Well I can't cite examples, but I know I had a couple of them that had decent reasons to go with good.  However, that's not usually the case and I'll explain why they did that. 

They offer the choices in that way because it's more challenging to take a path of "goodness" Evil is the easy way out and there should always be apparant benefits to choosing the evil way. In the game, none of the good choices really add up to anything mentionable but thay also don't hurt you that much either(and if they might, choose neutral).  I think they are there for us to flesh out our empire's alignment.  It's more a matter of imagination than directly affecting the game. If you are playing a good race then the evil choices wouldn't matter to you one bit.  Even though some of them are tempting, they hardly make the game easier.

That being said I think there are some unstated benefits to choosing a path of good in this game.  Certainly, the improved defenses and the planet temple of righteousness or whatever is nice to have!

probably because when you keep choosing evil, yes you get a bonus, but also all the other races view you negatively and are more likely to attack you.  so choose good for a penalty, or evil for a bonus and a potential war.

From a scoring POV, the game mechanics simply favor evil--unless I've somehow missed a good post from a scoremonster about how to get into their big-total crowd by playing Good. If you don't care about scoring, it isn't such a big deal, especially if you get Xeno Ethics fairly early and don't have to see those vexing ethical events any more.

Still, it is an old and dear gripe for some of us with a role-playing streak, and also for folks like the OP who just think it seems weird. Personally, none of the rationales I've read for why this is so is really that persuasive. The thing boils down to an aesthetic choice by the designers that some of us just don't like very much.

Choosing good can be worthwhile, especially with the Drath and Altarian tech trees.  But since you can buy your alignment there's really no reason beyond roleplaying to forego the evil random and colonization event bonuses.

The Neutrality Learning Center is the reason I usually choose Neutral. Love that thing.

   I like the + 50% creativity and + 25% luck being good so I always choose the good path. There is other good bonuses when I find them again I will post here so you can read them.

    By the way are you interested in joining an Empire if so go to Forums then click on Metaverse there you find Empires that are active, I would not want anybody to join a dying or dead one. I would join one that is in the top ten, Oh by the way. I have an Empire you should read about, click on the link below to take you to my empire. You know you can do whatever you want to do because you have a choice.

Saint Mina of Ophelia VII of Order of the Bloody Rose of Orders Militant of Adepta Sororitas

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     “We are at war with forces too terrible to comprehend. We cannot afford mercy for any of its victims too weak to take the correct course. Mercy destroys us; it weakens us and saps our resolve. Put aside all such thought. They are not worthy of Inquisitors in the service of Our Emperor GmOOnii. Praise his name for in our resolve we only reflect his purpose of will.”

Inquisitor Draco,

Castigations on the Last Days

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