New Faction - Night Core, Inc.

[Famyn]

^ No, this is not Earth. This is a new world, with new needs and new demands. We shall continue like we always have, providing the best, up to date products, providing the lowest prices possible, and uplifting the quality of life for all.
^
^ -- President Mikael Night
^ Address to the staff, planetfall

#DATALINKS1
^LEADER: {President Mikael Night}
^BACKGROUND: {Night Core, Inc. President and Founder}
^AGENDA: {High Profit and Advanced Technology}
^TECH: {Industrial Base}

#DATALINKS2
^+2 ECONOMY: {Economic Emphasis}
^+1 RESEARCH: {Expensive, Elaborate Research Labs}
^-2 EFFICIENCY: {Recklessly Throws Money Into R&D}
^-1 SUPPORT: {Quality over Quantity}
^-1 PROBE: {Large, Easily Infiltrated Corporate Databases}
^Begins with 50 extra energy credits.
^{May not use Fundamentalist politics.}

I don't know what to do with this faction. The +2 economy is in my opinion more powerful then the other +2 choices, but I'm not sure how to 'weaken' them anymore then they already are.

[joer]

+2 econ is simply nuts. Look at the disadvantages Morgan gets for simply +1 econ.
Then take a look at the disadvantages for FM to see the price you should pay for 1 more energy / field.

Add a horrible Planet rating (call it industrial/research waste or somesuch), add a serious drone penalty (disgruntled citizens who don't get all the newest consumer products) and a -1/-2 growth (to prevent them from pop-booming so easily) and we can talk about balance.

Otherwise, it's just a killer faction.
Nobody cares about -1 probe, and the faction can just switch around between planned/demo for pop booming and green/demo for efficient research, while always enjoying the FM advantages.

[AlexanderIII]

The easy answer is that it's a surefire recepe for an overpowered faction to combine a bonus in Economy and Research. Reduce the +2 to +1 Economy or eliminate the bonus to Research. Then give them a minus to Planet, since who cares about planet when there's money to be made? that would be more balancing than -1 Support, which is a little weak as a negative unless you give -2. This is, if I understand it right, an improved Morganite faction, right? What I would suggest is:

^+1 ECONOMY: {Economic Emphasis}
^+1 RESEARCH: {Expensive, Elaborate Research Labs}
^-2 EFFICIENCY: {Recklessly Throws Money Into R&D}
^-1 PLANET: {Exploitative economic practices harm Planet}
^-1 PROBE: {Large, Easily Infiltrated Corporate Databases}
^Begins with 50 extra energy credits.
^{May not use Fundamentalist politics.}