[Overlord] Let’s just wildly speculate just to kill time…

One day you’re playing your favorite game, the next thing you know night has fallen. You wake up in a graveyard surrounded by bones and zombies that are made of magic. What do you do? Become the overlord or flee for your life?

The “overlord television show” is a TV adaptation of the comic book series by Mike Mignola. The show was released on October 24, 2018 and stars James Purefoy as the titular character.

Why not join the crazy train of theories because we have nothing better to do? Especially when it comes to the origins that have been exposed. After all, what’s the harm in that? I’ve been thinking about these a lot lately, and I feel compelled to share my useless musings, so let’s get started:

​

FIEFDOM OF THE IMPERIAL

​

http://imagegod.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Overlord-Lets-just-wildly-speculate-just-to-kill-time.png

Origin of the Overlord Expansion. Some say you should start with vassals right away, but I disagree. For starters, being an overlord is simpler for players than becoming a vassal (paradoxically). In addition, we may witness a First Contact screen with an empire that is already our Overlord in an image on Steam. So, in my view, you should begin as a vassal. Furthermore, Paradox seems to have gone to great lengths to make Vassal gaming engaging, so they want us to test it right now. Which I wholeheartedly endorse.

To those who argue that Scion already has the “You start as a vassal” origin, I would argue that it would be vastly different. Scion’s overlord is more of an enigmatic entity, willing to aid only if you’re in danger, but claiming nothing from you. You’re a parasite of the Fallen Empire in a way. It would be a more fluid connection in this case.

The mechanics would be simple: you start as a vassal and have the option of choosing whatever contract you want, supporting your overlord or, on the other hand, backstabbing them.

The RP root, I believe, is that you were educated by this regular empire, just as we enlightened countless primitive civilizations. We’ll be able to watch what occurs on the opposite side of the border for the first time.

There is one caveat, however: the AI Personality on Steam is set to Indolent Overlord. Is that to say it’s a unique kind of “preset” empire? Or would it be formed at random (with certain constraints), like in Common Ground or Hegemon? I’m not sure, but I’m interested.

​

THE SHROUD’S TEACHERS

​

https://preview.redd.it/8nhutx1ffor81.png?width=220&format=png&auto=webp&s=5d6ffe28c044bf46247bce4ee75e506d50da9b1e

Many people have been clamoring for a Psionic origin, and this is most likely it, as well as (possibly?) providing us a Spiritualist origin (just like you have a Materialist origin in Mechanist).

Many individuals believe that beginning your specie with the Latent Psionic feature is a societal responsibility. However, I have my doubts. After all, Transcendance would be the logical ascension path for this sort of species. However, the Latent Psionic attribute is the most important aspect of the Mind Over Matter ascension bonus. Other benefits include increased Spiritualist attraction (which is already a given if you are a Spiritualist), Psi Corps and Psi Armies (which, considering the significance of crime and land warfare, is nothing more than anecdotical), and Telepathy technology (which, OK, can be good, perhaps).

So an origin that gives you the Latent Psionic trait from the start would effectively nullify most of the benefits of the Mind Over Matter perk (which you’d presumably want to take).

Furthermore, the Psionic, Cybernetic, and Evolution Engineering qualities are (IIRC) programmed incompatible. To put it another way, if you have the Latent Psionic characteristic from the start, you’ll be blocked off from the other Ascension options. And I don’t think Paradox would do such a thing.

Is it possible that you started the game with the Psionic Theory unlocked? However, there is a MeaGer benefit…

One suggestion made by my partner, which I found intriguing, is that instead of beginning with the Latent Psionic characteristic, you begin with a Covenant. A new one, in addition to the four (five) you may now create. Perhaps a distinct psionic attribute (not Latent Psionic, perhaps Shroud Touched or something else?) could be added to explain it.

However, it would be more of an RP origin than technically exciting (as is frequently the case with psionic), and I can’t imagine what fresh, interesting mechanics it would present for the love of my life.

Because Gestalt Consciousness cannot access the Shroud, this origin would clearly be banned to them. Unless they have some type of surprising surprise planned… But wouldn’t that go against all known canon and be a little overpowered?

​

THE STARS SLINGSHOT

​

https://preview.redd.it/mqo9fnxvfor81.png?width=220&format=png&auto=webp&s=19be80c792dd24acf595626ef562e97f8d34bb5a

This is most likely the one that perplexes me the most. A slingshot is a projectile that is launched quickly and powerfully. But, technically speaking, what would it entail?

Some have speculated that it might be tied to the upcoming Blue Thingy transportation megastructure hinted at in many dev diaries, the renowned thingy that would enable you to create a network across your empire and throughout the galaxy to project your power and strength. While I like the concept, I can’t help but imagine it’ll be a lot like Galactic Doorstep, but instead of a destroyed Gateway, you’ll have a ruined Blue Thingy. And, since we don’t know the Blue Thingy’s strength, it’s hard to say whether it’s conceivable or not.

