Traits

This page is about species traits. For leader traits see leader traits.

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.8) of the game.

See also: Population modification

Traits represents a species' innate functions, abilities, and personality. A species's traits are selected at the start of a new game, but a species or certain pops of a species can adapt new traits through genetic engineering or rare events. Traits affect a wide variety of areas, from population growth rate to resource output to  leader lifespan or even how pops are viewed by each other. Most traits come in mutually exclusive groups that affect the same aspect of the species, such as  Nomadic and  Sedentary, and each species template can only have one such trait from the group at any given time. These groups include traits with opposite effects, as well as stronger variants of a trait. Though traits are initially decided at a species level, individual pops of the same species can end up with different traits with genetic modification, producing new subspecies or variants. This rarely happens without player intervention.

Traits are mostly fixed at the start of the game. Altering traits during the game is generally possible only later in the game through some select events or by using genetic engineering. Certain  Biology (for Biological species) and  Industry (for Robotic species) technologies and Ascension Perks add additional  Trait Points that can be used to alter all or some of a species'  Pops; modifications can range from altering their planet  Habitability to adding an additional positive trait or removing a negative one.

Some traits affect how strongly a pop is attracted to certain factions.

Biological traits

Traits are purchased from a points pool, with 2 points being available at the start of the game. Some traits are negative and have a negative cost, refunding points into the pool. Each species is limited to a maximum of 5 traits; traits that cost 0 points do not count against this limit but can only be acquired from certain origins, events, or ascension perks.

Initial traits

Initial traits are available when first creating a species. They can all be changed later via genetic modification. Initial traits can be both positive and negative, with the two being mutually exclusive. Traits that affect  Happiness cannot be added to species with the  Hive-Minded trait.

The  Adaptive and  Rapid Breeders traits are not normally available to species with the  Lithoid trait but can be added with the  Genetic Resequencing tradition.

Positive traits				Negative traits
Trait	Effects		Slave Price	Trait	Effects		Slave Price
Adaptive	+10% Habitability	2	+500	Nonadaptive	−10% Habitability	−2	−200
Extremely Adaptive	+20% Habitability	4	+1000
Agrarian	+15% Food from Jobs	2	+500
Charismatic	+20% Amenities from Jobs	2	+500	Repugnant	−20% Amenities from Jobs	−2	−200
Communal	−10% Pop Housing Usage	1	+500	Solitary	+10% Pop Housing Usage	−1	−200
Conformists	+30% Governing Ethics Attraction	2	+500	Deviants	−15% Governing Ethics Attraction	−1	−200
Conservationist	−10% Pop consumer goods upkeep	1	+500	Wasteful	+10% Pop consumer goods upkeep	−1	−200
Docile	−10% Empire Size from Pops	2	+500	Unruly	+10% Empire Size from Pops	−2	−200
Enduring	+20 years Leader Lifespan	1	+500	Fleeting	−10 years Leader Lifespan if Biological −25 years Leader Lifespan if Lithoid	−1	−200
Venerable	+80 years Leader Lifespan	4	+1000
Industrious	+15% Minerals from Jobs	2	+500
Ingenious	+15% Energy Credits from Jobs	2	+500
Intelligent	+10% Research from Jobs	2	+500
Natural Engineers	+15% Engineering Research from Jobs	1	+500
Natural Physicists	+15% Physics Research from Jobs	1	+500
Natural Sociologists	+15% Society Research from Jobs	1	+500
Nomadic	+15% Pop growth from immigration −25% Resettlement Cost	1	+500	Sedentary	−15% Pop growth from immigration +25% Resettlement Cost	−1	−200
Quick Learners	+10% Leader Experience Gain	1	+500	Slow Learners	−10% Leader Experience Gain	−1	−200
Rapid Breeders	+10% Growth Speed	2	+1000	Slow Breeders	−10% Growth Speed	−2	−1000
Resilient	+50% Defense Army Damage	1	+500
Strong	+20% Army Damage +2.5% Worker and Menial Drone Pop Resource Output	1	+1000	Weak	−20% Army Damage −2.5% Worker and Menial Drone Pop Resource Output	−1	−1000
Very Strong	+40% Army Damage +5% Worker and Menial Drone Pop Resource Output	3	+2000
Talented	Leader Upkeep: −10% Leader Maximum Negative Traits: −1	1	+500
Thrifty	+25% Trade value from Jobs	2	+500
Traditional	+10% Unity from Jobs	1	+500	Quarrelsome	−10% Unity from Jobs	−1	−200
				Decadent	−10% Worker Happiness −10% Slave Happiness	−1	−200

