Stellaris’s early game is a wondrous thing. You, the ruler of a newly space-faring empire of mammals, avians, fungoids, or any one of a number of other weird, alien lifeforms, are set free to explore and discover the galaxy. It’s mysterious and alluring. You select your science ship and send it off to neighboring stars, scanning each to discover new life and new civilizations. These are the voyages of the USS Spacey McSpaceface.
Maybe it’s me, but I can’t see a route to victory that doesn’t involve force As you explore you find resources to fund your expansion, harvested by building mining stations. You find anomalies, which can be researched to uncover new technologies and trigger quests. You meet other species, often friendly but sometimes not. And, when you’re not…
