Spaceborne aliens

Version

This article is considered accurate for the current version (2.3) of the game.

Spaceborne aliens

Spaceborne aliens

Marauders

Caravaneers

Spaceborne aliens are spacefaring forms of life which will likely be the first aliens that new spacefarers will encounter. Every difficulty level above Ensign increases the power of Leviathans and Marauder Empires, with the exact raised stats varying for each. Other Spaceborne Aliens are not affected by the difficulty level.

Space creatures

Humanoid science ships encountering a Space Amoeba Mother

Space creatures are entities which may not even classify as ships or life in the common meaning of the words. They generally inhabit a certain area of space and are seldom seen away from it. Upon discovery a special project will be added to the situation log, which when completed will allow an empire to deal with them in three ways:

• Researching unlocks a special project for detailed research that will grant a choice between an empire modifier and possibly a creature technology.
• Hunting will grant a +33% damage bonus empire modifier towards that type of Space Creature, and resources rewards upon killing them. If the creatures cannot be pacified the option is available to all empires, otherwise it is only available to Militarist, Xenophobe or Genocidal empires.
• Pacify will unlock a special project that costs 5000 Physics research and allows an empire to turn the space creatures permanently non-hostile and unlock the ability to research all special components the creatures use. Only 2 of the 5 Space Creatures can be pacified. Pacified space creatures will not attack even in retaliation. This option is available to Pacifist or Xenophile Empires.

If killed, space creatures will keep respawning in their home system unless an empire's sensor range covers the system.

Space Creatures	Research option bonuses	Hunting	Pacifying	Home System	Tactics
Ancient Mining Drones	Cost: 1000 Engineering research +10% Mining Station Minerals			Contains 2 normal mining stations and the Home Base Ore Grinder. Each station is guarded by two fleets, one purely destroyers and one made of drones. Destroying Home Base Ore Grinder grants the Surveyor Relic.	Defensibly: Shields - their Cutting Lasers deal +25% damage against armor but -50% against shields. Against the Hub minimal point defense is advisable. Offensibly: Energy weapons - their ships use only armor Unique salvage: Cutting Lasers, energy weapons which are about on par with T1 Plasma Weapons but deal more damage to hull and less to armor.
Crystalline Entities	Cost: 1000 Physics research +5% Energy from Jobs OR Crystal-Infused Plating tech			Contains Crystal Nidus, a large crystalline structure guarded by 4 elite fleets. The system can be safely explored and claimed if the crystalline entities have been pacified. As their home system has a pulsar, shields will be useless when attacking it.	Defensibly: Armor or shields - their shard weapons deal +50% damage against hull but have no other bonus Offensibly: Any weapon - Crystalline Entities have resilient and regenerating hulls but no shields or armor Unique salvage: Crystal-Infused Plating from ships, Crystal-Forged Plating from Crystal Nidus, both are the only hull increasing components in the game.
Space Amoeba	Cost: 1000 Society research +5% Evasion OR Regenerative Hull Tissue tech			Nomadic creatures, no home system	Defensibly: Shields and point defense - their weapons deal +25% damage against armor and large amoeba launch strike craft Offensibly: Energy weapons - Space Amoeba have natural armor and regenerate Unique salvage: Amoeba Flagella, strike craft as strong as tier 3 fighters
Void Clouds	Cost: 1000 Physics research +10% Physics Output			Always called Great Wound, it is a black hole cluster guarded by 3 Void Cloud fleets. Most black holes have deposits of 4 Physics and the central one contains the largest Dark Matter deposit in the galaxy. The system should be attacked with a highly superior force due to the effects of black holes on space battles.	Defensibly: Crystal plated hulls if available - their weapons ignore both shields and armor. Their erratic damage can sometimes destroy Corvettes in one hit. Offensibly: Missiles and Autocannons - Void Clouds have equal amounts of natural shields and hull Unique salvage: Cloud Lightning, L weapons that ignore both shields and armor
Tiyanki Space Whales	Frequency Tuning tech		Already passive	Nomadic creatures, no home system	Defensibly: Armor - their Energy Siphons ignore shields but deal -75% damage to armor Offensibly: Energy weapons - Tiyanki have a 2:1 Ratio of Hull points to armor Unique salvage: Regenerative Hull Tissue Aggressiveness: If a Tiyanki fleet is attacked the entire species will turn hostile towards the attacker

