why don't you try and find out? n_n

Alongside the reworked Origin, the Celestial Grace Civic will also receive a major update! It will be changed to synergise with the one-planet focus of the Origin, however, it will also be possible to use it independently of the Origin if you wish!

• The Celestial Favor mechanics have been redesigned completely. Rather than being an empire-level variable, Celestial Favor is now a feature of leaders! It will be tracked for the Ruler, the Heir, the other leaders of the Empire, and the Rulers of subject states under the Celestial Empire.
  For each type of leader, however, the purpose of Celestial Favor will differ.
• The Ruler's Celestial Favor score determines the people's trust in their leadership, and it will often change based on the player's ability to deal with various special Situations that will occur throughout their reign (including a few ones unique to Celestial Throne and the Eternal Array project).
  Maintaining high CF grants empire-wide benefits to stability, production, faction approval and others. Low CF, on the other hand, invites dissent, disunity and may even lead to coup attempts in order to restore the Mandate.
• The Heir's Celestial Favor is a measure of both their filial piety and the people's trust in the succession. If an Heir with significantly lower CF succeeds a beloved Ruler, they might face opposition and disloyalty upon accession. Conversely, if an Heir has significant following while the current Ruler is widely distrusted, the Ruler might be pressured to abdicate. If the government type does not have an Heir, or both the Heir and the Ruler have low CF, then... succession might get a lot more complicated.
• Minor Leaders' Celestial Favor score reflects their influence in the government. By performing their duties well, they will slowly accumulate CF, and eventually be able to spend it to ask the Ruler for certain favours.
  Agreeing to grant them might be costly but, it is a good way to keep the officials' influence in check. Because if powerful individuals overshadow the Ruler in popularity... that might lead to its own slew of problems.
• Finally, subject Rulers also have a Celestial Favor score, albeit they have no say in the Celestial Empire's internal matters, and the CF is irrelevant to the people of their own empire. The only benefits and drawbacks they derive from it is in their relations with the overlord and other subjects.
  The subject's and overlord's relative CF will have a dramatic effect on loyalty. In rare cases, a particularly powerful subject might just decide to seize the Mandate of Heaven for themselves, by force of arms if necessary, and they might even receive popular support.
  The overlord can manage the subjects' CF in a similar way to Minor Leaders - by fulfilling the subject's requests. They may also be appeased proactively by gifting them boons, such as resources and fleets.
• And speaking of subjects, the Celestial Grace Civic will strongly encourage surrounding yourself with them! If managed correctly, the subjects of a Celestial Empire will be a powerful buffer between it and the rest of the galaxy, allowing to focus on self-cultivation and internal politics while keeping nasty business like wars and interstellar relations a safe distance away.
• To help with that, the Civic will have access to a unique subject type - the Jiedushi.
  This subject type will intercept most wars aimed at its overlord, and the overlord can even expend Celestial Favor to issue various Imperial Edicts, strengthening the subject or commanding it to conduct diplomacy via proxy. With high enough Celestial Favor, a Jiedushi can even be commanded to attack another Empire without involving the overlord in the conflict.
• Any time the empire releases a Sector as a vassal, it will become a Jiedushi automatically. However, otherwise acquired subjects can be converted into Jiedushi as well.
• But... be mindful that a blade has two edges. Jiedushi subjects are indispensable, but they also accumulate Celestial Favor more quickly than other vassals, and are well aware of it...

Phew! That was a lot!

Anyways, as you can see, both the Origin and the Civic will gain a lot of complexity, but also (hopefully) a lot more interactivity than before! Celestial Favor will no longer just be a thing that passively jumps up and down when obscure and arbitrary conditions are fulfilled, it will now be gained and lost through actions and decisions. Each time the score might change, the player will be confronted with a Situation that clearly outlines what actions (or inaction) must be taken to maintain the all-important Mandate.

Also, the player will now be able to choose between two playstyles.
You can choose to push warfare and diplomacy onto subjects so that the Empire itself might focus on its internal matters.
Or you can limit, or even ignore, your reliance on subjects, and engage with the galaxy directly while also gaining an additional layer of internal politics.
We will try to make both paths viable and enjoyable!

I cannot promise that all of it will be ready by the Spring Festival, but we will certainly try!

And that's actually a bigger wall of text than even I expected! @.@

Which... probably means I should wrap it up already! You're here for announcements, not a novel... at least I hope I haven't been mismarketing these Monthly Mod Reports all this time! That would be embarrassing...

Ahem!

Anyways! Thank you again for your continued support, encouragement and interest in our work <3 It means the world to us! And if you want to watch us derp in our natural habitat, please consider joining our little Discord community!

There's even an exclusive channel for Patrons which... hasn't been seeing much activity, but I'm hoping to change that in the near future @.@

In the meantime, remember to have fun playing games, because that's what they're for, and I hope I'll see you here again next month! <3 <3 <3