27-01-2005 04:43									#1
	The Second Ship: Two Sets Based on the novel Earth Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

I thought of several factions a while ago after reading a few novels by David Brin (not the Uplift series, I'm afraid). Here are all of them, organized in two sets. I'm not really planning to make these into actual ones, unless I get some help on how to code/edit the files, but feel free to take any of these and create them.

I would also greatly appreciate any comments on the factions. Are any too weak? Too strong? Please tell me.

My first set is based on a second ship from Earth, which did not crash but broke up. The cryosleep stopped a few months before Arrival, and factions quickly emerged onboard, each retreating to a separate part of the ship. Fortunately, the craft was able to detach like tinkertoys, and the factions landed on separate parts of Planet some indefinite time after Unity arrived.

Planetary Settlers
“Planet is not meant to be colonized by industrial methods that destroy the soil, pollute the air, and add nothing to the spirit of manifest destiny- carving out a new home with our own hands. Planet is meant to be settled.”
- Governor Michael Garrison, Settler’s Guide
“Settlers Ho!” –Rallying cry.
Symbol/Insignia: A miner’s pick and a frying pan crossing each other diagonally, and a state emblem-esque background with rolling hills, a river, and two suns in the sky.
Leader: Governor Michael Garrison
Background: Colonization leader of Antarctican Settling Program from United States of America
Agenda: Settling of Chiron with eco-friendly measures.
Technology: Centauri Ecology
+1 Planet (Willing to treat Planet well)
+2 Morale (Stalwart defenders of their outposts)
-1 Probe (Frontier cities easy to infiltrate)
-1 Economy (Rudimentary trading)

FC Magistrates
“Many times as I knelt in the trenches- huddling from fear, sobbing from loss, I wondered why we fought- did not both the United Nations and the International Federation of Countries want peace and unity? Still, as one by one my comrades died, as city by city fell, the purpose of our dark mission became clearer- peace through war, unity through separation, control through freedom.”
- FC Former Secretary General Rafael Cruz, Hell: The UN-FC War
Symbol/Insignia: A dove flying upwards holding a lightning bolt in its talons, with a big star in the background.
Leader: Secretary General Mikhail Borokhov
Background: SG of the Federated Countries on Earth
Agenda: A democratic and allied confederation of factions devoted to the destruction of oppressors and warmongers.
Technology: Doctrine: Loyalty
+1 Support (Willing to sacrifice for peace)
+1 Efficiency (Cutthroat political maneuvering)
Free Command Center at each base.
Aggression: Erratic Agenda: Power (Values)
Priorities: Build, Conquer Aversion: Police State (Politics)

Notes: The FC is a weird bunch proclaiming a contradictory mission and completely against the UN. Basically, a rival bloc of nations formed. You can probably guess who were the main players, probably several from the Security Council.

Elders of Chiron
“See how quickly the young run, and soon forget us. Watch them build their crumbling playground empires, and scream and holler at each other and cry as they realize that they have no wisdom, no guidance, no comprehension. We once shamefully put our grandparents into nursing homes, and now fate comes to return the favor. Well, let us live independent forever or die trying!”
- Elder Avril Walker, Y Now, Y Forever
“Back in my day, we were so more 1337…”
Symbol/Insignia: An hour glass with the bottom completely full, yet the top 3/4ths full, too. In front of it are three helixes.
Leader: Elderess Avril Walker
Background: Chairwoman of UN Senior Rights Committee
Agenda: Community of age-enhanced seniors, free from youngsters. A gerontocracy.
Technology: Biogenetics
-2 Growth (It’s a colony of old people, for cryin’ out loud!)
+1 Probe (Vid game fanatics, the children of Counterstrike)
+2 Research (Have preserved substantial tech files following Arrival)
+1 Morale (You haven’t got much more to see after you hit 200… might as well fight)

