WP's Galaxy Portraits (4.1)

Introduction:

This is a small mod that adds a new UI element displaying alien portaits on the Galaxy map. It's an effect you may have noticed paradox have edited on to various trailers and teasers because it looks really damn cool, but was never actually implemented in the game!

Since we spend the vast majority of our time on galaxy view I've found this change has a really significant impact on the play experience.

How It Works:

Just start a new campaign and you'll notice your empires chosen species is now displayed in your galactic territory. It doesn't matter whether you're playing the blorg, dwarves, that starfish portrait or whatever else, I've set up a unique image for them all (I've also added slight drop shadow effect.)

A Galaxy of Portraits:

This mod doesn't just create your portrait - but every empire! And this is really what's most fun about it - as you interact with your neighbours and discover other empires further away you'll have a nice prominent image reminding you of who they are without having to dig through the diplomacy or planet view screens. I cannot understate how much I've enjoyed this, it creates a very cool sense of the story and populations of your particular galaxy. You really feel the difference each new campaign.

Home-Worlds and History:

I absolutely love home-worlds. I think the story of an empire eventually moving their capital AWAY from the place they evolved is fascinating! But Vanilla stellaris doesn't really do much with them. Happily, what this mod does is to actually mark the alien home-worlds at game start and it's here that their image will be displayed. So many years later, and even after taking those aliens into your empire (or something more sinister!) you'll still have a fun map showing where each species was and get an extra of geography that vanilla doesn't provide.

Minimal Overhead:

This mod only runs a single event at game start, it has no CPU cost beyond that, it doesn't mess with balance or gameplay in any way. It's pure flavour.

➕My Recommendations:

• My favourite galaxy map on the workshop bar none is Piets' Stargazer. The screenshots don't do it justice to how volumetric and 3d it is, you have got to try it!

• For more recommendations or compatibility advice check my collection at the top of this page.

Thanks:

To the users of the stellaris wiki who have posted useful screenshots of many of the portraits in the game.