A stupid question

[BFG]

I'm playing a game wherein I took over all of Gaia's former bases, after Sparta had already done so and eliminated the Gaian faction.  I'd like to restart Gaia as a buffer between Sparta and myself, but don't know of any way to do so.

Is there any way to restart a faction that was eliminated by another faction?  If so, I've never found it.

[bvanevery]

Send a high ability probe team to the capitol of the faction that eradicated the other faction.  Free the eradicated faction leader.  An Elite probe team is best, because this operation has an increased failure rate compared to normal.  You might need more than one go at it to succeed.  Once you've freed the faction leader, they become eternally grateful and serve you as though you conquered them.  Provided you don't commit a major atrocity or do something else to seriously piss them off, like attack them or whatever. 

[PvtHudson]

Prepare also for war with the captor faction.

[Geo]

Probably the new Gaian HQ base will be out in the boonies, so if you gift them their former bases it will likely become an inefficient faction (bureaucracy costs).
Their might be an opportunity to gift them a base before they settle their new colony pod, dependent on turn sequence. And of course the Spartans will likely be at the Gaians throat again instantly, especially if their borders connect.

[bvanevery]

I wonder if gifting a whole pile of colony pods would be a good idea.  Like fusion hovertank colony pods.  You might be able to partially control where they settle if you do it fast enough.

[BFG]

Interesting. I have never probed a Capitol (usually once I am at their door they are all but conquered, so it was unnecessary) which explains why I never knew that.  I will give it a try. Thanks!

[bvanevery]

Sometimes a capitol is on an accessible coast.  So getting there with a Destroyer Probe Team is the drill.

Sometimes the AI builds a good mag tube network.  In that case, all you need to do is find a coastal point of access, then send your Hovertank Probe Team up the rail until you find the capitol.  You'll need the extra movement to get around enemy units blocking the rail.  Xenoempathy Dome helps a lot with this, using fungus as roads to bypass enemies.

In my mod, orbital insertion comes somewhat earlier, so a Drop Probe Team could be used.  However the AI often clogs the internals of its empire with units, denying drop sites.  Xenoempathy Dome again is helpful.

[BFG]

Yep, it worked!  I was successful on my second attempt.  Thanks for the info.

[Geo]

And how did Santi react to your 'insistent meddling'? 

[BFG]

She wasn’t happy, but considering I captured her last base about 10 turns later, she didn’t get much chance to complain