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)