This article has been verified for the current PC version (3.4) of the game.
Traits represents a species' innate functions, abilities, and personality. A species's traits are selected at the start of a new game, but a species or certain pops of a species can adapt new traits through genetic engineering or rare events. Traits affect a wide variety of areas, from population growth rate to resource output to leader lifespan or even how pops are viewed by each other. Most traits come in mutually exclusive groups that affect the same aspect of the species, such as Nomadic and Sedentary, and each species template can only have one such trait from the group at any given time. These groups include traits with opposite effects, as well as stronger variants of a trait. Though traits are initially decided at a species level, individual pops of the same species can end up with different traits with genetic modification, producing new subspecies or variants. This rarely happens without player intervention.
Traits are mostly fixed at the start of the game. Altering traits during the game is generally possible only later in the game through some select events or by using genetic engineering. Certain Biology (for Biological species) and Industry (for Robotic species) technologies and Ascension Perks add additional Trait Points that can be used to alter all or some of a species' Pops; modifications can range from altering their planet Habitability to adding an additional positive trait or removing a negative one.
Some traits effect how strongly a pop is attracted to certain factions.
Traits are purchased from a points pool, with 2 points being available at the start of the game. Some traits are negative and have a negative cost, refunding points into the pool. Each species is limited to a maximum of 5 traits; traits that cost 0 points do not count against this limit but can only be acquired from certain origins, events, or ascension perks.
Initial traits are available when first creating a species. They can all be changed later via genetic modification. Initial traits can be both positive and negative, with the two being mutually exclusive. Traits that affect Happiness cannot be added to species with the Hive-Minded trait.
The Adaptive and Rapid Breeders traits are not normally available to species with the Lithoid trait but can be added if the Genetic Resequencing technology has been researched.
Lithoid traits are only available to species with the Lithoid archetype. The Lithoid trait is always present on such species.
Type
Effects
Excludes
Slave Price
Description
Lithoid
−25% Pop Growth Speed
−25% Pop assembly speed
+50% Habitability
+50% Army health
+50 years Leader Lifespan
Consumes Minerals instead of Food
Agrarian
Extremely Adaptive
Fertile
Delicious
Robust
Nonadaptive
Slow Breeders
0
0
This species has a silicon based biology, and consumes minerals rather than food. They are tougher than traditional organics and have slower metabolisms, making them long lived but slow to reproduce.
Gaseous Byproducts
+0.01 Monthly Exotic Gases per Pop
Scintillating Skin
Volatile Excretions
2
+1000
The metabolic processes of this species cause regular venting of gases useful to industry.
Scintillating Skin
+0.01 Monthly Rare Crystals per Pop
Gaseous Byproducts
Volatile Excretions
2
+1000
The outermost layer of this species is studded with sparkling crystals and gemstones that occasionally flake off.
Volatile Excretions
+0.01 Monthly Volatile Motes per Pop
Gaseous Byproducts
Scintillating Skin
2
+1000
The highly compressed spoor created by this species is unstable and contains an unbelievable amount of power.
These traits can only be given by certain empire Origins.
Type
Effects
Excludes
Slave Price
Inherit chance
Origin
Removable
Description
DLC
Serviles
+10% Happiness
+10% Resources from Jobs
Cannot be employed in Ruler or Specialist Jobs
Cannot generate governors or scientists
Zombie
Intelligent
Erudite
Natural Physicists
Natural Sociologists
Natural Engineers
1
+500
33%
Syncretic Evolution
This species evolved alongside a second, more advanced species. Never particularly intelligent to begin with, selective breeding for physical prowess and docility has reduced them to servile proles.
Clone Soldier
+50% Governing Ethics Attraction
+50% Army Damage
−40 years Leader Lifespan
Admirals gain the Clone Army Admiral trait
Cannot be genetically modified
Cannot reproduce naturally
Rapid Breeders
Slow Breeders
Budding
0
0
0%
Clone Army
Engineered for compliance and war: short-lived, unable to reproduce naturally, and very efficient.
Survivor
+10 years Leader Lifespan
+70% Tomb World Habitability
0
+500
33%
Post-Apocalyptic
This species has survived the horrors of a nuclear apocalypse. Their capacity for thriving in the most inhospitable circumstances should not be underestimated.
