Shuma's Government
Strategy Series
I can't vouch 100% for all the information here. It's based
on the spreadsheets and my gameplay observations, so take
it all with a grain of salt.
Shuma's Government Guide, or How to Pick the Right
Government For You
Picking the right government for your empire is very important.
It affects pretty much every area of your civilization. Unfortunately,
there isn't much documentation out there, and so making an
educated decision is pretty much impossible. My first few
games I basically stuck with the default. Hopefully I can
shed some light on this currently obscured topic.
First off, with the exception of the Ithkul, all races have
the same oppresometer tolerance. The ability to oppress more
or less comes from your government. Ithkul recieve a +1 tolerance
under all governments, and can work their FLUs to the bone.
Also, as it stands, it behooves a player to switch governments
every so often. You get a Heavy Foot reduction each time you
do it. You can switch back to your main form after you've
gotten your HFoG down. As long as you can keep your unrest
under control, it's well worth the trouble. HFoG becomes a
huge strain later in the game. Hopefully, this aspect of the
game will change, because it seems like an exploit to me.
The AIs never take advantage of it, and so will have huge
HFoG's later in the game.
I put the information in two formats: a numerical percentage,
and a relative rating. I included a rating because the numbers
can be deceptive. For example, an Oligarchy doesn't actually
decrease your industrial production. However, relative to
the other governments, you will be lagging behind, so Oligarchy
is given a poor rating for Industry.
Anyhow, on with the show.
1. The Absolutist Series
The Absolutist series isn't bad, and its main benefit is
that it is the default for most races. You don't have to use
any points to gain what benefits these governments have to
offer. Most of these government types are specialized and
usually have significant drawbacks. However, if you can neutralize
the problems associated with your government of choice, they
can be pretty darn good.
Despotism
Despotism can be a solid government under certain conditions,
but is usually not a good choice.
- Bioharvesting: 80% (Very Poor)
- Mining: 100% (Poor)
- Industry: 120% (Good)
- Research: 95% (Poor)
- Military: 130% (Good)
- Recreation: 95% (Below Avg)
- Spaceport: 100% (Average)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 104% (Poor)
- Oppressometer Cost: 93% (Good)
- Oppressometer Range: 5 to 9
- Forced Labor Range: 3 to 7
- Government DEA Unrest Modifier: 50%
- Military DEA Unrest Modifier: 150%
Most civilizations don't have much of a need for what Despotism
has to offer. It doesn't shine in any economic areas, though
the Industry bonus is solid. You take a big hit in bioharvesting,
and your research will suffer. However, if you're a militant
sort of civilization, or if you are looking to track down
those pesky spies, this is the pick for you. Despotism shines
in its ability to weed out spies via the oppressometer. Your
military DEAs will enjoy a huge boost in effectiveness as
well. You can crank up the taxes and really milk your people
for all they're worth if you have enough military DEAs to
keep the populace contained. You can also cruelly oppress
your FLUs and squeeze more production from them than any other
government.
Harvesters are the perfect fit for this type of government.
They are pretty much invulnerable to spies, and you can max
out the oppressometer to put the kibosh on enemy agents if
some should miraculously get through. It also fits perfectly
with their brutal heritage.
Other races should pick Despotism (or switch to it temporarliy)
if they feel they are too weak against spies.
Monarchy
Monarchy is a default for many civilizations. Most would
benefit from an early change to Constitutional Monarchy.
- Bioharvesting: 80% (Very Poor)
- Mining: 100% (Poor)
- Industry: 130% (Superior)
- Research: 90% (Very Poor)
- Military: 110% (Average)
- Recreation: 95% (Below Avg)
- Spaceport: 105% (Good)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 105% (Poor)
- Oppressometer Cost: 94% (Good)
- Oppressometer Range: 3 to 7
- Forced Labor Range: 2 to 6
- Government DEA Unrest Modifier: 50%
- Military DEA Unrest Modifier: 150%
Monarchies are the most common of the absolutist series.
In some ways, they don't have much going for them. Your bioharvesting
and research are dead last and the other categories are nothing
to shout about. However, your Industry will thrive like no
other. Only Parliamentary has such a big Industry bonus. Monarchies
are also pretty solid against spies, since you can boost the
oppressometer up to 7 if need be. Like Despotism, your government
DEAs will not be very effective in controlling the populace,
but your military ones will excel.
I'd say the Silicoids could benefit from a Monarchy the
most. It's arguable, definitely. The research hit is not something
they can really afford, but Monarchy's bioharvesting problems
are eliminated. Meklars and Cynoids also do well under a Monarchy.
