Custom Races

[Farae]

Race Name: Araestari
Race Leader: Aras Noera
Homeworld: Arae
Homestar: Arasi
Other Planets: Nora (Class 0), Oro (Class 8), Legaia (Class 10), Tarot (Class 0)

Bonuses:

+10% Research
+25% Loyalty
+25% Luck
+25% Creativity
+30% Population Growth
+10% Diplomacy

Preferred Political Parties: Technologists; Pacifists

Descritption: A psi-capable race, the Araestari worshiped the stars until the advent of the Interstellar Age, which began for them in 2215 when a Human scout ship arrived at their homeworld. The Araestari had probes and sattelites out by this time, and they had even sent a colonial expedition to the nearby world of Legaia. This expedition was found by the Terrans, with dying life support and dwindling supplies. The Terrans ferried it back to Arae and revealled Hyperdrive to the peaceful Araestari.

Eventually, their native religions (almost all based around the stars) were replaced with Terran ones (namely Buddhism), but their old worship of the stars gave them a drive to own the entire sky above their homeworld one day....

 

[smjjames]

well uh, heres an idea I have for a custom race, but not having the full game such as how many points I can allocate, I don't know exactly what I can do, although I can use the demo for reference and it seems like there may be some options missing in the demo, but heck. and there also seems to be some limitations on what I can choose in the demo, such as loyalty can only be 10% in the demo.

Race Name: Kritii'ari
Race leader: (undecided, but will be something that sounds like its from an insectoid language)
Homeworld: K'tiiari (a tropical class 14 world)
Homesun: Aziic
Other planets in thier system: Hiora (class 0 and a gas giant), Rakkir (class 1 slightly better than Mercury, they have a mining complex there), Dc'iax (class 7 a colder world with its own lifeforms, they have a colony here), Hil'h (class 0 planet far from its sun)

Loyalty 100% (they are an insectoid hivelike, though not neccesarily hiveminded race)
social production and military production 30%-50% (bieng the industrious insectoids they are)
soldiering 30% (bieng descended from ant-like insects with a lifestyle similar to that of the army ants)
courage at least brave (because of thier fearless soldier mentality)
Morale 30% or something because of thier hive-like society.

political preference could be mercantile since even though they are warlike, they aren't out to kill everybody, or maybe war party, dunno.

as for thier alignment, I was thinking somewhat evil alignment, but I don't really know enough about the good/evil alignment stuff to be sure. They are not out to conquer the galaxy as the Drengin are trying to do, but bieng a hive-like society, they tend pick choices they view(mainly those planet event choices) as bieng advantegous for the 'colony' (thier empire or the planet in general) as a whole, even if it means sacrificing some millions in population if its worth the sacrifice.

The Kritii'ari are a small sized (about 4 feet tall maximum) but fierce insectoid race vaguely resembling mantises but with a more bulbous abdomen, a longer head, and they have the first pair of thier 6 legs in a more humanoid position and with a set of claws on the end capable of fine manipulation. They have a social society that is hivelike, but more resembles the caste system of the ants however they have no real hivemind, while they do have a powerful sense of loyalty to thier colony. While early in thier history, they viewed thier colony as the 'city' they were born in or the nation (thier version of them anyway) they were born in, but as the world became mapped and later when spaceflight was achieved, they began to view themselves as not belonging to a nation or a city, but viewing the whole planet as thier races 'colony' to protect. Later on after they had colonized other worlds in thier system, they developed hyperdrive and soon began to spread out to other worlds where they resumed thier conquer all on the planet lifestyle and thier reputation began to spread....

 

[ToV]

Custom Races

Race: Umbian Commonwealth
Leader: Letoras
Homeworld: Umbarion

Traits: Speed +1
Research +10%
Creativity +25%
Diplomacy +10%
Logistics +6

Techs: Xeno Communications
Xeno Engineering
Stellar Cartography
Xeno Research
Hyperdrive
Galactic Warfare

The Umbians are a race of shrewd, creative, yet generally untrusting humanoids who have kept to their home planet for most of their history. They are a unique race because, many hundreds of years ago, they developed hyperdrive independently of the Humans, using information gathered from a damaged Arcean probe. The secrets of hyperdrive was carefully guarded from the other races because, unlike the Humans, they understood completely what the consequences would be. However, with what the Umbians call “The Demonstration of Terran Idiocy,” the Umbians have been forced by necessity to emerge from their self-imposed isolation and join the galactic community, in order to protect themselves from said galactic community.