Botanical traits

Botanical traits are only available to species with the Fungoid or Plantoid archetype or empires that researched the  Botanical Transgenesis technology. Radiotrophic is also available to species with the Lithoid archetype, or for all empires that completed the Radioactive Flora terraforming event.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Description
Phototrophic	Replaces half of the Food upkeep with Energy	Radiotrophic  Cave Dweller  Voidling	1	+1000	This species is sustained by a combination of both food and sunlight.
Radiotrophic	Replaces half of the Food or Minerals upkeep with Energy No Energy upkeep on Tomb Worlds +10% Tomb World Pop Growth Speed +10% Tomb World Habitability	Phototrophic  Voidling	2	+1500	This species is sustained by a combination of both food and low-energy radiation, and as such can thrive on the most inhospitable of worlds.
Budding	+0.02 Monthly Organic Pop Assembly per Pop	Slow Breeders  Rapid Breeders  Incubators  Clone Soldier  Clone Soldier Ascendant  Necrophage  Polymelic	2	+2000	This species is capable of reproduction by budding, in addition to the more usual fertilization of seeds or spores.

Silicate traits

Silicate traits are only available to species with the Lithoid archetype or empires that researched the  Silicate Transgenesis technology. The Lithoid trait is always present on Lithoid species.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Description
Lithoid	−25% Pop Growth Speed −25% Pop assembly speed +50% Habitability +50% Army health +50 years Leader Lifespan Consumes  Minerals instead of  Food	Agrarian  Extremely Adaptive  Fertile  Delicious  Robust  Nonadaptive  Slow Breeders	0	0	This species has a silicon based biology, and consumes minerals rather than food. They are tougher than traditional organics and have slower metabolisms, making them long lived but slow to reproduce.
Gaseous Byproducts	+0.01 Monthly Exotic Gases per Pop	Scintillating Skin  Volatile Excretions  Drake-Scaled	2	+1000	The metabolic processes of this species cause regular venting of gases useful to industry.
Scintillating Skin	+0.01 Monthly Rare Crystals per Pop	Gaseous Byproducts  Volatile Excretions  Drake-Scaled	2	+1000	The outermost layer of this species is studded with sparkling crystals and gemstones that occasionally flake off.
Volatile Excretions	+0.01 Monthly Volatile Motes per Pop	Gaseous Byproducts  Scintillating Skin  Drake-Scaled	2	+1000	The highly compressed spoor created by this species is unstable and contains an unbelievable amount of power.
Crystallization	+0.02 Monthly Organic Pop Assembly per Pop	Slow Breeders  Rapid Breeders  Incubators  Clone Soldier  Clone Soldier Ascendant  Necrophage	2	+2000	With crystalline growths, this species is capable of generating self replicating lattices of themselves, in addition to the more usual reproductive methods.

Toxic traits

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Description
Incubators	+1% Pop Growth Speed per pops below 37 (max +30%) −1% Pop Growth Speed per pops above 37 (max −10%)	Slow Breeders  Rapid Breeders  Budding  Fertile	2	+2000	When isolated or few in numbers, a species with this trait naturally adapts and is able to focus on procreation with an intentness others would consider extreme. However, when in large numbers, this effect is reversed, and they find reproduction more difficult.
Noxious	+0.02 Happiness per non-Noxious Pop +5% Happiness +50% Army Damage +30% Species Minimum Habitability −30% Species Habitability Cap +10% Pop Housing Usage −0.01 Happiness per Noxious Pop		1	−500	Extremely unpleasant to be in the vicinity of, beings with this trait take vindication from being insufferable to everyone else.
Inorganic Breath	+0.02 Monthly Exotic Gases per Pop +50% Pop Upkeep		3	+1000	The slightly toxic digestive methods of this species have resulted in a highly exotic breath composition.

