Faction

Overview

Endless Space featured 8 playable factions at launch, and currently features 12 unique playable factions. Each has their own history and unique traits and bonuses.

The Sheredyn faction is a special faction included with the Emperor Edition of the game, but is functionally identical to the United Empire unless Endless Space: Disharmony has been downloaded, in which case it gains its own unique traits.

The Automatons faction was added in the "Rise of the Automatons" free add-on. The faction was created by Panzer, a member of the Endless Space community.

The Harmony faction was added in the expansion pack Endless Space: Disharmony.

The Vaulters faction is a formerly unfinished faction accessible through the Founder Edition of Dungeon of the Endless. Upon Amplitude's completion of the Vaulters, they were released via free DLC.

Faction	Home Planet Type	Diplomatic Alignment	Gameplay	Main Victory Type
Amoeba	Ocean	Good	Exploration, Diplomacy	Diplomatic/Military
Automatons	Jungle	Good	Peaceful, Isolationist	Economic/Diplomatic
Cravers	Arid	Evil	Consume Worlds	Military
Harmony	Tundra	Neutral	Exploration and Isolationist	Wonder/Population
Hissho	Jungle	Evil	Conquest & Glory	Military/Population
Horatio	Arid	Neutral	Expand	Population/Wonder
Pilgrims	Jungle	Good	Diplomacy	Diplomatic/Military
Sheredyn	Terran	Evil	Colonialist	Economic/Military
Sophons	Terran	Good	Amazing Scientists	Scientific
Sowers	Tundra	Neutral	Construction	Wonder/Military
United Empire	Terran	Evil	Colonialist	Economic/Military
Vaulters	Terran	Neutral	Defense & Science	Scientific

Players are allowed to create their own Custom Factions based on the built-in Factions. These factions will interact with each other through Diplomacy.

Amoeba

Main article: Amoeba

Amoeba Leader

• Home Planet Type: Ocean
• Diplomatic Alignment: Good
• Gameplay: Exploration, Diplomacy
• Main Victory Type: Diplomatic / Military

Description

"A highly evolved form of a lowly species, these colorful beings come from an ocean world. Evolving slowly over millions of years with plenty of time to philosophize, it is not surprising that the Amoeba are diplomatic, cultural, and intellectual. Wise and urbane, they have an exceptionally high 'emotional intelligence' and are unusually open to other alien and intelligent species. Their goal is to travel, meet, and learn, though their relatively defenseless natural form has bred into them the need to turn all situations to their advantage, and to be in control of their destiny. Though the Amoeba do not feel that their nature is to dominate and conquer, they can be viewed as warriors whose weapons are diplomacy and trade."

Traits

Amoeba Affinity	Starts with the whole map known: Systems, Warps, Wormholes and Home Worlds are revealed. Amoeba Faction-Specific Technologies
Soil Xenobiology	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Diplomats	+50% Trade Routes bonuses per system.
Symbiosis	+30% Trade Routes bonuses per Cooperation Treaty on System.
Naive	+4 per Faction at Peace or Allied With on System.
Masters of Illusion	-40% Ship Cost for Ship without Weapon Module on Empire.
Mutual Understanding	+10% Damage Max per number of Allies on Fleet Weapons. +10% Damage Min per number of Allies on Fleet Weapons.
Rich Soil	+3 on Planet

Automatons

Main article: Automatons

Automaton Leader

• Planet Type: Jungle
• Diplomatic Alignment: Good
• Gameplay: Peaceful, Isolationist
• Main Victory Type: Economic / Diplomatic

Description

"The Automatons were created by a long dead civilization known as the Reyans who perished many millennia ago due to the gradual self-destruction of their world. Decades of uncontrolled industrialization and technologies that relied on a highly toxic underground fuel caused irreversible damage to the ecosystem and atmosphere of their planet. Realizing that they were doomed, the Reyans attempted to build a massive fleet of migration ships to escape their planet, but most of the ships either exploded on launch, or stalled in the atmosphere and fell to the ground. The Reyans despaired… and so they decided to leave a legacy in the form of one of their greatest technological achievements, clockwork beings. Having a very old and proud history of clockwork, the Reyans had achieved the maximum potential of the technology in their creation of massive clockwork men to which they gifted all the traits of a young species. Within a year of the creation of the clockwork men, the Reyans committed mass suicide so as not to suffer through the effects of a dying planet, leaving their greatest creations behind, alone, and lost.

