Dartonus wrote:

Well, I can always hope for Harmony DLC.

Hell yeah! Harmony always stood out as the most alien-playing of all the default races.

lo_fabre wrote:

Having nothing against Horatio, indeed not my favorite to play, but always liked its lore, what I was expecting for Update 2 was a new faction, cause in update 1 we got UE, and it will make sense to release: 2old+2new, old, new, old, new (Unfallen).

Also highly suspicious that this update comes the ecologist faction, being this Horatio or a new one.

Wasn't the last release also an old race (United Empire)?

mixerria wrote:

Or frogsquadron is just trolling us all.

Dare to dream...

satoru wrote:

mixerria wrote:

iDrunk wrote:

mixerria wrote:

Or frogsquadron is just trolling us all.

Looks like it corresponds with datamining, there was the same order of factions.

I know, I know... but can you be really sure?

I swear they're just going to name images "pink invisible flying dragons" from now on

Sadly, it's more than just the previous image. The game files also had empty folders for Horatio, which I had hoped were there either to screw people up who were snooping, or as an earlier idea that didn't quite make it. This kinda cements the idea that they're going with them again though...

Ugh, the one race I never played in ES1...  well, getting less and less interested, now.

Kweel_Nakashyn wrote:

I think this is it, because I played 100 turns with them yesterday and they were very strange. Not bad, but strange. Kind of autistic.

-edit- If Horatio died, they may have turned into a kind of religious faction, now, no ?

I'd think there would be a religious civil war between factions that sought to shape what it meant to be 'Horatio', what the prime Horatio is/was/represents, whether it is possible to have a new prime Horatio, and which particular Horatio would end up taking that role.

satoru wrote:

mixerria wrote:

iDrunk wrote:

mixerria wrote:

Or frogsquadron is just trolling us all.

Looks like it corresponds with datamining, there was the same order of factions.

I know, I know... but can you be really sure?

I swear they're just going to name images "pink invisible flying dragons" from now on

May I suggest some good troll image names and meta-data to ensure the forums are super confused for weeks

- Strawberry_Shortcake_Minor_Faction

- JarJarBinks_IsAnOPJedi

- Hissho-Major_And_Minor_Faction_MindBlown

- Stop_Looking_At_FileNames_God_Damn_It

Except during the crunch, you'll forget the names and at some point in the future, you'll have all kinds of weird bugs :p

Nasarog wrote:

satoru wrote:

mixerria wrote:

iDrunk wrote:

mixerria wrote:

Or frogsquadron is just trolling us all.

Looks like it corresponds with datamining, there was the same order of factions.

I know, I know... but can you be really sure?

I swear they're just going to name images "pink invisible flying dragons" from now on

May I suggest some good troll image names and meta-data to ensure the forums are super confused for weeks

- Strawberry_Shortcake_Minor_Faction

- JarJarBinks_IsAnOPJedi

- Hissho-Major_And_Minor_Faction_MindBlown

- Stop_Looking_At_FileNames_God_Damn_It

Except during the crunch, you'll forget the names and at some point in the future, you'll have all kinds of weird bugs :p

I  do feel like it will indeed be Horatio, but just for arguments' sake: If it's a placeholder anyways they need to be going into the data to actually put references there to attach to the names, so it wouldn't be that bad as long as they don't keep the decoy names after putting the proper files in.

Ugh, I have to say that one of the things I've liked least about the ES canon is this idea of splinter human factions.

To me, the whole point of a space 4X is that you're taking your first steps ou into the Galaxy and you don't know what's out there. How the heck does a splinter faction not remember where their home civilization is located on the map? This also ties into annoyances about having minor civs on your home planet when you haven't even visited another star system yet.

It can be hand-waved with ideas about forgotten history, falls into barbarism and recovering old tech etc. Still not a fan, but I know this is how the ES space games are set up, so I'll learn to enjoy it for the other asymmetric differences between factions. Even if too many of them look human.

Meanwhile, the Hissho, favourites of many, were turned into a minor faction. They should put another militaristic major faction to compensate (other than the UE, of course).

I always found the Horatio to be weirdos, so I never really played as them. Besides, they were humans - and I wanted my galaxy to be as alien as possible.

HumanSpacer wrote:

Meanwhile, the Hissho, favourites of many, were turned into a minor faction. They should put another militaristic major faction to compensate (other than the UE, of course).

