Stellaris: 16 Things To Optimize During Early Game (2024)

Optimizing in a grand strategy game like Stellaris is always tricky due to many factors that need to be accounted for by the player. Furthermore, the game is unique in a way that is also a real-time strategy game, which means the player needs to plan one to two further steps while pausing the game for a thinking period.

Therefore, the early game in Stellaris is one of the best times for players to try optimizing their starting resources to gain a solid advantage above other space-faring civilizations in the game. By solidifying their foothold in the early game, the player can have their gameplay progressing smoothly.

Updated June 13, 2024 by Evan Arnoldi: With the continual updates, patches, and newer downloadable content made available for Stellaris, it is no wonder that the early stages of the game continually shift as well. Players will need to adapt often based on their empire and surrounding systems, but there is a set of things that they can always do in the early game to ensure the stability of their empire in the crucially early stages of the game.

It is important that the players know the initial starting point of their empire among the star systems and plan ahead based on that situation and the early things that they can do in Stellaris.

1 Build Up Ships Often

Neglecting The Strength Of The Fleet Will Bring Destruction

Sometimes, even the most hardened veteran of Stellaris can find themselves in trouble during the early game when they happen to neighbor both the destructive Fanatical Purifier and Determined Exterminator, which can translate to an early game over if they do not address the issue right from the start of the game. To prevent that from happening, it is important for players to always keep their fleet strength updated by maxing out the fleet cap whenever possible.

Not only will it serve as the empire's defense during war, but the very strength of the fleet itself can deter even the Ravenous Swarm at the border due to the fleet strength difference. Thanks to the AI updates in Stellaris, they can immediately sniff out any weakness in a player's empire fleet strength and declare war quickly once they know the difference in strength is plenty. Therefore, it is important for players to assume that they border the most hostile empires during the early game to save themselves from an early game restart due to a surprise war.

2 Prepare Defensive Checkpoints

Having Dedicated Defensive Checkpoints Save Countless Lives

It can be insufficient to have a fully maximum capped fleet strength if the neighboring Fanatic Purifiers have already absorbed their other neighbors, or simply because the game was played in the most difficult setting, the Grand Admiral difficulty. Therefore, identifying key star systems that can be a defensive checkpoint is crucial before expanding further into other parts of the galaxy. A star system can potentially be a defensive checkpoint should it hold a single hyperlane towards the empire's core systems while having two or more hyperlanes leading toward the rest of the galaxy.

Preferably, these defensive checkpoints guard both the capital system of an empire and other star systems that might hold the empire's means of producing ships. These defensive checkpoints can last until the latter stages of the game once one of the Endgame Crises shows up, as long as they are reliably upgraded into the powerful Citadel with maxed-out Defensive Platforms. With the combined might of starbase, defensive platforms, and the empire's fleet, an empire can withstand any piercing attack as long as they can hold the line at these checkpoints.

3 Spread Out Traditions

Having Multiple Tradition Trees Open Is Better

After the recent changes to Tradition Trees, it is now far better to spread out while picking Traditions instead of focusing on only one Tradition Tree to complete it and acquire an Ascension Perk. This is because gaining an early Ascension Perk is not worth the investment in the early game, and it is better to pick individual Traditions that are more powerful, especially during the early stages of the game.

There are some Tradition Trees that might be worth rushing during the early game due to their usefulness and their powerful bonuses, but it is still crucial for a player to pick their Traditions wisely, as they can shape the victory condition of their empire. Any misstep in doing so can either result in a difficult early game or even a harder transitionary period to the mid-game stages.

4 Resource Management

Prioritize The Production Of Valuable Resources

Resource management can be quite tricky sometimes, especially when the player is still new to the game with lots of information still left to be learned. However, oftentimes, some resources are more than worth to be prioritized than others.

Those resources include consumer goods for early colony ships, energy credits, and alloys. Both are crucial for a space-faring civilization to be able to keep up with the evolving galaxy. Effectively managing resources early will allow them to ascend as a space-faring civilization in the game.

5 Explorations Are Always Good

Explore The Area Near The Capital Early To Gain More Resources And Expand Borders

Sometimes, players can find themselves tunnel-vision in building their empire by creating buildings on capital planets and prioritizing mining outposts in their starting system. This behavior could be punished as they find themselves starved for areas to explore in later stages of the game.

It is always worth building 2 to 3 Science Ships to explore and survey nearby star systems to gain information and potential planets to colonize. Meeting a hostile empire would be more likely to have them closing their borders, leading to a limited choice of explorations.

6 Find The Precursors

Discover The Old Empires And Learn Their Secret Quickly

In every game of Stellaris, a player's empire will be guaranteed to have a Precursor Situation that they can resolve to gain insight into an extinct empire far older than the usual Fallen Empires, receiving numerous advantages such as a unique system, bonuses to technologies, and rare resources for some Precursors as well.

By finishing the Precursors situation quickly, a player's empire can quickly convert the rewards they've gotten into a massive advantage against the neighboring empires, especially when getting a reward that synergizes efficiently with the empire's traits. One good example would be having the Zroni Precursor as a Psionic Empire to exploit the Shroud efficiently.

7 Grab Unique Systems

Unique Star Systems Are Worth Rushing Due To Their Bonuses

Among the numerous star systems in a randomly generated galaxy, there is a chance for certain unique star systems to spawn, which can bring numerous bonuses and unique situations for any empire that is able to discover them. In some cases, these unique systems will only grant bonuses when claimed with an Outpost. Finding out which star systems to look out for is certainly worth the effort since it will give a huge bonus to an empire in the early stages of the game.

