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[Chiefwaffles]

After all, that is the entire point of species traits, is it not?

[Descan]

Yeah, that's why I changed from "a portrait defines a trait" to "a portrait predisposes to a trait"

I.e. 60% of them having x trait. Rather than "all reptiles do x"

[Culise]

I approve of more nuance, but I think I'm going to reluctantly admit I prefer appearance to be purely cosmetic. For me, figuring out what these fanatically xenophobic collective agrarian tundra-dwelling flying monkeys are like is part of the appeal, and giving them an energy boost or tendency to form federations feels like it's bolting two options together rather than making a previously meaningless option important.

Same.  I think that while they could stand to have more personality, that sort of personality could more effectively come from traits, the existing AI personality types, governments, and that sort.  For instance, if a reptilian species has an arctic preference and nomadic traits, why should it be hard-coded to go for densely-populated hot planets just because it has a reptilian picture?  Personality types are already defined based on ethos, traits, and government, but a lot of what they need is more character and much more obviously-distinct play styles when you deal with them.  Apart from a handful of stand-out personalities (say, Fanatical Purifiers or Federation Builders), they tend to be not particularly distinct. 

Actually, it's interesting, because AI personality seems to define much more than I thought.  Even preferred weapons types are a part of AI personality.  It's just that not a lot of this is very obvious to the player, so it all blends into a bit of a grey mush.  There are some really rare personality types, apparently (

EDIT: Ah, saw the above.  I thought you were saying that portraits should act in addition to traits rather than replacing traits with a preferred set.  That still seems kind of unnecessary to me, though, because it doesn't really solve the issue.  That is, what makes one Hive Mind different from another Hive Mind, or either distinct from a Fanatical Purifier?  I mean, I can list off specs like how a Hive Mind will spend 0.9x default on the military while a Purifier will spend 1.2x, or that a Hive Mind will favor a bit more armor while a Purifier favors a bit more shields, but that's not really all that much when you're looking at a galaxy map.  If your bugs are going to be predisposed to Hive Minds and your Avians to Purifiers (f'rex), that still doesn't change how they act or how they deal with you; it's only an extra limiting factor on the generated empires.

[IcyTea31]

The phenotypes do actually have an in-game effect: xenophiles/phobes like/dislike species of the same phenotype less, and those of different phenotypes more.

[Retropunch]

I don't think the portraits should relate to a phenotype, but that phenotypes should actually be a thing (I can't confirm IcyTea's statement based on the wiki).

So you could use a human portrait on a reptile, but reptiles would be an actual thing. This might just be a set of species traits and aggression modifiers, but it would give them a more distinct personality.
 
Everything now just seems like a blob of random traits.

[kilakan]

The phenotypes do actually have an in-game effect: xenophiles/phobes like/dislike species of the same phenotype less, and those of different phenotypes more.

I have never seen anything like this, and the wiki makes no mention of that being a thing.

[IcyTea31]

Make a moderately xenophobic empire. Meet an empire of the same phenotype with neither xeno* ethos. You get a -5 opinion penalty in diplomacy. Meet an empire of a different phenotype with neither xeno* ethos. You get a -10 opinion penalty.

Xenophobic Bigots
0
-10 IF {has ethic: Xenophile OR has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile} AND Your Empire has ethic: Xenophobe AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
-5 IF {has ethic: Xenophile OR has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile} AND Your Empire has ethic: Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
-10 IF NOT{has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe} AND NOT{has ethic: Xenophobe} AND Your Empire has ethic: Xenophobe AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
-5 IF NOT{has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe} AND NOT{has ethic: Xenophobe} AND Your Empire has ethic: Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
-20 IF {has ethic: Xenophile OR has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile} AND Your Empire has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
-10 IF {has ethic: Xenophile OR has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile} AND Your Empire has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
-20 IF NOT{has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe} AND NOT{has ethic: Xenophobe} AND Your Empire has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
-10 IF NOT{has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe} AND NOT{has ethic: Xenophobe} AND Your Empire has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }

Xenophile Diplomacy
0
10 IF NOT{has ethic: Xenophile AND has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND has ethic: Xenophobe AND has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe} AND Your Empire has ethic: Xenophile AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
20 IF NOT{has ethic: Xenophile AND has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND has ethic: Xenophobe AND has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe} AND Your Empire has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
10 IF has ethic: Xenophile AND Your Empire {has ethic: Xenophile OR has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile}
10 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND Your Empire has ethic: Xenophile
20 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND Your Empire has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile

Xenophobia
0
-20 IF has ethic: Xenophobe AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
-10 IF has ethic: Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
-5 IF has ethic: Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND is subspecies of: Your Empire
-40 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
-20 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
-10 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophobe AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND is subspecies of: Your Empire

Xenophilia
0
20 IF has ethic: Xenophile AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
10 IF has ethic: Xenophile AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
5 IF has ethic: Xenophile AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND is subspecies of: Your Empire
40 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND NOT{is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire }
20 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND NOT{is subspecies of: Your Empire }
10 IF has ethic: Fanatic Xenophile AND is in the same phenotype as: Your Empire AND NOT{is the same species as: Your Empire } AND is subspecies of: Your Empire

[Majestic7]

Dragon rewards are MTTH thing so it might take time and it might not happen at all. You might just have shit luck.

[Ultimuh]

I can't stand starting near unfriendly empires.
I try to play as a pacifist xenophile, and some xenophobic/militaristic empire decides to go to war with one of my neighbours.
And why is this bad? Because I am allied with said neighbour. And I have nowhere near the ships/defences to fend off said aggressor.
It is almost as if the game forces me to play as a warmongerer.

[Retropunch]

It is almost as if the game forces me to play as a warmongerer.

It really does - mostly this is because there isn't a great deal to do other than warmonger. I mean there's no mechanics of 'soft power' at all - you can't do espionage or trade blockades or anything - the only influence you have on the outside world is going to war with them.

That's what I'm really hoping Banks changes.

[Majestic7]

There should really be inter-Federation politics and wrangling between Federations, maybe even traitor civs with Feds and so forth.

[Urist McScoopbeard]

There should really be inter-Federation politics and wrangling between Federations, maybe even traitor civs with Feds and so forth.

Ya--internal politics for pretty much everything are pretty sad for a Paradox game.

[Tiruin]

For people wondering when the game will become fun, this upcoming update seems like a good potential benchmark.

I just want to earn the achievements (I have fun the entire way though), but this doesn't happen because of spotty net! :/
But in between then and there, that's a tiny aside There's a ton of potential I'm seeing that...doesn't seem to be worked on much though? Still buggy in many minor ways for me. x_x But the potential being 'able to choose additional options like pre-FTL traits' or 'some character to other AI and actual pacifist victories than me building ships and fighting everyone' or 'communication with NPCs to learn that they really aren't sociable' or 'diplomacy power compared to war-faring power', because the trade screen is lacking nor would there be additional help being said in the tutorial if you've got vassals (you can't trade certain things from them but can trade to them, for example >_>).

[Cruxador]

The phenotypes do actually have an in-game effect: xenophiles/phobes like/dislike species of the same phenotype less, and those of different phenotypes more.

I have never seen anything like this, and the wiki makes no mention of that being a thing.

I remember it  being a thing, I think in one of the (relatively low-numbered) dev diaries before release. It may have been changed before the game came out, because I don't remember encountering it in play either.

[George_Chickens]

It is almost as if the game forces me to play as a warmongerer.

That's what I'm really hoping Banks changes.

In all honesty, knowing Paradox, it's probably just going to make warmongers more powerful. Like with provincial improvements (monarch points for increase in taxation/trade/military/etc) in EU4. If I remember right, they were designed so that you could build your empire upwards, rather than outwards, giving a bonus to small, anti-expansionist nations. In reality, it just made it so that expansionists have much more potential power.