Spaceborne aliens

Version

This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.14) of the game.

Spaceborne aliens

Spaceborne aliens

Enclaves

Guardians

Marauders

Caravaneers

Spaceborne aliens are non-empire creatures and entities encountered in space. Spaceborne aliens have increased stats based on the difficulty settings.

Space fauna

Space fauna are entities which may not even classify as ships or life in the common meaning of those words. They generally inhabit a certain area of space and are seldom seen away from it. Some are peaceful unless provoked, while others are inherently hostile. If killed, space fauna slowly respawns in their home system.

Tiyanki

Tiyanki

The Tiyanki are peaceful migratory space fauna. Completing the First Contact with them will unlock the Frequency Tuning technology.

The Tiyanki have two home systems:

• The first is called Tiyana Vek. It contains 4 Gas Giants that have a deposit of 6 Society each and the star has a deposit of 6 Physics.
• The second is called Tiyun Ort. Its various celestial object deposits produce 6 Physics and 3 Volatile Motes. The ice asteroid Zhaduva contains a level 3 anomaly that will add another deposit of 3 Society. The unique world Orek Vuul contains the archaeology site Tiyanki Grave Mound.

Tiyanki come in 4 growth stages. With Grand Archive DLC, they can be cloned using Food.

Growth stage	Size	Age	Reproductive status	Culling resources per rarity	Hatching time	Components	Reward if killed (natural-grown fauna only)	Base Hull	Base Armor
Tiyanki Hatchling	1	0-14		15 Food	60	3 Energy Syphon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	150 Energy 15 Exotic Gases	500	200
Tiyanki Calf	2	15-29		30 Food	120	3 Energy Syphon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	250 Energy 25 Exotic Gases	1100	300
Tiyanki Bull Tiyanki Cow	4	30-79	12 months	60 Food	240	6 Energy Syphon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	500 Energy 50 Exotic Gases	2400	500
Tiyanki Ox	8	80+	12 months	120 Food	480	6 Energy Syphon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	1000 Energy 50 Exotic Gases	5000	1500

If an empire kills the last Tiyanki fleet and the Enigmatic Observers fallen empire is present, the empire gains a temporary −100 Opinion with them.

Crystalline entities

Crystalline entity

Crystalline Entities keep to their systems until the Mid-Game year is reached, at which point they can expand. Once the First Contact is completed, the empire will be offered the following choices:

• All empires can choose to gain a special project that costs 1500 Physics Research. Once completed, it will grant a choice between the Crystal Focus empire modifier or the Crystal-Infused Plating technology.
• Empires that are Militarist, Xenophobe or Genocidal can choose to gain the Crystal Hunter empire modifier.
• Empires that are Pacifist or
  value others

  Xenophile

  Empath

  Rogue Servitor

  Exploration Protocols

  Fruitful Partnership

  Uses empathetic fauna stance
  can gain a special project that costs 5000 Physics Research and renders Crystalline Entities non-aggressive towards them and unlocks the Crystal-Infused Plating technology as a permanent research option.

The Crystalline Entities home system is a Pulsar that contains the Crystal Nidus, a large crystalline structure guarded by 4 elite fleets.

Crystalline Entities come in 3 growth stages. With Grand Archive DLC, they can be cloned using Minerals and Rare Crystals.

Growth stage	Size	Age	Reproductive status	Culling resources per rarity	Hatching time	Components	Base Hull
Crystal Shardling	1	0-39		2 Rare Crystals	60	3 Small Shard Thrower 2 Small Crystal-Infused Plating 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	300
Crystal Shard	2	40-79		4 Rare Crystals	120	1 Medium Shard Thrower 4 Small Shard Thrower 2 Small Crystal-Infused Plating 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	650
Crystal Quintessence	4	80+	12 months	8 Rare Crystals	240	1 Large Shard Thrower 4 Medium Shard Thrower 2 Small Crystal-Infused Plating 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	1400

Space amoeba

Humanoid science ships encountering a pacified space amoeba mother

Space Amoeba are migratory space fauna. Once the First Contact is completed, the empire will be offered the following choices:

