Long story short, it is summertime and I have a lot of free time on my hands, so I have been musing for a while about what could simulate religion in Stellaris and more broadly, how could a "soft power" type of mechanic eventually work, hence this topic.
The first part is the most simple one: How could one represent different religious beliefs and differentiate spiritualist empires from each other, without needing to reinvent the wheel.
Crafting your religion: Religious tenets
- The idea is to make your spiritual faction a custom one
- There would be a set of "common spiritual values", that is, demands universal to every single spiritual faction in the game (psionic ascension, having a majority of the population with spiritualist ethic, etc)
- However, each particular religion would have different tenets, meaning, additional demands from their spiritual faction that will differentiate it from others
- Each tenet, however, will also come with its own set of bonuses. Different tenets will give temples and priests different bonuses, meaning that religious obligations come with perks too!
- For the shake of simplicity, spiritualist empires will have just one tenet, whereas fanatic spiritualists will have 2
- Tenets will be established at the beginning of the game and will be impossible to change (this is not a political, earthly issue), albeit your empire might gain one additional tenet if it goes from spiritualist to fanatic spiritualist during the course of the game (or conversely, it can lose a tenet if goes from fanatic spiritual to a regular spiritual empire)
Example of a religious tenet:
> Serve the poor
Mandate: Living standards must be kept at a "social welfare" level or above, and slavery must be illegal
+1 amenities to all religious jobs
"Thou shall tend those who are in need"
Here are some other ideas for different types and effects of Religious tenets
The advantages of such a system would be:
- You would be able to feel the difference between ruling an empire of murderous death cultists VS say, peaceful Gaia worshippers. Plenty of flavors, only requiring pre-existing mechanics (faction demands & temple buildings)
- No more anti-robot policies by default (unless you pick an "Anti machine crusader" tenet)
- Spiritualism could be used as an "enhancer" of other ethics, greatly increasing empire variety
- Spiritualists empires might hate each other something fierce due to divergent, competing agendas, like properly realistic religions
==========
Having thought about this for a while, at some point I thought about ideas for how could one represent religion spreading beyond your borders. I came to the conclusion that, should a "soft power" mechanic exists, it should be available for every type of empire, not only spiritualists (even if spiritualists might have some kind of advantage when spreading their culture compared to other empires). As to how could such a system be conceptualized, I thought about the following premises:
- A conscious investment, rather than passive. An active player decision
- A fun way of spending your time in Stellaris while doing something other than waging wars
- Able to be countered passively (with a hefty cost), so you don't get annoyed if you are on the receiving end of it
I thought that a good way of simulating it, would be to take a page from Megacorp branches and Overlord holdings, making culture spread through cultural institutions:
Exporting Culture: Cultural institutions
- The idea would be for empires to be able to open "cultural institutions" in other empires by employing influence, overlord-holdings style
- Said institutions would be related to your empire's civics (For example, you might open Miner unions in foreign empires if you have the "mining guilds" civic)
- Those institutions will benefit the target empire in most cases, but in exchange, they will generate cultural pressure
- Cultural pressure will depend on the planet's stats and the particular institution (for example, a master crafter school will generate +1 cultural pressure per artisan on a planet). So picking where to place your cultural institutions will be an interesting decision to make (!). You might move them afterward, but that will require extra influence too
- Having cultural institutions present in different empires will confer you diplomatic bonuses with those empires, and increase your diplomatic weight as well
- Conversely, concentrating all your cultural institutions into one single empire will increase the cultural pressure and may cause a cultural shift after a while, making that empire adopt your ethics & civics (and your religion too if you are a spiritualist empire).
- A "culturally converted" empire will often ask you to become your vassal as well (but sheer power difference might prevent that)
- You will have a very limited number of cultural institutions that you can create beyond your borders, even if certain traditions and perks might increase it. Choosing whether to concentrate your cultural institutions in a single empire in order to cause a cultural shift or spread them out in order to gather diplomatic bonuses and improve relationships with some empires, will be a constant decision to ponder
- Needless to say, you can build cultural institutions inside your borders as if they were regular planet-unique buildings. However, they will cost unity rather than influence in order to be created
- Spiritualist empires will be able to employ their temples as if they were cultural institutions beyond their borders (thus representing their influential cultural clout)
Example of a cultural institution:
Here are some other ideas for different types and effects of cultural institutions:
How would you combat pesky Xeno influence and their devious cultural institutions?
