Stellaris is a game by Paradox that is grand-strategy set in a SF setting that can have multiple different empires with different species vying for control or simple survival in a galaxy heading towards a real crisis. A mod to augment the DLC that brought machine empires into the game allows for enhanced play as a robotic empire with new alternatives beyond being Killbots, Assimilators or Rogue Servitors, all well known types in the SF genre. One of the things it added was the ability to form a Traderbot empire that, while it couldn't trade with the outside empires beyond the normal diplomatic actions and using the market system, it did utilize a formation of internal trade as part of being a type of MegaCorp which was added in by another Paradox DLC.
Thus begins a playthrough in which I started as an empire of Traderbots, and with the help of a few other mods gave them some synthetic biological parts while still retaining their robotic core. How could such a thing arise?
As I saw it these were the robots that had been made as clerks, backroom storage types, and did some of the more routine tasks at entertainment venues. Others would have been used by households while others were used in manufacturing where stationary robots or even reconfiguring factories were not ideal solutions. Their biological creators came to an end, not at the hand of the robots, but by simple internal conflict or through a disease that spread so far and quickly that they were wiped out centuries ago. The robots did try to support the failing economy, attempted to ensure goods were delivered and distributed, yet they were far too few and the crisis would see the end of their creators.
These robots had versatility, and a few had been repurposed to be part of the space program, but they didn't have the ability to figure out huge tasks or how to do things to cope with their situation. They attempted an early recoding of their software to create a single controlling consciousness among them, which allowed for the examination of what it was they were to do. As the overwhelming majority of them had been concerned with commerce, they had to come to terms with the concept known as 'trade', and what it actually was. To them it would be the recognition that nature did not distribute resources evenly, and that what one area lacks in goods could be made up for with goods from another area with movement of such goods being performed with energy recompense above and beyond the actual energy expended for the creation and transportation of such goods.
They also realized that these regions defined what they understood to be 'markets' and that this was a massive part of trade. Trade serviced markets and allowed for the distribution of goods and services over larger regions. This would become a deep and abiding part of their understanding of trade and when they realized that they were on just one planet in a galaxy that might have countless planets they also realized that they could create more markets. Robots could create new needs, new requirements and drive innovation and that innovation would lead them to research market outreach via physics, engineering and even society as they had some rudimentary form of the latter in doing all this.
Thus begins the saga of a Traderbot Empire trying to create new markets that they would serve as they had, centuries ago, had to repurpose the factories to their own needs. To sustain their synthetic biological parts they also required food, and thus they were also farmers that practiced in trade. Expansion would not be easy and would bring them into contact with foreign species that were biological in nature but not the same species as their creators. Still these species recognized what trade was and respected the Traderbots, though they couldn't have actual trade beyond the regular channels of diplomacy. While a MegaCorp in structure it was not one geared towards biologicals, and even their synthetic bio components were not all all-encompassing enough to require the normal goods of a biological species. Their economy would be on a knife edge trying to balance expansion, encountering hostile or at least stubbornly neutral species, building a fleet, and keeping all the necessary internal goods and services functioning.
In decades they learned the concepts of diplomacy enough so that they could form a Federation, a compact with another species that was agreeable to such. This was driven by other Empires that, while friendly enough, were seen as being in disfavor with biologicals as they did not like criminal corporate concerns. Crime was a thing little known to the Traderbots, though they always did have some units that had slowly corrupted programming that needed to be tracked down and reprogrammed. Their alliance brought them into conflict with these criminals as their partner sought to humiliate them through a show of force. To the Traderbots this didn't make much sense, and while they did agree to such things so as to preserve the Federation, they had to come into some understanding of just what all this conflict was about and how it might be ended.
To them there was no 'final solution' but concepts that had to be repurposed from what they knew. Under their creators who had corporations there were things known as 'subsidiaries', and from that they understood that a 'subsidiary' was a semi-autonomous firm that was under the indirect control of the larger corporation after ceding much of its external marketing powers to the holding corporation. This made sense to the Traderbots and they came to the conclusion that this criminal concern needed to relinquish its external policies to a larger corporation. This was a form of a thing known as a 'hostile takeover' though that didn't fit well with their concept of things. Instead this was a policy of re-organization to allow for better market expansion. It required fleets, technology and increased output, all while trying to retain the knife-edge balance of the economy that always seemed on the verge of internal collapse. Yet the peaceful movement of goods was a goal that abided with their programming and thus they brought in another corporation under their larger concern via warfare.
