Situations

Version

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

Situations are events that take place gradually and are trackable via the Outliner and the Situation Log. All situations offer multiple approaches to tackle them and most of the time an approach can be changed at any point.

Shortages

Shortages are situations that start if an empire's stored stockpile for a certain resource drops to 0 with negative income. Shortage situations will keep progressing for as long as the empire has negative income and will recede once a positive income is reached. Unlike most situations the aim is to prevent the situation from making progress to avoid increasing empire penalties.

If a shortage situation progresses completely the empire will become defaulted. This will refund a large amount of resources based on how many decades have passed and end all current shortage situations but also downgrade all upgraded buildings and disband all offensive armies and half of the military ships. In addition the empire will get the Empire Defaulted modifier for 10 years, imparting the following effects:

• +25% All Costs
• −50% Monthly Influence
• −50% Monthly Unity
• −25% Ship Weapons Damage
• −50% Pop Demotion Time

Resource shortage	Minor Deficit effects	Major Deficit effects	Severe Deficit effects	Catastrophic Deficit effects	Refund per decade passed
Energy	−10% Researcher Output −10% Brain Drone Output −10% Calculator Output −10% Diplomatic Weight from Economy −10% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed −10% Combat Disengagement Chance −20% Ship Weapons Damage −20% Sublight Speed	−20% Researcher Output −20% Brain Drone Output −20% Calculator Output −20% Diplomatic Weight from Economy −20% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed −25% Combat Disengagement Chance −40% Ship Weapons Damage −40% Sublight Speed	−33% Researcher Output −33% Brain Drone Output −33% Calculator Output −33% Diplomatic Weight from Economy −33% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed −50% Combat Disengagement Chance −60% Ship Weapons Damage −60% Sublight Speed	−50% Researcher Output −50% Brain Drone Output −50% Calculator Output −50% Diplomatic Weight from Economy −50% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed −75% Combat Disengagement Chance −80% Ship Weapons Damage −80% Sublight Speed −10% Resources from Jobs	1000 Energy (max 15000)
Minerals	−10% Artisan Output −10% Artisan Drone Output −10% Metallurgist Output −10% Foundry Drone Output −10% Fabricator Output −20% Brain Drone Output −20% Lithoid Pop Growth Speed −20% Lithoid Pop Assembly Speed −10% Lithoid Pop Happiness	−20% Artisan Output −20% Artisan Drone Output −20% Metallurgist Output −20% Foundry Drone Output −20% Fabricator Output −40% Brain Drone Output −33% Lithoid Pop Growth Speed −33% Lithoid Pop Assembly Speed −15% Lithoid Pop Happiness	−33% Artisan Output −33% Artisan Drone Output −33% Metallurgist Output −33% Foundry Drone Output −33% Fabricator Output −60% Brain Drone Output −50% Lithoid Pop Growth Speed −50% Lithoid Pop Assembly Speed −20% Lithoid Pop Happiness	−50% Artisan Output −50% Artisan Drone Output −50% Metallurgist Output −50% Foundry Drone Output −50% Fabricator Output −80% Brain Drone Output −75% Lithoid Pop Growth Speed −75% Lithoid Pop Assembly Speed −25% Lithoid Pop Happiness	1000 Minerals (max 15000)
