Discussion Stellaris Versions of Major Factions

[The Mongrel]

Stellaris is a fantastic simulator for sci-fi governments duking it out across the galaxy. I'm bad at it, but I enjoy it regardless. As I played, I began to wonder: what would the major factions of Chaos look like if they were translated over to the game? And so I set out in search of relatively accurate recreations of each of the twelve major factions on the board, plus Darkwire because they're cool and different and were recently major (go join them). But I might have gotten some things wrong! I've interacted with quite a few major factions, and done some research on faction pages, but there are some folks I've never really threaded with (yet!). So I wanted to open this up to the community, to see what y'all think is right and what I ought to change.

In order to understand what I've done if you haven't played the game, there are a couple of things to mention. Govenment type is made up of two different calculations: Ethics, which are broad statements about philosophical principles the government follows and/or values, and Civics, which are specific policies the government puts into practice OR specific elements of the faction's culture. Civics are pretty self-explanatory once you see them, and they vary a lot. Ethics might require a bit more explaining. They are based on four different axes. From the Stellaris wiki:

• The Authoritarian-Egalitarian axis looks at whether the empire's political power belongs in the hands of the few or the many.
• The Materialist-Spiritualist axis looks at whether the unknowns of the universe can be explained by science or the existence of something greater.
• The Militarist-Pacifist axis looks at whether the empire's military should be used offensively or strictly defensively.
• The Xenophile-Xenophobe axis looks at whether alien species and cultures should be embraced or distrusted.

Empires get three Ethics points. This means they can pick three different ethics (for example, Authoritarian, Militarist, and Xenophobe), OR they can spend two points to be Fanatical about one of the ethics, carrying it to an even greater extreme (for example, Materialist and Fanatic Xenophile). Government types are determined based on the blend of Ethics and Civics for each civilization, plus who holds power: many (Democratic), few (Oligarchic), one (Dictatorial), one but with a designated successor (Imperial), or business interests (Corporate). I'll use the Brotherhood of the Maw, a faction I think I understand pretty well, as an example.


Brotherhood of the Maw

Government Type: Band of Blood - This ruthless society is governed through conflict and ritualized sacrifice, honoring the death within and without.

Ethics: Militarist, Spiritualist, Authoritarian

Authority: Dictatorial

Civics:

• Barbaric Despoilers: This society holds few things sacred. To fight is to live, and the strongest may seize whatever they covet.​
• Death Cult: This society's religion is built around periodic, ritual sacrifices.​

Explanation: Authoritarian might seem like an odd choice for the chaotic Brotherhood, but the Maw's society is actually pretty regimented; it relies heavily on slave labor, and enforces clear distinctions between slaves, warriors, warlords, and priests, with the Dark Voice at the top. Militarist is a natural fit because the Brotherhood is a bunch of violent raiders, and spiritualist incorporates their faith in the Scripture of the Hidden Maw, which gives them a justification to be slavers and bandits. Their two starting civics both reinforce their existence as pillagers and zealots. When I unlocked a third civic for them, I'd pick Warrior Culture.

With that example out of the way, let's try everyone else, in alphabetical order!
P.S. If you think I got your Civics super wrong, here's a list of alternatives.

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Ashlan Crusade

Government Type: Holy Tribunal - This government is a spiritualistic form of oligarchy, where a divinely guided council made up of clergy controls the state. No division exists between the state and the dominant organized religion.

Ethics: Militarist, Fanatic Spiritualist

Authority: Oligarchic

Civics:

• Exalted Priesthood: To guard against heresy, this society is ruled by a religious council consisting of the wisest and most pious members of the clergy.​
• Citizen Service: Are you doing your part? Full citizenship and the political responsibility that comes with it is limited to those who have served a tour of duty in the military. Service guarantees citizenship.​

Explanation: The Ashlan Crusade is guided by faith in Ashla first and foremost, but it is also fundamentally a military-based faction intended to take on those who oppose their light-based religious principles. I felt that these civics reflected the crusader ethos well, though I could be persuaded to switch out Citizen Service. I picked Oligarchic Authority because it allows the Holy Tribunal government type, which I thought fit best. If that's not accurate to the Crusade's hierarchy, I can change it.

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Bryn'adul

Government Type: Purity Order - This government is a form of rabidly xenophobic autocracy, where a single ruler has sworn to oversee the extermination of all lesser species in the galaxy.

