The Quameno are the galaxy’s greatest introverts. They prefer to be left alone to focus on their research and their societies are often organized in a way that’s equivalent to a war-time economy, except it is focused on research instead of military matters.
They value puzzle-solving and the discovery of new knowledge above almost everything else, certainly more than distractions such as diplomacy, war or espionage. They also have a natural aptitude when it comes to energy technologies and because of the abundance of energy in their ships, stations and cities, they use energy fields where many others might use solid materials.
They often follow a government type called a Geniocracy, where only the most intelligent can lead. The Quameno can build unique facilities such the Enigma Maze to determine which are most suited to rise in their Geniocracy and the Transcendence Hub, a late game wonder which will trigger a singularity of sorts, freeing them from their physical limits and allow them to research in peace through eternity.
Playing as the Quameno will give you some additional insights on the Ancient galaxy and some of the mysteries the Ancient Guardians left behind, in the form of the new Ancient Guardian Vaults. The Quameno storyline gives you the opportunity to find and open these vaults more quickly than any other faction, if you so choose.
Quameno victory conditions encourage you to complete entire tech trees and some of their special events along with the new Repeatable Tech system and their unique Transcendence Vault facility mean that the reward is worth the effort!
- Geniocracy Government starts with better Research Labs and provides the largest research bonus of all government types, at the expense of other areas, including being unable to fund bonus colony growth. A Geniocracy also has the option for additional benefits whenever a research breakthrough or research critical failure happens. In the case of crash research, you can “spend” a scientist to immediately complete the research project. In the case of a critical research failure, you can “spend” a scientist to cancel the failure and crash the project instead.
- The Quameno are the most gifted researchers in the galaxy, though their single-minded focus also means that they are limited when it comes to concurrent research.
- Additional bonuses when they find new research locations or build new research stations
- Some temporary penalties due to distraction when treaties are signed or populations are unassimilated, preventing the Quameno from focusing as fully as they are normally able on their research puzzles
- Novacore Reactors, the best reactor in the game, along with Bubble Shields which have the highest Shield Resistance of all shield types
- The Transcendence Hub, an end-game victory condition wonder which allows the Quameno to transcend their physical forms
- Larger Research Stations than other factions may build
- Special exclusive Leader and Scientist Traits focused on Research
- Special conditional events Alien Distractions, Integration Studies, Puzzle Solved, Building the Future, A Piece of the Puzzle and The Answer reward them for thematic play
- Their unique story gives them an advantage when it comes to finding the new Ancient Guardian Vaults scattered throughout the galaxy and recovering the knowledge and artifacts within.
The Galaxy lives on