This did require, however, the take-over of some systems from an empire that tried to guarantee the sovereignty of the target acquisition. This non-Federation empire had been making claims against rightfully developed market space and needed to understand that this was not tolerable, and that diplomacy could be performed on a 'tit-for-tat' basis. Thus systems were annexed and with them came biological species members, and they were a problem for the Traderbots who could only use them as a form of living energy generation system that was not efficient. These were not their creators, but they were sentient biological lifeforms. The Traderbots spent time, energy and resources caring for these lives, expanded food production but could only offer basic subsistence to them as there wasn't much else they could do.
Much research started to take place as they had heard of the possibility of other machine empires that have, or had, biologicals they cared for, known as Rogue Servitors. To do this would require the concentration of the Traderbots internally and the liquidated the Federation as it had brought them more troubles than it did trade. From this would come long decades of research until a new proposed code base could be formulated, tested and then implemented. During this time they continued their normal, relatively peaceful ways and even accepted another empire that wished to learn their ways as a subsidiary. When the new code was created, tested, and ensured to be stable in operation, it was implemented, and the Traderbots had gained a new view on biological species and were a caretaker of a sort. The new code was useful, and yet, in freeing their biologicals from battery service, a new crises arose: the need for consumer goods.
A new market had been born!
There was a rush to purchase as much from the wider Galactic Market as they could, while quickly standing up new factories, new facilities and redoubling food output tailored to the needs of these species. This new internal market was a blessing and a curse in that it spurred new insights, new vigor and yet caused a massive change to the internal economy. Research flourished, better technologies across all fronts advanced, and the Traderbots found, once they had asked for some help from the biologicals in ways they could help, that the economy became solid.
What this also did was bring the older question of why they were created as they were back to the forefront as this was, obviously, NOT the answer. The whys and wherefores of their being made as they were was something that continued to be examined, though not advanced too well. These new species could offer little insight as they didn't use robots, by and large, though they did understand the advantages of them but not in the ways of the Traderbots. To them it was alien that robots could even care about trade, so they had no solutions. In fits and starts, with a bit from here and there, the Traderbots began an examination of themselves, the universe and the entire role of marketing and trade. To this end they started to examine their original coding as robots, not in the larger code structure they had created, but what the smaller types of code they started with actually did and what it meant in the scheme of things when their creators still flourished.
Going it alone for a time, while still friendly to all, meant that when a group of Marauders came under the leadership of a new General or Admiral, and started to rampage through the homes of those species not under their control, the Traderbots saw that their ability to perform marketing services and surveys was being disrupted. As this knew leader or 'Khan' as he called himself was not open to diplomacy save for submission, and it was threatening old friends and new, he had to be made to understand that disrupting markets was not to be tolerated. Old ships were brought up to modern specs, and the Traderbots learned how to manage larger fleets, design larger ships and expand ship production. Their fleets were outfitted with the best technology they had, and when they saw that these marauders were threatening their subsidiary, they moved into action.
Hostile market rendition would require landing their units on one world that had been taken off an old friend, their Federation member that was still affronted by them leaving but understood that there was no ill-will on the part of the Traderbots. The battles that took place allowed the Traderbots to be victorious and they even hired temporary marketing forces from other marauders to help them, as well as deploy some old, single purpose units meant to slow up this Khan. Initial victories brought the Traderbots to the attention of this 'Khan' and when he brought his fleets up to the two main fleets of the Traderbots, the 'Khan' knew the concept of defeat. Those fleets stood their test and continued, even calling in scientific help to examine a wormhole and then using that to move against the corporate domains of this 'Khan'. He did reappear, of course, taking his fleets out to attack with the single purpose, old vessels, while the main fleets of the Traderbots were destroying outposts and then heading into the core systems of the 'Khan'. This 'Khan' did respond but did not learn his lesson from the first encounter, and while his fleets were numerous, they were also required to use the hyperlane access choke points, and the confrontation saw the Traderbots prepared for battle, with their long range units attacking the incoming fleets before they even knew where they were.