Ethics: Militarist, Fanatic Xenophobe

Authority: Dictatorial

Civics:

• Fanatic Purifiers: This society appears hellbent on scouring the galaxy of all other sapient life. Come what may, they will suffer no xenos to live.​
• Warrior Culture: This society has developed into a hardy warrior culture. Martial prowess is valued above all else, and true glory can only be found on the field of battle.​

Explanation: My understanding of the Bryn is that, although they've recently welcomed a few other species, they are mostly seeking to scour the galaxy of non-Bryn life... and they've been doing a scary good job of it in the vast swathe of space they've conquered. If Warrior Culture doesn't fit, we could put in Functional Architecture to reflect their super-constructs. I haven't seen a lot of other civics that fit them well.

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Confederacy of Independent Systems

Government Type: Military Commissariat - This government is nominally democratic, with the dividing line between the civil administration and the military having blurred to the point where they have largely become one and the same.

Ethics: Militarist, Egalitarian, Xenophile

Authority: Democratic

Civics:

• Idealistic Foundation: This society was founded on strong idealistic values. Whether the current government remains true to them or not, the people have not forgotten.​
• Meritocracy: An individual's social station or personal connections should have no bearing on their profession. The sole basis for advancement in this society is demonstrated ability and talent.​

Explanation: Revised with feedback from Darth Metus and Darth Strosius . I could be persuaded to switch the civics around still.

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Corporate Authorities of Denon (Darkwire)

Government Type: Megacorporation - This government is a form of plutocratic oligarchy, where the entire state has been organized as a massive commercial enterprise overseen by a board of directors.

Ethics: Fanatic Materialist, Authoritarian

Authority: Corporate

Civics:

• Ruthless Competition: All levels of society in this Megacorporation are constantly vying with each other in ruthless competition. It's a dog-eat-dog world.​
• Indentured Assets: This Megacorporation specializes in large indentured workforces. It has little to do with the barbaric practice of slavery - these workers are merely paying off their debts... indefinitely.​

Explanation: Megacorporations get their own civics, and the CAD could qualify for a lot of them. I strongly considered Franchising (This megacorporation relies heavily on franchising. Subsidiaries share a greater cut of their profits with their corporate overlord, in exchange for a license to market their goods under established brands), Private Military Companies (This Megacorporation has a large number of powerful private military companies on its payroll. These mercenary contractors augment its ground forces.), and Public Relations Specialists (If you can control what someone thinks, then you can also control their behavior. This Megacorporation has a virtual army of specialists ready to engage in battles of public opinion.) as alternatives to the civics I picked, and would be happy to swap them out if they'd fit better.

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Eternal Empire

Government Type: Star Empire - This government is a hereditary and militaristic form of autocracy, with a single sovereign controlling both the government and the military.

Ethics: Militarist, Xenophile, Authoritarian

Authority: Imperial

Civics:

• Aristocratic Elite: This society has an entrenched nobility that occupies the upper echelons of society.
• Cutthroat Politics: The political system in this society is renowned for its intrigue. Power struggles, shady backroom deals and cloak and dagger scheming are par for the course. Those who survive long enough to learn the game, however, tend to learn it well.​

Explanation: I'll freely admit that I'm not super up on the Eternal Empire's political structure, but I feel that Militarist and Authoritarian reflect its expansionist nature, always working to bring nearby lawless territories under its control. Xenophile reflects the many species that live under it out in the Unknown Regions. Cutthroat Politics reflects the internal struggles that go on with the Shadow Empire and multiple subfactions.

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First Order

Government Type: Illuminated Autocracy - This government is a materialistic form of hereditary autocracy, based on technocratic principles that the sovereign is sworn to uphold. Nothing is valued more highly than scientific knowledge and the advancement of technology.

Ethics: Fanatic Materialist, Authoritarian

Authority: Imperial

Civics:

• Efficient Bureaucracy: This society is renowned for its efficiency. Not only do the mag-trains run on time, but the colossal bureaucratic apparatus required to run an interstellar nation has been greatly streamlined.​
• Technocracy: To maximize efficiency, this society is governed according to the principles of science and rationality. The personal whims of an ignorant and dangerously unqualified political elite must not be allowed to interfere.​

Explanation: The First Order emphasizes efficiency and stability, and mentions Technocracy on its faction info page, so that seems like a slam dunk for Civics. I'd consider trading out Efficient Bureaucracy for Meritocracy or Parliamentary System if either is a better fit. Although the FO has a parliament and is technically a Constitutional Monarchy, which is hard to classify in Stellaris, I went with Imperial Authority because I think the resulting government name fits well. Open to feedback!

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Galactic Alliance

Government Type: Moral Democracy - This government is a pacifistic form of democracy, firmly guided by moralist principles and non-violence.

