Factions from works of fiction and how they fit into Stellaris

[Aegrim]

What factions do you want to play as and how would you create them in Stellaris?

2 pts in Military, 1 point in collectivist?
Military Democracy.

2 pts Spiritualist? 1 point military
Divine Mandate?

edit - No they'd be 2 points xenophobe, 1 point spiritualist?

 

[Finnway]

Isn't there already a thread about this somewhere?

 

[Aegrim]

Isn't there already a thread about this somewhere?

I thought that was just people making their own factions, not those already established from films and books etc?

 

[Veracin]

I think for there to be a true Imperium of Man or Galactic Empire ethos, then you'd have to break the 3 point limit. I can't really imagine a more xenophobic faction than IoM, but they're also spiritualist and very militaristic. The Empire is collectivistic, militaristic, xenophobic and slightly spiritualistic.

 

[aitaituo]

I think for there to be a true Imperium of Man or Galactic Empire ethos, then you'd have to break the 3 point limit. I can't really imagine a more xenophobic faction than IoM, but they're also spiritualist and very militaristic. The Empire is collectivistic, militaristic, xenophobic and slightly spiritualistic.

I expect that the three point limit only applies at the beginning and there are ways to further change your ethics throughout the course of the game. The Imperium of Man didn't start fanatical in 3 traits, after all.

 

[Arkangilos]

It's only militaristic because of it's current situation. The vast majority of it's military is only called on during wars, so I'd do 1 point xenophobic, 1 point militaristic, and 1 point spiritualist.

Here is why:
1 point xenophobic- They have more pressing needs, and the people as a whole are more willing to trade with xenos. Rogue Traders have a little more leeway, Eldar can be "tolerated" to an extent, and the Imperium has negotiated with the Tau when in the face of greater threats. They would be fanatical xenophobic, but the situation is dire so they are more willing to negotiate with the the more reasonable ones (as lore has shown).

1 point militaristic- Many worlds do not see war, it's an unsupported myth that every world sees war, and so not all worlds are dedicated to a pure military economy. Many just carry on as usual, though it is becoming more rare the closer to m42 you go.

1 point spiritualist- not all factions in the Imperium follow the Ecclesiarchy. The Space Marines as a whole are more secular (with few exceptions), the AdMech follow a completely different religion, and the High Lords of Terra are mostly secular lords, so the "church" doesn't run the Imperium, they are just willing to burn people that they declare heretics (which has caused trouble, and thus the Ordo Hereticus is put in place to keep the church in line).

Yes, you have fanatics in each category, but as a whole the Imperium isn't made up of fanatics.

 

[Veracin]

It's only militaristic because of it's current situation. The vast majority of it's military is only called on during wars, so I'd do 1 point xenophobic, 1 point militaristic, and 1 point spiritualist.

Here is why:
1 point xenophobic- They have more pressing needs, and the people as a whole are more willing to trade with xenos. Rogue Traders have a little more leeway, Eldar can be "tolerated" to an extent, and the Imperium has negotiated with the Tau when in the face of greater threats. They would be fanatical xenophobic, but the situation is dire so they are more willing to negotiate with the the more reasonable ones (as lore has shown).

1 point militaristic- Many worlds do not see war, it's an unsupported myth that every world sees war, and so not all worlds are dedicated to a pure military economy. Many just carry on as usual, though it is becoming more rare the closer to m42 you go.

1 point spiritualist- not all factions in the Imperium follow the Ecclesiarchy. The Space Marines as a whole are more secular (with few exceptions), the AdMech follow a completely different religion, and the High Lords of Terra are mostly secular lords, so the "church" doesn't run the Imperium, they are just willing to burn people that they declare heretics (which has caused trouble, and thus the Ordo Hereticus is put in place to keep the church in line).

Yes, you have fanatics in each category, but as a whole the Imperium isn't made up of fanatics.

I agree with most of what you said besides the militaristic part. It's true that most worlds don't see war, this can be represented because pops of worlds can have different ethos, but imo the IoM is very militaristic when looked at centrally, as in the federal level or the level you'll be playing as in Stellaris. You drive the main ideas of your faction, even if different planets aren't as militaristic as you are, it's because they don't have to be, that's why the IoM has a huge and powerful central military force so every single citizen doesn't have to defend their home world. That and the whole Chaos thing.