Origin traits

Origin traits can only be given by certain empire Origins.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Inherit chance	Origin	Removable	Description	DLC
Serviles	+10% Happiness +10% Resources from Jobs Cannot be employed in Ruler or Specialist Jobs Generate leaders	Zombie  Intelligent  Erudite  Natural Physicists  Natural Sociologists  Natural Engineers	1	+500	33%	Syncretic Evolution		This species evolved alongside a second, more advanced species. Never particularly intelligent to begin with, selective breeding for physical prowess and docility has reduced them to servile proles.
Clone Soldier	+50% Governing Ethics Attraction +50% Army Damage −40 years Leader Lifespan Admirals gain the Clone Army Admiral trait Cannot be genetically modified Cannot reproduce naturally	Rapid Breeders  Slow Breeders  Budding  Polymelic  Vat-Grown	0	0	0%	Clone Army		Engineered for compliance and war: short-lived, unable to reproduce naturally, and very efficient.
Survivor	+10 years Leader Lifespan +70% Tomb World Habitability		0	+500	33%	Post-Apocalyptic		This species has survived the horrors of a nuclear apocalypse. Their capacity for thriving in the most inhospitable circumstances should not be underestimated.
Void Dweller	+15% Pop Output on Habitats −15% Pop Output on Planets −10% Pop Growth Speed −30% Pop Happiness on Planets		0	+500	33%	Void Dwellers		This species thrives in orbital habitats, with an instinctive ability to efficiently navigate their maze-like corridors and complicated architecture. However their weakened immune systems do not respond well to a planetary environment.
Necrophage	+80 Years Leader Lifespan −50% Pop Upkeep +5% Resources from Ruler and Specialist Jobs −10% Resources from Worker Jobs −75% Pop Growth Speed −50% Pop assembly speed	Budding  Polymelic  Vat-Grown	0	0	0%	Necrophage		This species of near-immortals procreates by consuming pops of other species.
Cave Dweller	+50% Species Minimum Habitability +15% Minerals from Jobs −20% Biological Pop Growth Speed +10% Empire Size from Pops	Phototrophic  Aquatic	0	+500	0%	Subterranean		This species thrives under the surface of any planet they can find, at the cost of population growth.
Perfected Genes	+25 Years Leader Lifespan −15% Leader Experience Gain	Fleeting  Weak	0	0	0%	Under One Rule		Millennia of eugenics and wars have led to the creation of an extremely resilient species.

Overtuned traits

Overtuned traits can only be added or removed by empires with the  Overtuned origin. Empires with the  Genetic Resequencing tradition can also remove them. Overtuned traits provide bonuses similar to initial traits for less points but also reduce leader lifespan.

