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Abilities represent the culture of a race through specific bonuses and access to certain planet types.

Crusade and Retribution introduce many dependencies of improvements and technologies on abilities. Crusade uses abilities to control access to certain citizens. Intrigue restricts access to some governments behind abilities.

Abilities are distinct from traits in that traits modify a single statistic, while an ability can have broader and more fundamental effects on gameplay.

List[ | ]

The table below summarizes the abilities. For technologies and improvements specific to an ability, the table only includes the root of a technology branch or base of an improvement progression.

Name Description Requirements
Adaptable Can colonize tier 1 extreme worlds
Can colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Water 32 Aquatic Worlds, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Frozen 32 Frozen Worlds and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Barren 32 Barren Worlds Crusade
Enables the Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Precursor Archive player wonder Crusade or Retribution
Aeroponics Enables the Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Population Stat Icon Aeroponic Farm improvement Crusade or Retribution
Amphibious Mercenaries
Ancient

+10 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research upon arriving at an anomaly

Crusade or Retribution
Enables the Unrecognized icon nameGovIcons Unity Unity government Intrigue
Angry Start with a Unrecognized icon nameCutter Icon Cutter
Bureaucrats +10 Unrecognized icon nameAdmin Stat Icon Administrators
Enables the Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Coordination Temple technology Crusade or Retribution
Enables the Unrecognized icon nameGovIcons Theocracy Theocracy government Intrigue
Certain
  • +2 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence
  • Receive +100 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research every time an ideological trait is unlocked
Crusade or Retribution
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Saving Stat Icon Free Market improvement (bug? probably meant Traders) Retribution
Chaotic Grants two free random technologies at the beginning of each technology age, starting with Age of War Villains of Star Control: Origins DLC
Colonizers First improvement on all new colonies is free
No free improvement; colony ships refund 1 Unrecognized icon nameAdmin Stat Icon Administrators when colonizing a new world Crusade
Conquerors
  • +2500 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Saving Stat Icon Credits upon conquering a planet
  • +1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Ship Construction
+100% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Generic Stat Icon Soldiering Crusade
Cybernetic Enables the Unrecognized icon nameCitizen Scientist Mechanic Crusade
Devout
  • +25% Unrecognized icon nameAdmin Stat Icon Administrators
  • +4 Unrecognized icon nameAdmin Stat Icon Administrators
  • +100 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence Growth upon unlocking an ideology (bugged)
No Unrecognized icon nameAdmin Stat Icon Administrators bonus; start with a Unrecognized icon nameCitizen Diplomat Cleric Crusade
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon The Path, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Jihad, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon The Path of Shadows and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Tourism Revenue Stat Icon Krynniac Conversion technologies Crusade or Retribution
Determined

+5 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 ShipRange Icon Ship Range

Diplomatic

+1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Diplomatic Trait Icon Diplomacy Bonus

Crusade or Retribution
Discreet Receives a free random tier 1 mercenary every game, when they first encounter the Galactic Bazaar Mercenaries
Divine Guardian Heroes of Star Control: Origins DLC
Engineers Shipyard and Asteroid Mine production decays at half of the normal rate
Experienced All ships receive 25% more Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Generic Stat Icon Experience Points from battle
Exterminators Retribution
Federation Starts with Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Universal Translator and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Interstellar Alliances technologies Heroes of Star Control: Origins DLC
Heroic
  • +25% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Resistance Icon Resistance
  • Start with Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon War College technology
Hopeful

+1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Morale

Intuitive Starts with +250 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research
Starts with only +50 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research Crusade
Crusade or Retribution
Imperial Ships in own Zone of Control gain additional Unrecognized icon nameGC3 HitPoints Icon Hit Points per controlled colony Villains of Star Control: Origins DLC
Inventive
Knowledgeable Starts knowing the location of other homeworlds
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Gravitonics tech tree Crusade or Retribution
Mitosis Receives free Unrecognized icon nameAdmin Stat Icon Administrators points for each existing nearby colony when colonizing a new world Villains of Star Control: Origins DLC
Needy

+2 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Morale for every civilization that loves them (up to a maximum of +10)