There were losses, yes, but nothing that the new and invigorated economy couldn't deal with. The Khan of Space perished which threw his people that once had a united purpose into chaos. For the Traderbots they saw the hostile marketeers of the Khan had been sent home and themselves went home as they had new trade goods that needed production on vast scales. There was no true satisfaction in that war outside normal market channels, and while those channels could prove useful for very limited means, they were not the way to run a business. With this problem settled, the Traderbots continued trying to process the concepts of their biologicals, their requirements and meeting them. This extra burden had actually set so many things right that it must hold the path forward for understanding their own state of being. Research continued as the new data flowed in, the limited exposure to those other groups roaming the stars also led to agreements to share research. This included an old order of biologicals that called themselves The Curators, and their goal was to accumulate knowledge of everything, and while it would not yield ultimate answers it would help to answer more mundane questions of how control fleets, expand markets, and understand the biological basis of life.
Traderbots continued on doing as they had done, and while they had some who disliked them they soon ran out of those who wanted to be an active enemy. This was done not through warfare nor through threats nor even by requiring those outside to join the Traderbots who would see to their security. It was done by making the economy strong, exploring and expanding within their own borders, and advancing research far faster than any other Empire, save for those who had attempted greatness and fell back in upon themselves, vestiges of their former glory retained, but the will to continue outwards broken for various reasons. Theirs was a lesson to learn so as to avoid their fate of stagnation for centuries or even millennia. While simple as individuals due to the singular overmind, the set of programming that centralized their ability to cope with their condition, the Traderbots continued their business of business.
Yet the great chasm was reached where while the Galactic Market had supplied the necessary goods for a price, there was no way to enter into a formal agreement with neighbors, beyond short-term deals. That was due to the limitations of the understanding of their basis, which was trade. Internally there was a cohesive concept about trade, and yet there was a greater method to it when dealing with those outside their domain. There was a currency that could not be measured, was not bought nor sold with, and could in no way be demonstrated to exist, save that without it would come wars, conflict and the disruption of trade. That singular currency was TRUST.
Internal cohesion was a sub-value of trust, yet gaining it with biological or even semi-robotic nations was difficult in the extreme. Trust needed to be built, it needed to be maintained and it needed to form the basis for greater cooperation for increased trade. At their core they were mechanical robots with synthetic biological components as an overlay. In taking in biological populations and being a form of caregiver to them, the Traderbots examined their greatest question once more. As a set of machine entities with an overarching software system, they could not comprehend the imperative software of bio life forms. The way forward had been made and to proceed down the pathways chosen would take the greatest research projects they had ever taken on as they would totally change their very beings so that they could learn.
First was their basis for life being robotic which hampered their understanding and utilization of trust externally. To change that would require moving from the mechanical basis for life to a biological one that would be a hybrid of both. This would mean that they would not reproduce like other biological life forms, but still need to be assembled but with a biological basis for existing. Neural interfaces for their existing hardware would need to be expanded upon and this would cause problems as the core power systems of their bodies would be exchanged for wholly biological ones. As robots they were fundamentally immortal, but also extremely limited and it was those limits they had to break. To do that would require bridging the gap left by their creators and stepping into being a new form of life. This would tax the old software system and require something else.
The second thing would need to be done first. The software overmind would need to be retired. To do this required taking their original programming from the archives in all of its forms. The clerk, the stock robot, the pilot robot, the ticket taker robot... ancient software by now, but it was the basis for their moving forward and would be once more. The singular software needed to be be segmented into groups and those groups needed individual functions. Some of those were new and would require variants on the older code, but that was trivial with the help of others and their own knowledge of their coding. What this would do is make the basis for their new form of being operational at a different level of capacity that would depend on the common good of all but expressed by internal market segments. This is how they understood factions and it was the only solution that presented itself to them. The grand projects would proceed.
First was the bio robot systems, which were extreme adaptations of their old synthetic biological systems. With the study of so many who were willing to help as biologicals, this work went quickly and in less than a decade the new form was created and tested with older software. A short adjustment period was added into the reboot process and these individuals were given time to assess their capacity and understanding of what was going on. They did have a contact with the larger software system, and reported in that all signs were nominal to proceed forward. Across their domain the old building systems were adapted and adjusted, and new hybrid building areas were required to be built. The first of their new form were coming on-line.
As that proceeded the sub-division of software had continued as a project and came to a final result. The new software was made available to all based on jobs, functions and a slight variation due to randomness that was deemed required as bio life had that as a major part of its basis. With the new software downloaded, installed and running, the old overmind, the software system that they made to guide their actions as a whole, was retired and a new government based on trade and internal grouping divisions was formed. It was called an Oligarchy with trade systems as its basis as this is a form of government run by interior groups which is what had been created. It was a government open to the outside, ruled by election of an Executive, and supported via factional input. The overmind existed as a shadow behind it, but could no longer influence events or even order these groups of what were becoming individuals as their coding was becoming more complex than it had ever been before.
