Civilization Builder

The Civilization Builder is a powerful in-game tool used to design custom factions with unique leaders, abilities, ideologies, and more. It is available in the Crusades expansion, replacing the Faction_designer from the base game.

Launching the Builder

The Civilization Builder can be accessed two ways: by clicking the “Civilization Builder” button from the main menu, or clicking the “Create Civilization” button in the lower left of the screen when selecting a civilization for a new game.

Overview

This screen provides the name, description, portraits, and flag of your civilization.

Name

The full, formal name of your civilization. This is used primarily for diplomacy. The name works best if it is 25 characters or less. Example: “Terran Alliance.”

Short name

The shortened name of your civilization. This is used primarily for in-game menus, like the Power list. The short name works best as a plural noun that is 11 characters or less. Example: “Terrans.”

Ship Callsign

A prefix assigned to all ship names. The ship callsign works best if it is 8 characters or less. Example: “S.S.S.”

Logo

An image used as the flag for your civilization. The game comes with several to choose from; you can add your own by copying them to the logo folder. The PNG image should have an aspect ratio of 1:1. The recommended resolution is 512x512. The default path to the logo folder is C:\Users\(Your username)\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade\Factions\Logos

Portrait

An image used to represent your civilization leader in-game. The game comes with several to choose from; you can add your own by copying them to the portrait folder. The PNG image should have an aspect ratio of 1:1. The recommended resolution is 512x512. The default path to the portrait folder is C:\Users\(Your username)\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade\Factions\Portraits

Foreground

A high-resolution image of your civilization leader used in diplomacy screens. The game comes with several videos and still images to choose from; you can add your own still images by copying them to the foreground folder. The PNG image should have an aspect ratio of 16:9. The recommended resolution is 1920x1080. The default path to the foreground folder is C:\Users\(Your username)\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade\Factions\LeaderFGs

Customize Background

A high-resolution image that appears behind your civilization leader in diplomacy screens. The game comes with several videos and still images to choose from; you can add your own still images by copying them to the background folder. The PNG image should have an aspect ratio of 16:9. The recommended resolution is 1920x1080. The default path to the background folder is C:\Users\(Your username)\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade\Factions\LeaderBGs

Leader Name

The name of your civilization leader. The leader name works best if it is 15 characters or less. Example: “DL Bradley.”

Leader Description

A brief biography of your civilization leader.

Civilization Description

A brief description of your civilization. This appears in the Choose Civilization screen when creating a new game, and is the default text used to describe your civilization when you upload to the Steam workshop. The civilization description works best as one or two short paragraphs.

Homeworld Name

The name of your civilization’s starting planet. The homeworld name works best if it is 19 characters or less. Example: “Earth.”

Star System

Choose from 17 starting star systems.

Startup Screen

Customizes the text that appears when you begin a new game. From here, you can give your civilization a one-line slogan, a detailed description, and some tips on playstyle. This is especially helpful for other players who are unfamiliar with your civilization and are playing it for the first time.

Traits & Abilities

This screen specializes how your civilization plays.

Civilization Traits

Main article: Traits

Statistical modifiers for your civilization. Traits are usually available in four levels – giving a significant strength, a reduced strength, a reduced weakness, or a significant weakness.

Civilization Abilities

Main article: Abilities

Each civilization has two special abilities that give them an edge.

Species Type

Race Type affects what food your race uses& what planets you best adapt to. You have four options to choose from:

Carbon Based

Carbon-based species use water and hydrocarbons as the basis of their chemistry. Their populations require farms in order to grow. 

Synthetic

Synthetics are robotic lifeforms that do not require food to survive and can operate in a variety of environments. Unlike squishy organic species, Synthetics fabricate their populations in special factories.

Aquatic

Aquatic species live most of their lives deep in the oceans. They can colonize Water Worlds early game with no penalty and terraform one extra water tile in each Tech Age. 

Silicon Based

Silicon lifeforms are built from rocks and rare minerals. They have no need for farms as they ingest precious Durantium to grow their populations.

Starting Ships

Choose what ships you want your civilization to start with. You have five options:

Survey ship

A fast, unarmed ship with powerful sensors and the ability to investigate valuable anomalies.

Colony ship

An unarmed ship capable of colonizing neutral planets.

Constructors

Two unarmed ships capable of creating starbases.

Scouts

Three tiny ships used to rapidly explore the galaxy.

Furies

Two small warships armed with experimental weapons and defense systems.

Appearance

This screen changes the look of your civilization's ships and what colors they use in-game.