Food	−10% Biological Pop Happiness −20% Biological Pop Growth Speed −20% Biological Pop Assembly Speed −10% Catalytic Technician Output	−15% Biological Pop Happiness −33% Biological Pop Growth Speed −33% Biological Pop Assembly Speed −20% Catalytic Technician Output	−20% Biological Pop Happiness −50% Biological Pop Growth Speed −50% Biological Pop Assembly Speed −33% Catalytic Technician Output	−25% Biological Pop Happiness −75% Biological Pop Growth Speed −75% Biological Pop Assembly Speed −50% Catalytic Technician Output	1000 Food (max 15000)
Consumer Goods	−5% Happiness −15% Monthly Unity −20% Researcher Output −25% Governing Ethics Attraction	−10% Happiness −30% Monthly Unity −40% Researcher Output −50% Governing Ethics Attraction	−15% Happiness −45% Monthly Unity −60% Researcher Output −75% Governing Ethics Attraction	−20% Happiness −60% Monthly Unity −70% Researcher Output −100% Governing Ethics Attraction	500 Consumer Goods (max 7500)
Alloys	−10% Robot Output −25% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed +25% Pop Assembly Cost +10% Ship Energy Upkeep +10% Starbase Energy Upkeep −10 Stability on Habitats	−20% Robot Output −50% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed +50% Pop Assembly Cost +20% Ship Energy Upkeep +20% Starbase Energy Upkeep −15 Stability on Habitats −33% Armor Hit Points −33% Ship Fire Rate	−30% Robot Output −75% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed +75% Pop Assembly Cost +20% Ship Energy Upkeep +20% Starbase Energy Upkeep −20 Stability on Habitats −66% Armor Hit Points −66% Ship Fire Rate	−50% Robot Output −100% Mechanical Pop Assembly Speed +100% Pop Assembly Cost +30% Ship Energy Upkeep +30% Starbase Energy Upkeep −30 Stability on Habitats −99% Armor Hit Points −99% Ship Fire Rate	250 Alloys (max 3750)
Exotic Gases	−5% Resources from Jobs −20% Sublight Speed −20% Terraforming Speed	−10% Resources from Jobs −40% Sublight Speed −40% Terraforming Speed	−15% Resources from Jobs −60% Sublight Speed −60% Terraforming Speed	−20% Resources from Jobs −80% Sublight Speed −80% Terraforming Speed	100 Exotic Gases (max 1500)
Rare Crystals	−5% Resources from Jobs −30% Energy Weapons Damage −1 Sensor Range	−10% Resources from Jobs −50% Energy Weapons Damage −1 Sensor Range	−15% Resources from Jobs −70% Energy Weapons Damage −2 Sensor Range	−20% Resources from Jobs −90% Energy Weapons Damage −2 Sensor Range	100 Rare Crystals (max 1500)
Volatile Motes	−5% Resources from Jobs −30% Kinetic Weapons Damage +20% Clear Blocker Cost −20% Clear Blocker Speed	−10% Resources from Jobs −50% Kinetic Weapons Damage +40% Clear Blocker Cost −40% Clear Blocker Speed	−15% Resources from Jobs −70% Kinetic Weapons Damage +60% Clear Blocker Cost −60% Clear Blocker Speed	−20% Resources from Jobs −90% Kinetic Weapons Damage +80% Clear Blocker Cost −80% Clear Blocker Speed	100 Volatile Motes (max 1500)

