It's pretty unbelievable.' Quests can come from multiple sources: exploration, population, and galaxy wide events. 'The other day we looked at the number of words, and we couldn't believe,' says de Genlis, 'it's closer to an RPG than a strategy game. Amplitude is pushing its quest design even further for Endless Space 2, and now have a dedicated designer working full time on creating new missions and events. 'Each storyline you have for each faction branches out several times, and that leads to, of course, different stories, but also to different gameplay that you unlock,' says de Genlis.Īs in Endless Legend, Amplitude uses quests to add texture to the underlying strategy-fleshing out the world, and making each campaign different. And, each faction will have an accompanying questline based on their culture and ultimate goals. It's a disparate bunch, destined for conflict. The Cravers are machine insects, bred for war and consumption. The Sophons are pacifists, dedicated to science.

Two returning factions from Endless Space will join the Vodyani and Lumeris to complete Endless Space 2's early access roster. Luckily, planets tend to have a more renewable resource that they can harness: the populations of other factions. Their terrestrial home was destroyed by the overexploitation of its resources, and now they're keen to prevent the same from happening elsewhere. In a way, they're extreme environmentalists. Uplifted by the ancient and powerful Endless, they live in giant Ark ships that can leech resources from the planets they orbit. The Vodyani are the second new faction of Endless Space 2's early access release. If another species starts construction of a colony ship destined for that planet, or another Lumeris faction builds a rival outpost, it's a race to see who can claim it first. From there, it's a case of growing the outpost's size until the planet is declared fully colonised. Instead, they spend Dust to instantly construct an outpost, staking a claim to the world.

For instance, the Lumeris don't send big ships filled with millions of people to colonise planets. The differences go beyond units and bonuses-each has its own specific purpose, ideology and systems.

If you've played Endless Legend, you'll be familiar with Amplitude's asymmetrical approach to factions.

Endless space 2 cravers