Put simply, it's genius and a truly unique gameplay variation. 

Archez2v2 wrote:

Thanks for the info! I will delve into that Endless lore because it is so interesting! Those Sowers sound like a great faction to use and I would like the Harmony as well. I hope these things get added!

Harmony were the best in the first game. They considered anything Dust-related to be an affront to their kind, so they didn't use heroes, and their economy didn't use Dust in any capacity. They were super unique to use.

Thanks for the info! I will delve into that Endless lore because it is so interesting! Those Sowers sound like a great faction to use and I would like the Harmony as well. I hope these things get added!

Archez2v2 wrote:

Just want to say, EXCELLENT GAME! I have played so many space RTS games and by far I enjoy sinking time into ES2. I helped kickstart GC3 and loved that but it was so bland, ES2 brings in aspects of space 4x that I love, the development of ships, controlling of planets, the ability to colonize planets WITHIN a system, combat scenes, and interactions with other factions. ES2 has it all...and its only in developmental phases! Cannot wait to see what this will develop into, especially with content from users adding input as well. I would like to, beyond making a custom faction cause I am picky, have a faction that caters toward scientific achievement but in a more defined sense. I enjoyed the Sophons, in fact I almost always use them, and I have thought about the Endless and their relationship to Halo's Forerunners. I do not know, mostly due to not wanting to sift through all these posts, whether or not a sub-race of "Endless" per say, has been proposed. The Vodyani and a little of what I mean but what of a faction that was there during the reign of the Endless, I am not knowledgeable about Endless lore, but I would like to see a faction that is steeped in technology but seeks above all to master technology's more "arcane" sense. The Vodyani were saved by Endless, therefore they worship them and have incredible technology, the Sophons seek to master the universe but what of a faction called...oh...for example....not Precursor or Forerunners exactly but a faction that existed then and interfaced with the Endless. They would not seek to elevate themselves or dominate warfare, nor would they even seek to master the universe, but they would be predisposed towards making their own solar systems, planets, and would exist much like the Vodyani....on ships. What if they faction used planets as resources, consumed them, and then made huge planet-like ships to take its place AND they could move? The resources gained would go into sustaining populace, generating science, culture, wealth...etc, and would go into MOVING the structures? That would make a player forced to, of course, research military technology but also work very hard to sustain itself, much like the Cravers, and would make for a diverse enemy if A.I controlled. This faction would be called the Ilakas. The word comes from early Greek to define solar in the word solar system. This faction would not be heavily religious but Ecologists and Scientists vying for a chance to extend beyond solar systems and galaxies to develop their own universe...in a sense. The hero of the culture has to balance between those two political parties as well as deal with militarist when dealing with other factions. I know this, if read, is lengthy but I would like to continue with this idea and thank you again for making a wonderful game that causes people like me to not only thank you abundantly but to imagine our own dreams in this world of code you all have created.

Without going nutso in to the lore, the Endless' crazy technology actually inspired quite a few of their successors to try and use technology to "honor" them. The newest, as you've seen, are the Vodyani. They think the Virtual cult of the Endless want them to take over the bodies of living creatures to make them immortal by bypassing organic limitations. Some of the others were:

• Sowers - Also a creation of the Virtual cult, the Sowers were programmed to go forth and make the universe a paradise for their creators. Unfortunately, the Endless destroyed themselves before they completed that task. As a result, they've taken an almost religious stance to their task, and treat terraforming as a sort of "holy mission".
• Vaulters - They're a group of humans who were stranded on Auriga (The place in Endless Legend), and repaired an Endless ship to escape it. As a result, by the time of the first Endless Space they've come to worship Endless technologies and repair them wherever they find them.
• Horatio - Humans who were left on an Endless cloning lab, the leader of them (The titular Horatio) decided that he was the perfect lifeform, and dedicated his whole group towards making a perfect copy of himself. They've come to see their cloning mission as their sole reason for existance, and treat their technology with the same awe.
• Cravers - A bioweapon who who also created by the Virtual cult of the Endless. While not necessarily "religious" about their creators, they serve them with absolute loyalty.
• Automatons - While they were neither created by, nor serve, the Endless, it was the Endless who gave them their incredible intellect, and they likely hold them in high regard.

