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ES2 has less complexity and is more narrative driven, whereas Stellaris focuses more on roleplay and sandbox elements.
I'd say ES2 is more beginner friendly in general as a result, but it ultimately comes down to your preference.
Edit: also, there's pricing to consider. ES2's whole package is much cheaper to get, so the entry point and risk is lower.
Endless Space 2 is IMO a lot more straightforward and adheres more to the 4X formula, closer to Civ and MoO2. Stellaris is more akin to a grand strategy/RTS.
> The free Master of Orion remakes are
Which is Remnants of the Precursors, discussed here:
https://old.reddit.com/r/rotp/
And downloadable from here:
https://rayfowler.itch.io/remnants-of-the-precursors
It goes by MOO. It was the first game to be described as a [4X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4X) game. I suggest Google and Wikipedia can give you a better answer then impromptu answers here.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master\_of\_Orion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Orion)
Stellaris has had a lot of mechanic bloat from extended development. Definitely not newbie friendly. It also probably costs something like 300 USD to fully purchase because of all the DLC. Also not newbie friendly.
Endless space is clear cut while Stellaris can be quite a lot of management. Honestly both are great, Stellaris is my go to. Has many possibilities and I love .along different kind of empires.
I'd say that stellaris has more mechanics to learn, while endless space has more depth to it. In the end it really depends on if you want to play a space empire roleplaying game or a strategy game
ES2 is a 4x game, Stellaris is a grand strategy game, meaning 4x mechanics are only a part of the layered features you have to deal with to play the game. I'd say 4x games are easier than grand strategy games because you have less of a learning curve.
I have never seen anything useful come out of debating the meaning of learning curves. Let me reformulate: in a 4X you usually start with a settler and an army or two (in a space 4X a planet and a ship or two) and you only have a few things to think about until later on. In a grand strategy you more often start as the leader of a bustling empire, and there are all sorts of processes going on and notifications coming in from the beginning. I find games of the former sort easier to pick up.
Yes, to be honest I am not sure why you started debating about it since you said the exact same thing just after. For the rest I agree since we are both saying the same thing. 4x are more focused while grand strategy has much more layers that make it harder to get into at first.
Stelaris have definetly a lot of moving parts. But i think you can have a lot of fun with it, even if you dont know how to optimally play.
Just create an empire you think you will enjoy, set the difficulty to beginner and have fun. You will miss some stuff at the beginning, but it wont matter that much. Focus on whatever you think will help you and discover what it have to offer.
Part of the enjoyment is precisely to discover how some stuff works.
ES2 is my most played 4x game by a long margin because while it has simpler systems to get into, there is so much depth within those systems should you choose to engage them.
Currently I am around 1400h played in ES2, around 300 in Stellaris, 200 in EL, and around 900 in civ 6.
ES2 just keeps me coming back, especially since it’s regularly on sale and I can convince friends to buy it and pick it up. Stellaris is a much harder sell for that.
That being said if you are super new to these sorts of games Endless Legend is currently free on steam!
I have issues with endless space 2. It was great in its time but after stellaris and gal civ 4. It just feels so, dry.
Everything is there. Mechanics are great. I just can’t really get into it. Maybe too much reading, not enough color? The Star lanes? Maybe it’s that so many mechanics are locked behind a very obtuse tech tree.
It’s like one of those games where you really need to understand the tech tree to play it properly.
Skip everyone else’s comments. Get stellaris. It is very story immersive, as you will encounter many events and findings with stories written and choices to make, you get to build a galactic empire, research crazy technology. You can become the endgame crisis event, it has a banger soundtrack, and you can build crazy things like a dyson sphere or a death star.
Forget simple and most new friendly, you’re a big boy and can figure it out. It gives you instructions if you have them enabled
Stellaris is probably the most approachable 4x game from Paradox Interactive. I got the hang of it relatively quickly and have had fun playing it. All of their other games required much more time investment than I was willing to make. As for Endless Space 2, haven't played it so can't comment.
Out of those two, ES2 is pretty much better imo. But if you are truly starting, I would give Distant Worlds 2 a try. The narrative is kinda good but what mainly shines is the fact you can have AI micro control stuff what allows you to learn how to play a 4X game easily
Really comes down to personal preference, but I would say ES2 is probably the more beginner friendly one. Its not that Stellaris is harder, it just has more moving parts to keep track of, and as ES2 is completely released, you can get the full game for much less than Stellaris + its current DLCs.
I didn't play Stellaris for years, did something change? I could wrap my head around stellaris quite easilly. While in Endless Space 2 I was confused how things work maybe even after dozens of hours of playtime. So I am suprised people recommend it over stellaris for newcomer.
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ES2 has less complexity and is more narrative driven, whereas Stellaris focuses more on roleplay and sandbox elements. I'd say ES2 is more beginner friendly in general as a result, but it ultimately comes down to your preference. Edit: also, there's pricing to consider. ES2's whole package is much cheaper to get, so the entry point and risk is lower.
I agree and think ES2 is a great entry point to see if you like this type of games or not
I think the storytelling and immersion in the Endless games are the best in their genres.
Endless Space 2 is IMO a lot more straightforward and adheres more to the 4X formula, closer to Civ and MoO2. Stellaris is more akin to a grand strategy/RTS.
I would suggest neither is your best choice. The free Master of Orion remakes are.
> The free Master of Orion remakes are Which is Remnants of the Precursors, discussed here: https://old.reddit.com/r/rotp/ And downloadable from here: https://rayfowler.itch.io/remnants-of-the-precursors
There is also FreeOrion. [https://freeorion.org/index.php/Main\_Page](https://freeorion.org/index.php/Main_Page)
Very true, thanks for the link!
