3.6 "Orion" Open Beta - Ascension Path Rework Feedback

[MrFreake_PDX]

Please be sure to read this post in its entirety before responding to this feedback thread. Posts that do not follow the rules will be removed.

Hello Community!

As discussed in Dev Diary #271, we are currently running and collecting feedback on the 3.6 “Orion” Open Beta! Please keep in mind that this is very much a work in progress, and there may be bugs, missing localisations, and other issues that result from playing on a version that is not final. You can report bugs found in the open beta on the bug report forums.

This thread is for feedback on Ascension Paths only.
Leave Fleet Combat Rebalance feedback here, and general feedback here.

In this thread we are collecting feedback on the Ascension Path rework, how it feels to play, and anything that feels grossly over/underpowered. See the “What we’re looking for” section below for more details.

You can get all the details about the Ascension Path Rework in DD#270.

Spoiler: Stellaris 3.6.0 ‘Orion’ Preliminary Open Beta Patch Notes

Note: 3.6.0 patch notes are also to be considered “in Beta”, as they have not undergone the full review normally done before posting. This is hot stuff.

3.5.3 patch notes have also been included in the following list.

This includes (most of the) changes from 3.5.3 and 3.6.0 (beta) as of Oct 10, 2022 14:56:52 +0200

Consider this changelog to be a beta as they have not undergone the full review we normally do before posting them.

Combat Rebalancing​

• Ship Roles can now be selected to auto-design ships that actually fulfill certain roles, such as Artillery, Brawler, Torpedo, and so on. If you do not possess any weapons that fulfill the selected role, it’ll do its best with what you have.
• Added a new ship size: Frigates are an advanced form of Corvette specialized in delivering G class weapons.
• Torpedoes now gain a multiplicative damage bonus to their damage based on the ship size of the target, as do Prethoryn missiles. The Unbidden also get a reduced variant of this.
• Torpedoes now have a maximum firing arc of 25 degrees.
• Energy Torpedoes such as Proton and Neutron Launchers have been changed into G class weapons with a minimum range. Damage has been adjusted to be balanced as a Torpedo class weapon, and like the new Torpedoes, they deal increased damage to larger targets. Unlike standard torpedoes, they remain instant hit weapons for now.
• Some sources of Evasion have been replaced with other effects.
• Small weapons of a category now have a slightly faster refire rate, Large weapons of a category now have a slightly slower refire rate.
• Added a minimum range to all Large weapons except Lasers
• Ship combat computers now ignore certain weapons for desired range purposes, and base their desired distance on the actual loadout of the ship. "Swarm" and "Torpedo" behavior will charge in, "Picket" and "Line" behaviors will attempt to stay at the range of their median range weapons, and "Artillery" and "Carrier" will try to stay at the range of their longest ranged weapons.This generally increases the desire for ships to remain at range if possible.
• Strike Craft no longer intercept missiles, but will continue to fight each other.
• Flak Batteries now more strongly counter Strike Craft, while Point Defense now more strongly counter missiles and torpedoes. Strike Craft are more reliant on Shields, Missiles and Torpedoes are more reliant on Armor. Due to their ability to bypass shields, Strike Craft are very effective against other Strike Craft.
• Added Armor Hardening and Shield Hardening modifiers, which reduce armor and shield penetration. Added new aux components that use Living Metal or Zro to provide late game armor and shield hardening.
• The Destroyer (Interceptor), Cruiser (Gunship), and Battleship (Broadside) stern sections now have an extra Aux slot.
• Autocannons now have a faster fire rate (and thus are very high damage for their weapon size, but have very short range).
• Added Medium and Large Autocannons
• Added nanite autocannons and flak cannons as a reward for killing the scavenger bot.
• Disruptors and Autocannons are now considered Brawling weapons, with short range but faster attacks.
• Ships now get a limited number of disengagement opportunities. All current drives provide 1 disengagement roll once the ship takes hull damage below its disengagement threshold, and the Hit and Run war doctrine grants all of your ships an additional attempt. Civilian ships set to evasive will continue to try to disengage with each hit.
• The Enigmatic Encoder now proves +1 Disengagement Opportunity rather than evasion.
• Weapon component tooltips now display minimum range and firing arc.
• Armor components now grant twice as much armor as before. Shield components now grant +50% more than before, but regen remains the same. Hull components grant less than before.
• Hull Technologies now give 10% hull instead
• Armor and Hull regen now behave like shields - five times faster outside of combat. (Regen values are now 20% of the previous values for most components.)
• Defense Platforms no longer have G-slot ship sections.
• Missiles now fit into S weapon slots and have had their damage modified accordingly, Swarmer Missiles go into M. Torpedoes (and Neutron Launchers) are now the only weapons that fit into the G slot.
• Adjusted the maximum range of all non-torpedo missiles. Reduces the range of torpedoes.
• Made XL weapons more likely to target battleships and titans
• Massively increased the chances to lose or damage ships when a fleet uses emergency FTL to escape a battle.
• Reduced the time before emergency FTL can be initiated during combat.
• Ships now attempt to disengage at 25% hull.
• Ships should try to spread out a little further away from one another in combat.
• It is no longer possible to kill a dragon by distracting it with a large fleet of transport ships
• The cap to the Force Disparity bonus for fleets that are significantly outnumbered has been dramatically increased.

Feature​

• Added an archaeology site in a new solar system with a debris belt
• Added Ascensionists civic for regular empires and equivalents for hives and machines. Provides +25% planetary ascension effects and -10% costs
• Added Holy Covenant Federation type and Conclave Federation Election type
• Added the Cordyceptic Drones civic to hiveminds allowing them to reanimate all organic space fauna.
• Added various new galaxy shapes, such as 3 and 6 arm spirals, and some more experimental and irregular shapes
• Galaxies now default to Spiral (2-Armed) rather than Elliptical. Tiny Galaxies now support Spiral (2-Armed) galaxies.
• Added a new tradition tree (Politics) to the Federations DLC, which requires the Galactic Community to exist. These traditions empower those that are active in the galactic community, including giving Council members new resolution options to propose.
• Reworked the Ascension Paths from Utopia. Instead of requiring two ascension perks to be taken, each Ascension Path is now a tradition tree unlocked by an ascension perk.The Synthetic path is now split into two paths, Cybernetics and Synthetics.

General Improvements​

3.5.3:

• You will no longer get alerts about envoys dying
• AI will now research debris.

3.6.0:

• The habitability planet icons in the system view can now be clicked just like on the galaxy map.
• Added "planet revolt" VO to planetary revolt situation
• Added a Planet Automation setting which allows for construction even during resource deficits
• Rolled Slave Revolt content into the general Separatist Revolt Situation as a variety when slaves try to revolt
• Changed how Planet Automation is presented in the Planet View to more clearly show that there are settings that the player can use
• Planet Automation Crime Management will now forbid enforcer jobs if you have 0 crimes and allow enforcer jobs if you have more than 27 crime
• The tooltip for planetary automation designation setting now explains when it will create new jobs

Balance​

3.5.3:

• Shared Burden now doubles the unity gained from the egalitarian faction
• Ensured consistency in the Toxic God starting resources: the home system will now always contain a +3 alloys deposit. A nearby one will contain another +2 and a further +6 energy.
• Federation subjects that cannot vote can no longer persuade federation members that someone should not be invited into a federation
• Capped Noxious happiness bonus at 40%
• Vassals that leave an overlord's war by a change in the agreement will now get a truce with every opponent.