There are also a number of species who could fit the analogue of the "Precursors" from Halo, such as Harmony, who see the Endless as violent upstarts. But if you've got some cash to burn, I thoroughly recommend picking up Endless Space. It has so much lore in it that'll help paint a better picture for Endless Space 2.

Just want to say, EXCELLENT GAME! I have played so many space RTS games and by far I enjoy sinking time into ES2. I helped kickstart GC3 and loved that but it was so bland, ES2 brings in aspects of space 4x that I love, the development of ships, controlling of planets, the ability to colonize planets WITHIN a system, combat scenes, and interactions with other factions. ES2 has it all...and its only in developmental phases! Cannot wait to see what this will develop into, especially with content from users adding input as well. I would like to, beyond making a custom faction cause I am picky, have a faction that caters toward scientific achievement but in a more defined sense. I enjoyed the Sophons, in fact I almost always use them, and I have thought about the Endless and their relationship to Halo's Forerunners. I do not know, mostly due to not wanting to sift through all these posts, whether or not a sub-race of "Endless" per say, has been proposed. The Vodyani and a little of what I mean but what of a faction that was there during the reign of the Endless, I am not knowledgeable about Endless lore, but I would like to see a faction that is steeped in technology but seeks above all to master technology's more "arcane" sense. The Vodyani were saved by Endless, therefore they worship them and have incredible technology, the Sophons seek to master the universe but what of a faction called...oh...for example....not Precursor or Forerunners exactly but a faction that existed then and interfaced with the Endless. They would not seek to elevate themselves or dominate warfare, nor would they even seek to master the universe, but they would be predisposed towards making their own solar systems, planets, and would exist much like the Vodyani....on ships. What if they faction used planets as resources, consumed them, and then made huge planet-like ships to take its place AND they could move? The resources gained would go into sustaining populace, generating science, culture, wealth...etc, and would go into MOVING the structures? That would make a player forced to, of course, research military technology but also work very hard to sustain itself, much like the Cravers, and would make for a diverse enemy if A.I controlled. This faction would be called the Ilakas. The word comes from early Greek to define solar in the word solar system. This faction would not be heavily religious but Ecologists and Scientists vying for a chance to extend beyond solar systems and galaxies to develop their own universe...in a sense. The hero of the culture has to balance between those two political parties as well as deal with militarist when dealing with other factions. I know this, if read, is lengthy but I would like to continue with this idea and thank you again for making a wonderful game that causes people like me to not only thank you abundantly but to imagine our own dreams in this world of code you all have created.

WhiteWeasel wrote:

I'd like to see a Non hostile/morally neutral "organic" race.  A race that uses living ships, and seeks out to modify and enhance their own gene pool from deliberate altering and cherrypicking from other species. But unlike the Zerg, or Tyranids for example, they aren't (For the most part) destructive about it because they understand the value of genetic diversity. And a good chunk of their progression comes from giving their populations (and any "integrated" races like uplifted creatures or subjects that are willing (or forcefully convinced) to join the collective) new traits/bonuses and minimizing weaknesses. Since it is so population based the faction could be unique in that it could be played tall or wide depending on how the gene modding is distributed. Expand wide to have more of your better than average base population and a wider pool of genetic diversity to draw from, or a small population where you can take what little traits you have and have finely tune them, and pile on all of the upgrades to what population you have and make them elite. 

To encourage going for a specific style, the gene modding thing could be sorted by trait levels. Each level having a certain number of slots. Higher levels give you traits with bigger bonuses, but have fewer slots, and each level is exponentially more expensive to upgrade your population to, making removing traits or swapping to a more desirable one very expensive, not to mention once that population goes up a trait level, they can't go down. So you can choose between a large amount of small bonuses for your population that can be easily changed, or go for fewer, but much larger bonuses that are lucrative, but hard to change out of in addition to having a smaller active trait pool.

I do not have ES2 yet since I'm waiting for the full release, so I'm not sure how much Genetic engineering will play out compared to stellaris, or if it even has any. 

That sounds very similar to the "Unfallen" race. 