Type	Bonuses (doubled by Damn the Consequences edict)	Leader Lifespan		Slave Price	Description
Augmented Intelligence	+10% Research from Jobs	−10	1	+1000	More brains equals more brain power. Extra thinking organs have been added in strategic areas of the recipient's body to ensure maximum cognitive capacity. Even if they don't always agree.
Crafted Smiles	+15% Amenities from Jobs	−10	1	+1000	Slightly shifted facial features, a mix of enhanced and slackened muscular development - and of course outside chemicals - have created the perfect smile. Forever.
Dedicated Miner	+15% Minerals from Jobs	−10	1	+1000	Supreme hand-eye coordination, near endless endurance and self-purifying lungs have created entire crack teams of miners. Sadly they get brittle without sunlight.
Expressed Tradition	+10% Unity from Jobs	−10	1	+1000	Fanaticism on demand: faith is merely a cocktail of hormones, one we have perfected. Where that faith eventually leads is a matter of subsequent guidance.
Farm Appendages	+15% Food from Jobs	−10	1	+1000	The more appendages, the higher the farming output. Some appendages can even operate while their host is asleep. Rumors of hosts strangled by their new limbs have been deemed unfounded in our latest investigation.
Gene Mentorship	+25% Leader Experience Gain	−10	1	+1000	By combining genetically redesigned 'instinctive knowledge' and outside chemical stimuli, we have succeeded in vastly accelerating our learning capacities. Although it has resulted in some extremely paranoid individuals.
Juiced Power	+40% Army Damage +5% Worker and Menial Drone Pop Resource Output	−10	1	+1000	Adrenaline released on demand and hyper-potent growth hormones have led to a massive increase in strength. Just ignore the occasional internal tearing.
Low Maintenance	−10% Pop consumer goods upkeep	−10	1	+1000	Reduced consumption, excretion, and rest rates have resulted in twice the beings for half the price. However, demand for protein-rich meals has increased.
Spliced Adaptability	+20% Habitability	−10	1	+1000	A few genetic snips and slices here and there and they can survive nearly anywhere. The process comes with an acceptable number of deaths from side effects.
Technical Talent	+15% Energy from Jobs	−10	1	+1000	Extra internal organs grant a vastly increased innate sensitivity to electricity and magnetic fields. Reports of recipients hearing screams and voices from the reactors should be ignored.
Elevated Synapses	+20% Research from Jobs +20% Leader Experience Gain	−30	2	+2000	As a computational device, a brain does not run at 100% capacity. However, we have gone beyond the standard usage. If issues are encountered, try turning it off and on again.
Pre-Planned Growth	+30% Pop Growth Speed −10% Pop Housing Usage	−30	2	+2000	Scheduled fertility, scheduled interest, scheduled compatibility. Population growth on demand for a strong and stable population - with a few minor edits here and there. Jealous individuals are to be directed to the nearest Fertility Center for mandatory training.
Excessive Endurance	+5% Resources from Jobs +30% Habitability	−30	3	+2000	The greatest in adaptability genes have been hyper-expressed in these specimens. Mutation rates around 30% indicate a somewhat stable and successful experiment.

Pre-sapient traits

Pre-sapient species have exclusive traits that cannot otherwise be chosen when creating or modifying a species. They retain these traits after being uplifted as a sapient species and do not cost any trait points. The Forcefully Devolved trait can only be added to species that were turned pre-sapient with the Devolving Beam colossus weapon.

Type	Effects	Description
Conservative	+5% Happiness +25% Governing Ethics Attraction −33% Leader Experience Gain	Members of this species often prefer old wisdom over new experiences.
Earthbound	+10% Energy from Jobs +50% Defense Army Damage	Members of this species are very possessive of the planets they call home.
Irradiated	+100% Tomb World Habitability +30 Years Leader Lifespan	This species has evolved to thrive in environments subject to extremely high levels of background radiation.
Natural Intellectuals	+5% Unity from Jobs +10% Research from Jobs −10% Minerals from Jobs	Members of this species are more philosophically inclined than most.
Proles	+10% Army Damage +10% Minerals from Jobs +10% Food from Jobs −15% Research from Jobs	This species has traditionally shunned intellectual pursuits in favor of physical labor.
Starborn	+25% Pop Growth from Immigration −25% Resettlement Cost +10% Habitability	This species has always, consciously or not, longed to traverse the void between the stars.
Forcefully Devolved	−10% Army Damage −10% Resources from Jobs −10% Pop Growth Speed −25% Leader Experience Gain	The brutal devolution process endured by this species had a strong negative impact upon their abilities.

Special traits

These traits are required for special cases of species and cannot be removed from the creation menu.

The Hive-Minded trait can only be added by hive mind empires and can only be removed by empires that are not hive minds. Pops with this trait in an non-Hive Mind empire will slowly die while pops without the Hive-Minded trait in a Hive Mind empire can only be displaced, purged or used as livestock.