 

[Caspoi]

It's only militaristic because of it's current situation. The vast majority of it's military is only called on during wars, so I'd do 1 point xenophobic, 1 point militaristic, and 1 point spiritualist.

Here is why:
1 point xenophobic- They have more pressing needs, and the people as a whole are more willing to trade with xenos. Rogue Traders have a little more leeway, Eldar can be "tolerated" to an extent, and the Imperium has negotiated with the Tau when in the face of greater threats. They would be fanatical xenophobic, but the situation is dire so they are more willing to negotiate with the the more reasonable ones (as lore has shown).

1 point militaristic- Many worlds do not see war, it's an unsupported myth that every world sees war, and so not all worlds are dedicated to a pure military economy. Many just carry on as usual, though it is becoming more rare the closer to m42 you go.

1 point spiritualist- not all factions in the Imperium follow the Ecclesiarchy. The Space Marines as a whole are more secular (with few exceptions), the AdMech follow a completely different religion, and the High Lords of Terra are mostly secular lords, so the "church" doesn't run the Imperium, they are just willing to burn people that they declare heretics (which has caused trouble, and thus the Ordo Hereticus is put in place to keep the church in line).

Yes, you have fanatics in each category, but as a whole the Imperium isn't made up of fanatics.

No but it's government certainly is. Considering how harsh they are towards aliens, or heretics, anthing but fanatical is illogical.

 

[Finnway]

The Tau Empire would be fun a fun race to play in Stellaris.
Phenotype = Mammalian.
Ethics = X2 Collectivist, x1 Xenophile.

 

[Veracin]

The Tau Empire would be fun a fun race to play in Stellaris.
Phenotype = Mammalian.
Ethics = X2 Collectivist, x1 Xenophile.

What kind of government do you think they would have? Technocracy maybe considering their relatively advanced technology, but they always mention the greater good and all that.

 

[Arkangilos]

They aren't really xenophile, though. Their member species are second class, and it's join or die.

Collectivist, spiritualist, and militarist.

 

[TheGrinningMan]

If you wanted to accurately model the 40K 'verse, you'd have to mod the game so that militarist 1 and xenophobe 1 are the defaults, xenophobe/militarist 2 only cost 1 point, the "center" costs a point, xenophile 1 and pacifist 1 are 2-point fanatics, and the 2 for those are right out.

By that, I'd say the Tau maybe spent a point on xenophilia to go to what would be considered the center in an unmodded Stellaris game.

 

[Veracin]

They aren't really xenophile, though. Their member species are second class, and it's join or die.

Collectivist, spiritualist, and militarist.

Relatively they are, they allow other species to join their empire and even fight alongside their soldiers. By contrast the IoM would almost never do something like that, the exception being the ogryns.

 

[Arkangilos]

Relatively they are, they allow other species to join their empire and even fight alongside their soldiers. By contrast the IoM would almost never do something like that, the exception being the ogryns.

Well I would put them at neutral. When I think xenophile I think more of being a melting pot where they are all equals and their own values are... Valued.

The tau don't value your values, and if you don't accept the greater good, tough luck. So I just would leave that neutral.

That's why with three, I would do one militaristic, one collectivist, and one spiritualist. Though there is an argument for two points in spiritualist.

 

[Surimi]

What kind of government do you think they would have? Technocracy maybe considering their relatively advanced technology, but they always mention the greater good and all that.

I would say spiritual oligarchy (or whatever that's going to be called).

As with xenophile, they're only advanced in technology relative to the universe they're in, and then only in the sense that they actually understand how all their technology works and can mass produce it.

One thing I always found really interesting is that the Tau ships in battlefleet gothic were actually pretty terrible and couldn't stand up to Imperial ships 1/1 at all because they were based on less advanced, mass produced technologies, so in order to win they had to outnumber their enemies. Forgeworld ultimately made a better Tau fleet, but I always kind of felt that was missing the point.

