Species rights

Version

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

Species rights interface.

Species rights determined how species are treated in an empire. The rights can be determined individually for each species and can be changed every 10 years. Default rights for new species in the empire can also be set, which can later be modified for individual species. What rights can be selected depends on whether the species is the main species of the empire and what ethics, civics, policies, and authority the empire has. The set rights interface can be found from the species panel.

When a species template is created, it inherits the species right of the unmodified species. However, the template can be given separate rights afterwards.

Citizenship[edit | edit source]

Citizenship represents the status of a species in an empire: whether they are free, partially free, or subjugated; whether or not they can participate in the political processes of the country; what freedoms and restrictions can be placed on them; and even whether they have the right to live in the empire at all. In addition to rights and obligations, citizenship also affects pops' ability to seek refuge: empires can allow all refugees, granting them residence or full citizenship, or only accept refugees from species that already have full citizenship.

Type	Pop effects	Requirements	Description
Full Citizenship		Only option for primary species Only primary species or sub-species if Xenophobe Citizen Rights AI policy if species is Mechanical Full Military Service if empire has Citizen Service Not Hive-Minded species unless empire is Hive Mind Not Machine unit species Not Machine Intelligence	Pops are free and allowed to join factions, and the species can produce leaders. Each and every individual of this species is an esteemed member of this society.
Residence	−10% Happiness −25% Amenities usage −50% Political power	Citizen Rights AI policy if species is Mechanical Does not have Full Military Service if empire has Citizen Service Not Fanatic Purifiers Not Gestalt Consciousness	Pops are free but are not allowed to join factions, and the species cannot produce leaders. They have yet to prove themselves worthy of all rights afforded to others. Perhaps they never will.
Slaves	0.75 Base amenities usage 0.75 Base housing usage −75% Political power	Allowed Slavery Policy or empire is Gestalt Consciousness Does not have Full Military Service if empire has Citizen Service Hive-Minded species Not Robotic species Genocidal Rogue Servitor Driven Assimilator	All pops of this species will be enslaved. What this entails depends on the type of slavery. Freedom is an illusion. For some this truth is more tangible than it is for others.
Servitude	0.5 Base amenities usage 0.5 Base housing usage −100% Political power	Mechanical species Does not have Citizen Rights AI policy Allowed Robotic Workers Policy Not Gestalt Consciousness	Robots with Servitude citizenship can work any Worker or Specialist job they are capable of doing, based on technological constraints and Artificial Intelligence policy. They cannot produce leaders. A toaster will always be a toaster.
Undesirables	−100% Political power	Not primary species Does not have Prohibited Purge policy, unless purging or assimilating is the only option Does not have Full Military Service if empire has Citizen Service Only option for aliens if Fanatic Purifiers Only option for non-Hive-Minded species if Devouring Swarm Only option for organic species if Determined Exterminator Only option for Hive-Minded species if empire is not Hive Mind, without Evolutionary Mastery Only option for Machine species if empire is not Machine Intelligence Only option for Mechanical species if Outlawed Robotic Workers Policy or empire is Hive Mind	All pops of this species will be purged. What this entails depends on the type of purge. State records do not recognize the existence of this species.
Assimilation	−100% Political Power	Not genocidal Not Robotic species Not Hive-Minded species, unless Evolutionary Mastery Can assimilate, that is, one of the following: Driven Assimilator and pop is not Cybernetic The Flesh is Weak, completed the associated special project, and pop is not Cybernetic Synthetic Evolution and completed the associated special project Evolutionary Mastery and either pop is Hive-Minded, or it isn't and the empire is a Hive Mind Transcendence and pop is not already Psionic	Pops of this species are changed over time to better match the dominant species of the Empire. Pops that are in the process of being assimilated will not produce any resources. The results of assimilation depend on which ascension perks have been picked (or if it's a Driven Assimilator). We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us.
Machine Integration		Machine Intelligence One of: Mechanical Machine Cybernetic if the empire has the Driven Assimilator civic	All owned pops of this species are fully integrated with the Machine Intelligence. They can work any job (besides special cases such as Bio-Trophies) and produce leaders. Assuming direct control.
Bio-Trophy	+1000% Political Power	Rogue Servitor civic Not Robotic nor Hive-Minded species	Pops of this species are revered and cared for by the Machine Intelligence, freed from the burdens of responsibility and agency. They are given the Mandatory Pampering living standard, enabling them to 'work' as Bio-Trophies. Glory to organics.

Living standards[edit | edit source]

Living standards represents how economically favored a species is, as well as the gap between different social strata. The higher the living standards of a Pop is, the more Consumer Goods it will use, but the happier it will be. Higher living standards also remove the penalties from unemployment.