- Closed borders: A straightforward way of increasing the influence costs of establishing cultural institutions inside your empire
- Policies: Stripping rights from Xenos will also diminish the effects of their cultural institutions inside your empire while granting them full citizenship will greatly increase the positive effects of those
- Civics & ethics: Needless to say, civics like Inwards perfection will make your civilization more impervious to external influence, whereas certain ethics like xenophile or spiritual will make your empire better at exporting your culture (or keeping it untouched)
- Traditions: Same thing. Most cultural bonuses will be tradition related, rather than tech related
- Planetary decisions: There would be planetary edicts devoted to either assimilating foreign cultural institutions present in them (syncretism, multiculturalism), or eradicating them (inquisitions, ideological purges, etc). All those "desperate cultural defense measures" will cost a ton of unity, or even some diplomatic maluses too in some cases
Aaaand that's pretty much it. A bit of game design fanfic for all your summertime forum reading. Stay hydrated, feel free to comment, and of course, to discuss if you would like to see some kind of "soft power" cultural mechanics in Stellaris.
The first part is the most simple one: How could one represent different religious beliefs and differentiate spiritualist empires from each other, without needing to reinvent the wheel.
Crafting your religion: Religious tenets
- The idea is to make your spiritual faction a custom one
- There would be a set of "common spiritual values", that is, demands universal to every single spiritual faction in the game (psionic ascension, having a majority of the population with spiritualist ethic, etc)
- However, each particular religion would have different tenets, meaning, additional demands from their spiritual faction that will differentiate it from others
- Each tenet, however, will also come with its own set of bonuses. Different tenets will give temples and priests different bonuses, meaning that religious obligations come with perks too!
- For the shake of simplicity, spiritualist empires will have just one tenet, whereas fanatic spiritualists will have 2
- Tenets will be established at the beginning of the game and will be impossible to change (this is not a political, earthly issue), albeit your empire might gain one additional tenet if it goes from spiritualist to fanatic spiritualist during the course of the game (or conversely, it can lose a tenet if goes from fanatic spiritual to a regular spiritual empire)
Example of a religious tenet:
> Serve the poor
Mandate: Living standards must be kept at a "social welfare" level or above, and slavery must be illegal
+1 amenities to all religious jobs
"Thou shall tend those who are in need"
Here are some other ideas for different types and effects of Religious tenets
> Oath of non-violence (incompatible with militarism, anti-machine crusaders, death cult, sacred duels)
Mandate: Do not own any transport with sentient troops
Bonus: Priests give +4% pop growth during peacetime
"Thou shall not lay arms upon your brothers"
> Eden's caretakers (incompatible with machine God)
Mandate: You do not own any world with less than 60% habitability for your main species
Bonus: Your temples give +10% pop output in Gaia worlds and planets with your homeworld biome
"Thou shall preserve and nourish life wherever you might find it"
> Sacred duels (incompatible with Oath of non-violence
Mandate: Can't retreat from combat, can't declare wars against empires that you are not rivals with
Bonus: Your temples allow you to build unique Warrior monk troops
Your priests give +5 starting XP to ships built on their planet, your high priests give +20
"Thou shall fight with honor, showing no fear"
> Machine God (incompatible with Anti-Machine crusaders, Eden's caretakers)
Mandate: Same AI policies as a materialist empire
Unlocks robot tech for the founder
High priests generate +3 engineering output
Your religious buildings generate +1 roboticist jobs
"Thou shall praise the ghost that resides within the chromed shell"
> Anti-machine Crusader (cannot be pacifist, incompatible with Machine God Cult)
Locks you from ever using robots. Even non-sapient ones
Can use the "purge the metal" cassus belli against empires that uses AI, synth-ascended empires, and machine empires
+30% ship damage when fighting machine empires, materialist empires & the contingency
Priests generate +2 naval cap, high priests generate +4 naval cap
"Thou shall purge the world from the wickedness of metal"
> Messianic fervor
Mandate: Must have temples in at least 50% of your worlds
Your temples & religious buildings generates additional +15% spiritualist attraction
"Thou shall spread the good word to the stars and beyond"
> Prosperity gospel (incompatible with asceticism, feed the poor)
Mandate: Must generate trade value in every planet one way or another
Priests generate +2 trade value each
"Thou shall buy salvation from our church. Buy it, buy it now!"
