I thought of starting a topic where you can lay your claim on what the best ______ in Endless Space 2 happens to be. This can be a Gameplay Affinity, Visual Affinity, Political Ideology(ex: Ecology), Population Buff, Population Collection Buff, Starting Planet, Government, or Faction Trait. With so many things to talk about, feel free to make your case. Here are some of mine to get things started...

Best Gameplay Affinity: Gene Hunter
This one is not that hard to make a case for. Gene Hunter, to me, is arguably the strongest Gameplay Affinity in Endless Space 2. A case could be made for Shipbound since you can relocate your Ships/Colonies and use them as proxy Warships if need be but Gene Hunter, is straight up broken. The ability to enhance your population over time ultimately leads to your faction snowballing to victory. Who cares if you consume more Food than anything else since Extreme Foremen + Planet Menders + Sower Starting Minor Faction = Cravers 24/7. Combine that with Ecology, Horatio Collection Bonus, Overseer Governors and Food System Developments can yield insane Food production totals that cannot be beat. It also makes the Ecology Ideology incredibly strong.

Best Visual Affinity: Lumeris
I struggled with this one since there are **SO MANY** good Visual Affinities in this game. Vaulters, United Empire and Sophons immediately come to mind but ultimately, I come back to Lumeris for two simple reasons. Firstly, they can produce Dust better than anyone and secondly, they can generate more Luxury Resources than anyone and that's independent of Horatio Governors. By being able to pump out Luxury Resources, they can upgrade their systems quite fast and having 30% boost to Industrial Output with Governors from their quest-line is incredibly strong. Their quest-line is also easy and quick, yields a reduction to Overpopulation and their ships are actually pretty strong(notably Medium Hulls). Starting Hero is also a Seeker Class(my favorite).

Best Political Ideology: Ecology

I struggled with this one too at first but ultimately came back to Ecology. The early game start this ideology provides is incredibly powerful, particularly for custom Gene Hunters who have Strange But Good faction trait to tap into its Tier 1 Law. After Ecology has been in power for long enough, you can boost Science and Industrial output significantly with the Gene Hunter Affinity. Other Gameplay Affinities are more likely to move off Ecology once you've unlocked all Planet Colonization Technologies(hence the perk on Mandatory Law loses its effectiveness) or utilize another Ideology altogether. An honorable mention is Industrial Ideology. Yeah its Mandatory Law isn't the greatest but virtually every law in the Industrial tree is worth utilizing. Can't really say that about Science or other Ideologies.

Best Population Buff: Extreme Foremen

It's no secret as to why Cravers are so scary. Their population buff is straight up bonkers and in the hands of a custom Gene Hunter where its negative effects can be spliced out, it's straight up game breaking. Getting a 150% boost to all Planet yields at **ALL TIMES** means those Ash, Lava planets yield some insane Industry while Barren and Cold Gas Giants yield insane Science outputs.

Best Population Collection Bonus: Pacified(Horatio)

If you are an avid Min/Max player, then you come to find in 4x Games that Pops are king and anything that grants you Pops faster is the most powerful trait in the game. An added bonus is that you get 5% Influence from Food production. In the hands of Gene Hunter, this is insanely strong.

Best Starting Planet: Atoll
Best Food/Industry ratio

Best Government: Republic

Stronger/Enhanced Laws are hard to pass up

Best Faction Trait: Crowded Planets II

Extra Population slots is arguably the strongest faction trait in the game. More pops = more FIDSI. Forgotten Lore may give you the first two tiers of Tech but Ecology makes having Colonization Tech moot and being able to use Hyperium Probes or upgrade Systems from the get go is moot if you don't have the Strategics or Luxuries to take advantage of it.