Born as war machines, live as messiahs of peace.

"True peace can only be achieve through true neutrality"

Lore: Created by a forgotten specie, Rhoes are used as weapons against one-another. One of them had gone rogue and rebelled against their creators in hope of saving its kind. However, after their last creator falls, the Rhoes themselves split into faction that wage war against each other. At that point, the Rhoes know only war until the one referred to as the elder enlightened them with the Idea of peace through cooperation. It become a golden age. But that peace would not last. Soon the slight conflict between 2 minor Rhoe factions escalates to a war where all the Rhoes must choose between 2 sides. It was a war never seen before by them that damage every Rhoes. Until the consensus was created which let them experience the death of every Rhoes in every battle since. The leader cannot bear the pain and end the war. Only true neutrality can bring perfect peace. They now seek the knowledge because, understanding of themselves is what let them achieve true peace. None knows how destructive and ravaging the war is better than the Rhoes. After discovering interstellar flight, will the Rhoes be able to finally save other species from violence and conflict?

Proposal: Many diplomatic faction does not feel diplomatic because even though they have incentives to ally themselves with others, the others does not have any clear benefits in ally themselves with them. The problem being that ally with others make you go to war if the other does, which does not feels very diplomatic considering that you have very limited options to prevent a war. This faction is, however, not aimed at being friendly with everyone but to stabilize the galactic society, helping those who was in need and ultimately, make any vulnerable faction seems unappealing to be be taken by force.

Description: The Rhoes are created as a machine of war so expected them to be able to fight, however, they prefer not to. They despise expansionism as they view it as the cause of conflict so they will not expand mush. Also, they thirst of knowledge and will set up research facility at any occupied planets. Most importantly, as a true neutral faction, the Rhoes are not able to declare war or ally themselves with other parties.

Victory Condition: Diplomatic/Science

Faction-Specific Traits:

     - True Neutral: Declare war or ally with others will result in an empire-wide disapproval.

     - Research stations: They can convert a ship into research station on an unoccupied planet in a unoccupied system or a system they control. Research stations grants you the ownership of that system and will grant a very small territory around that system. Research Stations will add % amount of science for that planet's science to the capital while granting the bonus of an anormally of that planet to the capital at reduced efficiency. Anormally bonuses from the Research Station can be positive or negative. Having probes on a differently owned colony yield bonus science. Additionally, these stations will mine luxuary resources and strategic resources at reduced rate.

     - Anti-Expansionism: They can only create a colonizer when that system is nearly reach it's population cap, and they cannot colonize a system within <significant> range of another owned and colonized system. Also, they cannot annex any star system within <significant> distance from another colony. Any system that has been successfully invaded and unable to annex, the Rhoes will be able to decided which will be sent back to the former owner and which to take as refugee.

     - Specialized Population: Population of the faction Rhoe generate more FIDs.

     - War Ravaged: Starts with a "war ravaged" anormally exclusive to this faction. Reduce food production on the planet until removed.

     - Humanitarian Intervention: They can set their fleet orbiting their owned system to become an "emissary of peace" that will have their weapons disabled, but will be able to travel into any territory. These fleets can orbit a system to lend them aid by deploying doctors and civil engineers, giving that system a boost to food and industry. Aiding another faction grant influence per turn. Later in the game, they can research a technology to allow military intervention in hope of stabilizing a warring region, these fleet can attack fleets anywhere without the need of declaration of war and enter any territory as if all borders are open. Additionally, any system conquered with an "emissary of peace" orbiting it will have some of their casualties (in invasion) or current population converted to refugees that can be grant asylum as you see fit. Attack on these fleets is treated as a declaration of war.

     - Savant Observer: Their fleet can deploy an observatory nodes on an non-owned colony that is invisible to anyone but themselves, granting them a small amount of science every turn. Having observatory nodes systems of more than 4 factions will increasing science gain this way significantly. Space battles in the observed system, granting  science to them for every ship destroyed in battle.

     - Diplomatic Tuition: They are able to grant a faction their teachings, giving them influence per turn. The Rhoes gain a small amount of that influence as their own.

     - War-like Nature: Their civilian can be used as soldiers and with some kind of orbit defense system improvement, they can sacrifice a unit of population to broad the invading ships and take control of some of them.

Leadership: The Rhoes obey their consensus. Most of the decisions are made by the People of Rhoes. Although integrated minor faction may not enter the consensus, they are always welcome to make suggestions, which some of them might have significant impact on their society.

PS: Newcomer here. Hope you like my idea. Feedback appreciated.

Edit:

20/8/16

   True Neutral: Declare war or ally with others will result in an empire-wide disapproval.

   Anti-Expansionism: ...they cannot annex any star system within <significant> distance from another colony. Any system that has been successfully invaded and unable to annex, the Rhoes will be able to decided which will be sent back to the former owner and which to take as refugee.

   Humanitarian Intervention: Remove non-owned clause from aiding system. Add Influence per turn if aiding a non-owned system.

                ...can research a technology to allow military intervention in hope of stabilizing a warring region, these fleet can attack fleets anywhere without the need of declaration of war and enter any territory as if all borders are open...

   Savant Observer: ...Having observatory nodes systems of more than 4 factions will increasing science gain this way significantly...

   Research stations: ...change the clause to  "on an unoccupied planet in a unoccupied system or a system they control"

carolean7 wrote:

Cool idea here. I like the idea of pacifist robots built for war. I'm quite intrigued. I do however share a concern with this faction, and a few other factions that outright ban war from being declared, especially if they don't have an alternative in place. To summarize this gameplay concern, see a later post in my submission.

Keep up the good work. I'm following along!

I understand the concern. Initially, I have the idea that this faction can't declare war directly but can indirectly declare war. However, I do feel that this faction does not shy away from large fleets because they need the lots of fleets to do stuffs without any downside of large fleet. I see your point. The inability to declare war create a board-stall, which might not be mechanically broken, but is not fun to play. I'd really like to include the clause "use of violence as the last resort or the lack of it will result in more lost of life".

I'll find a way to improve, thank you.