3.6.0:

• The fixable segments for the Shattered Ring origin can now be colonised on game start, depending on the Guaranteed Habitable Worlds setting.
• Shattered Ringworlds are no longer ideal worlds, but have a base of 100% habitability.
• Reduced cost and time to restore the Shattered Ringworld by 25%.
• Repairing Shattered Ring Segments now qualify you for the Galactic Wonders AP.
• Colonisable Shattered Ring segments have a large number of blockers including some that require advanced technology to clear, but impact the habitability of the segment.
• Colony designations on ring worlds now provide +10% pop growth and assembly speed (this can be multiplied through planetary ascension). The default "ring world" designation provides +15%
• Ecumenopolises now give +25% growth and assembly speed, rather than +50% growth (and no assembly)
• Food Processing Centers, Mineral Purification Hubs, Energy Nexuses, Alloy Nano-Plants, Civilian Repli-Complexes, The Auto-Curating Vault, Citadel of Faith, Corporate Vault and Alpha Hub now have increased cost and upkeep on ringworlds, in exchange for providing the benefits normally giving by their related orbital ring buildings.
• Added an event on game start with Common Ground origin to let you pick your federation type
• Mechanist origin now provides +15% robot assembly speed and +1 robot trait pick (for when you unlock robo-modding)
• The starting robots for the mechanists origin now start with the bulky and high maintenance traits and the matching trait for whichever worker job they hold.
• The Mechanist origin now grants the Robomodding technology as a research option from the start of the game.
• If a species cannot live on a planet, it is now the first to be purged from it (this closes a Clone Army exploit related to slowly purging other species instead)
• It is now allowed for the galaxy to contain multiple void dweller empires
• Artificers now no longer produce engineering research.
• Efficient Bureaucracy now grants Bureaucrats, Priests, Managers and Death Priests with Edict Fund production
• Pearl Divers have had their trade output reduced and their Consumer Goods output increased, with a corresponding increase in food and mineral upkeep.
• Dramatically increased the absolute value of opinion modifiers.
• Increased the opinion modifiers granted from first contact, decreased the base rate at which they decay and made the decay rate modified by improving/harming relations.
• Increased the opinion penalty for undertaking Become the Crisis.
• Maximum opinion from Improve Relations has been increased to 150. Minimum opinion from Harm Relations has been decreased to -150. Previous values were 100 and -100.
• Only xenophobes are now happy if the caravaneers are destroyed.
• Opinion modifiers from Galactic Imperium interactions now have their decay rate affected by improving and harming relations.
• Refactored opinion modifiers from Galactic Imperium.
• Xenophile, pacifist and corporate are upset if the caravaneers are destroyed.
• Capped Federation Experience at 2000 above what is required for level 5, so that level 5 federations with AIs are no longer one of the most fragile configurations known to man
• Increased the time it takes to do first contact with other civilisations by about 30%
• Logic Engines trait is now allowed on droids.
• The Aquatic trait now costs 2 points.
• Imperialist and Supremacist factions will now be pleased forever if you defeat a Leviathan, not just for 20 years. They are also a bit less selective about which Leviathans they are pleased about you killing (i.e. the list has been updated for those added since Leviathans DLC)
• Reduced governing ethics attraction of newly-conquered pops
• Several factions now care about the type of federation you are in, if it is one attached to a particular ethic
• Subjects that are not disloyal will now gain ethics attraction corresponding to their overlord's ethics (this was already the case for spiritualism, now it is the case for all ethics)
• The imperialist faction will now care about how much of your fleet power you are using
• A large number of tweaks to the ethic assignment weights. Includes making certain weights based on diplomacy with empires of a particular ethos have an impact that is more dependent on the number of empires you are engaged in such diplomacy with. Fixed some oddities that hampered authoritarianism, e.g. now relations with authoritarian empires boosts authoritarianism, and if you are authoritarian, it will no longer boost egalitarianism for you to give your pops good living standards. Finally, also added some weights based on the job the pop is actively working (e.g. priests, nobles and soldiers)
• Occupied planets no longer produce or consume resources from buildings or pops
• Rebalanced Harmony, Prosperity, Mercantile, Versatility and Adaptability traditions.
• Slightly increased the chance of having a unique first contact event chain
• Special endgame crisis factions such at the Aberrant, Cybrex and Sentinels now show up a bit earlier on large galaxy maps
• The Cybrex and Sentinel factions now scale to a limited degree based on the setting for endgame crisis difficulty (their difficulty = square root of crisis difficulty)
• Splinter Hive holdings now require at least 30 pops present on the subject planet to be constructed.
• Tweaked Galactic Market location formula to far more strongly favour trade value in its criteria
• You can now once again apply species templates that would remove beneficial traits, so long as you were able to make the template as a valid combination in the first place
• Zro distillation technology no longer explicitly requires Psionic Theory, but is extremely rare without it.
• Chemical Bliss no longer states that it causes unemployed pops to produce unity.
• The [REDACTED] now has an acidic gland dealing 1.25% hull damage per day to all ships in the same system. This does not apply to the player controlled variant.

Performance and Stability​

• Further improved the performance of using triggered economic category modifiers
• Made mean time to happen events early out if they have fire_only_once and have already fired. (I.e. they will stop draining performance once no longer relevant)
• Opening the fleet manager in the late game will now have a much-reduced impact on frame rate
• Slightly sped up the calculation of pop job weights when updating them from serial (i.e. not during the monthly batch parallel update)
• Fixed a rare crash caused by invalid trade routes
• Fixed rare crash related to invalid situation or triggered modifier target.
• Fixed rare crash related to invalid situation while updating country modifiers

UI​

• Added a more helpful tooltip to the Inter-Dimensional Trade modifiers
• Added a tooltip for war demand achievement acceptance that lists systems you lack claims on.
• Added modifier details to production and upkeep of buildings
• Added modifier details to production and upkeep of districts
• Added tooltips for ship roles in ship designer.
• Caravaneers now tell you when you will be allowed to open another Reliquary in the tooltip where they say they can't offer one right now as they need more time to prepare.
• First Contact event chains will now progress if there is a purely random event with only one option. (Note that this only covers events between stages, not the ones that end stages, which may also only have one option). You can tell if your first contact chain is not blocked by a pending event because the alert icon will look a bit less threatening.
• Fixed megastructure outliner right click not focusing on the megastructure (as is standard for other outliner objects)
• Fixed misleading tooltip for why an AI will say no to your request to join their federation (it suggested they did not want to be a federation partner with a current member, but actually it meant that that member did not want to be a federation partner with you)
• Fixed the tooltip for commercial pacts showing the wrong value for how much you would benefit in terms of trade income
• Reduced notification spam from empires having certain CBs on you
• Selecting fleets from the galaxy map will now no longer select fleets merging with larger ones - so you can select all the large fleets in a system and move them somewhere without disrupting all the single ship fleets that are on their way to merge with them
• The subject will no longer be able to press the "Build Holdings" button in the agreement view.
• Tooltips regarding offering or receiving Federation Association status now explain that this is basically a non-aggression pact

AI​

3.5.3:

