Stellaris gives rival empires more room to clash

Image credit: sattyre / Nexus Mods

A Stellaris galaxy can be packed with empires and still spend years politely staring across its borders. Lively Galaxies aims to make that uneasy peace less durable, cutting truce periods, lowering fleet costs and discouraging the AI from tying itself into so many defensive agreements.

Ship upkeep is halved for everyone, and reduced empire-size penalties make expansion less punishing. The rules apply to player and AI empires alike, rather than secretly boosting rivals, while peaceful personalities are intended to remain peaceful. Existing saves are supported according to the creator, but mods changing the same diplomatic or economic values may conflict. Expect a more restless galaxy, not necessarily a smarter one.