• All empires can choose to gain a Special Project that costs 1500 Society Research. Once completed, it will grant a choice between the Flagellating Movement empire modifier or the Regenerative Hull Tissue technology.
• Empires that are Militarist, Xenophobe or Genocidal can choose to gain the Amoeba Hunter empire modifier.
• Empires that are Pacifist or
  value others

  Xenophile

  Empath

  Rogue Servitor

  Exploration Protocols

  Fruitful Partnership

  Uses empathetic fauna stance
  can gain a special project that costs 5000 Physics Research and renders Space Amoeba non-aggressive towards them and unlocks the Regenerative Hull Tissue technology as a permanent research option.

The Space Amoeba home system is called Amor Alveo and is guarded by 7 Space Amoeba fleets. Its various celestial object deposits produce in total 8 Energy, 12 Minerals, 6 Society, 3 Exotic Gases, 3 Volatile Motes and 2 Rare Crystals.

If the Galactic Community is formed, the Space Amoeba pacification modifier can be offered to all members by passing Space Amoeba Protection Act, but the resolution can only be proposed by empires which already pacified them.

Space Ameoba come in 2 growth stages. With Grand Archive DLC, they can be cloned using Food.

Growth stage	Size	Age	Reproductive status	Culling resources per rarity	Hatching time	Components	Base Hull	Base Armor
Space Amoeba	1	0-29		30 Physics Research	60	3 Small Amoeba Weapon 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	300	100
Space Amoeba Mother	4	30+	6 months	60 Physics Research	240	1 Large Amoeba Weapon 2 Small Amoeba Weapon 1 Amoeba Flagella 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	2000	1500

Voidworms

Voidworms in all growth stages

Voidworms are initially non-aggressive, but may, as part of an event, attack an empire's planet and become hostile. They spawn in a single system and will slowly multiply, the speed depending on galaxy settings. Once the First Contact is completed, the empire will be offered a choice between the Voidworms Hunter empire modifier or a special project that costs 5000 Society Research and gives a choice between the Voidworm Enzymes empire modifier or the Voidworm Immunity technology as a research option.

Voidworm adults do not grow beyond the age of 65. Instead, if 3 Voidworm Adults of age 65 are in the same fleet or the Vivarium, they will fuse into a Voidworm Troika, which can use the Voidworm Spores orbital bombardment.

The Voidworms home system is a Black Hole with 3 Toxic Worlds with a deposit of 1 Dark Matter on each. It contains 3 nests, 3 Adults which will soon merge into a Troika, 9 Juveniles and 9 Nymphs. Juveniles travel across the galaxy up to 25 hyperlanes away from the home system while Nymphs will stay in the home system. The nests will periodically spawn voidworms depending on galaxy settings. If Toxoids is installed, the Toxic Worlds will have the Toxic Terraforming Candidate modifier.

Voidworms come in 4 growth stages. They can be cloned using Food and Minerals.

Space creature	Size	Age	Reproductive status	Culling resources per rarity	Hatching time	Components	Base Hull	Base Armor
Voidworm Nymph	1	0-14		30 Society Research	60	1 Spikespores 1 Voidworm Fangs 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	400	0
Voidworm Juvenile	2	15-59		60 Society Research	120	2 Spikespores 1 Voidworm Fangs 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	800	200
Voidworm Adult	8	60-65		120 Society Research	240	3 Spikespores 1 Voidworm Fangs 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	4000	1000
Voidworm Troika	16	65+	3 months	240 Society Research		7 Spikespores 3 Voidworm Fangs 3 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	12000	3000

Voidworm Plague

The Voidworm Plague is a crisis that can take place while there are any Voidworm Nests remaining after the mid-game start year. The chance ranges from 1% to 50% each year, depending on the number of Voidworms present in the galaxy above a certain minimum defined by galaxy settings.

If a Voidworm Plague takes place, all Voidworms will become hostile and 3 times more powerful. Their bombardment will no longer end at the last 10 Pops and the Voidworm Immunity technology will no longer protect against it. 3 additional Voidworm Troikas will spawn in their home system. Every year, each Voidworm Nest will spawn 9 Nymphs, 6 Juveniles, 3 Adults and 3 Troikas. Voidworms will reach the next growth stage 3 times faster in their home system. Each empire will gain the Voidworm Plague situation. Any empire that completes the situation will no longer be invaded by Voidworms.

