Gameplay Affinity

Gameplay affinities are modifiers applied to civilizations which change multiple elements of gameplay, ranging for rather minor changes to significant game altering ones.  These take two main forms -  "core" gameplay affinities, which make a wide range changes, and modifications to the tech tree. Gameplay affinities also dictate the number of trait points that can be spent when creating a faction.

## Slave Drivers - 100

* Enslave factions living on the same planet
* -10  per enslaved population
* +100%  from enslaved population

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Hive Mind Extender: unlocks a module behemoths and carriers that increases various combat attributes across a flotilla in exchange for reduced speed.

## Omniscience - 100

* output is increased the fewer opposing factions have unlocked the technology currently being researched. The bonus increases linearly up to 50% if no opposing factions have unlocked the tech.

### Technologies

* Xenolinguistics - Mega-Indy Consultancy: replaces a system improvement with an alternative that gives +10  on cold planets.
* Juggernaut Blueprints - Quantic Flotilla Shield: unlocks a module for behemoths and carriers that increases shield and energy resistance flotilla wide.

## The Emperor's Will - 95

* Can use  to purchase system improvements, technologies and resources from the marketplace.
* +0.1  for each  spent

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Juggernaut Plating: unlocks a module for behemoths and carriers that increases hit-points and resistance to projectiles.

## Gene Hunters - 95

* Can splice genetic material from other species to enhance its founding population. Splicing requires the sacrifice of of some individuals.
* Gene Splicing Bonuses depend on the species providing genetic material.
* The number of individuals that need to be sacrificed to splice starts at two, and increases by two for each new splice.
* The founding population's  consumption increases by 5% (additive) for each splice.

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Beautifier: unlocks a module for behemoths and carriers that reduces boarding pod damage 20% and weapon cooldown 10%.
* Atmospheric Filtration - Glorification of the Gorgeous - replaces a system improvement that gives +10  per luxury resource, rather than +5.
* Genetic Recoding - unlocks a unique technology which grants a project which converts species to the founding population.

## Continuum Sculptors - 95

Can place singularities, and affect time by placing them on a system. Singularities have a fixed duration, and can only be placed within your empire's vision.

### Singularities

Two singularities are unlocked initially:

* Compression Singularity: +100% experience gains on ships and heroes, +100% recovery rate on heroes, +100% depletion points per turn, +100% hacking speed, +25%  output on system.
* Dilation Singularity: -50% experience gains on ships and heroes, -500% recovery rate on heroes, -50% depletion points per turn, -25% hacking speed, -25%  output on system.

Three further singularities become available to unlock at stages 4 and 5 of the  and exploration tech tree.

* Rip Singularity: +10%  on empire, -75% hacking speed, space and ground battles can be re-fought, and fleets can go back to their origin on entering the effect.
* Fold Singularity: +10%  on empire, +200% hacking speed, bonuses from any basic system improvement are applied prior to completion, fleets entering the effect have their movement points reset, and heroes are not affected by assignment "lock".
* Stasis Singularity: +10%  on empire, freezes system, prevent any progress or movement, -100% hacking speed.

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Quantum Shield: unlocks a defensive module for carriers and behemoths which improves health, shield, energy and projectile resistance.
* Perfect Negotiations - Burrows: unlocks a system improvement which increases population cap by 2 on sterile planets.
* Inter-Species HR - Isolationist Cells: adds a empire improvement which increases the population cap by 1 on sterile.
* Personal Singularities - This unique technology adds the Tower of Temporal Paradox, a unique system improvement that generates  at a rate which increases every turn.

Two unique technologies are added which unlock new singularities.
Tachyon Physics - Unique technology which unlocks the Rip and Fold Singularities.
Unified Tachyon Theory - Unique technology which unlocks the Stasis Singularity.

Multiple technologies are altered to change the order in which colonization is unlocked. In general sterile planets are brought forward so they are unlocked earlier, and fertile types are unlocked later. The technologies Evaporation Inhibitors and Climate Engineering are also modified so that the terraforming abilities unlocked terraform planets from fertile to sterile, rather than vice versa.

### Discussion

Due to the significant changes to terraforming and colonization technologies, the Continuum Sculptors affinity has significant synergies with the Voidborn visual affinity, which removes the need for  production, and the biophobic species trait. These however are not linked when producing a custom faction, which can make the Continuum Sculptor affinity significantly detrimental if this is not accounted for.

