Ascension Perk Elimination

[Secret Master]

Wow, World Shaper took a big downturn recently. I'm a bit surprised. I'm even more surprised that World Shaper now has much fewer votes than Voidborn. I'd have thought they would be more equal.

 

[Yross]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 27
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 7
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 11
Colossus Project: 10(-2)
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 13(+1)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 19
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

 

[Bobylein]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25 (-2)
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 7
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 11
Colossus Project: 10(-2)
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 14 (+1)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 19
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Day 4:
It's getting harsh, I am torn between TA and World Shaper but more resources are better than more research. So Master Builders? But IF you want to use mega structures before they become entirely irrelevant, it's really really helpful. oh and then there is Interstellar Dominion, that's pretty much useless if you are playing anything with total war casus belli, which is reasonable if you want to win.

 

[CptMuddles]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 7
Master Builders: 17 (-2)
World Shaper: 11
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 15 (+1)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 19
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

+Biological Ascension. It may not be as good as the other Ascension Paths, but it's still far better than a lot of the remaining perks. Economy boosts are king.

-Master Builders. It's really good if you have Voidborne, and pretty alright if you have Galactic Wonders, but does little on its own. The perk you spent picking it up (or the time/minerals on building more megastructures) probably could've gone towards an ascension path or many of the other remaining options (Interstellar Dominion, for example) that would directly work towards winning the game.

 

[Atreides]

Day 5 - probably the last votes that are different from previous votes.

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 7
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 12 (+1)
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 15
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17 (-2)
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Gaia worlds are gimmicky, but it is a good gimmick - maybe it will finish ahead of Colossus.

Psionic is way more fun than the other two, so at this point I have voted for Psionic and voted down the other two.

 

[Cry_Havok]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 8 (+1)
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 13 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Today I vote for Galactic Force Projection because it can be such a life saver. Mid-late early game, if you have an aggressive neighbor and doubling or more your fleet capacity can really turn early wars.

Voting down Bio because it is just, the worst, path. It's way too much micromanagement and way too many special projects that rob of time to do research.

 

[RedPearlA]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 6 (-2)
Master Builders: 18 (+1)
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 13
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Increasing resource that habitats give by about 25% is really strong.

 

[Jmes Snowscoran]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 7 (+1)
Master Builders: 18
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 13
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 15 (-2)
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

I've never regretted picking GFP. It's an instant, free, substantial boost to your capabilities. Contrast half the other perks left here that demand synergy picks, time and/or resource investments to net you their benefits. Like, say, the megastructure perks, and my pick today for demotion: Synthetic Ascension.

 

[Pointyearedgit]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 8 (+1)
Master Builders: 16 (-2)
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 20
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 13
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 15
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

GFP deserves more love here, master builders is only good as a synergy pick in certain cases, it’s not a good general pick. Any playstyle can find GFP to be a useful pick, even if it isn’t taken every game.

 

[klingonadmiral]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 8
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 21 (+1)
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 11 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 15
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Among the four Ascension Paths (Megastructures are an ascension path, CMV), Bio-Ascension is certainly the least desireable. While it can be extremely strong under the right circumstances, those conditions are extremely narrow. Megastructures are a bit of a hassle due to only being able to build one at a time, but they certainly have reliable payoffs. Plus they are awesone.

 

[Zentay]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 9 (+1)
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 9 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 15
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

GFP is pretty good in certain situations. Bio ascension needs to go.

 

[Dainiuskinas]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 9
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 7 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 16 (+1)
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Synthetic Ascension is mathematically the most useful Ascension, so I want to promote it. Biological Ascension has many downsides, mostly coming from comparisons with the other Ascensions.

 

[GloatingSwine]

Synthetic Ascension is mathematically the most useful Ascension, so I want to promote it. Biological Ascension has many downsides, mostly coming from comparisons with the other Ascensions.

It really really isn't.

