Pre-FTL species

Version

Please help with verifying or updating older sections of this article. At least some were last verified for version 3.12.

This article is for the PC version of Stellaris only.

Early Space Age Humanoids — Humanoid civilization in Early Space Age

Primitive_Enlightenment_-_A_Stellaris_Meme — Primitive Enlightenment - A Stellaris Meme

There are two types of species that did not achieve FTL in the game: pre-FTL civilizations and pre-sapient species. They can be made plentiful or outright disabled via the galaxy generation options.

Pre-FTL civilizations are civilizations that have yet to develop the technology necessary for interstellar space travel. They advance through multiple ages as their history is written and can become full-fledged interstellar empires if they are technologically enlightened by another spacefaring empire or left alone enough to develop on their own. Pre-FTL civilizations have a 3% chance to spawn in each habitable system, modified by the Pre-FTL Civilizations and Pre-Sapient Species game setting.

Pre-sapient species are species with intelligence beyond animals but which did not achieve sapience yet. It will take millions of years for them to become sapient, but spacefaring empires can accelerate this process, turning the pre-sapients into productive galactic citizens within the span of just a few decades. Pre-sapient have a 5% chance to spawn on each habitable planet, modified by the Pre-FTL Civilizations and Pre-Sapient Species game setting.

Pre-FTL civilizations[]

Pre-FTL civilizations exist in various ages of development they slowly go through, visible after an observation post has been constructed. They usually have the Developing Nation origin, but also have a 5% chance to have a regular origin as long as the required DLC is installed

Pre-FTL civilizations can always be invaded and conquered as long as their system has been claimed and the Pre-FTL Interference policy is set to Aggressive Interference. Pre-FTL civilizations have no means to resist a technologically superior invader, although Post-Atomic civilizations can be harder to conquer early game. Conquered worlds will get the Stellar Culture Shock modifier for 10 years, which locks out the former primitive pops from using colony ships, being resettled, joining Factions or being released as a Vassal. It also brings −20% Stability, −33% Resources from Jobs, and −50% Empire Sprawl from Pops.

A Nanobot Diffuser can be used on a primitive world instead of conquest but will generate a temporary −40 Opinion from every other empire.

Age	Buildings	Pops	Armies	Government	Awareness chance		Description
Age	Buildings	Pops	Armies	Government	Increase	Decrease	Description
Stone Age	1 Crude Huts	4	No army	Tribal Society	1%	90%	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of a Stone Age. They have mastered fire and developed a rudimentary spoken language, but we have yet to see any evidence of metallurgy or written communication.
Bronze Age	1 Stone Palaces 1 Primitive Dwellings	8	3 primitive armies	Tribal Society	1%	90%	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of a Bronze Age. Primitive metalworking and the first written languages have appeared, while cities and larger communities are taking shape.
Iron Age	1 Stone Palaces 1 Primitive Dwellings	9	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	1%	90%	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of an Iron Age. They have spread across most of their homeworld, while iron smelting and forging techniques have enabled them to forge crude but effective tools and weaponry.
Late Medieval Age	1 Stone Palaces 2 Primitive Dwellings	10	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	5%	75%	This civilization is currently experiencing the equivalent of a Late Medieval Age. They have a firm grasp of metallurgy, and the invention of the printing press has started to benefit the spread of knowledge.
Renaissance Age	1 Stone Palaces 2 Primitive Dwellings	12	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	5%	75%	This civilization is currently experiencing the equivalent of a Renaissance Age. Scientific knowledge is increasing at a rapid rate, and the invention of gunpowder has revolutionized warfare.
Steam Age	1 Stone Palaces 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine	16	3 primitive armies	Feudal Realms	15%	50%	This civilization is currently in the equivalent of a Steam Age. The invention of the steam engine has had far-reaching effects on their society and they stand on the cusp of an industrial revolution.
Industrial Age	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not Lithoid	22	6 industrial armies	Fragmented Nation States	15%	50%	This civilization has advanced into the equivalent of an early Industrial Age. Electricity and internal combustion engines are gradually coming into widespread use, while urbanization increases at a rapid pace.
Machine Age	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not Lithoid	24	6 industrial armies	Fragmented Nation States	75%	25%	This civilization has advanced into the equivalent of a Machine Age, considered a later part of the Industrial Age. Their factories are mass-producing goods and vehicles, and air travel is becoming commonplace.
Atomic Age	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not Lithoid	26	6 post-atomic armies	Fragmented Nation States	75%	25%	This civilization has advanced into the equivalent of an Atomic Age. They have harnessed the power of the atom, but not yet made it into space. Nuclear weapons may be prolific, and could result in a sudden extinction event.
Early Space Age	1 Regional Capitals 1 Urban Dwellings 1 Primitive Factory 1 Primitive Mine 1 Primitive Power Plant 1 Primitive Farms if not Lithoid	28	6 post-atomic armies	Fragmented Nation States	75%	25%	This civilization has entered an Early Space Age. Primitive satellites are orbiting their homeworld, and the first manned space missions have been concluded in low orbit. They will soon be ready to leave their world.