I'd like to see a Non hostile/morally neutral "organic" race.  A race that uses living ships, and seeks out to modify and enhance their own gene pool from deliberate altering and cherrypicking from other species. But unlike the Zerg, or Tyranids for example, they aren't (For the most part) destructive about it because they understand the value of genetic diversity. And a good chunk of their progression comes from giving their populations (and any "integrated" races like uplifted creatures or subjects that are willing (or forcefully convinced) to join the collective) new traits/bonuses and minimizing weaknesses. Since it is so population based the faction could be unique in that it could be played tall or wide depending on how the gene modding is distributed. Expand wide to have more of your better than average base population and a wider pool of genetic diversity to draw from, or a small population where you can take what little traits you have and have finely tune them, and pile on all of the upgrades to what population you have and make them elite. 

To encourage going for a specific style, the gene modding thing could be sorted by trait levels. Each level having a certain number of slots. Higher levels give you traits with bigger bonuses, but have fewer slots, and each level is exponentially more expensive to upgrade your population to, making removing traits or swapping to a more desirable one very expensive, not to mention once that population goes up a trait level, they can't go down. So you can choose between a large amount of small bonuses for your population that can be easily changed, or go for fewer, but much larger bonuses that are lucrative, but hard to change out of in addition to having a smaller active trait pool.

I do not have ES2 yet since I'm waiting for the full release, so I'm not sure how much Genetic engineering will play out compared to stellaris, or if it even has any. 

Zennock wrote:

DevildogFF wrote:
Oh man, I can't wait for you guys to see what Amplitude has done with The Unfallen.

Put simply, it's genius and a truly unique gameplay variation. 

Burning trees? 

Wooden spoons ?

DevildogFF wrote:

Zennock wrote:

DevildogFF wrote:
Oh man, I can't wait for you guys to see what Amplitude has done with The Unfallen.

Put simply, it's genius and a truly unique gameplay variation. 

Burning trees? 

Nah, they...altered some of my gameplay design to make it fit and, put simply, it's much better for it!

Burning trees sound like a neat idea in my opinion. Removing resources in exchange for increased production and approval. 

Zennock wrote:

DevildogFF wrote:
Oh man, I can't wait for you guys to see what Amplitude has done with The Unfallen.

Put simply, it's genius and a truly unique gameplay variation. 

Burning trees? 

Nah, they...altered some of my gameplay design to make it fit and, put simply, it's much better for it!

DevildogFF wrote:
Oh man, I can't wait for you guys to see what Amplitude has done with The Unfallen.

Put simply, it's genius and a truly unique gameplay variation. 

Burning trees? 

You have your war-mongers, you have your scientists, you have your money-making faction. What new factions designs you would like to see?

Romeo wrote:

Sorry for the double post, but here's the link: https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space-2/ideas/239-corrupt-sowers

Sorry for the double post, but here's the link: https://www.games2gether.com/endless-space-2/ideas/239-corrupt-sowers

Zennock wrote:

That's actually a pretty neat idea. By any chance, have you once submitted this idea to the Major Faction Contest? 

I have not, I literally just thought of it while answering this thread.

Pejman wrote:

@Romeo ammonia based life form <.< enjoy your toxic hyperpresurised planets 

i was thinking of a few factions that would be non playable to add as crisis (end game event like invaders from another galaxy or stuff)

had a "replicator" (stargate) based faction that doesn't use any food but uses industry to build more pop and get bonus industry to it's system for each ship it destroys which allow them to progress very fast (the more ship they destroy the more ship they can build and they can spawn pop real fast thanks to this). That's the self replicating nano/micro robot nightmare (and they would probably ruin and deplete planets at a much faster rate than carvers <.<)

also thought about a species that is based on copying others (all their yields and base political affinities are based on the ones from the other pops in their systems (was trying to balance though by limiting the number of other species one individual can copy at a time). They would also have a bonus to science that is the complete opposite of the sophons (meaning if they learn from others they excell at researching stuff that has already been researched).

from a background point of view it would be something like they were just above inteligent animals that use camouflage and pheromones to mimic and thus avoid potential predators or get closer to preys but one day an endless ship arrived to survey the planets and they were being that this specie couldn't even come close to copy, but they still were able to boost their evolution by much (interference from the endless is not excluded). Once they were able to become a space faring race they decided to start to travel to learn more about other races, to find stronger species , copy them and one day supplant them.

must have a few others lying around tho

Ah, like the "Crisis races" from Stellaris. Would be pretty neat. Worst case, we could always throw them in as a mod.

Eji1700 wrote:

Not really seeing Vodyani as tall.  Their pop is insanely good for sure, but their main mechanic is based around expansion without wasting industry to do it, and i've yet to find a vodyani game where I didn't have enough leeching for arks until the end.