Nomads

The nomad fleet

Nomads are replaced by Caravaneers if 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 the nomads will act as a sort of "bridge" between the player and unknown alien empires, and the player is likely to soon be barraged by a large number of "Communications Established" events as more and more alien empires are discovered by the nomads, and, by extension, the player. They travel from system to system and their stay in the galaxy is temporary and will eventually set sail for another one. Events related to them can take place during their stay.

The date when and if the Nomads arrive is rolled at game start, with the following chances:

• 20% chance to appear after 20 years + 100 days
• 25% chance to appear after 40 years + 200 days
• 25% chance to appear after 55 years + 275 days
• 30% chance to never appear

When their time is due they will spawn in a random Rim System that has no ship in it and that no empire has a intel level better than low. Upon appearing, they will decide the mid point and endpoint of their journey. On their journey Nomads will perform an action when entering a system. Those actions depends on if the system has an owner and what the relationship with the owner is.

If the system is owned by an empire that has neither contact nor is hostile to them, they will start orbiting a random planet in the system until contact is established. The player is not capable of deciphering their communications but contact will always be established by them after 100 days. After contact is established they will send the owner a request. If they enter another system owned by the same empire they will roll for a request again. Each interaction has the following chances:

• 30% - Ask to leave some pops on an owned planet within your borders
  • x0 If the system owner does not have a colonized Dry planet within borders or is a Hive Mind
  • x0.75 if they already left pops before
  • x1.5 if any form of Xenophile, Egalitarian or Spiritualist Empire and not already left pops before
  • x0.3 if Slavery policy is set to Allowed
    • Nomads traits are Desert Preference, Nomadic, Venerable and Natural Engineers.
• 30% - Ask for a planet to settle on, forming a new empire
  • x0 if there is no habitable and uncolonized planet or if the system owner is a Hive Mind
  • x0.5 if they already settled one planet
  • x1.75 if any form of Xenophile, Egalitarian or Spiritualist Empire and did not already settle a planet
    • Nomads ethics are Egalitarian, Spiritualist and Xenophile.
• 30% - Sell 5 or 15 Cruisers
  • x0 if the system owner already was offered ships
  • x0.25 if system owner is Fanatic Militarist or Fanatic Xenophobe
  • x0.5 if already sold ships to an empire
  • x1.75 if any form of Xenophile, Egalitarian or Spiritualist Empire and not already sold ships to anyone
• 10% - Move on with no request

If the system has no owner, and neither hostile, mid- or endpoint of their journey, they will perform a peaceful action with the following chances:

• 10% - Build new Ships
  • x10 if under 3k Fleet Power
  • x5 if under 5k Fleet Power
  • x0 if over 10k or has the have the ship building lockout
• 80% - Pick a random planet and wait in orbit for 30–50 days. Afterwards, they have a 25% chance to move on and 75% chance to pick another planet in the system to repeat it
  • x0 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 Hyperdrive T3 Thrusters T3 Sensors T3 Reactor T4 Combat Computer T3 (Picket)	Hyperdrive T3 Thrusters T3 Sensors T3 Reactor T4

Enclaves

The Curator enclave is enabled for owners of Distant Stars as well.

Enclave station

Enclaves are neutral NPC spawned factions. They do not own any planets but consist of large enclave stations. They primarily exist to be interacted with via Diplomacy Menu using the "Others" filter. There are 3 types of enclaves: Artisans, Curators and Traders. Each of them has between 2 or 3 basic interactions and one or two restricted interactions that can only be used after an Opinion of at least 50 is reached. Their maximum Opinion is 100 and an empire builds opinion with them by using their services or having starbases in their systems. The enclave Opinion is tracked wholly via the trust mechanic and no other Diplomacy bonuses or penalties apply.

