The Intrigue expansion introduced a new feature to Galactic Civilizations 3: Governments.

Governments give factions a variety of bonuses and perks, such as increased Research and Production, access to the Galactic Market, Missions, or a new ship that provides bonuses to the planet it orbits. Each Government type (outside of the initial starting four Governments) must be Researched before it can be used, and some Governments have certain Ideology or Technology requirements as well.

Each Government also comes with various drawbacks designed to balance the Governments against each other so that there are no clear "best" governments. Instead, each Government attempts to fit (and reward) a certain play style. That said, some Governments really are better than the competition.

This guide will cover all Governments, their advantages and their drawbacks.

Intrigue added several new features to the game. The Governments in Intrigue can grant or remove access to these features, making some Governments more desirable than others. In order to better understand what makes a Government desirable, it is first important to understand these new features and how Governments impact play.


Colony Limit

The first change that Intrigue presents is a "soft-cap" on the number of Colonies a player can amass. This is referred to on the Government screen as a "Colony Limit". It is important to understand that this is a soft-cap; it is not a hard cap. The player is free to colonize more planets than this limit allows, however, there are consequences, chiefly that Galactic Moral will suffer considerably for each planet the player colonizes over the limit. When Moral is negative, the player's colonies will suffer penalties to Research, Production, Influence, etc. Therefor it is advisable to Research new Governments when one wants to expand with more planets than their current Government allows.

Galactic Market


Intrigue introduced a new feature: the Galactic Market. It is a place where the player can buy or sell Resources. This is an incredibly powerful tool in the game, since several key planetary improvements, and Citizen promotions, require resources. Galactic Maps can vary wildly, and sometimes the player can find themselves short of a particularly important Resource. The Galactic Market allows the player an opportunity to outright buy the necessary resources they need. However, the Market is only available to certain Governments. This can make those Government types highly valuable to the player if the player finds themselves short of a particular resource and in need of access to the Market.

Missions



Certain Governments will grant the player access to Missions. These are special ships that can be constructed at any Shipyard. Missions can search for rare resources, or even recruit certain Citizens for the player. As with the Galactic Market, this feature is restricted to only certain Government types.

Special Ships



Some (not all) Governments have their own special, unique Ship(s) that are granted to the player when the player chooses a new Government. Each ship comes with certain bonuses (to Production, or Influence, etc.)

Some ships are well-designed for War, and others are better used orbiting a planet.

Government Duration


When the player chooses a new Government it is in effect for a minimum of 26 turns. The player cannot change the Government again until the 26 turns has expired. Players should be aware of this when Researching new Government types. It may be beneficial to choose a new Government with a higher Colony Limit in order to ease Moral penalties from over-colonization, but if an even better Government will be available in a few more turns of Research, the player may want to wait for that Research to complete before choosing a new Government.

Elections


Some Governments will require Elections every few weeks. Elections are largely determined by the overall Moral of the civilization between election periods. The higher the Moral over the time span the more likely the player is to win the election.

The player must win the election by majority vote or else the Government will fail and turn into a Coalition Government. Coalition Governments are highly undesirable because they have many restrictions and few real benefits. Players should avoid these when possible.

Editor's Note: I was unable to capture a screen shot for a Coalition Government because, quite frankly, I avoid them like the plague.

Tier 1 Governments are the first set of Governments the player has access to. These do not require any Research by the player; they are available at the start of the game. All of these Governments have a Colony Limit = 4.

• Colonial
  
• Imperial
  
• Theocracy
  
• Unity

Colonial



Colonial is one of the two Governments most players will start out with, because two of the other Governments (Theocracy & Unity) have special Trait requirements that most factions will not meet.

The Colonial Government offers a modest +10% bonus to Growth. The only real drawback to the Colonial Government is that it does require Elections. This will be problematic for the player if they colonize quickly and exceed the 4-planet Colony Limit.

Verdict: A solid choice for starting out, especially since all factions have access to it.

Imperial



Imperial is the other Government that all factions will have access to at the beginning of the game. It's one of the first Governments you'll encounter that has very defined benefits and drawbacks.

The benefits to this government are fantastic for the player that wants to expand quickly with Colony ships and Constructors to grab resources: +20% ship production and +1 Moves. These are fantastic bonuses early in the game.

The drawback is -1 Diplomacy, which is a tough sell, because the last thing you want to do early in a game is make potentially tough opponents angry (Drengin, Krynn, Snathi).

Verdict: A decent choice for the rapid expansionist. But if you are concerned about your neighbors at all, choose Colonial instead.

Theocracy [Requires Bureaucrats Trait]


Theocracy requires the Bureaucrats trait, which is a trait that the Krynn have by default. The only other way to get this trait is to use a custom faction. Theocracy offers a very nice +10 Moral boost and requires no elections. As as starting Government it's pretty nice, but the requirement for the Bureaucratic trait makes its access very limited.