Awareness[]

Awareness is a measure of how aware a pre-FTL civilization is that alien life exists and goes from 0 to 100. It determines how many years Stellar Culture Shock lasts if an empire reveals its presence and, if First Contact DLC is installed, whether an Observation Post constructed above the pre-FTL civilization will produce Observation Insights.

Awareness	Culture shock duration	Description
Completely Unaware	50	This civilization is not aware of interstellar life.
Low Awareness	30	Lacking evidence of interstellar life, this civilization still believes it may be alone in the universe.
Partially Aware	15	This civilization is partially aware of the existence of life in the galaxy. Something is out there, but what?
High Awareness	5	This civilization is aware that the galaxy is full of life; but who are these creatures, and what do they want?
Fully Aware	0	Fully aware of interstellar life, this civilization understands it belongs to a galactic community.

Awareness has a chance to decrease each year by 1 as long as it is above 10. It also has a chance to increase whenever unnatural things happen in the same star system. The chance for Awareness to increase or decrease depends on the civilization's age.

+1 each time an uncloaked ship enters the system or decloaks (6 months cooldown)
+1 each time a starbase or station is constructed
+2 each time an uncloaked science ship surveys the planet
+2 each time an uncloaked fleet uses emergency retreat
+5 each time an asteroid or ship is destroyed or disengaged
+5 each time a planet is colonized
+5 each time a megastructure is built or upgraded
+20 each time a planet is terraformed
+20 each time a planet is destroyed
+20 each time a neighbor system is destroyed
+2 each year as long as an uncloaked Observation Post is present
+2 each year as long as a planet is colonized

Awareness can also be manually increased or decreased via espionage.

Age advancement[]

Primitive Ages — Humanoid civilization advancing through the ages

Pre-FTL civilizations will advance through ages as their history is written. Having an Observation Post built will notify its empire of every age advancement and let it check progress towards the next age by hovering over the age in the diplomacy screen. Depending on the current age and Awareness, it takes the following amount of years to progress to the next age:

Awareness Age	Unaware	Low	Partial	High	Aware
Stone Age - Late Medieval Age	320	240	160	120	80
Renaissance Age - Machine Age	160	120	80	60	40
Atomic Age - FTL Discovery	80	60	40	30	20

After the mid-game year is reached pre-FTL civilizations will advance twice as fast.

Early Space Age civilizations that don't have an Observation Post built in orbit will eventually develop basic hyperdrives, turning them into a normal empire. If a Starbase was built around the star the new empire will ask the owner for control of it. Should the request be accepted they will be granted control of the Starbase and all colonized planets in the system and gain a temporary +100 Opinion towards the former owner. If the request is refused the civilization will be annexed. Annexing the civilization will cost 200 Influence if Xenophile or Fanatic Xenophile while granting it control of the system will cost 200 Influence if Xenophobe or Fanatic Xenophobe. Genocidal empires only have the option to annex the civilization.

There is no catch-up mechanism for these empires. Unless they advance very early in the game, they will likely be quickly conquered or turned into a Protectorate.

When the pre-FTL civilization discovers hyperdrives there is a 20% chance to be replaced by a machine intelligence empire instead. This cannot happen if the civilization has the Mechanist, Shattered Ring or Void Dwellers origin. In addition to regular options, an empire owning the system can pay 200-300 Influence to subjugate the machine empire unless it has the Driven Assimilator or Determined Exterminator civic.