• Increased the monthly random chance that an AI will decide to start preparing for war.
• AI empires will now bring their assault armies towards the enemy during war preparation phase.
• Reduced the maximum AI war preparation period from 60 months to 30 months.
• Fixed an issue where AI would use their "prepare for war" gather logic even during an ongoing war.
• Fixed an issue where the AI would try and gather their fleets for an upcoming war in a system which they could not access.
• Fixed AI sometimes not hiring enough scientists to keep researching.
• Fixed some cases where AI would inexplicably spam admirals.
• AI hive-mind will no longer destroy hive warrens.
• Fixed AI not allocating at least the desired_min to its budgets. Double-allocating resources is less risky than having it not be respected, as with the Influence budget there's a fair chance that the desired minimum may never be hit
• Improved AI's early game alloy expenditure (it wanted to put a lot into buildings)
• Xenophile empires are now more likely to build trading hub type starbases, changed from materialists.
• Fixed issues with starbase module logic which made AI forbidden from building anything on certain starbases.
• Fixed an issue where AI fleets would get stuck in a loop of resetting their move orders during hyperlane windup time.
• Fixed an issue where AI empires were not allowed to downgrade shipyard type starbases if they had an ongoing construction of ships which made AI empires have much more shipyards than intended.
• Fixed an issue where bombarding AI fleets would get stuck in a loop of flying between the starbase in the system and orbiting the bombardment target when they were waiting for assault armies to invade their bombardment target planet.
• Added additional logic for AI to merge fleets which are close to each other during wars to reduce the amount of small AI fleets.
• Fixed an issue where AI empires would incorrectly try and merge their assault armies together by using FTL reinforcement mechanic, causing their ground troops to be indefinitely stuck in MIA mode.
• Fixed several issues with AI regrouping logic where fleets would suicide one by one instead of grouping up together before attacking.
• AI empires who do not use food will no longer build hydroponics on starbases

3.6.0:

• AI will not get stuck trying to activate tradition trees it was blocked out from activating, like the ascension perk trees. (This previously mainly affected modded games)
• AI will now correctly avoid superior enemy forces when pathing to link up with fleet group
• Fix an issue where the Prethoryn Scourge did not get all AI updates it should
• Fixed AI sometimes not hiring enough scientists to keep researching
• Fixed an issue where AI would sometimes build strongholds even though their economy plan for navy cap was not activated
• Fixed another issue where AI fleets would get stuck in a loop of resetting their move orders during hyperlane windup time
• Made the AI generally want more battleships, and generally varied the AI's desire for a certain distribution of ship sizes between personalities

Bugfixes​

3.5.3:

• Fixed Toxoid presapients having Aquatic portraits.
• Fixed gateway tags not showing up in the solar system map.
• Fixed megastructure outliner right click not focusing on the megastructure (as is standard for other outliner objects).
• Fixed one of the outcomes of the Ancient Robot World arc site featuring visual bugs (placeholder model due to not having a correct graphical culture set).
• Updated tooltip for Mutagenic Spa to match values given by Bath Attendent jobs.
• Fixed farm appendages bonus from “Damn the Consequences” edict.
• Fixed low maintenance to be an actual bonus.
• Added the actual effect of Damn the Consequences to its effect tooltip.
• Fixed Situation modifiers not updating in some circumstances when you changed Approach or Stage.
• The Debris Field anomaly will now reliably fire an event when you research it.
• Fixed copy paste error in Toxoids 3 name list (male regnal names).
• Fixed the Toxic God branch office building not reliably boosting quest progress, depending on your chosen civics.
• Fixed radiotrophic simple drones for lithoid hive minds having their mineral upkeep increased instead of decreased.
• You can now only consecrate one habitat per activation of the Toxic Maw.
• Updated the tooltip for requiring additional activations of the Toxic Maw.
• The Prethoryn Brood Queen relic now correctly sets the relic activation cooldown timer.
• Machine Intelligence pops are now correctly purged again when conquered by an organic empire.
• Fixed Heritage Sites and Hypercomms Forums not converting to Pillar of Quietuses and Galactic Memorials respectively.
• Fixed an ungrammatical pronoun being used in one of the early Toxic Knights quests.
• The primitive habitats in Federation's End system are no longer in danger of being turned into barren worlds by asteroids.
• Fixed a stray “?” in the event where the Shroudwalker enclave is destroyed.
• Corrupt Survey Data event can no longer happen on planets with moons, as it would leave the moon orbiting nothing, and due to cost cuts we can assume that the holographic projection couldn't also cover the moon.
• Fixed the Toxic Knights end bugging out if you *SPOILERS* using a mercenary fleet.
• Clarified the negative happiness impacts of the Noxious trait in a pop's happiness breakdown.
• Fixed misleading tooltip for why an AI will say no to your request to join their federation (it suggested they did not want to be a federation partner with a current member, but actually it meant that that member did not want to be a federation partner with you).
• Fixed Luminous Blades modifier stating it was a bit more effective than it actually was.
• Fixed megashipyards not benefitting from certain country-wide ship cost and build speed modifiers.
• Fixed cases where if a hive forced a regular empire to release a vassal with a status quo peace deal, the resulting empire would be a hive empire without hive pops. (Also fixed it for machines, and for the opposite case of regular empires attacking or machines).
• Added missing effect to the tooltip of the Psionic Archive relic.
• You can now once again apply species templates that would remove beneficial traits, so long as you were able to make the template a valid combination in the first place.
• Leader and envoy portraits now switch correctly after undergoing synthetic ascension.
• Science ship modifiers are no longer doubled in the tooltip.
• You should no longer be able to have multiple monuments on a single planet (again).
• Fixed issue where invalid research alternatives may be left in TechStatus after adding pre-learned technologies at start of game.
• Spiritualist Empires now care about Relentless Industrialism on their holy worlds.
• Chemical Bliss no longer states that it causes unemployed pops to produce unity.
• Fixed various crashes.

3.6.0:

• Added check for disabled fleet when ships are destroyed and end combat if the last ship is disabled.
• Vassals that leave an overlord's war by a change in the agreement will now get a truce with every opponent.
• Habitats built in orbit of large zro, alloy or dark matter deposits now also collect these deposits.
• Habitats built in orbit of planets with multiple deposit types, such as the mixed energy and alloy deposit spawned as part of the KotTG initialiser can now only have one of research, mining or generator districts instead of spawning too many district types.
• Executing or eating the envoys that hand-delivered a strongly worded letter no longer incorrectly locks policies that are not causing you to be in breach of galactic law.
• Added close button in caravaneer diplomacy view
• Added missing megastructures to the Giga-Engineering achievement check.
• Added missing tooltip for district sorting in expansion planner
• Adjusted textbox max height to remove truncation in korean fleet view
• ai hive-mind will no longer destroy hive warren
• All other resolution in the Galactic Market category now require the market to be formed in order to be proposed.
• C.A.R.E. Relic World now has Dense Ruins rather than Former Relic World (which it could then get twice if you made it an ecumenopolis)
• Colony event "Wasteland Radiation" won't trigger anymore if your species is immune to radiations
• Corpse-Filled blockers now take a year to clear.
• Corrected the caravaneers focus button sprite and added a location for every related diplomacy event script so that the button shows up.
• Currently picked anomaly scientist's skill icon now has the correct tooltip
• Devouring Swarms should no longer come and inspect your ringworlds.
• Expand the Planetary Sea is now no longer available on a planet you are terraforming
• Fix a missing "Missing DLC" tooltip for authority type
• Fix declared crisis war names
• Fix issue with war names using the wrong Country's name
• Fixed "blocker cleared" VO not playing
• Fixed "Crystal Ball" event not triggering correctly upon entering the Crystalline Home System
• Fixed a case where the caravaneers would ask a country they had never met to relocate there after their home system was destroyed
• Fixed a tooltip for the Life-Seeded Origin which would appear to repeat a query on the Relentless Industrialists civic.
• Fixed being unable to reorder the build queue of your branch offices and subject holdings
• Fixed colony auto designations really thinking you wanted hydroponics stations
• Fixed Corporate Dominions requiring to have finished Mercantile Traditions to form a Trade League.
• Fixed galcom resolution Neutral Defenders, Tiyanki Pest Control and the Tiyanki Conservation Act not correctly unlocking sanctions
• Fixed inconsistent coloring in leader trait descriptions
• Fixed it being possible to get Slave Optimization agenda and Iron Fist trait without actually having any slaves
• Fixed missing alpine world modifier in Contingency's habitability preference
• Fixed missing goto button for "Mineral Factorial" anomaly event
• Fixed missing X on Xeno-Compatibility tooltip for non-xenophiles.
• Fixed some cases where orbital deposits could spawn on habitable planets
• Fixed that the ruined quantum catapult in the salvager system spawned above the black hole.
• Fixed the diplomatic mapmode showing tooltips saying you were in a Commercial Pact with someone if you had a Research Pact with them, and vice versa
• Fixed the negative happiness impacts of the Noxious trait being a bit unclear in a pop's happiness breakdown
• Fixed the possibility that the automatically-spawned Commonwealth of Man or United Nations of Earth could spawn next to a xenophobic fallen empire
• Fixed the Toxic Knights end bugging out if you *SPOILERS* using a mercenary fleet
• If you open a Vault on a tomb world Earth, you will now find Humans inside rather than random aliens (unless Humans already exist in the galaxy)
• Moved process string from effect_impl to CGraphicalModifer::GetFullDescription
• Removed out dated sector automation logic which was activated for planets when sector automation was enabled but planet automation was deactivated
• Repairing the Shattered Ring now makes it have your graphical culture too (as restoring ruined ring worlds does)
• Robot empires will now take planet habitability into account correctly for auto-survey targets
• Stopped you getting the Xeno Comedy event as a gestalt empire as it didn't really work flavour-wise for them
• Synth ascension now gives a warning for the Overtuned origin.
• The asteroid colony event will no longer get distracted when shot and is now slower to allow for more time to react.
• The Horizon Signal events converting your empire species' portraits wholesale now give you a little bit of warning ("This may have significant and unpredictable consequences")
• The last pop on a planet will no longer auto-migrate away
• The resolution Form the Galactic Market is now in the Galactic Market Resolution category.
• The Spiritualist Awakened Empire should no longer be capable of making a gestalt consciousness turn into a spiritualist empire.
• The tooltip for planetary ascension upgrade will no longer show upgrade info for the non existent tier 11.
• The unbidden no longer have an increased opinion of you if you destroy the Caravaneer's home.
• Updated credits.
• Using plant crackers against pre-ftl civilizations now requires the Unrestricted Native Interference policy.
• You can now crack pre-ftl worlds within your borders.
• You will no longer get a notification of another empire completing their gateway construction when you are the first to make a gateway and it activates some other gateway somewhere.

