Stellaris outlines the aims for upcoming Kennedy and Banks updates

With the Leviathans DLC and free Heinlein update released, the Stellaris team have started outlining where the game is heading in the next couple of updates. A lot of this stuff isn’t necessarily finalised, but it represents where Paradox want to take the game.

Before the end of the year, Stellaris should be getting a free ‘Kennedy’ update. This one will be a “small update targeting a few specific key issues”, which include precursor event chains and end game crises.

Kennedy will be followed by ‘Banks’ (as in Iain M.), planned as a “major” update accompanied by a full-sized, paid expansion. Paradox aren’t spilling any specific details about what will be in Banks, but suggests that the authors own work may provide some clues. They have, however, spelled out some general, long-term ambitions for the game.

• Fleshing out the mid- and lategame through the addition of more interesting narratives and ‘galactic events’ akin to Awakened Fallen Empires that shake up the galactic scene.
• Improving the internal workings of empires, making pops and leaders more interesting, and making empires feel more alive.
• Expanding on the ethics system, creating more unique playstyles and enhancing roleplaying.

In addition to that, they’ve included some desirable features that are not certain to appear, but are somewhere on their ‘we’d like to do this’ list. Or, as they put it, “NOTE: THIS IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE OR FINAL LIST, AND NOTHING BELOW IS CERTAIN TO HAPPEN!”

• Ship appearance that differs for each empire, so no two empires’ ships look exactly the same.
• More story events and reactive narratives that give a sense of an unfolding story as you play.
• More potential for empire customization, ability to build competitive ‘tall’ empires.
• Deeper Federations that start out as loose alliances and can eventually be turned into single states through diplomatic manuevering.
• Ability to set rights and obligations for particular species in your empire.
• Global food that can be shared between planets.
• Superweapons and planet killers.
• Ability to construct space habitats and ringworlds.
• More interesting mechanics for pre-FTL civilizations.
• Factions that are proper interest groups with specific likes and dislikes and the potential to be a benefit to an empire instead of just being rebels.
• A ‘galactic community’ with interstellar politics and a ‘space UN’.
• Buildable Dreadnoughts and Titans.