Nuclear war[]

Every 50 years there is a chance for any pre-FTL civilization that reached at least Atomic Age to start a nuclear war. The chances are the following:

49.6% chance nothing happens. This outcome is twice more common if the pre-FTL civilization is Pacifist or Fanatic Pacifist.
49.6% chance planet becomes a Tomb World with the Metal Boneyards planetary feature and the pre-FTL civilization reverts to Stone Age. Only 2 Pops will survive.
0.4% chance the planet becomes a Toxic World with a deposit of 3 Society and the pre-FTL civilization is destroyed. This outcome is twice more likely if the pre-FTL civilization is Militarist or Fanatic Militarist. If the Toxoids DLC is installed the planet will gain the Toxic Terraforming Candidate modifier.
0.4% chance the planet becomes a Tomb World with the Metal Boneyards planetary feature and the pre-FTL civilization is destroyed. This outcome is twice more likely if the pre-FTL civilization is Militarist or Fanatic Militarist.

Pre-FTL civilizations with the Shattered Ring or Void Dwellers origins cannot have nuclear wars.

Asteroids[]

Very rarely an asteroid might be on a collision course with a planet inhabited by a pre-FTL civilization. Destroying the asteroid will grant 150-2000 Minerals and add 5 Awareness to the pre-FTL civilization. If the Non-interference Act resolution has been passed the empire will be in breach of galactic law for 10 years. If the asteroid isn't destroyed before it hits the planet one of the following will happen:

74% chance the pre-FTL civilization reverts to Stone Age and only 2 Pops survive.
24% chance the Observation Post is destroyed and the pre-FTL civilization gains 5 Awareness. If the Non-interference Act resolution has been passed the empire will be in breach of galactic law for 10 years.
2% chance the pre-FTL civilization gains 10 Awareness and progresses through the ages faster. This can only happen if the pre-FTL civilization reached Atomic Age or Early Space Age.

Observation posts[]

Observation Posts are stations that can be constructed above the homeworld of a pre-FTL civilization. Having an Observation Post enables diplomacy and espionage of the pre-FTL civilization and will notify the empire of any age advancements.

If the civilization is not aware of aliens the Observation Post will be able to conduct Passive or Aggressive observation and produce resources that scale with the Infiltration level on the pre-FTL civilization. Both types of observation can trigger various events. If First Contact DLC is installed and at least one Observation Post is built over the homeworld of a pre-FTL civilization that isn't aware of aliens the empire will gain the Observation Insights situation.

Any Observation Post will slowly increase the Awareness of the pre-FTL civilization. Observation Posts can cloak if the required technology has been researched, canceling this effect.

Observation	Base effects	Unchained Knowledge Resolution 3 bonus	Galactic Commerce Resolution 3 bonus	Exploitation Act Resolution bonus	Required Pre-FTL Interference policy
Passive Observation	+8 Society research +0.5 Observation Insights Progress	+4 Society research	+2 Consumer goods	+4 Engineering research +4 Physics research	Non-Interference Subtle Interference Active Interference
Aggressive Observation	+10 Society research +1 Observation Insights Progress	+6 Society research	+8 Consumer goods	+6 Engineering research +6 Physics research	Active Interference Aggressive Interference

Diplomacy[]

Aside from improving and harming relations, regular diplomacy actions and agreements are not available with pre-FTL civilizations. However there is a small number of agreements available only towards pre-FTL civilizations:

Reveal Our Presence is the only option if the pre-FTL civilization hasn't been made aware of alien life. It will make the civilization aware and enable diplomacy but will also cause Stellar Culture Shock for a number of years.
Offer Societal Guidance costs 0.1 Influence and 5 Unity each month and will slowly shift the pre-FTL civilization's ethics to match the empire's.
Provide Technology costs 0.1 Influence and 5 Research each month and causes the pre-FTL civilization to advance through the ages 3 times faster, or 4.5 times faster if the Equal Standing Act resolution has been passed. This option is only available if the Pre-FTL Enlightenment policy is set to Allowed. If the agreement is active when the pre-FTL civilization discovers FTL it will become a subject of the empire owning the Observation Post, gain a temporary +100 Opinion with it, and the owner's Xenoist faction will be pleased for 20 years.
Form Commercial Agreement costs 0.1 Influence and 5 Minerals each month and produces 0.5-4.5 Trade Value depending on the pre-FTL civilization's age. If the Equal Standing Act resolution has been passed and the planet contains planetary features that produce advanced resources those will be obtained as well. The agreement also enables empires with Corporate authority to open branch offices on the pre-FTL civilization's planet if the the civilization reached Atomic Age or Early Space Age. This option is only available if the First Contact DLC is installed.