 

[W.i.n.t.e.r]

Race Name: Winterian (Empire?)
Race Leader: Marshal Patron
Homeworld: Fenrir (Class 10*)
Homestar: Hel
Other Planets: Angrboda (Class 0), Hati (Class 8*), Sköll (Class 8*), Jörmungandr (Class 0),

Boni:
+20% Economics
+15% Research
+10% Trade
+10% Social Production
+10% Loyalty
+10% Morale
+18% Logistics

Preferred political parties:
Technocrats (not to be confused with the "Technologists)
[Economy; Social & Military Production; Research = +10% each]

Techs:
Galactic Warfare
Hyperdrive
Universal Translator
Xeno Communications
Xeno Engineering
Xeno Research

Description:
The so called 'Winterians', have settled on the habitable planets of the Hel star system. In 2178, the humans sent out their first colony ship and more did follow. Shortly after the events nowadays known as the Altarian Prophecy (in 2200), and Sol being aware of possible interference by both Drath agents and Drengin privateers, a sizeable, escorted Terran fleet was assembled. Its goal was to explore new star systems and to establish contact with potential ally races beyond the by-then reach of the terran colony ships. To achieve greater range of a fleet of this proportion, a special factory ship, the TAS "Winter Pioneer" was built to be able to supply its acompaning vessels as fleet tender and logistical command ship.

Disaster struck, when by 2205 the fleet was lured into a carefuly planned Drengin trap. Most terran ships were lost or damaged in the defence. All hope was lost when the scattered escorting warships were ordered to break escort and hyperjump to safety- the political advisors deemed military defeat as unacceptable- the civilian vessels though, could not hope to survive (but sometimes sacrifices have to be made to achieve a higher goal). When the few surviving warships limped back to earth bringing news of defeat, the Terran government decided to cease further exploration on this scale. The convoy was declared "lost in battle" and the matter quickly covered up. The civilian ships were said to have "fought galantly" before having been overcome... the matter had soon become a footnote in Terra's history books...

Unnoticed in the heat of battle, though, a cunning young fleet captain, had managed to board the factory vessel before his Frigate had to be given up. It was he who lead the small group of prized colony vessels, as well as the last science ship away from the battle and into the safety of a nearby nebula, thus escaping the Drengin onslaught and saving 5 billion Terrans from sure death (or enslavement). In the wake of the shameful Terran order to abandon them, military personel now swiftly took over command of the surviving civilian fleet in a coup-like development of events. As a result, the Winter Pioneer and its small civilian detachment would neither return to Sol, nor continue its mission into unexplored space.

Instead the now dubbed 'Winterian Pioneers' launched probes to find alternate living space in an entirely different galactical sector, far away from the disputed space inhabited by Terrans and Drengins and the turmoils of political reasoning and betrayal. Hel, a previously uncharted system hosting 3 habitable planets was to become this new home. The Winter Pioneer landed on "Fenrir" the largest planet, its superstructure to be dismantled and its machines to suit the needs of the colonist-turned-citizens of a new political entity.

Having proven successful in the escape to Hel, the military lead was upheld to date. The political system in place on Fenrir and its sister worlds is represented by two pillars, the Military (as executive body) as well as a multi-party parliament (as both legislative and judicative body). While not giving too much of a say as to budgetary and defensive control (a lesson well learned from the split with Terra), the Military regime has recognized the need for diversity within its socio-economic and technological system, the priority being novel military doctrines (-and weapon/defence systems). At the moment both the parliamentary representation (the "Patronage") and the military leadership ("Marshal" of the fleet) lay in the hands of the just one man (still the same captain-become-ruler), named the "Administrator". While plans were initialy drawn to further the split between those two mandates, the military is still too suspicious of civilian dignitaries and it is yet to show which way the political structure will go- if it will remain a military dictatorship, or sway either way towards republic, federation- or if the dictators of today will be the emperors of tomorrow.

As a result, the Winterians have remained in isolation while building up their home world - and while rearming. Some luckless Drengin vessels were since captured with aid by costly but useful Korx pirates and other hired hands (which explains the mix of Terran and Drengin influence in the new ship models built on Fenrir). Recently small scale technological trade with Altair has been secretly established. Soon, Hel will be ready to unveil itself before the galaxy... looks like some history books on Terra will need some correcting...