Modding​

3.5.3:

• Added show_in_outliner (default: yes) to determine whether a megastructure type should be shown in the outliner
• Specifying a "key" in a triggered modifier will now at least some of the time make the modifier have that key as its "name"
• Fixed the script profiler (previous results using it should be disregarded)

3.6.0:

• Added <resolution_category>_vote_strength_mult modifier
• Added a define for the ship roles effect on the weapon selection.
• Added a galaxy_shape trigger
• Added a is_capitalist scripted trigger to check for corporate authority, merchant guild civic or corporate dominion civic.
• Added a valid_leader parameter to federation types to limit the leadership candidates
• Added ability for planet automation to forbid and allow jobs
• Added ability to script in modifiers on ship sections
• Added additional_crisis_strength trigger
• Added country scope num_planetary_ascension_tiers trigger
• Added destroy and abort triggers for starbase modules and buildings.
• Added envoy_cohesion_effect_mult modifier for federations
• Added federation_experience_add modifier
• Added government_election_years_add and government_election_years_mult
• Added modifiers planetary_ascension_effect_mult and planetary_ascension_cost_mult
• Added on_resolution_passed and on_resolution_failed on_actions 340) Added position_on_current_resolution and position_on_last_resolution
• Added point_defence_targets to component template, which sets valid targets for PD weapons. "missile" and "strike craft" are valid options. See 00_weapons_pointdefence.txt and 00_strike_craft.txt for examples.
• Added set_variable_to_random_value effect
• Added size_damage_factor to weapon components, which modifies damage based on the ship size. At 0, there is no effect. Positive values multiply the weapon damage by the value times the target ship size. (Ship size is treated as a minimum of 1 for these calculations.)
• Added support for sound_is_advisor on show_sound in events
• Added triggered_ship_modifier in component templates
• Added upgrade_trigger block for planet automation which allows for individual logic of when buildings should be allowed to be upgraded
• Fixed num_free_districts sometimes providing erroneous results if used with districts that were not capped by modifiers
• Fixed print_scope_trigger not working
• Integrated ship roles to the remaining components and their selection process with an additional define for utility components.
• Made excessively confusing way of doing tradition tooltips make you have to explicitly tell the game you want to overwrite the automatic modifier and effects tooltip with a custom one (custom_tooltip). Also added custom_tooltip_with_modifiers and made on_enabled show up in the tooltip too
• Made galaxy shapes (map/galaxy) into regular database objects. This means you can define new ones.
• Made the fail text of a tradition's "possible" check show up in tooltips
• Ship roles can now affect weapon selection.

This open beta version will be available from October 13th to November 3rd, and will likely be updated. We will be incorporating any feedback we feel is appropriate into the open beta, or the final release version, which is currently scheduled to be released in November.

Once again, we are looking for directed, constructive feedback on the Ascension Paths Rework as it stands in 3.6 [CHECKSUM] Orion Open Beta without mods.

There is a thread for open discussion here.

If you encounter a bug in the 3.6 Open Beta, please do not post it in this thread. Bug reports should be made on the bug report forums, and flagged for the 3.6 Open Beta.

Due to the many changes, 3.6 “Orion” Open Beta is not save game compatible with existing saves, and may or may not be compatible with the eventual 3.6 "Orion" release, or subsequent updates to the beta.

What we are looking for:
Do not feel pressured to answer all of these questions in your feedback.

• In general:
  • How does the new structure of Ascension Paths as an Ascension Perk followed by a Tradition Tree feel compared to the old structure of two Ascension Perks?
  • Do the four Ascension Paths feel reasonably balanced?
  • Are all four Ascension Paths equally appealing? Or do you feel forced to choose one Ascension path over all the others?
  • Are there events or existing game content you felt we missed that should be linked to the Ascension Paths? E.g. The Overtuned and Necrophage origins have warnings about Synthetic ascension disabling the origin mechanics.
  • Do you feel you must take an Ascension Path and that you’re missing out if you don’t?
• Genetics:
  • Do the new traits cover niches you felt were missing?
  • Did you encounter any issues with harvesting leviathan DNA?
• Cybernetics
  • Does the new Ascension Path feel complete?
  • How do the new cybernetic traits feel compared to normal biological traits, robotic traits and Overtuned traits?
  • How does the Ascension Path feel for Driven Assimilators and Hive-Minds as new options available for them? Did you notice any places where the localisations did not make sense for Hiveminds or Driven Assimilators?
• Psionics
  • Does this feel like enough compared to the additional pops that the other three paths can give?
  • We’re debating replacing the Edict Fund given by the finisher with a Shroud Cooldown modifier, would you prefer this?
  • How does Teachers of the Shroud feel?
• Synthetics
  • Does the flat pop assembly from the ruler trait make up for the decrease in roboticists?
  • How does the Ascension Path feel for Machine Intelligences?

Not Useful replies

• Do not reply to other users. Reply to other users in the discussion thread here. Encourage them to change their mind and edit their post, in the discussion thread. Be nice with your replies in the discussion thread. Did I mention the discussion thread?
• Your perception of the changes, without actually playing the open beta
• Posts attacking the Stellaris team members or other Community members
• Off-topic/Not applicable posts will be removed.
• Feedback from playthroughs using mods will be ignored, due to the all-encompassing nature of the Ascension Path changes

To opt-in to the Open Beta branch, right-click Stellaris, click Properties, Beta tabs, and choose “Stellaris_test” from the drop down.