Their massive industrial bonuses are increased even further,
and again, the bioharvesting hit isn't bad at all.
Any empire that likes Industry will get along well with
a Monarchy.
Oligarchy
Oligarchies can be summed up in one word: research.
- Bioharvesting: 90% (Poor)
- Mining: 90% (Very Poor)
- Industry: 100% (Poor)
- Research: 120% (Superior)
- Military: 100% (Poor)
- Recreation: 100% (Average)
- Spaceport: 105% (Good)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 99% (Average)
- Oppressometer Cost: 101% (Below Avg)
- Oppressometer Range: 2 to 6
- Forced Labor Range: 2 to 6
Oligarchies exist to promote research, plain and simple.
In most other economic categories they are below average.
They aren't really a good choice for most empires. You can't
really go too crazy with the oppressometer, so spies will
be able to take a crack at you. However, don't be afraid to
pump it up temporarily to take care of spies if they are running
rampant against you.
Any research race will be able to speed up development even
more with this government. Imagine Psilons or Nommo powered
up with an extra 20% research. As long as you can bring your
tech advantage to bear, the hits in the other areas won't
matter.
Constitutional Monarchy
Constitutional Monarchies are average performers, suitable
for any empire that doesn't want to weaken itself in any one
area.
- Bioharvesting: 100% (Average)
- Mining: 100% (Poor)
- Industry: 100% (Poor)
- Research: 100% (Below Average)
- Military: 100% (Poor)
- Recreation: 120% (Superior)
- Spaceport: 100% (Average)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 101% (Below Avg)
- Oppressometer Cost: 100% (Average)
- Oppressometer Range: 2 to 6
- Forced Labor Range: 0 to 4
C. Monarchies are nothing special, and so I would recommend
them to an empire trying to balance its skills in all areas.
You're not going to shore up any weaknesses here, nor will
you stand out in any one area. There isn't much to say about
C. Monarchies because they are pretty generic. If you're not
sure what to go with, the C. Monarchy is always a solid choice.
2. The Representative Series
The representative series of governments are all pretty good
at boosting your various capabilities. Their main weakness
is the oppressometer. They just can't turn up the heat on
enemy spies, and so their technological or industrial superiority
has a glaring weakness. Make sure you exploit this when playing
against others with a government in this series. Your spies
will cause all kinds of havoc, netting you new techs or assassinating
powerful leaders.
Corporate
Corporate goverments, if you read the manual, don't seem
all that enticing. Fortunately, the manual's all wrong.
- Bioharvesting: 120% (Superior)
- Mining: 120% (Superior)
- Industry: 110% (Average)
- Research: 105% (Average)
- Military: 80% (Very Poor)
- Recreation: 80% (Very Poor)
- Spaceport: 120% (Superior)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 95% (Good)
- Oppressometer Cost: 96% (Good)
- Oppressometer Range: 2 to 6
- Forced Labor Range: 2 to 6
The Corporate government makes a strong case for being the
best represenative type government. You will be treated to
the best mining and bioharvesting in the game. You won't even
have to take a research or manufacturing hit to do it. Corporate's
weaknesses are in unrest control. Its military and recreation
DEAs just won't be up to par. If your empire doesn't rely
on these, you really have a superb government with almost
no weaknesses. Your oppressometer isn't great, but it's better
than the other representative governments by quite a bit.
What race wouldn't benefit from a ton of extra minerals,
food, and trade income? It's hard to pick one specific race
that would benefit the most. Probably the Humanoids, since
they get this government series for free.
Democracy
Personally, I see Democracy as a weak government.
- Bioharvesting: 115% (Good)
- Mining: 110% (Average)
- Industry: 110% (Average)
- Research: 105% (Average)
- Military: 90% (Poor)
- Recreation: 120% (Superior)
- Spaceport: 100% (Average)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 99% (Average)
- Oppressometer Cost: 112% (Very Poor)
- Oppressometer Range: 0 to 4
- Forced Labor Range: 0 to 4
- Government DEA Unrest Modifier: 150%
- Military DEA Unrest Modifier: 50%
Well, all you democracy lovers out there might be a little
disappointed. After looking over the stats, I am. Compared
to a Corporate government, they hold little to no advantages
and suffer terrible drawbacks. Granted, you do gain some modest
bonuses in a few categories, with the big winner being recreation
(big deal). Additionally, your government DEAs will also be
very effective in stopping unrest. Naturally you want to avoid
building Military DEAs for the most part, as they won't accomplish
a whole lot. Democracy's glaring weakness is against spies.
