The vanilla version of Stellaris, the 4X grand strategy from Paradox Interactive, is a massive space simulator on its own. But there is so much room in it for other cool things that it is impossible to play the game without checking out all the great mods that are available on Steam for free.
You can download a few of them and take this game to completely new heights. Everything from new races and improved AI to balanced combat and simple warpaints will make you want to spend another hundred hours on the outskirts of the galaxy far, far away.
You got it right! There are Star Wars-themed mods included in this list, as well as a few other theme-packs from popular media franchises. So hop on this train of 15 best Stellaris mods!
New Ship Classes & More v5.0
This mod’s title refers to the new ships only, but it actually includes so much more -- like stations, races, technologies, planets. And all this is supported by a new AI. The overall number of features is striking, and there is a whole website dedicated to explaining how everything works in the NSC mod.
One thing that you should definitely consider in this mod is to build yourself an Empire Flagship. It takes three in-game years to build, but the rewards and bonuses you will get are simply mind-blowing.
Planetary Diversity
If you care more about new planets than new ships, then check out the Planetary Diversity mod. It adds 17 new planet types to the game, each with their own unique alien biomes, climates, and lifeforms.
You can get involved in the terraforming and genetic engineering processes of the planets, with the exception of methane and ammonia-based planets. But the author of the mod has already stated that he is working on the solution to that as well.
LEX - Leviathan Events Xtended
This is a content expansion that includes several late game events which should give players seeking challenge some satisfaction. LEX includes the following additions:
- Throne Watchers: An abandoned ringworld, guarded by the creations of its former owners.
- The Gravekeeper: A derelict spacestation in the midst of an ancient battlefield.
- The Garden: A beautiful shielded garden world surrounded by relics of a bygone age.
- The Threshold: A system shrouded in fog, where the boundaries between realities blur.
- Crossing the Rubicon: Endgame Crisis.
Star Wars Rebel Ships
Easily one of the most exciting mods for Stellaris is the Star Wars expansion that adds over 50 Rebel Alliance ships -- including Fighters, Cruisers, Carriers, Dreadnoughts, and many others.
If you ever wanted to roleplay as a Star Wars rebel in the Stellaris universe, now you have the chance. Remember, it may not perfectly reflect the setting of the Star Wars, but you can get a glimpse of what’s it like to be a true space rebel.
Star Wars: A Galaxy Divided
Now, here’s a total conversion mod that actually makes everything in the game look like it came straight from the Star Wars universe. If you are well acquainted with the SW lore, then you will find many familiar names of the galaxies and planets.
These systems are not empty but are inhabited by the corresponding races and lifeforms. This is something you won’t find in any other game… well, except for the original SW games.
Star Trek: New Horizons
What if you’d rather play in a Star Trek universe? No problem! Here’s another total conversion mod, but this time it’s based on the Star Trek franchise. The events of the mod carefully replicate the most popular moments from the original TV series and feature films.
On top of that, the developers of the mod included a few completely original ship classes, types of technologies, and environments.
Beautiful Universe v2.0
This mod overhauls all the backgrounds and visually enhances the game. The textures used in this mod come from NASA and EVE Online archives. It doesn’t change any game mechanics, so it’s a purely graphical mod.
However, using it will make your gameplay more pleasurable, as the outer space of Stellaris will look incredibly real and detailed.
Doomsday Weapons & Ships
Have you ever wanted to possess a weapon so powerful that it could destroy an entire planet? Here’s a mod that offers not one but eleven doomsday weapons. Some of them are so potent that they could pulverize entire star systems.
And, if you need to deal with an enemy star fleet, then there is nothing better that having a doomsday ship on your side -- such as Ragnarok, which is also available in this ISBS mod.
Sins of the Prophets
The Halo fans will know this one, as this is the port of the original Halo mod with the same name but for Stellaris. The mod has been developed in co-operation with the Halo modders that permitted the use of all of their assets in Stellaris.
The only thing that’s missing from this pack is the Flood, which is a shame. Hopefully, when the copyright situation around Stellaris stabilizes, it will be included after all.
The Asari Civilization
The Asari race from Mass Effect universe finally finds its place in Stellaris. This unusual alien species is highly intelligent and inventive. The mod fully reflects their abilities to build new technologies, such as Biotics, Field Manipulation, and Psionics.
You also will have to take care of the Asari population through the process of Gynogenetics, and manage their lifespan with the help of Ageless ability.
Systems Alliance Ships
The Mass Effect ships have been available in Stellaris since the very launch of the game, but then they had to be taken down due to copyright infringement. But now they're returning in full force in this new Systems Alliance mod.
It replaces all the vanilla ships in the game with the ME ships, except the HQ Station, Power Station, Mining Base, Sensor Station, and Drydock from NSC.
Legend of Galactic Heroes
If you’ve been watching one of the most popular Japanese space operas -- Legend of Galactic Heroes -- then you should know that ships in the anime were incredibly large and powerful. This mod brings all those ships to Stellaris!
Now, you can engage in massive laser battles that involve hundreds and thousands of ships at the same time, just like the ones in the original anime.
Elves of Stellaris
If you enjoy mixing sci-fi and fantasy, then welcome to Elves of Stellaris -- a huge fan-made mod that incorporates all of the attributes of Elven civilization, such as outfits, hairstyles, ships, worlds, traits, etc.
But don’t get too excited. Not all Elves are equally civilized and sometimes the mod spawns a random primitive world. However, if you like to have crazy fun, then go ahead and meet those savages.
Stellar Warpaints
Ever thought about repainting your old rusty starship? Check out the Warpaints mod, which offers 21 different paintjobs for all types of ships -- except the other modded ships and the ones used by the AI.
As the developer of the mod said, this was done in order to prevent excessive RAM consumption, which could destabilize not only this mod, but also any other ones you might have installed previously.
Planetary Computer
This is not exactly the Death Star, but it is a sentient planet that is controlled by an AI. It is highly advisable to get yourself one of those, as it adds tons of bonuses to your empire:
- Growth Time +100%
- Building Cost -25%
- Food -100%
- Minerals -100%
- Energy Credits +200%
- Physics Output +250%
- Society Output +250%
- Engineering Output +250%
- Monthly Influence +1
Planetary Computer will take care of the galaxy’s biggest computational problems -- provided that you take care of it just as well.
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Published: May 19, 2017 12:05 pm