---------
* Subject to change. Its kinda frustrating that all races' home star systems are so meagre- How many minimum/maximum planet points should the home system have for distribution? I'd say that 22-24 points should be the minimum for any home world system. Suggestions welcomed.

 

[JJMax7]

After seeing this I decided to delve a little deeper into my custom race. Its a little contrived, but I really enjoy it. It makes roleplaying very fun, though its a little awkward.

Race- Mirszi

Leader- Kyser 2.7

HomeWorld- Mirszi

Weapons 10%
Economics 10%
Research 10%
Trade 10%
Diplomacy 10%
Espionage 30%
Logistics 6%

Preferred Political Party
Techonologists

Ethics- Neutral, always waying the pros and cons, rarely making "emotional" decisions.

The Mirszi are an intricate culture comprised of AI and robots. The Arnons created an incredibly advanced AI, with the ability to learn and create. They called this AI Kyser. After the disappearance of the Arnons Kyser was left behind floating in an abandoned robot transport with only a few robots left on board. Kyser flew the transport to a nearby planet and used the robots to find materials with which he could then have them create more robots and more advanced systems in which he could thrive. He also began creating more AI, which he controlled directly. Eventually he overloaded his own ability and was forced to free the AI he had created under him. He found they ran incredibly well without his micromanagement. The AI could create copies of themselves, but without the ability to learn could not create better versions. Kyser reserved this ability to himself. Eventually the Mirszi became sentient in the systems the robots had created. Kyser then began work on bettering himself, providing his followers with upgrades, only sharing his ability to learn with a special group labeled "research-unit" that he excercises complete control over. This unit aids in gathering the technologies lost during the final battle when Kyser's databanks were corrupted, but cannot create new AI. When the AI became a small civilization, Kyser, now version 2.0 claimed himself ruler. Since he had been the first AI and had a far greater intellect, the rest accepted his rule. He called his AI followers Mirszi. Though he did not have direct control, the Mirszi accepted his policies.

The robot servants, very similar to the Yor, are not sentient, nor are they considered Mirszi and it was deemed illegal to provide the robots with intellgence above the Beta level (limiting them to only the simplest functions and inability to act on their own), most Mirzi are Delta, and Kyser himself is of Theta intelligence. The robots are now primarily used to gather food stuffs to be converted into power for both the robots and AI.

Kyser, now v. 2.7, invaded the computer consoles on a Terran cruiser as it flew in range of Mirszi, on board he probed through the ship and found the Hyper Drive. He saved all the data he could before he was forced to return before the ship was out of range. Now with the ability of intergalactic flight. Kyser has begun the expansion of the Mirszi, hoping to colonize and recover the technological resources he had while he was still in the service of the Arnon.
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In addition to that dandy of a civ. I created another one. I can't remember all the bonuses, but it doens't matter much.

Race- Pirates

Leader Name- Cap'n Jak

Homeworld Isla de Muerta

Can anyone guess where I got the idea????

 

[ToV]

I have rethought my race, and I have expaned the back story and such. Here are My Custome Race, 2.0:

Custom Races

Custom Races

Race - Umbian Commonwealth
Leader - Premier Thingol
Homeworld - Umbanor

Traits:
Speed +1
Moral +10%
Research +10%
Sensors +1
Creativity +25%
Logistics +6

Starting Technologies:
New Hyperdrive Techniques
Hyperdrive
Galactic Warfare
Xeno Engineering
Stellar Cartography
Xeno Research

Ethics: Neutral, but leaning slightly evil

Political Party: Univeralists

Short Description:
The Umbians are a creative yet untrusting race who invented hyperdrive independently of the Humans.

Long Description:
The Umbians are a shrewd, highly creative, and untrusting race in the Umbanor System. They have slowly begun to move past their distrust of each other, yet they still retain a lasting suspicion of all other species. They have practiced a policy of isolationism throughout their long history. They hade refused to allow any star gate in their system, because they feared invasion. Their fears were justified, for the Drengin had a growing interest in their world.

