Frogsquadron wrote:

UndeadPuppy wrote:

Also, there are 4 Minor Factions left. We know that the Harmony, Vaulters, Sowers and Automatons have been datamined a while back.

Shall I tell you that most of this data was bogus placeholders imported from ES1 to make you guys talk?

I guess this means we can kiss the Automatons and Sowers goodbye.

It seems kind of weird to have both the Automatons and the Sowers returning as minor factions when the Epistis kind of inhabit the niche they both occupied (though I guess the Sowers had a more general expansionist role). It'd be redundant to have three separate "robots that outlived their creators and now focus on ecology" minor factions.

Plus, the frog guys look like time lords to me.

So with the hints the devs have been hinting about Vaulters and the fact Frog just confirmed the next race is new, I guess that means Vaulters are likely to return as a minor faction this time around.

In terms of the Harmony's return, I think they'll be more than a minor faction. That one quest you get where you're chased by the Harmony gives you a sense that the major factions know of them and had expected them to die off millennia ago. It gives a sort of... mythic feel to them. I think that makes them worthy to be a major faction (DLC?) or at the very least a game mechanic/event/quest that involves dust-wiping the galaxy or something.

I love the idea that the next major faction would be rather different. I actually don't mind if they were bipedal since bipedalism seems to be a robust fad on our planet despite the many mass extinctions. (Yes, I understand that other planets = other conditions = more chance for diversity, but I find it hard to believe that things can be completely alien alien.) Anyway, what we know so far are: a) the devs codenamed them Time Lords so I guess we need to start digging up on Doctor Who lore/knowledge and imagine how that could fit in the Endless universe, b) the devs stated that the next faction would feel very alien (different?) and it's something we haven't seen before, and c) devs are notorious for dropping hints (like the Vaulter in the pic below) so we may or may not have already encountered the upcoming faction.

OTOH, I think this picture hides a hint about their looks. My picks are in red circles. 

As an aside, the one on the far left sitting on a chair is just a really really lazy Sophon. You see them using a similar chair in one of the Sophon splash arts. Plus, the blue + silver motif fits well with its compatriots nearby. Maybe it's a supervisor... supervising.

So, recap: the next major faction will be a super alien Time Lord-esque race. Yeah, I got nothing. :D

vahouth wrote:

Oh man, I think we've been missing something pretty big with this picture.

What if those blue orbs are the next faction?!

UndeadPuppy wrote:

Those orbs could be anything... including Sowers, some of which, have spherical forms:

One thing is for certain. With the exception of the Unfallen, all other factions, even the Timelords, have been spoiled in artwork.

We have seen them at one point, we just don't know which one of them.

Hiding in plain sight? Just like Amplitude!!!  :D

ajkrivo wrote:

So the real question is what is an ecologist faction is really like. Ecologists are diametrically opposed to industrialists and so the faction will probably have an anti-focus on production. My guess is that the faction will be focused on being a collective. High growth, but specifically high growth of minority groups so that the population is as diverse as possible. This especially makes sense when you consider that we already have 3 factions with mechanics for culling members of minority groups (cravers, vodyani, horatio). So I really think we're going to get some sort of collectivist faction, maybe similar to a positive version of the cultists from Endless Space, where minor factions are your bread and butter.

I do really like this idea.

Maybe similar to the roving clans they'd get buffed up minor race units?   I could see their mainline units being more support-based similar to the cult.   The base race provides the big command ships but the brunt of their forces are minority members.

UndeadPuppy wrote:

Also, there are 4 Minor Factions left. We know that the Harmony, Vaulters, Sowers and Automatons have been datamined a while back.

Shall I tell you that most of this data was bogus placeholders imported from ES1 to make you guys talk?

Frogsquadron wrote:

UndeadPuppy wrote:

Also, there are 4 Minor Factions left. We know that the Harmony, Vaulters, Sowers and Automatons have been datamined a while back.

Shall I tell you that most of this data was bogus placeholders imported from ES1 to make you guys talk?

Harmony would indeed sound like a weird minor faction to have as well as the Sowers within your empire (sound more like an event faction that appears and scatters the galaxy on it's own and does stuff). 

You keep us on our toes once again! 

I'm still wondering who these guys are:

(from the Lumeris prologue)

Frogsquadron wrote:

UndeadPuppy wrote:

Also, there are 4 Minor Factions left. We know that the Harmony, Vaulters, Sowers and Automatons have been datamined a while back.

Shall I tell you that most of this data was bogus placeholders imported from ES1 to make you guys talk?

And then you pulled a double switch by having Horatio actually in game.   Well played.

(I'm growing rather fond of ES2 Horatio even, despite not caring that much for them in the first game so well done)

Horatio in Endless Space were my friend's favorite faction. I mostly saw they grew very fast, and very numerous. They were no match for my vast fleets, though...

Frogsquadron wrote:

Horatio in Endless Space were my friend's favorite faction. I mostly saw they grew very fast, and very numerous. They were no match for my vast fleets, though...

Always thought the ship designs didn't fit him in part 1 (they weren't as beautiful as him) but now in part 2 they almost match his beauty and elegance! ;)

UndeadPuppy wrote: I guess this means we can kiss the Automatons and Sowers goodbye.

I wouldn't.
My theory is I think the Automatons, or at least robots (but not Sowers), are the Timelords for a number of reasons.

- Robots are not in the game yet, and I think they were playable in all Endless games. opbot needs an home :)
- Sowers are a virtual creation, like the cravers. And like what Vodyani became. I think this is too much traces of virtuals compared to concretes, so that's why I don't they will be major for that reason.

- My intuition says the Unfallen would be manpower/food related. I think there is something there to be exploited by the game. They are told to be pacifists so Dust could enter the equation at some point.

- If the unfallen are not ecologists, then there is no natural ecologist faction.

--> Ecologist and robots = automatons.

Plus there is one screen where I seemed to see an automaton speaking in a street to a Sophon. I don't remember which screen though.

Now all of this can be one milllion purcent wrong ! :)

Kweel_Nakashyn wrote:

UndeadPuppy wrote: I guess this means we can kiss the Automatons and Sowers goodbye.

I wouldn't.
My theory is I think the Automatons, or at least robots (but not Sowers), are the Timelords for a number of reasons.

- Robots are not in the game yet, and I think they were playable in all Endless games. opbot needs an home :)
- Sowers are a virtual creation, like the cravers. And like what Vodyani became. I think this is too much traces of virtuals compared to concretes, so that's why I don't they will be major for that reason.

- My intuition says the Unfallen would be manpower/food related. I think there is something there to be exploited by the game. They are told to be pacifists so Dust could enter the equation at some point.

- If the unfallen are not ecologists, then there is no natural ecologist faction.

--> Ecologist and robots = automatons.

Plus there is one screen where I seemed to see an automaton speaking in a street to a Sophon. I don't remember which screen though.

Now all of this can be one milllion purcent wrong ! :)

That wasn't an Automaton speaking to the Sophon, it was either a filler artwork race or an unrevealed Minor Faction.

We only have about 4 Minor Factions left and since the datamined files are decoys, we have no idea whether the Automatons and Sowers will feature in any way in ES2.

I am hopeful to see some of the ES1 and EL races as DLC Major Factions in the future.