THE ALIEN LEADERS

Emperor Personalities and Objectives: Leader personalties strongly modify reactions to a diplomatic situations. Xenophobes, for example, always react harshly to negative diplomacy and reduce the effects of positive actions such as tribute. Pacifists will sooner sue for peace after war is declared.

Every time a new game is created, the leaders from each race are endowed with personality traits and objectives that will dictate how they will develop their star systems, what types of technology will be emphasized, and how they will react to certain diplomatic situations. Each race has certain tendencies for leader personalities, and leaders may change through the course of a game.

The personality of the leader reflects the emperor’s diplomatic outlook when dealing with neighboring races:

• Ruthless leaders attack with little or no provocation and are quite willing to sacrifice starships and people to achieve their goals.
• Erratic leaders are totally unpredictable. One year they may be peaceful and non-violent, while the next year they will go to war over any little excuse.
• Aggressive leaders will attack any time they are put in a favorable situation.
• Pacifistic leaders are eager to maintain peaceful relations even after being attacked.
• Honorable leaders will never attack anyone that they are on good terms with. However, they will react twice as strongly to unprovoked attacks and sabotage.
• Xenophobic leaders hate everyone, halving the effects of positive diplomacy and doubling the diplomatic effects of hostile actions.

The leader’s objectives determine how the emperor will allocate resources and focus technological research:

• Diplomats concentrate resources on trade with allies and espionage with enemies. Otherwise they seek a balance between military buildup, ecological maintenance, and technological research.
• Militarists seek to develop new and innovative weapons technology. They will build and maintain a large star fleet at all times.
• Technologists will focus resources on the development of new technology with little emphasis placed on any one single area.