Stellaris
Paradox Interactive
PC
Two stars
Stellaris is a space strategy game in which you build an intragalactic empire that begins with a single planet.
At first, you are a nascent spacefaring species, able to explore only the close corners of the galaxy. Then you start to build an empire. Towards the end of the game, significant universe-wide events occur, forcing you to take action.
Despite being Paradox Interactive's most user-friendly strategy game, Stallaris is still too complicated, often quite boring, and far too slow, even when played at maximum speed.
Its many gameplay systems seem to have been included for lovers of unnecessary complexity (in other words, typical fans of previous Paradox games).
The tutorial is long, irritating and serves only to highlight the absurdity of many of the game’s design decisions.
From shipbuilding to customising your alien race, you are given a huge range of options. The problem is that few of them seem significant or consequential, and many of the decisions you make will feel arbitrary.
For instance, it is possible to customise warships with a significant degree of detail, but doing so is not particularly rewarding.
You will have to update your designs every time you research a new technology, and combat is automated anyway, meaning you derive little pleasure from your upgraded ships. There is a difference in design philosophy between Paradox Interactive and Firaxis Games, the developer of the thematically similar Sid Meier's Starships, Civilization, Alpha Centurai and Beyond Earth.
Firaxis Games builds complex gameplay systems that are fun to master, and have a pleasing internal logic to them. Offworld Trading Company, for example, is very much in this vein.
Paradox Interactive fetishises complexity, and has created a game that features perhaps a dozen gameplay mechanics that are mostly unnecessary, and which are overwhelming rather than complementary.
Since your AI opponents don’t do very much, diplomacy is rather rudimentary. There are also a whole variety of weird logical restrictions on attacking enemies and expanding your empire, and everything unfolds at a glacial pace.
In short, Stellaris feels boring and pointless.
abouyamourn@thenational.ae
Spare
Profile
Company name: Spare
Started: March 2018
Co-founders: Dalal Alrayes and Saurabh Shah
Based: UAE
Sector: FinTech
Investment: Own savings. Going for first round of fund-raising in March 2019
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
A cheaper choice
Vanuatu: $130,000
Why on earth pick Vanuatu? Easy. The South Pacific country has no income tax, wealth tax, capital gains or inheritance tax. And in 2015, when it was hit by Cyclone Pam, it signed an agreement with the EU that gave it some serious passport power.
Cost: A minimum investment of $130,000 for a family of up to four, plus $25,000 in fees.
Criteria: Applicants must have a minimum net worth of $250,000. The process take six to eight weeks, after which the investor must travel to Vanuatu or Hong Kong to take the oath of allegiance. Citizenship and passport are normally provided on the same day.
Benefits: No tax, no restrictions on dual citizenship, no requirement to visit or reside to retain a passport. Visa-free access to 129 countries.
THE APPRENTICE
Director: Ali Abbasi
Starring: Sebastian Stan, Maria Bakalova, Jeremy Strong
Rating: 3/5
Ruwais timeline
1971 Abu Dhabi National Oil Company established
1980 Ruwais Housing Complex built, located 10 kilometres away from industrial plants
1982 120,000 bpd capacity Ruwais refinery complex officially inaugurated by the founder of the UAE Sheikh Zayed
1984 Second phase of Ruwais Housing Complex built. Today the 7,000-unit complex houses some 24,000 people.
1985 The refinery is expanded with the commissioning of a 27,000 b/d hydro cracker complex
2009 Plans announced to build $1.2 billion fertilizer plant in Ruwais, producing urea
2010 Adnoc awards $10bn contracts for expansion of Ruwais refinery, to double capacity from 415,000 bpd
2014 Ruwais 261-outlet shopping mall opens
2014 Production starts at newly expanded Ruwais refinery, providing jet fuel and diesel and allowing the UAE to be self-sufficient for petrol supplies
2014 Etihad Rail begins transportation of sulphur from Shah and Habshan to Ruwais for export
2017 Aldar Academies to operate Adnoc’s schools including in Ruwais from September. Eight schools operate in total within the housing complex.
2018 Adnoc announces plans to invest $3.1 billion on upgrading its Ruwais refinery
2018 NMC Healthcare selected to manage operations of Ruwais Hospital
2018 Adnoc announces new downstream strategy at event in Abu Dhabi on May 13
Source: The National
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
