Ideology

Ideology is one of the defining traits of an empire, defining whether they are Benevolent, Pragmatic, or Malevolent. Each of the three ideologies has twenty unlocks divided into four tiers of similar theme.

Introduction: Unlocking Ideological Traits

Ideological traits are unlocked using points amassed through colonization events, building colony improvements, and other decisions made throughout the game. Each ideology's points can only be used to unlock that ideology's traits - in order to turn a new leaf as a malignant galactic scourge, you'll need to practice what you preach. Each event will present a set of choices, each thematically corresponding to and offering points for one of the alignments.

Ideologies increase in power from left to right along each tier. Initially, only the first (leftmost) ideology in each tier is unlocked. To unlock the next ideology in a tier, it is necessary to purchase the preceding ideology. The first ideology adopted costs 10 points, and each subsequently adopted ideology costs 10 points more than the last (across all tiers). Thus, it usually makes sense to focus on a small number of tiers (potentially across alignments) before costs become prohibitive.

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Abbreviations: DoW Declaration of War; ZOC Zone of Control

Benevolent

This ideology will generally improve Research, Morale, Influence, and colonization.

Outreach	Pioneering - Free Colony ship	Explorers - Class 10 Planet	Prolific - Colonies start with +2 pop	Adept - Extra Tile for each Colony	Beacon - Class 16 planet
Affinity	Elevated - Elevation Foundation unlocked	Dignified - Home World Morale +50%	Appreciative - First Five Colonies Receive +5 Morale	Noble - All colonies +50% Morale	Curious - All Starbases +10% Morale
Prominence	Eminence - Missionary Center unlocked	Admirable - Influence Growth +50%	Enticing - All planets or Starbases in our ZOC join us	Alluring - All Starbasess give +50% Influence	Radiant - All Planets +50% Influence Growth
Enlightenment	Educated - +150 Research	Skilled - All Starbases +10% Research	Enriched - Temple of Enlightenment unlocked	Breakthrough - +300 Research	Quantum Leap - +600 Research, All Colonies +5 Research/turn

Pragmatic

This ideology will generally improve defense, Starbases, Trade, and Diplomacy.

Vigilant	Prepared - Preparedness Center unlocked	Favored - Anyone at War with Us Receives -25% Approval	Reserved - Enemy Ships/Sensors in our ZOC receive -25% Range	Cautious - All Planets +3 Ships	Watchful - Free Escort Fighters
Builder	Constructive - 3 Free Constructors	Coordinated - -50% Shipyards Decay	Inventive - +2 ZOC	Resourceful - +0.1 Mining	Efficient - Starbases have no maintenance cost
Traders	Exporters - Trade Licences +1	Merchants - Trade Income +25%	Luxury - Luxury Trade Routes enabled	Indispensable - Trade Route Diplomacy +0.5	Shrewd - Diplomatic Trades for Credits +25%
Negotiator	Neutral - DoW Against You Impossible for 50 turns	Amiable - Diplomacy +1	Arbiters - Arbitration Center unlocked	Popular - DoW on us Angers All Others	Venerable - Invasion of our Home World causes DoW On the Invader by Others Not Allied with the Invader

Malevolent

This ideology will generally improve offense, Social manufacturing, Military manufacturing, and power projection.

Aggression	Militaristic - Free Frigate Ship	Eager - Bonus Approval for Conquering Planets	Threatening - 5 Free Transports	Dangerous - Advanced Transports	Aggression - Free Overlord Ship, All Planets
Motivation	Intimidating - Intimidation Center unlocked	Relentless - Home World Production +10	Ruthless - Military Manfacturing +100%	Implacable - Death Furnaces	Unforgiving - All Colonies +25 % Production
Greed	Uncharitable - Gross Income + 10%	Utilitarian - Class of first five worlds +1	Tightfisted - Citadel of Revenue unlocked	Slave masters - Trade brings Slaves	Relentless - All Colonies increase the amount of Land Available
Awe	Scary - No penalty for Shared Borders	Feared - Minors Trade Value +50%	Unnerving - Enemy Ships in our ZOC -25% Hit Points	Exalted - Class 16 Planet Defects to You	Undaunted - Immune to Culture Flip

Building Details

Some of the bonuses in the table unlock buildings, which require additional explanation.

Elevation Foundation: Increases a Single (1 per faction) Colony's Morale by 100% and grants 1 Benevolent Ideology Point Each 5 turns

Missionary Center: Increases Influence and Grants 1 Benevolent Ideology Point per Center constructed every 10 turns.

Temple of Enlightenment: Grants a 200% bonus to research for a Single (1 per faction) colony and generates a Benevolent Ideology point each turn.

Preparedness Center: Increases the defense of a colony and grants 1 Pragmatic Ideology point every 10 turns per Center constructed.

Arbitration Center: Increases the Pragmatic reputation of the faction building it, and encourages other factions to have your faction arbitrate their disputes.

Intimidation Center: Increases the morale of a colony by 50% (+10% per level, +2 adjacency to Approval) and grants 1 Malevolent Ideology point every 10 turns per Center constructed.

Citadel of Revenue: Increases income and grants a Malevolent Ideology point every 5 turns.

Death Furnaces: Increases the raw production of a colony by 50% (+10% per level, +3 adjacency to Production and Research) and grants 1 Malevolent Ideology point every turn. Extremely powerful since there are very few improvements that improve the raw production values before it gets allocated to manufacturing, research and wealth.

Strategy

Galaxy Size and Density of Occupation: The primary means to gain ideology points is the colonization process and the building of ideology producing buildings (which need be unlocked in the ideology table before they can be used). If playing a small galaxy you may have few choices and they should be made with the understanding that you will be very unlikely to be able to unlock ideologies further into a particular section. On the other hand, in a not too densely populated immense galaxy you may be able to unlock an entire table. Plan accordingly. In any event a critical issue is whether you can unlock the buildings that give ideology points over time. If so you will get a steady, if slow stream of points; but if you cannot reach them to unlock you obtain nothing.

Time Dependent Value of Some Ideology Items: Some ideology features vary a great in value depending on when they are unlocked. For example, Benevolent - Enticing forces all colonies and starbases in your ZOC to convert to your faction. It is important to realize that this is a one-shot, one-time opportunity. Only enemy starbases and colonies in your ZOC at the time this bonus is unlocked will be affected: anything afterward will not be affected. Thus, if there are few or no enemy starbases or colonies in your ZOC unlocking this trait is not helpful. On the other hand, unlocked at an appropriate time it can be a massive game-changer. If you have a few colonies that you are just beginning to influence and if there are major or minor mining or other starbases in your ZOC the balance of power in the galaxy can change instantly. Thus full awareness of the ideology table and its consequences at a particular point in the game is potentially vital.