Void Dweller
+15% Pop Output on Habitats
−15% Pop Output on Planets
−10% Pop Growth Speed
−30% Pop Happiness on Planets
0
+500
33%
Void Dwellers
This species thrives in orbital habitats, with an instinctive ability to efficiently navigate their maze-like corridors and complicated architecture. However their weakened immune systems do not respond well to a planetary environment.
Necrophage
+80 years Leader Lifespan
−50% Pop Upkeep
+5% Resources from Ruler and Specialist Jobs
−10% Resources from Worker Jobs
−75% Pop Growth Speed
−50% Pop assembly speed
Budding
0
0
0%
Necrophage
This species of near-immortals procreates by consuming pops of other species.
Cave Dweller
+50% Species Minimum Habitability
+15% Minerals from Jobs
−20% Biological Pop Growth Speed
+10% Empire Size from Pops
Phototrophic
Aquatic
0
+500
0%
Subterranean
This species thrives under the surface of any planet they can find, at the cost of population growth.
These traits are required for special cases of species and cannot be removed from the creation menu.
The Hive-Minded trait can only be added by hive mind empires and can only be removed by empires that are not hive minds. Pops with this trait in an non-Hive Mind empire will slowly die while pops without the Hive-Minded trait in a Hive Mind empire can only be displaced, purged or used as livestock.
Special traits that cost trait points can be removed via the biological ascension path. Special traits that do not cost trait points have a fixed chance of being inherited by hybrid species.
This species has been modified to be more social and accepting of crowded conditions.
Cybernetic
+10% Army Damage
+20% Habitability
+40 years Leader Lifespan
Latent Psionic
Psionic
0
+1500
0%
The Flesh is Weak ascension perk
Driven Assimilator civic
Keepers of Knowledge fallen empire
This species has embraced cybernetics on such a scale that its members may be considered cyborgs. They routinely replace their organic body parts with more advanced mechanical versions.
Psionic
+10% Energy from Jobs
+10% Research from Jobs
+5% Happiness
Leaders have the Psychic trait
Cybernetic
0
+1500
25%
Transcendence ascension perk
Holy Guardians fallen empire
Ketling Star Pack pops
Racket Industrial Enterprise pops
All members of this species possess powerful psionic abilities. They typically communicate with each other through telepathy.
Latent Psionic
+5% Energy from Jobs
+5% Research from Jobs
Leaders have a chance to gain the Psychic trait
Cybernetic
0
+1500
25%
Mind over Matter ascension perk
Teachers of the Shroud origin
This species has latent psionic abilities, which are dormant in most of its members. Although quite rare, these powers will manifest in some leaders.
Hive-Minded
Not affected by Happiness
+20 years Leader Lifespan
−10 years Leader Initial Age
0
0
Hive Mind
This species is made up of semi-autonomous individuals slaved to a single, unfathomably vast consciousness.
Clone Soldier Ascendant
+50% Governing Ethics Attraction
+20% Habitability
+40% Resources from Ruler Jobs
+25% Resources from Specialist Jobs
+75% Army Damage
+25% Army Health
Admirals gain the Ascendant Clone Army Admiral trait
Once infertile, engineered for compliance and war. Their genetic edge diminished, they are now stable enough for natural reproduction.
Docile Livestock
+30% Pop Growth Speed
+10% Unity from Jobs
−50% Energy from Jobs
−75% Research from Jobs
Cannot generate Leaders
Cannot be employed in Ruler or Specialist Jobs
Not affected by Happiness
Intelligent
Erudite
Natural Physicists
Natural Sociologists
Natural Engineers
1
0
random
Wild Eukaryotes event species
Docile and delicious, this species has had its higher brain functions genetically altered to create a kind of harmless livestock that can care for itself, without the pesky need for social interaction or self-determination.
Brain Slug Host
+10% Research from Jobs
+10% Unity from Jobs
−25% Pop Growth Speed
0
0
0%
Neural Symbiosis event
This species is enjoying the presence of a neural symbiont: a helpful slug that attaches itself to the brain stem of its host.
There are 5 advanced traits which are made available for genetic modification if the Evolutionary Mastery ascension perk is taken and Genetic Resequencing has been researched. Biological ascension traits are only half as likely as standard traits to be inherited by hybrid species.
Type
Effects
Excludes
Slave Price
Description
Erudite
+20% Resources from researcher category jobs
+1 Leader Level Cap
Erudite Leaders have special traits
Intelligent
Nerve Stapled
Uplifted
4
+2000
Biological engineering has unlocked previously dormant parts of this species' brains, greatly increasing mental acuity.
