Stellaris: The Impossible Run - Today is a Good Day to Die

Stellaris returns with the most impossible challenge run I've ever attempted - how long can I survive with every single difficulty setting turned up to maximum?
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Fanfare for Space, Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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[@infernox1099]

Jon: "Everyone hates the Spuxulac, so if I annoy them, I could make other people my friends" Also Jon: "Let's annoy the Combine of Hulfassa even though they are not the Spuxulac"

[@tomm5663]

MrShroud oh god I hope he notices this before he declares Hulfassa a rival and gets confused about why they don’t like him

[@sharkofjoy]

I see the title and I immediately hit like. There's no universe where this video isn't going to be my jam.

[@PyrotheFlareon]

You know, I get the feeling that playing as a merchant in a galaxy full of people who hate you would be bad for business.

[@OriginalSoulbourne]

I dunno, given how loudly some people attack CEOs and such in real life yet still throw their money at their businesses seems to be alright.

[@timothymclean]

@@OriginalSoulbourne Most people don't also hate the employees of those nasty CEOs, and the people that do are generally treated as jerks. (Because they're jerks. Hate the leader, not the followers.)

[@concon09090]

@@OriginalSoulbourne people irl don't have access to interstellar mega-death-fleets to vaporise Jeff Buzbo so that his wealth can be redistributed.

[@OriginalSoulbourne]

@@concon09090 that didnt stop peasants in the old day getting drunk and burning company assets of the rich guys not paying for enough public services to appease their customers. Course back then was harder for "police" to track down and arrest a mob than today I suppose. Also the branch offices provide local jobs so presumably local pops work then.

[@meeperdudeify]

Here's the more important question. Do they hate you more than they need you trading with them

[@s7robin105]

“I need to play tall as a mega Corp” >50 minutes later “I need to be able to expand and outgrow everyone else!” Oh Jon, you never learn

[@sherman128]

Is playing tall all that viable against Ai that's so far ahead? I'm no expert but it seems like you need as many resources as you can get.

[@s7robin105]

Daniel Scott When you’re playing as a mega Corp and don’t plan on expanding given you’re smaller by default with that government type. If he wanted to expand and grow more he should’ve picked a different type of government

[@shawngillogly6873]

@@sherman128 megacorps produce energy for fun. So they can buy the other resources they need. Plus they can expand into other empires by commercial pact. So they're actually very good for 1 planet challenges.

[@sherman128]

@@shawngillogly6873 That's cool to know. Since I have you here what do you think of Syncretic Evolution? As I said i'm no expert but I like having a set of pops that are good at mining. IMO it lets me enable my population as a whole to be good at more stuff than without it.

[@ryttyr14]

Well, there's probably some advantages to playing "tall and wide". At least if he can manage it, which I hope he can.

[@JohnJohn-bv1rm]

The best defense is a horrifying and chaotic offense that you can unleash but can’t control

[@timothymclean]

No wonder bioweapons are so popular!

[@dan-el6015]

I enjoy the binary in the 0 Index description. I believe it just simply says kill

[@tournesol99]

I tried putting it through a translator and it came out with K$ for the first two and apparently the last two weren't anything. So thanks for clearing that up.

[@cheezypasta9231]

Jon! I'd rush Horizon Signal so you can get your home system planets habitable. Could give you the edge you need.

[@nate1004]

Cheezy Pasta. Yes. I commented this too. Hopefully he sees and realizes he can brute force it.

[@RobBCactive]

Jon's Stellaris games are so much fun precisely because of the perception -1 😉😉 If he knew the game better, seeing the pair of black holes he'd have set the science ship to go back & forth between them to trigger it. It was only in a 3.x release that they patched the trigger to be first visit only

[@darkyoung]

In case someone was wondering the binary for the robots = KILL

[@megamarc5581]

Yeah seems about right

[@adamvifrye2690]

was pretty obvious considering it was 4 letters

[@mal35m]

@Young There seems to be something about starting out as xenophile. First time I started out in Stellaris as one, the first 2 neighbors I had were 2 determined exterminators who got along very well with each other. Me, not so much.

[@erichimmelblau877]

Just a heads up, Paradox changed migration treaties recently. In the past, you would have to wait for the aliens to move to your world before you could build a colony ship. Now though, you can build a fresh colony ship out of anyone you have a migration treaty with, even if none of them are currently on your planets.

[@Kaiimei]

"End-Game Start Year: 2250 - Crisis Strength: 5x." Yeah...that's unwinnable...