Most living standards require the species to be neither Machine nor Hive-Minded, and to either have Neutering Purge Type or not have Undesirables Citizenship.

Changing the living standards of a species from Chemical Bliss to anything else will give that entire species a Withdrawal Symptoms modifier, which reduces its happiness by −10% and its resource output by −20% for 5 years.

Type	Ruler effects	Specialist effects	Worker effects	Slave effects	Unemployed penalties	Requirements	Description
Chemical Bliss	1 Upkeep +40% Happiness −60% Job Output +0.5 Trade value per Pop	1 Upkeep +40% Happiness −60% Job Output +0.5 Trade value per Pop	1 Upkeep +40% Happiness −60% Job Output +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.1 Upkeep +40% Happiness −60% Job Output	yes	Subdermal Stimulation technology Not Mechanical species	Entertainment media is made freely available as a drug regimen induces a euphoric stupor. The Pops are happy, but useless. They all welcome the games and diversions. Some resist the drugs, at first.
Academic Privilege	1 Upkeep +15% Happiness +10% Output +900% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	1 Upkeep +15% Happiness +10% Output +400% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.25 Upkeep +0.2 Trade value per Pop	0.05 Upkeep	yes	Materialist Shared Burdens	Academic Privilege prioritizes the educated Population, to the general benefit of the sciences. Knowledge is the key to power.
Utopian Abundance	1 Upkeep +20% Happiness +0.5 Trade value per Pop	1 Upkeep +20% Happiness +0.5 Trade value per Pop	1 Upkeep +20% Happiness +0.5 Trade value per Pop		no	Egalitarian	Utopian Abundance ensures that every member of this species has access to nearly any type of luxury conceivable. We cannot realistically eliminate every want by providing for every need. But we can try.
Decadent Lifestyle	1.5 Upkeep +20% Happiness +900% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.75 Upkeep +20% Happiness +100% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.5 Upkeep +20% Happiness +0.5 Trade value per Pop		yes	Pleasure Seekers or Corporate Hedonism	Decadent Lifestyle prioritizes more resources and luxuries for privileged members of society. We deserve only the best, they must serve, we must rejoice.
Shared Burden	0.4 Upkeep +5% Happiness +0.25 Trade value per Pop	0.4 Upkeep +5% Happiness +0.25 Trade value per Pop	0.4 Upkeep +5% Happiness +0.25 Trade value per Pop		no	Shared Burdens	Shared Burden ensures an equitable distribution of resources between all members of society. Pops demote Strata much more rapidly. From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
Stratified Economy	1 Upkeep +15% Happiness +900% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.5 Upkeep +5% Happiness +100% Political power +0.33 Trade value per Pop	0.1 Upkeep −10% Happiness −25% Political power +0.1 Trade value per Pop	0 Upkeep −10% Happiness	yes	Authoritarian Not enslaved or has Battle Thralls slavery type	Stratified Economy prioritizes the ruling classes at the expense of the impoverished masses. If they wish to better their lot in life, they will have to work for it.
Social Welfare	1 Upkeep +10% Happiness +400% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.5 Upkeep +10% Happiness +100% Political power +0.33 Trade value per Pop	0.5 Upkeep +10% Happiness +50% Political power +0.33 Trade value per Pop	0.1 Upkeep +10% Happiness	no	Shared Burdens	Social Welfare strives to improve the lives of the poorer Stratas through generous social policies. Seeing to the needs of the people is the most important responsibility of the state.
Decent Conditions	1 Upkeep +10% Happiness +700% Political power +0.5 Trade value per Pop	0.5 Upkeep +5% Happiness +100% Political power +0.33 Trade value per Pop	0.25 Upkeep +0.2 Trade value per Pop	0.05 Upkeep	yes	Shared Burdens	Decent Conditions ensures that most members of the species have what they need for an acceptable quality of life. Neglecting the needs of our subjects is a losing proposition in the long run.
Basic Subsistence	0.5 Upkeep −5% Happiness +400% Political power +0.33 Trade value per Pop	0.25 Upkeep −10% Happiness −25% Political power +0.2 Trade value per Pop	0.05 Upkeep −20% Happiness −50% Political power +0.05 Trade value per Pop	0 Upkeep −10% Happiness	yes	Shared Burdens Not Full Citizenship Rights	Basic Subsistence offers only the most essential of goods to the Pops of this species. As few as possible of our subjects should starve. Beyond that, they're not our problem.
Servitude					never unemployed	Robotic species Servitude Artificial Intelligence Policy	These synthetics are held in absolute servitude to their organic masters, and can be used or discarded at their whim. Commodities do not require consideration.
Non-Existent					never unemployed	Undesirables Citizenship Purge is not Neutering or Displacement	This species is in the process of being purged, and Pops from it will have no Upkeep cost. We do not budget for the dead.
Drone					no	Hive Mind if species is Hive-Minded Machine Intelligence if species is robotic Driven Assimilator if species is Cybernetic	While it may have little use for luxuries, a drone population still requires a great deal of resources to sustain itself.
Mandatory Pampering	1 Upkeep +40% Happiness				yes	Bio-Trophy Citizenship	This living standard enshrines a small population of organic beings as display pieces, through relentless and unyielding pampering.
Hive Dissociation					never unemployed	Hive-Minded trait Assimilation Citizenship	This species is undergoing a difficult physiological separation from a Hive Mind.
Identity Sublimation	−50% Happiness				never unemployed	Hive Mind or Driven Assimilator Assimilation Citizenship	This species is becoming one with the unified mind.
Transubstantiation Synthesis	−25% Happiness				never unemployed	Cybernetic or Synthetic main species Assimilation Citizenship	This species is melding with the machine.
Transcendent Awakening	−25% Happiness				never unemployed	Psionic main species Assimilation Citizenship	This species is awakening to its psionic potential.