Parish of Planet
“The Church of Rome has lasted two millennia. It has stood schism, heresy, invasion, pestilence, war, and scandal, and still remains a religious force to be reckoned with on Earth. Though we must admit that unfortunate mistakes have occurred, the Catholic Church of the 22nd century will be remembered as the peaceful light on Chiron.”
- Bishop Peter St. Clare, With the Grace of God
“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”
- Matthew 16:18
Symbol/Insignia: The Latin cross in Europa Universalis (except the main part of the cross is exaggerated), with rosary beads in the shape of a fish behind it.
Leader: Bishop Peter St. Clare
Background: Archdeacon of St. Anselm’s Cathedral, Madrid
Agenda: Restoration of a compassionate Catholic Church on Planet against the Believer’s fanaticism.
Technology: None
+1 Efficiency (The New Vatican has been more quick to act)
+2 Growth (Still no contraceptives allowed)
-2 Support (All of the Crusaders have gone with Godwinson!)
+1 Police (But the Swiss Guard remains)
One bonus tech at beginning of game

Sons of Centauri-Ra
“As the clouds of WorOrthChuGa’s beloved Gaia burned and opened, the magnificent rays of Great Ra, Inti, Ametrasu, Helios heated the earth and the waters and humanity. Here, on another Earth, let us again give reverence to the life-giving warmth of our two Suns! Since before our fathers found fire, there was you.”
- High Priest Cuzco Sol, Light of Chiron
Symbol/Insignia: A simple sun (a circle surrounded by 8 triangles like a compass rose) with Ra’s eye in it. Next to it is a tinier sun with a regular eye.
Leader: High Priest Cuzco Sol
Background: Temple Leader of Sons of Ra shrine Apollo’s Throne, Khartoum.
Agenda: Changing Planet’s atmosphere into one that matches pre-Arrival Earth, in order to preserve the worship of Ra.
Technology: ?
-1 Planet (efforts to make Planet more Earth-like, that is, steeped in greenhouse gases)
+1 Economy (Centaurian Solar Energy Retrieval = Big Money)
-1 Growth (Exposure in Sun Worship has its costs)
+2 Morale (Revival of testosterone-laden war in conjunction with worship)
Free solar collectors at each base.

Darwin Raiders
“The hyper-survivalist militias of old Earth were wrong. Humanity had not fallen, nor were we in a decline. What was truly at stake was stagnation- should we be content forever to live sedentary, hypertech shocked lives? Perhaps the masses can, but we shall not. In the wilds we will live, taking what we need from the complacent, until their cities fall, and our nucleus of humanity survives.”
- Chieftain Robin Huxley, The Tartars of Tomorrow
Leader: Chieftain Robin Huxley
Background: Former anti-militia tank commander, United States
…

Notes: I’m probably not going to use this one, since I’ve been told anti-tech stances lead to a definite losing strategy. Maybe this faction steals techs more easily? In any case, I was going to make them be similar to the Holnists in The Postman, also by David Brin, but maybe I’ll make them a non-Gaian neo-feminist faction instead. Besides those two, my last idea is for some sort of neo-Buddhist transcendental sort of dealie.

--
The second set is based on several years after the Arrival. Factions broke into smaller factions.

Anti-Xenos Initiative Society
“After the arrival at Chiron, humanity has become degraded by alien forces. Today, the vile ‘Voice of Planet’ calls out lies that mislead our citizens to their deaths, psychics hide within us, reading our thoughts, sentient Xenos lay waste to our land for their own agendas, and our own machines have learned to rebel. The time to fight back and resist temptation is now!”
- AXIS Manifesto, Datalinks
“I suggest you take this time and prepare to meet your Gaia.”
- General Gray, shortly before launching a Planet Buster against a Cult of Planet colony.
Symbol/Insignia: A medieval shield that has a picture of mindworms on it, except crossed out.
Leader: General Patrick Donovan Gray
Background: Former Spartan Fed general from Billings, Montana.
Agenda: Destruction of all alien factions and philosophies.
Technology: High Energy Chemistry
+2 Support (Military-oriented society)
+2 Police (Citizens used to discipline and order)
-2 Planet (Anti-Planet viewed as Anti-Xenos)
Fanatic (‘Nuff said)
Does not negotiate with Aliens.
Cannot have Secrets of the Human Brain.
May not have Ascent to Transcendence Victory
Starts with free unit: Planet Buster
Aggression: Aggressive Agenda: Fundamentalist (Politics)
Priorities: Conquer Aversion: Green (Economics)