Some of these systems can grant huge bonuses, such as huge habitable planets to colonize, or gaining a Legendary Paragon that can elevate an empire to a whole new level. Therefore, rushing these unique star systems is a viable strategy to follow in the earliest stages of the game.

8 Use The Market Often

Sell Overabundant Resources In The Market

While managing their space-faring civilizations, players can also fall into the trap of not paying attention to the market more often. The early Internal Market is still as valuable as the Galactic Market, which can be unlocked in later stages of the game. This market is quite helpful for players to sell off their overabundance of resources.

Moreover, the market can also be utilized to buy resources that are crucial for the players to develop their civilizations, such as alloys for ship buildings and consumer goods for colony ship creation.

9 Expand As Soon As Possible

Building An Early Colony Ship Is A Necessity

Expanding as soon as possible should be the target for many players of Civilizations who hope to have a chance of winning their game, whatever their objectives may be. An expanding border means more possible areas to explore, planets to settle, and resources to mine such as minerals and energy credits.

However, players also need to keep a close eye on their empire size while expanding, as exceeding the size by a large margin could also lead to the decline of their civilizations. Furthermore, the number of influence they have might not be able to keep up if they expand too rapidly.

10 Aim For Archaeological Sites

When Done Early, These Archaeological Sites Can Be A Game Changer

Archaeological Sites can sometimes be forgotten since there are numerous things to do and look out for in a game of Stellaris. However, it would be beneficial for an empire to try getting these Archaeological Sites done quickly by capable Scientist Leaders to grab their bonuses as early as possible since they can bring powerful bonuses in the early game.

These bonuses can range from a huge number of resources, gaining new powerful technologies, and acquiring a Relic that can turn the tide of a galactic war even in the later stages of the game. Aside from the empire-wide bonuses, it can also be a quick way for a Scientist Leader to gain experience quickly as an alternative to exploration, leading a research field, or governing a planet colony.

11 Focus On Increasing Research Speed

Research Technologies That Increase The Speed Of Research

The initial research options for the players can be overwhelming at times, especially when almost all the choices are good. However, it is often more beneficial for the players to choose the option which increases the research speed of its field.

By picking the increased research speed option, players can advance quicker than their rivals in the galaxy to gain more advantages technology-wise, such as gaining early technologies needed for a Megastructure. However, there are some cases where the players would also need to prioritize certain research options, such as resource-increasing options.

12 Great Offense Is Not Necessarily Good Defense

Fortify Defenses Instead of Seeking War

For certain spacefaring civilizations, especially the ones that hope to explore the galaxy in peace, great offense in the form of massive fleets with powerful weapons is sometimes not an option in the early game. It is better to build defenses such as defense platforms in their core systems for starters.

However, this might not apply to players who wish to wage war across the galaxy as either Fanatical Purifiers, Determined Exterminators, or a Devouring Swarm. For those players, a great offense is a necessity for their playstyle, since they will be busy attacking instead of defending.

13 Prioritize Pop Growth

Growing The Population Is Important Enough To Rush

In grand strategy games, population growth is often a priority due to its boon. More populations translate to more resources to spend, which in turn enables the player to explore, expand, exploit, and in some cases, exterminate the galaxy. The same philosophy also applies to Stellaris, as players in the early game need to rely on their population.

Therefore, it is recommended for players to try prioritizing their population's growth in the early game, such as researching technologies that increase such growth or expanding by building colony ships and colonizing nearby habitable planets.

14 Focus On Systems With Habitable Planets

Prioritizing Outposts On Habitable Planets Is Preferable To Other Systems

Instead of simply exploring and expanding further into systems aimlessly, it would be more beneficial for players to try focusing on systems with habitable planets instead. Although an empty system might have more boon with its natural resources such as extra minerals and energy credits, the potential that a habitable planet has can potentially outweigh the empty systems' benefits.

It is important to note that not all habitable planets are necessarily good to colonize by the players. They still need to pay close attention to the habitability of the planet in some cases, except when they are playing as a species that ignores any habitability, such as synthetics.

15 Keep Friendly Relationships With Neighbors

It's Far Better To Have Friendly Neighbors Than To War With Them

Unless playing as a hostile civilization such as a Fanatic Purifier or Determined Exterminators, it is generally wise to keep the neighbors happy by engaging in diplomacy with them. Exploring the galaxy alone can be tough, and any help that a player can get will help them greatly to survive the harshness of space.

However, even if the player intends to rule the galaxy, it is generally still recommended for them to try diplomacy with other civilizations if possible, and the early game is the perfect time for it to happen.

16 Resource Traits For Leaders Are Crucial

Leaders Can Act As Free Resource Dispensers With Their Acquired Traits

With the newest addition to the game, where leaders can generate resources with their traits, they are now crucial for players trying to optimize their early gameplay in Stellaris. Such leaders will give players a headstart economy-wise, as they can build and expand their civilizations further than others.

Some of these resource generation traits could be Private Mines, which grant a good amount of minerals per month, and Scrapper, which generates some alloys per month, both crucial for the early stages of the game, as it is rather rare to find them in systems, they are difficult to produce, and they're expensive to buy.

Stellaris

Platform(s)

PC , PS4 , Xbox One

Released

May 9, 2016

Developer(s)

Paradox Development Studio

Genre(s)

4X , Grand Strategy