> Precursor worship
Mandate: Must keep in good terms with at least one fallen empire
Can consecrate ruined megastructures & relic worlds
Religious jobs generate +1 physics output
"Thou shall revere our divine forefathers and their godly works"
> Asceticism (incompatible with prosperity gospel, megacorp authority)
Mandate: Do not have a "consumer benefits" trade policy, can't have merchant jobs in your empire
-50% maintenance costs for all your religious jobs
"Thou shall not fall into the temptations of the material world"
> Serve the poor
Mandate: Living standards must be kept at a "social welfare" level or above, slavery is kept illegal
+1 amenities to all religious jobs
"Thou shall tend those who are in need"
> Dark omens (requires some degree of xenophobe)
Mandate: Can't suffer the xeno to live inside your empire
Religious buildings give +10% stability if there is no Xeno pop present on their planet
"Thou shall not suffer the xeno to live, for they will bring ruin to us all"
> Priesthood of the chain (must be some degree of authoritarian)
Mandate: There must be at least one pop enslaved on every planet
Your temples generate +15% authoritarian ethic attraction
Priests increase slave output by +2%, high priests & telepaths increase it by +5%
"Blessed be the chain, and the hand that holds it, doubly so"
> Inquisition (incompatible with egalitarian)
Mandate: Can't have active treaties with other spiritualist empires nor with materialist empires
+1 encryption in your empire
Priests reduce crime by -5 each
"Beware of the heretic, for he will destroy our community from within"
> Pursuit of harmony (must be pacifist to some degree)
Free pops in your planets must have 80% of happiness or higher
High priests get replaced by "Guru" jobs, which adds +5% output to specialists on a planet in addition to other effects
"Thou shall seek inner peace, so we can reflect it in the outer world that surrounds us"
Mandate: Do not own any transport with sentient troops
Bonus: Priests give +4% pop growth during peacetime
"Thou shall not lay arms upon your brothers"
> Eden's caretakers (incompatible with machine God)
Mandate: You do not own any world with less than 60% habitability for your main species
Bonus: Your temples give +10% pop output in Gaia worlds and planets with your homeworld biome
"Thou shall preserve and nourish life wherever you might find it"
> Sacred duels (incompatible with Oath of non-violence
Mandate: Can't retreat from combat, can't declare wars against empires that you are not rivals with
Bonus: Your temples allow you to build unique Warrior monk troops
Your priests give +5 starting XP to ships built on their planet, your high priests give +20
"Thou shall fight with honor, showing no fear"
> Machine God (incompatible with Anti-Machine crusaders, Eden's caretakers)
Mandate: Same AI policies as a materialist empire
Unlocks robot tech for the founder
High priests generate +3 engineering output
Your religious buildings generate +1 roboticist jobs
"Thou shall praise the ghost that resides within the chromed shell"
> Anti-machine Crusader (cannot be pacifist, incompatible with Machine God Cult)
Locks you from ever using robots. Even non-sapient ones
Can use the "purge the metal" cassus belli against empires that uses AI, synth-ascended empires, and machine empires
+30% ship damage when fighting machine empires, materialist empires & the contingency
Priests generate +2 naval cap, high priests generate +4 naval cap
"Thou shall purge the world from the wickedness of metal"
> Messianic fervor
Mandate: Must have temples in at least 50% of your worlds
Your temples & religious buildings generates additional +15% spiritualist attraction
"Thou shall spread the good word to the stars and beyond"
> Prosperity gospel (incompatible with asceticism, feed the poor)
Mandate: Must generate trade value in every planet one way or another
Priests generate +2 trade value each
"Thou shall buy salvation from our church. Buy it, buy it now!"