They have the worst oppressometer in the game, and raising
it will prove very costly. Your only hope is to keep back
agents in defense.
I'm thinking your best bet as a Democracy is try to utilize
the money advantage that you can create. Democracy's main
strength is in its super government and recreation DEAs. It
seems possible to overtax your people and still keep a managable
level of unrest.
To succeed as a Democracy, your race will need great spies,
and ideally good citizen loyalty. Evon fit the bill perfectly.
Parliamentary
Parliamentary governments are a great choice for industry
maniacs.
- Bioharvesting: 100% (Average)
- Mining: 120% (Superior)
- Industry: 130% (Superior)
- Research: 105% (Average)
- Military: 100% (Poor)
- Recreation: 100% (Average)
- Spaceport: 105% (Good)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 102% (Poor)
- Oppressometer Cost: 109% (Poor)
- Oppressometer Range: 1 to 5
- Forced Labor Range: 0 to 4
- Government DEA Unrest Modifier: 150%
- Military DEA Unrest Modifier: 50%
Parliaments share most of the same weaknesses as Democracies.
They still can't handle spies very well, and their military
DEAs are ineffective. However, you get some serious industrial
output with this government, not to mention solid mining capabilities
to feed your industrial engine. Not much else to say, really.
They are pretty well rounded in most other areas. Watch out
for those spies!
Silicoids, Meklar, and Cynoids all seem like solid choices
for this government. The Cybernetiks especially really rake
in ridiculous amounts of Industry under this government.
Republic
Republics are pretty much watered down Parliaments.
- Bioharvesting: 100% (Average)
- Mining: 120% (Superior)
- Industry: 120% (Good)
- Research: 105% (Average)
- Military: 120% (Good)
- Recreation: 100% (Average)
- Spaceport: 95% (Poor)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 102% (Below Avg)
- Oppressometer Cost: 111% (Very Poor)
- Oppressometer Range: 1 to 5
- Forced Labor Range: 1 to 5
Republics don't quite overload your industry the way a Parliament
does. They still provide some substantial bonuses, but if
you stack the two up, a Republic's only edge is in the military
category. If you are going to go with a Republic, you need
to somehow take advantage of their solid military DEAs. Like
the other representative types, you're still going to have
trouble with spies.
It's hard to say which race would specifically benefit from
a Republic. The races that do well here do better under Parliaments,
so it's tough to advocate this choice. Anyhow, that's it for
the Representative governments. I think it's probably my favorite
series. We'll explore the specialized collective governments
at last.
3. The Collectivist Series
Before delving into the stats, I figured these governments
would be a lot better. Now it doesn't mean they aren't good
governments; I'd always take Unification over Oligarchy. But
would I use 60 picks to do it? That's a toughie. So, in some
ways, these governments are highly specialized to work with
the races that like 'em. The bugs and Harvesters get along
amazingly well under these governments. The other races...
well, that's definitely a judgment call.
Hive
Hives are not the super governments I thought they would
be.
- Bioharvesting: 115% (Good)
- Mining: 120% (Superior)
- Industry: 110% (Average)
- Research: 105% (Average)
- Military: 140% (Superior)
- Recreation: 85% (Poor)
- Spaceport: 85% (Very Poor)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 90% (Superior)
- Oppressometer Cost: 88% (Superior)
- Oppressometer Range: 3 to 7
- Forced Labor Range: 2 to 6
Ah, the Hive. A bustling community of activity. It's not
quite the industrial powerhouse I thought it would be. Still,
it has some advantages that can't be overlooked. You get some
very solid military bonuses with this government. Your oppressometer
is also the 2nd best in the game. Use it wisely, and spies
will have a terrible time getting through. With this government,
you want to stay away from the recreation DEAs. Get them out
of your DevPlans, you won't need them.
It goes without saying that Hive governments are a natural
fit for the Klacks and Tachidi. Harvesters get this government
for only 40 picks, so it's worth considering for them, as
well. The races that have to drop 60 picks for this government
should think long and hard about it. Under most circumstances,
you can go Corporate and save yourself 30 points for elsewhere.
Numerically, Corporate stacks up very well against Hives except
in areas of population control. Heck, you could buy yourself
one level of citizenship and be better off when compared to
a Hive.
Unification
Unifications are the collectivist's series version of Oligarchy.