The empire that destroys the last Voidworm Nest after the Voidworm Plague took place will gain the Voidworm Heart specimen.

Cutholoids

Cutholoid

Cutholoids are spaceborne aliens hidden in asteroids belts. They will not spawn in systems bordering an empire's home system. The more Asteroids the system has, the more likely it is to contain Cutholoids. Cutholoids will respawn if too many of them are killed. How many systems will contain Cutholoids as well as how few they have to be to begin respawning depends on galaxy settings.

The first time an asteroid hiding a Cutholoid is surveyed, it will swallow the science ship and its leader unless the science ship is cloaked and will issue a special project to recover them. The special project needs 6 months to complete and must be finished within 5 years. The rescued leader has a 50% chance to gain the Cutholoid Victim trait. The special project requires one of the following:

• A fleet with at least 1000 Fleet Power. When the special project is completed the Cutholoid will attack the fleet but killing it leaves behind debris that gives either 1000 Minerals or 200 Rare Crystals.
• A science ship and the Gravity Snares technology. When the special project is completed the Cutholoid will automatically be captured.

Subsequent surveys of an asteroid hiding a Cutholoid will cause the science ship to go MIA unless it is cloaked.

Once the First Contact is completed, the empire will be offered a choice between the Cutholoid Hunter empire modifier or a special project that costs 2000 Engineering Research and gives a choice between the Space Fauna Ship Armor empire modifier or the Asteroidal Carapace technology.

Cutholoids come in 3 growth stages. They can be cloned using Minerals.

Space creature	Size	Age	Reproductive status	Culling resources per rarity	Hatching time	Components	Base Hull	Base Armor
Cutholoid Hatchling	2	0-29		30 Minerals	120	2 Meteoroid Slinger 1 Devouring Maw 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	200	1000
Cutholoid Juvenile	4	30-79		60 Minerals	240	2 Meteoroid Slinger 1 Devouring Maw 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	400	2600
Cutholoid	8	80+	16 months	120 Minerals	480	4 Meteoroid Slinger 1 Devouring Maw 1 Regenerative Hull Tissue Bio-Drive Bio-Thrusters Bio-Sensors	800	4500

Cloned Cutholoids will use their Devouring Maws in combat every 300 days. The weapon only affects enemies smaller than the Cutholoid and cannot target other Cutholoids. Targeted space fauna will be devoured for their resources while ships will be taken control of. Devouring Maws will always target the largest ship it can devour. The ability is lost if the Chutholoid is given a Gastric Fountain mutation.

Capturing space fauna

Vivarium with Tiyanki, Space Amoeba and Voidworms

Space fauna can be captured using Gravity Snares, which are unlocked by researching the technology with the same name. Gravity Snares can be launched by science ships every 80 days, requires the ship to travel to an adjacent system and cost 300 Energy and 75 Alloys per use. The success chance of each gravity snare is 10% per skill level of the science ship Scientist. If the Gravity Snare is fired from the galaxy map, it will always target the oldest space fauna in the selected system. Finishing first contact with a space fauna is necessary to use Gravity Snares on it. Each Gravity Snare will capture one space fauna, with the amount increased by one for each of the following technologies:

• Micro Singularity Enhancements
• Gravity Manipulation Optimization
• Containment System Improvement

Captured space fauna are stored in the Vivarium. Mature space fauna in the Vivarium will reproduce at regular intervals as long as there is sufficient room. Tiyanki and Voidworms require mates while Space Amoeba, Crystalline Entities and Cutholoids do not. Vivarium Capacity is capped at 200.

Captured space fauna can be culled to obtain resources and Genetic Material based on their rarity. If there is no room for newly-captured space fauna in the Vivarium, they are automatically culled.