[@timothymclean]

Not if there are enough big, aggressive empires around to handle the threat. Honestly, Jon set up a galaxy set to survive the ridiculous Crisis about as well as he could. ...Oh, wait, you meant for the _player._ Never mind.

[@Siamzero1994]

50 years after the game starts? No way in hell will the galaxy survive that.

[@Kaiimei]

@@Siamzero1994 Well, if the crisis strength wasn't at 5X the Fallen Empires MIGHT stand a chance, but with the crisis being so strong...it's not gonna happen.

[@theancipes3368]

@@Kaiimei I thought the same when this video came out, but with Jon's luck, anything is possible.

[@maverickmak]

"Wait! I think today is actually a good day to retreat! Can't we push dying to a week from friday? "

[@ludvigsaflund1446]

maverickmak91 no we have to do it today, for our ancestors, Huyaaah!

[@Kaarl_Mills]

"No were going on strike and refuse to die until we receive better wages and benefits!"

[@ethanjohnson1567]

Red vs blue 2019.

[@shawngillogly6873]

@@ethanjohnson1567 Green. Purple. But who is green leader?

[@joe2987]

Anyone else notice how the desert planet with the "weird phenomena" hatched just over a month after Jon first saw it? That's gonna be a surprise when he gets sensors on that system...

[@Salamekleikum]

timestamps?

[@joe2987]

Adam Schubert He sees it at 106:50 by 108:00 or so it’s gone and so is all Korinth presence in the system.

[@Salamekleikum]

@@joe2987 Yeah you are right, they lost control over Hokaja system...

[@Schneeregen_]

It's been a while since a good MATN challenge run

[@crazyhercules9442]

Ah yes. The Impossible Run. Oh, how I remember when this series first came out. Good times.

[@rueisblue]

great series. I wish he would play it again but I get why he hasnt

[@erichimmelblau877]

The first thing you need to do to make the AI like you is to guarantee their independence. This builds Trust, which raises opinion, which allows you to do the other diplomatic deals. Once you have other deals going, you can revoke the independence guarantee. Also since you are Xenophile, the influence cost is reduced. P.S. Giving them random presents does give an opinion boost, but it's relatively small, so not usually worth it. It's good if you need just a few more points to get the next deal though.

[@stevechilds1547]

Hey Jon, I was only saying on the recent livestreams that I'd been playing Stellaris whilst watching your skyrim series and up pops another Sterllaris series! yey! (I can't play anything though whilst watching these streams, too much goes on in Stellaris to do something else as well, you'd miss stuff!) Just a few comments / suggestions 1. Ignore all anomalies if you're concentrating on expansion - yes some can be good, but you can do them later, they slow down surveying (same to a degree with Dig sites) 2. Worm holes sound good, but they are not good in this play through, it provides yet another attack vector and another system you need to fortify. 3. You were right to stop at Discida, it'll end up being a choke point of 2 empires, plus the arm going that way is useless anyway 4. Swap out the distruptor building in the Discida base for a Crew quarters and then the fleet will be cheaper to keep there. You'll need them there eventually anyway. 5. You're low on credits, I'd possibly grab Geronth next, its +5 energy and +3 trade, which you'd get at Snorf. 6. Remember that systems at the edge of your view can tell you if they have lanes leaving them, they have little 'tails' that point in the direction of the lane, no tails = end of lane. 7. As soon as you've got the credits, get the Curator Research Assistance. +10% across the board will help 8. I'd have taken Technical Ascendancy first for the bonus to research, which you will struggle with due to lack of pops. The one for cheaper expansion is of limited use tbh, because you only have a few systems you can expand to. 9. Ignore the L Gate, in all honesty, mid game is 10 years away, you're not going to get a chance to do it before that happens anyway and even if you get the Grey Tempest, they can quickly come through your gate as well anyway, it only blocks the first wave and you'd never have the fleet to defeat it. Also spending artefacts on it is massively slow and you'll never have enough of them, you probably won't even get enough dig sites to give you 50 artefacts anyway. 10. Get Rasalgethi ASAP, that'll be your next choke point to the south. That would be where I would stop, unless there's a mega mineral system nearby. 11. Don't bother with defence platforms, if there's no fleet to help, they're expensive and flimsy. (Its one of my pet hates with the game, you can't effectively turtle without a fleet at each choke point station and a fortified starbase). To keep a border you can hold, I'd stop at Rasalgethi, fortify that system, claim the rest of the arm with the 2 black holes in and the other systems you have access to, that way you have 2 manageable choke points in the south & east, no problems to the west and probably stop at Satinias to the north. Its your colony planet so slap a fortress on it so you have a FTL inhibitor on it which will slow down any invasion from the north, once you have that tech. You can't go wide in this play through as you won't have the fleet power to hold it. Keep tight & go tall as per your initial plan. Planet spawn has not been kind though, talking of which.... To be honest, as others have said, the answer to the lack of systems may well be the Horizon signal, although again, you may not live long enough to finish it (mid game will probably hit first). One interesting tactic may be to request to be the vassal of the guys in the north east of you, that way they will protect you if you get attacked. Given that you'd never withstand an attack, its probably what I'd be tempted to do. You can always declare war on them at some point for independence if you survive the Khan and the Crisis! Just watch the credit tax they'll impose on you. Plus if it works the same as when you have vassals, you'll get cheaper tech for techs they've already got, plus I think you get a trade benefit as well, its sort of like a combined Defensive, Commercial and Research agreement. (That said, I've never been a vassal, only had vassals). Hopefully it'll last a few parts, can't wait to see how it goes. Yey! Stellaris is back!