Notes: I was going to make him from a “Montana Free State” from another character at networknode.org. Then I realized that most of the sets had nothing to do with each other, that is, they did not exist I none fan universe. Thus, Gray’s from the “regular”, “canon” U.S. in SMAC, that apparently suffered a civil war, though the AXIS quote is a joke against all of the disparate factions you find there- bug aliens, cyborgs, etc. Also, points to whoever guesses who he’s based on.

Psions for Purity
“The gift of Psi is not without its curses. Though to simply call us ‘mind-readers’ or ‘all-seers’ is overestimating our gifs, we Psions- Empaths, Thinkers, Transcendi,- are fully capable of feeling your emotions and predicting your thoughts. However, with the degeneration of morality that increases even today, on another planet far from Earth, we may choose not to.
- First Speaker Theresa Corelli, Psionic Society
“Get your dirty thoughts away from me!”
Symbol/Insignia: One of those SMAC silhouettes of a guys’ head, with the Eudemonia symbol in the head spot.
Leader: First Speaker Theresa Corelli
Background: Former University Thinker from Mediterranean States
Agenda: Society for Psions free of moral decay.
Technology: Secrets of the Human Brain
+1 Efficiency (No need for bureaucracy in psychic society)
+3 Morale (Close to Eudaimonic)
+1 Probe (Psionic Spies!)
-2 Industry (Thinkers, not workers)
Extra Empath for every three citizens (Psionic society)
Fanatic (Shall protect society at all costs from “savages”)
Aggression: Pacifist Agenda: Democratic (Politics)
Priorities: Build, Discover Aversion: Wealth (Values)

Global Energy Exchange
“As the great economic recessions and depressions of the twenty-first century demonstrate, the lives of millions and even billions of people can be shattered by the greed of a few executives and investors. Our organization is determined to prevent such cataclysms from taking place in this New World, and we will protect our great currency- one way or another.”
- GEE anonymous Board member, Datalinks.
Symbol/Insignia: The outline of Masonic pyramid, except there are no lines for bricks or they are covered by a huge energy currency symbol- an uppercase cursive E with a line through it. The pyramid is between two towers that are cylindrical but have pointed tops. There is a squiggly line connecting the tops, and it almost touches the top of the pyramid. Underneath the pyramid is a banner that says Novus Mundus Expecto- The New World Awaits.
Leader: The Executive Board
Background: Think-tank of economists from various nations.
Agenda: Preservation and eventual control of Planet’s energy-based economic system.
Technology: Industrial Base
+1 Support (The poor recruit soldiers, the rich hire mercenaries)
+2 Economy (Society of stockbrokers)
-1 Morale (Mercenaries aren’t the most loyal of troops)
-1 Planet (Economic efficiency over ecological issues)

New Athenians
“Come, you bourgeois, you neo-aristocrats, you patrons of ‘High Art!’ As we build a new Planet for human beings, why can’t it be a glittering, democratic, fashionable one? Why can’t it be one for the wealthy?”
- Patrician Seneca Alexius, The First Metropolis
“Psion Centropolis? Morgan Vegas? Pretenders to our throne!”
Symbol/Insignia: A Greek-type Parthenon on top of a thick pedestal. Slightly visible inside the building is a figure holding up its arms, celebrating a light that comes from within. Underneath the pedestal is “NEO”, in highly-stylized lettering. The letters look like Aurabesh from Star Wars, since they are a bit jagged and do not connect.
Leader: Patrician Seneca Alexius
Background: Chief municipal architect of Peacekeepers, from the Euro Union.
Agenda: Creation of perfect cities of art, social justice, and wealth.
Technology: Ethical Calculus
+1 Growth (fecund, prosperous citizens)
+1 Industry (the rich fund city projects)
Extra talent for every two citizens. (Cultural centers)
150% Construction time for Colony Pods (Quality over quantity)
Free Children’s Creche at each base.