Special traits that cost trait points can be removed via the  Genetic Resequencing tradition. Special traits that do not cost trait points have a fixed chance of being inherited by hybrid species.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Inherit chance	Requirements	Description	DLC
Self-Modified	Cannot colonize if not primary species Cannot be resettled Cannot be removed		0	0	0%	A New Species event	Members of this offshoot species have spontaneously altered their genetic makeup to give themselves an advantage.
Nivlac	+50% Habitability +15% Pop Growth Speed		2	+100	random	Impossible Organism event species	This species possessed perplexing adaptability, allowing it to thrive in most environments and survive virtually everywhere.
Bioadaptability	+5% Habitability		0	+500	33%	Orbital Speed Demon event	This species has been modified to be slightly more adaptive and can now better endure harsh climates.
Limited Regeneration	+10% Army Damage +10 years Leader Lifespan		0	+250	33%	Orbital Speed Demon event	This species is has been modified to heal faster, making them more dangerous in battle and somewhat longer-lived in general.
Social Pheromones	−5% Pop Housing Usage		0	+250	33%	Orbital Speed Demon event	This species has been modified to be more social and accepting of crowded conditions.
Not of this World	−10 years Leader Lifespan +10% Pop Upkeep		0	0	0%	Plight of the Beta-Universe situation species	This species is not from this universe and is degrading slowly.
Not of this World (machine version)	+10% Pop Upkeep		0	0	0%	Plight of the Beta-Universe situation species	These machines are not from this universe and are degrading slowly.
Cybernetic	+10% Army Damage +20% Habitability +40 years Leader Lifespan	Latent Psionic  Psionic	0	+1500	0%	Cybernetic tradition tree adoption  Driven Assimilator civic Keepers of Knowledge fallen empire	This species has embraced cybernetics on such a scale that its members may be considered cyborgs. They routinely replace their organic body parts with more advanced mechanical versions.
Psionic	+10% Research from Jobs +10% Unity from Jobs +5% Happiness Leaders have the Psychic trait	Cybernetic	0	+1500	25%	Great Awakening tradition Psi-Inoculate Pops decision Holy Guardians fallen empire  Ketling Star Pack pops  Racket Industrial Enterprise pops	All members of this species possess powerful psionic abilities. They typically communicate with each other through telepathy.
Latent Psionic	+10% Research from Jobs +5% Unity from Jobs Leaders have a chance to gain the Psychic trait	Cybernetic	0	+1500	25%	Psionic tradition tree adoption  Teachers of the Shroud origin	This species has latent psionic abilities, which are dormant in most of its members. Although quite rare, these powers will manifest in some leaders.
Hive-Minded	Not affected by Happiness +20 years Leader Lifespan −10 years Leader Initial Age	Thrifty Conformists Deviants Decadent	0			Hive Mind	This species is made up of semi-autonomous individuals slaved to a single, unfathomably vast consciousness.
Clone Soldier Ascendant	+50% Governing Ethics Attraction +20% Habitability +40% Resources from Ruler Jobs +25% Resources from Specialist Jobs +75% Army Damage +25% Army Health Admirals gain the Ascendant Clone Army Admiral trait Cannot be genetically modified Cannot reproduce naturally	Rapid Breeders  Slow Breeders  Budding  Polymelic  Vat-Grown	0	+500		Genetic Crossroads event	Clones at their genetically-engineered peak, with further improved strength, efficiency, durability, and longevity - but forever infertile.
Clone Soldier Descendant	+20% Governing Ethics Attraction +20% Army Damage Admirals gain the Descendant Clone Army Admiral trait	Polymelic  Vat-Grown	0	+1000	random	Genetic Crossroads event	Once infertile, engineered for compliance and war. Their genetic edge diminished, they are now stable enough for natural reproduction.
Docile Livestock	+30% Pop Growth Speed +10% Unity from Jobs −50% Energy from Jobs −75% Research from Jobs Cannot generate Leaders Cannot be employed in Ruler or Specialist Jobs Not affected by Happiness	Intelligent  Erudite  Natural Physicists  Natural Sociologists  Natural Engineers	0	0	random	Wild Eukaryotes event species	Docile and delicious, this species has had its higher brain functions genetically altered to create a kind of harmless livestock that can care for itself, without the pesky need for social interaction or self-determination.
Brain Slug Host	+10% Research from Jobs +10% Unity from Jobs −25% Pop Growth Speed		0	0	0%	Neural Symbiosis event	This species is enjoying the presence of a neural symbiont: a helpful slug that attaches itself to the brain stem of its host.
Unlifted	−60% Research from Jobs	Intelligent	0	−150	0%	Enigmatic Cache event	This species has suffered the tragic consequences of an uplifting gone wrong.
Somewhat Uplifted	+10% Research from Jobs	Intelligent	0	+500	0%	Enigmatic Cache event	This species was partially uplifted by a benevolent extragalactic intellect and has left some of its primitive origins behind.
Uplifted	+10% Research from Jobs +25% Leader Experience Gain	Slow Learners  Erudite  Nerve Stapled	0	+750	0%	Enigmatic Cache event	This species was uplifted by a benevolent extragalactic intellect and has left its primitive origins behind.
Numistic Administration	+33% Trade Value from Jobs +33% Trade Value from Living Standards		1	0	0%	Numistic Order pops	This species has been trained in the holy art of Numistic Administration.
Zombie	−100% Pop Upkeep −25% Resources from Jobs Not affected by Happiness Cannot generate Leaders Cannot be employed in Ruler or Specialist Jobs Cannot colonize Cannot reproduce naturally	Serviles  Nerve Stapled	0	+500		Reassigner jobs	The remains of a once-proud sapient being, this husk is not suitable for much more than the simplest tasks.
Aquatic	+20% Ocean Habitability −10% Housing Usage on Ocean Worlds +10% Worker Output on Ocean Worlds −20% Dry and Frozen planet Habitability +30% Housing Usage on Dry and Frozen planets Hydrocentric ascension boosts this trait's effects by 50%		2	0	random	Ocean Preference trait  Anglers civic  Ocean Paradise origin Genetic Resequencing tradition	This species is perfectly adapted to living in the depths of the ocean. However, on dry land, it is like a fish out of water.
Stargazer	+10% Habitability +25% Pop Growth from Immigration −25% Resettlement Cost		0			Stargazers civic	This species has always, consciously or not, longed to traverse the void between the stars.

