Traits

Version

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

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 effect 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 if the  Genetic Resequencing technology has been researched.

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	+25% Leader Experience Gain	1	+500	Slow Learners	−25% 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	+1 Leader Level Cap	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

Botanic traits

Botanic traits are only available to species with the Fungoid or Plantoid archetype.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Description
Phototrophic	Replaces half of the Food upkeep with Energy	Radiotrophic Cave Dweller	1	+1000	This species is sustained by a combination of both food and sunlight.
Radiotrophic	Replaces half of the Food upkeep with Energy No Energy upkeep on Tomb Worlds +10% Tomb World Pop Growth Speed +10% Tomb World Habitability	Phototrophic	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  Clone Soldier  Necrophage	2	+2000	This species is capable of reproduction by budding, in addition to the more usual fertilization of seeds or spores.

Lithoid traits

Lithoid traits are only available to species with the Lithoid archetype. The Lithoid trait is always present on such 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	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	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	2	+1000	The highly compressed spoor created by this species is unstable and contains an unbelievable amount of power.

Origin traits

These 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 Cannot generate governors or scientists	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	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	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.

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 biological ascension path. 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 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.
Cybernetic	+10% Army Damage +20% Habitability +40 years Leader Lifespan	Latent Psionic  Psionic	0	+1500	0%	The Flesh is Weak ascension perk  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% Energy from Jobs +10% Research from Jobs +5% Happiness Leaders have the Psychic trait	Cybernetic	0	+1500	25%	Transcendence ascension perk 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	+5% Energy from Jobs +5% Research from Jobs Leaders have a chance to gain the Psychic trait	Cybernetic	0	+1500	25%	Mind over Matter ascension perk  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		0	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	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		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	1	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% Resources from researcher category 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		Permanent Employment civic	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%		1	0	random	Ocean Preference trait  Anglers civic  Ocean Paradise origin  Evolutionary Mastery ascension perk	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.

Biological ascension traits

There are 5 advanced traits which are made available for genetic modification if the Evolutionary Mastery ascension perk is taken and  Genetic Resequencing has been researched. Biological ascension traits are only half as likely as standard traits to be inherited by hybrid species.

Type	Effects	Excludes		Slave Price	Description
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  Rapid Breeders  Slow Breeders	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.
Delicious	+2 Food from Livestock and Processing	Lithoid	2	+1000	This species has the curious evolutionary adaptation of being highly nutritious when eaten.
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 Inclination  Talented  Communal  Solitary	3	+1500	Unessential neural pathways relating to self-preservation and free-will are severed, creating a docile and obedient client species.

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. All of these traits cost 1 trait point.

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.

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, events, conquest of a unique species, or when the Omnicodex relic creates a species on a matching celestial body.

Preference Trait	Habitability on native climate	Habitability on regular planets	Sources other than the Omnicodex
Tomb World Preference	80% Tomb World	60%	Pre-FTL or pre-sapient species inhabiting a Tomb World Horizon Signal event A New Species event on a Tomb World
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
Habitat Preference	100% Habitat	0%	Void Dwellers Origin Marauder and Enclave pops
Ring World Preference	100% Ring World	0%	Shattered Ring Origin Sanctuary pre-FTL civilizations
AI World Preference	100% AI World	1%
Hive World Preference	100% Hive World	0%
Machine World Preference	100% Machine World	0%
Relic World Preference	80% Relic World	0%

Robot traits

All robot species have either the  Mechanical or the  Machine trait. Both traits grant +200%  Habitability on all planets.  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	+2 Leader Level Cap	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					Synthetics
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

References

Game concepts