Cloning

Once the Genetic Material of a space fauna species has been obtained, the space fauna can be cloned at starbases with the required modules. Cloning space fauna in the first growth stage requires the Artificial Breeding technology, cloning space fauna in the second growth stage requires the Improved Incubators technology and cloning space fauna in all growth stages requires the Metabolic Gases technology. The weapons of space fauna designs cannot be changed but they can have mutations. Core components can only be changed if the required integration technology has been researched.

Cloned space fauna have reduced upkeep if they are orbiting their preferred habitat. Tiyanki prefer Gas Giants, Space Amoeba prefer Nebulas, Crystalline Entities prefer Pulsars, Voidworms prefer Black Holes and Cutholoids prefer asteroids.

Cloned space fauna will grow just like Vivarium space fauna. Each time a cloned space fauna reaches the next growth stage, it will update to the design matching the new growth stage. Hovering over a space fauna in the fleet menu will display the remaining time until it reaches the next growth stage.

Genetic Material comes in 4 levels of rarity, which increases the stats of cloned space fauna.

	Common	Rare	Epic	Exceptional
Effects		+10% Hull +10% Armor +10% Shields +5% Damage +5% Evasion +5% Sublight Speed	+20% Hull +20% Armor +20% Shields +10% Damage +10% Evasion +10% Sublight Speed	+30% Hull +30% Armor +30% Shields +20% Damage +20% Evasion +15% Sublight Speed
Capture chance (without Containment Protocols)	80%	15%	4%	1%
Capture chance (with Containment Protocols)	69.5%	23%	6%	1.5%
Breeding result	89% Common 4% Rare 3% Epic 1% Exceptional	78% Common 14% Rare 6% Epic 2% Exceptional	56% Common 28% Rare 12% Epic 4% Exceptional	33% Common 35% Rare 24% Epic 8% Exceptional

Empires that cloned 50 space fauna of a certain species after researching the Advanced Controlled Mutations technology will receive a special project. Completing it unlocks a mutation that can only be used on that particular space fauna species.

Seed pods

Non-hostile space fauna fleets that feed at starbases or orbital rings with a Garden building are loaded with Seed Pods. Hovering over a space fauna fleet that carries Seed Pods on the galaxy map or selecting it shows a Seed Pods icon. Space fauna can carry the seeds from multiple Fruitful Partnership empires, in which case whose seeds make planetfall is determined at random. When a fleet with Seed Pods orbits a habitable planet, the following happens:

• If the planet is uncolonized, it gains the Dormant Seed Pods modifier and the owner of the starbase or orbital ring where the space fauna fleet fed gains an Open Seed Pods special project. The project costs 3000 Energy and takes a month to finish. Finishing it colonizes the planet. The opportunity is lost if another empire colonizes the planet.
• If the planet is colonized by another empire before or after the seeds are dropped, the colony gains a Pop from the main species of the Fruitful Partnership empire and a modifier that grants colony bonuses but gives all empires with the Fruitful Partnership origin at war with the planet's owner a special project that costs 500 Energy to summon armies on the planet. The empire owning the colony gains +50 opinion with the Fruitful Partnership empire. If the two empires did not complete a First Contact, they instantly establish communications.
• If the planet is colonized by the Fruitful Partnership empire with a colony ship, it gains an additional Pop.
• Habitable megastructures cannot be seeded.

Ancient mining drones

Ancient mining drone station

Ancient Mining Drones keep to their systems until the Mid-Game year is reached, at which point they can expand. Once the First Contact is completed, the empire will be offered a choice between the Drone Destroyer empire modifier or a special project that costs 5000 Engineering Research and gives the Drone Mining Techniques empire modifier.

The Ancient Mining Drones home system contains 14 mining stations, each guarded by a fleet of 5 drones, and the Home Base Ore Grinder, which is guarded by 20 destroyers and 30 drones. Destroying the Home Base Ore Grinder grants 4000 Minerals and 500 Alloys.

• If Ancient Relics DLC is enabled, it also grants the Surveyor relic.
• If The Machine Age DLC is enabled, there is a 25% chance for the system to spawn with a Ruined Arc Furnace.

The Ancient Mining Drones use regular ship components. The Cutting Lasers can be reverse-engineered.