Cyborg traits

Cyborg traits can only be added to species with the  Cybernetic trait if the empire has the Integrated Anatomy tradition.

Positive Traits				Negative Traits
Trait	Effects		Slave Price	Trait	Effects		Slave Price
Double Jointed	−10% Pop Housing Usage +15% Pop Growth from Immigration −25% Resettlement Cost +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+1500	Bulky	+10% Pop Housing Usage −15% Pop Growth from Immigration +25% Resettlement Cost	–2	–500
Durable	–0.5 Pop Amenities Usage +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+750	High Maintenance	+0.5 Pop Amenities Usage	–2	–150
Efficient Processors	+5% Resources from Jobs +0.3 Energy Upkeep	2	+500
Enhanced Memory	+2 Leader Level Cap +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+750
Harvesters	+10% Food from Jobs	1	+750
Learning Algorithms	+25% Leader Experience Gain +1 Leader Level Cap +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+1500	Neural Limiters	–25% Leader Experience Gain	–2	–250
Logic Engines	+10% Research from Jobs +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+750
Loyalty Circuits	+10% Happiness +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+500
Power Drills	+10% Minerals from Jobs	1	+750
Streamlined Protocols	–10% Empire Size from Pops +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+750	High Bandwidth	+10% Empire Size from Pops	–2	–150
Superconductive	+10% Energy Credits from Jobs	1	+750
Trading Algorithms	+25% Trade Value from Jobs +0.3 Energy Upkeep	1	+500
				Power Intensive	+1 Energy Upkeep (Unless  Voidling)	–1	–250

