Looking for Cool Empire Builds to Spice Up my gameplay.

[Cadmus]

I have played for 150 hours and can't decide on a Empire Style to play. I like Trade, but I also like Hive Minds and Machine's even though they don't seem that great anymore. I have no experience with Slave type empires.

Leave empire build ideas, would be greatly appreciated. Vanilla atm because i would like to work towards more achievements until I get better at the game.

[Druitt]

I'm currently trying a Fanatical Pacifist MegaCorp. The Fanatical Pacifist cancels a lot of the MegaCorp expansion penalty and it also forces me to focus on expansion without declaring war. Though I have a nearby, hostile empire that I could've gutted with my superior fleets, which are basically sitting at our chokepoint keeping them out of my hair.

Also, I'm playing a Plantoid with the Tomb World start, where they get half of their nutrition from the radiation. (I forget all of the particular choice names.) That hasn't been the boon that I though... Haven't found any other Tomb worlds (seemed to find one or two in previous playthroughs) and don't have the option of creating Tomb worlds.

[Cadmus]

Originally posted by Druitt:

I'm currently trying a Fanatical Pacifist MegaCorp. The Fanatical Pacifist cancels a lot of the MegaCorp expansion penalty and it also forces me to focus on expansion without declaring war. Though I have a nearby, hostile empire that I could've gutted with my superior fleets, which are basically sitting at our chokepoint keeping them out of my hair.

Also, I'm playing a Plantoid with the Tomb World start, where they get half of their nutrition from the radiation. (I forget all of the particular choice names.) That hasn't been the boon that I though... Haven't found any other Tomb worlds (seemed to find one or two in previous playthroughs) and don't have the option of creating Tomb worlds.

Try this out, I see what you are going for, this build is pretty close, and pretty fun
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKajjydjueA&t=735s

[Big mean bunny]

Depends on what expansions you have, a lot of my favourite styles depend on race packs. I will say a xenophile trade empire works well and gives you lots of envoys to diplo or spy with. Run with a mastercrafter civic it hardly needs power districts. If you like hive mind try cordiceptic drones, and you farm space fauna if you are lucky enough to get one of their special systems. It can be added and removed so you don't have to start with it.

[Theutus]

Lithoid necroids are my go to

[Bishi]

Try a Barbaric Despoiler Necrophage empire. Pretty fun and unique. One of my favorites is egalitarian, militarist, and xenophobic with meritocracy. You are very strong at science, military, and pops. Most of the galaxy will hate you in the beginning of the game, but securing a decent alliance will keep you alive until the midgame when people start to respect you from your diplomatic weight.

As for Hiveminds, terravores and devouring swarms are still fun, but there are more peaceful options I find fun as well. Tree of life with empath and idyllic bloom can be a fun rp experience, diplomatic galactic council hivemind, and depending on your traits can be a pop-producing powerhouse.

I'll also echo what Druitt said, pacifist/fanatic pacifist can be fun as a megacorp, especially if you take criminal syndicate with subterranean origin.

[Cadmus]

Originally posted by Trebuidoi:

Try a Barbaric Despoiler Necrophage empire. Pretty fun and unique. One of my favorites is egalitarian, militarist, and xenophobic with meritocracy. You are very strong at science, military, and pops. Most of the galaxy will hate you in the beginning of the game, but securing a decent alliance will keep you alive until the midgame when people start to respect you from your diplomatic weight.

As for Hiveminds, terravores and devouring swarms are still fun, but there are more peaceful options I find fun as well. Tree of life with empath and idyllic bloom can be a fun rp experience, diplomatic galactic council hivemind, and depending on your traits can be a pop-producing powerhouse.

I'll also echo what Druitt said, pacifist/fanatic pacifist can be fun as a megacorp, especially if you take criminal syndicate with subterranean origin.

Don't Criminal Heritage branch offices "suck" now days? Not worth investment etc???

[Bishi]

Originally posted by Nekros185:

Don't Criminal Heritage branch offices "suck" now days? Not worth investment etc???

