Galactic Expansion 4.0 Introduces Infants Across the Universe, Accompanied by a Glitch Suggesting Their Consumption as a Food Source
Life in Space Got a Little More Chaotic: Stellaris's New Bug
The latest Stellaris update, featuring the somewhat disputed BioGenesis expansion released on May 5, has stirred up a fresh conundrum – babies! Yes, you heard it right. But don't let their innocent appearance fool you, for they've brought along a distinctive bug.
These little ones are born as "nascent" beings, a trait that can be applied to humanoid, mammalian, reptilian, and arthropoid species. In the game, their babies are considered incapable of contributing to society for the first five years. Afterward, they're ready to contribute as productive members.
The twist happens when these "pre-sapient" beings – a category already in existence in Stellaris – are introduced. These species are more intelligent than simple fauna and have yet to reach the Stone Age. In Stellaris, you can choose how to treat pre-sapients via an edict, either regarding them as animals and hunting or eating them, or by exterminating them completely.
And here's where things get intriguing. Players reported that the extermination edict seems to apply to babies too, sparking some discomfort. While this seemingly aligns with Stellaris's objective of molding you into a fearsome space ruler, wiping out your kids may not exactly be viable in real-world scenarios, particularly population-wise.
To clarify, this bug appears to be visual, as tested by some players. The extermination edict displays that it applies to the babies, yet it doesn't seem to have any real effect on the population. In my initial five years of gameplay, the baby population kept growing, and the shrinkage afterwards mirrored the growth of adult populations.
So, despite the game's suggestion, don't worry, your newborns aren't being eradicated – they're simply shifting from the pre-sapient group to the adult one.
Nevertheless, though it's just a bug, wouldn't it be fun if we could have the option to enjoy baby steaks in-game? Food for thought, Paradox!
Written by Fraser Brown, our UK online editor, who has actually crossed paths with The Internet! With over a decade of experience, Fraser has shifted from freelancing to editing roles and is a regular reviewer of strategy games. He's a self-confessed Total War and Crusader Kings fanatic, often seen in the latest MMOs, and can be found unwinding with an engrossing, systemic RPG.
Enrichment Insight: In reality, killing off your own young is generally considered morally and ethically unacceptable. However, it's interesting to consider how video games can blur the lines between fantasy and ethical boundaries, creating an environment where players can experience different moral dilemmas. [Source: Ethics in Video Games, 2016]
- The Bug in Stellaris's BioGenesis expansion raises an intriguing question about using technology in games: What if players were given the option to consume gadgets, advanced by technology, as food, like baby steaks?
- In the realm of Stellaris, game strategy often leads players to make questionable decisions, such as exterminating 'pre-sapients', including babies, under certain edicts, putting them at odds with real-world ethical standards for population management.
- As seasoned gamers navigate through technology-driven games like Stellaris, it becomes clear that such experiences showcase the ability of games to explore diverse aspects of human behavior and culture, from societal structures to moral and ethical dilemmas within the bounds of seasonal game releases.