Note: Should I add more handicaps?

Factions for this set I haven’t sketched out yet:
Nanomachine Technologists

Central Thought Tank [Opposite of AXIS, they seek out to understand and learn from aliens]

Library of Planet [A joke that plays off the mishmash fan-universe of networknode.org, basically a group that seeks to create a stable political order amidst all of the factionalism]

	03-02-2005 04:40									#2
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What, are my ideas so perfect that no one bothers to comment or criticize them?

	03-02-2005 06:33									#3
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You wish!

	01-03-2005 01:26									#4
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

Then criticize, please.

	01-03-2005 16:44									#5
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The settlers seem very Gaian like to me.

	04-03-2005 04:54									#6
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Anything else? What happened to the guy I talked to who read David Brin's novel, Earth? Is giving AXIS a planet buster as a starting unit too strong?

	04-03-2005 07:04									#7
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I don't think you'll be able to implement some of these abilities, particularly:

Free solar collectors at each base (perhaps you meant energy banks?)
Does not negotiate with aliens (unless you make them aliens, too; this could be a house rule, though)
Cannot have SotHB
May not Transcend (though this could be a house rule)
Extra Empath for every 3 citizens (maybe you mean Talent?)
150% construction time for Colony Pods

Regarding balance:

The New Athenians are nuts! With their +1 industry, they only pay 33% more for colony pods than a baseline +0 industry faction, and they easily recoup that with their positive industry, very high growth, good efficiency (thanks to creches), and ability to offset so many drones.

The Global Energy Exchange is quite attractive, as they're more of Morgan without his annoying disadvantages. Morale isn't important most of the time, and -1 Planet isn't much different from 0 Planet.

The Psions for Purity would be deadly neighbors, and could probably mount a good sea invasion, but they have little option other than combat. Building might be an option if the extra talents (I presume) turn out to offset the -2 industry well enough.

The AXIS could be lots of fun, apart from the problem with SotHB blocking most of the tech tree.

Centauri-Ra looks reasonably good, able to both build and fight.

Parish of Planet looks weak, as the -2 support will significantly impact early expansion, which won't be offset until +2 growth-aided pop booming. +1 police is pretty useless without the ability to support many units.

Elders of Chiron look marginally weak, but should be fun.

FC Magistrates look weak most of the time, and boring. +1 effic has little impact for most of the game, +1 support is helpful but doesn't change strategies significantly, and free command centers help in combat for a while, but become obsolete when combat goes to the air, and the cost of a command center becomes trivial.

Settlers of Chiron would play like the Gaians, but with a compulsion to fight, to take advantages of strengths and compensate for weaknesses.

	27-03-2005 07:34									#8
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Thanks for the help. This is totally open source for anyone who wants to use any of these. I might actually get around to building these if anyone wants any.

I would also like any help if possible, since I don't have SMAX.

Geomodder, didn't you read Earth by David Brin? Do you have any comments?

	29-03-2005 01:43									#9
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quote: Originally posted by MysticWind Thanks for the help. This is totally open source for anyone who wants to use any of these. I might actually get around to building these if anyone wants any.

Well, I am an absolute fan of Custom Factions, so I am really interested! Please go on with the creation

quote: I would also like any help if possible, since I don't have SMAX.

Well... what kind of help are you looking for ???

	31-03-2005 03:25									#10
	Got spare money?

Well, a list of statistics that can be edited for factions would be good (fanaticism, commerce, etc.)

I'm going to post more factions on Monday. Please stick around!

	31-03-2005 03:53									#11
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quote: Originally posted by MysticWind Well, a list of statistics that can be edited for factions would be good (fanaticism, commerce, etc.)

