[Brian Swartz]

Ethos(What do we believe?)

Ethos is probably the most important setup decision to made. It will impact almost every part of the game; diplomacy, internal politics, what technologies we can research, and I'm sure things that I've haven't thought of yet or haven't been revealed. It also determines what types of government we can choose from, which we will get to tomorrow.

There are four ethical spectrums in Stellaris that define our beliefs as a species. We may choose up to three of these, but cannot select opposing philosophies on the same spectrum. For example, we cannot choose to be both Militarist and Pacifist -- it's kind of like trying to divide by zero. If one or two philosophies have far more support than the rest, we will be Fanatics in the most popular choice.


Collectivist vs. Individualist. The needs of the many vs. the rights of the individual citizen.

** Collectivists require less food, improving population growth, and are more tolerant than normal of slavery.

** Individualists get a bonus to energy(the 'currency' of the game, primarily used for maintenance, meaning individualists can support more buildings, orbital stations, ships, etc). Individualists also are less tolerant than normal of slavery, and will have more population that departs from the species ethical norm that the average empire.


Xenophile vs. Xenophobe. The approach to other species.

** Xenophiles get along better with other species living on the same planet/part of the same empire.

** Xenophobes are the opposite, and will more quickly be unhappy living with other species. They are also more tolerant than normal of enslasving aliens.


Militarist vs. Pacifist. This spectrum considers the merits of war.

** Militarists get bonuses to the destructiveness of their ground combat armies, and gain more influence(aka political capital) from 'rattling the saber' by declaring enemy empires to be rivals. It is more costly for them to form alliances than normal. The people also have more tolerance for and happiness during war than normal.

** Pacifists can establish more embassies, which improve relations with competing empires. They also produce more food, increasing population growth. Their ground combat armies are less effective than normal, rivalries gain less influence than normal for them, and the popular approach to wars is more negative as well.


Materialist vs. Spiritualist

** Materialists get a bonus to their research output.

** Spiritualists get a bonus to their happiness, and are therefore less likely to spawn independence movements.


Voting Options

Ethos Preferences: List up to three from the choices above with the caveat that they cannot be opposing choices from the same spectrum. Or alternatively, there's always the Random option.

Tomorrow we'll look at government types a bit.