Please only reply to this thread once, with your Ascension Paths feedback on the 3.6 “Orion” Open Beta without mods, any other discussion should happen in the discussion thread.

Thank you in advance for your interest and feedback!

 

[Stratis Consolidated]

Unsure whether this is a bug, an intended feature, or just a limitation, but currently you still need the Gene Tailoring technology to modify species with the Cybernetic traits unlocked through the cybernetics tradition tree. While not too much of a hurdle, it still is somewhat disappointing to need the additional technology first.

Additionally, I would suggest clarifying that the tradition that enables the construction of cyborgs from robiticists counts as organic pop assembly instead of machine pop assembly.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Thanks for the feedback!

Unsure whether this is a bug, an intended feature, or just a limitation, but currently you still need the Gene Tailoring technology to modify species with the Cybernetic traits unlocked through the cybernetics tradition tree.

I'll look into seeing if there's a better way of gating species modification.

Additionally, I would suggest clarifying that the tradition that enables the construction of cyborgs from robiticists counts as organic pop assembly instead of machine pop assembly.

Yeah, that's a good addition!

 

[Needa]

I have an issue with Clone Soldier Ascendants. They cannot be genetically modified, but also cannot be modified via cybernetics traits if you choose this ascension path. It would be cool if you could modify them this way. It would open up another ascension path then psionic for them (i hate spirutalist but love clones )

 

[Gaspi2]

So far went with cybernetics so here is my feedback on it:

Very fun AP, able to combine traits from both machine and bio, as a whole it's very good, but require some balance tweaks. My personal pet peeves:

1.)As mentioned, you need gene tailoring to be able to modify pops even if you finished the whole tree and if you did not manage to roll the tech, you can't basicaly ascend at all.

2.)Too few trait points. in order to get at least 1 machine trait on pops you need to take at least 1 negative machine trait on you otherwise you simply have no points. The only way to increase trait points at this stage are gene-tailoring (1 point) and rare +1 gene points tech. Or omnicodex if you are lucky. Oh and you are also in luck if you like to play with xenocompatibility up. I am aware that designer simply wanted to offset this by increasing trait count (able to get 8 trait for half-species) but those 2 trait slots that are added by ascessions are used to take mostly negative traits just to be able to put a positive one meaning most likely you will end up with at most with 2 positive trait costing 1 pt each when you take the only 2 -2 points traits

Possible solution: let machine trait bonus techs give trait points also to cyborgs. could be silently put into one of the traditions or finisher

3.)traits are unbalaced, almost broken. 0,5 energy upkeep per positive trait to each pop is simply way too high. You put (somehow) 2 positive robot traits on bio pops and now it eats upkeep energy equal to whole robot on top of it's food and consumer goods upkeep. When you have 200 pops and you put 2 robot traits on them they eat 200 energy out of your monthly income. Way too much.

solution: lower energy upkeep to preferably 0,1 or 0,2/0,25 energy.

4.)some trait feel unbalanced mainly due to upkeep cost. trait that feel unbalanced/broken

positive: 15% mienral/food/energy - upkeep cost of these traits is so high that if put on every single pop you are actualy in net loss since not all pops make for example energy out of their job. Means you have to HEAVILY specialize your pops in order to get positive income out of these. generator district base yeld is 6 energy and this trait increases it by 0,9 yet 0,5 out of it goes to upkeep. Hard pass.

enchanced memory + learning algorithm: I'v never seen someone who would take this trait, ever, and taking one with 0,5 energy upkeep per month per pop is like shooting yourself into your foot.

negative:

power intensive: 1 upkeep per pops for -1 trait point is like equaly paying upkeep for robots equal to number of your pops that do no work at all. it it was -3 points triat I would considered, hell it would be maybe even my go-to negative trait if your economy can take it, but with this hard pass. Not worth it in slightest.

quesationable:

logistic engine: if you want to split erudite into 2 traits (inteligent and logistic engine) but you have to pick intelligent at the game start (and using 1 of 2 extra trait slots that this PA provides), all for, again, 1/2 of robot upkeep. better go erudite and nab more pop growth from clone vats. that do these shaenigans.

Trading algorithms: same issue due to upkeep. Not all pops make trade value( (clerks/merchants) means heavy specialization and even the 25% extra trade value barely covers the upkeep cost. the only good this trait is for when you want go without factories for more CG from trade value, given your energy income is already good and take the upkeep and trade policy hit

5.)pop assembly need a tweak. cyborgs do not have access to mass-produced trait like robots do. Means even if you pick whole tradition to be able to make them in robot assembly plant, you...don't want to. Robot assembly plant spwes out robots faster due to mass produced trait AND robots have less upkeep than cyborgs with 2 positive robot traits. can't hold candle to even base clone vats, much less clone vat from before 3.6. and it makes them at the same pop speed growth than psionics since they, too, make mass produced robots. If you want to strictkly produce cyborgs from robot assembly plants you will fall behind in pops.

solution: increase pops assembly for cyborgs OR give the option to have mass produced trait, tho I wouldn't recommend this since it would make it a compulsory trait for cyborgs. (something like: +1 biological pop assembly to roboticists, maybe sneak it into one of the traditions)

Summary: economy draining AP which's only good point is able to double on traits like 25% trading value or intelligent/logistic engines. neverthless, I very much like the feel of it but needs heavy balancing.

 

[theBigTurnip385]

Cyborgs don't work as you can't remove the positive organic traits which limits you either you have to start the game with naked pops or play over-tuned.

You feel forced to run Over-tuned. Cyborgs need cyborg trait slots and cyborg trait points, or you need to stop gate keeping organic positive trait removal.

This leads to an enormous power gain if you take over-tuned as over-tuned is technically giving you 1.5 ascension trees as you can now add/remove over-tuned + cyborgs.

Playing over-tuned cyborgs vs non over-tuned cyborgs you are playing a completely different accession.

Psionics have the exact same power.

Basically, Overtuned is bio ascension, and you can add it onto cyborgs + psionic to essential give yourself almost 2 accession trees.

 

[Pancakelord]

Cybernetics

• Does the new Ascension Path feel complete?
• How do the new cybernetic traits feel compared to normal biological traits, robotic traits and Overtuned traits?
• How does the Ascension Path feel for Driven Assimilators and Hive-Minds as new options available for them? Did you notice any places where the localisations did not make sense for Hiveminds or Driven Assimilators?

Cyborg Feedback [Playing mechanist, indentured, relentless industrialists, megacorp]

Immediate thoughts: Cybernetics as a game mechanic (not strictly an ascension path, but the whole "package") feels "incomplete" in the sense that I went in to 3.6 "looking" for a way to start off as a cyborg - or on the cyborg path, but such an origin/civic does not exist. So, I settled on Mechanist and materialism - which both provide robotic / synth -synergising buffs. There are nowhere near as many hooks in the game (understandably as this is a new thing) for cyborgs.

