Influence is an abstract term. You can’t touch it, but it’s a powerful tool necessary for your empire’s expansion in Stellaris; however, you can’t farm, or mine influence like other resources. That’s why some new players are confused about how to gain influence in the game.
In this guide, we’ll share five ways of gaining influence in Stellaris. We’ll also explain how influence gains in the game work and how you can spend it. Read on to discover how to expand your empire.
Factions
The first way of obtaining influence in Stellaris is through factions. The more factions approve your empire, the more influence you’ll gain.
Each faction gives you two points, and with each lost faction, you lose two points. However, certain factors can increase the base influence gain.
Researching all the civil principles can increase the base influence gain by 100%, or four points per faction. For example, if you accept Egalitarian or Fanatic Egalitarian principles, your influence will increase by 25 and 50%, respectively. A Parliamentary System also increases influence gain by 25%.
Protectorates
The second way of gaining influence is through protectorates. For each new protectorate empire, you deem to care for while your reign lasts, you receive 0.25 influence points monthly. That’s three points yearly per one protectorate empire. However, you must first convince the other nation to join you through dialogue or war.
Species Traits
Species traits can boost your empire’s influence, too. A Psionic trait found in the empire leader and the species increase influence by 0.5 monthly. If your species has the Psionic attribute and the leader has The Chosen One trait, your influence boosts by one point monthly.
Research
Researching new technologies increases influence as well. Look out for Planetary Government, Planetary Unification, Galactic Administration, and Colonial Centralization technologies. With all these technologies researched, you can gain a significant monthly influence boost early in the game. The research opportunity appears in this exact order, and you must follow it to get an influence boost.
Rivals
Lastly, you can gain influence through rivals, with 0.5 influence points for each rival declared. Of course, that’s a riskier way than the first two. Make sure that the empires that you declare rivals can’t destroy yours. Claiming a rivalry with a larger empire is an easy way to get into a war.
How Influence Works in Stellaris
You receive influence at the end of each month rather than gradually throughout the month. The maximum influence is 1,000; no empire has more. Thus, you’ll need to spend the gained influence somewhere at some point. You can build outposts and federations to expand your empire, grant someone independence, and propose defensive pacts, amongst other things, to spend those points.
Expand Your Area of Influence
Building an empire requires dedication and effort. Influence doesn’t increase on its own. You must create a strategy and utilize all available methods of gaining more power. Expand your empire by creating outposts, defeat or protect other nations, and do research.
What’s your best tactic for expanding your empire? Let us know in the comments section below.
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