Over time the clockwork creations of the Reyans developed a simple society of their own and began exploiting the technologies left behind by their creators. All was well for the young civilization of machines until one day a large Endless ship crashed into the planet spreading the dust it was transporting all over the surface. The dust modified the machines, gave them enhanced abilities and over time even sentience. The deadly and toxic fuel that used to power the machines was also replaced, but strangely the new fuel became dust. In only a few weeks, the clockwork machines had evolved, become truly sentient, and gained new purpose in existence which was unheard of in even the most advanced AIs created by the Endless. They came to call themselves "the Automatons", and with the newly gained freedom of dust they began learning…and advancing.

The Automaton Civilization stayed on their planet, learning to live in a symbiotic relationship with nature as the planet healed over time. They used the knowledge of their creators and their new dust engines to produce massive floating ships on which they lived in order to protect the healing ecosystem on the planet from their involvement. Over the course of centuries the planet healed and the Automatons learned to live with and love nature while still developing immense industrial capacity and production within the hulls of their floating ships --which had also grown over time. But eventually, the Automatons calculated that their dust supply would run out and their civilization would die, so they uncovered the old ruins of the crashed endless ship and began developing their own vehicles for space flight.."

Traits

Automatons Affinity	+1 Over Production to Stack Factor on System. +5% Interest for Stacked on System. Automatons Faction-Specific Technologies
Spendthrifts	-10% on Systems.
Merchants	+1 Trade Routes Cap on System.
Unlucky Colonists	Adds a Negative Anomaly.
Optimistic	+20 on System.
Crowded Planets	+2 on Small. +2 on Tiny. +1 on Medium.
Diplomats	+50% Trade Routes Bonuses on System.
Anarchists	-2 Command Points Cap on Empire.
Strong Alloys	+20% on Ships
Symbiosis	+30% Trade Routes Bonuses per Cooperation Treaty on System.
Dust Impaired	+50% Abilities cost on Hero.
Fearless Warriors	+25% Defense per on System.

Cravers

Main article: Cravers

Craver Leader

• Planet Type: Arid
• Diplomatic Alignment: Evil
• Gameplay: Consume Worlds
• Main Victory Type: Military

Description

"Created by the Endless from an insectoid life form, the Cravers are in the purest sense hunter-gatherers and would never have evolved on their own the processes necessary to raise crops or domesticate animals. Their life cycle is based on consumption, and as such they are capable of digesting any form of plant or animal matter. Once their home world was consumed, they left to seek further nourishment. If they do not continue to expand, discover, and exploit new worlds, their society could literally eat itself to death. Feeding the hive is their all-consuming purpose; the notions of 'treaty', 'trade', and 'peace' do not exist."

Traits

Cravers Affinity	+1 Locust Point (LP) per turn on each colonized planet. +25% FIDS for the first 40 LP, -25% after 60. Cravers Faction-Specific Technologies
Arid Epigenetics	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Advanced Machining	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Militarists	-20% Ship Cost on Empire.
Knowledge Gathering	+40 added to the current research for each destroyed enemy on Empire.
Big Fleets	+3 Cap on Empire.
Crowded Planets	+1 on Medium. +1 on Small. +1 on Tiny.
Eternal War	Can't be at peace with other factions.

Harmony

Main article: Harmony

Harmony Leader

• Home Planet Type: Tundra
• Diplomatic Alignment: Neutral
• Gameplay: Exploration and Isolationist
• Main Victory Type: Wonder/Population

Description

"The Harmony has been sentient since the dawn of time in the known universe. A fundamental creature born of the energies of the Big Bang, the living rocks of the Harmony are capable of manipulating quantum energies and gravitation. Their mineral nature means that they are closely attuned to planets and rocks across the galaxy; they have an unparalleled ability to identify and exploit natural resources and anomalies. Factions that ally with them share in this unique ability, and those that choose to fight them will find them difficult to dislodge once they have settled in."