Immediate suggestion: I've seen how the new common ground popup looks (it even includes the spiritualist fed, very swish!), I feel like one of the below ideas could help a lot for cyborgs feeling like a more legitimate path (particularly to future new players that might lack the context of this open beta/associated dev diary):

• Origin:
  1. A new cyborg-focussed origin (i dont expect this to be in the scope of this update, of course, but something to think about)
  2. OR Give mechanist the common ground treatment. That is to say, you EITHER start with 8 robots OR 8... "proto-cyborgs"(... Self modified pops?), with the player picking at game start whether their empire followed the path of mechanisation or the path of cyberisation.
• Materialist ethic
  1. I dont have a good answer for this yet (first thoughts and all that) but whilst I dont expect an extra ethic added to the game to cater for cyborgs, there is no aspect of the empire creation layer that caters to them, and it feels "off" to me, I cant really explain it better than that. (psionics get an origin, genetic ascension gets a few different traits - budding I believe, machines/synths get an ethic, origins etc).
     1. Has anyone on the dev team toyed with Faction Actions yet? (i.e. the suppress/endorse faction buttons are scriptable) - when the materialism faction appears, it would be good if we could make a decision on the faction's priorities - should it focus on synths or on cyborgs. This would mutate the effects of the governing ethos.
     2. More simple: use an empire policy "materialism stance" with a set of options that change up which kind of buffs materialism applies (+machines, + cyborgs +machines - as - slaves)
        1. pro cyborg
        2. pro synths
        3. pro machine slaves (so you never want to ascend or be cyborgs just lord over robots)

That might be a bit convoluted but I hope it explains my first impressions and thought process well enough.

### some time later I get the Flesh is weak Ap ###
So i got quite unlucky rolling Integrated Cybernetics, but these things happen.
What I dont understand is why its needed?
So the process is

1. Hire enginerering: industry scientist and Society: Statecraft scientist
2. Roll Colonial Bureaucracy > Colonial Centralization
3. Powered exoskeletons > Integrated cybernetics (req. Colonial Centralisation)
4. Take 2 APs then go for the Flesh is weak

I get why Colonial centralisation and integrated cybernetics are required, it seems to support this statement in the Flesh is weak AP adoption popup text

But what does this AP actually give you?

The Flesh is weak unlocks/locks-in the quantum neuro links tech (+5% specialist pop output) that's nice... but it does not:

1. relate to cyborg pops.
2. give you anything immediately, as you then still need the unity/free tradition slot to take the Cybernetic tree, which then lets you run the special project to upgrade cyborgs (and not a situation?)

I'm not a fan of the Flesh is weak in its current state, it doesn't feel like it provides enough to justify being an AP.

• If anything, it's requirement of Integrated cybernetics should be removed, and it should just give you integrated cybernetics.
• As, lore-wise, I cant actually understand what has changed about my empire for having picked the AP.
• I'm labouring the point, but it just feels odd to me that this AP gives you nothing immediately when you unlock it (in my case I had to wait a few more years to pick the cybernetics tree, to continue).
  • Perhaps at least insta-converting pops on your capital (call it an "early adoption phase" or whatever) to cyborgs would make it worthwhile.

### Some more time passes and I work my way down the cyber tree ###
I'm fairly sure pop modding was out of scope for this rework, so i'll just say I hope we see a more interesting approach to the up-front pop modding later on.

Also if pop-cyborg-assimilation is already a thing, in the first node... why cant we just use that in the initial roll-out phase, if we want to do things slowly? It feels like a more organic (pardon the pun) way to handle the cyber-ing of pops would be to fire a situation when you adopt the tradition tree, and decide either

1. We are going to force this on the population hard-core.
2. We'll slowly absorb people in to the cyber eco-system via assimilation.

And you could have events off the back of that (going the special project way might be faster but may trigger riots or whatever).

The other 4 nodes on the cyborg tree, and the cyborg traits too, are really nice, however. I like them a lot... I'm assuming it's a known bug that gene tailoring is required to do "cybermodding"?


TLDR
So to summarise, my thoughts: Cyborgs work like this

1. Hire enginerering: industry scientist and Society: Statecraft scientist
2. Roll Colonial Bureaucracy > Colonial Centralization
3. Powered exoskeletons > Integrated cybernetics (req. Colonial Centralisation)
4. Take filler APs then go for the Flesh is weak
5. Then get the Cybernetics Tradition tree (hope you saved up influence for it, not like me).
6. NOW you get to run a special project to get your cyborgs.
7. Power through the tree, 2 nodes in you get to cybermod (provided you get the gene-tailoring tech too)

Overall, I think the cyber ascension path is not bad at all, when youre actually neck deep in the tree it's pretty fun to make some abominations**. But it - to me - suffers from 3 things

1. No real representation of non-gestalt cyborgs in the empire creation screen
   • other paths get either an origin, ethos, or traits to help out with psionics [Teachers of the shroud. spiritualism ethic], genetic assembly [overtuned, clone army] or machines/synths [mechanists, materialism ethic], cyborgs dont (with the obvious exception of playing a DA)
   • A cyborg origin (wrested from the weak was a cut orign related to machines or cyborgs based on its leftover icon?) akin to overtuned (leading to cyberpsychosis negative planet situations rather than just increased pop upkeep in the case of overtuned) or some way to split the mechanist origin between robots and "primitive cyborgs" would go a long way to making the playstyle feel more full-bodied from day zero.
2. The flesh is weak AP ... feels vestigial, like the whole process would hold up fine if it was snipped out.
   • It should offer something immediate (and more "...cyborgey") for taking it, as you'll be waiting a while to unlock the tree then run the project. (e.g. auto-convert pops on your capital to cyborgs for free - one random example)
3. Pop modding via special project doesn't feel good to me - though it hasn't for a long time (its the main reason I go for psionics tbh).
   • I appreciate this is likely OOS of this rework, but throwing it out there anyway if custodians are watching.
   • Assimilating in to cyborgs is nice. Situations might offer a nice way to spice up the conversion process with more player agency/events/roleplaying.

** (i've not extensively checked how this ascension path mixes with overtuned origin yet, nor if cybernetic zombie assembly (via Assembly standards Tradition node + permanent employment is possible).

 

[Abdulijubjub]

Synthetic feedback: The ability to assimilate Mechanical pops (granted by the new ascension) is actively detrimental to machine intelligences. Assimilating lets you add another 6 trait points worth of traits, but none of the traits are better than not generating deviancy, even combined, and you can afford 3 points worth of traits (enough for Streamlined Algorithms and Mass Produced) even on Mechanical pops by throwing on two negative traits.

Especially with late game modifiers (easily +100% to all jobs, and +200% to worker or researcher jobs), the extra +5-20% to any given job that you can get with the extra trait points isn't nearly as valuable as not making deviancy.

For example, you could have 19 calculators with a 215% bonus (239.4 total science) and 1 hunter seeker, or you could have 20 calculators with a 200% bonus (240), if they didn't make deviancy. For alloys, it's 19 fabricators with a 105% bonus (38.95x base output) or 20 fabricators with a 100% bonus (40x base output). And, perhaps more importantly, not making deviancy saves you building slots on your largest worlds (whether they be Machine Worlds, Ring Worlds, or Ecumenopoleis as Rogue Servitor). It's especially important for Rogue Servitor, as each lost building slot could potentially cost each drone on the planet a 20% bonus to resources from jobs. And Rogue Servitors care even less about the 5-15% output to complex drones, as they'll be lost in a sea of bonuses from biotrophies (and completely offset by the lost building slots).

If Machines got a 3 or 4 cost trait that eliminated deviancy, this discrepancy would be fixed, but as it is, the Synthetics tradition tree's ability to assimilate Mechanical pops is a trap. It actively makes your empire worse to use it.

 

[Iliari]

I'm really glad for the Pearl Diver change for Anglers considering how aquatics got nerfed. Of course it was inevitable, and absolutely warranted/needed- but losing a trait point for an already niche build really hurts.

Now, Pearl Divers produce 6 CG, and 2 Trade value at a cost of 4 minerals, and 3 food. Overall, at the cost of 1 Trade value, 2 minerals, and one food compared to before we are producing 3 additional CG.