[@vaughnh.150]

Anyone else play these in the background of doing something else, without paying attention, just for the sake of hearing Jon's soothing voice?

[@dannyeames5875]

Played through Mass Effect again listening to his Civ5 series. Makes planet exploration in the Mako more bearable.

[@timjones5953]

25:40 it was just a container filled entirely to the Brim with literal fart jokes. Excellent.

[@mrriot9521]

Jon: I've got a plan Everybody else: Yep, we're all going to die

[@meeperdudeify]

*everyone on john’s side

[@miyelir]

I can see the DLC now "Rogue planet" were you can find planets between stars and move your planets freely. Cool idea for a dlc man.

[@KatarinaWasTaken]

fun fact: the binary in the description of the 0 index at 4:43 translates to: KILL

[@hamzahsajjad7952]

This is just the 40k Tau empire play through

[@jamesstudholme3161]

This is far worse ,this is dropping the Ferengi in the Grimdark future the Tau stand a chance at least.

[@goreobsessed2308]

Even harder the Tau are alot more advanced than most other species these guys don't have that advantage

[@henryofskalitz5212]

I really like messy chokepoint, it means if the person on the other end wants to fully protect their side they have to build multiple starbases or risk me just jumping right past one of them

[@dwhamm0]

Hive mind to the south of me, xenophobes to the right here I am, stuck in the MATN

[@timothymclean]

*east If you're going to use compass directions for one of the lyrics, you should use it for both. And "east" fits into the rhythm as well as "south" does.

[@golgoki.5356]

Now THIS is what I call a proper Galaxy!

[@patrickbo2045]

This might be the best idea you had so far, Jon!

[@andrewrosston7863]

Did Jon learn nothing from FTL hard mode?

[@ledzeppelin27]

The short answer to that is no. Otherwise, he wouldn't prioritize an attack like double pike beams that is completely countered by shields.

[@vextea1503]

@@ledzeppelin27 That sounds like a problem.

[@LowbrowDeluxe]

Jon and Stellaris means I click. Quirky challenge run sounds fun.

[@librarianseth5572]

thanks for explaining the clerical thing. I honestly knew something along those lines was coming when you chose to play a mega-corp.

[@johndthackray]

This needs to be stated just how clever a name 0 index is for a swarm that wants to amalgamate everything. Hats off Jon.

[@donalddavis9318]

Embrace the worm!

[@radicalantitheist]

Good luck jon, i have high hopes, you can do this!

[@melbournemeliodas215]

I know this video is old, but I started my own version of an impossible run (basically an easier one) and I got surrounded by 6 empires with advanced start. My space is so small!

[@JoshuaKevinPerry]

Perception -1 Everyone is evil and aggressive, Jon goes for trading empire. Naw, it'll be fine. Faster survey is 90 influence or 30 months of influence, which you need to have to expand.

[@peterknutsen3070]

I’m just crying tears for those 2 Green Mana up to the NE that Jon didn’t grab. You *need* Green Mana. Much more so than Crystals or Motes.

[@meeperdudeify]

Gas?

[@RandomUserName92840]

found your channel on the Stellaris videos. Good to be back.

[@grarecruit4237]

37:50 lock down, build a goddanm fortress, reinforce the fortress with a fleet, and man the guns

[@Valcuron]

Watching this now and the comment Jon makes about the flying planets is actually a hilarious Mega structure mod that allows for Battlemoons where you fully convert a moon into a death star like battlestation and go to town on your enemies.

[@AgentofChaos315]

Jon is basically a primitive civilization you find that eventually goes space age.