Ethics: Pacifist, Xenophile, Egalitarian

Authority: Democratic

Civics:

• Beacon of Liberty: This society is a shining beacon of light in a sea of darkness. Liberty and individual freedoms are held in the highest regard here.​
• Parliamentary System: The parliamentary system in this society encourages a free and lively debate. Currying favor with one of the dominant political factions can prove to be quite advantageous.​

Explanation: Some might dispute the "pacifist" part, but in Stellaris that doesn't mean avoiding war altogether; it means fighting defensively and only when necessary. If that still doesn't feel close enough to the board's GA, I could swap it out for Materialist (as Tithe and Tambor would no doubt like, since it focuses on wealth and trade) or go for Fanatic Xenophile. Idealistic Foundation (This society was founded on strong idealistic values. Whether the current government remains true to them or not, the people have not forgotten.) and Free Haven (This society has a well-earned reputation as a free haven. The tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free - all are welcome here, regardless of their species or origin.) could also be good civics. It was hard to pick just two.

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New Imperial Order

Government Type: Citizen Stratocracy - This government is an advanced form of militaristic oligarchy, where the military has subsumed all aspects of civilian administration. All government offices are held by military officers.

Ethics: Authoritarian, Fanatic Militarist

Authority: Oligarchic

Civics:

• Citizen Service: Are you doing your part? Full citizenship and the political responsibility that comes with it is limited to those who have served a tour of duty in the military. Service guarantees citizenship.​
• Meritocracy: An individual's social station or personal connections should have no bearing on their profession. The sole basis for advancement in this society is demonstrated ability and talent.​

Explanation: I felt like this government system was a great fit for what I've seen of the NIO, especially given that its wartime history is pretty much all of its history. That government type comes from Citizen Service, which doesn't allow Fanatic Authoritarian, or I'd probably go that route. I could be persuaded to replace either Civic with Police State, Efficient Bureaucracy, Distinguished Admiralty, or Corvée System.

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Silver Jedi Concord

Government Type: Irenic Bureaucracy - This government is a pacifistic form of oligarchy, where a complicated system of bureaucracy governs all aspects of society to ensure the safety of the citizenry.

Ethics: Spiritualist, Pacifist, Xenophile

Authority: Oligarchic

Civics:

• Free Haven: This society has a well-earned reputation as a free haven. The tired, the poor, the huddled masses yearning to breathe free - all are welcome here, regardless of their species or origin.​
• Meritocracy: An individual's social station or personal connections should have no bearing on their profession. The sole basis for advancement in this society is demonstrated ability and talent.​

Explanation: The Silver Jedi have been protectors of a wide swath of space for a long, long time, first primarily against the Sith Empire, then later against the Bryn. They've been extremely welcoming to refugees from those conflicts, so I felt that Xenophile and Free Haven were good choices. Having the Jedi as protectors, though, puts them above the average citizen, for better and for worse. That's why I went with Oligarchic authority and Meritocracy. Spiritualist represents the influence of Jedi beliefs. If I'm not taking the SJO political system into the right context here, please feel free to correct me.

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Sith Empire

Government Type: Despotic Empire - This government is a relatively pure form of autocracy, with an absolute ruler that governs the state with an iron gripping appendage.

Ethics: Fanatic Authoritarian, Militarist

Authority: Imperial

Civics:

• Police State: To quash any traces of dissent, the population in this repressive society is carefully monitored and controlled by a large internal police force.​
• Nationalistic Zeal: A strong sense of nationalistic pride permeates all layers of this society.​

OR

Government Type: Divine Empire - This government is a form of spiritualistic autocracy. Everything is shaped by the official state religion, and the ruler is worshiped as an infallible living god.

Ethics: Fanatic Authoritarian, Spiritualist

Authority: Imperial

Civics:

• Imperial Cult: This society has a dominant state religion where the ruler is worshiped as a living deity.
• Police State: To quash any traces of dissent, the population in this repressive society is carefully monitored and controlled by a large internal police force.​

Explanation: Y'all, I could not make up my mind here. In my mind, what sets the Sith Empire apart from other Sith factions is their emphasis on state control. They've developed a lot of lore about how the government provides free education and healthcare to its citizens but demands their absolute obedience, which they enforce with secret police; hence Fanatic Authoritarian and Police State. They've also worked with the Zygerrian Slavers, so Slaver Guilds makes sense to me... though so would Corvee System (This society considers it the absolute right of the state to decide where its citizens live and work.) On the other hand, they have lore about a strong state religion based around Typhojem, the Sith'ari, and the Emperor, so I could see Spiritualist and Imperial Cult instead.