The only thing it's best at is science, and a significant part of that is founded on the assumption that you're materialist.

Biological pops can get more minerals than Synthetic ones without any ascension because the bonuses available through slavery are so high, and both ascensions allow options to go way further than Synthetic ascension. Energy bonuses on pops aren't terribly relevant because Trade Hubs are a thing, but Psi has them beat there anyway, and Science (The thing that synths are best at) isn't a path to victory.

Synthetic Ascension is a trap, it is not as good as you think.

 

[evilcat]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 10
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 12
Colossus Project: 10
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 16
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Note: From official victory conditions building fast big fleet and conquering enemies is good.
Galactic Force Projection +1, conquere stuff, instant effect
Biological Ascension, delayed benefit, requires more social research. Not enought cool tech.

 

[Yross]

Biological Ascension is the only one you can have if you're a Devouring swarm, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[Vilcoyote]

I hope you will resume all these vote from best to worst at the end

 

[Mastikator]

It really really isn't.

The only thing it's best at is science, and a significant part of that is founded on the assumption that you're materialist.

Biological pops can get more minerals than Synthetic ones without any ascension because the bonuses available through slavery are so high, and both ascensions allow options to go way further than Synthetic ascension. Energy bonuses on pops aren't terribly relevant because Trade Hubs are a thing, but Psi has them beat there anyway, and Science (The thing that synths are best at) isn't a path to victory.

Synthetic Ascension is a trap, it is not as good as you think.

That is only IF you have slavery meaning you're locked into authoritarianism and the difference is minor.
Meanwhile the synths are superior at both technology AND tradition, AND the leaders are stronger too since they're immortal and have 1 higher max level due to Enhanced Memory being +2 compared to +1 from Talented.

The mineral difference can quickly be met with repeatable technologies which the synths will chug through faster.

Not to mention that Synths can assimilate captured pops, psionic ones have to expel or purge and replace with industrious slaves just to compete. That is micro heavy.

 

[Pointyearedgit]

That is only IF you have slavery meaning you're locked into authoritarianism and the difference is minor.
Meanwhile the synths are superior at both technology AND tradition, AND the leaders are stronger too since they're immortal and have 1 higher max level due to Enhanced Memory being +2 compared to +1 from Talented.

The mineral difference can quickly be met with repeatable technologies which the synths will chug through faster.

Not to mention that Synths can assimilate captured pops, psionic ones have to expel or purge and replace with industrious slaves just to compete. That is micro heavy.

Wrong, slavery is not locked to authoritarians and bio ascension easily reformats xeno slaves, psi empires are a bad comparison for bio min/max.

Immortality is irrelevant as bio ascension gets 50 years on robust plus all of the repeatables to extend lifespan. Bio leaders are guaranteed immortal (through lifespan increases) while valuable synthetic leaders can still die by accident. Additionally, the repeatables improve enclave leaders which are also quite strong.

Moving the slaves around is currently a bit of a bother, true, but synthetic ascension just relies on the overall bonuses or requires a ton of micro to match a bio slave empire.

Assimilation and energy upkeep is the primary advantage of synthetic ascension.

This is all a moot point in 2.2 as it appears that synths are losing their baseline +20% bonuses, but this is a 2.1 discussion.

 

[Vynlanesh]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 10
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 13 (+1)
Colossus Project: 8 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 16
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

I like Gaia Worlds. Like playing Life Seeded Empires. And sometimes find it fun to make everything a Gaia world. lol I also think the Colossus is beyond a waste of time.

 

[Zohtun]

3rd
Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 8 (-2)
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 13
Colossus Project: 9 (+1)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 16
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Hi all. Reasoning:

GFP tends to kinda drop off once you reach a certain size. It's good, but it's only really powerful if you're small. Once you get big, it becomes ultimately a whole perk for something you COULD get from repeated tech and eating your enemies.

Colossus because I still love total war as I've said in my past posts.