Comparing this to an Artisan job- we are producing the same amount of CG (6) with the addition of two Trade value for Pearl Divers. Our upkeep is lower by two minerals (6 for Artisans vs 4 for Pearl Divers), however it also costs 3 food (0 for Artisans vs 3 for Pearl Divers). This is pretty efficient, and replacing two minerals for 3 food relatively is generally worth it considering how much more valuable minerals are.

Anglers as a whole allows for some pretty neat strategies with catalytic, like strong 3 world starts by setting up a forge and agri world really early to pump out alloys, while having more minerals than you'd otherwise have for development and some nice bonus trade value. Now, these agri worlds/districts should find it much easier to take care of an empire's CG needs, so that it's easier to have virtually most if not all of your industrial districts be typed towards alloy creation using your abundance of food with catalytic.

Or, if you're using Agrarian Idyll, it also makes it much easier to be less reliant on industrial districts so you can maximize the benefits of Idyll.

Overall it's a very nice bonus- although the one less trait point does kind of suck for this build.
I honestly think it would've been fine if the Pearl Divers kept the one trade value they lost, considering how niche Anglers still is

 

[sandwich8]

Thoughts on cybernetic ascension:
0.5 upkeep is way too much. High maintenance is 0.1 energy upkeep, so 0.5 energy upkeep is like a -5 cost trait. It's hard to actually benefit from access to cybernetic traits because you only get extra trait picks, so you have to pick negative traits to go with it.
I don't think the leader traits were buffed, sadge.
I'm not sure what the strong point of this ascension path is. It also doesn't feel very game-changing like the other ones do. I don't feel the RP element of becoming cyborgs, especially since most of your traits are forced to be the same (I ended up picking more normal traits)

 

[hxu04]

I am rewriting this review as I done some more play testing, I didn’t do Genetics as I hate to manage multiple pop template.

Cybernetics
As others mentioned earlier, Cybernetics doesn’t have any fixability and must work with limited option when comes to pop modification, so you are either only work with the two slots you are presented or suffer a disadvantage that play with pops with no traits from start of the game.

Psionics
It seems obvious to always take the great awakening after the opener, and I really don’t see any other situation that take psi-corps over this as your second selection. The shrouded communications, mind readers grant too little as espionage stands at an awkward place, the finisher probably should be a Shroud Cooldown modifier as it fits the theme and 50 edict funds doesn’t scale well, offers too little at late game.

The next is about a combination I call ‘something for nothing’, if you get the new civic Ascensionists as your third civic, make your ecumenopolis reach level 10 planetary ascension and form a rank 3 Holy Covenant Federation. You will get some insane upkeep reduction like this:

I think it can reach zero upkeep if you have governor from vassal with trait: Prospectorium Optimizer and don’t research Improved Production line technology that +10% Resources from Jobs from capitals, but also increased 10% Upkeep from Jobs. @MrFreake_PDX The dev team might want to take a look at this, I had ecumenopolis that output almost 3000 alloys that only need around 110+ minerals, it's like machine empire with Catalytic Processing at launch is back again.

Synthetics
What should I say? Emm, I will just show you two screen shot, one is machine intelligence with machine world start, another is synthetics with mechanist.

The regular synthetic is nerfed too much as they are forced to build Robot factory with high rare resource upkeep on every planet, yet only half as fast as machine intelligence can, because they don't have a lot way to increase the assembly speed. If you compare clone vat with only food upkeep and no job requirement, I think it's a bit too harsh and unfair for the regular synthetic.

Tradition 3: Synthetic Age

• Requires the Synthetics technology to be researched
• For Non-Purifiers:
  • Grants the Synthetic Evolution Special Project
  • Can assimilate organic, robotic and machine species to Synths (after completing the special project).

This is from Dev Diary #270, but if fact as regular synthetic, you still can't assimilate robot.

 

[theBigTurnip385]

Cyborg + Zombie works perfectly just finished testing it.

You can run 2 robotist jobs + 1 permanent employment job and get 6 zombie pop assembly which is awesome, and those zombie cyborg clerks are insane. obviously, you need to start over-tuned or run naked pops or run syncretic origin with a naked servile pop or necrophage with a naked pop.

 

[mooloh]

I noticed either an interaction-clarity issue or a bug for the cybernetic ascension and its upkeep-increasing traits. The increased upkeep from traits does NOT get reduced for radiotrophic pops on tomb worlds. For example, if a radiotrophic pop on a tomb world has 3 cybernetic traits, then its upkeep will be 1.5 energy credits and .5 food. Only the .5 energy credit upkeep that the pop has from being a radiotrophic pop is negated. I'm not sure if this is intended, but it definitely feels like something should be reworded to avoid confusion on how these traits interact with one another. This is the first time we've been able to add EC upkeep to pops, so I don't think it was an issue before now.

 

[theBigTurnip385]

I just noticed if you assemble a cyborg on a planet using robotists + permanent employment

The Zombie trait is not getting added to the cyborg, if you assemble a cyborg that already has the trait it works fine.

 

[Gar360]

Been trying out genetic ascension. Big issue tho, despite having the full tradition tree unlocked, I was not able to remove beneficial traits. Also all advanced traits showed up twice on the selection screen.

Despite having a biology scientist and having the jovian pox relic, I never found any of the special transgenesis technologies. I didn't get up to tier 5, so if they are there, that would explain why I didn't see them. But if they are tier 3 or 4, they could probably stand to more common.

 

[Zoomy]

In my first game I got lucky and found the Zroni, so was able to grab psionics really quickly. One major bit of feedback; I completed the tree and got the Covenant project, but because it was pretty soon into the game and I'm not the best player it was going to take >10 years. I bit the bullet, nerfed my society research to get it done ASAP and...

all that happened was a scientist died. Not even a chance to re-try the project.

Like, that kind of thing is fine when it's the regular Shroud and you get to re-roll again fairly soon, but for a big fancy special project that's a reward for completing a tradition tree that you only seem to get once, it's a bit of a poor show.

 

[aadf97799c]

so demand for zro and living metal just rised drastically
any plan for building and job that produce late game resource like dark matter zro living metal
trade route always drain performance for not that much profit
any plan to add one button that forbid auto trade route generation when starbase upgrade

 

[Kiwibaum]

- I really like the new structure of ascension perk + tradition tree. It makes the ascension feel more gradual and it frees up more interesting choices on the ascension perks.
- I do feel like taking an ascension path is usually pretty important to be powerful.
- I think the ai has far to little weight on picking ascension paths now. I have seen them pick it only as a 4th perk, when they could've done so as a second one. Ascension paths are still very strong compared to most other ascension perks and not prioritising them makes the ai fall behind even more.

Genetics:
- for the genetic ascension I wish there were an option to peacefully gain access to Drake-Scaled, if you have the sky dragon from the here be dragons origin
- here the gradual getting access to more trait points/options is a bit annoying due to how the species modification works. I'd like it more if you had to maybe finish one species preset with a project with fixed cost and then get to apply them per the assimilation mechanic. Optimally you'd even be able to select which template gets applied on which planet designation.

Cybernetics:
- similar critique to genetics.

Psionics:
- I would very much prefer the shroud cooldown to edicts found
- Teachers of the shroud still feels similar to before, giving early acess to the ascension and saves you one ascension perk slot
- The last two traditions being by far the weakest feels a bit bad, I think I'd split the tradition tree into the shroud path and the psionic/psi-corps path.
- I would like the ai to get access to the covenant project, which it doesn't, additionally the ai doesn't use the shroud, which I think always was the case.

Synthetic:
- Can't say much here, haven't tested it

 

[zZander56]

I'm here seconding the idea that the energy upkeep costs of cybernetic traits is way too high to make them worthwhile.