Mining Drone	Combat Drone	Destroyer	Base
2 Cutting Laser 1 Armor T1 1 Armor T1 Fusion Reactor Radar System Ion Thrusters	1 Cutting Laser 2 Cutting Laser 1 Armor T1 2 Armor T1 Fusion Reactor Radar System Ion Thrusters	2 Cutting Laser 2 Cutting Laser 1 Armor T1 3 Armor T1 Fusion Reactor Radar System Ion Thrusters	2 Laser T5 3 Strike Craft 5 Armor T1 Fusion Reactor Radar System

Void clouds

The Void Clouds never expand, beyond their starting systems. Once the First Contact is completed the empire will be offered a choice between the Cloud Destroyer empire modifier or a special project that costs 1500 Physics Research and gives the Void Loops empire modifier.

The Void Clouds home system is called Great Wound, a Black Hole cluster guarded by 3 Void Clouds. The central Black Hole contains a deposit of 10 Dark Matter.

The Cloud Lightning Conduits technology can be reverse-engineered from destroyed Void Clouds.

VLUUR

VLUUR is a powerful migrating Void Cloud that has around 32K fleet power and is armed with 8 Cloud Lighting weapons. For as long as VLUUR is in a system, it creates a storm that causes −50% sublight speed and −15% fire rate on ships. VLUUR moves to a new system every 4-7 years.

VLUUR is not hostile but can be attacked. It has powerful shields and high evasion, but low hull, and can be defeated deceptively easy with missile weapons. Defeating VLUUR grants 100 dark matter, and creates various deposits of 1-3 dark matter on up to 4 planets in the system it is defeated in.

Ghost Ship

The Ghost Ship

The Ghost Ship Ubume is a neutral science ship which can be found patrolling the Hillos system, which is guaranteed the spawn in all games. Encountering it leads to its own First Contact, though unlike other spaceborne entities, it is the only one of its kind in the galaxy.

Surveying the Tundra World in the system uncovers the Strange Debris anomaly which, when investigated, leads to a special project which takes 360 days to complete. Researching it reveals the true nature of the Ghost Ship and rewards a moderate amount of physics research. Should the empire have gone for the Psionics tradition, it will receive extra flavor text from being able to communicate with the entity.

The Ghost Ship itself is identical to a normal science ship. If attacked, it will simply be destroyed without consequence.

Bemat Thalassocracy

The Bemat Thalassocracy is a hostile fleet that can appear after the end-game year is reached. It appears in a system owned by an empire that produces at least 180 trade value. The fleet is made up of the following ships:

40 corvettes	35 destroyers	34 cruisers
1 Kinetic T3 1 Plasma T1 1 Disruptor T1 2 Shield T2 1 Afterburners T2 1 Shield Capacitor Jump Drive Impulse Thrusters Gravitic Sensors Zero-Point Reactor Combat Computer T1	1 Plasma T3 1 Plasma T3 3 Laser T5 4 Shield T4 2 Armor T3 1 Shield Capacitor Jump Drive Plasma Thrusters Gravitic Sensors Zero-Point Reactor Combat Computer T2 (Line)	1 Missiles T5 2 Swarmer Missiles T1 2 Disruptor T2 2 Plasma T3 2 Kinetic T3 5 Shield T4 3 Armor T3 1 Auxiliary Fire Control 1 Nanite Repair System Jump Drive Plasma Thrusters Gravitic Sensors Zero-Point Reactor Combat Computer T2 (Artillery)

Nomads

The nomad fleet

Nomads are replaced by Caravaneers if the MegaCorp DLC is enabled.

The Nomads, or Namarians as they call themselves, are a passive millennia old intergalactic race with no homeworld, forever traveling the void in their starships. Once they establish communications with an empire, the nomads help establish communications between any encountered empires that haven't discovered each other yet. They travel from system to system during their temporary stay in the galaxy, and eventually set sail for another galaxy. Events related to them can take place during their stay.

