Console:Pre-FTL species

Version

This article has been verified for the current console version (3.4) of the game.

Humanoid civilization in Early Space Age

There are two types of pre-FTL species in the game: primitive civilizations and pre-sapient species.

Primitive civilizations are civilizations that have yet to develop the technology necessary for interstellar space travel. They advance through multiple ages as their history is written and can become full-fledged interstellar empires if they are technologically enlightened by another spacefaring empire or left alone enough to develop on their own. Primitive civilizations can be made plentiful or outright disabled via the galaxy generation options.

Pre-sapient species are animal species that show particular promise. They would likely evolve some degree and manner of intelligence on their own if they were left alone for a few million years, but spacefaring empires can accelerate this process, turning the pre-sapients into productive galactic citizens within the span of just a few decades.

Primitive civilizations

Primitive civilizations exist in various ages of development they slowly go through.

Age	Monthly progress	Enlightenment time	Buildings	Jobs	Armies	Government	Description
Stone Age	0.1%	1000 months	1 Crude Huts	4 Hunter-Gatherers	No army	Tribal Society	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of a Stone Age. They have mastered fire and developed a rudimentary spoken language, but we have yet to see any evidence of metallurgy or written communication.
Bronze Age	0.2%	500 months	1 Stone Palaces 1 Primitive Dwellings	1 Feudal Noble 1 Cleric 1 Scholar 1 Warrior 4 Peasants	3 primitive armies	Tribal Society	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of a Bronze Age. Primitive metalworking and the first written languages have appeared, while cities and larger communities are taking shape.
Iron Age	0.3%	334 months	1 Stone Palaces 1 Primitive Dwellings	1 Feudal Noble 1 Cleric 1 Scholar 1 Warrior 5 Peasants	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of an Iron Age. They have spread across most of their homeworld, while iron smelting and forging techniques have enabled them to forge crude but effective tools and weaponry.
Late Medieval Age	0.4%	250 months	1 Stone Palaces 2 Primitive Dwellings	1 Feudal Noble 1 Cleric 1 Scholar 1 Warrior 6 Peasants	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	This civilization is currently experiencing the equivalent of a Late Medieval Age. They have a firm grasp of metallurgy, and the invention of the printing press has started to benefit the spread of knowledge.
Renaissance Age	0.5%	200 months	1 Stone Palaces 2 Primitive Dwellings	1 Feudal Noble 1 Cleric 1 Scholar 1 Warrior 8 Peasants	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	This civilization is currently experiencing the equivalent of a Renaissance Age. Scientific knowledge is increasing at a rapid rate, and the invention of gunpowder has revolutionized warfare.
Steam Age	1%	100 months	1 Stone Palaces 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine	1 Feudal Noble 1 Cleric 1 Scholar 1 Warrior 8 Peasants 2 Miners 2 Labourers	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of a Steam Age. The invention of the steam engine has had far-reaching effects on their society and they stand on the cusp of an industrial revolution.
Industrial Age	1.5%	67 months	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not  Lithoid	2 Bureaucrats 2 Priests 2 Researchers 2 Soldiers 2 Miners 2 Labourers 2 Technicians 8 Farmers if not  Lithoid	6 industrial armies	Fragmented Nation States	This civilization has advanced into the equivalent of an early Industrial Age. Electricity and internal combustion engines are gradually coming into widespread use, while urbanization increases at a rapid pace.
Machine Age	2%	50 months	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not  Lithoid	2 Bureaucrats 2 Priests 2 Researchers 2 Soldiers 2 Miners 2 Labourers 2 Technicians 10 Farmers if not  Lithoid	6 industrial armies	Fragmented Nation States	This civilization has advanced into the equivalent of a Machine Age, considered a later part of the Industrial Age. Their factories are mass-producing goods and vehicles, and air travel is becoming commonplace.
Atomic Age	2.5%	40 months	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not  Lithoid	2 Bureaucrats 2 Priests 2 Researchers 2 Soldiers 2 Miners 2 Labourers 2 Technicians 2 Unemployed 10 Farmers if not  Lithoid	6 post-atomic armies	Fragmented Nation States	This civilization has advanced into the equivalent of an Atomic Age. They have harnessed the power of the atom, but not yet made it into space. Nuclear weapons may be prolific, and could result in a sudden extinction event.
Early Space Age	2.5%	40 months	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not  Lithoid	2 Bureaucrats 2 Priests 2 Researchers 2 Soldiers 2 Miners 2 Labourers 2 Technicians 2 Unemployed 10 Farmers if not  Lithoid	6 post-atomic armies	Fragmented Nation States	This civilization has entered an Early Space Age. Primitive satellites are orbiting their homeworld, and the first manned space missions have been concluded in low orbit. They will soon be ready to leave their world. Early Space Age primitive civilizations have a space station in orbit above their homeworld. However said station cannot detect ships.

Native Advancement

Humanoid civilization advancing through the ages

Primitive civilizations can advance through ages by themselves as their history is written. The mean time for this to happen is 160 years for all advancements up to the Steam Age, and 100 years for all advancements after that. There is a minimum cooldown of 60 years after advancing ages before further advances are possible. Having an observation post built will notify you of every age advancement.

FTL Discovery

Early Space Age civilizations that don't have an observation post built in orbit will eventually develop basic hyperdrives, turning them into a normal empire. If a Starbase was built around the star the new empire will ask the owner for control of it. Should the request be accepted they will be granted control of the Starbase and all colonized planets in the system and gain a temporary +100  Opinion towards the former owner. If the request is refused the civilization will be annexed. Annexing the civilization will cost 200  Influence if  Xenophile or  Fanatic Xenophile while granting it control of the system will cost 200  Influence if  Xenophobe or  Fanatic Xenophobe. Genocidal empires only have the option to annex the civilization.