The primary resource for interacting with enclaves is energy. All actions are repeatable but some of the actions also have an increasing cost. The price increases as an empire's population goes past certain thresholds:

Pops	Energy cost
0-60	1000
61-120	2000
121-180	3000
181-240	4000
241+	5000

During the renewal request after a modifier runs out, the player will be able to renew the deal for a sum of energy credits which scales with the number of the empire's population. With Trader enclaves you will be asked how many monthly units (of the respective rare resource sold by the enclave) you want to buy.

Enclave	Option	Effect	Requirements
Curators	Research aid	Gain the Curator Insight modifier for 10 years (+10% Research Speed) +20 Opinion	scales with population
	Mysteries of the Universe - not known	Adds a Leviathan point of interest will be added to the situation log +10 Opinion	300
	Mysteries of the Universe - how to defeat	Adds a permanent +25% Damage modifier against the chosen Leviathan +20 Opinion	1000
	L-Gates	Gain an L-Gate Insight +20 Opinion	5000 Once per 10 years
	Establish Think Tank	Allow the construction of Curator Think Tanks buildings in enclave system starbases	50
	Recruit scientist	Gain a level 5 Scientist with the Curator trait	50 5000
	Infinity mystery	Gain 500 Engineering research	Mirror of Knowledge modifier
Artisans	Become patron	Gain the Patron of the Arts modifier for 10 years (+10% Monthly Unity). Becoming a patron also allows Patron Events to trigger: Newsletter events give the option to convert 500 Energy into 50 Influence. It can only happen up to 4 times. Equipment malfunction events give the option to get 500 Minerals or 50 Influence. The more important one grants access to the Planet Unique Ministry of Culture for 500 Energy.	scales with population
	Commission art piece	Gain the Exhibit Art Monument Decision +10 Opinion	600 Does not own 5
	Found Art College	Allow the construction of Art College buildings in enclave system starbases	50
	Organize festival	+15 Opinion Gain the Festival of Worlds modifier for 10 years (+15% Happiness and +10% Pop Growth Speed). There is also a chance for one of the following to happen within the next year: 10% chance: A stampede kills a pop. You can either divert the media's attention for 100 Influence or suffer a negative modifier for two years. 10% chance: Some artisans wish to settle. Accepting will add 2 artisan pops to one of your worlds. The climate preference will always match. 5% chance: The artisans steal 500 , end the festival modifier and refuse to communicate for 10 years. (increased chance for Xenophobe empire)	50 1000
Traders	Strategic Resource deal	Provides a unit of a rare resource for 10 years. The resource amount and can be scaled up to 5 times. The higher the volume, the faster Opinion increases. Resources vary based on which specific trader Enclave is encountered: XuraCorp sells Exotic Gases Muutagan Merchant Guild sells Rare Crystals Riggan Commerce Exchange sells Volatile Motes	500 per unit 10 monthly per unit
	Seek expertise	Gain an immortal level 5 Governor with the Enclave Trader trait (once per enclave)	50 500

Curator strength opinion

Curator enclaves can always be asked how would the player's fleets fare against the leviathans. Depending on the total fleet power they will give the following replies:

• Below 5k: Poorly. Very poorly. Wait a second, you're not actually thinking of...? My goodness, with the ships you have? It... it would be a slaughter!
• Between 5k and 15k: I would strongly advise against it. Your attacks would likely be more of an annoyance than a threat.
• Between 15k and 30k: Hmmm... yes... yes, I suppose you might actually stand a chance. If you combined your entire fleet... it would not be an easy victory, mind you, but one that is at least within the realm of possibility.
• Over 30k: Yours is a mighty fleet, comparable to some of the greatest armadas recorded in the annals of the Curator Order. Victory is certainly within your reach.