Theoracy is also the first Government that grants a player a unique ship, The Defender of the Faith, which offers a modest Moral boost to the planet that it orbits.


Verdict: Great if you have the Bureaucratic trait, unavailable if you don't.

Unity [Requires Ancient Trait]



Unity requires the Ancient trait, which is a trait that the Altarian Resistance have by default. The only other way to get this trait is to use a custom faction. Unity offers a nice +10 bonus to Influence, and unlike Theocracy it does hold elections. It also offers a unique ship, The Prefect:


The Prefect offers a modest +5 bonus to Production, which is a nice bonus to have in the early game.

Verdict: Great if you have the Ancient trait, unavailable if you do not. Like all Tier 1 Governments, you will probably outgrow it quickly.

Tier 2 Governments require Research in order for the player to access them. Each Government in this tier supports a Colony Limit of size 12 or 18.

• Interstellar Republic (12)
  
• Media Assimilation (12)
  
• Utopian (12)
  
• Stellar Monarchy (18)
  
• Information Oligarchy (12)
  
• Emergency Coalition (12)

Interstellar Republic



Colony Limit: 12
Research: Governance => Diplomacy

The Interstellar Republic is one of the first Tier 2 Governments a player has access to, as it is easily Researched. It becomes available once the player researches Diplomacy. It has a nice mix of advantages and disadvantages, giving the player a bonus to Gross Income, access to the Galactic Market and Missions, and granting the player a nice +2 Diplomacy Bonus for Trade Routes. To offset this the government holds Elections and the player cannot declare war which is a fairly significant drawback for a Conquest player. This government is a very nice one to have early and rewards a Pragmatic/Benevolent/Trading approach.

Interstellar Republic also provides the player with a unique Ship, the Prime Minister's Ship, which offers some really nice bonuses to Construction, Influence and Moral. A great homeworld ship.



Verdict: One of the better Tier 2 Governments and the easiest to access through Research.


Media Assimilation



Colony Limit: 12
Research: Colonization => Environmental Engineering

Media Assimilation is a very one-dimensional Government. It is meant to do one thing and to it well: expand your borders quickly, or push back against AI factions attempting to do the same to you. It offers +5 Influence Growth (a value that was original much higher and has since been nerfed twice by the developers) and access to Missions. It counterbalances these advantages by holding Elections, preventing access to the Galactic Market, and preventing the player from declaring war. It is also one of the only Tier 2 Governments that does not provide a unique Ship.

Verdict: This was one of the stronger one-dimensional Government types prior to being nerfed. While it had a lot of disadvantages, the Influence Growth was worth it. After the most recent nerf (from +10 Influence to +5) I am uncertain of the strength or usefulness of this government.

Editor's Note: The AI often liked to use this Government, for obvious reasons. My guess is that the developers nerfed it because of the extreme over-use of this government by all AI factions and the complaints from players playing against those factions.


Utopian



Colony Limit: 12
Research: Colonization => Xeno Industrialization

Utopian requires the Benevolent to be the player's Dominant Ideology. Note: the player can always check their Dominant Ideology by clicking Civilization => Report and viewing it.



Utopian offers a fair mix of advantages and disadvantages for the Benevolent player. It allows access to the Galactic Market and Missions, and provides nice bonuses to Growth and Moral. But it offsets these advantages by holding Elections, preventing war declaration, and it prevents the player from rush-building anything. It also provides a -10% to Research. Finally, it, like Media Assimilation, does not provide a unique ship.

Verdict: The -10% to Research is a drawback, but could possibly be made up by high Moral providing bonus to Research. However, this is a seriously bad Government to be stuck with if an enemy declares war on you as you cannot rush-build anything. If you're playing on a smaller map with very few enemies it might be worth it for a little while, to take advantage of the growth rate for fast expansion and high moral for production. But eventually, even a Benevolent player will want to switch to something better.


Stellar Monarchy



Colony Limit: 12
Research: Governance=> Interstellar Governance

The Stellar Monarch is a very simple, straight-forward Government that is great for new players or people who want to expand rapidly on larger maps either via Colonization or Conquest. It is the only Tier 2 Government that offers a Colony Limit of 18, so you can colonize more planets before Moral dips. It offers a nice +20% bonus to Ship Construction for Conquest players, it allows Missions to be sent from Shipyards, and it doesn't hold any Elections making it easier on the new player to deal with. The only real drawback to this Government is that it doesn't allow access to the Galactic Market.

It is also the only Government that grants the player two unique ships, the Prince and Princess.




Verdict: One of the best Tier 2 Governments in the game. It is quick to access in the Governance Research tree, offers 6 more planets over the Colony Limit of any other Tier 2 Government, and provides a nice bonus to ship-building. The Market is the only drawback.