The date when and if the Nomads arrive is determined at game start, with the following chances per human player:

• 20% chance to appear after 7,300 to 7,800 days (roughly 20.28 to 21.67 years)
• 25% chance to appear after 14,600 to 15,100 days (roughly 40.56 to 41.94 years)
• 25% chance to appear after 20,075 to 20,575 days (roughly 55.76 to 57.15 years)
• 30% chance to not trigger (they may still appear if another human player rolls them)

If more than one player triggers the Nomads, they spawn a single time on the earliest date.

When they arrive, the Nomads spawn in a random non-hostile rim system that no regular empire has more than low intel on. Upon appearing, they decide the midpoint and endpoint systems of their journey.

• Midpoint: A random non-hostile system with a distance of 250 to 500 from their starting system. If no such system exists, they choose a system with a distance of 150 to 500, whether or not it's hostile.
• Endpoint: A random rim system with a distance of 400 to 1450 from their starting system. If no such system exists, they choose a system with a distance of 250 to 1450.

On their journey, Nomads perform an action on entering a system. Those actions depends on if the system has an owner and what their relationship with the owner is. If the system is owned by an empire they haven't contacted and isn't hostile to them, they start orbiting a random planet in the system until contact is established. The system owner is unable to decipher their communications, but contact is always established after 100 days. After contact is established, they send the owner a request. If they enter another system owned by the same empire, they roll for a request again. Each interaction has the following chances:

• 30% – Ask to leave some pops on an owned planet within the empire's borders. If the empire agrees, three Egalitarian Namarian pops spawn on a random Arid, Desert, or Savannah colony. A colony is 6 times as likely to be chosen if it has more than 0 free housing and 11 times as likely to be chosen if it has more than 1 free housing. Namarians are immortal and have the Desert Preference, Nomadic, Venerable, and Natural Engineers traits. If the Grand Archive DLC is installed this will give the Namarian Sculpture specimen.
  • ×0 If the system owner does not have a colony on a Dry planet
  • ×0 If the system owner is a Hive Mind
  • ×0.75 If they've already left pops with the system owner
  • ×1.5 If they haven't left pops with the system owner yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
  • ×0.3 If the system owner's slavery policy is set to Allowed
• 30% – Ask for an uncolonized planet to colonize, forming a new empire. If the empire agrees, they gain 150 to 300 influence and a random uncolonized Arid, Desert, Tropical, Ocean, or Gaia world within their borders becomes the capital of a new single-system Namarian empire. The new empire has Democratic authority, the Egalitarian, Spiritualist, and Xenophile ethics, random civics, and a decaying +100 opinion modifier towards the empire. The new empire starts with 14 Egalitarian Namarian pops that have their climate preference trait changed to match their new planet, 1000 energy and minerals, and 500 influence. If the Grand Archive DLC is installed this will give the Namarian Colonist Standard specimen.
  • ×0 If the system owner doesn't control an uncolonized Tundra, Arid, Desert, Tropical, Continental, or Gaia world in an uninhabited system.
  • ×0 If the system owner is a Hive Mind
  • ×0.5 If they've already colonized a planet from any empire
  • ×1.75 If they haven't colonized a planet yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
• 30% – Sell 5 or 15 Cruisers. If the Grand Archive DLC is installed this will give the Namarian Vessel Heraldry specimen.
  • ×0 If the system owner already was offered ships
  • ×0.25 If the system owner is Fanatic Militarist or Fanatic Xenophobe
  • ×0.5 If they already sold ships to an empire
  • ×1.75 If they haven't sold ships to anyone yet and the system owner is some degree of Xenophile, Egalitarian, or Spiritualist
• 10% – Move on with no request.

If the system has no owner, isn't hostile, and isn't the mid- or endpoint of their journey, they perform a peaceful action with the following chances:

• 10% – Repair fleet and build new ships.
  • ×10 If under 3k Fleet Power
  • ×5 If under 5k Fleet Power
  • ×0 If over 10k Fleet Power or have built new ships within the last 120 days
• 80% – Pick a random planet and wait in orbit for 40–50 days. Afterwards, they have a 25% chance to move on and 75% chance to pick another planet in the system to orbit. They orbit a maximum of three planets this way before moving on.
  • ×0 If less than 1.5k Fleet Power
• 10% – Move on without doing anything.

