Strongest factions?

[Maniac]

There have been lots of "favourite faction" polls in the past, but those IIRC dealt with what faction you would most want to join if you had the choice IRL. In this poll however I would be interested to know what factions you find the strongest in-game when played by humans. Could you please vote for your three "strongest faction" choices? Thanks.

Edit: Hmm, I just realized everyone would probably vote for the Aliens, already taking away two of the three votes. To make the results a bit more interesting, could I therefore please ask to ignore the Aliens and vote for your three strongest human factions?

[CEO Aaron]

I'm glad you discounted the Aliens, since they're so terrifyingly overpowered.

My picks for 3 Strongest when played by a Human are:

1. University

These guys are very popular, and with good reason. Their tech rate is second to none, and their drawbacks are relatively easy to compensate for. No support or industry limitations means you can even go for an early momentum strategy, buy teching toward weapons technology and hitting close neighbors with a fast impact rover rush.

2. Drones

Crushingly good mineral output, combined with enhanced drone control makes the Drones another highly flexible, powerful faction. The inability to go Green really only becomes a hindrance late game. The vast industrial capacity lets the Drones pursue any path they choose toward victory, whether it's a builder or momentum strategy, or anything in between.

3. Peacekeepers

Lal has no apparent weaknesses, and lots of powerful strengths that make them a threat to win every game they're in. Double Council votes cannot be overestimated, as does the utility of free talents. The extra Hab limits merely makes up for Lal's minor efficiency problems, but makes specialist-driven, high nutrient economy a natural choice.

Honorable Mentions go to Yang and Dierdre, though I personally find both factions a little too economically inflexible to be as powerful as the 3 I've chosen. I short, if you can't get +2 Economy, you're not a top-ranked faction in my book.

[Zeiter]

Can you believe that I rarely go FM? Usually it is planned during pop-boom, then green for the rest of the way for me.

I'd have to say the strongest are:

1. Peacekeepers: Pop limits, council votes, talents, starts with biogenetics (which lets you get recycling tanks, HGP, and which also gives you a shot at secret of the human brain), no weaknesses-very versatile. You can build and you can conquer, whichever one you want.

2. Gaians: starts with centauri ecology, so you can terraform right from the beginning. Good planet rating - can capture mind worms, +10% planet bonus when fighting native life. Excellent efficiency. +1 nutrients in fungus. Few weaknesses, also very versatile. You can build, or you can lead your mind worm legions to victory. Also very good late in the game when you have to deal with the planet freak-outs.

3. University: I've noticed that the University is a good faction for both beginners on their first game and highly skilled veterans. The University is also very versatile. +2 tech is very nice. Has probably the best shot at Secrets of the human brain. Free network node at each base (the virtual world is a must for UoP). Free starting tech of your choice. Starts with information networks, which sets you up for a beeline to nonlinear mathematics if you are in the mood for conquerin', or Ind Auto if you just wanna crawl, crawl, crawl. The only negatives are probe susceptibility and an extra drone every four citizens. However, those problems can be easily dealt with.

Basically, what I look for is versatility. While other factions seem to have certain niches mastered, with these factions you have a lot of options concerning how you want to play. That's also why these factions all make excellent beginner choices. You don't have to have a certain niche mastered in order to play well with these.

[Jamski]

Whoops, voted for the aliens before I read Maniac's post.

My revised 3 would be :

Hive
University
Peacekeepers

-Jam

[Jac de Molay]

The Hiver all the way . You better pray you're not parked next to me or you are TOAST.

All that growth, industry and support, police with NO penalties? Plus free perimeter defense? It's not even close.

Edit: also the gaians and I won't even pick the University because they're pathetically easy

[Jamski]

Although the Hive does have a very well know weakpoint in MP. They have either no cash in the early game or they are running Wealth so they have no morale. Of course once the Hive gets going it can become a mighty power in the middle game. I feel they fall off later as they cannot run Demo making Popboom a problem and getting a decent effic impossible.

-Jam

[Drogue]

Hive - the military and defensive powerhouse. Very hard to play against, especially on a large map.
University - the Net Nodes is a tremendous bonus,a nd with the VW they solve their drone problem, while still havign fantastic research.
Pirates - The sea is a great resource, but usually lacks minerals. With that, the ability for early trade, and some great ships, they can be a force to be reckoned with. Also quote hard to play against in the early and early-middle game.