Leviathan Parade Opportunities

Leviathan Parade Opportunities are situations that will take place once a guardian has been defeated. Reaching the second stage of a situation brings multiple choices with various effects and finishing the situations will grant 150-2000  Unity and a permanent modifier to the empire capital. All Leviathan Parade Opportunity situations have three stages and offer three approaches:

• Do nothing: +4 Situation Progress and 5  Unity upkeep.
• Encourage it: +6 Situation Progress and 25  Energy upkeep.
• Discourage it: −4 Situation Progress until it cancels the situation.

Guardian	Stage II choices	Modifier reward
Automated Dreadnought	−40 Situation Progress and −50% Job Energy  Upkeep for 2 years 50% chance of −30 Situation Progress and 50% chance of +20 Situation Progress +350-100000  Society Research	−15% Building, District and Job Energy Upkeep
Enigmatic Fortress	−200 finisher  Unity −1  Pop −20 Situation Progress, −1  Pop and +100  Unity	+15 Amenities +15 Housing
Ether Drake	−30 Situation Progress End the situation for +20% monthly  Society Research for 20 years −200 finisher  Unity	+10 Stability +25% Immigration Pull
Spectral Wraith	Nothing −40 Situation Progress End the situation for the Wraith Infused Atmosphere capital modifier	+10% Happiness +15% Unity from Jobs
Stellar Devourer	+15 Situation Progress End the situation for the special project to reignite the star	Enables the Consume Star operation
Scavenger Bot	−20 Situation Progress and +5000  Alloys +20 Situation Progress End the situation for a +10  Alloys asteroid above the empire capital	+20% Alloys from Jobs
Tiyanki Matriarch	−20 Situation Progress and +500  Food +1  Pop −200 finisher  Unity if not  Xenophile or  Fanatic Xenophile	+1 Monthly Organic Pop Assembly −5 Stability
Voidspawn	Water Contamination situation End the situation	+15% Habitability +10% Society Research from Jobs
Shard	−30 Situation Progress and +350-100000  Society Research End the situation for the All Seeing Shard capital modifier −200 finisher  Unity	+5 Worker Pop Resource Output +5 Menial Drone Output +50% Authoritarian Ethics Attraction
Sky Dragon	−10 Situation Progress −200 finisher  Unity if not  Xenophobe or  Fanatic Xenophobe If not  Xenophobe or  Fanatic Xenophobe can create an asteroid with a  Living Metal deposit in the capital system	+20% Max Districts +20% Physics Research from Jobs

Horrific Inverse Mass

The Worm, Dimensional Horror and Elder One all share a common situation regarding what is called Horrific Inverse Mass. Killing two or all three of them will not award another situation.

1. Once the second stage of the situation is reached empires that are not  Materialist or  Fanatic Materialist can end the situation for +250-1500  Unity.
2. If the situation is not ended finishing it will grant a modifier giving +15%  Research from Jobs if not Spiritualist and +15%  Unity from Jobs if  Spiritualist or  Fanatic Spiritualist. The modifier will last for 7 or 14 years depending on the choices in the second stage.
3. Once the modifier expires the capital will be given the option to gain a second modifier giving −20  Stability and +25%  Research from Jobs if not Spiritualist +25%  Unity from Jobs if  Spiritualist or  Fanatic Spiritualist. The modifier will last for 3.5 years.
4. Once the second modifier expires the capital will be given the option to gain +99  Devastation or a third modifier giving +100%  Research and  Unity from Jobs, −20  Stability, −200  Immigration Pull and prevent any  Governing Ethics Attraction. The modifier will last for 2 years.
5. Once the third modifier expires there is a 66% chance to collapse the empire capital into a black hole and a 33% chance to gain a final modifier giving +50%  Research and  Unity from Jobs. Reloading a save at this point will not alter the result.

Event situations

Event situations have a small chance to trigger at regular intervals and can only happen once. Various events can take place during an event situation.