FreeOrion has been in development for 20 years and is still not finished
Not familiar with Masters of Orion. What's so good about it?
It goes by MOO. It was the first game to be described as a [4X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4X) game. I suggest Google and Wikipedia can give you a better answer then impromptu answers here. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master\_of\_Orion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_of_Orion)
Stellaris has had a lot of mechanic bloat from extended development. Definitely not newbie friendly. It also probably costs something like 300 USD to fully purchase because of all the DLC. Also not newbie friendly.
Stellaris is probably alot more to learn, that's not necessarily a bad thing
Endless space is clear cut while Stellaris can be quite a lot of management. Honestly both are great, Stellaris is my go to. Has many possibilities and I love .along different kind of empires.
I'd say that stellaris has more mechanics to learn, while endless space has more depth to it. In the end it really depends on if you want to play a space empire roleplaying game or a strategy game
Stellaris is definitely going to be more difficult for a beginner !
Endless Space 2 is definitely more beginner friendly. Did you consider Galactic Civilizations 4?
ES2 is a 4x game, Stellaris is a grand strategy game, meaning 4x mechanics are only a part of the layered features you have to deal with to play the game. I'd say 4x games are easier than grand strategy games because you have less of a learning curve.
It's not so much that the learning curve is objectively less, but in a 4X you tend to start small and learn as you go, which is easier.
But isn't that what "learning curve" exactly means ?
I have never seen anything useful come out of debating the meaning of learning curves. Let me reformulate: in a 4X you usually start with a settler and an army or two (in a space 4X a planet and a ship or two) and you only have a few things to think about until later on. In a grand strategy you more often start as the leader of a bustling empire, and there are all sorts of processes going on and notifications coming in from the beginning. I find games of the former sort easier to pick up.
Yes, to be honest I am not sure why you started debating about it since you said the exact same thing just after. For the rest I agree since we are both saying the same thing. 4x are more focused while grand strategy has much more layers that make it harder to get into at first.
Stelaris have definetly a lot of moving parts. But i think you can have a lot of fun with it, even if you dont know how to optimally play. Just create an empire you think you will enjoy, set the difficulty to beginner and have fun. You will miss some stuff at the beginning, but it wont matter that much. Focus on whatever you think will help you and discover what it have to offer. Part of the enjoyment is precisely to discover how some stuff works.
ES2 is my most played 4x game by a long margin because while it has simpler systems to get into, there is so much depth within those systems should you choose to engage them. Currently I am around 1400h played in ES2, around 300 in Stellaris, 200 in EL, and around 900 in civ 6. ES2 just keeps me coming back, especially since it’s regularly on sale and I can convince friends to buy it and pick it up. Stellaris is a much harder sell for that. That being said if you are super new to these sorts of games Endless Legend is currently free on steam!
I have issues with endless space 2. It was great in its time but after stellaris and gal civ 4. It just feels so, dry. Everything is there. Mechanics are great. I just can’t really get into it. Maybe too much reading, not enough color? The Star lanes? Maybe it’s that so many mechanics are locked behind a very obtuse tech tree. It’s like one of those games where you really need to understand the tech tree to play it properly.
Endless Space 2 actually **has** a tutorial. It's not especially great, but it exists. In the game.
Skip everyone else’s comments. Get stellaris. It is very story immersive, as you will encounter many events and findings with stories written and choices to make, you get to build a galactic empire, research crazy technology. You can become the endgame crisis event, it has a banger soundtrack, and you can build crazy things like a dyson sphere or a death star. Forget simple and most new friendly, you’re a big boy and can figure it out. It gives you instructions if you have them enabled
Any part of Homeworld serie, or St:Birth of the Federation, or MOO I-II. Space rulez!!!
Stellaris is probably the most approachable 4x game from Paradox Interactive. I got the hang of it relatively quickly and have had fun playing it. All of their other games required much more time investment than I was willing to make. As for Endless Space 2, haven't played it so can't comment.
Out of those two, ES2 is pretty much better imo. But if you are truly starting, I would give Distant Worlds 2 a try. The narrative is kinda good but what mainly shines is the fact you can have AI micro control stuff what allows you to learn how to play a 4X game easily
ES2 is more approachable. You may also want to consider Galactic Civilizations. The newest one, IV, is very easy to get into and is a lot of fun.
A little OT - but Galactic Civilizations (Series) is (IMO) very 4X beginner friendly
I know it’s not on your list but I feel Gal Civ IV is very intuitive and easy to pickup.
Stellaris not that hard but it complicate , but of all Paradox games i think Stellaris was the easiest
Really comes down to personal preference, but I would say ES2 is probably the more beginner friendly one. Its not that Stellaris is harder, it just has more moving parts to keep track of, and as ES2 is completely released, you can get the full game for much less than Stellaris + its current DLCs.
Once you're ready to remove the training wheels, get Distant Worlds 2 and remove the automation
You can also take a look at Endless Space 1, it is simpler and cheaper version of ES2
I wouldn’t really say stellaris is 4x. More like grand strategy
I would never accuse Stellaris of being beginner friendly.
I didn't play Stellaris for years, did something change? I could wrap my head around stellaris quite easilly. While in Endless Space 2 I was confused how things work maybe even after dozens of hours of playtime. So I am suprised people recommend it over stellaris for newcomer.
Stellaris is easier to get into than other grand strategy games but still a hell of a learning curve.
Galactic Civilizations is an option as well. It’s simpler than Stellaris.
Endless Space 2 has cute math people with timey wimey powers and a banger soundtrack, gotta say ES2