There has been a FAQ-Tool, but its official site went offline long ago. But you can still download it at http://alpha-centauri-stuff.cjb.net/ or directly here.

quote: I'm going to post more factions on Monday. Please stick around!

Can't wait for it
Just do me/us all a favour: try to choose a (file-)name for the faction that hasn't been used yet... e.g.: I got 4 different Borg-Factions here, but the filesystem of course just supports ONE of them, so you will have to rename it etc.
If you need more info about names in use: let me know

	03-04-2005 09:59									#12
	Got spare money?

Thanks a lot, H.Humpel. I appreciate your offer. Unfortunately, it'll be a long time before I actually create the factions... I'm still sketching them out, as above. I would really like any advice on what I have so far.


Free solar collectors at each base- I guess you can’t have improvements at each base, only facilities?

Extra Empath for every 3 citizens: I thought you could have specialists (doctors, technicians, librarians, thinkers) at each base for x amount of citizens. Guess not.

Also, I’m going to actually edit my original idea:

The New Athenians: I’ll give them Rec Commons instead of Creches, but they also get commerce.

Parish of Planet: They get the each base has a crèche rule.

Psions: Instead of the empath thing, I’ll give them talents per three citizens, plus bonus in psi warfare. I also messed up for their morale. They get +2 Support (Willing to defend society) instead of the massive +3 Morale.

The AXIS: Are you sure it’ll be okay giving them a planet buster? I thought everyone was going to beat me over the head for that. Also, I think that I’ll probably not be able to mess with their tech tree.

Elders of Chiron: I’m giving them +2 research, as well as receives double votes in elections for Planetary Governor and Supreme Leader (Senior Citizens’ voting clout)

FC Magistrates: Yeah, I need to update and tweak with their stats more.

Any suggestions for the last faction of my first set?

Oh, and thanks alot for the previous advice, ChaosTheory.

	03-04-2005 11:42									#13
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Parish of Planet: They get the each base has a crèche rule.

Be very careful with this. Deny them planned or dem, or reduce hab complex limits Morgan style or you could have serious booming on your hands.

	05-04-2005 00:23									#14
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Ok: I only have two more factions to plan on after this, and I'll start working on the text files:

Darwin Raiders
“The hyper-survivalist militias of old Earth were wrong. Humanity had not fallen, nor were we in a decline. What was truly at stake was stagnation- should we be content forever to live sedentary, innocent-bystander lives? Perhaps the masses can, but we shall not. In the wilds we will live, taking what we need from the complacent, until their cities fall, their civilizations break, and our nucleus of humanity survives.”
- Chieftain Robin Huxley, The Tartars of Tomorrow
Leader: Chieftain Robin Huxley
Background: Former anti-militia tank commander, United Kingdom
Agenda: Preservation of smartest and strongest in a nomadic lifestyle to one day restart civilization with.
Technology: Doctrine: Mobility
+2 Support (Bases geared towards military preparedness)
+1 Research (Have read Asimov’s Foundation series)
+1 Morale (Military strength for raiding attacks)
+1 Probe (Adept at stealing technology)
Starts with free unit: Unity Speeder
Need Hab Complex for bases to exceed size 3 (Against sedentary lives)
Can steal a technology when capturing a base.

Above: If they’re too strong, I’ll make ‘em weaker by requiring size 2 hab complexes. That should keep them busy until the midgame.