Note that their advice is inaccurate on the highest difficulties and you require an even stronger fleet.

Attacking enclaves

While enclaves will never become hostile to any empire except in retaliation, they can be attacked like any neutral entity. With around 7k fleet power and highest level weapons they are no easy prey but various rewards can be salvaged from their remnants, depending on the type of enclave destroyed. Each enclave station is equipped with the following:

	Curator station	Artisan station	Trader enclave
Loadout	1 Lance T2 4 Torpedo T3 6 Energy Torpedo T2 6 Disruptor T3 6 Disruptor T3 4 Point-Defense T3 10 Armor T5 10 Shield T5 2 Shield Capacitor Sensor T4	1 Arc Emitter T2 4 Missile T5 6 Laser T5 6 Plasma Cannon T3 6 Autocannon T3 4 Point-Defense T3 10 Armor T5 10 Shield T5 2 Shield Capacitor Sensor T4	1 Cannon T2 4 Multi-Missiles T2 6 Artillery T2 6 Kinetic T5 6 Autocannon T3 4 Flak T2 10 Armor T5 10 Shield T5 2 Shield Capacitor Sensor T4
Reward	1000 Engineering Research 1000 Physics Research 1000 Society Research	2000 Energy Credits 2000 Minerals	2000 Energy Credits 2000 Minerals

Enclave stations do not drop debris for salvage. Attacking a curator or artisan enclave will make every enclave station of the same type unavailable for trade.

Destroying a curator or trader enclave station brings a small and temporary opinion reduction towards most other empires. Destroying an artisan enclave will not due to their duplicitous reputation.

Leviathans

Leviathans are extremely powerful Spaceborne aliens found in specific, predetermined systems and rivalling moons in size and mass. They are marked with a skull icon both in the fleet power box and on the galactic map. Each leviathan has a unique event chain. While one can just stumble over one during exploration, they can also be found with the help of the curator enclave. Leviathans have an immense amount of health and should only be engaged mid-late game.

Leviathans get various bonuses to make them stronger based on the game difficulty. AI empires will only attack leviathans if their fleet power is at least 40k.