With that said:

1. tall races-  It bothers me how much all the endless games reward near limitless and constnat expansion.  A "one system" race sorta like Venice in Civ could be neat, and a race that maybe maybe has a cap on the total # of systems it can have, but can system hop somewhat like pilgrims might be neat.

2. unique planet desire- Thinking of a race that wants to live on gas giants at the start and has a totally different colonization tree (although I think a little more variety there for all the races would help).  The idea being that they'll probably be filling in the systems that others can't touch until late game and thus be hard to stop from spreading out.

3. Parasitic or Symbiotic- Voydani could kinda be seen as this, but I'm thinking more like a race that infects the others for gain, potentially with the ability to have affects on systems they don't own.

Bear in mind we're in Early Access against incomplete AI, with a limited turn count. Even then, in my experience with bigger maps, the Vodyani will absolutely slow down in terms of expansion compared to everyone else. Whereas a normal race can simply spread out from every planet, the Vodyani have a shared limitation to manage, which typically results in a taller empire than others.

XR17 wrote:

That's actually a really interesting race idea

Oh, why thank you!

mixerria wrote:

Make an idea and post the link please. :D

Okie dokie, will do!

I'd like to see a robotic "Transformers" type  faction with a playstyle based on population.

Their population cannot grow naturally, it is instead constructed, with Industry playing a role in how many units of population they would be able to build.

Ships, system improvements and basically everything else, is build using population, and once built, these improvements/ships or even troops/vehicles can be converted back into population.

It would be a very fun faction to play with, even if it sounds tricky to balance.

Romeo wrote:

vahouth wrote:

A "one system" tall empire like the Cultists from EL.

The Vodyani do somewhat offer that already (Not quite as severe, but somewhat). I would like to see a Terraforming race that can terraform a planet to something only they like. If we want to use the Sowers as an example, rather than terraforming planets in to nice, beautiful Tier 1 planets, they could be a corrupt version who terraforms things to a custom Tier 6 planet that every other race dispises except them (Such as a Grey Goo planet, or Nuclear Planet, or Digital Planet) as well as being uncaring to all kinds of planet (IE, no -15 Happiness for Barren, or -25 for a Gas Giant).

Make an idea and post the link please. :D

Romeo wrote:

I would like to see a Terraforming race that can terraform a planet to something only they like. If we want to use the Sowers as an example, rather than terraforming planets in to nice, beautiful Tier 1 planets, they could be a corrupt version who terraforms things to a custom Tier 6 planet that every other race dispises except them (Such as a Grey Goo planet, or Nuclear Planet, or Digital Planet) as well as being uncaring to all kinds of planet (IE, no -15 Happiness for Barren, or -25 for a Gas Giant).

That's actually a really interesting race idea

Romeo wrote:

vahouth wrote:

A "one system" tall empire like the Cultists from EL.

The Vodyani do somewhat offer that already (Not quite as severe, but somewhat). I would like to see a Terraforming race that can terraform a planet to something only they like. If we want to use the Sowers as an example, rather than terraforming planets in to nice, beautiful Tier 1 planets, they could be a corrupt version who terraforms things to a custom Tier 6 planet that every other race dispises except them (Such as a Grey Goo planet, or Nuclear Planet, or Digital Planet) as well as being uncaring to all kinds of planet (IE, no -15 Happiness for Barren, or -25 for a Gas Giant).

Not really seeing Vodyani as tall.  Their pop is insanely good for sure, but their main mechanic is based around expansion without wasting industry to do it, and i've yet to find a vodyani game where I didn't have enough leeching for arks until the end.

With that said:

1. tall races-  It bothers me how much all the endless games reward near limitless and constnat expansion.  A "one system" race sorta like Venice in Civ could be neat, and a race that maybe maybe has a cap on the total # of systems it can have, but can system hop somewhat like pilgrims might be neat.

2. unique planet desire- Thinking of a race that wants to live on gas giants at the start and has a totally different colonization tree (although I think a little more variety there for all the races would help).  The idea being that they'll probably be filling in the systems that others can't touch until late game and thus be hard to stop from spreading out.

3. Parasitic or Symbiotic- Voydani could kinda be seen as this, but I'm thinking more like a race that infects the others for gain, potentially with the ability to have affects on systems they don't own.