Heroes of Star Control: Origins DLC
Paranoid Free drones defend planets, shipyards and starbases
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Molecular Fabrication technology tree Crusade or Retribution
Prolific +50% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Population Stat Icon Population upon colonization
+50% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Growth Stat Icon Growth Crusade
Ravenous Receive fresh Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Food Stat Icon Food from each victorious battle (spoils after 25 turns if unused) Villains of Star Control: Origins DLC
Resourceful Starts with +2 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Icon Durantium Durantium and +2 Unrecognized icon nameIcon Res HyperSilicates Hyper Silicates
Scavengers +25% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Ancient Icon Scavenger's Chance Revenge of the Snathi DLC
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Recovery and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Vicious technologies Revenge of the Snathi DLC and either Crusade or Retribution
Silicon Based
  • Eat Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Icon Durantium Durantium instead of Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Food Stat Icon Food
  • Can immediately colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Frozen 32 Frozen Worlds
    • +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Raw Production Icon Raw Production, +35% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research, +20% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence Growth
  • Can immediately colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Radioactive 32 Radioactive Worlds
    • +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Raw Production Icon Raw Production, +50% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Social Construction
  • Converted to the Silicon-based Life race type by Crusade
Slavers
  • +15 for the dominant ideology upon conquering a planet
  • Can immediately train the Unrecognized icon nameCitizen Worker Slave Master
Crusade
Crusade or Retribution
Disables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Engineering Center, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Resupply Center, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Colonization Center, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Virtual Vacation, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Entertainment Capital improvements Retribution
Sneaky
  • Starts with Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Espionage technology
  • Enables the Unrecognized icon nameCitizen Celebrity Spider
Crusade
Starfaring
Crusade or Retribution
Synthetic
  • Disables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Food Stat Icon Food and natural Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Growth Stat Icon Growth; instead constructs Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Population Stat Icon Population
  • +100 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Morale, so Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Approval is essentially fixed at 100%
  • Can immediately colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Water 32 Aquatic Worlds and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Frozen 32 Frozen Worlds
  • Can immediately colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Toxic 32 Bacterial Worlds
    • +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Raw Production Icon Raw Production, +35% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research, +20% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence Growth
  • Can immediately colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Barren 32 Barren Worlds
    • +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Raw Production Icon Raw Production, +35% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Social Construction, +35% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Ship Construction
  • Can immediately colonize Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Extreme Toxic 32 Toxic Worlds
    • +25% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research
  • Enables Unrecognized icon nameClockwise-rotation Manufacture Population, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Production Center, and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Experiment Chamber improvements
  • Converted to the Synthetic race type by Crusade
Time Travelers Starts with Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Eminence, Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Large Scale Construction and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Stellar Folding technologies
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Dimensional Weapons and Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Dimensional Phasing technologies Crusade or Retribution
Traders
  • +1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Approval from trade routes for both parties
  • +2 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Trade Revenue Stat Icon Trade Licenses Max
Start with Freighter Crusade
Crusade or Retribution
Unrelenting Invasions never cost Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Saving Stat Icon Credits
+1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence Growth Crusade
Unshackled

+30% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 AllWeapons Icon All Weapons, +30% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Generic Stat Icon Accuracy, +30% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Intuitive Icon Dodge when fighting Synthetic ships

Heroes of Star Control: Origins DLC
Unwavering +20 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Resistance Icon Rebellion Points
Enables the Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Ships Icon Unbroken Spirit technology Crusade or Retribution
Vigilant
  • starbases have +1 Area of Effect
  • Enemy ships have -1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Moves Icon Moves in vicinity of a starbase
  • +1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 AllWeapons Icon All Weapons in vicinity of a starbase
  • Starbases have -50% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 HitPoints Icon Hit Points, +1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 AllWeapons Icon All Weapons, +9 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 ShipsDefending Stat Icon All Defenses, +2 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 SensorRange Icon Sensor Power, +3 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence, +1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Starbase Range Icon Starbase Range
Mercenaries
Mercenaries and either Crusade or Retribution
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Temple of Valor improvement Mercenaries and Retribution
War Profiteers

+200% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Saving Stat Icon Credits when trading with a civilization at war

Retribution
Warriors
  • +0.1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Generic Stat Icon Beam Damage Resistance, +0.1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Generic Stat Icon Kinetic Damage Resistance, +0.1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Generic Stat Icon Missile Damage Resistance
  • +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Beam Range Stat Icon Beam Range, +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Kinetic Range Stat Icon Kinetic Range, +10% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Missile Range Stat Icon Missile Range
Crusade or Mercenaries
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Temple of Valor improvement Crusade
Wealthy
  • Tourism enabled immediately
  • Starts with +2500 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Saving Stat Icon Credits
  • Tourism not enabled immediately
  • Starts with only +1000 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Saving Stat Icon Credits
  • +1 Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Raw Production Icon Raw Production
Crusade
Xenophobic
  • +200% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Research Spending Stat Icon Research
  • +200% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Productive Ability Icon Social Construction
  • -50% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 S Military Manufacturing Icon Ship Construction
  • -95% Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Influence Stat Icon Influence on planets
Enables Unrecognized icon nameGC3 Approval Stat Icon Dream Conclave improvement Crusade or Retribution
Zealots

+15 to dominant ideology upon conquering a planet

Renamed to Slavers by Crusade

Removed[ | ]

The following abilities were removed for the final release but still remain within the game's code.

  • Patriotic (Immune to the large empire Approval penalty)
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