Since -2 Research is such a harsh penalty

[Quezacotl06]

What sort of factin traits would compensate for it?

I was thinking +2 Planet +Morale and free doctrine mobility would go well with -2research, cause at least you can defend yourself easily against high-tech forces.

[binTravkin]

+2 economy and things are solved!

[Maniac]

+2 probe. So that you can steal the techs you can't research yourself.

[Mart]

+2 morale so you can kill other factions without finding them better techs
Believers have also +25% bonus for believing... fanatism

[GeoModder]

+2 support so you can train and sent waves of perhaps inferior units to this Ivory Tower intellectuals when they deem you beneath their attention.

[Quezacotl06]

I'd say no to +economy, because it's simply making a negative and then cancelling it out. Changes to combat-related things like probe and morale and planet I think would let the faction be more unique in strategy.

[Chaos Theory]

+2 industry and NODRONE, 1 are more than enough.

[#endgame]

Free net nodes and research hospitals in every base (without tech!).

Oh wait... that sounds like something you'd see on networknode. :P

[Maniac]

Originally posted by Chaos Theory
+2 industry and NODRONE, 1 are more than enough.

Stress on "more than".

[Major Guz]

Maybe this sounds ridiculous, but a free former would also be nice, so you can start terraforming while you do not have the tech. See it as a converted unity gas miner or something.

Off course this must be added to something extra. Maybe starting tech = industrial base (for the ME SP helps out a little and armor 2 is available and paves the way for FM SE choice).

Also a +1 morale can be given on account of the fanaticism to defend the home country (and offense is the best defense)

Summarized my suggestion:
[-2 research]
+1 morale
free former at start
starting tech ind. base

anyone else?

[#endgame]

Rather than +1 morale, why not miriam's fanaticism?
IndBase? I don't recall seeing anyone put the ME high on their priority list, although I agree on the Armor 2 point.

[Senethro]

Irrelevent thread diversion: I'm something of a fan of giving bonus units as a means of faction balance. A free former is an excellant way to help along the believers or drones. Sometimes on a very small map I've given Morgan a couple of supply crawlers to help offset the support cost he incurs.

They mostly get eaten by worms though...

[Major Guz]

Originally posted by #endgame
Rather than +1 morale, why not miriam's fanaticism?
IndBase? I don't recall seeing anyone put the ME high on their priority list, although I agree on the Armor 2 point.

The +1 morale works both ways, both offensive as well as defensive. Plus, IIRC the +25% fanaticism miriam has does not work against worms, the +1 morale will.
See it as a kind of average, +25% offense against human units (25% fanaticism) versus +12,5% offense against anything and +12,5% defense versus anything.

As for the ME well, I concur it is not the most useful SP, but if I can get it early I will probably try to get it (but I prefer the WP for obvious reasons).
I stated ind. base mainly for its armor 2.

IMHO the extra former is something quite useful, it can give you a definite turn advantage (until it is eaten by worms). I too like giving bonus units to balance out factions rather than giving them a free facility (that counts rather grave when hou have a hundred bases or so). The extra former can be that little something extra that gives you that extra edge in the beginning where the -2 science really hurts (when you have little bases and not the tech required for science buildings).

[Chaos Theory]

I would have no reason to play such a faction, except as a challenge. What perks do they get? +1 morale hardly defines a faction. Industrial Base as a starting tech doesn't mean much, since I'll research it in short order with any faction without a research penalty. A free former is nice, but not nearly as nice as having Centauri Ecology. Every faction in the game has some distinguishing advantages. This faction doesn't.

[Mart]

I noticed, Believers have usually slow start, but often in later game they can overwhelm other factions.

I think +25% attack bonus is a strong one when in vendetta. This faction is not definitely for a peacefull playing. I wonder why they are so close related to christianity. Was it very much intended by game creators?