I'm just curious: are the factions to be released in ES2 already set in stone, or is there still time to try and influence the final product?

We're always listening to feedback.



The scope of what can change will shrink over time, but changes can be made.



EDIT: No pug faction.

No pug faction? This is an outrage!



Will there at least be a pug pet/accessory that we can equip to heroes for amazing bonuses (like +12 to cuteness)?

Stop spouting nonsense and by the way, take a look at your private messages.

I'd like to give some thoughts that I find relevant to the discussion then.



The Cravers are a great faction. I haven't played them myself, but their very existence in any game I play changes the way I play. I'll immediately switch to a military focus and try to kill them before they're able to ruin any planets (I have rarely fail to do so, either. Cravers taught me to kill.). I like the fact their very presence changes the way I play.



Sheredyn were annoying, but not in a good way. I enjoy playing them, but having my scouts die because they can't retreat was always frustrating. I often sought to kill these guys, but while the Cravers filled me with frantic urgency, the Sheredyn simply irked me until I was tired of dealing with them. They're the exact way not to make a faction threatening, in my opinion, though I do love denying my opponents the ability to retreat... perhaps giving them a tech that gives them a card with the ability, or as a module for a ship would be a better way to implement it if they return in ES2.



The AI was never good enough to have me worry that the Harmony might start removing the dust from planets before someone had dealt with them, but I'd kill them if they were. Ruining my planets is a good way to die. The Cravers will tell you.



Everyone else? They were basically interchangeable as far as I was concerned. Their existence didn't force me to change the way I played, nor factor much in to my plans. I'm hoping, with ES2, that every faction will cause me to reconsider my plans.



That being said, I agree with the comments made in this thread that ES2 would be well served by having as few human factions as possible. I'd argue the same about inorganics, but honestly a faction's effect on the game is what I'm interested in.



I liked the UE's unique +HP% armor mods way back in the day before they were removed, as it gave them an interesting niche in having early HP tanks in early ES. I liked the "Errant Fleet colony ship" before it was nerfed. Sophon's dirt cheap colony and armor ships, and emphasis on trade for income, were interesting. Harmony and Automaton affinities were tedious for me, but I understand some people enjoy them, so I'd include at least one micromanage heavy faction in the initial release of ES2. Horatio were a case of boring faction with interesting tech', as Galactic Nutrition was probably one of the most interesting technologies in the entire game. The only reason I even play the Horatio is for that tech'. Amoeba were a case of boring faction, but powerful affinity. Hissho... I forget they exist if I'm not looking at a faction roster. I've never been interested in their faction, affinity, or been influenced to do anything by their presence in my games (I didn't play MP back when they were considered "imbalanced".



What I'd like is to be excited to play with every faction. I want to have every faction to have a tech' as interesting as Galactic Nutrition, every faction to have unique mechanics interactions like Errant Fleets once did (and not have them removed by patches), and every faction to have affinities that influence the way I play as much as the Cravers.



I'd also like a faction of space faeries, but that's probably about as likely as the pug faction.