The Old Man surveyed the strange towering monoliths upon the odd planet called The Center. At first, our intrepid, fleshy adventurer thought he had found a new archeological site, until he found himself unearthing new friends. The Center was not an uninhabited wasteland – no, it was home to the Rockefeller Magnate, a group of business-minded Lithoids (you know, rock people?) who were delving into strange practices like Aggressive Psychic Advertising, WorkForce Aquisition Wars, and selling their excretions as highly explosive fuel for the galactic war machine.
It had been some time since the Old Man encountered something so strange and alien in the realms of Stellaris. And he got his notepad and camera ready to catalogue these odd new friends and pass the information on to you, his beloved readers.
Get a Lode of This Guy!
By the time the Rockefeller Magnate had closed the books on their story, they had failed to complete Habitable World Survey. But they still knew lots of important stuff. Jorn Rockefeller knew that including the Rockefellas, there were around 15 known manifestations of Lithoids. There was also a new saucer-headed robot thing- but the Rockefellers hated robots, so they didn’t talk about them.
The Lithoids species pack adds what is likely one of my favourite advisor voices; suitably gravelly, with the slightest hint of a famous robotic patriarch. This advisor is probably the best since the Technocrat.
But as fascinating as the Lithoids look and sound, it’s their ships and structures that steal the show. The ships give off a ripped-from-the-ground impression with their asymmetrical nature and the jutting, glowing crystals. Even the outpost looks like fantastic geodes pulsing with a mysterious energy.
No Moss Here
Jorn Rockefeller’s people, being Lithoids, grew very slowly… And that was a problem, because it was hard for them to fill all the positions at the local Gems and Things Space Mall. This was how the Workforce Acquisition Wars began. The Rockefellers were a philanthropist empire who got by with their flint and grit. When the galaxy gave them explosive motes as a natural bi-product, they sold them back to the galaxy! When the galaxy looked at them and said ‘Aggggh Giant Psychic Rocks!’ they knew that the galactic citizens were really calling out for that beautiful Utopian life available for rent at your local Gems and Things.
It was clear that the galactic citizens had encountered some rather horrifying rock people beforehand. Likely the infamous Terravores. These rock entities behaved much like a hivemind, but they devoured entire worlds. Scary stuff, and bad for business to boot.
The Lithoids have some common traits. High adaptability for planets, long lives, fierce in a fight. But oh boy, they are like cold molasses when it comes to getting frisky. They also can excrete the three primary strategic resources naturally. Currently, the rate of production is 0.01 units per population. It seems small, but it adds up fast. Being a junkie for motes, it was hard for me to refuse such an offer.
The Terravores are capable of ransacking a planet, impacting an empire’s ability to exist on it. In exchange, the rocky hivemind is given an injection of resources or a free pop, for their efforts. It is an interesting twist on the devouring swarm, and I look forward to digging in deeper to it on a stream sometime.
Deep Crust Engineering
The Rockefellers did well for themselves and the rest of the galaxy. There were only a few incidents of mass starvation and riots when the Lithoids forgot other species needed vegetables and space ham, or whatever it is fleshy ones eat. They became the powerhouse of the galaxy and single-handedly defended their peers from the horrid Unbidden. As time went on, folks got used to their new jobs and the beautiful, perfect lives they had while living in the jewel of the universe. The Rockefeller Magnate, protecting you from everything, including yourself.
I did have a small problem with the Lithoids pack. It isn’t a bad problem – one could argue it’s an excellent problem to have. The Lithoid designs are so good they overshadow the older ones. It’s hard to take the old ships when the Lithoid ships look so darn awesome. The voice acting for the new advisor is terrific, and all the portraits look great. Adding in that there are unique traits to mess around with, that was more than I was expecting from a species pack.
Considering this pack is $8.99 Canuck bucks, the same price as Humanoids, it is well worth it. This pack is an excellent addition for any Stellaris completionist.
9/10 – A fantastic pack. Beautiful designs. Interesting new traits.
Review by Joshua Smith (Old Man Mordaith)
Edited by Jesse Roberts
The publisher provided the code for review purposes.
Old Man Mordaith 