## Ship Bound - 95

The Ship Bound affinity causes a collection of major gameplay changes:

Populations in a Ship Bound faction are based exclusively in giant ships called arks:

* Arks can be anchored to systems to allow the population of an ark to work all colonizable planets in the system.
* When an ark is anchored in a system, the population works every planet simultaneously - i.e. if there are 3 population on the ark, all colonizable planets will be worked by three population. This ignores planet pop. caps.
* Arks can be relocated from system to system, but produce no resources when not anchored.
* System improvements can be built as normal, and system improvements other than those that are empire and galaxy unique are transported with the ark when it is relocated.
* Arks have a number of unlockable modules which enhance production. In exchange all planet specializations are deactivated.

Unlocks :

* is gained through production in Arks and systems, from relationships with minor factions, and though specialized ships called Leechers which drain  when activated in opposing systems.
* can be used to purchase new population and Arks.

Ship Bound factions cannot have populations other than the original population. The do not find exiles, cannot recruit immigrants and when a system is assimilated the previous population is purged. When a system is conquered it gains the "hunting ground" status, which causes the previous population and buildings to gradually be destroyed and any docked Ark to gain a boost to  production.

### Technologies

* N-Way Fusion - Chain Gang Program is replaced with Military Penance, which costs  in place of  and .
* Unstable Isotope Machining - Adds the Mediation module, this Ark only module prevents the Ark from being attacked when attached to a system.
* Behemoth Blueprints - Adds the behemoth and carrier module Holy Vestment which causes destroyed manpower to return
* Interstellar Wind Shields - Both previous enhancement provided by this tech are replaced with two new system improvements - Microstasis Motors, which enhances  per  and manpower, and Phased Cloth, which gives +1  per
* SLC (Supra-Light Content) Systems - Removes planet specialization, and replaces normal cultural conversion with one that provides .
* Veil of the Essence - This unique technology adds the Spire of the Ordained system improvement, which provides a flat approval per hero and increases hero experience gains.

All planetary specializations are removed from the relevant technologies, as are terraforming projects, and all changes to population capacity.

A large number of Ark only modules are added to the Science and Exploration tree. Largely these modules increase a specific  production, both flat and as a percentage, but include effects returning  for various acts.

## Planet Brokers - 100

* Use  to colonize instead of colony ships.
* Can negotiate/trade outposts using diplomacy
* Use  in place of  for many tasks when dealing with pirates or minor factions.

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Adds the Mobile Commercial Branch module for carriers and behemoths, which provides  and  for destroyed command points.
* Galactic Commodities Exchange - Adds the Shadow Banking system improvement, which trades  for a temporary reduction in dust inflation.
* Untraceable Markets - A unique technology which provides The White Market system improvement, which gives +5%  for each friendly major faction.

## Celestial Vines - 95

* Can use ships to extend tendrils to adjacent systems. When a system is "anchored" this way it can be colonized, or allowed to passively provide a bonus to approval and population growth. Each tendril provides a +1000 defensive bonus.
* Tendrils are spread by specialized ships called vineships over a number of turns. This can be sped up by using more ships.
* Once a tendril is established, the one planet in the system can colonized instantly for free. Further planets must be colonized through system projects, which take a flat number of turns. This replaces normal colonization mechanics.
* Tendrils replace the normal influence spheres. - Systems linked by tendrils count as within your influence.

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Adds the Elder Bark Armour behemoth module, which increases hitpoints, projectile resistant and regeneration.
* Resonator of the Heart - This technology is unique to the celestial vines affinity, and provides the empire unique system improvement, Mantle of Unity, which produces  for every major faction you are at peace on in an alliance with.

All technologies relating to planetary colonization undergo one minor change - the cost of colonization in  is replaced with a cost in number of turns to complete

## Metafolding - 95

* Every system can build a portal which permits instantaneous travel to any other portal in the empire. Ships will automatically use gates to plot the most efficient route.
* Technologies provide some portal upgrades which cause system effects and allow behemoths to act as portals.

### Technologies

* Juggernaut Blueprints - Unlocks a behemoth only module which allows the ship to be used as a portal, in exchange for slightly reduced speed.
* Universal Conscription - Replaces Imperviable Bunkers with Budakai Bunkers which provide twice the manpower capacity.
* Megarisk Engineering - Adds a portal enhancement which makes portals negate disapproval.
* Ex-Atmospheric Filtration - Adds the empire unique improvement, Filter Barges, which produces 1  and
* Interstitial Spaces - Adds a portal improvement which provides planetary manpower per turn.
* Space Loop - This unique technology provides the Portal Upgrade:Broadcast, which slows influence conversion, and the system improvement System Science Station, which provide  for ever anomaly.