There is no catch-up mechanism for these empires. Unless they advance very early in the game, they will likely be quickly conquered or turned into a  Protectorate, especially as a Primitive civilization cannot develop FTL in the first 25 years of a game.

Nuclear War

Atomic Age and Early Space Age primitives have a small chance of starting a nuclear war. This can happen randomly but can also occur as a result of failed Covert Infiltration although those wars can be prevented via an intervention through a special event. Should a nuclear war happen the primitive civilization will be destroyed and the planet will turn into either a Tomb World or a Toxic World. Empires with an observation post in orbit will be notified of the event.

Nuclear wars are 10 times less likely to happen during Early Space Age. The primitive civilizations in the Sanctuary system cannot start a nuclear war.

Note: A primitive civilization's ethics have no effect on their history and progress. A spiritualist civilization advances just as fast as a materialist one and a pacifist civilization is just as likely to start a nuclear war as a militarist one.

Conquest

Primitive civilizations can always be invaded and conquered as long as their system has been claimed and the Native Interference policy is set to Unrestricted. Primitive civilizations have no means to resist a technologically superior invader, although Industrial and especially Post-Atomic civilizations can be harder to conquer early game. The prize one can obtain from an invasion is the planet itself, any and all resources and buildings on it along with the primitives that can be used as a source of cheap labor once enslaved or integrated as citizens.

Conquered worlds will get the Stellar Culture Shock modifier for 10 years, which locks out the former primitive pops from using colony ships, being resettles, joining Factions or being released as a Vassal. It also brings −20%  Stability, −33% Resources from Jobs, and −50%  Empire Sprawl from Pops.

A Neutron Sweep or Nanobot Diffuser can be used on a primitive world instead of conquest but will generate a temporary −40  Opinion from every other empire.

Observation missions

Empires might prefer the construction of hidden Observation Posts in high orbit over primitive worlds. This allows for the safe study and, if one so desires, influencing the primitive civilization. Observation posts typically have a number of exclusive missions that can be undertaken. Each mission can trigger various events.

Mission	Effects	Nuclear war chance	Requirements
Passive Observation	+8 Society Research if the Unchained Knowledge Resolution 4 was not passed +12 Society Research if the Unchained Knowledge Resolution 4 was passed +2 Consumer Goods if the Galactic Commerce Resolution 3 was passed
Aggressive Observation	+10 Society Research if the Unchained Knowledge Resolution 4 was not passed +16 Society Research if the Unchained Knowledge Resolution 4 was passed +8 Consumer Goods if the Galactic Commerce Resolution 3 was passed Can shift civilization Ethics towards  Spiritualist or  Xenophobe	+25%	Active Study or Unrestricted Native Interference Policy
Technological Enlightenment	−5 Society Research −10 Energy When the mission is complete, the civilization will become an empire. The civilization will be given full ownership of their home system and everything in it The civilization will have a temporary +100  Opinion The observation post will be dismantled after the completion of the enlightenment If the enlightening empire is not a Subject the civilization will become their  Protectorate and can be integrated after 10 years has passed.  Inward Perfection empires cannot have protectorates and their enlightened primitives will become a  Tributary instead.  Corporate empires will not create a protectorate, but a  Subsidiary. The following events can take place after more than 20% progress has been made and any of the requirements is met by the primitive civilization: Requirement Effect  Fanatic Xenophile +70% mission progress  Xenophile  Quick Learners  Natural Engineers  Natural Physicists  Natural Sociologists  Intelligent +20% mission progress  Fanatic Xenophobe −70% mission progress  Xenophobe  Slow Learners  Repugnant Opposing ethics −20% mission progress None Civilization shifts ethics towards  Xenophile None Civilization shifts ethics towards the benefactor's	−100%	Allowed Native Enlightenment Policy Civilization is not  Fanatic Xenophobe
Covert Infiltration	−10 Energy −5 Society Research +4 Consumer Goods if the Galactic Commerce Resolution 3 was passed When the mission is complete the civilization will be annexed and receive a temporary happiness boost		Gene Tailoring technology Active Study or Unrestricted Native Interference Policy Civilization reached at least Industrial Age Not Genocidal Not  Inward Perfection
Indoctrination	−3 Energy +10 Society Research if the Unchained Knowledge Resolution 4 was not passed +14 Society Research if the Unchained Knowledge Resolution 4 was passed Slowly shifts the civilization's ethics towards your empire ethics	+50%	Utopia Active Study or Unrestricted Native Interference Policy Not  Gestalt Consciousness

Pre-sapient species

Pre-sapient species can be discovered on each planet type after investigating certain anomalies. Genocidal empires cannot discover them through anomalies but can encounter those discovered by other empires.

As opposed to primitives, planets of pre-sapient species can be colonized. The pre-sapient pops do not require either Housing or Amenities. The Pre-Sapients policy determines their status. Unlike sapient species, pre-sapients can be purged without diplomatic repercussions from any empire.

Uplifting

For pre-sapient species the option to create templates is replaced with the option to Uplift them. The planet must be colonized and within the player empire's borders. Uplifting a species requires the  Epigenetic Triggers technology and costs 3000  Society Research. Uplifted species become part of the empire that uplifted them and get a +10%  happiness bonus when inhabiting that empire's planets due to getting the  Uplifted trait. Finishing an uplift also grants 500  influence.

When an uplift is complete, the pre-sapient species receive the default species rights according to the host empire, even if it is displacement from their own home. Most uplift processes tend to be rocky (70% chance of -5% planet mineral output).

Unlike primitive civilizations, pre-sapients will never advance to sapients on their own in-game.

References

Game concepts