I always found the Horatio to be weirdos, so I never really played as them. Besides, they were humans - and I wanted my galaxy to be as alien as possible.

Yeah, Hissho!

Also agree about the end point.

Romeo wrote:

lo_fabre wrote:

Having nothing against Horatio, indeed not my favorite to play, but always liked its lore, what I was expecting for Update 2 was a new faction, cause in update 1 we got UE, and it will make sense to release: 2old+2new, old, new, old, new (Unfallen).

Also highly suspicious that this update comes the ecologist faction, being this Horatio or a new one.

Wasn't the last release also an old race (United Empire)?

Yea it was. for this reason I was expecting a new faction. I supposed (for no reason) that they'll alternate old and new factions this way: EA: 2 old (Sophons + Cravers and 2 new (Lumeris + Vodyani), Update 1: old (UE), Update 2: new (unknown), Update 3: old (reasonably seems Horatio after people looking into xmls), Release: new (Unfallen).

But as said had no evidence of it, just looked good to me, to have a new faction now, and sustain the doubts about which old faction will be in release.

lo_fabre wrote:

Romeo wrote:

lo_fabre wrote:

Having nothing against Horatio, indeed not my favorite to play, but always liked its lore, what I was expecting for Update 2 was a new faction, cause in update 1 we got UE, and it will make sense to release: 2old+2new, old, new, old, new (Unfallen).

Also highly suspicious that this update comes the ecologist faction, being this Horatio or a new one.

Wasn't the last release also an old race (United Empire)?

Yea it was. for this reason I was expecting a new faction. I supposed (for no reason) that they'll alternate old and new factions this way: EA: 2 old (Sophons + Cravers and 2 new (Lumeris + Vodyani), Update 1: old (UE), Update 2: new (unknown), Update 3: old (reasonably seems Horatio after people looking into xmls), Release: new (Unfallen).

But as said had no evidence of it, just looked good to me, to have a new faction now, and sustain the doubts about which old faction will be in release.

I was thinking the same but also had a thought that they may want to end on a high note and go with a new reveal for the final update.  That was my guess. 

lo_fabre wrote:

Romeo wrote:

lo_fabre wrote:

Having nothing against Horatio, indeed not my favorite to play, but always liked its lore, what I was expecting for Update 2 was a new faction, cause in update 1 we got UE, and it will make sense to release: 2old+2new, old, new, old, new (Unfallen).

Also highly suspicious that this update comes the ecologist faction, being this Horatio or a new one.

Wasn't the last release also an old race (United Empire)?

Yea it was. for this reason I was expecting a new faction. I supposed (for no reason) that they'll alternate old and new factions this way: EA: 2 old (Sophons + Cravers and 2 new (Lumeris + Vodyani), Update 1: old (UE), Update 2: new (unknown), Update 3: old (reasonably seems Horatio after people looking into xmls), Release: new (Unfallen).

But as said had no evidence of it, just looked good to me, to have a new faction now, and sustain the doubts about which old faction will be in release.

Wouldn't it be amazing if they've actually been setting us all up, and you're totally right about the next update? Next group turns out not to be Horatio, but a group who are diametrically opposed to their ideals (IE, they absolutely require immigration in order to grow their empire)?

Horatio like the pilgrims seem more like a small breakaway minor race rather than the big galaxy sized empire as the lore suggests.

The most potentially interesting thing about the horatio is how their lore interacts with the new population mechanics, but given that those aren't even fully in the game yet it's hard to judge the outcome.   Still it could be quite interesting to have a group think population in the game if done right, although they certainly wouldn't have been on the top of my list for returning races.

Just thinking about Horatio, its lore can introduce a interesting new mechanic: instead of growing spontaneously, you have to clone your pop at a cost, consuming part of a food pool and may be other FIDSI (not sure about that last one).

This can make interesting things that allows better control of your pop, like stopping growth when approval is low, and spending your food reserves in explosive growth just after building/unlocking approval improvements/laws/techs. Also the possibility to locate your clones from its creation, having a global food pool and creating the clone in the system you think is better, instead of each system having its growth.