Situation	Approaches	Stage II effects	Stage III effects	Stage IV effects	Stage V effects
Unusual Snow	Observe it Peacefully	+5 Research from approach −10 Unity from approach	Cannot change approach	Choice between the Living Snow Reserve planetary feature and an invasion of 6 armies. If the invaders win the and the colony is not recaptured in 5 years it becomes a Frozen World with a deposit of +8  Physics and  Society Research and unlocks the  Terrestrial Sculpting technology.
	Melt it. All.	+10 Stability from approach −10 Energy from approach	Cannot change approach	Colony is invaded by 6 armies. If the invaders win the and the colony is not recaptured in 5 years it becomes a Frozen World with a deposit of +8  Physics and  Society Research and unlocks the  Terrestrial Sculpting technology.
The Mysterious Labyrinth	Explore its Interior −5 Energy	Nothing	−10 Unity from approach	Colony gains the Space-Time Anomaly planetary feature. 50% chance to gain 4 blockers.
	Monitor it from Afar	Monitor it from Afar approach replaced with Quarantine it −10 Energy	−10 Unity from approach	Colony gains the Space-Time Anomaly planetary feature.
	Destroy it −10 Energy	Monitor it from Afar approach replaced with Quarantine it −10 Energy	+800  Exotic Gases,  Rare Crystals and  Volatile Motes +200  Dark Matter.
Gravity Well	Retreat −10 Energy	50% chance to gain +1000-100000  Physics research 50% chance to gain a level 6 leader with the  Maniacal and  Field Manipulation Expertise traits
	Maintain Orbit −5 Energy	+2 Monthly Dark Matter +10 Monthly Physics Research +2 Monthly Progress	+5 Monthly Dark Matter +15 Monthly Physics Research +3 Monthly Progress	+10 Monthly Dark Matter +20 Monthly Physics Research +7 Monthly Progress	Starbase is destroyed −100 Influence if not  Gestalt Consciousness +500-100000 Physics Research if  Gestalt Consciousness 50% chance to gain +5% Monthly Unity if  Gestalt Consciousness 50% chance to gain −5% Monthly Unity if  Gestalt Consciousness
	Advance	+2 Monthly Dark Matter +10 Monthly Physics Research +2 Monthly Progress	+5 Monthly Dark Matter +15 Monthly Physics Research +3 Monthly Progress	+10 Monthly Dark Matter +20 Monthly Physics Research +7 Monthly Progress	Starbase is destroyed −100 Influence if not  Gestalt Consciousness +500-100000 Physics Research if  Gestalt Consciousness 50% chance to gain +5% Monthly Unity if  Gestalt Consciousness 50% chance to gain −5% Monthly Unity if  Gestalt Consciousness
Geomagnetic Storm	Shield All Drones −1 Energy per colony Pop Option to gain the Machine Interface Center planetary feature if  Rogue Servitor	+250-100000 Engineering Research Gain the Radiation-Hardened Components empire modifier If colony has the Machine Interface Center planetary feature it is removed and can choose to gain 1000  Alloys or the Machine Interface Museum planet modifier
	Shield Simple Drones −1 Energy per colony Menial Drone −20% Complex Drone Output Progress scales with number of Complex Drones Option to gain the Machine Interface Center planetary feature if  Rogue Servitor	−30 Stability −5% Menial Drone Output −25% Complex Drone Output	−60 Stability −10% Monthly Unity −10% Menial Drone Output −30% Complex Drone Output	Colony is destroyed
	Shield Complex Drones −1 Energy per colony Complex Drone −20% Menial Drone Output Progress scales with number of Menial Drones Option to gain the Machine Interface Center planetary feature if  Rogue Servitor	−30 Stability −25% Menial Drone Output −5% Complex Drone Output	−60 Stability −10% Monthly Unity −30% Menial Drone Output −10% Complex Drone Output	Colony is destroyed
	No Shielding −20% Complex Drone Output −20% Menial Drone Output Progress scales with number of Pops Option to gain the Machine Interface Center planetary feature if  Rogue Servitor	−30 Stability −25% Menial Drone Output −25% Complex Drone Output	−60 Stability −10% Monthly Unity −30% Menial Drone Output −30% Complex Drone Output	Colony is destroyed

AI-Related Incidents

AI-Related Incidents is a Mid-Game situation that can happen to empires enslaving Artificial Intelligence. It has a 30% chance to occur every 10 years after the Mid-Game year as long as the following requirements are met:

• The empire has researched either the  Sapient Combat Simulations or Synthetics technology
• The empire does not have the  The Flesh Is Weak ascension perk
• At least 25% of the empire's pops have the  Mechanical trait
• The Artificial Intelligence Policy is not set to Citizen Rights

Once the situation starts it will progress at a rate scaling with the number of  Mechanical pops in the empire as well as each time a  Mechanical pop is purged. The situation will initially use the approach Maintain Current Measures, which does not have any effects. It offers two alternative approaches but choosing any of them is permanent.

