Strongest factions?

[CEO Aaron]

Beat me to it. Yeah, I used to think that Uni couldn't hack Transcend until I saw Sikander's pure-specialist strategy. Since specialists don't become drones, you only need to quell 5 drones, and then you can ICS till you're blue in the face.

[GeoModder]

Angels, Peacekeepers and Hive.

PK and Hive is fairly obvious.

But I like to probe around now and then, the Angels are quite my favourite for that, and are balanced enough IMO for a non-probe approach of the game if wanted so.

[Sikander]

I voted for:

University
Drones
Peacekeepers

I voted that way because of success with the University and Lal, and because of the Drones reputation amongst multiplayers. Honorable mention to the Hive, which I have also had good success with.

[Maniac]

For the record, I voted for the UoP, PKs and Drones.
UoP and PKs were obvious choices for me. For the third vote I was in doubt between the Drones, Hive, Pirates and Morganites who all have very specific strengths and weaknesses, but I ended up voting for the Drones because they can easily popboom, unlike the other three factions.

Originally posted by Jamski
Whoops, voted for the aliens before I read Maniac's post.
My revised 3 would be :
Hive
University
Peacekeepers

What faction did you vote for besides the Aliens before your revision?

[Ogie Oglethorpe]

Uni, Drones, Consciouness

UNi and Drones are obvious and have been stated here.

Consiousness is the wildcard b/c it can go with a relatively unstoppable early impact rush much quicker than anyone esle. Or can settle back and run Demo/FM/wealth and have 100% allocation to research or econ. Running a pop boom going GA & Dem/planned/creche is not difficult. A great rusher and a good but not great builder.

[Alinestra Covelia]

Drat, I also read the post only after I voted for the Aliens.

Hive, Morgan, and Uni for me. I can't use the Morganites for crap but the more I see them used, the more convinced I am that energy is one of the most important things in the game.

[Mart]

I think Hive for its +Growth, +Industry, free perimeter defence and flattened efficiency

[gwillybj]

1. The Cybernetic Consciousness
2. The Human Hive
3. Manifold Caretakers

Jamski: Whoops, voted for the aliens before I read Maniac's post.
Alinestra Covelia: Drat, I also read the post only after I voted for the Aliens.

Me, too.
3. Gaia's Stepdaughters

[Starfarer]

I say University, Morgan, and Rose's hacker kids.

Unniversity... my God... what kind of a silly person does it take to think they suck?

Morgan... I can see why some people dislike him, but if you're decent, you can turn him into a true powerhouse. only way to beat Morgan late game is to beat him mid game, really.

And everyone hates suypport costs, but if you think about it, what's better... surviving the attacks because you have twice the units they thought you would and taking a minor hit to your industry at two or three bases... or dying because you hate the little red-rimmed-mineral?

And Angels, because... I'm sorry, a probe-rape faction without the penalties that the bible-thumpers have is wonderful.

[Commy]

I hate to do this, but I change my vote. (sorry, i voted for the aliens)

I believe that by far, the most powerful (assuming you have updates or crossfire) is the Hive.

I hate the Hive, but they are deffinitely the best. When I look at who is the most powerful, I also include social engineering choices. With immunity to efficiency, the Hive can do Police State and Planned, and litterally kill everyone with industry and infrastructure. And, although not reccommended, doing power, may eliminate the industry benefits, but will give +4 support and a great morale benefit, making the hive almost invincible. The only people who can get by the Hive are my personal two favorites, the Angels and University


The University can use it's tech to create infrastructure even better than the drones and morgans, and although it won't have as many units as the Hive, it can use it's tech to kill Yang units.

The Angels also can bypass the military superpower lead by the insane Chairman Yang by using elite probe teams. Mind control one of Yang's bases, and you have a whole horde of facilities and units. While you may not be able to support them due to the vast number, you can use them as kamikaze attackers and weaken Yang up for the kill.

But of course, don't forget the ALiens. The have by far the best advantages, to bad they have to look so ugly.

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Commy
...lead by the insane Chairman Yang...

Who says Yang is insane?

[Jamski]

Its common knowledge.

-Jam

[Trithemius]

Originally posted by Jamski
Its common knowledge.

Tyranny is not insanity. It's horribly unpleasant, but it is not neccessary insane. Yang is, in my opinion, more Hobbes and anti-Foucault than he is Mao Tse Tung.

[Commy]

Communism, and to a certain extent, tyrrany is not insane. Yang is insane, not socialism.

[RedFred]

Gaians, PK and Drones.

The Gaians find the fungus mighty tasty. Their +1 food on fungus makes an already powerful PTS that much better. Although I much prefer a balanced resource tile, an early 2 food fungus can help sustain your pop boom prior to intensive terraforming. The inexperienced units problem is easily solved by switching to planned once you have enough worms and you are ready for booming. Or nab the CN... or build Command Centres... They have the inside track to SoHB if the Cult aren't playing and Uni is slow off the mark. They can't easily get +1 energy but the fungal army is the best for pod popping and generating some extra cash. And the late game fungus becomes valuable much more quickly than for the other guys, even without the fungus resource enhancing SP.

PK outranks Roz for the ultimate flexible faction because of the hab limits. If I have a reasonable chance of getting the +2 hab limits SP I will even modify my base spacing because size 18 cities are so valuable. The extra votes should make you a shoe-in for Guv in the early going. No SE restrictions are nice. The extra happy campers are an added bonus.

The Drones. Minerals. Build stuff quick.