FAQ

Questions players have asked on the Workshop page, with short answers.

How do I open it again?

Galaxy Forge is a desktop app. Open it from the Start menu, or from Applications on a Mac. Stellaris and its launcher don't start it. See Install and update.

Windows warns about the installer

The installer is signed, but the certificate is new, so Windows SmartScreen may still show a warning. Click More info, then Run anyway. See Install and update.

Does it work on Linux or Mac?

Yes. There are Mac, AppImage, .deb and .rpm builds on the Releases page. I use Galaxy Forge on Windows. The Mac and Linux builds have had less use. See Install and update.

Is it a mod? Do I need to subscribe?

No. Galaxy Forge is a desktop app. Its Workshop page links to the downloads and this guide. It has no mod files, so subscribing installs nothing. Editing a save needs no mod. Most scenarios are played through the Paint a Galaxy mod.

Does it break Ironman or achievements?

I don't know. I haven't tested Ironman saves or achievements. Keep the backup until you know the save works. See Go back to your campaign.

Why do I need the Paint a Galaxy mod?

On a hand-made galaxy, Stellaris builds no fallen empires and gives some empires a poor homeworld. The mod fixes both. On a map for the mod you can also place fallen empire zones and wormhole pairs, and choose the kind of each seat. Untick its box only for a map meant for a mod of your own. See Paint a Galaxy.

Does it work with custom origins?

Yes. An origin that brings its own starting system replaces the system on its seat when the game starts, as it does in a random galaxy. Modded origins that do this work the same way. See Spawn points.

What is an initializer? Can I make a custom spawn system?

An initializer is a definition, from the game or a mod, of what a system spawns: its star, its planets and anything else the game places there. You can give a system any initializer from the game or your mods. The initializer browser shows the file each one comes from, under Source. You can't edit or save initializers yet. See Initializers.

Can I save a system I edited as an initializer?

Not yet. Galaxy Forge reads initializers from the game and your mods, but doesn't write them.

How do I place wormholes myself?

In a save, or on a map for Paint a Galaxy, select two systems, right-click one and select "Link as wormhole pair". In a save you can also drag a wormhole to a new place in its system. On any other scenario the game places wormholes itself, from the Wormhole Pairs setting on the new-game screen. See Wormholes.

My Post-Apocalyptic seat isn't a tomb world

That's expected. The planets you see on a seat are what spawns when no empire starts there. An empire that starts on the seat brings its own home system, so a Post-Apocalyptic empire gets its tomb world when the game starts. See Spawn points.

Can I change a system's star or its planets?

Yes, in a save. You can change a star's class and size, add and move planets and moons, copy or move planets to another system, and Shift-click several planets to edit them together. See Stars, Arrange planets and moons, Copy and move planets and Edit several planets at once.

Can I add terraforming candidates?

Yes, in a save. On a planet's page, open Add modifier. The terraforming candidate modifier for barren, frozen, toxic and grey goo worlds is at the top. See Deposits and modifiers.

Can I change a system's height?

Yes, in a save. Use the Height slider on a system's Overview tab, or the Height brush. Scenarios have no heights, because the game ignores them there. See System heights.

Can I give systems to an empire?

No. Galaxy Forge shows who owns each system, but it can't change the owner.

Does it work with older versions of Stellaris?

It's made for Stellaris 4.x. Hyperlane editing also works on saves from 3.4 through 3.9. Supported game versions lists what works on which version and what I've tested in game.

Could it be a website?

No. Galaxy Forge needs your Stellaris install, your mods and your save files on disk, so it's a desktop app. There is no web version.

Can I turn a star into a planet?

No. You can change a star's class and size. See Stars.

Something went wrong. Where do I report it?

Open an issue on GitHub and attach the save or scenario if you can. See Troubleshooting.