Information Oligarchy



Colony Limit: 12
Research: Governance=> Xeno Economics

Information Oligarchy offers nice bonuses to Moral and Trade Route income. It is an ideal Government for the player who wants to focus on Wealth and Happiness. The Galactic Market and Missions are enabled for this Government and the only drawback, a minor one, is that it holds Elections. But as a Government focused on Moral and Wealth, this is rarely an issue. The player can engage in war freely if necessary.

The Government also grants a ship, The Invisible Hand, which adds a very nice 100% Wealth bonus to the planet it orbits.



Verdict: A great Tier 2 Government for Moral and Wealth and it has access to the all-important Galactic Market. Not too far down the Research tree either. Definitely a Government to shoot for early, especially for players focused on Wealth and Trade.


Emergency Coalition



Colony Limit: 12
Research: Warfare => Defense Systems

The Emergency Coalition is a hyper-focused Government that is designed to handle a very specific circumstance: an enemy faction has declared war on the player, and the player now has to defend themselves. Discovered by Researching Defense Systems under the Warfare tree, this Government significantly boosts Wealth at the cost of Research and Moral. There are no Elections with this Government and Missions can be sent, but the Galactic Market is closed. And to top it off, the player is limited to only building war-ships.

The big bonus from choosing this Government comes in the form of its unique ship, the Patriot, a warship that is fairly powerful early in the game and can help the player fend off invading fleets.



Verdict: It's a very situational Government that should only be employed in a specific circumstance. The Patriot ship is the only real reason to get locked into this Government for 26 turns.

Tier 3 Governments require Research in order for the player to access them. Each Government in this tier supports a Colony Limit of size 24.

• Technocracy
  
• Infinite Jihad
  
• Galactic Empire
  
• Interstellar Plutocracy

Technocracy



Colony Limit: 24
Research: Governance => Interstellar Democracy

The Technocracy offers a lot of advantages and only one real drawback. It allows access to Missions, the Galactic Market, and provides a robust +20% to Research, which every play style can benefit from. It holds Elections, but the bigger issue is that for a Government that only allows a Colony Limit of 24, it takes a while to Research, as it is stuck far down the Governance line, the last item before the Age of War.

In keeping with its theme of Research, the Technocracy provides access to a nice ship, the Science Czar, which adds +50% Research to the planet it orbits.



Verdict: A good Government for Research-focused players, but by the time you actually Research it you may have better options.

Infinite Jihad



Colony Limit: 24
Research: Governance => Cultural Outreach

This is the next in line of the Krynn-style Governments, an Emergency Coalition with a larger Colony Limit. It offers a huge +100% bonus to ship building, but offsets that with a hefty -50% to Research. There's no Elections to worry about, but there's also no Missions or Galactic Market access either.

It offers a Support ship that is loaded with weapons, but is probably better suited to boosting production on an orbiting planet.



Verdict: If you want to make war, there are better Governments to utilize. The Research penalty here is going to leave you in the dust.


Galactic Empire



Colony Limit: 24
Research: Governance => Galactic Governance

Now we're talking. The Galactic Empire can be researched before the Technocracy and offers really good bonuses to Soldiering, Ship Range and Moves. It is an ideal Government for the fast-expanding player (either through Colonization or Conquest). Remember the Infinite Jihad above? This is the Government you use if you want to make war, not Infinite Jihad. The moves are especially nice. The Galactic Market is enabled and there are no elections. The disadvantage? No Missions. Not such a big deal.

To top it off, it offers a ship, The Enforcer, which boosts all construction by 25%.



Verdict: Possibly the best Tier 3 Government available and fairly fast to get to on the Research tree.


Interstellar Plutocracy



Colony Limit: 24
Research: Governance => Interstellar Banking

Interstellar Plutocracy requires the player's Dominant Ideology to be Pragmatic. It's a great Tier 3 Government for Wealth as it provides a bonus to Tourism and overall Wealth. The Galactic Market and Missions are enabled and it holds Elections.

It's ship, Administrator Jelon, offers a bunch of +10% bonuses, making it a very useful ship.



Verdict: A really great Government for Pragmatic Ideology players who focus on Tourism. It will make such a player rich very quickly.

Tier 4 Governments require Research in order for the player to access them. Each Government in this tier supports a Colony Limit of size 48.

• Objectivism
  
• Star Federation
  
• Galactic Communion
  
• Galactic Kingdom

Objectivism



Colony Limit: 48
Research: Governance => Galactic Trade

Another Government that requires the player's Dominant Ideology to be Pragmatic. This is a focused Government that is designed for a specific Victory Condition: Alliance.

If you're a Pragmatic player, there are a lot of good Governments for you and this is one of them. Offers huge bonuses to Research & Income while significantly boosting Diplomacy with other Pragmatic races. The Galactic Market and Missions are enabled and it holds Elections. There's also a +50% Pragmatic on the Government, which I believe allows you to earn Pragmatic Ideology points faster.

