Whenever you are playing a game of Stellaris and slowly working through various tech trees, you will inevitably come to a point where you will get the choice to pick a Dangerous Technology. The ominous red glow around the tech will already pique your interest, but the question is, how dangerous is it really?
This guide will try to go through most of the Dangerous Technologies and also explain how what exactly makes them dangerous and how bad they really can get.
What is a Dangerous Technology?
A Dangerous Technology increases the risk of a specific end game crisis happening. Basically, picking that technology (whatever it is) is going to make an end game crisis revolving around that specific tech way more likely. However, the crisis is not guaranteed.
An Endgame crisis will still appear no matter what techs you use. It is just that the type of crisis might change. Beware that continuing to read this guide will lead to spoilers regarding all the types of crisis and also the effect of each individual dangerous tech.
The following list will not only show you each dangerous technology but also what it exactly does and how to increase the chances of getting it (in case you really want to see what’s happening yourself)
Dangerous Technology: Synthetics
Highly advanced robots that are stronger, faster, and more durable than the vast majority of organics. With their upgraded neural processors, they are fully capable of independent operations.
Base Engineering Cost: 20000
Prerequisites:
- Droids
- Galactic Administration
- Positronic AI
- Is NOT Gestalt Consciousness
- Robotic Worker Policy is NOT outlawed
The chances of getting this tech are increased or decreased with the following factors
Base chance: 20
Modifiers
- 4x with ascension perk The Flesh is Weak.
- 2x if some degree of Materialist.
- 0.5x if some degree of Spiritualist.
- 2x with origin Mechanist
- 1.25x if scientist expertise is Industry.
- 0.2x if scientist has none of:
There are follow-up techs that are only unlocked if you have researched Synthetics. They will also be “red” but will just be part of the Synthetics technology tree. The Synthetic Dangerous technology will make triggering of the Contingency End Game crisis more likely. See below for more information on that.
Dangerous Technology: Sapient Combat Simulations
Running sapient AIs through high-intensity combat simulations yields valuable insight into potential optimizations for risk-evaluation techniques.
Base Physics Cost: 20000
Prerequisites:
- Extended Combat Algorithms
- Positronic AI
- Is NOT Gestalt Consciousness
- Artificial Intelligence policy is NOT outlawed
Base Chance: 20
Modifiers
- 1.25x if scientist expertise is Computing and level is >2.
- 0.2x if scientist has none of:
- Expertise Computing.
- Curator.
- Maniacal.
The Sapient Combat Simulations technology will make triggering of the Contingency End Game crisis more likely. See below for more information on that.
The Contingency End Game Crisis
The end game crisis that is related to the Synthetics, AI, and machines is called the Contingency crisis.
This Crisis begins with a signal called the Ghost Signal. Every year each empire will be affected by an event, in the following order:
- Every biological empire that uses synthetic pops will lose one synthetic pop and every machine empire will lose a machine pop in one of two special events.
- Every biological empire that uses synthetic pops will lose another synthetic pop mysteriously.
- Every empire will get a notification about galaxy-wide synthetic disappearances.
- Every empire will get a notification about the Ghost Signal growing stronger and how it affects machines and synthetic pops differently.
Once the final event has happened and a year has passed, the Contingency will activate. In the first phase, one of 4 random uninhabitable planets in systems with Strategic Resources will transform into a so-called Sterilization Hub AI world. Said AI world will spawn a defense station, 3 attack fleets, 3 construction ships, and an army fleet. These Sterilization Hubs cannot be invaded. In order to destroy them, you will need to bomb them until they reach 50 Devastation.
Once you destroy or the other factions destroy all Sterilization Hubs, you will find a new system at the edge of the galaxy. This system will have the final AI world called Nexus Zero-One. It is guarded by one Final Core and 4 AI Core Stations. Once this final world is destroyed, the Contingency is defeated and all ships will self-destruct, all events will halt and the Ghost Signal will be removed.