> Precursor worship
Mandate: Must keep in good terms with at least one fallen empire
Can consecrate ruined megastructures & relic worlds
Religious jobs generate +1 physics output
"Thou shall revere our divine forefathers and their godly works"
> Asceticism (incompatible with prosperity gospel, megacorp authority)
Mandate: Do not have a "consumer benefits" trade policy, can't have merchant jobs in your empire
-50% maintenance costs for all your religious jobs
"Thou shall not fall into the temptations of the material world"
> Serve the poor
Mandate: Living standards must be kept at a "social welfare" level or above, slavery is kept illegal
+1 amenities to all religious jobs
"Thou shall tend those who are in need"
> Dark omens (requires some degree of xenophobe)
Mandate: Can't suffer the xeno to live inside your empire
Religious buildings give +10% stability if there is no Xeno pop present on their planet
"Thou shall not suffer the xeno to live, for they will bring ruin to us all"
> Priesthood of the chain (must be some degree of authoritarian)
Mandate: There must be at least one pop enslaved on every planet
Your temples generate +15% authoritarian ethic attraction
Priests increase slave output by +2%, high priests & telepaths increase it by +5%
"Blessed be the chain, and the hand that holds it, doubly so"
> Inquisition (incompatible with egalitarian)
Mandate: Can't have active treaties with other spiritualist empires nor with materialist empires
+1 encryption in your empire
Priests reduce crime by -5 each
"Beware of the heretic, for he will destroy our community from within"
> Pursuit of harmony (must be pacifist to some degree)
Free pops in your planets must have 80% of happiness or higher
High priests get replaced by "Guru" jobs, which adds +5% output to specialists on a planet in addition to other effects
"Thou shall seek inner peace, so we can reflect it in the outer world that surrounds us"
The advantages of such a system would be:
- You would be able to feel the difference between ruling an empire of murderous death cultists VS say, peaceful Gaia worshippers. Plenty of flavors, only requiring pre-existing mechanics (faction demands & temple buildings)
- No more anti-robot policies by default (unless you pick an "Anti machine crusader" tenet)
- Spiritualism could be used as an "enhancer" of other ethics, greatly increasing empire variety
- Spiritualists empires might hate each other something fierce due to divergent, competing agendas, like properly realistic religions
==========
Having thought about this for a while, at some point I thought about ideas for how could one represent religion spreading beyond your borders. I came to the conclusion that, should a "soft power" mechanic exists, it should be available for every type of empire, not only spiritualists (even if spiritualists might have some kind of advantage when spreading their culture compared to other empires). As to how could such a system be conceptualized, I thought about the following premises:
- A conscious investment, rather than passive. An active player decision
- A fun way of spending your time in Stellaris while doing something other than waging wars
- Able to be countered passively (with a hefty cost), so you don't get annoyed if you are on the receiving end of it
I thought that a good way of simulating it, would be to take a page from Megacorp branches and Overlord holdings, making culture spread through cultural institutions:
Exporting Culture: Cultural institutions
- The idea would be for empires to be able to open "cultural institutions" in other empires by employing influence, overlord-holdings style
- Said institutions would be related to your empire's civics (For example, you might open Miner unions in foreign empires if you have the "mining guilds" civic)
- Those institutions will benefit the target empire in most cases, but in exchange, they will generate cultural pressure
- Cultural pressure will depend on the planet's stats and the particular institution (for example, a master crafter school will generate +1 cultural pressure per artisan on a planet). So picking where to place your cultural institutions will be an interesting decision to make (!). You might move them afterward, but that will require extra influence too
- Having cultural institutions present in different empires will confer you diplomatic bonuses with those empires, and increase your diplomatic weight as well
- Conversely, concentrating all your cultural institutions into one single empire will increase the cultural pressure and may cause a cultural shift after a while, making that empire adopt your ethics & civics (and your religion too if you are a spiritualist empire).
