Most powerful/underpowered Ethos?

[forfor]

To put that in perspective my capital in my game currently has a 102.5% bonus to physics research
+10% intelligent genes
+15% natural physicists
+10% observatory
+10% special pacifist event that you get when you encounter the crystal entities
+15% curator research assistance.
+22.5% research assistance
+20% happiness

Of course that's base research so it then gets multiplied by the research bonus in the empire research.

 

[forfor]

Why worry about scientist skill levels when you can buy the curator scientist for cheap, and stick them on your primary research path :3

 

[The Founder]

Why worry about scientist skill levels when you can buy the curator scientist for cheap, and stick them on your primary research path :3

Because you only get one of those. You only get them after you contacted and threw energy at the curators (possibly for 30 Years in a row). And you still have all those other things do research.

 

[Black_Shade]

Yes, it's very potent as well.
Perhaps the strongest advantage is you can get the leader enhancements without happiness penalty.
And policy effects get a -60% from FI.
It also opens up the game to synthetics.

I'd go with Irenic democracy in a set up like this.

In terms of leader skill levels. Enduring is superior to talented.
And gaining a skill level is better in terms of a chance of giving character traits to leaders.
So aside from the royal gardens building, I'd also go for the Irenic democracy for better leaders.
Ideally you want leaders to live long over starting with high skill.

I pretty much never get additional traits on my science leaders, so for me having permanent skill 4 and 5 leaders is way better than being at average of skill level 2 or 3. As an example, in my last game (FI/materialist) running 5 science ships with assist research+3 researchers most of the game, I had a grand total of ONE scientist get a useful 2 trait genius+ something else. I'll take my instant skill 4 leaders over the minuscule chance of getting a useful 2 trait leader. Plus they are so cheap with Democratic Utopia that you're guaranteed to have a leader with the trait you need for research, as you can easily hire/fire until you find what you want as your leaders are basically free.... and come at starting skill 4.

On top of that, the sector governors basically dont gain XP while leading sectors, so you're not going to be getting many levels/traits that way either. I'd much rather have them start giving a major happiness boost to the colonies right away than hope they get a useful 2nd trait before they die at skill 3.

 

[Drowe]

Individualist Materialist Xenophile is also quite powerful for stacking happiness modifiers.
10% Government
15% Hyper Entertainment Forum
10% per unique alien pop
1% per migration treaty
10% Governor
5% Communal
10% Ruler
Up to 15% from charismatic neighbor
And which ever other bonuses you get.

Ethics divergence may be unavoidable until you get mind control lasers but shouldn't matter too much since the impact of policies don't matter too much.

Research modifiers will be good though. Since you get the research institute.

 

[WhiteWeasel]

Why worry about scientist skill levels when you can buy the curator scientist for cheap, and stick them on your primary research path :3

What's curator scientist?

 

[Drowe]

What's curator scientist?

Curator enclaves let you hire one of their scientists once you reach 50 opinion. They are always lvl 5 and have a trait that gives 15% research speed bonus and some other benefits

 

[WhiteWeasel]

Curator enclaves let you hire one of their scientists once you reach 50 opinion. They are always lvl 5 and have a trait that gives 15% research speed bonus and some other benefits

Are enclaves part of a paid DLC? I have yet to see them and it's year 60+ in my game.

 

[forfor]

They're one of the types of random trade stations. You can pay them to help with science in a handful of ways. I'm actually not sure if they're related to the dlc, I bought it all when I bought the game XD

 

[WhiteWeasel]

They're one of the types of random trade stations. You can pay them to help with science in a handful of ways. I'm actually not sure if they're related to the dlc, I bought it all when I bought the game XD

Checked the store page. Enclaves are paid DLC only.

 

[The Founder]

I pretty much never get additional traits on my science leaders, so for me having permanent skill 4 and 5 leaders is way better than being at average of skill level 2 or 3.

Leaders can get 1 extra Trait from Leveling up. EXCEPT the guys being research leader, they are just excluded for some reason.
Kind of makes leveling them via Science Ship and Assist Research interesting. But yes, just starting with Level 5 is propably plain better.

1% per migration treaty

Are you certain that is still up to date?
I know it used to be (and propably will be again with 1.5 Factions). But last I checked it did not apply.

Are enclaves part of a paid DLC? I have yet to see them and it's year 60+ in my game.

Yes, part of Leviathan Story Pack.

 

[Drowe]

Are you certain that is still up to date?
I know it used to be (and propably will be again with 1.5 Factions). But last I checked it did not apply.

No, I haven't checked. I used the wiki as source, if that's outdated, then it might not be true at the moment.

 

[The Founder]

No, I haven't checked. I used the wiki as source, if that's outdated, then it might not be true at the moment.

Some people figured out how to create a lot of the tables from the gamefiles. But not all of them are still active or thier scripts availible.
I just checked in a Savegame (allied with the UNS) and it appears they did not regain bonus in 1.4.
Wich is realy bad. The pop-based happiness bonus is way to hard to control:
It needs a ton of micro resettling to maximise the bonus. Or is impossible to maximse/use at all as Individualist.

Turning it back into a global effect (via the Faction System) is a excellent idea to make it competitive. The reworked Ethics convergence will do it's part too.
1.5 does a lot to make all Ethics Competitive in thier own right. That is the one part I am anticipating and missing the most, every tiem I fire up the game.