Pre-sapient species[]

As opposed to primitives, planets of pre-sapient species can be colonized. The pre-sapient pops do not require either Housing or Amenities. The Pre-Sapients policy determines their status, and if set to Protected enables the construction of Alien Zoo buildings on worlds that contain pre-sapient pops if the owner is not Gestalt Consciousness. Unlike sapient species, pre-sapients can be purged without diplomatic repercussions.

Terraforming a planet will cause the death of any pre-sapient pops on the planet.

Machine Intelligence empires are forced to purge all pre-sapient pops on their planets regardless of their Pre-Sapients and Purge policies.

Sapient pops are also created when an empire with the Genesis Guides, Astrogenesis Technologies, Genesis Symbiotes or Genesis Architects civic colonizes a world or uses the Build Genesis Preserve decision.

Sapient pops can be turned pre-sapient with the Devolving Beam colossus weapon.

Policies[]

The Pre-Sapients policy determines whether an empire tolerates pre-sapients living on their worlds or not. It is unlocked when a world within the empire's borders has a pre-sapient pop on it, or the empire's science ship discovers pre-sapients by surveying or via an anomaly.

Type	Effects	Faction approval	Requirements	AI weight	Description
Protected	Alien Zoo buildings can be constructed on worlds with pre-sapient species Pre-sapient pops cannot be purged Planets with pre-sapient pops cannot be terraformed		Genocidal	Modifiers0 ×2 AI personality likes aliens	Though still only simple animals, these beings are no less than what we ourselves once were. They should be allowed the chance at a future.
Tolerated	Pre-Sapient pops can be purged Planets with pre-sapient pops can be terraformed		Genocidal		Intelligent animals are still just animals. They can be safely ignored.
Hunted	Pre-sapient pops will be hunted for food, slowly depleting them Planets with pre-sapient pops can be terraformed	Xenoist −10	Utopia Xenophile Fanatic Purifiers Machine Intelligence Synthetic Evolution special project	Modifiers0 ×0 Not Hive Mind	An animal without sapience can hardly be considered to be part of our empire, but perhaps they can help our growth in other ways...
Extermination	Pre-sapient pops will be purged automatically Planets with pre-sapient pops can be terraformed	Xenoist −10	Xenophile	Modifiers0 ×0 One of the following is true: Not any degree of Xenophobe Not Machine Intelligence, unless Rogue Servitor or Driven Assimilator	All rights spring from the capacity for reason. An animal is just an animal, and an animal that stands in our way is just a pest.

Jobs[]

Pre-sapients are not normally productive, but with the Pre-Sapients policy Hunted, or Protected along with an Alien Zoo, they do produce resources. Pre-sapient jobs have their own stratum, also called Pre-sapients.

Job	Produces	Upkeep	Source
Pre-Sapient	None	None	Default for pre-sapients
Hunted Pre-Sapient	+4 Food if pop is biological +2 Minerals if pop is Lithoid	N/A	Pre-Sapients policy Hunted
Conserved Fauna	+1 Amenities	−1 Food if pop is biological −1 Minerals if pop is Lithoid	Pre-Sapients policy Protected Alien Zoo Warrior Culture
Gladiatorial Beast	+1 Amenities	−1 Food if pop is biological −1 Minerals if pop is Lithoid	Pre-Sapients policy Protected Alien Zoo Warrior Culture

Uplifting[]

For pre-sapient species the option to create templates is replaced with the option to Uplift them. The planet must be colonized and within the player empire's borders. Uplifting a species requires the Epigenetic Triggers technology and costs 3000 Society Research. Uplifted species become part of the empire that uplifted them and get a +10% happiness bonus when inhabiting that empire's planets due to getting the Uplifted trait. Finishing an uplift also grants 50 influence.

When an uplift is complete, the pre-sapient species receive the default species rights according to the host empire, even if it is displacement from their own home. Most uplift processes tend to be rocky (70% chance of -5% planet mineral output).

Unlike pre-FTL civilizations, pre-sapients will never advance to sapients on their own in-game.