Military service[edit | edit source]

Military Service determines a species' right to join the police or military and whether or not they can become military leaders. Gestalt Consciousness empires can only use species with Full Citizenship or Machine Integration citizenship for Full Military Service; all other species must be Exempt.

Type	Requirements	Description
Full Military Service	Undesirables, Slaves, or Servitude citizenship Only primary species if Xenophobe Not Nerve Stapled trait Has Droids technology if Mechanical	They are doubtlessly among the most competent in our armed forces.
Soldiers Only	Not Undesirables citizenship Not primary species	They make excellent soldiers - but command is better left to others.
Exempt	Not Battle Thralls slavery type Not primary species	They serve better away from the battlefield.

Colonization rights[edit | edit source]

Colonization Rights determines whether a species is allowed to board colony ships and settle new worlds.

Type	Requirements	Description
Colonization Forbidden	Primary species	In a vast sea of cold emptiness, a habitable world is the greatest treasure of all. Not all are worthy to seize it.
Colonization Allowed	Not Serviles trait Not Zombie trait Not Nerve Stapled trait Not Undesirables citizenship Has Droids technology if Mechanical If enslaved, is Battle Thralls or Indentured Servitude slavery type	Who are we to deny any species their place among the stars? Together we will drive back the darkness.

Population controls[edit | edit source]

Population Controls determines whether a species is allowed to reproduce enough to grow new pops or only enough to ensure it will not die off.

Type	Happiness	Requirements	Description
Population Controls Enabled	−10%	Not primary Species Not Xenophile Allowed Population Controls Policy	Selective reproductive suppression fields are often referred to as the blunt instruments of demography.
No Populations Controls		Not Undesirables citizenship If Hive Mind, has Necrophage	A species that does not propagate itself is at an evolutionary dead end.

Migration controls[edit | edit source]

Migration controls affect both migration between planets within the empire and migration to and from empires with a Migration Treaty. It does not affect enslaved pops, which can only and always migrate between owned planets if a Slave Processing Facility is built. Migration controls also do not affect manual resettlement.

Type	Effects	Requirement	Description
Migration Controls Enabled	Unemployed free sapient pops may not automatically resettle Pops cannot be selected for biological growth on a planet unless already present		The free flow of pops can allocate resources efficiently, but sometimes what is necessary is not efficient.
No Migration Controls	Unemployed free sapient pops may automatically resettle Pops can be selected for biological growth on a planet if not already present	Undesirables citizenship Not Livestock or Grid Amalgamation slavery type	Just as our primitive ancestors wandered in search of a home, every being must be free to seek its destiny among the stars.

Slavery type[edit | edit source]

Slavery Type requires either a species to have the Slaves Citizenship or the empire to have the Slaver Guilds or Indentured Assets civic and determines how the enslaved pops will be used.

All slavery types except Chattel Slavery require DLC.