Leviathan	Rewards	Tactics
Asteroid Hives	Defeating the leviathan gives the following rewards: 500 Energy 2000 Society research The 5 unique crystal asteroids bring a total of 40 Minerals when mined	Defensibly: Point defense - these leviathans use only strike craft weapons Offensibly: Strike craft - they can both attack the leviathans and engage their strike craft Preparation: Entering the system will describe it in an event window but the Hives will only awaken after the system is claimed with the following MMTH: Mining Stations 0 1 2 3 4 5 MTTH 100 years 33.3 years 11.1 years 3.7 years 1.2 years 0.4 years
Automated Dreadnought	Defeating the leviathan gives the following two choices: Salvage the dreadnought for 5000 Energy and Minerals and 1000-5000 Engineering research. Issue a special project to repair and use it. The project costs 10000 Engineering research and the ship will use either a jump drive or a psi jump drive, if the Empire has it. The system also contains two habitable planets of size 16 and 20.	Unlike other leviathans the Automated Dreadnought (and the repaired one) use regular components Weapons Utility Core 2 Launcher T2 5 Plasma Cannon T3 3 Plasma Cannon T3 2 Disruptor T3 3 Point-Defense T3 6 Armor T5 6 Shields T5 3 Shield Capacitor 2 Regenerative Hull Tissue Tachyon Sensors (Psi) Jump Drive Sapient CPU (Line tactics) Impulse Thrusters
Dimensional Horror	Defeating the leviathan will leave behind a dimensional rift, with a project that takes 140 days to be researched. Once examined, it will give the following rewards: 4000-6000 Physics Research 4000-6000 Society Research Unlock the Jump Drive technology with 50% progress if not already researched	Defensibly: Shields and Evasion - this leviathan's weapons ignore armor but deal -75% damage to shields and have low tracking Offensibly: Kinetic Artillery - this leviathan has equal amounts of hull, shield and armor but no evasion at all. Size X weapons are also effective for the same reason. Engagement: The Dimensional Horror can strike across the entire system so the fleet should move fast or jump from a close hyperlane
Enigmatic Fortress	Defeating and successfully investigating the leviathan gives the following rewards: 1000-5000 Engineering Research 1000-5000 Physics Research 1000-5000 Society Research Unlock the Enigmatic Encoder and Enigmatic Decoder technologies If the Enigmatic Fortress is not investigated after being defeated, it will repower and become hostile again.	Defensibly: Armor - this leviathan uses only Kinetic Artillery and Stormfire Autocannon weapons Offensibly: Kinetic Artillery - this leviathan has high hull but few shields and even less armor and at artillery range ships cannot be engaged by the autocannons Repower: The Ancient Vault can be repowered following poor event decisions. Clues can be bought from the Curators. The following table reveals all choices (SPOILERS): No Choice Outcome 1 Demolitions Team Expedition proceeds but Transport ship is destroyed 1 Local Power Surge - Go with the higher estimate (-500 energy) Vault repowers 1 Local Power Surge - Go with the lower estimate (-50 energy) Expedition proceeds 2 Place metal rings around the remaining two poles Vault repowers 2 Search for torus-shaped indentations on the bulkhead Vault repowers 2 Rearrange the metal tori on the poles Expedition proceeds 2 Remove center and rightmost poles from the pedestal Vault repowers 3 Home System Research - The beginning Vault repowers 3 Home System Research - The middle Event success 3 Home System Research - The end Vault repowers 3 Supply Dark Matter (-10 Dark Matter) Event success 3 Use Force (1 military ship) Event failed - the vault and all ships in the system are destroyed, every habitable planet is turned into a Tomb world and every uninhabitable one into a Molten world 3 Black Hole Research (special project) Event success
Ether Drake	Defeating the leviathan gives the following rewards: 300 Influence The Admiral leading the fleet defeating the leviathan gains the Dragonslayer trait The Empire Capital gains the Dragonslayer Monument planetary feature The Empire gains the Ether Drake Trophy Relic The planet it guarded, Dragon's Hoard, has a deposit of 30 Energy and Minerals. Building a mining station will reveal one of the following within 50 years: Dragon's Tomb: The remains can be studied to unlock the Artificial Dragonscales tech or grinded for 100-4000 Minerals and 1000-5000 Society research Dragon's Brood: The egg can be smashed for 300 Influence or used in a special project that takes 50000 Society research to hatch a controllable Dragonspawn with 6K Fleet Power.	Defensibly: Shields - this leviathan uses only energy weapons that do -20% damage to shields Offensibly: Energy weapons - this leviathan has high hull and armor but no shields Aggressiveness: If the Ether Drake loses 20% HP it will attack two of the attacker's systems until the starbases are disabled or the leviathan loses 85% of its HP. Starbases disabled by the Ether Drake are destroyed but rebuild into Frontier Outposts once the leviathan leaves.
Infinity Machine	A year or two after discovering it the Infinity Machine will send out a transmission and start a special project (360 days with a scientist who is more than level 3) to contact it. Depending on government ethics some empires can try saying the liar paradox but it has no effect. The player can offer to help it and start a very lengthy special project (1800 days) at the black hole that can only be done by a level 5 scientist. Finishing the project will have one of the following outcomes. 50% chance the project fails but the leviathan will reward you the Positronic AI technology. If the Positronic AI was researched it will reward you the Zero Point Power technology. If both were researched it will grant the empire +5% Research Output. 25% chance the project succeeds and the leviathan enters the black hole. It will grant the Positronic AI technology. If the Positronic AI was researched it will reward you the Zero Point Power technology. If both were researched it will grant 150 Influence. In addition the black hole will get a 4 Research deposit. 