- A "culturally converted" empire will often ask you to become your vassal as well (but sheer power difference might prevent that)
- You will have a very limited number of cultural institutions that you can create beyond your borders, even if certain traditions and perks might increase it. Choosing whether to concentrate your cultural institutions in a single empire in order to cause a cultural shift or spread them out in order to gather diplomatic bonuses and improve relationships with some empires, will be a constant decision to ponder
- Needless to say, you can build cultural institutions inside your borders as if they were regular planet-unique buildings. However, they will cost unity rather than influence in order to be created
- Spiritualist empires will be able to employ their temples as if they were cultural institutions beyond their borders (thus representing their influential cultural clout)
Example of a cultural institution:
Here are some other ideas for different types and effects of cultural institutions:
>Enviromentalism: Planet preserve
+3 cultural influence per agricultural district & planet blocker present on the planet
+2 planet warden jobs (+5% habitability and pop-growth)
"A community devoted to preserving the natural marvels of this planet, funded by environmentally conscious Xeno activists"
> Functional architecture: Hive housing
+1 cultural influence per urban district on the planet
+15 housing, -5% organic pop happiness
"While everyone agrees that they are an eyesore, those buildings inspired by xeno architecture offer low-cost housing for millions of our citizens"
> Mining guilds: Mining emporium
+2 cultural influence per mining district on the planet
+1 minerals to miner jobs on this planet
"Mining operations can be run much more efficiently when they are put in the expert hands of foreign mining guilds. They have know-how that we lack"
> Aristocratic Elite: Noblemen manor
+3 cultural influence per ruler strata pop present on the planet
+5 housing +10 amenities, +1 socialite "job"
"The jet-set of an alien empire has established their luxurious holiday mansions on this world. Now everyone who wants to be somebody in this planet is flocking to their extravagant ballrooms"
> Philosopher King: Royal library
+2 cultural influence for each of your ruler's level
+3 scholar jobs (+2 science +4 unity +2 amenities each)
"The philanthropic work of a certain prestigious alien monarch extends far beyond his realm, helping to elevate the local's cultural level"
> Beacon of liberty: Free Galaxy Forum
+0.5 cultural influence per pop that does not belong to government ethics or that belongs to the egalitarian faction
-50% government ethics attraction, +3 social research to scientists
"An institution focused on encouraging freedom of thought, even if it is at the expense of the established social order"
> Megacorps: Megamall
+0.5 cultural influence per 2 trade value generated on this planet
+3 trade goods, +10 amenities, +1 merchant job
"A place to find goods from all over the galaxy, some might describe it as a temple devoted to mass-consumerism"
> Pleasure seekers: Sensorium megaplex
+1 cultural influence per entertainer on the planet
+5% pop growth, +2 entertainer jobs, -50% spiritual ethic attraction
"Thrilling-seeking organic beings can find here exotic pleasures that some might deem as immoral and sinful"
> Warrior culture: Fighting arena
+10 cultural influence, it loses -0.5 cultural influence per month its host empire stay in peace. It can regain its influence if they enter in war again
+2 duelist jobs, +25% military ethics attraction
"Brutal combats are carried out in this coliseum, pitying different alien combat techniques against each other. Two enter, but only one can survive!"
> Feudal society: Noblemen Castle
+1 cultural influence for each one of your vassals, +0.5 cultural influence per stationed army
-30% planetary bombardement, +2 defense armies, +10% happiness to ruler strata pops
"Foreign noblemen have decided to buy vast tracts of land in order to establish their manors here. They have blended in with our military elites with ease"
> Death Cult: Death temple
+1 cultural influence, +1 cultural influence per sacrificed pop
+2 mortar initiates. Sacrificed periodically
-50% pop growth, +100% spiritual ethics attraction
"A terrible Xeno cult has established its roots in our planet. Rumors say that their religion revolves around ritual sacrifices"
> Idealistic Foundation: Aid & development agency
+1 cultural influence per unemployed & slave pop,+3 cultural influence per devastation blocker, +% cultural influence per war weariness level
+2 aid worker jobs, +5 food
"While sponsored by an alien empire, this non-profit organization is helping thousands of our people in need. This noble gesture will not be forgotten"
> Masterful crafters: Artificer guild
+0.5 cultural influence per artisan and metallurgist on this planet
+2 Artificer master crafter jobs
"Artisans from all over our planet flock here in order to learn the most advanced techniques of their trade imparted by Xeno teachers"
> Byzantine Bureaucracy: Examination center
+1 cultural influence per administrator pop present
+5 edict funds and +2 bureaucrat jobs