[@carlhoellein6672]

Jesus, no lies to be found in this title. I hope if this run doesn't last that long, that this won't be the only bit of stellaris for another few months. Oh, also, you need to grease the wheels by just picking people that don't fundamentally hate you and throw alloys at them for nothing just to get that +40 diplomacy boost. Then you put down the non-aggression pact and commercial pact and let trust tick up and carry the diplomatic load from then on. Also, robots/synths if you make it long enough to allow settling all those cold worlds.

[@ryttyr14]

YES! Literally just last week I was thinking "I hope Jon will make another Stellaris series soon, I'd really like to watch him play Stellaris again." and now this! It's a wish come true! Love you Jon, well... not literally but.. you know what I mean.

[@OmegaZero861]

Oh dear lord the four words you never wanna hear Jon say, "I have a plan!"

[@dids2389]

55:44 the borders look like a kitty cat

[@Peoples_Republic_of_Cotati]

interesting that you had two Black Holes within one jump of each other. The patrol feature for the science vessels would allow patrolling those two to have a lovely increased chance for starting the worm event

[@matthewmcneany]

If you read Niven's novel Ringworld (i.e. where the idea of a ringworld came from) he actually talks about how he thinks you would need to be able to move planets between and around star systems before you would be able to produce a Dyson sphere or ringworld.

[@TheReal_birbwizard]

I believe in you John.

[@devinmiller9765]

I have to say the snivlett at the starbucks I work at isn't horrible...it isn't easy to work up front with him, the smell...

[@DFMurray]

That's pretty much the universe in the series "Old Man's War".

[@DaveKD]

David Brin’s Startide Rising universe pretty hostile but not grim.

[@danielbearshit]

Jon I just finished your entire Stellaris: Apocalypse series today what are the odds there would be this new series coming out just as I do. I'm hyped but I may have to wait a while before watching it since binging isn't possible with weekly uploads haha

[@Lehmuska]

Tech cost does impact the difficulty, does it not? The great Khan, the war in heaven and the endgame crisis does not care about how much tech you have. The higher the cost, the less tech you have against them.

[@MsZoeParker]

This game reminds me of Masters of Orion, which was an Amazing game in the 90s.

[@STOTTINMAD]

And I was about to say this whole premise reminds me of the Three Body Problem and look at that a three star system

[@heathjohnson2698]

Gigastructures allows you to make basically any planet liveable so you could move your capital to that planet

[@JackdotC]

“I’m going to play mega corp as they can grow tall” 30 minutes later “MUST GROW! MUST EXPAND! TAKE! ALL OF UNIVERSE FOR ME ME!”

[@carlhoellein6672]

Old habits die hard and all...

[@stetson_newsie2600]

I say we compromise and just call them Clairks.

[@rennaaa6667]

Trade policy changes is available to all government types, not just megacorps :x

[@DynoskiTaskano]

Well at least you survived the first episode.

[@h-ideas7217]

Yayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayayaya. Stellaris Impossible Run. When are we getting are beautiful Oblivion Let's play. I have many filled out forms and info docs if you need to know more on how the game works percentage wise.

[@h-ideas7217]

@Cozac Evergreen That mod still isnt close to ready for a full playthrough run, plus I'm sure he'd rather play the original game.

[@schuettjoel]

This! but also Dragon Age...

[@h-ideas7217]

@@schuettjoel Yes, but Oblivion is in my opinion the way better game.

[@schuettjoel]

@@h-ideas7217 As a Bethesda fanboy, I agree.

[@h-ideas7217]

@@schuettjoel Just as a lover of Fantasy RPGs.

[@Regunes]

Next playthrough remimber to always check system directly connected to your homeworld. They usually host habitable planets. Checking them is enough, surveying them is optionnal if there is no planet to colonize and you have choke point to claim

[@connorpfeifer9143]

Only 8 more years to midgame crisis, I think we are prepared XD

[@beybladerocks7]

Alternative title for the video: Jon creates Space Venice

[@Robopercy]

Jon: “So we just need to stay friendly with local species” Me: *Glances at light militarist ideology* “Mmmhmm sure you will, Jon”

[@mahdjoubnadir254]

YES finally more challenges on the channel

[@JoshuaKevinPerry]

GRAVITY IS DESIRE

[@Mr1flapjack1]

Coming back to watch again from the start after that spectacular ending. such a good series...