25% chance he project succeeds and the leviathan enters the black hole and shrinks it to a smaller size renamed Pantagruel. The empire will get 200 Influence (which is not shown) and permanently gain +10% Research Speed. In addition the black hole will get a 10 Research deposit. Depending on empire ethics, another option can be available after the investigation project is completed. Spiritualist empires can declare the leviathan a divine object, granting a +5% Happiness empire modifier. Militarist empires can destroy the leviathan with an army without fighting it to gain the same bonuses as when defeating it. Materialist empires can attempt to hack the leviathan. Chance is 50% and if successful it permanently grants a +5% research bonus as well as either the Positronic AI or the Zero Point Power technology. If both were researched it will grant 1000-5000 Society research. For empires this is the only option. This approach destroys the Infinity Machine. Alternatively the leviathan can be attacked, forcing it to open and become aggressive. Destroying it will allow the Infinity Machine to be broken down for a large bonus of minerals and influence, or study its nature for advances in robotics. This removes any bonus awarded thus far.	Defensibly: Shields and point defense - this leviathan uses laser weapons and strike craft Offensibly: Kinetic weapons - this leviathan has strong shields and point defenses and good evasion Preparation: As this leviathan is not initially hostile its system can be claimed and the starbase can be upgraded in to a bastion citadel in preparation for the fight.
Spectral Wraith	Defeating the leviathan gives a permanent empire modifier with the following effects: +5% Physics Research Speed +5% Energy Weapons Damage +10% Energy from Jobs	Defensibly: Shields - this leviathan uses only energy weapons Offensibly: Small energy weapons - this leviathan uses only armor and hull but has high evasion Frequency: The Spectral Wraith will have one of three colors: red, yellow or blue. In systems with stars of the same color it gets -50% Armor and Evasion. Preparation: This leviathan will only spawn after the mid-game year. If the pulsar is scanned before that happens it will bring an event window and the star will gain the Pulse Germination modifier, letting the empire know that is the system where it will spawn.
Stellarite Devourer	Defeating the leviathan will give the option to investigate its remains that takes 60 days to be researched. Once examined it will give the following options: Harvest the remains for a large bonus of Energy, Minerals and Influence Try to reignite the Sun in the leviathan's home System. The Project has a 30% chance to kill the scientist and its ship but is guaranteed to turn the whole System more habitable: All Frozen Planets will become Arctic planets, with one guaranteed Gaia World. All other planets undergo a temperature increase as well, rerolling them completely. Xenophobes and Militarists have the option to instead create a trophy special feature on their capital world, granting +5% Happiness and +6 monthly Unity.	Defensibly: Any - some of the leviathan's weapons are effective against armor while others against shields Offensibly: Plasma weapons - this leviathan has exceptionally high hull and point defenses Aggressiveness: If the Stellarite was engaged and did not lose at least 67% HP it will attack one of the attacker's systems until the starbase is disabled and then stay for 90 days until retreating. If the system is colonized all planets will get -25% Happiness and Habitability until the leviathan leaves.
Corrupted Avatar	Defeating the leviathan allows free access to its system. It contains a Gaia World which when surveyed will reveal a level V anomaly. Investigating it will grant access to the Neural Tissue Engineering technology to organic empires or a very large amount of Society research if Machine Intelligence. The gas giant in the system will also have a Exotic Gases deposit. Unlike other leviathans the Corrupted Avatar will always be present if the required DLC is installed. Its system is accessible only via a wormhole which will appear even if wormholes were disabled on game startup.	Defensibly: Shields - this leviathan uses only energy weapons that do -75% damage to shields and ignore armor Offensibly: Energy weapons - this leviathan has moderate hull and high shields but no armour Avoiding: The leviathan can be avoided by setting a science ship's stance to passive and guiding it around the leviathan. This approach does not allow colonizing the Gaia World but it does allow the research reward to be claimed.
Scavenger Bot	Defeating the leviathan gives the following rewards: Unlock the Nanite Repair System technology Gain two random Tier V component techs or a large amount of Engineering research if all techs were already researched The two broken planets in the system bring a total of 20 Minerals when mined	Defensibly: Armor and point defense - this leviathan uses only guided weapons Offensibly: Torpedoes and strike craft - this leviathan uses equal amounts of shields and armor but has no point defense and barely any evasion
Tiyanki Matriarch	Defeating the leviathan gives the following rewards: AH4B, a battleship equipped with the highest tier weapon and defense components. It can be used or scrapped for 1500 Minerals. Reth Unddol, a level 5 admiral with the unique Hell's Heart trait. Genocidal empires will kill him for 120-350 Unity instead.	Defensibly: Shields - this leviathan and two weapons, one that ignores armor and does -75% damage against shields and one that deals double damage against both shields and armor Offensibly: Energy weapons - this leviathan has exceptional hull and light armor but no shields
Voidspawn	Defeating the leviathan gives the following rewards: 600-6000 Unity Option to start a special project that takes 140 days to research and unlocks the Gargantuan Evolution technology The planet it hatched from also gains a 20 Society deposit	Defensibly: Armor and point defense - this leviathan uses only guided weapons Offensibly: Energy weapons - this leviathan has high hull and armor but no shields Preparation: The Voidspawn is an unborn leviathan. Its egg is indistinguishable from a Dry planet, and if colonized an event will slowly start changing the world. One year later there is a 60% chance that the Voidspawn will hatch and destroy the colony.
Shard	Defeating the leviathan grants the Rubricator Relic	Defensibly: Shields - this leviathan uses only energy weapons that do -20% damage to shields Offensibly: Energy weapons - this leviathan has high hull and armor but no shields Preparation: The Shard will appear when finishing excavating the Kleptomaniac Rats Archaeology Site. As the excavation already requires claiming the system, the starbase can be upgraded into a bastion citadel in preparation for the fight. Alternatively the final Chapter of the site can be delayed to better prepare technologically.