Traits

Harmony Affinity	Doesn't use Dust. Is not affected by Approval modifiers. % on Systems provokes loss on and . Disharmony: Decreases on Empire for each "impure" System. +2  for each ship orbiting a Harmony world, up to 2x max CP. Harmony Faction-Specific Technologies
Xenobotany	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Crowded Planets	+2 on Small. +2 on Tiny. +1 on Medium.
Strategically Resourceful	-1 Strategic Resource required for Abundance on Empire.
Mineral Memory	Can see all Strategic Resources of visited systems.
Efficient Stock	+1% per Strategic Resource deposits on System. +1% per Strategic Resource deposits on System. +1% per Strategic Resource deposits on System.
Solid Citizens	-20% collateral damage against Population on System. -20% collateral damage against Troops on Empire.

Hissho

Main article: Hissho

Hissho Leader

• Home Planet Type: Jungle
• Diplomatic Alignment: Evil
• Gameplay: Conquest & Glory
• Main Victory Type: Military / Population

Description

"The Hissho are a modern and civilized people descended from avian DNA. However, they are avian in the way that many species of dinosaur had avian characteristics; in fact, they are not unlike feathered pterodactyls. A race of highly competitive tribal warriors, their history is one of bloodshed, conquest, vengeance and domination. While this has created a very hardy, aggressive, and dangerous people, it has also slowed their advancement and limited their numbers. When they did reach the stars to find other peoples waiting for them, their reaction was to conquer and dominate. Their innate and learned sense of flight makes them superior pilots."

Traits

Hissho Affinity	+ 5% Weapon Damage on all fleets for each space battle won (for 15 turns). + 15% on all systems for each invasion victory (for 15 turns). Bonus stacks up to 4 times. Hissho Faction-Specific Technologies
Isotope Fabrication	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Huygens Rings	+1 on Planet. +2 on Planet.
Revenge	After losing a system with 100% previous ownership: +50% Military Power on all fleets when invading (for 20 turns). +50% Ground Defense on all systems (for 20 turns).
Snipers	+15% Accuracy on weapons.
Deadly Weapons	+36% Max and Min Damage on weapons. +36% Min and Min Damage on weapons.
Masters of Destruction	-50% Weapon module cost on Empire.
Death Before Dishonor	The Hero will be Injured if you use the "Retreat" Battle Action. +40% Hero XP bonus per battle.
Space Cadets	-20% on system.

Horatio

Main article: Horatio

Horatio Leader

• Home Planet Type: Arid
• Diplomatic Alignment: Neutral
• Gameplay: Expand
• Main Victory Type: Population / Wonder

Description

"Incredibly wealthy and only slightly less deranged, Horatio was an Imperial trillionaire who left to discover his own star cluster. Finding a planet sprinkled with labs of ancient cloning technology left by the Endless, the boredom soon drove Horatio to create a race of allies, servants, and slaves who were every bit as gorgeous as the most beautiful person in the universe -- Horatio. Once the planet was repopulated, Horatio the First had only to look up, regard the stars and realize how much more beautiful they, too, would be if they were filled with... Horatios. The rest, as they say, is history."

Traits

Horatio Affinity	Unlocks the Cloning of a Hero. + 50% Fatigue Recovery on Hero. Horatio Faction-Specific Technologies
Arid Epigenetics	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Soil Xenobiology	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Stellar Guardians	+4 Influence Area on System.
Cloning	+1 per .
Crowded Planets	+2 on Small. +2 on Tiny. +1 on Medium.
Heroic Medicine	-50% Healing Cost on Hero.
The Price of Beauty	+20% Ship Cost on Empire.

Pilgrims

Main article: Pilgrims

Pilgrim Leader

• Home Planet Type: Jungle
• Diplomatic Alignment: Good
• Gameplay: Exploration, Diplomacy
• Main Victory Type: Diplomatic / Military

Description

"A group of scientists and explorers, unhappy with the United Empire, hijacked a mission to an outer planet and set up an independent government. They refused the heavy corporate hand of the Empire, preferring to eke out their living on the edge of known space. Aided by the Sophons, this splinter group grew to become the Pilgrims. Accustomed to orbital living and constant movement, during the early years of their development they had a proportionally greater contact and familiarity with artifacts and remnants left by the Endless. They have come to view the Endless in a religious light, and a goal of their society is to one day discover the planet from which the Endless originated."