They did, however, keep the technology to build a star gate, in the hope of finding a less dangerous use. 600 hundred years ago, the Umbians developed cold fusion, and they soon realized that this new technology could vastly improve the quality of life. They protected their secret of cold fusion jealously, and they worked hard to sabotage all the other races research. They were successful, and scientists in the other races abandoned cold fusion and declared it impossible. Only 400 years ago a lone researcher came up with the idea to combine cold fusion with the star gates and invented hyperdrive. The Umbian government quickly took an interest in the new hyperdrive technology. They saw how much potential it had. To preserve their advantage, hyperdrive was kept secret from the other race for hundreds of years, and seldom ventured out of their system with hyperdrive powered ships.

However, the state of the galaxy has changed, and the Umbians are no longer safe on their homeworld. The Umbians have lost their advantage, because of a race of daft creatures in the Sol System. In what the Umbians commonly refer to as “The Demonstration of Terran Idiocy,” the Humans have given all the major races their own hyperdrive technology. Although inferior to the Umbian’s it has put all races within striking distance of Umbanor. The Umbians were determined that this not happen. A new space program was created to colonize the galaxy. Using their advantage of speed, they quickly became a dominate force in the universe.

Game Introduction:
Citizens of Umbanor, because of a Great Display of Terran Idiocy, a multitude of races- races who would like nothing more than our destruction- have gained the technology of Hyperdrive. We can no longer await in silence for our doom! We have had this technology longer than all other races. We have the advantage. Shall we not use it? Our future lies among the stars, and there the glory of Umbanor shall have no bounds!

 

[R.B.]

Umm... can someone tell me how they edited the custom races home star/planets and the description thing? I still haven't figured that one out.

 

[Ivanthe Perfect]

Mine:
Empire: The Russian Federation
Homeworld: The Volga


Abliaties:
Luck (25)
Economy (50)
Morale (25)
Reproduction (25)

and a few others, here and there.

Type of goverment: Federalist.

During a long forgotten age, when the Dread Lords wtill sailled the stars in great numbers, there wheir other races as well. One of them were the Alcinarines, technology masterminds. There abliaty to create (and destroy) was amazing, in all of it's levels. Now, the race is all but dead. Many millions of years later, there was a change in the galatic power structure. The Acreans try and invade planet Earth, and the humans unite, and create hyperdrive. Unbenoist to most of the humans, though, the current Russian Federation, missteris of the north, and the fourth greatest power in the world (after the EU (European Union, BA (Bejing allinice), and the NAA (North American Allinice) still had dreams of grandor, and since the other Earth powers where spliting up and personally colonizing there own planets, to go one step futher and creating their own loyal group of race. In there exabitions on the thrid moon of Gelix-Hydran, the groups of Russian explores found one of the last Alcinarines colonies. Instead of destring the area, the Russian Federation disided to aid the beligured Alcinarines, and an allinces has existed ever since. The Alcinarines have created four races for the Russians, a Hologram race, able to change there forms at will, another humans race, a completly loyal race, and a race of Minsi, a economicly powerful race that repoduces quickly, and the Cossack, milatay warriors that do the bidding of there Master. During the War aganst the Dergan, The Stellar Russian Federation help the Terran Allince to no end, distring many Dergan ships, and helping with technology (the Allinces was not happy with the Russians, but soon got over it.) During the Dread Lord invasion, the Alcinarines, who had beaten them before, protected the Russians, and helped turn the tide of the war. This was not anoth, and during the days of Dergan domanation the Russians have been the main resetance fighters. The Holograms are driving the Dergan crasy trying to catch them, the Cossaks and the Russian Human are plaining revolts throughout the galaxy, and the Minski are riviling the Krox in blackmarket control. Unfortinly for the Terran Allicne, the Russian Federation has it's own plan as well...

 

[joelwest]

Race Name: Araestari
Race Leader: Aras Noera
Homeworld: Arae
Homestar: Arasi
Other Planets: Nora (Class 0), Oro (Class 8), Legaia (Class 10), Tarot (Class 0)

Bonuses:

+10% Research
+25% Loyalty
+25% Luck
+25% Creativity
+30% Population Growth
+10% Diplomacy

Preferred Political Parties: Technologists; Pacifists

Descritption: A psi-capable race, the Araestari worshiped the stars until the advent of the Interstellar Age, which began for them in 2215 when a Human scout ship arrived at their homeworld. The Araestari had probes and sattelites out by this time, and they had even sent a colonial expedition to the nearby world of Legaia. This expedition was found by the Terrans, with dying life support and dwindling supplies. The Terrans ferried it back to Arae and revealled Hyperdrive to the peaceful Araestari.