Biological ascension traits

Those advanced traits are made available for genetic modification with the  Genetic Resequencing tradition. Biological ascension traits are only half as likely as standard traits to be inherited by hybrid species. The Exotic Metabolism trait also requires the  Toxoids DLC. Biological ascension gives the ability to apply Adaptive and Rapid Breeders to  Lithoid pops.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Description
Delicious	+2 Food from Livestock	Lithoid	2	+1000	This species has the curious evolutionary adaptation of being highly nutritious when eaten.
Felsic	+2 Minerals from Livestock	Lithoid	2	+1000	This species has been engineered to be especially mineral-rich.
Natural Machinist	+10% Alloys from Jobs +10% Consumer Goods from Jobs		2	+2000	This species has been engineered to have an incredible knack at working with machinery.
Nerve Stapled	+5% Resources from Jobs Cannot be employed in Ruler, Specialist or Complex Drone jobs Cannot generate Leaders Not Affected by Happiness Can't join a faction	Zombie  Erudite  Intelligent  Natural Physicists  Natural Sociologists  Natural Engineers  Talented  Communal  Solitary	3	+1500	Unessential neural pathways relating to self-preservation and free-will are severed, creating a docile and obedient client species.
Vat-Grown	−10% Pop Housing Usage +25% Organic Pop Assembly Speed −25% Pop Growth Speed	Fertile  Clone Soldier  Clone Soldier Ascendant  Clone Soldier Descendant  Necrophage  Rapid Breeders  Slow Breeders	3	+1500	Artificially grown in cloning vats, the natural reproductive abilities of this species have been negatively impacted.
Erudite	+20% Resources from researcher category jobs +1 Leader Level Cap  Erudite Leaders have special traits	Intelligent  Nerve Stapled  Uplifted	4	+2000	Biological engineering has unlocked previously dormant parts of this species' brains, greatly increasing mental acuity.
Fertile	+30% Pop Growth Speed −10% Pop Housing Usage	Lithoid  Polymelic  Vat-Grown  Rapid Breeders  Slow Breeders  Incubators	4	+2000	The natural fecundity of this species has been dramatically enhanced through aggressive physical and behaviorial sculpting.
Robust	+30% Habitability +5% Resources from Jobs +50 years Leader Lifespan	Lithoid  Extremely Adaptive  Adaptive  Nonadaptive	4	+2000	Bio-Optimized organs with redundant functions have made this species extraordinarily resistant to environmental hazards and disease.
Exotic Metabolism	+50 years Leader Lifespan +0.125% Exotic Gas Upkeep +25% Pop Growth Speed +25% Habitability		1	+750	A metabolism based on exotic - and expensive - gases has vastly enhanced this species' abilities.

Leviathan traits

Leviathan traits can only be added by empires that researched the  Leviathan Transgenesis technology and defeated certain guardians.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Guardians	Description
Drake-Scaled	+50% Army health +0.025 Monthly Alloys per Pop	Gaseous Byproducts  Scintillating Skin  Volatile Excretions	3	+1000	Ether Drake Shard Sky Dragon	This species has the genetic material from a stellar dragon spliced into its DNA. As such, they shed scales which can be recycled into useful alloys.
Polymelic	+0.05 Monthly Organic Pop Assembly per Pop	Fertile  Clone Soldier  Clone Soldier Ascendant  Clone Soldier Descendant  Necrophage  Budding  Rapid Breeders  Slow Breeders	3	+1500	Tiyanki Matriarch	This species has added genetic material from the Tiyanki Matriarch into their DNA sequence. This has granted them rapid asexual reproduction, as well as a few unexpected tentacles.
Voidling	+20% Species Minimum Habitability Consumes  Energy instead of  Food or  Minerals	Phototrophic  Radiotrophic	3	+1500	Voidspawn	This species has the genetic material from the Voidspawn spliced into its DNA. Subsisting off cosmic radiation, they are highly resistant to hostile environments.

Climate preference traits

Each organic species has a climate preference trait that determines their base  Habitability on the various types of planets, usually that corresponding to the type of their homeworld. Habitability traits can be changed through genetic modification, but a pop can never have more than one Habitability trait. The Habitability of other celestial body types is unaffected by these traits.

Preference	Climate	80% Habitability	60% Habitability	20% Habitability
Arid	Dry	Arid	Desert Savannah	Alpine Arctic Tundra Continental Ocean Tropical
Desert	Dry	Desert	Arid Savannah
Savannah	Dry	Savannah	Arid Desert
Alpine	Frozen	Alpine	Arctic Tundra	Arid Desert Savannah Continental Ocean Tropical
Arctic	Frozen	Arctic	Alpine Tundra
Tundra	Frozen	Tundra	Alpine Arctic
Continental	Wet	Continental	Ocean Tropical	Arid Desert Savannah Alpine Arctic Tundra
Ocean	Wet	Ocean	Continental Tropical
Tropical	Wet	Tropical	Continental Ocean

Exotic climate preferences

Exotic climate preferences can only be obtained through Origins, conquest of a unique species, the A New Species event on a matching celestial body or when the Omnicodex relic creates a species on a matching celestial body.

