Give machine intelligence an extra care.

[tanny]

Machine intelligence is supposed to be a “tall“ empire. However…

• Unless Rogue Servitor, no ecumenopolis. Machine world is weaker than that.
• Replicators only provide fixed pop replication.
• Has a bunch of weak generic civics and analogue to normal empire, but not all.
• Has no happiness in general, and can afford even less maintenance drones than hive minded empires, meaning less stability.
• Can inhabit everywhere, but mid-late game, anyone can anyway. Besides not being tall.
• Does have fabricator, but only slight benefit taking minerals into account.
• Locked from most ascensions.

 

[Stupid_Dragon]

I don't see how Machine Intelligence was supposed to be a tall empire, and you even bring up most of the reasons why it wasn't, could add that they do have access to Imperial Prerogative, unlike Megacorp.

Sure they have +25% Size per Colony penalty, but I see it more as means to deter spamming habitats for assembly.

My main gripe with ME is traits. If you want to be optimal then there are basically only two setup - one with Superconductive and another one with Efficient Processors, and both have Luxurous, Mass-Produced and Emotion Modulators. We could use more variety.

 

[Metallichydra]

Machine intelligences are supposed to be tall?
Also, most of these aren't related to the "tall" or "wide" debate.

Replicators only provide fixed pop replication.

Doesn't this just mean you want to get as many planets as possible?

Has a bunch of weak generic civics and analogue to normal empire, but not all.

Not related to playing tall or wide.

Has no happiness in general, and can afford even less maintenance drones than hive minded empires, meaning less stability.

Not related to playing tall or wide.

Can inhabit everywhere, but mid-late game, anyone can anyway. Besides not being tall.

Doesn't this just mean you should play wide to get as many of those useful planets as possible?
I mean, who benefits the most from claiming as many systems as possible?
The life-seeded megacorp that wants to build branch offices, or the machine intelligence that can use every single one of those planets?

Locked from most ascensions.

Again, I don't see how this has anything to do with playing wide or tall.

 

[XCodes]

Given the absurd pop assembly possible with ME's, I don't see why they're "tall" and the per-colony empire size penalty isn't just a modest tax on aggressive expansion into pop boom.

As far as I can tell, ME's are intended to be assimilators, genocidal, or servitors, and then you do something else on top of that. Maybe they should just start with another civic or something.

 

[EulersApprentice]

Well, let's compare Machine Intelligence to Hive Minds, since they're both Gestalts:

Pros of Machine Intelligence:

• Lower Empire Size from Pops
• Flawless habitability
• Immortal leaders
• Access to Versatility traditions
• Access to synthetic ascension
• Resource districts give +1 housing
• Resource district hub buildings increase max resource districts
• Alloy producing jobs have higher throughput
• Energy production is increased
• Food is unnecessary
• Research jobs have cheaper base upkeep
• Mining Stations are more productive
• Housing buildings give +1 housing
• Machine Worlds decrease housing usage
• Machine Worlds can splatter an organic pop to get a permanent source of free food
• Can add negative traits or remove positive ones as soon as species modification is unlocked
• Isn't required to purge conquered robots

Pros of Hive Mind:

• Lower Empire Size from Planets
• Decreased Empire Size effect
• Population grows faster and cheaper
• Access to Adaptability traditions
• Access to genetic and cybernetic ascensions
• Starbases cost less Alloys to build
• Resource districts give +1 job
• Resource district hub buildings are cheaper
• Housing buildings give +2 amenities
• Doesn't get pwned by the Contingency
• Hive Worlds greatly increase housing from urban districts
• Capital buildings give unity-producing jobs

 

[tanny]

Well, let's compare Machine Intelligence to Hive Minds, since they're both Gestalts:

Pros of Machine Intelligence:

• Lower Empire Size from Pops
• Flawless habitability
• Immortal leaders
• Access to Versatility traditions
• Access to synthetic ascension
• Resource districts give +1 housing
• Resource district hub buildings increase max resource districts
• Alloy producing jobs have higher throughput
• Energy production is increased
• Food is unnecessary
• Research jobs have cheaper base upkeep
• Mining Stations are more productive
• Housing buildings give +1 housing
• Machine Worlds decrease housing usage
• Machine Worlds can splatter an organic pop to get a permanent source of free food
• Can add negative traits or remove positive ones as soon as species modification is unlocked
• Isn't required to purge conquered robots

Pros of Hive Mind:

• Lower Empire Size from Planets
• Decreased Empire Size effect
• Population grows faster and cheaper
• Access to Adaptability traditions
• Access to genetic and cybernetic ascensions
• Starbases cost less Alloys to build
• Resource districts give +1 job
• Resource district hub buildings are cheaper
• Housing buildings give +2 amenities
• Doesn't get pwned by the Contingency
• Hive Worlds greatly increase housing from urban districts
• Capital buildings give unity-producing jobs

Oh, you’re quite good at wiki too? Nice. My problem is that the empire size from planets suggests tall empire, but the machine empire isn’t really good at for several reasons. You have low-yield maintenance drone (at most 6 amenities) for stability increase and can’t just spend some resources on it via utopian abundance and so on. Machine worlds are quite weak compared to an ecumenopolis. Stellaris is about coherence between many modifiers playing together to make a powerful combos and the gestalts are lacking compared to regular empires, megacorps, and so on. Traits are also quite… well… generic and lack special leviathan, aquatics, etc… traits.

 

[tanny]

Suggesting VR host empire which hosts a big VR tourism (can be combined with servitor) and energetic synthesis which manufactures alloy with energy (representing energy-based manufacturing such as using energy to grow diamond and so on).