Somebody help me out here.

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Sith Eternal

Government Type: Feudal Empire - This government is a feudal autocracy where the monarch rules indirectly, granting offices and territories to vassals in exchange for obligations in the form of taxes and military service.

Ethics: Spiritualist, Xenophobe, Militarist

Authority: Imperial

Civics:

• Feudal Society: This society is organized in a feudal manner, with a monarch whose rule relies on powerful vassals that govern their territories with considerable autonomy.​
• Cutthroat Politics: The political system in this society is renowned for its intrigue. Power struggles, shady backroom deals and cloak and dagger scheming are par for the course. Those who survive long enough to learn the game, however, tend to learn it well.​

Explanation: My understanding of the Sith Eternal is that they follow a feudal structure that honors the Sith principle of advancement through struggle and strife, and that they believe they are the only defenders of the true Sith way - hence Xenophobe. I picked Imperial Authority because it's the only way to get the Feudal Society civic; as I understand it, they don't necessarily have a singular Emperor. Open to being corrected on any of this!

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Warlords of the Sith

Government Type: War Council - This government is a militaristic form of oligarchy, where all decisions concerning the state are taken by a council of the nation's strongest warlords.

Ethics: Fanatic Militarist, Spiritualist

Authority: Oligarchic

Civics:

• Warrior Culture: This society has developed into a hardy warrior culture. Martial prowess is valued above all else, and true glory can only be found on the field of battle.
• Cutthroat Politics: The political system in this society is renowned for its intrigue. Power struggles, shady backroom deals and cloak and dagger scheming are par for the course. Those who survive long enough to learn the game, however, tend to learn it well.

Explanation: Revised with feedback from Darth Vinaze and Vora Kaar .

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How'd I do? Please make suggestions; I'm not an expert on any faction except maybe the one where I'm an admin. If we can get these set up to everyone's satisfaction, maybe I'll throw them all into a game, spectate it, and see who comes out on top.

 

[Ingrid L'lerim]

The Mongrel

Absolutely love it! You guessed EE very well! <3
Thank you for doing it, and once again, I love it!

 

[Cassus Akovin]

You know, I've tried to do this myself a buncha times and never really got satisfied.

You've done an excellent job, and I'm tickled you've included Darkwire (CAD). When I tried to do it, I think I tried too hard at trying to marry the two aspects of our faction (the corporate and the criminal) by making it a Criminal Syndicate, and it never really felt right to me. Curious what you would do working from a Criminal Syndicate angle!

 

[Darth Metus]

The Mongrel - this is GORGEOUS!

As far as the CIS goes, we are Space America - go ham with that <3

 

[The Mongrel]

Cassus Akovin I've always liked the idea of Crime Syndicate governments, but I usually picture them as shadow organizations within another government rather than holding their own territory. But since actual Darkwire kinda controls Wann Tsir and we might one day get the Denon Flux State, I suppose it could qualify! Here's my take.

Darkwire

Government Type: Criminal Syndicate - This government is an enormous and ruthless business syndicate, which shares many of its operating practices with organized crime.

Ethics: Materialist, Xenophile, Egalitarian

Authority: Corporate

Civics:

• Criminal Heritage: This megacorporation can trace its origins back to a crime syndicate that eventually grew powerful enough to supplant all forms of local government.
• Private Military Companies: This Megacorporation has a large number of powerful private military companies on its payroll. These mercenary contractors augment its ground forces.

Explanation: I felt like the best way to represent Shadowrunners was with the Private Military Companies civic. I'd also consider Free Traders (The trading fleets of this megacorporation are bolstered by semi-independent free traders operating under license.) for that, to represent Shadowrunner-based income. I thought about Fanatic Materialist for Darkwire as well, but I feel like both Egalitarian and Xenophile are important parts of Darkwire's counterculture identity, and they should be less materially-obsessed than the CAD.

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Darth Metus Does that mean elections and such? I'm trying to keep y'all distinct from the GA, but I want to be accurate.

 

[Vesta]

The Mongrel
Unless things changed from when I was faction owner, slaves were outlawed in the Sith Empire.

 

[Dagon Kaze]

Love it!

 

[The Mongrel]

Darth Mori Thanks! Must have been thinking of a different group of Sith. I swapped it out for -
Nationalistic Zeal: A strong sense of nationalistic pride permeates all layers of this society.

Any thoughts on the Spiritualist, Imperial Cult version vs. the Militarist version?

 

[Darth Vinaze]

Wow this is a super great post! I'm glad someone has finally done something like this.