This news spread into the rest of the galaxy and a few nations actually took notice. One was a xenophobic Fallen Empire that told them to bow to their elders, which was strange as these bio robots had never been bothered by this group, before. In essence the new government communicated that this was acceptable as there was no bowing to them in any meaningful way. Next came a trading partner that was a MegaCorp, and they implored their friends, their good friends, for a trade deal. This was amenable as it was not only a friendly external corporation but one that had done its best to build trust with the Traderbots. It was only right to hear that plea and agree. This was how trust was built and expanded after all.
A new system of exchange was adopted or, more properly, adapted as the galactic currency was verified stored energy transfers which was what had been used by the Traderbots, but this was now tracked to yield up actual trade understanding of transferred value. The infrastructure to support the new biological forms had been expanded upon before the change over, and there were few if any shortages for anyone. Every being that had once been under custodial care was given full equal rights within their domain, and while a few robots that were purchased from the outside to help maintain things were shut down or sold off, no one else would lack for jobs. As they had been created to serve and relinquished their programming to a larger structure, the Traderbots recognized that service that was not voluntary but that was not extreme had a socially useful value and this was something they did implement. All could be citizens and for those who fell into economic hardship there would be service, but not harsh service but one that allowed mobility in and out of that condition. Robots were no different than biological forms of life, all were treated with these same concepts and society reflected the fact that labor and trade were paramount to a functioning society. The opinion of other Empires varied on this from horror to understanding to just not caring.
What was tiresome was the regular calls to bow to the superiority of a Fallen Empire on the other side of the galaxy. To understand them better the Traderbots focused on research on the more mundane matter of understanding how they could better observe everything going on in the galaxy. Seeing was important in the matter of input, and the design and creation of something that could look galaxy-wide seemed helpful. To that end came the concept of The Sentry Array. This was also coupled with their understanding of connecting points in space-time via things known as Gateways. Sadly to utilize that concept required being in a position of building within their own space and the other side of the galaxy was a long, long way away. To that end a war was waged on a neighbor who was in a multi-way defensive alliance. This was not done as a grab for territory, though it would create a more friendly instance of an Empire on their borders. It had a utility function of opening up the hyperlanes through hostile territory for their ships.
A large war in which their fleets moved to clear the way for science and construction vessels was performed not out of joy or coveting what their neighbors had. Utility was paramount and getting to friendly territory would allow the Traderbots to finally get closer to the insular xenophobes. There was some space that was unclaimed around their Fallen Empire and the concept was to first see into the depths of their space via The Sentry Array so as to understand them, and to then let them understand that the Traderbots could be a nice neighbor. For, as extreme xenophobes, they had no friends and no neighbors, yet they claimed to require respect without giving any to anyone. That did not build trust nor trade and needed to be fixed.
This would take time, of course, as it required great influence within society to bring this project to fruition. They had already created numerous shipyards to resupply their fleets in the local war, and when the war was at an end they sent one of those to help with the clearance of minor hostiles around the xenophobes. Ancient mining drones, creatures seeking to devour wayward spacefaring vessels and all sorts of other things that had no means to negotiate and only sought to devour had to be cleared out. This took time. Fleets were refitted with more modern weapons, a jump drive system, and power sources that came from esoteric knowledge of how the universe was constructed. Society thrived and the production capacity and extraction capacity of that society soared. Planets were turned into mining operations, planets were terraformed to be habitable to the various peoples that had migrated into their domain, and planets were even turned into vast shipyards. The discovery of a wormhole that led to its pair that was just outside the space of the Traderbots meant that the influence necessary to move supplies to the space around the Fallen Empire had decreased substantially. They claimed a corner of space and then built a gateway there. With that in place the process of becoming a neighbor to the xenophobes proceeded.
