Xenophobic pacifist useless ?

[Yenzen]

Don't see the problem.

Become fanatically xenophobic, pacifist, decadent Moral Democracy.

Vassalize and uplift, then integrate. Make war when easy and when others do it unto you. In time, you will enlighten your new subjects on the true happiness of peace of mind and eternal servitude and submission to your superior species.

 

[S.C. Watson]

Anyone familiar with Larry Niven's universe will immediately think of the Pierson's Puppeteers, who were extremely xenophobic, and total cowards / pacifists. They also manipulated the living hell out of the other races.

 

[barny]

"Hey, I made this really weird choice and it turned out to be really weird, wtf?"

I mean if you choose that, you have to live with it. No one said that every combination of ethics will be equally strong (whatever "strong" in the game will actually mean).

Pacifistic Xenophobes pretty much sound like Isolationists, so they will do their own thing and an still defend themselves if need be.

 

[Jerev]

Xenophobic militarist... slaves and fun AND purging.

You can't beat that.

Xenophobic spiritualist.
You can do all of the above while you are justified by the divine. Your people will even be happier...all the time.

 

[Chaos_TLW]

We need to see if that tech can be played with a pacific empire but lower war cost seems to go to the contrary of pacifist malus.

It actually plays to a pacifist's strengths. Pacifism doesn't stop you from waging war, but from sustaining it. Lower warscore costs help make your wars shorter, thus avoiding the problems Pacifist has with stability during war.

 

[Yenzen]

Xenophobic spiritualist.
You can do all of the above while you are justified by the divine. Your people will even be happier...all the time.

I think this combo is where Moral Democracy will shine. A waste of pacifist ethos not to do so.

Every race will be happy. Even the ones you enslave.

 

[Garfazz Steamfang]

Pacifistic Xenophobes pretty much sound like Isolationists, so they will do their own thing and an still defend themselves if need be.

Yes pretty much this. But it is going to be viable on long time? I mean if you are xenophobic you can hardly pass out slaves and for having slaves you need to do war but you are supposed to be pacifist so.... Meh.
Thinking on very late game, are a little xenophobic isolationist going to be capable of defending himself against late game crisis? Seems difficult to believe.



"It actually plays to a pacifist's strengths. Pacifism doesn't stop you from waging war, but from sustaining it. Lower warscore costs help make your wars shorter, thus avoiding the problems Pacifist has with stability during war."

Yeh ok but seems a bit weird isn't it? I mean if you play pacifist why do you want to declare wars like any other ethos?

 

[Trithemius]

Most bullies, ultimately, dislike an actual fight and will go to great lengths to avoid one. It's what exploitative systems are all about.

My esteem for the designers went up another notch!

 

[barny]

Thinking on very late game, are a little xenophobic isolationist going to be capable of defending himself against late game crisis? Seems difficult to believe.

And? Then let it be a challenge, so what?

Again: Not every combination of ethics will be equally strong in the same situations or maybe even over a whole game. A pacifist game will likely always be somewhat more difficult, because war is a big factor in PDX games. So maybe use that, when you want a more challenging game or a new experience after you subdued the whole galaxy in a previous game as fanatic militarists.

 

[Chaos_TLW]

Yeh ok but seems a bit weird isn't it? I mean if you play pacifist why do you want to declare wars like any other ethos?

Dismantlement and containment of aggressive powers, "protecting" endangered species that are at risk of being annexed by the aforementioned aggressive power, stuff like that. The point is that your wars serve the purpose of avoiding further, more destructive wars, so they have to be quick, decisive and preferably done with a coalition to minimize your own effort and casualities.

 

[Aleks S. I]

I feel like this combination will work best when some sort of espionage system is added to the game. That way you can sit back, turtle up your empire, and watch the chaos ensue around you until you're ready to wipe out your broken and destitute neighbours.

 

[Garfazz Steamfang]

I feel like this combination will work best when some sort of espionage system is added to the game. That way you can sit back, turtle up your empire, and watch the chaos ensue around you until you're ready to wipe out your broken and destitute neighbours.

Yes. In general i find that pacifist gameplay will greatly gain with a trade and espionnage system, more choices and more possibilities to do things without war.

 

[Oscot]

> exactly the same thread that everyone shat on Faycron for not 12 hours ago
> with a substantially less comprehensive OP
> but perfectly civil this time around
You guys are the worst

Also, remember that Pacifists in Stellaris can still make war; they just can't maintain long wars as easily. Short one-sided wars of conquest against weak single-planet empires are pretty easily stuff.

Short one-sided wars against one planet empires do not win a player the game, though, do they?

You'll not last long in EUIV if the only people you're set up to fight are Athens. I feel this analogy is probably transferrable.

We know by Wiz that xenophobe are going to have a "really good special tech" and a lower war cost.

Any details on the xenophobe-only tech?

 

[Mesina2]

Any details on the xenophobe-only tech?

No details, just teased fact of the day by Wiz. We will find out soon, or when game is released.

 

[Baldos]

......

Colonel Barny ---going off topic----your portrait looks like a Yahg… the “boss” that the player and Liara T’Soni fight in Mass Effect 2 -Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC

 

[Mesina2]

Colonel Barny ---going off topic----your portrait looks like a Yahg… the “boss” that the player and Liara T’Soni fight in Mass Effect 2 -Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC

Holy shit, I just noticed it too!

 

[Ysbaddaden]

Species traits might also play a role, for exampe the pacifist food production mod and the agrarian/radid breeders trait could be good. Simiarly the decidant negative trait wouldn't be as bad with the xenophobe trait i.e. your empire will think alien Slavery is cool; Or you could make your primary race researchers (itelligent/Natural [research field]s trait) to maximise research as your slaves will usffer from a research penalty... There are a lot of possibilities when playing Stellaris, sure there are some ethics which go better together but I reckon all will be playable to some extent.

 

[barny]

Colonel Barny ---going off topic----your portrait looks like a Yahg… the “boss” that the player and Liara T’Soni fight in Mass Effect 2 -Lair of the Shadow Broker DLC

I know, right?

I have a slight suspicion that the art department got "inspired" by Mass Effect quite a bit. There a multiple races that look like species from Mass Effect, one of the reptiles looks a bit like Turians for example as well.

 

[Foefaller]

I would RP a Xenophobic Pacifist empire as a race of holier-than-thous, believing that they are "beyond" violence and look down on other races as being barbarous savages that have yet evolved beyond the concept of war for profit.

Such an empire would likely rarely start any wars, unless they believe their ways were threatened, but once at war would be more than happy to take worlds and "guide" it's inhabitants to their form of non-aggression, even if that means putting them under the yoke of servitude.

 

[Poodlestrike]

Yes. In general i find that pacifist gameplay will greatly gain with a trade and espionnage system, more choices and more possibilities to do things without war.

You can't see me on your end of the internet, but I'm nodding in agreement right now.