I agree Warlords of the Sith is a hard one to pin down. The ethics and authority of the first one are definitely right, but even I can't think of what civics would work best. WotS practices feudalism, though its more of an alliance of various different feudal structures rather than one big one with a single person on the throne (a la Sith Eternal), and that can't be accurately represented with Stellaris mechanics. I'd have to say the war council one is the one.

Great job!

 

[Darth Metus]

Darth Metus

We're fully democratic, super militant though - I'm still a Stellaris bab so I don't know what that'd translate into

 

[Darth Strosius]

Darth Metus

The Mongrel

According to a quick Stellaris test via mixing Egalitarian and Fanatic Militarist the CIS is a

'Military Commissariat'
This government is nominally democratic, with the dividing line between the civil administration and the military having blurred to the point where they have largely become one and the same.

(I'm sorry to interrupt I just love making Stellaris governments)

 

[Irveric Tavlar]

The Mongrel I'd say its just about spot on for NIO, id say the only government type that might fit as well would be Martial Dictatorship, otherwise the current 'total war' state that NIO is definitely fits the bill for what you picked for us here. While NIO definitely projects itself as a one-man led government, a solid 9*% of any meaningful power is concentrated in a very small group of people.

I try and run NIO as the Fel Empire is described by John Ostrander, one of the main authors of Star Wars: Legacy (which if anyone hasn't read it, I highly suggest as there is a ton of parallels between the story there and the current state of the narrative on Chaos, great muse juice.)

"not as inherently evil [as the Galactic Empire], but still not a republic, not a democracy. It's the rule of the few, or the one, over the many. It has a lot of strengths; it has a substantial amount of weaknesses. It values power more than anything else."

So everything you set up by Stellaris's ruleset fits that to a T, love seeing how Chaos factions fit into different rulesets and would definitely love to see this translated to other PDX games in the future.

 

[Vora Kaar]

The Mongrel

The main basis of how Warlords is set up in leadership function, is that if a lower ranked member wishes to become stronger, they can challenge one of the higher ups for their position in your typical Kaggath, or just kill them then proclaim you now take their spot. So cutthroat politics is a given. Because of the usage of Kaggaths encouraged, Meritocracy where your "Social Status" is considered moot, wouldn't, in my opinion, match due to Kaggaths being possibly won by the connections you have and the "power base" one can own.

Bandits sounds good in theory, but Warlords are more than willing to work with other like minded factions, or even others that do not follow their own governing practices. As in the multiple times WotS have aided BotM even though in theory, BotM could very easily be a competitor.

Spirtiual may be allowed? I mean, we used to have a "Dark Prophet" and the Dark Sovereigns are considered the heads of the religious aspect. Vora himself has also made a "Rule of the Few." Its just not as deeply rooted as other Sith based factions and the various proclamations of the "Sith'ari" or the "One true emperor"

I feel Warlords won't have a perfect match with Stellaris due to its very open and more sandboxy nature that our previous MFO, Kascalion Giedfield and I have attempted to fabricate it as. We can't really tie down ourselfs to one narrative at the moment other than. "Dark Crusading Sith that are Warlords in a Feudal based system."

 

[The Mongrel]

Thanks for the feedback, folks! Keep it coming!

I especially need some help with the Sith Empire. I'm still not sure whether to go with the Spiritualist, Imperial Cult angle or not. I'm also considering doing Materialist instead so that the government type would be Despotic Hegemony (This government is a materialistic form of hereditary autocracy, where citizens are viewed as little more than cogs in the state machinery. Efficiency and technological progress are valued above all things.), but I'm worried that goes against the Typhojem-worshipping state religion that's been set up in the past.

CIS: Thanks, Darth Metus and Darth Strosius ! I've changed the CIS's Ethics and Government Type to what you suggested. I've left the Civics the same for now, though I'm open to other suggestions.

WotS: Thanks, Darth Vinaze and Vora Kaar ! It sounds like Xenophobe isn't a good fit for WotS. I didn't feel like Authoritarian fit, either, because of the extreme social mobility through kaggaths that you described, so I dropped Barbaric Despoilers and went for the War Council model. I swapped out Meritocracy for Cutthroat Politics, to better reflect Vora's description of intra-faction Sith conflict. Open to further thoughts and suggestions!

 

[Vora Kaar]

While I have not played Stellaris myself, I have watched many streams and content creators play it, and so see a rather good interpretation of the various factions on the board from this system looks really cool and I am enjoying it.

 

[The Mongrel]

Here are the screenies for what I came up with in-game:

https://www.starwarsrp.net/ams/chaos-majors-in-stellaris.4084/