Eventually, their native religions (almost all based around the stars) were replaced with Terran ones (namely Buddhism), but their old worship of the stars gave them a drive to own the entire sky above their homeworld one day....

my own custom race
============================
Race name: the Shipnos, a race ("-nos") that builds "ships" (required to win at GC2)
============================

Starting techs:

50 Hyperdrive
25 New Propulsion
50 Ion Drive
(skip too costly 150 Impulse Drive)
50 Xeno Engineering
20 Xeno Research
(I realize this does not use up all my "starting tech points", but this is the correct order I need to rapidly gain speed and hence ability to rapidly colonize).

First techs pursed are
150 Impulse Drive
25 Stellar Cartography
100 Sensors

============================

Preferred Political Party:

Industrialists

+20% Social Production
+20% Military Production

Technologists

would be second choice since they have a research bonus

============================

Ten points of race trait customization:

points trait
------------------------------------
2 +20% Diplomacy
4 +50% Military Production
1 +10% Morale
3 +10% Planet Quality

It was only after playing the first game of GC2 I realized the need for Diplomacy and Morale.

Diplomacy forces all civs without diplomacy bonus to give you favorable trade terms, at least until they pursue the tech that allows them to increase their diplomacy. This allows much more rapid advancement in the tech tree.

Morale allows planet to continue to grow at little more until morale tile improvements have to be made.

Military Production was chosen since its percent jumps quite a bit (from 30% to 50%) from having 3 points to 4 points allocated. Once military is boosted in reality the additonal economy size can be allocated how I see fit. This ability to reallocate additonal economy size is also why I chose the Industrialists political party (see above for bonuses). To pursue economic growth to its max the tech tree path leading to Federation needs to be researched. It boosts Economy, Industry, and Research by an astonishing 75% each. (Since the Federation tech is quite costly, pursue the two lesser overall economy boosters on the same tech tree much earlier in the game.)

Planet Quality helps with developing more of a planet's potential. However to use this trait effectively a strategy is needed that allows newly colonized planets in mid and late game to continue to rapidly prosper. This means NOT researching farm, economy or manufacturing improvements and hoping an alien civ will trade for two levels up on the tech tree for one of these. Due to a glitch in the GC2 code, this allows both the first and third tech to be built until such time as the second tech is discovered (which I would NOT want to do - it is given to me when I conquer an alien planet as an unwanted gift).

Of course by selecting these civ traits I am rejecting others.

Research, Economic Production , and Social Production are all highly desirable, but do not have the huge percentage jump availalble to Military Production. If I were to experiment it would be reallocating points to one of these traits.

Logistics helps with military formations and limits on the number of starbases, but is only available by selecting the appropriate alien (not custom) race. Due to the overwhelming advantages of the other custom traits, I never chose to play as such a race.

Trade is desirable, but in my own games I found trade to an almost inconsequential part of overall income. Trade's primary advantage is that it reduces the chances a civ will randomly attack you (or am I thinking of the Civ series???).

I once chose Creativity, but never knew if I got a free tech out of it. If the creators want us to choose this trait there needs to be an info screen that tells when it actually has benefitted the civ that has it. (For a similar reason I never choose Luck.)

Loyalty is useful if you let another civ build an inflence starbase nearby. I do not let this happen.

The Defense, Hit Points, Range, Repair, and Weapons traits can be compensated for by building the correct type of starship to counter the enemy starship's offense and defense. If you have a strong economy (possilbe by using the traits and political party I did select) this is easily done (at least at the "normal" level of AI intelligence).

The Soldering trait is accomplished by researching the planetary assault tech tree path.

Population Growth is undesirable early in the game since it kicks in Morale limits to a planet's growth. Later when the morale techs have been researched the trade good Aphrodisiac accomplished the same task.

============================

Description: The Shipnos seek to rapidly colonize and influence the galaxy "by any means necessary". They do not create war for its own sake, but usually for a strategic purpose of capturing a key planet or starbase. They tend to win over the galaxy not by conquest but by extending their "influence" over enough of it with starbases.