Overview

Do you like space-elves? Perhaps even from a certain grimdark IP? Silfae's "Animated Eldar Portraits" mod fits the bill, but unfortunately the custom empire and starting system are no longer functional due to changes in Stellaris. With this mod, now you can play as Ulthwé Craftworld using the special Eye of Terror system initializer as Silfae designed it (portraits and starting system available for use with custom empires).

There are lots of other mods which contain these portraits, so why should you choose this one? None of the others update the custom solar system initializer or address the "Eldar leaders die quickly" issue, but this one does! Please enjoy my translation of Silfae's custom empire into modern Stellaris.

Changes

All gameplay features from the original mod are upgraded to be fully compatible with Stellaris 3.8 "Gemini," the latest version when this was written. Updates include:

Enhance clothing selectors to be influenced by Pop job
Update the namelist to account for all built-in army types, remove obsolete entries
Add custom trait "Ældari Longevity"
- This trait makes their leaders begin at an older age (previously this effect was from species class itself)
- Add bonus lifespan to compensate for their older starting age
- Automatically given to any species designed with the Eldar portraits
Update pre-scripted empire
- Now has Origin: Remnants (requires Ancient Relics)
- Can randomly spawn
- Gains Psionic Theory for free
- Ulthwé names and colors are a somewhat more lore-friendly
Rebuilt challenge-start custom solar system initializer
- Setup to work correctly for all origins/civics in unmodded Stellaris that do not restrict the starting system initializers (i.e. Origin: Shattered Ring or Origin: Void Dwellers)
- Rebuild district and building creation and Pop generation
- Any empire using this initializer gains Hydroponics Farming (tech_hydroponics) and Weather Control Systems (tech_housing_1) for free
- Add modified Origin: Remnants starting capital deposits for use with this initializer
- The Eye of Terror is its own graphics entity with a Stellaris-flavored description and adds the negative effects of both black holes and pulsars
- Expect Shroud entities to become progressively more successful in their attempts to manifest in the system
You can use the Eldar portraits and/or custom initializer for your own empire without any DLC requirements
The Eldar are part of the Humanoid species class (since Stellaris 3.8)
Fix the file type on the included event image - it was a .png with the .dds extension - it is now distributed in the correct .dds format for Stellaris
Support being able to choose a single-gender species (since Stellaris 3.2)

Compatibility

Compatible with most mods that do not add the same portraits or art assets. May conflict with other mods that need to alter how relic worlds are upgraded or make changes to Armageddon Bombardment.

The Launcher will tell you that some mods are outdated - that is because the dependency is out of date with the game's version number. This mod overwrites and replaces all incompatible code so that the portrait mod will function as originally designed. You can safely ignore the out-of-date warning for the dependency mod.

Built for Stellaris version 3.8 "Gemini." Not compatible with achievements.

Partial Overrides

This mod also allows the Creatures of the Shroud country to bombard your homeworld if you start in the Eye of Terror system initializer. And they will use the Armageddon bombardment stance to do so. To make this work, this mod overrides one game rule (can_orbital_bombard) and one bombardment stance (armageddon).

Required Dependency Mods

In order for this mod to function, you must install the following mod and load it before this one:

Animated Eldar Portraits by Silfae

When to Install

This mod should be added before the game has started. If you remove it from a game in progress, your game may have graphical problems if any species was using the custom portraits.

Known Issues

This mod preempts one event from the base game related to restoring relic worlds to ecumenopoleis (mega.200) and a bombardment stance (armageddon). Expect to see two lines in error.log like these:

[21:46:24][game_singleobjectdatabase.h:165]: Object with key: armageddon already exists, using the one at  file: common/bombardment_stances/01_eldar_revisited_bombardment_stance_overrides.txt line: 1
[21:46:26][eventmanager.cpp:368]: an event with id [mega.201] already exists!  file: events/megacorp_events.txt line: 235