[@xAeroSpaceKnightx]

Started to watch this series, about an hour in and realized its still the first episode...this is going to be very good LoL

[@ingamingpc1634]

get as many corvets as possible because they're really fast and they can avoid being hit better than most ships you can use them to swarm the enemy ships while your real Ships Take potshots at it

[@tealcformerfirstprimeofapo22]

Btw for anyone who doesnt yet know. Stellaris on the xbox is actually really really well done. It does have less sliders though 🤔

[@grayscaleplaid7424]

The 0 Index should have been called the Valefisk Mandate.

[@Toni-lo9ms]

Well, I either have a Stellaris addiction or latent masochistic tendencies. I just started watching this run and immediately, as you were describing the horrors you were putting yourself in for, thought "I miss Stellaris. I need to play again soon"

[@Ballistic03E8]

Love the binary "KILL" message on the kill bots

[@herobrineharry7698]

The society researcher is named Bi Pan. That’s rather apt.

[@graymorality]

This is going to be good

[@shadowblade9666]

WHAT WAS SHALL BE, WHAT SHALL BE WAS

[@Thebatman0808]

Thanks for the great video Jon.

[@GatlingGun12]

Gravity is Desire, and the Worm loves you.

[@shuckern7wgas622]

Love the uploads, it's good to see content from a rightwise speaking country 😍 This game just dropped on Xbox and is on my wishlist, Awesome content cheers from Oz 👍

[@shuckern7wgas622]

Did you know on the consol you need to use unity not power, its a killer

[@antongrahn1499]

I always take One vision first. lets you get a seconf perk faster and less factions to worry about is great in the long run.

[@AdamGrier]

The 0 Index description is "01001011 01001001 01001100 0100110" It means "KILL"

[@rateeightx]

Now I Want This Game Even More.

[@Sheldezare]

Advanced start AI basically gets 1k free influence. Not sure how storage works for them, so no idea if they do get 1k or just 200. Anyway, they get to expand mad.

[@milesrobison1826]

I've never played without enduring as a trait, and I was legitimately confused as to why 51 was bad for a moment. Then I remembered, oh yeah. I'm the outsider here with my 300 year old foxes.

[@ToastyMcGrath]

The Snivlets of Snorf speak Snorfish, which is an incredibly annoying language because it sounds like snoring. Hence repugnant.

[@Raycheetah]

Beats the language of Kurt Vonnegut's Tralfamadorians, who communicate by "tap dancing and farting." =^[.]^=

[@jarradscarborough7915]

brown dwarfs ARE effectively big gas giants! not a lot of difference between gas giants and stars - just size/mass!

[@BlazingTiger786]

So this is what 40k Warhammer looks like on a Tuesday? Noice.

[@scaryginganinja6548]

This is my favorite playthrough of yours to watch. Just saying.

[@megamihestia4049]

Famous last word: JON HAVE A PLAN!

[@charlesbaldwin3166]

To early to be running three science ships, I'm not sure I understand that concept.

[@LowbrowDeluxe]

I run straight energy deficit unless I'm next to a fanatic purifier or exterminator to run as many as I can pump out for the first 25 years or so. Finding the Relic world and precursor alone generally makes it worth it.

[@FreeOfFantasy]

Like you have seen the relics alone are was worth 4k energy. That is a lot.

[@SirButton-]

"KILL" lovely description for a race of robots

[@thomasesr]

Stellaris: Wandering Worlds Expansion Pack. Paradox, Make it so!

[@lifesimulator3964]

Jon: *plays at normal speed Me: Not all people play at fastest!?

[@goreobsessed2308]

Same far to impatient to play at normal speed I hate the early game

[@Jaxvidstar]

It looks like the UI had changed from Jon's Mighty Duck run.

[@meeperdudeify]

Federations was nice

[@CatspawAdventures]

I actually let out an audible gasp the moment I saw the video.

[@Boborbot]

Nooooooooooo... Last time you had a stelaris series it caused me to spend a nontrivial amount of my precious free time on leaves from the military on it. Damnit. *starts video*

[@matthewy2j]

Hey Jon, I stumbled across a unique little game you may or may not be interested in. Starsector is a very interesting game with Mount & Blade elements in space in addition to some light 4x elements. Only costs about $15, still in early development with a small Indie team, but overall very solid game if your upload schedule ever frees up.

[@ludvigsaflund1446]

1:03:14 welp looks like the guardians will have to take care of the Red legion again

[@gamingspacemonkey]

(Screams about time keeping number crunchers in American)

[@AdamSteidl]

While worrying about energy, didn't notice Geronth. Perception level 2, lol.

[@Shads62]

always map the when you start surveying. Increases the chance of minerals, energy, research close to you

[@aconcretemoth9382]

the first generation of this newly spacefaring civilization becomes....? basic office workers. inspiring