In Civilization: Beyond Earth, Affinity is a tough nut to crack. The intertwining concepts are difficult to understand, but also highly rewarding if you put in the time and effort. Choose the right Affinity for your play style or the situation and you might just win the game. Make the wrong choice, however, and you could be on the business end of an extraterrestrial butt whooping.
To help clarify a few of the ins and outs of the Harmony Affinity, we came up with a few commonly asked questions, then like the good strategy junkies we are, provided you with helpful answers.
What are the core concepts of the Harmony Affinity?
Where Purity is all about maintaining the core values that helped humankind become a dominant species on Earth, Harmony focuses on learning the ways of the new world, then adapting in order to live… wait for it… in harmony with its inhabitants. This generally means trying to live in peace with the Aliens, as well as finding ways to make Miasma work with you, rather than against you. Once again comparing it to Purity, an Affinity whose units tend to do well in blitz attacks and those who choose the path of Harmony will want to drag their engagements out and wear their opponents down over time.
How can I level up the Harmony Affinity?
Leveling up any of the three Affinities is done in three different ways, but they don’t change from one to the next. The victory types and bonuses might be different from one to the other, but the methods that players use to achieve them remain the same.
For starters, the most common way to earn experience toward leveling up Harmony is through the craziness that is the Technology Web. If you look at it closely, you’ll see the Harmony symbol next to some technology branches and leaves. After completing your research of a Harmony related technology you’ll receive a bonus toward your Affinity progress.
The next way that players can maintain some control over their Affinity level is through the completion of Quests. Quests will appear periodically throughout the game, asking players to either complete a task or make a game-altering decision. Click on the Victory and Quests button in the bottom right hand corner of the screen to see what Quests are currently available, making sure to focus on those that will help you level up your Harmony.
The last and probably least effective way to enhance your journey through the ranks of Harmony is by using Explorers to snatch up Resource Pods around the map. This is far from a guarantee, however, as Resource Pods may contain rewards that have nothing to do with Harmony. At the same time, since you likely have Explorers trudging all over this new world anyway, you might as well grab up all the Resource Pods you can.
How can I tell what level of Harmony I’m currently sitting at?
If you look in the top left hand corner of the screen, you’ll see the icons for the three different Affinity choices. Hovering over any one of them will show you what level you’re at, what bonuses it provides and even how much experience you have before you rank up again.
What bonuses can I expect as I level up the Harmony Affinity?
- Level 01 | Alien aggression will return to normal twice as fast
- Level 03 | Miasma causes 5 hit points less damage per turn
- Level 06 | Miasma causes units to heal at 5 hit points per turn
- Level 08 | Receive 4 Xenomass resources for free
- Level 11 | Covert Agents can call in the Work Strike Operation
- Level 13 | Construct the Mind Flower for the Transcendence Victory
What special victory type can I complete through the Harmony Affinity?
Reaching level 13 of the Harmony Affinity will allow you to begin constructing the Mind Flower, an essential part of the Transcendence Victory Quest. The kicker is that you must also research a batch of specific technologies just to qualify. If you’re not sure what you need to research, click on the Victory and Quests tab in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. If you expand the Transcendence Victory option, the game will tell you what to research next.
How does the Harmony Affinity impact my combat units?
That’s a loaded question, as each Affinity has several units specific to it. In fact, there are simply too many to name in this article, but what you should know is that as you progress through the levels of Harmony, you’ll not only unlock new units, but also specific bonuses that you can choose between. For more information on this, why not check out the Official Civilization: Beyond Earth Strategy Guide? The link is below.
What else do I need to know about the Harmony Affinity?
I’ve you read our piece on Purity, you already know the answer to this one. You need to know a lot more. There are seemingly endless ways the Harmony Affinity can be used to help you achieve victory in Beyond Earth, and the only thing that will make you an expert is putting in the time. Think of this article as a solid base, using it to understand the core concepts as you test drive the Harmony Affinity in your next play through.
Get the official Civilization: Beyond Earth Guide.
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A full primer for veterans of past Civilization games and those coming to the series for the first time.- Learn tips and tricks to make it easier to improve your culture, earn more energy, and complete research before your rivals.
- Master the style of each sponsor to become skilled at playing as that group or against them!
- Discover the differences between Harmony, Purity, and Supremacy–all are paths to victory!
- Statistics and advantages for all of the game’s buildings, units, and research.
- Find the best way to use your spies, wonders, and virtues; there are advantages around every corner!
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