Nanomachine Technologists
“Science and industry go hand in hand, reshaping all societies with benefits and breakthroughs. But it is not sufficient to simply build and discover in the interest of pure research, nor to rely on technological progress for wealth. Instead, the sciences of the physical should combine with the social to create an order based on merit and capability. With these specks of dust, gentlemen, I intend to do just that.”
- Director-in-Chief Sylvia Gauss, Pronouncement of the Technate
“Nano, nano!” –Catchphrase of the alien Bork, The Bork and Binnie Show
Leader: Director-in-Chief Sylvia Gauss
Background: Chairwoman of Drexler Tech, former University engineer, FCS Sovereignty survivor from Switzerland.
Agenda: Creation of a pure technocracy with the help of nanotechnology.
Technology: Advanced Subatomic Theory (Is this too powerful?)
+2 Research (Science considered the cornerstone of society)
+1 Industry (Nanotech yields great profits)
-1 Planet (Grey goo has not been adjusted for fighting pollution just yet)
+2 Police (Society sponsors lawmen to weed out drones)

Above: I might make this technocracy a society with a planned economy.

Library of Planet
“The first craft of humanity to arrive on Chiron, the UNS Unity, could not fight against the forces of distrust and discord, shattering into seven factions even before Planetfall. As history shows, the rise and fall of peace and war cause further balkanizations, and the subsequent divisions thus made five more. Then came the warring Progenitors, the sorrowful FCS Sovereignty, and today revolutions and countless discoveries of intelligent aliens continue. How many more factions will tomorrow bring? How much longer will we remain divided?”
- Oracle Gennaro Almeida, A House Crumbled: Geopolitics of Planet
Leader: Oracle Gennaro Almeida
Background: Chief archivist aboard Sovereignty, from Brazil.
Agenda: Preservation of human knowledge, peaceful unification of Chiron.
Technology: Planetary networks, Social Psych
+2 Research (Considerable knowledge kept)
+2 Probe (Formidable library network defenses)
-1 Morale (Scholars uninterested in warfare)
Extra talent for every three citizens (Learning centers)

Yeah, I know that the Library is kind of pilfered… the University already has a base named Library of Planet, and before Lal became master of the Peacekeepers the gamemakers were supposed to make him into a librarian or something. I’ll try to make a greater contrast in the future. Also, even Lal isn’t as depressed of war as Almeida is.

Please help me evaluate these for balance and such.

	05-04-2005 02:48									#15
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Most factions need significant penalties, particularly those with strong bonuses. The Darwin Raiders have one of these, but the others don't. -1 Planet hardly matters at all, and -1 morale doesn't mean anything if you run Wealth anyway. That's all I have time for now...

	05-04-2005 07:48									#16
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Be careful with the Raiders: if you build the PTS, will the base grow to size 3 even with a 2 person habcomplex restriction? Also, put down a rec commons and you don't get drone problems until after habs.

	06-04-2005 01:13									#17
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Got it.

Are any of the factions too much like the original ones? Like Raiders and Sparta, or Librarians and Peacekeepers?

	06-04-2005 15:41									#18
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Library of planet seems a bit powerful. The main thing that offsets the UoP having +2 research is that it's a lot easier to pinch stuff from them. Also, they have plan nets, which is probes from game start and they don't have info nets, which is odd, because that's a tech that's a prereq for plan nets. Also, they'll get probe rollover everywhere due to that +2 probe. Try -INDUSTRY or --INDUSTRY, since they're more interested in knowledge. as an alternative to that, how about a SE aversion? They're currently very much like a buffed UoP at the moment.

	06-04-2005 22:30									#19
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Yeah, I haven't gotten the aversions and agendas for all of them down yet, and I'm going to have to play around with other attributes... immunity and impunity and such.

For now, I'm trying to get the numbers down.

Again, are the Librarians too much like University or the Peacekeepers? Are the Raiders too much like Pirates or Sparta?

	08-04-2005 01:48									#20
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...Chaos Theory?

	08-04-2005 04:39									#21
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Well, there's already 2 +2 research factions: cycon and uop.

You need to make radically different negatives, to make them seem more than merely a rehash. The SE negatives of ECON, EFFIC aren't that good for an option, since they directly negate the benefit.

RESEARCH is powerful, and so is GROWTH. Note how -GROWTH seriously affects ability to boom: need planned/dem/creche and goldenage, which is hard to get going.

Can you give a faction a secret project? Because making one player start with the voice of planet will mean insane worms right from the start. Not related, but interesting...