Type	Pop Effects	Open jobs	Requirements	Description
Chattel Slavery	+10% Resources from Jobs −30% Happiness	Worker jobs	Gestalt Consciousness	Chattel Slavery is the most common form of slavery in the galaxy. Whether for life or a limited time, unrestricted access to the labor of others is in some parts seen as a privilege with numerous counter-duties attached, and elsewhere considered a self-evident prerequisite for a functioning society.
Battle Thralls	−20% Happiness +20% Army Damage	Worker jobs Enforcer Soldier Duelist Necromancer	Gestalt Consciousness	Battle thralls are weaponized serfs, often trained from birth in the martial arts and conditioned for absolute obedience. In exchange for unquestioning military service, they are granted much more autonomy than other slaves and can be employed in a greater variety of jobs.
Domestic Servitude	−20% Happiness	Worker jobs Entertainer Servant	Gestalt Consciousness	Domestic servants spend much of their time tending to the needs of free Pops - some are assigned to individual domiciles, while others tend to public spaces. They tend to live alongside their masters, and thus require almost no dedicated housing.
Indentured Servitude	−20% Happiness +50% Political power	Worker jobs Specialist jobs except: Enforcer Entertainer Duelist Necromancer	Gestalt Consciousness	They can theoretically pay off their debts and be freed, but their contracts are intentionally structured to make this a non-issue.
Livestock	−40% Happiness −50% Housing usage −10% Political power	Livestock	Xenophobe or Hive Mind Not Mechanical species	Livestock is Pops!
Grid Amalgamation	−40% Happiness	Grid Amalgamated	Machine Intelligence	Combined with a form of fusion, we have found all the energy we will ever need.

Purge type[edit | edit source]

Purging is where a species receives the Undesirables citizenship and is then systematically exterminated from within the empire. The purge type determines how this is carried out in practice.

Pops being purged can produce resources based on the purge type, for as long as the pop has the Undesirables citizenship, not just when the pop is being declined, meaning that a planet with a pop of Processing purge type will yield +6, while a planet with 2 of these pops will yield +12 in total, until all undesirable pops have been purged. These monthly resources are modified by planet unique buildings in the same way as the associated jobs; for example an Energy Grid gives an additional +1 per pop under Chemical Processing.

The Fanatic Purifiers civic gives +2 unity for each pop being purged while the Devouring Swarm civic gives +2 society research per pop in addition to the resources said purge type may have.

Each planet has at most one pop at a time that is Declining; purging is not the only way it can happen, but it generally takes priority. A decline progress bar goes from 0 to 100, and fills up at a rate depending on the purge type. When the bar fills up, an undesirable pop on the planet will be removed. Depending on the purge type, the pop has a chance to be displaced as a refugee, if it is eligible; otherwise it is killed. Most purge types also cause other empires to get opinion penalties towards the purging empire, provided they have enough intelligence to know it is happening.

All non-gestalt empires that have the same primary species as the purged pop will have their opinion of the purger reduced by −25 per pop, to a maximum of −1000.
All other empires will also have their opinion of the purger reduced by −5, and Egalitarian or Xenophile empires who don't allow species-wide purges have it reduced by a further −5–15 per pop, to a maximum of −1000.

Type	Monthly decline	Effects	Loss	Refugees chance	Requirements	Description
Displacement	25	−30% Happiness −50% Pop housing usage	no	100%	Not Genocidal empire Not Hive-Minded or Machine species Not Cybernetic species if empire is Driven Assimilator Not Mechanical species, unless the pops are sapient	It's not that we drive them from their homes. Their homes are simply no longer theirs.
Extermination	100	−1000% Happiness	yes	5%	Not Devouring Swarm or Terravore Mechanical species or Purge policy is Allowed	The extermination squads are efficient. The dissolution of entire populations naturally takes time, but they get the job done.
Neutering	10	−20% Happiness	no	0%	Not Gestalt Consciousness Not Hive-Minded or Machine species Not Mechanical species, unless the pops are sapient	Think of it as a phasing-out of a people. Our nation goes to meet the future, only some will not be with us.
Forced Labor	50	−1000% Happiness +3 Food +3 Minerals	yes	25%	Not Gestalt Consciousness Not Hive-Minded or Machine species	With this final sacrifice, they will at least have been of some use.
Processing	50	−1000% Happiness +6 Food if species is organic +4 Minerals if species is Lithoid +3 Alloys if species is Robotic	yes	20%	Machine Intelligence Hive-Minded species Not Robotic species unless empire is Devouring Swarm or Terravore	It is a sad but inescapable fact that some are destined to simply fuel the ambitions of their betters.
Chemical Processing	50	−1000% Happiness +6 Energy	yes	20%	Machine Intelligence Not Robotic species	They will soon attain a more efficient form.
Necrophage	20	−50% Happiness Purged Pops are changed to primary species	yes	25%	Necrophage origin Purge policy is Allowed Not Robotic species	Only the strongest may survive in a hostile galaxy. This way their journey may continue.