Traits

Pilgrims Affinity	Ability to Evacuate a Star System. Pilgrims Faction-Specific Technologies
Xenobotany	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Rebellion	+100% Ownership gain per System on Empire. -80% Ownership loss per System captured by opponent on Empire.
Diplomats	+50% Trade Routes bonuses on system.
Optimistic	+20 on system.
Legendary Heroes	+20 Hero XP on hiring on empire [Hired at lvl 3]. -4 Upkeep on Heroes.
Mutual Understanding	+10% Damage Max per number of Allies on fleet weapons. +10% Damage Min per number of Allies on fleet weapons.
Knowledge Gathering	+20 Research Points to the current research for each destroyed enemy CP on empire.
Blockade Breakers	Trade Routes also work in Cold War or at War. Blockades on your Systems won't break Trade Routes.
Wasted Space	-20% on ships.

Sheredyn

Main article: Sheredyn

Sheredyn Leader

• Planet Type: Terran
• Diplomatic Alignment: Evil
• Gameplay: Colonialist
• Main Victory Type: Economic / Military

Description

"It would require several centuries of time travel to find the origins of the military organization now known as the Sheredyn Fleet. Originally a bodyguard at the time of the first emperors, over time the Fleet grew to become commandos, special forces operatives, and finally a powerful clandestine force within the military of the United Empire. Almost a caste within the Imperial Navy, admission to the service of the Sheredyn Fleet remains impossible to all but the most qualified candidates. In a society where money means everything, the Fleet retains its image of professionalism. With several lucrative contracts from appreciative emperors, it has grown to have an economic power almost equal to its military reputation."

Traits

Sheredyn Affinity	Prevents opponents from retreating. -33% Buyout on System. Sheredyn Faction-Specific Technologies
Dust Congruity	+0.3 leech on Hero.
Entrepreneurs	+1 per on Planets.
Strong Alloys	+40% on Ships.
Asceticism	-50% Luxury bonus.
Sheredyn Integrity	-10% per deal broken on System.

Sophons

Main article: Sophons

Sophon Leaders

• Home Planet Type: Terran
• Diplomatic Alignment: Good
• Gameplay: Amazing Scientists
• Main Victory Type: Scientific

Description

"Curious, analytical and inquisitive, the Sophons are a people who pride knowledge over all. No theory -- or machine -- is so perfect that it can resist a bit of tinkering: advances come both in great leaps and tiny increments. The Sophons travel the galaxy driven by a thirst to discover and understand. As such, they view war as nothing more than a distraction from the serious things in life. However, with their advanced technologies, they can become a surprisingly dangerous foe."

Traits

Sophon Affinity	0-50% Tax Rate gives a +50-0% bonus. -50% Support Modules Cost on Empire. Sophon Faction-Specific Technologies
Isolation Shields	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
PeV-scale Accelerators	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Neural Robotics	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Scientists	+30% on System.
Fast Traveler	+2 on Ships.
Meticulous Information Analysis	+1 on Ships.
Feeble Warriors	-25% Defense on System. -8 Defense per on System.
Unskilled Builders	+10% Industry Cost of Improvements on Empire.

Sowers

Main article: Sowers

Sower Leader

• Planet Type: Tundra
• Diplomatic Alignment: Neutral
• Gameplay: Construction
• Main Victory Type: Wonder / Military

Description

"The Sowers are a machine race created by the Virtual faction of the Endless. They took from their creators the mission to traverse the universe and make worlds livable and habitable for the arrival – or return – of the Endless. The Sowers come, establish industries, create the basic infrastructure needed to make a wild planet habitable, and move on to the next one. The Sowers are neither hostile nor friendly; they are simply continuing their programming. Any world they arrive on will be harvested and advanced materials will be developed. Any local populations or other peoples will be ignored -- unless they get in the way or oppose the Sowers' holy mission."

Traits

Sower Affinity	-50% from System 30% value is also added to . Sowers Faction-Specific Technologies
Xenobotany	Unlocks the Technology with the same name.
Metallic Waters	+1 on Planet. +10 on Planet.
Space Cadets	-20% on System.
Builders	-20% cost of Improvements on empire.
Tolerant	Colonizes all planets (-25% until required tech is known).
Dust Recyclers	+10 for each destroyed enemy CP on empire.
Slow Traveler	-1 on Ships.
Optimistic	+10  on System

United Empire

Main article: United Empire

United Empire Leader

• Home Planet Type: Terran
• Diplomatic Alignment: Evil
• Gameplay: Colonialist
• Main Victory Type: Economic / Military

Description

"The Empire is theoretically under the control of a central monarchy. However, the rate of expansion means that the society cannot be ruled that way effectively. In fact, the systems of the colonial diaspora are colonized by the designated Corporations who work hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Investment and Development. The Ministry of Security is involved as well, due to the need for native and/or alien pacification, security forces, defense or surveillance."

