About primitives getting into space

[EvilTom]

Can pre-FTL civilisations fight back during an invasion from aliens? It's a usual sci-fi cliché that aliens invade with superior tech, but usually smaller numbers and after some destruction on the planet the defending people fight off the invaders.
Of course there's enough time for a sequel when the invading aliens can come back with another, bigger fleet.

 

[sbytheway]

Can pre-FTL civilisations fight back during an invasion from aliens? It's a usual sci-fi cliché that aliens invade with superior tech, but usually smaller numbers and after some destruction on the planet the defending people fight off the invaders.
Of course there's enough time for a sequel when the invading aliens can come back with another, bigger fleet.

The devs have said that yes they do fight back but pre-industrial civs won't be able to put up much of a fight b/c lasers beat bronze spears and that even post industrial primitives still aren't that touch. Post atomic age primitives will be tougher but still inferior.

 

[NekomimiMaiden]

I don't want to purge/invade/whatever though because either i'd end up with a planet full of aliens or I'd have to a) take a massive rep hit to invade the primitives or b) take a massive rep hit to purge all the aliens or c) not be able to purge due to ethos (I think it's individualist?) and thus end up with an unwanted planet full of aliens in my glorious isolationist fanatic materialist/individualist human direct democracy

A 'peaceful' option for you, in this case, if they seem to be on the verge of FTL ascension: Do the "Infiltrate" option to make them part of your empire, then move them via forced relocation to a planet on the outskirts of your space and free them as a vassal or protectorate. Now you own their own planet, they are out of the way and not part of your empire.