As the librarians, I'd use that +2 PROBE and just build probe defenders morgan style, and go for market/wealth, meaning that the -MORALE isn't so useful. (If i'm wrong about how the SE MORALE affects probes, someone let me know).

Careful about the Technologists: the -1 planet isn't that much of an issue to me, and the ++RESEARCH mould is getting kind of full.

	09-04-2005 01:24									#22
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About Technologists: wilco. Storywise, I really needed them to be super-Researchers, but I guess I can compensate by giving them more starting techs. I was thinking about making them a planned economy. Perhaps their Research modifier can be boosted artificially.

Or, could I give them +1 Research but also +1 Economy with +1 Industry? Or will that be wiped out by planned economy?

Wealth? Well, I was going to have the Librarians focus on Knowledge, but I know for sure their aversion is probably going to be power values. I’m definitely lowering their research to –1.

And from their story profiles I’ve written so far, are the Raiders and Librarians anything like… oh, I’ve asked this already.

	09-04-2005 03:06									#23
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Note that the uni is ++ RESEARCH and free net nodes, and that more starting techs will slow them down on the way to IA. +RESEARCH +ECON +INDUSTRY would be really good, you'd have to be careful about balancing that. Morgan's +ECON is so good because you can get to +1 energy/square without running market. I envisage the technologists running planned/wealth for good industry and +1 energy/square, with the possibility for booming all the while.

Maybe cut the +RESEARCH from the raiders and replace with free tech: Applied Physics?

	09-04-2005 03:11									#24
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I'm good with that Raiders suggestion. They don't need explicitly to have pluses in Research, since they make it up with their good tech stealing.

I still need to rethink the Technologists. They're supposed to be a consumer-oriented (econ is good, but not commerce), tech-heavy faction that would be comfortable with Planned, since the whole society is supposed to be planned anyway.

Any faction stories too much like original? Please respond.

	09-04-2005 08:39									#25
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Faction strengths/weaknesses as I see them:

University: very strong research, weak probe defense, slightly weak vertical growth
Hive: very weak research and energy, constrained vertical growth, very strong horizontal growth, strong infrastructure, large military
Morgan: very strong energy, strong research, very weak vertical growth, weak early unit production
Spartans: very strong military, strong horizontal growth, very weak infrastructure
Peacekeepers: very strong horizontal growth, strong vertical growth
Believers: weak research, strong early unit production, strong probes, very strong military offense, large military
Gaians: slightly weak energy and research, strong horizontal growth, strong military

CyCon: very strong research, strong energy, weak vertical growth
Pirates: strong vertical growth, weak horizontal growth, weak infrastructure, strong military, very weak early unit production, slightly strong research and energy
Cult: very weak research and energy, very weak infrastructure, strong military, slightly strong horizontal growth
Drones: weak research, slightly strong horizontal growth, very strong infrastructure, large military
Angels: strong probes, slightly strong research

Library of Planet: strong research, strong probes, very strong horizontal growth, strong vertical growth
Nanomachine Technologists: strong research, strong infrastructure, strong horizontal growth
Darwin Raiders: slightly strong research, slightly strong probes, strong military, strong early unit production, weak vertical growth

Before I could say if the Library of Planet or Nanomachine Technologists are too much like existing factions, they need some penalties.

Last edited by Chaos Theory on 09-04-2005 at 12:55

	10-04-2005 02:03									#26
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Gotcha. I'm working on that. What do you feel about the factions I have in the first post?

Urgent question: is it possible to have a planet buster as a starting unit. If it¡¦s possible, should I give it away? Would it be too powerful?

	10-04-2005 09:10									#27
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I think a PB would be fun as a starting unit. It would suck to be wiped out early by it, so such a faction should generally not start next to another, but once the PB is spent, it's gone, leaving an overall below-average faction at war with everyone, ideally.

