How to set foundations for the empire in Stellaris? Stellaris guide, tips

Last update: 14 March 2019

This chapter of the Stellaris guide tells you how to perform basic actions that will create the basis for a powerful galactic empire. Every action was described in detail.

• Turn on the tutorial
• Explore the mother system
• Build a mine
• Start your research
• Build your fleet
• Select the commander

Turn on the tutorial

After you pick your faction and specify the size of the galaxy, you will be taken directly to the campaign map.

Before you start the game, a detailed profile, based on the faction and parameters that you have chosen, will be displayed on the screen. Start the game by pressing the button marked in the screenshot.

This causes the tutorial to appear. Select the first option in green. It may be a good idea to start tutorial, from the viewpoint of players of any level of experience. Apart from explaining all of the game aspects, tutorial also informs you of events that you will not be paying attention to, at first. If, during the game, you decide that you no longer need any hints, you can disable them.

To do this, access the game menu using the ESC key, or the button marked in the above screenshot.

Here, access "Settings".

Access the "Gameplay" tab.

Here you can change parameters of the tutorial mode. You can disable it completely, leave it only as your advising option, or activate full scope of hints.

It is also here that you can activate tutorial, if only you closed it by accident earlier, by picking the wrong dialogue option.

Explore the mother system

Exploration of the mother system is the first thing that you should do after you start the game. This way, you will quickly learn what type of resources you can mine for within the boundaries of your system.

Select the science ship using one of the buttons marked in the above screenshot. After the game starts, the ship will circle the mother planet.

Pick any of the planets within the mother system, other than the mother planet. It is important for the pointer to be over one of those planets when you are issuing orders to the science ship.

Press the RMB on any of the planets and select - Survey System.

After issuing the order, the ship determines its route around the system and queues up the rest of the planets to survey. Its route displays each time you select that ship.

You can check progress into surveying the planets at any moment into the game. What you have to do is roll your mouse over the area on the science ship's panel shown in the screenshot.

It is best to survey the entire system because you can discontinue the surveying process, if you have already discovered the resources that you need. You can return to the rest of the planets later on.

Build a mine

After you have located resource deposits, it is best to start to mine for them as quickly as possible. Each mining station involves high costs, but you should not worry about expenses just yet. Ensure additional income sources and your expenses will be quickly compensated for. Remember to mine for both energy credits and minerals.

Select the construction ship, using the tab marked in the above screenshot, or find it on the map.

Click the RMB on a planet that is rich in resources. This should display the construction menu shown in the above screenshot. From the menu that opens select "build mining station".

The ship will fly there and start construction.

You can view progress in building using the index or the ship's panel. After the construction is completed, the ship will remain on the orbit of the planet, near the station. Monitor the process of mining and build more stations, if necessary.

Start your research

The next step in the expansion of your empire is researching into the possibility of colonizing the remaining planets.

To do this, select Technology tab and click the button marked in the screenshot. Colonization of planets is connected with sociology research.

After you click the correct button, another panel will pop up. Using the panel, you can select one of three projects available within a research field. Pick the project connected with colonization of planets and click LMB.

The panel will disappear and you will notice status information on the current project, in the area that allowed you to start your research. Using the progression bar, you can control the course of the project and predict ETA.

After the project is completed, you can select any other sociology project, or research into other areas. Scientists are working in different facilities, which is why you can research into each one of the three available fields simultaneously.

Build your fleet

Military development is important especially in the first phase of the game, when it is unlikely that you will have to fight any opponents. You can expand your military potential then. At this stage, try to build several battleships, but do not exceed the limit.

Switch to mother planet panel and select "Spaceport" tab. The button that allows you to build your fleet has been shown in the above screenshot.

The number of units that you have at the beginning of the campaign is strictly limited. Select a military ship (corvette in this case). You can tell warships by the symbol of star and stripes that correspond to military markings. Pick the warship.

After you issue the order, the space station will start to build the warship. You can order several ships to be built, at a time, if only your resources allow that. Up until the built ships remain in the space station, each successive unit will be allotted to only one fleet. If you remove some of the ships from the planet's orbit, each single ship will form a separate fleet that you an then combine into one.

Select the commander

Each of the units that makes up your fleet should have a commander. This provides you with bonuses to modifiers, depending on the traits of the commander.

Select warships using the index or the tab in the bottom-left corner of the screen. As you can see in the above screenshot, the unit does not have a commander. You can appoint one by clicking the area marked in the above screenshot.

This will take you to another tab, where you can recruit commanders for individual units. As you can see in the above screenshot, you can recruit commanders only for those of the units that currently do not have them.

Click the button marked in the above screenshot.

This panel will be supplemented by another window, where you can see all of the admirals that can take command over the unit. Using the panel, you can view information like experience, age, traits and recruitment costs. Select one of the available commanders from the list and remember that you recruit each of the commanders with separate buttons that correspond to them only.

The commander that you select will be available in the main panel in his column. As of now, he is recruited but he has not yet been assigned to the unit he is to command. Since you have accessed the recruitment panel through a specific fleet, all you have to do is press his portrait and the commander will be assigned to the specific unit.

The above screenshot presents the results of the entire action. The commander has been assigned to a specific ship and he can gain experience by participating in battles. The unit has also received additional modifiers based on the commander's traits. You can perform such action for each of your units. Note that recruitment is performed with influence points - a resource that is hardest to get.