Changelog

1.0.0 Initial version
1.0.1 More clothing selector improvement, don't allow other species to pick the free Eldar trait
1.0.2 Namelist tweaks
2.0.0 Update for compatibility with Stellaris version 3.1 "Lem"
- Add new localisation keys introduced in 3.1
- Update Eye of Terror planet class with new icon syntax
- Fix changed field name in custom deposits
- Update homeworld setup to account for new changes in 3.1 (e.g. Reanimators, Clone Army, Pleasure Seekers, etc.)
- The creatures of the Shroud want to devour your homeworld if you start with the initializer eldar_system
2.0.1 Fix Eye of Terror description highlighting
3.0.0 Update for compatibility with Stellaris version 3.2 "Herbert"
- Apply new mono-gender portrait rules
- More Pop clothing selector refinements
- Update custom starting system to handle the changes in the base game (mostly for Anglers)
- Add new tech for special Aquaponics Farms - needed more food for Anglers starting in the Eye of Terror
3.0.1 Small adjustments
- Restrict the Aquaponics tech to Angler empires, unless a mod is detected that allows normal empires to work Angler jobs
- No longer ignore portrait duplication for the pre-scripted empire
4.0.0 Update for compatibility with Stellaris version 3.3 "Libra"
- Eldar traits use the new properties that replaced modification
- Special Craftworld setup supports unity building changes
- Special Craftworld setup supports Posthumous Employment
- Aquaponics is now its own mod and is a dependency for this mod
- Use a shared set of triggers for job-based clothing
4.0.1 Update dependency name
5.0.0 Update for Stellaris version 3.4 "Cepheus"
- Update shared triggers
- Update Armageddon Bombardment override to understand mercenary fleets being contracted by empires that allow it
- Update can_orbital_bombard game rule with 3.4 changes
- Update homeworld setup to account for new changes in 3.4 (e.g. Progenitor Hive)
- All static text moved to localisation (random names, name lists, prescripted empire)
6.0.0 Update for Stellaris version 3.6 "Orion" (and changes from version 3.5 "Fornax")
- Minor namelist updates
- Update hair to attachment
- Craftworld Arcane Replicators account for species with Exotic Metabolism and conditionally produces Exotic Gas
- Environmentalists begin the game with a Ranger Lodge, if there is space
- Relentlesss Industrialists begin the game with a Coordinated Fulfillment Center, if there is space
- Mechanists will receive the correctly-specialized Robot Pops
6.0.1 Ensure Eldar attachments are named "Hairstyle"
7.0.0 Update for Stellaris version 3.7 "Canis Minor"
- Update shared triggers for Pop portraits
- Add support for Planetary Diversity
- Improve special Craftworld capital setup code
- No longer requires Building: Aquaponics Farms
- Remove global flag
- Add compatibility trigger has_eldar_portraits_revisited_active
- Integrate underlying game changes, including for empire capital setup
7.0.1 Bugfixes
- Address incorrect buildings/districts for Catalytic/Angler empires in the Eye of Terror
- Remove obsolete grant of the technology for Aquaponics Farms
8.0.0 Update for Stellaris version 3.8 "Gemini"
- Eldar are now part of the Humanoid species class (thanks to changes by Paradox, this is no longer mod-unfriendly)
- Update prescripted empire to use the new prescripted ruler class and trait system
- Update shared triggers
- Integrate underlying game changes
8.0.1 Fix a minor scope error

Source Code

Hosted on GitHub

Development Notes

It is best to clone this repository into <Stellaris User's Directory>/Paradox Interactive/Stellaris/mod, and then make a connection to the mod folder via a *.mod file's path property. That will ensure the game can see the files, and also that CWTools will parse them. Also note that the README.md file exists in the mod directory but is symbolically linked in the root directory.

Special Thanks

I was inspired to extend the original mod when I saw Endugu's expansion of Silfae's Animated Xirmian Portraits. Modular mods that require downloading the original mod(s) help give credit where credit is due.

An extra special thanks to Silfae for creating and sharing so many detailed, animated portraits for the community.