Enigmatic Cache

Enigmatic Cache

The Enigmatic Cache, or BALDOR as it calls itself, is a tubular entity that will emerge from any Gateway or L-Gate once the mid-game year is reached and set course for the nearest empire that is not at war. If the Enigmatic Cache is attacked it will instantly teleport away from the system.

Once the Enigmatic Cache enters an empire's borders it will start orbiting each one of the empire's colonies for a month. As long as it orbits a colony it gives it a +30% Research Output modifier. The first time it happens the empire will get the option of issuing a special project to study it or leave it alone for 50 Influence. The special project costs 2500 Engineering research and finishing it refunds 250 research and grants an L-Gate insight. Once all colonies have been scanned the Enigmatic Cache will set course for the nearest empire and repeat the process.

After all colonies in the galaxy have been scanned, the Enigmatic Cache will head to the capital of an empire whose Technology Level is not rated as Superior to that of any other empire and that is not a Machine Intelligence. After entering orbit the Enigmatic Cache will attempt to communicate. Accepting will have the Enigmatic Cache request to uplift the main species via a special project that takes 2 years.

Around 4 months into the project is started the empire will be notified that the Enigmatic Cache is deteriorating and bring the following options:

• Abort the uplift, causing the Enigmatic Cache to teleport away.
• Ignore it. Once the project is complete there is a 75% chance the main species gains the Somewhat Uplifted trait and -20% Happiness for 10 years and a 25% chance the main species gains the Uplifted trait and -10% Happiness for 10 years. The Enigmatic Cache will also remain in orbit above the capital and permanently give its Research Output modifier.
• Issue a special project to repair the Enigmatic Cache with a construction ship. Once the uplift is complete the main species will gain the Uplifted trait. The Enigmatic Cache will also remain in orbit above the capital and permanently give its Research Output modifier.

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

Game concepts