Honourable mentions to PKs, because of their votes, growth potential and talents, making them great popboomers. Gaians have a huge military problem, and are pretty easy to overrun in war, Morganites have problem growing and in war, especially if roleplayed (FM all the way) and Drones research problems really let them down, IMHO. You have to get the tech before you can build the SP.

[Jac de Molay]

Originally posted by Jamski
Although the Hive does have a very well know weakpoint in MP. They have either no cash in the early game or they are running Wealth so they have no morale. -Jam

I've never had a cash crunch with Yang in either SP or MP. You're running a huge network of formers to literally steamroll yourself some extra economy through massive terraforming, PLUS a huge army to go out and hunt worms and probe.


And I never EVER run Wealth. It's Power all the way. +2 morale to go along with the Command Nexus, and the ability to support up to base size for free? That is baaad azzz Even with a tech lag, you are a juggernaut to be reckoned with...

[Jamski]

I've never had a cash crunch with Yang in either SP or MP. You're running a huge network of formers to literally steamroll yourself some extra economy through massive terraforming, PLUS a huge army to go out and hunt worms and probe.

Yeah, I know what you mean, the Hive can make money, but I like to spend, spend, spend and with the Hive there's never quite enough money compared with the other factions.

I only run Power with the Hive if I can snag the Cloning Vats, because the Industry penalty BITES.

-Jam

[Jac de Molay]

What penalty though, really? Power evens out your Industry, but your getting some minerals back with the huge Support boost. I would never run an SE choice that negates my trademark SP, The Nexus, even with the Industry bonus. Thats why I don't use Wealth, personally.

[CEO Aaron]

The Hive is a good faction when you don't have good money management skills, but I'll take a cash-rich faction every day. Against a competently run University, Morgan or Peacekeeper enemy, you may never GET power. When your enemies have gotten IA and Impact Weapons at the same time you've managed to get lasers, you're going to have problems.

FYI, Wealth doesn't negate the Command Nexxus, it just halves the benefit you receive from it.

[Chaos Theory]

I picked Zak, Yang, and Domai

Zak for an effective +80% research in the early game, and with VW no drone problems. With Zak you research so fast you can get to IA before you can even use it effectively. His weaknesses are -2 probe, which isn't a big deal since if probes get to most factions they'll suffer, and a small drone problem that doesn't even matter until bases reach size 4.

Yang for the ability to place many, many cities without drone problems, and for his high industry. Although he only gets +1 inherently, he can run Planned better than most factions for an extra +1. Wealth cancels his econ penalty and boosts his industry even higher. Throw in the PTS if you can get it and sprawl over the planet. Not being able to use Demo hurts in the late game, if you get there, but the lack of pop booming is offset by the ability to make many small cities so easily

Domai gets +2 industry. Add on either FM/Wealth or Planned/Wealth for enough to build anything very quickly, as long as you can research it. To offset a low research rate, make lots of crawlers to crawl more energy, or make lots of cities. Hell, make lots of anything you need. Domai is silly if you can cope with the early lack of tech.

Deirdre, Lal, and Aki are also good.

[Lazerus]

Uni, Hive, Drones.

Jamski, the Hives money problems aren't that bad, granted you wont be making a thousand or 2 by 2200 like the builders but with the tight packed cities when you get the sats ive hit 10,000 per turn by 2260, heck i think my record was 40,000 .... damn i remember those turns *shudders* took me an evening to play 1

As for early game just get the planetary energy grid and you'll easily be getting in a couple hundred in no time.


Chaos sums up nicely my view on the overall picture of the 3.

[Lefty Scaevola]

A lot depends on the difficulty level selected, because of controlling drones. THe University is great at lower an middle difficulties, but fades at the higher ones, where the peacekeepers, cyborgs and Gains gain relative stregnth.

[Minute Mirage]

Originally posted by Lefty Scaevola
A lot depends on the difficulty level selected, because of controlling drones. THe University is great at lower an middle difficulties, but fades at the higher ones, where the peacekeepers, cyborgs and Gains gain relative stregnth.

The University's drone problem is most irrelevant at transcend difficulty. Since you are likely to have drones as your first citizen in every base if you have expanded enough, the extra drones don't mean anything.