Interface Theme

Choose from 14 themes that customize the look of the user interface when playing as this civilization.

Map Theme

Choose from 32 themes that customize the color of your civilization's borders.

Ship Colors

Choose from 77 themes that customize the colors used by your civilization's ships.

Texture and Materials

Fine-tune the appearance of your civilization's ships by adjusting the patterns, textures, and materials used in their construction. This can significantly impact the overall look of a fleet; two ships with the same design and color can look very different if the textures and materials used vary.

Fleets

This screen customizes your fleet style.

Fleet Styles

A Fleet style is a set of ship and starbase templates that appear in build menus while playing as a certain civilization. Every civilization has a Fleet Style. You can load Fleet Styles - complete with unique ship designs - to and from the Steam workshop.

Classes and Templates

A full Fleet Style assigns a ship template to all ship/starbase classes in the game. The left column lists each class. Click on a class, and a list of all available templates for it appears in the center column. When you select a template, a preview of the ship will appear on the right. You can filter the templates using a dropdown at the top of the screen.

Personality

This screen customizes the way this civilization behaves when being controlled by the AI, as well as the names and appearance of citizens.

Ideology

Main article: Ideology

Determines if the civilization primarily follows the Benevolent, Pragmatic, or Malevolent ideologies.

Character Traits

Choose from 12 character traits that impact how the AI plays this civilization. You can toggle some, all, or none of the traits.

Aggressive

More likely to take extreme action in response to diplomatic slights.

Peaceful

More likely to select a moderate response to diplomatic slights; and emphasize things in common to promote harmony.

Cruel

Tendency to pick on weaker players, and cares less about cultural animosity.

Expansionist

Prioritizes opportunities to expand their empire.

Greedy

Prioritizes opportunities to increase their treasury by any means.

Opportunistic

Values chances to come out ahead in any situation.

Scientific

Prioritizes technology research and trade.

Diplomatic

Prioritizes effectiveness in diplomatic communication.

Cultural

Values things that increase their influence in the galaxy.

Spiritual

Places increased importance on ideological choices.

Trader

Seeks opportunities for peaceful trade.

Xenophobic

More distrustful of all civilizations.

Priorities

Arrange a set of 9 priorities in order of their importance to this civilization, with 1st being the highest priority and 9th considered unimportant.

Diplomacy

Non-war interactions with other civilizations and the United Planets. Diplomatic civilizations will build long-term alliances and seek mutually beneficial trades.

Expansion

Colonization effectiveness. Expansionist civilizations will build colony ships early and spread to as many neutral planets as possible.

Fortification

Protection of existing assets. Fortifying civilizations will build defensive starbases and station legions on key worlds.

Growth

Population growth of colonies. Growth-focused civilizations will take advantage of cities, farms, citizens, and technologies that allow them to rapidly increase the population on their worlds.

Influence

Expansion of zone of control and cultural takeover. Influential civilizations will use cultural buildings, citizens, and strategically-placed starbases with culture rings to expand their reach.

Logistics

Size of fleets that can be assembled. Logistical civilizations will seek technologies that allow them to amass large fleets.

Ship Construction

Ship armaments ;and planetary defense. Constructive civilizations will seek technologies that improve the weapons and defensive systems of their ships, and build to defend their planets from invading fleets.

Tech

Research effectiveness and prioritization. Technological civilizations will use scientific buildings and citizens to maximize their progression through the tech tree.

Wealth

Credits accumulation from various sources. Wealthy civilizations will use buildings, citizens, trade routes, and diplomacy to increase their income.

Citizen Names and Portraits

Change the names and apperance of this civilization's citizens. Click the "Edit Names XML" button to edit a list of first and last names for your citizens.

Click the "Choose Portraits" button to bring up a screen for selecting the images for your citizens. The game comes with several to choose from; you can add your own still images by copying them to the citizen portrait folder. The PNG image should have an aspect ratio of 1:1. The recommended resolution is 128x128. The default path to the citizen portrait folder is C:\Users\(Your username)\Documents\My Games\GC3Crusade\Factions\CitizenPortraits

To add a portrait, select it and click the "Add Male" or "Add Female" buttons at the bottom of the screen. To see which portraits you have already added, click the My Portraits tab at the top of the screen.

When a new citizen is generated, the game will randomly assign a gender-appropriate first name, last name, and portrait to it.

Customize Flavor Text

Customize the dialogue the civilization uses in interactions with the player. The builder offers editing access to five topics: First Contact, Declare War, Request Peace, Warn Military Buildup, and Help Friendly Player. For even greater customization, click "Edit Full XML" at the bottom of the screen.