"Many of our young are devoting their time and wits in order to get a cushy government job at a foreign empire. The selection process is convoluted, albeit strangely rewarding for some"
> Imperial cult: Colossal God-Emperor statue
+3 cultural influence per edict and ambition that your empire is running
+5 unity and +5 engineering
"Entire mountains have been reshaped in order to erect the effigy of an alien ruler that many believe to be divine. Truly, a godly work of art and engineering"
> Anglers: Subaquatic garden
+5 cultural influence in wet climates, +10 cultural influence in ocean worlds
+1 food, +2 trade value to farmers on this planet
"Aquatic aliens have meticulously crafted wet landscapes in our planet, turning them into a status symbol for many of our more refined citizens"
> Inwards perfection: Space Opera
+1 cultural influence per ruler & entertainer pop on the planet, +2 additional cultural influence per ascension perk adopted by our empire
+2 artists jobs
"An enthralling spectacle, only certain individuals from a remote alien empire have been able to master this art, thanks to their exhaustive training since birth and perfectionist spirit"
> Slave guilds: Personal assistant agency
+2 cultural influence per criminal or unemployed pop, +0.5 cultural influence per slave on this planet
+50% authoritarian ethics attraction, slaves and unemployed pops generate +1 trade value each in this planet
"A foreign corporation specialized in providing "permanent personal assistants" that work in exchange for food and shelter. Many argue that this is borderline slavery, often prone to abuse. Their employees retort that they are lifting thousands out of poverty"
> Memorialists: Mausoleum of silence
+2 cultural influence per 10% stability on this planet
+10% planet stability, +2 death chronicler jobs
"Our people have adopted the funerary rites of an alien culture. The solemn halls of this building remember the deceased members of both of our species"
> Shared Burdens: Utopian commune
+0.5 cultural influence per specialist on this planet
+10 housing, +10 amenities, +50% egalitarian ethics attraction
"A radically new concept of urbanism adapted from a highly egalitarian alien species. Some people say that it foisters a communal, egalitarian spirit"
> Agrarian Idyll: The tree of peace
+0.5 cultural influence per pop with 80% happiness or more on the planet
+10% habitability on this planet, farmers on this planet generate +1 unity
"A gargantuan vegetal life-form, bio-engineered by expert Xeno botanists employing secret techniques. A marvel to behold"
+3 cultural influence per agricultural district & planet blocker present on the planet
+2 planet warden jobs (+5% habitability and pop-growth)
"A community devoted to preserving the natural marvels of this planet, funded by environmentally conscious Xeno activists"
> Functional architecture: Hive housing
+1 cultural influence per urban district on the planet
+15 housing, -5% organic pop happiness
"While everyone agrees that they are an eyesore, those buildings inspired by xeno architecture offer low-cost housing for millions of our citizens"
> Mining guilds: Mining emporium
+2 cultural influence per mining district on the planet
+1 minerals to miner jobs on this planet
"Mining operations can be run much more efficiently when they are put in the expert hands of foreign mining guilds. They have know-how that we lack"
> Aristocratic Elite: Noblemen manor
+3 cultural influence per ruler strata pop present on the planet
+5 housing +10 amenities, +1 socialite "job"
"The jet-set of an alien empire has established their luxurious holiday mansions on this world. Now everyone who wants to be somebody in this planet is flocking to their extravagant ballrooms"
> Philosopher King: Royal library
+2 cultural influence for each of your ruler's level
+3 scholar jobs (+2 science +4 unity +2 amenities each)
"The philanthropic work of a certain prestigious alien monarch extends far beyond his realm, helping to elevate the local's cultural level"
> Beacon of liberty: Free Galaxy Forum
+0.5 cultural influence per pop that does not belong to government ethics or that belongs to the egalitarian faction
-50% government ethics attraction, +3 social research to scientists
"An institution focused on encouraging freedom of thought, even if it is at the expense of the established social order"
> Megacorps: Megamall
+0.5 cultural influence per 2 trade value generated on this planet
+3 trade goods, +10 amenities, +1 merchant job
"A place to find goods from all over the galaxy, some might describe it as a temple devoted to mass-consumerism"
> Pleasure seekers: Sensorium megaplex
+1 cultural influence per entertainer on the planet
+5% pop growth, +2 entertainer jobs, -50% spiritual ethic attraction
"Thrilling-seeking organic beings can find here exotic pleasures that some might deem as immoral and sinful"
> Warrior culture: Fighting arena
+10 cultural influence, it loses -0.5 cultural influence per month its host empire stay in peace. It can regain its influence if they enter in war again
+2 duelist jobs, +25% military ethics attraction
"Brutal combats are carried out in this coliseum, pitying different alien combat techniques against each other. Two enter, but only one can survive!"
