Benefits of a Federation?

[stars2heaven]

I'm reaching what I think is mid game, maybe early late game and I'm looking at my whopping 6 influence income and all the things I can buy with it and then looking at all the diplomatic options I have + federation options and wondering what could possibly compete with all the bonuses to research and everything else I currently spend influence on. (I may still need some to build more star bases for that matter)

I took the diplomacy route but I'm not seeing what a federation will give me that is worth 1 of my precious influence per month. What do I need a federation for?

[XistenZ]

If you're a somewhat peaceful empire then a federation will act as a shield, because anyone who declares war on you declares on the whole federation. You also get access to the federation fleet.

But as a waring/conquering empire, a federation is probably going to hold you back because you can't go to war without everyone else accepting it first.

Depends on playstyle, I rarely join one and even more rarely start one.

[stars2heaven]

I'm peaceful but I'm surrounded by people who like me and I have no reason to want to conquer them right now or any time soon and I am starting to overtake the most powerful of hostile empires in fleet strength now anyways. This was about the gist of what I expected to see people say, but I wanted to be sure there wasn't something I've overlooked. I hope the expansion coming adds some meat to the bones of federations.

[Nightmyre]

Right now? Basically nothing. It's not worth being in a federation, since the cost to your fleet cap is not at all outweighed by the benefits of having the federation fleet.

But with the next expansion, we'll see. I mean the whole point of the expansion is federations.

[Richard]

Originally posted by Nightmyre:

Right now? Basically nothing. It's not worth being in a federation, since the cost to your fleet cap is not at all outweighed by the benefits of having the federation fleet.

But with the next expansion, we'll see. I mean the whole point of the expansion is federations.

This wait for the dlc, also if you wish to play in a federation more like role playing.

[The Grand Mugwump]

Federation is a huge bonus to your military ability, especially mid game. It reduces your max cap by 20% sure, but it adds that 20% right back into the federation fleet cap. It also adds the ridiculous naval cap bonuses AI's get on any difficulty higher than ensign. You can get a fleet with no upkeep cost whatsoever which is also much bigger than anything most people mid game can put out. The only time federation fleets really flop is if you use auto-design.

[General Grievous]

If you want to join a Federation - make sure there isn't any more that one Fallen Empire in the Galaxy. If War in Heaven starts then you can wave goodbye to your over-powered Federation and it's 500/500 Fleet as all your allies will decide they are much better off leaving your mighty coalition in favour of the Alliance of Non-aligned powers - regardless of how weak they become in so doing. This has happened every time I've tried joining a Federation, and in light of the upcoming DLC, I hope they remember to fix it!

[Naid]

Lol I remember my federation only making corvettes for the fed fleet and by mid game we had like 400 corvs in a fleet.
If you’re in a kind of bubble with friends, then ya

If you’re a warmonger, then na

[ImperiusDamian]

Originally posted by General Grievous:

If you want to join a Federation - make sure there isn't any more that one Fallen Empire in the Galaxy. If War in Heaven starts then you can wave goodbye to your over-powered Federation and it's 500/500 Fleet as all your allies will decide they are much better off leaving your mighty coalition in favour of the Alliance of Non-aligned powers - regardless of how weak they become in so doing. This has happened every time I've tried joining a Federation, and in light of the upcoming DLC, I hope they remember to fix it!

Which is why you make sure that YOU are the leader of the League of Non-Aligned Worlds. When push comes to shove between the Vorlons and the Shadows, you need to make sure you've got the Minbari and the Drazi on YOUR side.

[The Grand Mugwump]

From what I've seen, if you're the president of the most powerful federation when the league of non-aligned powers question pops up, your federation will become the league non-aligned powers. Also, any AI in a player owned federation will always stay loyal. Vassals and tributaries are a totally different story. If you're not in the strongest federation, then you can expect to lose members to the league.

[ImperiusDamian]

Originally posted by The Grand Mugwump:

From what I've seen, if you're the president of the most powerful federation when the league of non-aligned powers question pops up, your federation will become the league non-aligned powers. Also, any AI in a player owned federation will always stay loyal. Vassals and tributaries are a totally different story. If you're not in the strongest federation, then you can expect to lose members to the league.

The League choice is also HEAVILY biased in favour of human players; the AI only has a - I believe - 1% chance to choose to head up the League so unless you've already picked one of the Awakened Empires to side with, it's very likely you'll be asked to head up the League.

[Lady Crimson (RIP)]

1. Free Commercial Pacts
2. Xenophile Faction Happier
3. More Xenophile Attraction I believe, which is generally the easiest faction to make happy.
4. A combined fleet that the A.I. will toss alloys at to support your own (with it being double the naval cap the combined empires put in).
5. Combined protection/allies
6. Doesn't care how many empires are in it for influence cost.

Negatives:
1. 1 Influence cost (if you have diplomatic traditions and aren't a xenophile).
2. Has to have agreement with other empires for starting wars.
3. Different diplomatic options (can't just make defensive pacts with anyone)

It's mostly just great as a way of peacefully taking over the galaxy.

Take over a few empires starting out, then work towards founding a federation with workable empires, and vassalize or liberate others across the galaxy. More militaristic empires in your federation will support military campaigns more.

I personally really enjoy it, but it is generally not worth it on a mechanics level rather than a for fun level. Mostly because you need the influence, if you're a xenophile certainly go for it and really nothing too much to lose.

Generally if you're already setting up 2 defensive pacts, it's probably worth it.

[The Grand Mugwump]

Originally posted by ImperiusDamian:

The League choice is also HEAVILY biased in favour of human players; the AI only has a - I believe - 1% chance to choose to head up the League so unless you've already picked one of the Awakened Empires to side with, it's very likely you'll be asked to head up the League.

You probably read the numbers in the wiki article backwards. AI have a 100/101 chance to accept leadership of the non-aligned powers if they are offered and have 20k+ fleet power.

Originally posted by Lady Crimson:

snip

Unless you're playing modded, you lose your commercial pacts because they disappear into "federation taxes." I lost several hundred energy per month because I created a federation with a megacorp trading buddy.

I've never had an AI in a federation deny a war request, and I've had a fanatic pacifist agree to a conquest war once. Usually it's when I enter a federation that the endless war starts in earnest because everyone wants to throw the endless federation fleet around.

[[MCS] Yoritomo]

Having a fed early/midgame benefits extremly on colonising all habitable planets. Migraton treaty without be in a fed, seem quite dangerous to me.

[Ninjamestari]

If you can get a large federation rolling, it'll effectively allow you to skip having a fleet, allowing you to spend those resources on research and megastructures instead.

[HugsAndSnuggles]

Originally posted by Ninjamestari:

If you can get a large federation rolling, it'll effectively allow you to skip having a fleet, allowing you to spend those resources on research and megastructures instead.

With how AI is programmed to give away free guarantees, you don't need to do anything.