Preference	Habitability on native climate	Habitability on regular planets	Sources other than the Omnicodex and A New Species event
Tomb World Preference	80% Tomb World	60%	Pre-FTL or pre-sapient species inhabiting a Tomb World Horizon Signal event
Gaia World Preference	100% Gaia World	0%	Primitive or pre-sapient species inhabiting a Gaia World  Life-Seeded Origin Baol pops created by the Nu-Baol Life Seeding decision The Unexpected Mutations Terraforming event
Ring World Preference	100% Ring World	0%	Shattered Ring Origin Sanctuary pre-FTL civilizations
Habitat Preference	100% Habitat	0%	Void Dwellers Origin Marauder pops Enclave pops
Hive World Preference	100% Hive World	0%
Machine World Preference	100% Machine World	0%
Ecumenopolis Preference	80% Ecumenopolis	0%
Relic World Preference	80% Relic World	0%

Robot traits

All robot species have either the  Mechanical or the  Machine trait.  Mechanical Pops can exist within  Machine Intelligence empires via conquest but  Machine Pops cannot exist outside  Machine Intelligence empires. All such species can then be given new traits through Robomodding once the  Machine Template System technology is researched, a few of them being restricted to  Mechanical or  Machine species. Robotic traits can be both positive and negative, which are mutually exclusive with each other, and both of them can be added and removed at will once the technology to enable Robomodding becomes available.

Empires that are not  Machine Intelligence must research higher tiers of robot technologies before they can add some of the more powerful traits to  Mechanical Pops.

Positive Traits				Negative Traits				Requirements
Trait	Effect		Slave Price	Trait	Effect		Slave Price
Machine	Not affected by Happiness +200% Habitability Immortal Leaders	0	0					Machine Intelligence
Mechanical	Not affected by Happiness unless the Artificial Intelligence policy is not set to Outlawed +200% Habitability Immortal Leaders Cannot generate Leaders without the Synthetic Personality Matrix technology	0	0					Robotic Workers
Domestic Protocols	Can be employed in Servant jobs if under AI Servitude +20% Amenities from Jobs	2	+750					Droids  Mechanical trait
Double Jointed	−10% Pop Housing Usage	1	+750	Bulky	+10% Pop Housing Usage	–1	–150
Durable	–10% Robot Upkeep	1	+750	High Maintenance	+10% Robot Upkeep	–1	–150
Efficient Processors	+5% Resources from Jobs	3	+500
Emotion Emulators	+20% Amenities from Jobs	1	+750	Uncanny	−20% Amenities from Jobs	–1	–150	Machine trait
Enhanced Memory	Leader Upkeep: −25% Leader Maximum Negative Traits: −1	2	+750					Synthetic Personality Matrix
Harvesters	+15% Food from Jobs	2	+750					Mechanical trait
Learning Algorithms	+25% Leader Experience Gain	1	+750	Repurposed Hardware	–25% Leader Experience Gain	–1	–150	Synthetic Personality Matrix
Logic Engines	+10% Research from Jobs	2	+750					Droids
Loyalty Circuits	+10% Happiness	2	+500					Synthetics  Mechanical trait
Mass-Produced	+15% Pop Assembly Speed	1	+1500	Custom-Made	–15% Pop Assembly Speed	–1	–200
Power Drills	+15% Minerals from Jobs	2	+750
Propaganda Machines	+15% Unity from Jobs	1	+750					Mechanical trait
Recycled	–20% Pop Assembly Cost	2	+1500	Luxurious	+20% Pop Assembly Cost	–2	–200
Streamlined Protocols	–10% Empire Size from Pops	2	+750	High Bandwidth	+10% Empire Size from Pops	–2	–150
Superconductive	+15% Energy Credits from Jobs	2	+750
Trading Algorithms	+25% Trade Value from Jobs	2	+500					Droids  Mechanical trait

References

Game concepts