Oddly enough, this Government offers no unique ship, but the bonuses it offers more than make up for such a slight.

Verdict: Great for Pragmatic players, unavailable to everyone else. If you're playing Pragmatic and going for an Alliance Victory, this is the Government to have.


Star Federation



Colony Limit: 48
Research: Governance => Star Federation

One of the first Governments that cannot be Researched until the Age of Ascension, it is basically Media Assimilation paired with Utopian and cranked up. It is an ideal Government for the player attempting to win the game via Influence Victory. It offers a huge +30% Influence Growth bonus, +1 Moral, and enables the Market and Missions. But like Utopian, it prevents the player from Declaring War and prevents rush-building anything.

It's ship, the Galactic President, offers a +50% bonus to production for the planet it orbits.



Verdict: Great Government for those seeking an Influence Victory. Otherwise, there are better Governments in the late game.


Galactic Communion



Colony Limit: 48
Research: Governance => Stellar Emmigration

Requires the player's Dominant Ideology to be Benevolent. This government is sort of Star Federation lite. It offers a smaller +10% Influence Bonus and the same +1 to Moral. Market, Mission and Elections, just like the Star Federation. And like the Star Federation, you cannot Research it until the Age of Ascension.

It's ship, the Commissar, offers a +30% bonus to Moral for the planet it orbits.



Verdict: For Benevolent players looking to strike an Influence Victory, this is the ideal Government, but it's not much use beyond that.


Galactic Kingdom



Colony Limit: 48
Research: Governance => Cultural Domination

The mother-of-all Colony Limit Governments, this one packs the most bang for your buck. But it is only available to Malevolent players. That said, for Malevolent Ideology types, this is simply one of the best governments in the game.

Bonuses to Soldiering, all Construction, Ship Construction, Moral, Moves, and Gross Income, this Government does a lot. It is ideal for players looking to achieve a Conquest Victory. The Market and Missions are enable and there are no Elections to get in the way of the player's lust for blood. Really, the only drawback to this Government for the player is the Colony Limit of 48, which is easily met when playing on most maps of size Large or bigger.

As a bonus, it's ship, the Viceroy, offers nice production bonuses.



Verdict: Perfect for the blood-lusting Conquest player. At least until they reach the Colony Limit.

Tier 5 Governments require Research in order for the player to access them. Each Government in this tier has no colony limit.

• Owner Aristocracy
  
• Singularity

Owner Aristocracy



Colony Limit: None
Research: Governance => Galactic Governance

This government can be unlocked via Research at the same time as Galactic Empire. It requires Malevolent Ideology.

In almost every way, Galactic Empire is a better government to choose when unlocking this Research node. All except one: Owner Aristocracy has no colony limit. For players on the biggest maps in the game, it may be necessary to utilize this Government if the player has expanded rapidly and doesn't want to use Commonwealths. The drawback is that this government is only available to players with a dominant Ideology of Malevolent.

The Government itself has some nice bonuses to Construction, Sensor power and Soldiering, and it offers access to the Market and Missions without the need for Elections. But it takes a huge -10 hit to Moral and offers an astounding -4 Diplomacy vs. Benevolent factions. This makes sense though: it's a government designed for Malevolent players who want to conquer the galaxy.

In short, this is a Government you only take during the Age of War as a Malevolent player if you are intent on a Conquest Victory and you don't care who you anger.

The purpose of this Government is further verified by it's ship, the Flail, which is a fairly weak war ship, but possessing of a singular purpose.



Verdict: A solid government for Conquest players and one of the only two Governments in the game that have no Colony Limit. Also, can be Researched fairly quickly, unlike Singularity

Singularity



Colony Limit: None
Research: Engineering => Quantum Understanding

The best "No Colony Limit" Government in the game. It takes some time to Research, coming near the end with Quantum Understanding, but it's a powerful Government to have. Access to the Market, Missions, a bonus to Production and a nice +8 bonus to Logistics (which gets you a free Support Hull in your fleets). No Elections. It does hit you with a -2 to Diplomacy, but this Government is meant for Conquest, so that's hardly a big negative.

It's ship, the AI Overmind, provides huge +100% bonuses to Influence and Social Construction. It's great for putting on newly conquered worlds (as long as you protect it).



Verdict: The single-best Government in the game for Conquest players, especially on larger maps.

Many of the Governments in Intrigue are tailored for specific roles, Ideologies, and Victory Conditions. While some of the Governments can function in a variety of roles, it pays to understand what their strengths are and match those up with the style of game you, the player, want to play. If you are determined to win the game through a specific Victory Condition, it pays to know which Governments work best for that pursuit, and understand the Research path you will need to take to unlock the appropriate Governments.

The right Government choice can significantly help, or cripple, your goals. Choose wisely.