Anomaly
An anomaly is represented by survey readings that deviate from what is normal. When a science ship surveys a celestial body it may identify an anomaly that needs further investigation. Anomalies have their own tab in the Situation Log.
When the investigation of an anomaly is complete, an event will pop up that can give various bonuses, such as research points, resources on a planet, or even a special project which requires further research investment to unlock benefits. Certain Ethics occasionally have additional options.
Each surveyed celestial body has a 5% chance of spawning an anomaly, which is increased by 0.5% for every surveyed planet with no anomaly before being reset. The Meticulous trait also increases the chance of finding anomalies by 10%.
Contents
Level[edit]
To investigate an anomaly, a science ship with a scientist on board must be present at the celestial body where the anomaly is located. Investigating them takes time, which is determined by the level of the scientist minus the difficulty level of the anomaly. As such, anomalies of higher levels are often best left off until a skilled scientist can study them faster.
Level difference | Investigation days |
---|---|
+9 (Inconsequential) | 20 |
+8 (Inconsequential) | 24 |
+7 (Trivial) | 30 |
+6 (Trivial) | 35 |
+5 (Very Easy) | 45 |
+4 (Very Easy) | 55 |
+3 (Easy) | 65 |
+2 (Easy) | 80 |
+1 (Routine) | 100 |
0 (Routine) | 120 |
Level difference | Investigation days |
---|---|
-1 (Routine) | 180 |
-2 (Challenging) | 300 |
-3 (Challenging) | 540 |
-4 (Hard) | 720 |
-5 (Hard) | 1080 |
-6 (Very Hard) | 1440 |
-7 (Very Hard) | 2160 |
-8 (Hellish) | 2880 |
-9 (Hellish) | 5760 |
Anomaly List[edit]
Each Anomaly can only be found x times where x is the number of possible outcomes. Once a certain outcome of an anomaly has occurred, the same outcome cannot happen if the anomaly is discovered again.
Anomaly (single outcome) | Level | Rewards | Celestial body | Empire |
---|---|---|---|---|
Icy Plains | 4 | ![]() |
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Arid and Abandoned | 6 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Arid Wastes | 3 | ![]() |
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Abandoned Station | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
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Alien Machine | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
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An Asteroid, Carved | 3 | event chain | ![]() |
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Asteroid Collision | 1 | ![]() |
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Astonishing Asteroids | 6 | ![]() ![]() |
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Covered in Debris | 3 | ![]() |
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Mind the Minerals | 2 | ![]() |
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Mystical | 7 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Orbital Speed Demon | 4 | event chain | ![]() |
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Radiating Asteroid | 7 | ![]() |
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Spacecraft Remains | 4 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Unknown Insides | 3 | ![]() |
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A Curious Signal | 2 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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On the Barren Plains | 5 | event chain | ![]() |
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Peculiar Crater | 7 | ![]() |
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Winking | 5 | ![]() ![]() |
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Desolate Sands | 1 | ![]() |
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Ice Lit | 3 | ![]() |
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Something Smells | 2 | ![]() |
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Minesweeper | 2 | ![]() |
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Paradise Anticipated | 3 | ![]() |
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Atmospheric Storms | 1 | ![]() |
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Cargo Pod | 1 | ![]() |
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Clouds Dance | 1 | ![]() |
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Gas Giant Ship | 5 | ![]() ![]() |
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Gas Giant Signal | 5 | event chain | ![]() |
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Ice Ice Giant | 6 | ![]() |
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Promising Moon | 1 | ![]() |
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Terminal Orbit | 5 | ![]() |
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Heated Rhythm | 2 | ![]() ![]() |
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Drops in the Ocean | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
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Floating Value | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
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Kaleidoscopic | 2 | ![]() |
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The Winter of the Fallen | 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Impossible Organism | 6 | event chain | ![]() |
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Pigment Poison | 7 | ![]() |
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Poison-coated | 2 | ![]() |
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Toxic Construction | 8 | ![]() ![]() |
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Toxicity | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
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Among the Vines and Trees | 3 | ![]() |
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Scurrying | 4 | ![]() |
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Tropical Oddities | 3 | ![]() |
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Wooden Hegemony | 3 | ![]() |
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Possible Inhabitants | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
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Parked | 8 | ![]() ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | |
Planetary Scars | 4 | ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | |
Rubiconian Shores | 7 | event chain | Any Habitable Planet | |
Steamrolled | 1 | ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | |
Ancient Shipyard | 4 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Asteroid in Orbit | 1 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Atmospheric Anomaly | 3 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Doppler Effect | 3 | event chain | Any Uninhabitable Planet | ![]() ![]() |
Life Signs | 2 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Monoliths | 3 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Projecting | 3 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Signs of Battle | 4 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Solar Sailer | 2 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Space Station | 1 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Strange Mountain Formation | 3 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Surface Beacon | 1 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Surface Writing | 2 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Unidentified Object | 2 | ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Distress Signal | 2 | ![]() |
Any Planet | ![]() ![]() |
Playful Ruins | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
Any Planet | ![]() ![]() |
Improbable Orbit | 5 | ![]() |
Any Star | |
Light Phenomenon | 3 | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Any Star |
Distant Stars anomalies[edit]
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Available only with the Distant Stars DLC enabled. |
Distant Stars anomalies have only one possible outcome.