My second opinion is that, in the DD announcing Overlord, they spoke about a new megastructure and showed an artwork of some sort of planetary ring. I’d bet my hat that THE STARS SLINGSHOT would be you starting on this Planetary Ring of some sort. After all, it would make sense: of the “artificial” or “special” worlds you can build/terraform right now, you have: the Ringworld, the Habitat, the Ecumenopolis, Gaia, Tombed, Machine and Hive worlds. For all of them (except the Hive World), you have an origin allowing you to start on them right of the bat. Well, at least a ruined version of it. So, if we have a new habitable megastructure, it would only make sense so that you have an origin to live in it.

As for the reason it would be called THE STARS SLINGSHOT and show artwork of people watching a comet? Well, maybe it’s because, while not completely living on an Habitat, this empire decided to get closer to the stars to watch astral phenomenon? I don’t know, I’m just spitballing here.

​

SUBTERRANEAN

​

https://preview.redd.it/ebhwlek6gor81.png?width=220&format=png&auto=webp&s=e48e2427b7db6468170bf017fba0d4f2e5b09856

This one is quite obvious in terms of meaning: your people live underground. It’s fantastic, but what does that imply in terms of mechanics?

I have no idea since we don’t have any knowledge on the subject. However, if I had to make a guess, I’d say:

• Perhaps it would enable you to create as many Mining Districts as you wish, similar to how the Anglers civic does not limit the number of Agriculture Districts you can create. After all, that would make sense: all you have to do is dig up where you want a mining area.
• Similarly, what if creating districts didn’t cost minerals but instead gave you a lump amount of minerals when they were completed? Representing all of the minerals you dig up when digging your district? The cost would be substantially greater in terms of energy, and the time to develop the district would be longer. It would, however, need a mitigation mechanism to prevent people from simply building a district, obtaining the minerals, then destroying it and rebuilding it in order to have a limitless supply of minerals.
• Empires may be forced to make a planetary decision. Dig Deeper! : By making this selection, you will be able to increase the district limit by one. One intriguing idea is to have no limit on how many times you may utilize this option, but each time you do, you reduce habitability by 5%. (to represent the more and more dire conditions of living deeper and deeper). Of course, there would have to be a means to minimize it for robots, synthesizers, and machines.
• Playing with habiltability is an intriguing mechanic. For example, because your species lives underground, and the temperature underneath is pretty much the same on every planet (once you’re one or two miles below the surface, it doesn’t matter whether the surface is frozen, torrid, or flooded), you don’t mind if the surface is frozen, torrid, or flooded. But I’m not sure how to build it so it’s not too powerful.

Aside than that, I’m not sure what this origin might do. But it’s already rather large!

​

HIVE OF PROGENITORS

​

https://preview.redd.it/8qzxd1pjgor81.png?width=220&format=png&auto=webp&s=1645f22def6a0f9396f3989b265eb38614918357

The second one is the one that perplexes me. We all know it’s for the Hives. But what about the rest of it?

Hive Mind (and Gestalt Consciousness, for that matter) aren’t canonically “anything” at the moment. Each individual may choose what their Hive Mind will be: is it a genuinely one mind that spans several bodies? Is it merely a group of species that are naturally extremely close? Is this a slave family loyal only to their mother? Is it just an empire with a Whatsapp group the size of a species, or is it anything more?

Maybe, with HIVE OF PROGENITORS, they will make it a little bit more obvious. A Progenitor is akin to a parent, someone giving birth/creating someone else. Plus, the picture shows kind of a gigantic insect, an obese termite or tick, like if it was spawning eggs. Maybe the HIVE OF PROGENITORS will be akin to a beehive, or an ant colony, where a single mother is giving birth to countless spawns?

Queens, after all, have been a popular feature request for Hive Mind. Instead of Spawning Drones (which could symbolize almost anything), you’d have Queens who speed up Pop Assembly. Pops cannot reproduce naturally (since all progeny would be sterile drones, like with a Hive), and Queens are the only ones that can offer Pop Assembly. Perhaps a new stratum? Progenitor might have the Queen stratum, much as Rogue Servitor has the Bio-Trophy strata.

I’m hoping for more fascinating mechanics if it’s the Hive Queen origin. Having queens is fantastic, but if all it does is modify the way you make pops, it’s hardly game-changing.

One idea that may be intriguing is if your empire’s leader is no longer immortal, but instead goes through a cycle of Queens, enabling your leader to change focuses, leader qualities, and other such things.

​

CONCLUSION

As I already said, I’m simply spitballing, so there’s not much to do. Instead, since we’re in the wild west of conjecture, let’s simply discuss ideas and see if we can uncover the truth by random guesswork!

The greatest collection of games set to be published in 2022 and 2023 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Switch – all of which you can watch in stunning 4K ULTRA HD and 60FPS with the most up-to-date information available!

With the new year quickly approaching and a slew of new game releases on the horizon, it’s time to take a peek ahead at some of the year’s most anticipated titles. There are some fantastic games coming out in the next year for PC, Xbox, PS5, and all of your other favorite gaming platforms.