> Feudal society: Noblemen Castle
+1 cultural influence for each one of your vassals, +0.5 cultural influence per stationed army
-30% planetary bombardement, +2 defense armies, +10% happiness to ruler strata pops
"Foreign noblemen have decided to buy vast tracts of land in order to establish their manors here. They have blended in with our military elites with ease"
> Death Cult: Death temple
+1 cultural influence, +1 cultural influence per sacrificed pop
+2 mortar initiates. Sacrificed periodically
-50% pop growth, +100% spiritual ethics attraction
"A terrible Xeno cult has established its roots in our planet. Rumors say that their religion revolves around ritual sacrifices"
> Idealistic Foundation: Aid & development agency
+1 cultural influence per unemployed & slave pop,+3 cultural influence per devastation blocker, +% cultural influence per war weariness level
+2 aid worker jobs, +5 food
"While sponsored by an alien empire, this non-profit organization is helping thousands of our people in need. This noble gesture will not be forgotten"
> Masterful crafters: Artificer guild
+0.5 cultural influence per artisan and metallurgist on this planet
+2 Artificer master crafter jobs
"Artisans from all over our planet flock here in order to learn the most advanced techniques of their trade imparted by Xeno teachers"
> Byzantine Bureaucracy: Examination center
+1 cultural influence per administrator pop present
+5 edict funds and +2 bureaucrat jobs
"Many of our young are devoting their time and wits in order to get a cushy government job at a foreign empire. The selection process is convoluted, albeit strangely rewarding for some"
> Imperial cult: Colossal God-Emperor statue
+3 cultural influence per edict and ambition that your empire is running
+5 unity and +5 engineering
"Entire mountains have been reshaped in order to erect the effigy of an alien ruler that many believe to be divine. Truly, a godly work of art and engineering"
> Anglers: Subaquatic garden
+5 cultural influence in wet climates, +10 cultural influence in ocean worlds
+1 food, +2 trade value to farmers on this planet
"Aquatic aliens have meticulously crafted wet landscapes in our planet, turning them into a status symbol for many of our more refined citizens"
> Inwards perfection: Space Opera
+1 cultural influence per ruler & entertainer pop on the planet, +2 additional cultural influence per ascension perk adopted by our empire
+2 artists jobs
"An enthralling spectacle, only certain individuals from a remote alien empire have been able to master this art, thanks to their exhaustive training since birth and perfectionist spirit"
> Slave guilds: Personal assistant agency
+2 cultural influence per criminal or unemployed pop, +0.5 cultural influence per slave on this planet
+50% authoritarian ethics attraction, slaves and unemployed pops generate +1 trade value each in this planet
"A foreign corporation specialized in providing "permanent personal assistants" that work in exchange for food and shelter. Many argue that this is borderline slavery, often prone to abuse. Their employees retort that they are lifting thousands out of poverty"
> Memorialists: Mausoleum of silence
+2 cultural influence per 10% stability on this planet
+10% planet stability, +2 death chronicler jobs
"Our people have adopted the funerary rites of an alien culture. The solemn halls of this building remember the deceased members of both of our species"
> Shared Burdens: Utopian commune
+0.5 cultural influence per specialist on this planet
+10 housing, +10 amenities, +50% egalitarian ethics attraction
"A radically new concept of urbanism adapted from a highly egalitarian alien species. Some people say that it foisters a communal, egalitarian spirit"
> Agrarian Idyll: The tree of peace
+0.5 cultural influence per pop with 80% happiness or more on the planet
+10% habitability on this planet, farmers on this planet generate +1 unity
"A gargantuan vegetal life-form, bio-engineered by expert Xeno botanists employing secret techniques. A marvel to behold"
How would you combat pesky Xeno influence and their devious cultural institutions?
- Closed borders: A straightforward way of increasing the influence costs of establishing cultural institutions inside your empire
- Policies: Stripping rights from Xenos will also diminish the effects of their cultural institutions inside your empire while granting them full citizenship will greatly increase the positive effects of those
- Civics & ethics: Needless to say, civics like Inwards perfection will make your civilization more impervious to external influence, whereas certain ethics like xenophile or spiritual will make your empire better at exporting your culture (or keeping it untouched)
- Traditions: Same thing. Most cultural bonuses will be tradition related, rather than tech related
- Planetary decisions: There would be planetary edicts devoted to either assimilating foreign cultural institutions present in them (syncretism, multiculturalism), or eradicating them (inquisitions, ideological purges, etc). All those "desperate cultural defense measures" will cost a ton of unity, or even some diplomatic maluses too in some cases
Aaaand that's pretty much it. A bit of game design fanfic for all your summertime forum reading. Stay hydrated, feel free to comment, and of course, to discuss if you would like to see some kind of "soft power" cultural mechanics in Stellaris.
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