Last and not least, what about creating clones into allied, peace or minors systems, and use them to "peacefully" take the system?

not sure what Amplitude will do, but this can be a very distinctive mechanic, and not only a FIDSI bonus.

lo_fabre wrote:

Just thinking about Horatio, its lore can introduce a interesting new mechanic: instead of growing spontaneously, you have to clone your pop at a cost, consuming part of a food pool and may be other FIDSI (not sure about that last one).

This can make interesting things that allows better control of your pop, like stopping growth when approval is low, and spending your food reserves in explosive growth just after building/unlocking approval improvements/laws/techs. Also the possibility to locate your clones from its creation, having a global food pool and creating the clone in the system you think is better, instead of each system having its growth.

Last and not least, what about creating clones into allied, peace or minors systems, and use them to "peacefully" take the system?

not sure what Amplitude will do, but this can be a very distinctive mechanic, and not only a FIDSI bonus.

So, less interesting Broken Lords/Sowers? Booooooooo.

Only thing I can think of being unique about Horatio is if they adamantly refuse immigration (As they consider everyone else too unattractive to accept). Still, they could've gone with someone more interesting...

I'm going to enjoy leeching the lifeforce out of their unworthy bodies to feed the growth of my superior Vodyani people.

Romeo wrote:

lo_fabre wrote:

Just thinking about Horatio, its lore can introduce a interesting new mechanic: instead of growing spontaneously, you have to clone your pop at a cost, consuming part of a food pool and may be other FIDSI (not sure about that last one).

This can make interesting things that allows better control of your pop, like stopping growth when approval is low, and spending your food reserves in explosive growth just after building/unlocking approval improvements/laws/techs. Also the possibility to locate your clones from its creation, having a global food pool and creating the clone in the system you think is better, instead of each system having its growth.

Last and not least, what about creating clones into allied, peace or minors systems, and use them to "peacefully" take the system?

not sure what Amplitude will do, but this can be a very distinctive mechanic, and not only a FIDSI bonus.

So, less interesting Broken Lords/Sowers? Booooooooo.

Only thing I can think of being unique about Horatio is if they adamantly refuse immigration (As they consider everyone else too unattractive to accept). Still, they could've gone with someone more interesting...

Aren t the Vodyani kind of the Broken Lords of ES2? Correct me if I m wrong. =)

To @Romeo and HBumblebee, I was just thinking in loud voice. Not sure how the cloning lore from Horatio can be put into Es2 in a different way from ES1. But if they decide to maintain the ability to clone heroes, I'll be ok with this, as I understand that the changes in Sophons and UE are due to the removal of taxes sliding bar (also won't blame Amplitude for it, always liked how it worked, but felt something too much seen in 4X, so had mixed feelings).

Soulinet wrote:

I'm going to enjoy leeching the lifeforce out of their unworthy bodies to feed the growth of my superior Vodyani people.

The only justification for them to be a major faction: As food for the Cravers and Vodyani.

HBumblebee wrote:

Romeo wrote:

So, less interesting Broken Lords/Sowers? Booooooooo.

Only thing I can think of being unique about Horatio is if they adamantly refuse immigration (As they consider everyone else too unattractive to accept). Still, they could've gone with someone more interesting...

Aren t the Vodyani kind of the Broken Lords of ES2? Correct me if I m wrong. =)

I wouldn't say wrong, but the Vodyani definitely feel different from the Broken Lords to me. Broken Lords felt closer to the Sowers in my eyes, in that they were very clearly centered around improving one stat above the others (Industry for the Sowers, Dust for the Broken Lords). I'd actually argue that the Vodyani play a little closer to the Cultists mixed with the Pilgrims, if anything. They're designed around building as tall as possible, because the empire cannot realistically build wide, and they can uproot a system worth of improvements and plop them down elsewhere.

lo_fabre wrote:

To @Romeo and HBumblebee, I was just thinking in loud voice. Not sure how the cloning lore from Horatio can be put into Es2 in a different way from ES1. But if they decide to maintain the ability to clone heroes, I'll be ok with this, as I understand that the changes in Sophons and UE are due to the removal of taxes sliding bar (also won't blame Amplitude for it, always liked how it worked, but felt something too much seen in 4X, so had mixed feelings).

I kinda miss the bar, though I won't lose sleep over its removal. Still annoyed that so many cool races were shoved aside so we could get another human race that doesn't play overly unique...