While the Nomads are inherently peaceful, a fight can be picked in order to get access to their technology. Nomads are easy prey but their technology is just average by midgame, making this rarely useful. The nomad fleet consists of the following:

20 Protectors	3 Ark Ships
1 Laser T4 2 Point-Defense T2 2 Armor T3 1 Shields T3 Hyper Drive III Plasma Thrusters Subspace Sensors Antimatter Reactor Combat Computer T3 (Picket)	Hyper Drive III Plasma Thrusters Subspace Sensors Antimatter Reactor

Enigmatic Cache

Enigmatic Cache

The Enigmatic Cache, or BALDOR as it calls itself, is a tubular entity that emerges from any Gateway or L-Gate once the mid-game year is reached, if any player empire is at peace, and sets course for the nearest empire that is not at war. Upon taking damage to its hull, it instantly teleports away to the closest system with a Gateway or L-Gate.

Once the Enigmatic Cache enters an empire's borders, it starts orbiting each one of the empire's colonies for a decade. As long as it orbits a colony, it gives a +30% research output modifier to the colony, but also −10% happiness to any pops with the Xenophobe ethic. The first time the Enigmatic Cache orbits an empire's colony, the empire receives the option of issuing a special project to study it or leave it alone and gain 50 influence. The special project costs 2500 engineering research, and finishing it refunds 18x engineering output (350~100 000) and grants an L-Gate insight, if the empire has discovered an L-Gate. Once all colonies have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache sets course for the nearest empire and repeats the process.

Enigmatic Uplifting

After all colonies in the galaxy have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache goes to the capital of a biological empire that did not attack it and requests to uplift the main species via a special project that takes 2 years. In multiplayer, the human player with the lowest relative power is chosen, random if tied. In singleplayer, the player empire is always chosen.

Enigmatic Dreams

If the main species doesn't have Intelligent or Quick Learners, 60 to 80 days into the project there is a 50% chance to be given the choice between aborting the uplift or adding the Fatigued modifier ( −30% resources from jobs) on 60 random non-robotic main species pops that have one of the following jobs:

Job	Gestalt Consciousness Job0
Unemployed
Researcher	Brain Drone / Calculator
Metallurgist	Foundry Drone / Fabricator
Artisan	Artisan Drone
Culture Worker
Chemist	Chemist Drone
Translucer	Translucer Drone
Gas Refiner	Gas Refiner Drone
Technician	Technician Drone
Miner	Mining Drone
	Agri-Drone
Crystal Miner	Crystal Mining Drone
Gas Extractor	Gas Extraction Drone
Mote Harvester	Mote Harvesting Drone

The modifier lasts until the uplift process is completed or aborted.

Alert

130 to 170 days into the project, the empire is notified that the Enigmatic Cache is deteriorating. 4 random non-robotic main species pops (with the same job restrictions as Enigmatic Dreams) gain the Vegetable modifier ( −80% resources from jobs) until the uplift is completed or aborted, and the player is offered the following options:

• Abort the uplift, causing the Enigmatic Cache to teleport away and never return.
• Ignore it. Once the project is complete, the 4 pops with the Vegetable modifier gain the Unlifted trait ( −60% research), all other non-robotic main species pops gain the Somewhat Uplifted trait ( +10% research), and all of them gain the PTSD modifier ( −20% happiness) for 10 years. The Enigmatic Cache remains in orbit above the capital and permanently gives its research output modifier.
• Issue a special project to repair the Enigmatic Cache with a construction ship. Once the uplift is complete, if the repair project was finished, the main species gains the Uplifted trait ( +10% Research and +10% leader experience gain) and lose the Slow Learners trait. The Enigmatic Cache also remains in orbit above the capital and permanently gives its research output modifier. If any pops from the main species didn't have the Intelligent or Quick Learners trait, there's a 75% chance they gain the Ignorance is Bliss modifier ( −10% happiness) for 10 years.
• If the main species has the Erudite trait, Uplifted will not be applied, as it is incompatible.

Note: The traits do not give unique bonuses to leaders despite the tooltips saying they do.

References

Game concepts