Hi,

It has been long discussed in these forums. It's just my idea about what's happening.

Played few games with sophons and lumeris. Never had a like for cravers/necrophages, and only tried Vodyani once, but felt that it may be better to go again with him after getting the basics of new features. 

To clarify, I'm only playing at normal, so suspect with higher levels it will get even worse.

How my games went?

Lumeris:

Fast game start. Expanded quickly buying every outpost. Industrialist takes control of senate early, and found to be far better that pacifists. I got a law that gives plus approval for each colonized system in first turns, that in same time give bonus to my economy, that allowed me to get more money -> more outposts -> more happiness -> more money -> more..... This early change was very beneficial to me. Also I could get money very quick, because they got more proves and I was getting lots of loot. To add to this they got optimistic trait which added a flat happiness to the cycle I mentioned before. And last I got Mavros on my starting planet, who added more industrialist to my senate, adding more money with its basic law. Get a easy and calm score victory by far.

Sophons:

Started trying to get Era II ships and CP increasing tech. My idea was to use it to bring war. Totally failed when this Haroshems turned my senate into pacifists.

Try again. My idea was to get the tech to build settlements from Era II. Fail again. My senate turned pacifist with laws that can be good for other factions, but not Sophons.

Try again. My idea was to get quickly trading companies. Same as before.

Try again. Leave aside Era II techs. Try to unlock and build as many as possible science improvements to get ride of this pacifists from my government. this damn pacifists and Haroshems won first elections! Again.

Try playing Lumeris.

Why I think it happened?

1. Lumeris has treats and affinity that mutually benefits, while shophons not. This is: Lumeris has optimistic that gives more happiness and has more probes to find loot, both are synergistic with its affinity, as ovbiously more loot allows to buy more outposts, and more happiness allows to evade for some turns overexpansion penalties. On the other side, while Sophons has an affinity that may work very well with scientific ideology, they're totally dependent on having this ideology in its senate, while their traits are not synergistic: pathfinder doesn't adds anything to your affinity, feeble warriors is really a penalty (which I liked for lore reasons in ES1, and don't want to get rid of now, but is what it is), and I can't even remember the third one. Sophons are incapable of entering a cycle like the one I described before for Lumeris.
2. Sophons have only one advantage: science, but it is very dependent on your main ideology, I'm sure if I was able to maintain scientists in senate, I would be able to snowball in science like I did with Lumeris in economy, but still to dependent on this ideology. On the other side Lumeris are not to dependents, indeed the change to industrialists, and may be ecologists, benefits them.
3. Starting minor faction in home planets: why I always get Haroshems with Sophons? They crush my strategy . Why I get Mavros with Lumeris? They make my strategy even better .

How I think it can be fixed?

1. Change Sophons traits. Not their affinity. I really LIKE the idea of omniscience. Just put traits that have synergism with it.
2. Balance the politics. There are lots of posts about it. I'm sure you know the issue even before EA, and understand the current state of the game. sure you'll succeed like your previous game.
3. Make starting minor factions in home system optional. I understand some people may like it, but first I see no sense in starting space travel with people less developed in your system, and second it can compromise player strategies. I propose choosing from 3 options in galaxy generation: <No minors in home system>, <Random minor in home system> or <[Minor faction name] in home system>.

I hope didn't left anything and make at least a readable post. Not a complaint, only things I think can be improved.

Best luck to Amplitude, as said I'm sure you'll do a good job.