This Endgame crisis is slightly different if you have the Synthetic Dawn DLC enabled, and the type of events you experience also differs based on your own choices. For example, if you have picked the Synthetic Dangerous Technology, naturally, the own Synthetics in your empire might disappear and you might lose some of your population.
Dangerous Technology: Jump Drive
A groundbreaking technological marvel, the Jump Drive shreds the local space-time continuum and rearranges it on the quantum level to be identical to that of the target destination – and thus the ship appears to near-instantly “jump” from system to system.
Base Physics Cost: 32000
Prerequisites:
- Zero Point Power
Base chance: 3
Modifiers
- 1.25x if adopted Discovery tradition tree.
- 0.1x if scientist has none of:
- Expertise Particles.
- Curator.
- Maniacal.
- Spark of Genius.
The Jump Drive Technology will make triggering the Unbidden crisis more likely. Refer to the Unbidden section for more information on that crisis.
Dangerous Technology: Psi Jump Drives
A groundbreaking technological marvel, the Jump Drive shreds the local space-time continuum and rearranges it on the quantum level to be identical to that of the target destination – and thus the ship appears to near-instantly “jump” from system to system.
Base Society Cost: 40000
Prerequisites:
The Psi Jump Drive is part of a technology chain that starts with Psionic Theory and as such is only relevant for empires that can go into Psionics.
Like the normal Jump Drive Technology, the Psi Jump Drive will increase the chance of the Unbidden crisis triggering.
The Unbidden: Extradimensional Invaders End Game Crisis
The Unbidden is the name of extradimensional invaders that will as the name suggests invade the galaxy as the End Game Crisis begins. Jump Drive technology makes this more likely because using these technologies essentially draws the Unbidden’s attention towards your galaxy.
Unlike any other crisis, the Unbidden will suddenly appear without any prior warning or announcement. You will simply get the note of a massive power surge somewhere in the galaxy. Followed by that, a Dimensional Portal, a portal starbase, and the main Unbidden fleet will emerge. If the system lies within the borders of an empire the starbase is instantly destroyed.
In order to defeat the Unbidden, you will have to destroy the Dimensional Portal. To do that, you will have to destroy all the extradimensional starbases. Additionally, the main fleet of the Unbidden will defend the portal, while they will also recall all ships to the defense if you ever attack it.
The Extradimensional Invaders get additional fleets on the 55th, 90th, 180th, 265th, 340th, 425th and 550th day after the portal has spawned. After that, they will receive small reinforcements unless their fleet has already more than 2000 ships.
If the Unbidden conquer too much of the galaxy, other Extradimensional factions will emerge. These will be hostile towards all life in the galaxy as well, but also hostile towards the Unbidden.
Should You Pick A Dangerous Technology?
The answer is almost always yes. The benefits outweigh any risk of danger. The only reason not to pick a dangerous technology is that you do not want to face that particular crisis in the end or don’t want to form your empire in a specific way. For example, if you do not want any synthetics, then naturally you shouldn’t pick the tech.
In terms of real “danger” though, there is none. You will face an End Game Crisis either way and you will need to be prepared for some brutal end-game challenge regardless of what techs you pick. So the ominous red border warning you of danger should not stop you from picking the tech. Even if there was a real disadvantage to picking it, the benefits of having these technologies far outweigh any problems you might face later.
It might seem dangerous because of the wording, but all in all, you should disregard this warning completely and simply pick whatever tech you want regardless of its notation.
Conclusion
Dangerous Technologies are a great, atmospheric addition to the technology tree even if there are sadly too few picks like the ones mentioned in this guide. I would encourage you to try out all the dangerous technologies in Stellaris and see the outcomes (and end game disasters) for yourself.
If you struggle with defeating the fleets of the end game crisis, you might want to consider checking out this fleet composition guide to optimize your own fleet.
Icons & Pictures are sourced from the Paradoxwiki and licensed under their rules.