• Outlaw Robots: Changes the Robotic Workers policy to Outlawed. This will instantly add +25% Situation Progress. The approach is not available to  Materialist and  Fanatic Materialist empires.
• Grant Robots Citizenship: Changes the Artificial Intelligence policy to Citizen Rights and adds a significant reduction to situation progress. The approach is not available to  Spiritualist and  Fanatic Spiritualist empires.

While the situation is active two special projects will be available. Completing either special project will end the situation at the cost of 500  Energy and 1000  Unity.

• Neutralize Rampant AI: Costs 30000  Physics research. Completing it gives −10%  Research Speed for 20 years.
• Panicked Measures: Costs 10000  Physics research. Completing it gives −25%  Research Speed for 20 years.

The situation keeps track of a value of  Determined Exterminator points, which increases each time a  Mechanical pop is purged. If the situation progresses completely there is a chance for the machine empire to start with the  Determined Exterminator civic that scales with these points. When the situation first starts the robots will ask if they possess souls. Answering no will add +1 points while answering yes will add −2 points.  Materialist and  Fanatic Materialist empires have a third answer which does not add or subtract any points. In addition, while the situation is active there is a 45% chance each month that an event will trigger, potentially further adding or subtracting points.

Event	Requirements	Choices	Effects
A Home of Their Own	None	Send in the laborers anyway	−1 Mechanical pops on a planet +5 Situation Progress +1 Determined Exterminator points
		Why would a robot lie?	−10% Monthly Unity for 10 years on a planet −1 Determined Exterminator points
A Silent Congregation	None	Unacceptable. Have them scrapped.	−1 Mechanical pops on a planet +500 Alloys +5 Situation Progress +1 Determined Exterminator points
		As long as they don't cause trouble.	−10% Unity from Jobs for 10 years on a planet −1 Determined Exterminator points
Production Quota Surpluses	None	Excellent.	+5% Resources from Jobs for 10 years
Automated Work Process	At least 5  Housing on a planet	Additional laborers never hurt anybody.	+2 Mechanical pops on a planet −5% Happiness for 10 years on a planet −1 Determined Exterminator points
		If they cannot be identified, have them scrapped.	+1000 Alloys +5 Situation Progress +1 Determined Exterminator points
Station Systems Malfunction	Any mining station	We cannot leave the station unmanned.	Mining station is destroyed
		A tragedy with a silver lining.	+3 Energy deposit +5 Situation Progress
Sensor Array Power Surge	Any strategic resource technology	Interesting.	Strategic resource deposit (any that is already researched)
Tears of an AI	Any  Researcher	Unfortunate.	−5% Society Research from Jobs for 5 years
		Launch an inquest to determine the cause.	−5% Society Research from Jobs for 5 years
Combat Control Misfire	At peace At least 2 ships if a fleet  Specialized Combat Computers technology	Unfortunate.	−2 Ships on a fleet

The Machine Uprising with the option to switch empires in red

If the situation progresses completely a Machine Uprising takes place. Once that happens a  Machine Intelligence empire is created, taking control of 25% to 75% of the creator empire's systems depending on the percentage of  Mechanical pops in the empire and instantly purging all creator pops on owned planets. The machine empire has a 23% chance to have the  Driven Assimilator civic and depending on the creator empire's actions may also have the  Determined Exterminator civic. The  Machine Intelligence empire starts a war with the Machine Uprising Wargoal against the creator empire. A human player will be given the option to switch to the  Machine Intelligence empire. The machine empire will also get:

• All of creator's technologies
• 20000  Energy and  Minerals
• 10000  Alloys
• 10000  Food
• 1000  Exotic Gases,  Rare Crystals and  Volatile Motes
• 800  Influence
• 3 Hunter-Killer Armies per planet (6 if  Determined Exterminator)
• 3 fleets that together use 80% of its  Naval Capacity (150% if  Determined Exterminator)

Game concepts