Traits

United Empire Affinity	25% - 100% Tax Rate will give a 0% - 60% bonus. +10 Ship Experience on building on Empire. United Empire Faction-Specific Technologies
N-Way Fusion Plants	Unlocks the Technology of the same name.
Businessmen	+10% on System.
Entrepreneurs	+1 per on Planets.
Strong Alloys	+40% on Ships.
Fearless Warriors	+25 Defense per on System.
Dust Impaired	+50% Abilities Cost on Heroes.

Vaulters

Main article: Vaulters

• Home Planet Type: Terran
• Diplomatic Alignment: Neutral
• Gameplay: Defense, Science
• Main Victory Type: Scientific

Description

"An ancient faction, the Vaulters have suffered a number of major setbacks in trying to establish a permanent home for themselves. Though characterized as restless wanderers, they are in fact a proud and adaptable race, seeking a system that they can finally call 'home.' Their centuries of travel and tinkering have made them skilled at both science and warfare, though their greatest military strength is in defense.

The Vaulters have an old tradition of appointing female leaders, and their trust in this tradition has been confirmed by the faction's uncanny ability to escape, survive, and live to fight another day. Once based on the planet Auriga, they left the planet when their predictions indicated potentially cataclysmic geo-atmospheric problems. Their attempts to colonize elsewhere have only had brief success, and the notion of a permanent base has gained an almost mythical status."

Traits

Vaulter Affinity	Once constructed, the Portal consumes all remaining Movement Points, it requires at least one Movement Point. The faction can instantly teleport a Fleet from one system to another system that is under their influence, if both systems have built these quantum apertures. Vaulter Faction-Specific Technologies
Fearless Warriors	+25% Defense per on System.
Rebellion	+100% Ownership gain per System on Empire. -80% Ownership loss per System captured by opponent on Empire.
Isolation Shields	Unlocks the technology of the same name.
Crowded Planets	+1 on Small. +1 on Tiny. +1 on Medium.
Legendary Heroes	+20 Hero XP on hiring on empire (Hired at lvl 1). -4 Upkeep on Heroes.
Kitchen Chemists	+1 per on Planets.
Scientists	+10% on System.
Black Thumbs	-10% on System.

Custom Factions

The game allows for the creation of custom factions based on the main factions included in the game. The custom factions are accessed on the faction selection screen before starting a new game. On the right side of the screen you will see, add, modify, or delete buttons.

Clicking on the "add" button will bring you to the faction editor screen. The first few options will let you name your race, as well as add a custom description to be displayed in game. There is also a drop down menu that allows you to pick an "affinity" based on the pre-made factions.

NOTE - The affinity that is selected for your custom faction will determine what your faction unique researches are.  You are able to choose the Appearance of your faction which will determine the style of your ships and your portait.  This means choosing Amoeba Affinity and taking the Endless War Trait is a very bad idea (because you end up having tech that cannot be used as you are permanently at war with others).

The last part of the faction editor is the traits selection. There are multiple positive and negative traits. Each trait has a point value along with a level value. There is a point cap of 65 (60 for the Amoeba affinity and Sower affinity). Each trait you select will add or subtract points. You will not be allowed to save your faction if it is over the point cap. Most traits have multiple level which increase their effectiveness. Optimistic 1 increases approval by 10 on a system and costs 6 points, while optimistic 2 increases approval by 20 and costs 15 points.

Trait Categories

Each category has multiple positive and negative traits with varying levels and costs.

• Defense (ability to protect a system)
• Technology (pre-researched technology)
• Anomaly (home planet conditions)
• Hero (effectiveness of heroes)
• Fleet (effectiveness of fleet)
• Science (ability to research)
• Economy (ability to produce dust)
• Population (ability to populate)
• Building (effectiveness of construction)
• Space Battle (effectiveness of combat)
• Diplomacy (relationship traits)