IKKURO
Key features
- Harmonious Utopia Government focuses on happiness and increases immigration, recreation and medical capabiltiies
- Bonuses to Damage Control, Plague Curing and Troop Recovery
- Consensus Diplomacy means they are slower to agree to treaties, but value long-term relationships more
- No access to Bombardment weapons
- Biome Shaping facilities replace the default Terraforming Facilities
- SF27 Organic Hull (best self-repair of all ships), Fusion Beams (increased rate of fire beam weapons), Splinter Pods (longer range assault pods)
- Larger Colony Ships
- Special exclusive Leader and Ambassador traits focused on happiness, diplomacy and growth
- Special conditional events Respect for Life, Secrets of Life, Protection of Life and Disharmony reward non-aggression and colonization, but punish war, bombardment and extermination
- Larger than usual Colony Ships and improved suitability across most planet types.
DHAYUT
Key features
- Surveillance Oligarchy Government focuses on sensors and adds a unique Internal Stabilization intelligence mission which reduces war weariness and corruption
- Bonuses to Hyperdrive Research, War Weariness and Ground Attack Strength
- Special Enslavement Control Facility improves the Slavery Population Policy
- Special Terminal Operations Center Facility improves success chances on difficult Intelligence missions
- Access to two special Intelligence Missions: Influence Empire and Capture Base.
- Influence Empire allows them to shift the relationship of two other empires relative to each other
- Capture Base allows them to take control of another empire’s space station
- Velocity Drive Hyperdrive (fastest hyperdrive in the galaxy)
- Larger Monitoring Stations
- Special exclusive Leader and Spy traits focused on counter-espionage, slavery and assassination
- Special conditional events Disinformation and Network Effects mean succeeding at Deep Cover missions makes the target like the Dhayut more and succeeding at any of the more difficult Intelligence Missions gives them a bonus to other missions against that same faction for the next year
- Their paranoia leads to periodic purges of disloyal members of Dhayut society.
QUAMENO
Key features
- Geniocracy Government starts with better Research Labs and provides the largest research bonus of all government types, at the expense of other areas, including being unable to fund bonus colony growth. Also has the option for additional benefits whenever a research breakthrough or research critical failure happens.
- The Quameno also are the most gifted researchers in the galaxy, though their single-minded focus also means that they are limited when it comes to concurrent research
- Additional bonuses when they find new research locations or build new research stations
- Some temporary penalties due to distraction when treaties are signed or populations are unassimilated, preventing the Quameno from focusing as fully as they are normally able on their research puzzles
- Novacore Reactors, the best reactor in the game, along with Bubble Shields which have the highest Shield Resistance of all shield types
- The Transcendence Hub, an end-game victory condition wonder which allows the Quameno to transcend their physical forms
- Larger Research Stations
- Special exclusive Leader and Scientist Traits focused on Research
- Special conditional events Alien Distractions, Integration Studies, Puzzle Solved, Building the Future, A Piece of the Puzzle and The Answer reward them for thematic play
- Their unique story gives them an advantage when it comes to finding the new Ancient Guardian Vaults scattered throughout the galaxy and recovering the knowledge and artifacts within.
GIZUREANS
Key features
- Cell Hegemony government type is a form of limited shared consciousness, which includes some of the benefits and fewer of the disadvantages of a full hive mind. Starts with better sensors and command control, more inspiring characters and a generally reduced rate of luxury resource needs.
- Excellent at boarding combat and gain extra bonuses from salvaging and retiring captured ships
- Swarm Targeting systems make their ships more accurate the more ships there are in a fleet.
- Hive Hangars and Hex Armor allow them to build and repair starfighters more quickly and cover their ships with partially organic armor that is stronger than normal alloys.
- Hive Fighter Bases are available to defend their planets from the very early game
- Internecine Tribal Conflicts can hold them back at times and they will need to supplement their slower research through reverse engineering and conquest
- Larger Carriers
- Special exclusive Leader and General traits focused on improving their collective consciousness and increasing the size and resiliency of their armies
- Special conditional events, such as Waste Nothing and The Scouring, give them extra bonuses when retiring ships or conquering planets. The Rivalry event means that their characters periodically engage in power struggles to eliminate the weak and Breeding World allows them to choose to boost their own growth rate further by using other species as food.
- The Atuuk are a young species that only recently discovered faster-than-light travel before the Cataclysm stopped their expansion. They are very social and eager to prove themselves within the galactic community. Although small and not the brightest, they compensate with rapid population growth and the ability to focus their entire society on a single goal, called the Great Direction. Their leadership comes in the form of a Great One, a leader chosen to guide them toward their current Great Direction. As goals shift, new leaders with Great Potential emerge to take over.
- The Wekkarus are an ancient, secretive faction with a mysterious past. It is said their ancestors fled an eternal threat. They isolate themselves in fortified Deep Ocean cities and use Defensive Caverns and Deep Labyrinths to protect themselves. Their most unique ability is summoning the “ghosts” of their ancestors for help in times of danger or crisis. These spirits can directly assist them or grant powerful benefits. Their ancient knowledge grants them never-before-seen powerful weapons and components build out their ship with.