To gain access to the traits in the first place already comes at the cost of an ascension perk and tradition tree. Then, in most cases a negative trait will need to be taken in order to make room for a positive. After all this, the positive trait comes with an upkeep cost of .5 energy. The last sentence alone makes these traits not worthwhile.

Still though, the fantasy of the cybernetic path is strong. I hope to see it succeed.

 

[Silens]

With only 8 AP slots, it feels much better now that one AP opened up and Ascension is now part of both, AP and traditions. Because yes, Ascension is a must-have, those bonuses are too good not to take. It's one of the most defining things in the game, seeing your species evolve.



Cybernetic Ascension

Good

It feels complete and competitive. I didn't go too deep into it, but the trait balancing feels more or less right. It stays competitive by allowing pop assembly in addition to normal pop growth. That way it doesn't fall behind Genetic and Synthetic Ascension.

The ability to choose between bio and robo traits is a unique addition and underlines the theme of giving you access to the best of both worlds.

Leader traits were always useful, and that didn't change.

Not so good

The 0.5 energy costs for each robo trait are too high. While they allow powerful double-bonuses in theory, you are severely limited by trait picks/gene points in practice. I don't see anyone pick them, as their cost is just not worth the small bonus you get. Maybe change it to a +0.25 energy per trait and a food upkeep reduction of -0.25?

The ruler trait is identical to the Scientist Leader trait. Don't get me wrong, +5% research to the whole empire is powerful, but it doesn't feel right to have two separate leader types (scientist and ruler) with an identical trait and trait description.

The Ascension tradition "Integrated Anatomy" feels a bit underwhelming. It only offers an option (cybernetic trait available in gene modification) that you have no intention of doing several times (special project gene modification), as it halts your research for over a year each time you do it.
Would be nice if it had some permanent bonus to give it the appearance of being always useful. Maybe give it -25% Modify Species Special Project Cost, and in turn cut the -50% from "Modular Cybernetics" to -25%? You end up with the same bonus in the end, but it's about how it feels.


Synthetic Ascension

Good

It still feels like the #1 Ascension in terms of power, versatility and consisency. Still the best Ascension.

Not so good

The tradition adoption effect feels weak and redundant. Once you take Synthetic Age, which in most cases should be the first pick after the adoption, your species becomes fully Synthetic, which naturally includes your leaders. Since Cybernetics is an Ascension on its own, there's no in-between step to show the transition between organic and full Synth. I'm aware of the trait vacuum here. But a small passive to bonus to something, anything, would go a long way.

For Machine Intelligence the tradition tree feels right, the adoption bonus gives you a powerful tool and each trait pick offers a good passive bonus, including the finisher.

I'm also not sure why you felt it necessary to nerf Generals. Not that the -5% army damage matters much, considering how good the Ascension is, but still, feels a bit strange.

The new ruler trait feels a bit like a nerf (and most likely is). +1 to assembly is nice in theory, but in practice it doesn't make up for a 5% bonus to all resource output. Synths don't get most of their pops through assembly in the later stages of the game, but by integrating masses of bio pops. While the resource output bonus for the ruler might be a bit strong, something like a pop upkeep reduction would be a good compromise.


Genetic

Good

A solid, versatile and useful Ascension. It hasn't changed much in that regard, so I won't list all the advantages of it. What is worth mentioning is how good the tradition tree feels. Almost all picks offer useful bonuses, almost (for that see below) nothing feels like a filler here.

Natural Machinist feels really good, especially for the low cost of 2 points. Given how much alloys decide the lategame, 10% are big.

Not so good

Vat-Grown on the other hand feels weak. Once pop growth/assembly goes down in empires with higher pop numbers, I'm not sure I'd pick it even if the pop growth penalty weren't there. It just feels a bit weird to go on an Ascension that is all about unlocking good things, only to get a very expensive trait with a huge downside.

As stated under "Good", almost nothing feels like a filler in the tradition tree. But there's one exception for me, Genetic Resequencing and Genetic Creation. Both do nothing but unlock advanced modification options, so it feels like one idea (unlock options) was stretched a bit thin between two tradition picks. Maybe take +1 modification points from the finisher and give it to Genetic Creation? The outcome is the same, but it's feel would improve a bit for me.

The main problem, however, lies with how Special Projects are handled in general. They stop your research for a while, so most people wouldn't start modifying their species right away after each unlock in the tree. They would try to minimize the amount of Special Projects, which usually means they wait until they unlock all trait point bonuses and Special Project cost reductions before doing the project once.

That gives the whole tradition tree, despite it offering great bonuses with each pick, an overall feel of not offering any bonuses at all, unless you have the whole thing finished and can do a complete gene modification in one go.

While it's outside of the scope of the Ascension rework to rework Special Projects, I still wanted to mention it, as it has a negative impact on Ascension paths that heavily rely on that mechanic.


Psionic

Good

Usually my primary pick, as I love the idea. It still has the advantage of being available very early, and the traits Latent Psionic and Psionic don't require any Special Projects to work. Makes it probably the fastest Ascension.

The reworked pop trait is good and useful in every stage of the game.

Teachers of the Shroud feel very good and powerful. Not only do you have 1 AP pick more than others, you can also go into Psionic traditions from day 1. It is in tune with the theme of the Ascension of being available faster than the other Ascensions.

Not so good

Sadly, it is still the weakest Ascension.

The big disadvantage is, as you already mentioned, the lack of a pop assembly option. While natural pop growth/assembly loses its impact over the course of the game (with pop growth/assembly slowing down over time), you're never really on par with the others. Even at a slow growth/assembly, it's a big difference to have two pops growing at the same time. Psionic has basically half the growth of the other paths.

Also, it's strange to me that Psionics would get a Governor trait nerf. The other Ascensions either increase all worker output, boost your research (tech is king) or reduce all pop upkeep. But psionic? Just +10% to unity. That's situational and very underwhelming. The stability bonus wasn't that good to begin with, but at the very least it gave you a very small bonus to everything, so that it didn't feel useless.

The Admiral trait feels also much less useful now. Synths got 10% dmg in exchange for their 5% fire rate, and 25% armor hardening for the 10% weapon range. Not good, but not terrible either. Psionic Admirals lost their 15% evasion for a situational 25% shield hardening. That makes their trait probably the worst among all four Ascensions now.

Then you increased the bonuses from Psi Corps, which is good. But let's not forget that it is only available on planets with a Planetary Capital and takes up a building slot. No other Ascension has its best bonuses gated behind a building on only the largest colonies in your empire.

The tradition tree itself feels overall very weak. The adoption bonus gives you Latent Psionics, but that is soon obsolete with the next tradition that unlocks Psionics. Codebreaking/Encryption from "Shrouded Communications" are situational, as they require a DLC to unlock their full usefulness. The "Mind Readers" tradition isn't good for two reasons: the Sight Beyond Sight edict (which didn't unlock for me, for whatever reason) offers little bonuses while being a drain on your unity/edict funds, and +10 base intel loses its limited use once you get a Sentry Array going. Sensor Range from the edict also becomes useless with a Sentry Array, further reducing the edict's value.

The finisher, +50 edict funds, is outright bad. Even a small-ish mid-sized empire gets huge size penalties, so that 50 edict fund doesn't do anything. The covenant might be nice if you get the right one, but a) you can't choose which one you get, b) it always comes with heavy risks/downsides and c) you can get it via normal Shroud interaction, so it doesn't give you anything unique here.

The Shroud itself still feels bad. Without getting the rarest Precursor (gated behind a DLC), your chances of getting something good are 50:50. It makes the whole thing a huge casino. Shorter Shroud cooldows are a mixed bag, as it begins to feel like a chore after a while.

The other Ascensions offer constant bonuses without drawbacks, have better pop growth and offer better bonuses overall.