When you’ve been around the galaxy as long as the Altarians have, you learn through a great deal of trial and error who your friends are - and who your enemies are as well.
The Altarian Republic is comprised of a very religious and generous people. Some might argue that their faith makes them little more than self-righteous zealots, and while there may be a modicum of truth to that, the Altarians are extremely likeable and are well known for their benevolence.
Most Altarians adopt a Mer - a philosophy that they devote their entire life to. As a result, they are an extremely ideological race that supports co-operation as an ideal. They believe that there is strength in patience and in helping one another, an ideal that extends far outside of their own civilization and well into their allies’.
As long as a citizen’s ideology aligns with that of their empire or governor, the bonuses will flow. Alternatively, if the ideologies are in direct opposition with one another, the penalties suffered could tip the scales in an unfavorable direction for you.
The Altarians’ empathy trait allows them to keep crime at an impressive low and bolsters their diplomatic interactions with other civilizations. Because of their reputation for kindness, they are unable to leverage intimidation well against their enemies, no matter how big their fleet is - but don’t mistake them for pushovers! They are no stranger to fighting and will not hesitate to protect their faith and their people if provoked.
This ancient civilization starts with an additional policy slot and is able to glean better research from Precursor artifacts and anomalies. They are carbon based life forms, which means that food and other critical resources for sustaining life are important factors in helping their civilization thrive.
In rare circumstances, an Altarian can become a Divine Empath - a person whose deep love for all others raises influence (based on their diligence score), approval (based on their social score), and research (based on their intelligence score). This is an extremely difficult state of mind to attain and is reserved for only the most faithful.
The Altarian Republic is one of over a dozen civilizations available in Galactic Civilizations IV, which is in beta right now! If you haven’t joined the beta yet, you can get more information on that here. If you’re already playing, let me know what your favorite civilization is and if you’ve tried the Altarian Republic yet!
Check out our other Civilization Highlights:
Meet the Mimot Brotherhood
Meet the Terran Alliance
Meet the Manti Cluster
Meet the Baratak Grove
The Torian Regime