Planetary Settlers: very strong military (shouldn't they have an SE aversion, though?) Something of a variation on the Spartans, with more emphasis on native life between the +planet and -probe. With both FM and Wealth available, -1 economy means little. If FM is forbidden, then they look more like Gaian-Spartans.
FC Magistrates: strong early military, slightly strong research, slightly strong energy. You said they needed to be updated, but that hasn't happened yet.
Elders of Chiron: strong research, slightly strong military, weak vertical growth. Not really much different from the Uni, despite having a positive probe rating rather than a negative one. I suppose they could entirely replace the Uni, though, as many people think free net nodes are too powerful.
Parish of Planet (assuming they get free creches on top of everything): very strong vertical growth, weak horizontal growth, strong research, strong energy
Sons of Centauri-Ra: strong research, strong energy, slightly weak vertical growth, strong military
AXIS (ignoring the SotHB restriction): strong military, large military, very strong early military, strong horizontal growth, weak psi
Psions for Purity: very strong military, very weak infrastructure, strong horizontal growth
Global Energy Exchange: very strong research, very strong energy. No significant disadvantages, on a faction that badly needs one.
New Athenians (with normal-cost colony pods): ridiculously strong horizontal growth, strong infrastructure, very strong vertical growth. NO PENALTIES AT ALL! BROKEN!

	10-04-2005 11:34									#28
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1. What’s Vertical growth?

2. I’m cutting the Technologists’ RESEARCH benefits entirely and giving them research points each turn. What would be a good number?

3. What’s wrong with giving the Raiders just +RESEARCH?

4. Again, I’m going to cut the Librarians’ Research to +1 instead of +2. I think I’ll increase the morale penalty to –1, but since they’re not meant to be Gaian like and hippies I’m going to look through the list of penalties before doing that.

5. I think I'm going to slap some sort of combat-related penalty on the New Athenians. Believe me, I'll teach those too rich, too fecund, too produtive art lovers a lesson!

Once again, thanks Endgame and Chaos Theory for all of the helpful advice. Sorry for pestering you guys for answers.

	10-04-2005 15:13									#29
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quote: Originally posted by MysticWind 1. What’s Vertical growth?

The ability to make large bases. This plays into research and energy, too. Any faction with extra talents or +growth tends to be good at vertical growth. Factions with low hab limits or that have a hard time pop booming are bad at vertical growth.

quote: 2. I’m cutting the Technologists’ RESEARCH benefits entirely and giving them research points each turn. What would be a good number?

I think you can only give research points per base, per turn. I'm not very experienced with the mod, but of course it would have more impact early than late.

quote: 3. What’s wrong with giving the Raiders just +RESEARCH?

Did I say there was something wrong with it? Between +research, +probe, and stealing tech upon capturing bases, the Raiders will have something of a tech edge on most factions. The problem is an absence of significant disadvantages.

quote: 4. Again, I’m going to cut the Librarians’ Research to +1 instead of +2. I think I’ll increase the morale penalty to –1, but since they’re not meant to be Gaian like and hippies I’m going to look through the list of penalties before doing that.

Think about what they should be bad at. For example, what do librarians think about the free market? Librarians in capitalist societies don't do very well, particularly in 2100 with all books computerized.

quote: 5. I think I'm going to slap some sort of combat-related penalty on the New Athenians. Believe me, I'll teach those too rich, too fecund, too produtive art lovers a lesson!

A simple combat penalty won't do it, as in that case playing them is like flipping a biased coin: find an intelligent opponent early and die; don't, and out-tech/out-produce any threat, given your early edge. If they're so elitist, maybe they need extra drones, police penalties, penalty wealth, probe penalties, efficiency penalties, hurry penalties, or other appropriate drawbacks.

quote: Once again, thanks Endgame and Chaos Theory for all of the helpful advice. Sorry for pestering you guys for answers.

	12-04-2005 19:16									#30
	Avatar Enlargement: We've got the solution

If you want to do something really off the wall, bar a faction from an entire line of SE options. I don't think I've seen it done before.