Fertile
+30% Pop Growth Speed
−10% Pop Housing Usage
Lithoid
Rapid Breeders
Slow Breeders
4
+2000
The natural fecundity of this species has been dramatically enhanced through aggressive physical and behaviorial sculpting.
Robust
+30% Habitability
+5% Resources from Jobs
+50 years Leader Lifespan
Lithoid
Extremely Adaptive
Adaptive
Nonadaptive
4
+2000
Bio-Optimized organs with redundant functions have made this species extraordinarily resistant to environmental hazards and disease.
Delicious
+2 Food from Livestock and Processing
Lithoid
2
+1000
This species has the curious evolutionary adaptation of being highly nutritious when eaten.
Nerve Stapled
+5% Resources from Jobs
Cannot be employed in Ruler, Specialist or Complex Drone jobs
Cannot generate Leaders
Not Affected by Happiness
Can't join a faction
Zombie
Erudite
Intelligent
Natural Inclination
Talented
Communal
Solitary
3
+1500
Unessential neural pathways relating to self-preservation and free-will are severed, creating a docile and obedient client species.
Pre-Sapient species have exclusive traits that cannot otherwise be chosen when creating or modifying a species. They retain these traits after being uplifted as a sapient species. All of these traits cost 1 trait point.
Type
Effects
Description
Conservative
+5% Happiness
+25% Governing Ethics Attraction
−33% Leader Experience Gain
Members of this species often prefer old wisdom over new experiences.
Earthbound
+10% Energy from Jobs
+50% Defense Army Damage
Members of this species are very possessive of the planets they call home.
Irradiated
+100% Tomb World Habitability
+30 Years Leader Lifespan
This species has evolved to thrive in environments subject to extremely high levels of background radiation.
Natural Intellectuals
+5% Unity from Jobs
+10% Research from Jobs
−10% Minerals from Jobs
Members of this species are more philosophically inclined than most.
Proles
+10% Army Damage
+10% Minerals from Jobs
+10% Food from Jobs
−15% Research from Jobs
This species has traditionally shunned intellectual pursuits in favor of physical labor.
Starborn
+25% Pop Growth from Immigration
−25% Resettlement Cost
+10% Habitability
This species has always, consciously or not, longed to traverse the void between the stars.
Each organic species has a climate preference trait that determines their base Habitability on the various types of planets, usually that corresponding to the type of their homeworld. Habitability traits can be changed through genetic modification, but a pop can never have more than one Habitability trait. The Habitability of other celestial body types is unaffected by these traits.
Exotic climate preferences can only be obtained through Origins, events, conquest of a unique species, or when the Omnicodex relic creates a species on a matching celestial body.
Preference Trait
Habitability on native climate
Habitability on regular planets
Sources other than the Omnicodex
Tomb World Preference
80% Tomb World
60%
Pre-FTL or pre-sapient species inhabiting a Tomb World Horizon Signal event A New Species event on a Tomb World
Gaia World Preference
100% Gaia World
0%
Primitive or pre-sapient species inhabiting a Gaia World Life-Seeded Origin Baol pops created by the Nu-Baol Life Seeding decision The Unexpected MutationsTerraforming event
All robot species have either the Mechanical or the Machine trait. Both traits grant +200% Habitability on all planets. Mechanical Pops can exist within Machine Intelligence empires via conquest but Machine Pops cannot exist outside Machine Intelligence empires. All such species can then be given new traits through Robomodding once the Machine Template System technology is researched, a few of them being restricted to Mechanical or Machine species. Robotic traits can be both positive and negative, which are mutually exclusive with each other, and both of them can be added and removed at will once the technology to enable Robomodding becomes available.
Empires that are not Machine Intelligence must research higher tiers of robot technologies before they can add some of the more powerful traits to Mechanical Pops.
Positive Traits
Negative Traits
Requirements
Trait
Effect
Slave Price
Trait
Effect
Slave Price
Machine
Not affected by Happiness
+200% Habitability
Immortal Leaders
0
0
Machine Intelligence
Mechanical
Not affected by Happiness unless the Artificial Intelligence policy is not set to Outlawed
+200% Habitability
Immortal Leaders
Cannot generate Leaders without the Synthetic Personality Matrix technology
0
0
Robotic Workers
Domestic Protocols
Can be employed in Servant jobs if under AI Servitude