It's a lot better in multiplayer, but why that build is cool/fun is that you become a defensive beast and will still be in plenty of wars due to how much everyone will hate you. While it generally is not worth the investment in the early game against the ai, you are still able to cripple, profit, or provoke a reaction without needing a commercial pact.

Anyway I thought you wanted empires to try that you may not have already, for fun. When someone asks for something cool, my first thoughts are not meta builds from youtube, mb. :c

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by Theutus:

Lithoid necroids are my go to

no pop growth speed, but practicly immortal! Especially combined with venerable!

80 (base) + 80 (necrophage) + 50 (lithoid) + 80 (venerable)= 290
Combined with fast learner and talented, and your leaders rapidly become max-level, and then live a long time with that level! Brilliant, eh?

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by Trebuidoi:

Try a Barbaric Despoiler Necrophage empire. Pretty fun and unique. One of my favorites is egalitarian, militarist, and xenophobic with meritocracy. You are very strong at science, military, and pops. Most of the galaxy will hate you in the beginning of the game, but securing a decent alliance will keep you alive until the midgame when people start to respect you from your diplomatic weight.

As for Hiveminds, terravores and devouring swarms are still fun, but there are more peaceful options I find fun as well. Tree of life with empath and idyllic bloom can be a fun rp experience, diplomatic galactic council hivemind, and depending on your traits can be a pop-producing powerhouse.

I'll also echo what Druitt said, pacifist/fanatic pacifist can be fun as a megacorp, especially if you take criminal syndicate with subterranean origin.

looks fun! Will try those!

[mss73055]

Phobe Egalitarian+ Clone Ascendant - sardaukar
Evolve something necrophage into an honouered federation member.
Ocean start, pave it over into a size 40 ecumenopilis.

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by mss73055:

Phobe Egalitarian+ Clone Ascendant - sardaukar
Evolve something necrophage into an honouered federation member.
Ocean start, pave it over into a size 40 ecumenopilis.

what do you mean by "Phobe Equaltarian"?

[Terijian]

they mean xenophobe and egalitarian ethics

[Yhvh10]

My favorite is Necrophages.

Pick Xenophobe and either fan militarist or militarist + materialist for technocracy and then select Necrophage in the origins.

Its honestly one of the most unique experiences, requiring a bit more effort but being quite rewarding forming a Vampire Empire. Lol

[CTH2004]

Originally posted by Terijian:

they mean xenophobe and egalitarian ethics

ahh

Originally posted by Yhvh10:

My favorite is Necrophages.

Pick Xenophobe and either fan militarist or militarist + materialist for technocracy and then select Necrophage in the origins.

Its honestly one of the most unique experiences, requiring a bit more effort but being quite rewarding forming a Vampire Empire. Lol

yep! And, little known fact is they do reproduce (just very slowly). You can sacrifice that by being Lithoid, making you live longer, but unable to reproduce at all. If you combine that with Venerable, you get a species that lives 290 years!

Combined with Talented and Quick Learner, you get a species that makes good leaders pretty quickly, has strong, hard to kill armies, and the leaders live a long time! If you get Limited Bio-adaptability, it becomes 300! If you add cybernetics, you can get to 340! Now, that is powerful

[Yhvh10]

Originally posted by CTH2004:

Originally posted by Yhvh10:

My favorite is Necrophages.

Pick Xenophobe and either fan militarist or militarist + materialist for technocracy and then select Necrophage in the origins.

Its honestly one of the most unique experiences, requiring a bit more effort but being quite rewarding forming a Vampire Empire. Lol

yep! And, little known fact is they do reproduce (just very slowly). You can sacrifice that by being Lithoid, making you live longer, but unable to reproduce at all. If you combine that with Venerable, you get a species that lives 290 years!

Combined with Talented and Quick Learner, you get a species that makes good leaders pretty quickly, has strong, hard to kill armies, and the leaders live a long time! If you get Limited Bio-adaptability, it becomes 300! If you add cybernetics, you can get to 340! Now, that is powerful

Oh yeah! The leaders for Necrophages really are the strong points. Get Venerable, Talented, Quick Learner and you are golden!

I once had a leader live all the way through the endgame crisis and beyond and she was so OP it was absurd. Same will all the admirals and generals.

Necrophage is an absolute blast.