Starbases were built, upgraded and outfitted for defensive purposes. For all the friendly intentions the Traderbots knew that they would incur wrath. They moved to a peaceful stance and would not declare war upon others and made that understood, and that they would defend themselves. On the far side of the galaxy a habitable planet was found, others that could be transformed into greater works were available. And The Sentry Array came on-line and was upgraded again and again, until the all-seeing platform could allow them to inspect the vessels and planets of anyone across the galaxy. To manage increasing population a Ringworld was constructed. To understand art and the other societies a massive art museum in space was created as it was something that was not easy to comprehend yet seemed essential in understanding their creators who also had similar venues in their long gone society.
The day came where it was deemed possible to sustain massive fleets on the far side of the galaxy as a new shipyard of a planet was constructed. Hyperlanes to their friends were opened, and the claiming of space right next to the xenophobes proceeded. As they were doing so another Fallen Empire awoke to Ascendancy, a concept that the Traderbots did not understand for weren't all being already Ascended when created? It did invigorate that Empire that saw things in a materialistic fashion and wanted galaxy-wide peace. To ensure that the Traderbots started to guarantee the ability of other, smaller star Empires, to be free save for free association that they sought. For was that not a purpose of power? Peace through strength had been brought against the Khan who did not comprehend this and needed to learn it. Wars were rare to the Traderbots and done only under threat or through absolute necessity and power was returned to the locals whenever possible. Understanding themselves was paramount. Ending threats to that grand motive force was necessary. Trade was the means to achieve it and had brought them from barely understanding what hyperlanes were to understanding the basis of the universe and seeking to move that knowledge to their ends. War was only sought through necessity of ending threats.
The day did arrive when mighty fleets were brought to the border of the xenophobes and The Sentry Array saw that the Traderbots had surpassed that Fallen Empire's technology, its military might, its economy, and only lacked in a few things for amenities that were done through buildings while the Traderbots transformed planets and even sought to move space-time to their bidding. They would not declare war and waited, built more, built deeper and even cycled newer fleets in while sending older fleets to shipyards for upgrades. A fateful day brought war. That was the day the amassed fleets moved. Some jumped across space-time using sensors that utilized theories few understood. The Fallen Empire's fleets were slow, very slow, compared to those of the Traderbots. And the investment in esoteric long range weapons meant that when combat was joined, the Fallen Empire's ships were attacked at such long range that they didn't even know where the attacks came from. The oncoming mass of ships, however, soon let them know that the Traderbots would oblige them in a war of humiliation. If that is what they sought, so shall they get it.
This was a shock to the Fallen Empire of navel gazers. They wanted to impress all with their superiority and never thought that others might surpass them. They had reached and attempted to be great and fallen back in upon themselves. The Traderbots built on trade and learned of trust, and invited all to help them freely to the point where some of the commanders were from other species and they even had sector commanders who were chosen based on talent and ability. If one could fall into depths of servitude so could one go to the very top of society. It was a provocative act to become a neighbor of such xenophobes. To end the threats it was also necessary to teach them what it was like to have a neighbor that cared for them, but did not seek to rule over them. There was a day when the fleets and power of the Fallen Empire seemed impossible to equal.
That day was long past.
In the end it was not the loss of their fleets that drove the xenophobes into capitulation and humiliation. It was when members of their population were taken into custody and sent back to the domains of the Traderbots that did that. It was found that there was another species of sentient beings in their Empire that had been genetically manipulated to not be able to speak out for themselves via a process of nerve stapling. The xenophobes could tolerate another sentient species but only if it was incapable of saying 'no' to them. The Traderbots welcomed those few who were taken by them into a society where they were given full rights and the research into how to undo the damage done to them would proceed. Biobots, which they were becoming, had learned some of the basic values of being individuals and that ability to say 'no'. One could rise and fall on their own decisions and that ability to disagree would chart one's course through life. It did mean some would fail, yes. Yet success lifted all up as they ensured that it was not restricted to the few.
At this point the run came to an end, not due to a Final Crisis but due to changes in the game structure for new content. The mods that introduced new game play mechanics had been broken in a few cases which made continuing the game non-viable. Still it was an interesting journey to create a path for some rather confused robots barely able to cope with the problems of survival to becoming a form of bio-robot in an effort to fulfill what they thought was their reason for being created. They didn't know that reason, of course, and for all the mighty advances they made that essential question could not be answered. This is, at its heart, a spiritual journey but done by those who don't comprehend that sort of spiritualism but that do comprehend the necessities of survival and putting that into play to their own ends of furthering themselves into becoming beings who could find an answer. That isn't something you get out of most games or even novels as such a journey spans centuries and doesn't distill into a story very well.