Anomaly | Level | Reward | Celestial body | Requirements |
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Armed Vessel | 3 | 50 ![]() ![]() |
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No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Secret Heart | 5 | +1 ![]() |
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Unscannable Object | 1 | 90-250 ![]() +1 L-Gate Insight if an L-Gate was discovered |
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Waterless Canyons | 1 | +4 ![]() |
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Gray Goo | 4 | Random ![]() +1 L-Gate Insight if an L-Gate was discovered |
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Inconsistent Readings | 1 | +3 ![]() |
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Metallic Crystal Formations | 2 | 90-250 ![]() 200 ![]() ![]() ![]() 90-250 ![]() ![]() ![]() +1 L-Gate Insight if an L-Gate was discovered |
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Alien Activity | 3 | 60-150 ![]() |
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No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Movement in the Clouds | 2 | Lost Amoeba event chain | ![]() |
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Solid Core | 3 | +2 ![]() ![]() +1 L-Gate Insight if an L-Gate was discovered |
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Volcanic Vents | 1 | +1 ![]() ![]() |
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Deep Tunnels | 1 | ![]() ![]() |
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Impenetrable Clouds | 1 | +3 ![]() |
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Mysterious Construct | 5 | Special project to gain a unique Admiral leader if AI Policy is not Outlawed | ![]() |
No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Fleet Signatures | 4 | +3 ![]() |
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Heavy Pulse | 2 | +4 ![]() |
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Ship Fragments | 1 | 120-350 ![]() |
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No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Abandoned Settlements | 4 | Special project to gain the ![]() ![]() ![]() 150-500 ![]() ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Alien Life | 3 | ![]() ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Attractive Magnetism | 1 | ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | ![]() |
Bizarre Blanket | 1 | 90-250 ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | |
Corrupt Survey Data | 4 | 60-150 ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Isolated Ruin | 2 | ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | |
Megaflora | 1 | 90-250 ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | ![]() ![]() |
Resonant Crystals | 1 | ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | ![]() ![]() |
Overgrown Ruins | 6 | 120-350 ![]() ![]() ![]() 90-250 ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Any Habitable Planet | |
Deep Caverns | 7 | +1 ![]() ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Webwork | 2 | +3 ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Planet | |
Silent Behemoth | 2 | +3 ![]() ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Moon | |
Unusual Moon | 3 | +3 ![]() |
Any Uninhabitable Moon | No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Encrypted Transmission | 2 | +1 L-Gate Insight | Any Planet | System has an abandoned L-Gate |
Metallic Sands | 2 | 90-250 ![]() ![]() +4 ![]() +1 L-Gate Insight if an L-Gate was discovered |
Any Planet | |
Supply Ship Wreckage | 2 | 300 ![]() ![]() |
Any Planet | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Interference | 1 | 60-150 ![]() ![]() |
Any Star | |
Irregular Energy Emissions | 4 | 25 ![]() ![]() |
Any Star | ![]() ![]() No empire discovered the same anomaly |
Surface Signature | 3 | Gray event chain | ![]() |
Empty L-Cluster outcome. |
Heavy Readings[edit]
If an anomaly is randomly discovered on a star and the system contains a Gateway the anomaly will always be the level 2 anomaly Heavy Readings. Investigating the anomaly will issue a special project on the Gateway. Finishing the special project will grant 90-250 Physics Research and the investigating scientist will gain 2 skill levels and the
Paranoid trait.
Repeatable anomalies[edit]
There are two types of repeatable anomalies. The first is the Ancient Signs of Life anomaly, which can only be found on Barren worlds and will add the
Terraforming Candidate planet modifier once investigated.
The second are anomalies with the name randomized based on the planet class which will reveal a pre-sapient species on the planet once investigated. Such an anomaly can be triggered once for each planet class, including Gaia and
Tomb worlds.
Genocidal empires cannot discover these anomalies.
Pioneer 11[edit]
If the Sol system is present in the galaxy a random Asteroid might reveal a level 3 Debris Field Anomaly. Investigating it will discover the Pioneer 11 probe. If the empire is human it will gain 40-100 Influence. If the empire is alien on the other hand it will bring the following options:
- Decipher the data disk and gain 120-250
Engineering Research while the science ship leader gains 200 Experience. The location of the Sol system is added to the situation log. Entering the system will grant 80-175
Influence.
- Sell the data disk and gain 120-250
Engineering Research.
- Use the data disk as furniture and gain 40-100
Influence if
Xenophobe or
Fanatic Xenophobe.
Media coverage[edit]
A number of anomaly events can be solved in ways that will impact an empire's media views on the empire if not Gestalt Consciousness. Such outcomes bring a
Happiness modifier for 10 years.
Media Coverage modifier | Happiness |
---|---|
Extremely Positive | +40% |
Very Positive | +25% |
Positive | +10% |
Negative | -10% |
Very Negative | -20% |
Extremely Negative | -30% |
Governance | Empire • Ethics • Government • Civics • Policies • Edicts • Leader • Factions • Population • Species rights • Economy • Technology • Traditions • Crime |
Exploration | Exploration • Map • Species • Anomaly • Events • FTL • Fallen empire • Pre-FTL species • Precursors • Spaceborne aliens |
Colonization | Colonization • Celestial body • Planetary features • Planetary management • Districts • Buildings • Ship • Starbase • Megastructures |
Diplomacy | Diplomacy • Trade • Subject empire • Federations • Galactic community • AI personalities |
Warfare | Warfare • Space warfare • Land warfare • Ship designer |
Others | Traits • Terraforming • Pop modification • Slavery • Crisis • Preset empires • AI players • Easter eggs |