 

[Teleros]

*Starship Troopers*

2 pts in Military, 1 point in collectivist?
Military Democracy.

A lot depends on whether you're doing it based on those reprehensible movies, or on the actual book. The book version wouldn't be collectivist for example. The real problem is representing the restricted franchise system though. Military Junta perhaps? Don't know how Paradox intend to have the Military Democracy work yet.

*Imperium of Mankind*

2 pts Spiritualist? 1 point military
Divine Mandate?

I think as a whole it's probably neither one nor the other for economics, but 2 for spirituality, 2 for military, and 2 for xenophobia. Whether it's possible to do that in-game is besides the point though: anyone attempting to represent His Most Beneficent Emperor's realm any other way shall be shot for heresy.

What kind of government do you think they would have? Technocracy maybe considering their relatively advanced technology, but they always mention the greater good and all that.

Doesn't a council of Ethereal caste bigwigs run the Tau Empire? Add in the Greater Good stuff and maybe... Spiritual Oligarchy perhaps?

 

[Finnway]

Well I would put them at neutral. When I think xenophile I think more of being a melting pot where they are all equals and their own values are... Valued

The Xenophile ethic gives (minus) Xenophobia and (minus) Alien Slavery Tolerance. So I think Xenophile works just fine for representing Tau values. They do want everyone to join the Greater Good, after all, including other species.

That's why with three, I would do one militaristic, one collectivist, and one spiritualist. Though there is an argument for two points in spiritualist.

Out of curiosity, why Spiritualist? Tau are cut off from the Warp, after all. And the "Greater Good" isn't so much a religion as it is a philosophy.

I think they should at least be x2 Collectivist. What is "the Greater Good" if not an attempt to turn the entire galaxy into one, massive collective?

 

[Arkangilos]

From what I understand spiritualist doesn't literally mean spiritualist. It can mean ideals. And the tau are very spiritualist in terms of the Greater Good philosophy, with a caste system representing biologically and spiritually where you fall. The Ethereals are the so to speak "priests" and political leaders of the greater good, and their government is led by them in the name of the Greater Good.

Though I do agree with the Collectivist.

And keep in mind, lore doesn't have the tau as tolerant as most people tend to believe. The misconception comes from the fact that they are the *most* tolerant of the *alternatives*. Neutral fits them well in that regard.

 

[EddieTheLion]

The Culture: individualist, materialist, pacifist
The Zetetic Elench: xenophile, materialist, pacifist
The Affront: fanatical militarist, xenophobe
The Idiran Empire: fanatical militarist, spiritualist (I don't know which to make fanatic?, its been a while since I read those particular books)
....

From what I understand spiritualist doesn't literally mean spiritualist. It can mean ideals.

I don't think so, all the ethics are ideals, spiritualist means...spiritual. It can be new-age style or Abrahamic style or something else, but it doesn't mean ideology in general

(my knowledge of 40k is a bit sparse, but based on what I do know, I would say)
Imperium: fanatical spiritualist, xenophobe (if i had to leave out one it would be militarist, and they seem to be less fanatically xenophobic than they do fanatically religious)
Tau: xenophile, collectivist, materialist
Eldar: spiritualist, xenophobe, collectivist(?)
Necrons: fanatical xenophobe, materialist
Orks: fanatical militarist, spiritualist (I mean they are religious, and have warp powers, it sort of works)
....

United Federation of Planets: materialist, pacifist, xenophile

Galactic Empire: xenophobe, collectivist, militarist

The Ethereals (XCOM): fanatic collectivist, spiritualist

The Covenant: fanatic spiritualist, militarist

 

[Safehold]

The Idiran Empire: fanatical militarist, spiritualist (?, its been a while since I read those particular books)

The Idirans were doing a Holy War on the Culture, until the Culture put them back on their planets: all 3 of them.

So I would probably go for more fanatical spiritualist, depending on the bonuses, than the military. It was more like their tech was equal to the Culture.

The Tau Empire would be fun a fun race to play in Stellaris.
Phenotype = Mammalian.
Ethics = X2 Collectivist, x1 Xenophile.

Where are the Tau's melee weapons?