- Bioharvesting: 110% (Good)
- Mining: 115% (Good)
- Industry: 105% (Below Avg)
- Research: 120% (Superior)
- Military: 130% (Good)
- Recreation: 100% (Average)
- Spaceport: 95% (Below Avg)
- Heavy Foot of Government: 90%
- Oppressometer Cost: 90%
- Oppressometer Range: 2 to 6
- Forced Labor Range: 2 to 6
Like research? Go Unification. It's that simple. If you
don't like the overall poor performance of the Oligarchy but
still want to turbocharge your test tubes, you've got a winning
government. Compared to a Hive, you're sacrificing some of
your overall production capacity. Also, you're a bit more
vulnerable to spies, though not terribly so. That said, if
you're choosing between the two, consider this government
if you are behind in the tech race and need to catch up.
Again, if you don't have to drop 60 picks for it, Unification
is an excellent choice. The Klackys need all the research
they can get, and Unification is a way of shoring up that
weakness. Tachidi don't have quite the same problems, so Hives
are often a better choice for them. I could also imagine the
Psilons being pretty well powered up by this government. Under
this government, (or Oligarchy) they crank out the most raw
research in the game. And again, Harvesters are a natural
for this government. High-tech parasites? Look out!
4. Conclusion
It's important to note that I really don't know that much
about the governments. There's a lot of room for error right
now. For example, what EXACTLY does a military efficiency
increase of 20% mean?
I don't know. I know they will be better at handling unrest.
But does the queue cost for military units decrease by 20%?
Can you have 20% more military units on your planet? Will
your colonies be 20% more likely to build military units?
Right now these are all untested quetions.
The spreadsheets would seem to indicate that the efficiency
of your DEAs is the only thing that gets changed. My guess
is, whatever a DEA does, it's now X% better at doing it. I've
tested industry; that one's easy. The numbers here are all
relative to the same race with the same stats other than government.
This isn't a comprehensive list of governments because it's
really hard to get certain ones to show up when you first
start the game. After turn 1, things start to diverge because
of different population growths and DEA choices and whatnot.
I tested enough governments to correlate with the numbers.
Industrial Output of a Single DEA on Turn 1
- Monarchy: 53
- C. Monarchy: 41
- Corporate: 45
- Parliament: 53
- Republic: 50
- Hive: 46
- Unification: 43
Obviously there are rounding issues. Hive and Corporate
should be equal, for example. It's close enough for me, though.
It gives me a good idea of what I'm buying with each government.
I'm pretty sure these numbers hold for all DEAs. One could
easily test bioharvesting, mining, research, and government
DEAs in the same manner. It's tougher to test the other 3
DEAs because you don't start off with them right away. Still
doable with a little spreadsheet manipulation, though.
On Centralization, Tax Rates, and SpecGovernment There
are 3 stats about governments I haven't mentioned. This continues
in the don't-know- much-about-governments vein. I don't know
for sure what these categories do (if anything). I do know
a lot of data exists that isn't being used. For example, there's
a race called the ComBots that apparently got cut before release.
So it's tough to tell what affects gameplay and what doesn't.
I didn't include centralization in my charts because I don't
think it does anything. It's intuitive at least --Despotism
is a very centralized government, while Democracy is the least
centralized. I figure this was a feature that got cut. Maybe
it had something to do with what happened if the ruler/ dictator
dude of your empire got offed by some poison wine. It's all
speculation at this point.
Each government also has listed Total, Empire and System
tax rates. I haven't been able to match these numbers up with
anything, so I can't say what they really do. The empire and
system taxes for Despotism are 40% and 14%, respectively.
Obviously those are not the same rates you see in the Finance
screen. Do they have an effect on gameplay? Probably. I just
don't know the numbers well enough to know exactly how much.
It could explain why some governments in the same series seem
weaker than others, though. Maybe they rake in a higher GDP
from their people (in just taxes, not DEA income). Or maybe
certain governments are more easily taxed (less unrest).
Finally there's the SpecGovernment table. I refer to this
one by its lovely spreadsheet name because I have even less
idea of what the heck this one does. My guess is that is affects
what government you tend to get at the start of the game.
Ithkul, for example, usually start off as Despotism, and their
numbers tend to support this guess (roughly). Again it's all
conjecture. It could also represent how much your race likes
a particular government. Maybe they revolt more if you switch
to a C. Monarchy than if you pick Despotism. Now that I think
about it, that makes a great deal of sense, also. Sheesh,
who knows?
So the (long winded) moral of the story here is that there's
a lot of room for error.
(from IG forums, slightly edited by Temid) |