Ascension Perk Elimination

[ffsffs1]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 8
Master Builders: 16
World Shaper: 13
Colossus Project: 7 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17 (+1)
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Colossus Project is tricky to evaluate because if your playing something like driven assimilators this perk becomes really good. However, for most empires I feel it is just a waste of a pick.

Synthetic Ascension I believe to be the strongest ascension path. Sure bio-slavers can beat them on minerals, psionics + instrument of desire beats them on energy, but synths are just so strong across the board are second to none in research. Unlike bio-ascension, synth micro-management is easy. Like I mentioned earlier, psionic ascension takes too much time to accumulate all the bonuses imo.

 

[bunkerman]

Executive Vigor 16
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 6 (-2)
Master Builders: 17 (+1)
World Shaper: 13
Colossus Project: 7
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

personally surprised to see GFP still up but hey maybe it dies today and hopefully before bio ascension although i dont really like that one either
already commented on why master builders is good

Edit: updated for the ninja post before me and adjusted his mistake of adding 2 instead of 1

@ffsffs1 its +1/-2 otherwise we would be here for eternity

 

[ffsffs1]

fixed

 

[WhiteKyubey]

Executive Vigor 17 (+1)
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 4 (-2)
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 7
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Just wait like 5 years without taking GFP and you'll reach that bonus with starbases. It's 3rd perk, and you should have a lot of minerals to spend at that time. Using it like panic button perk like Defenfer of the Galaxy is ok, but if you are attacker you can just wait for a few years.

Executive Vigor can help to maintain lots of cool edicts up all the time. Stuff like +10% to all research of materialists (and I see how people like +10% to research), +20% minerals/energy, +10% happiness of pacifists, 15% unity of spiritualists, maybe some event edicts. I find it sometimes better not to claim anything midgame, use liberation wars until colossus and instead spam edicts if I have 10-20 planets already.

 

[Atreides]

Day 6 - as expected, no longer able to maintain pick diversity.

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 5 (+1)
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 5 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 5
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Specifically focusing on the low end for this one. In comparison to others below 10, GFP shines through. When you need more cap RIGHT NOW, it will get it to you.

Bio Asension is micro hell - hopefully it does not survive the day. Colossus also has got to go - an absolute waste of a project. Three different Picks are at 5 - we will see if any of them are still here tomorrow.

 

[Maverikfreak]

Day 5.

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 5
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 3 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 6 (+1)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 17
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

I dont have problems with micro and this is my favorite ascension if I play with despots slavers, nerve stapled miners are strong.

 

[Iron Spirit]

(Holy crap how did I miss this thread the first time?)

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 5
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 1 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 6
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18 (+1)
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

-2 for Colossus. Total War CB is great and all but by the time you can pick this, I find myself not really needing it anymore.
+1 for Synthetic Ascension because I think it hasn't gotten enough love yet.

 

[Badesumofu]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 5
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 2 (+1)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 4 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

Bio ascension is my least favourite path and the paths are mutually exclusive.

Total War is apparently very undervalued. Or people don't realise its purpose, or are disregarding the criteria.

 

[Silens]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 5
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 3 (+1)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 2 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22


Well, seems like the Colossus is about to go down. Let's give it one more point to appreciate the Total War CB, which does more for expansion and warfare than almost any other AP.

Biological Ascension is no longer as bad as it once was, but if you want to make the most of it, you won't get out of a micromanaging hell. That's why I deem the other two Ascension Paths superior.

 

[CptMuddles]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 3 (-2)
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 3
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 3 (+1)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

-Galactic Force Projection. Early-game when it's the most impactful, you don't have the economy to support the added fleet cap. Mid-game is where it shines, but more because there's a chance you'll have the economy to support it than because it's really all that impactful. Compared to the Colossus and its Total War CB, it doesn't change the game enough.

+Biological Ascension. Speaking of economy, this is a hill I'll die on. The only empires that doesn't benefit from specialising their pops in this manner are xenophile empires. People are still overstating the micromanagement, which is both 1) not one of the criterion, and 2) not as big of a deal as you're making it out to be. True synthetic ascension means you're doing that same (insignificant) micro-management, and the only reason it's not a factor for cyborgs/psions is that you don't get a choice.

I imagine Bio Ascension will be gone by tomorrow, but just because it's the worst of the Ascension Paths doesn't mean it deserves to go before something like Galactic Force Projection, Technological Ascendancy, or Executive Vigor.

 

[Doctor Bones]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 23
Galactic Force Projection: 1 (-2)
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 4 (+1)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 3
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 22

All the reasons for my picks have already been said multiple times before...

 

[D Inqu]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 24 (+1)
Galactic Force Projection: 3
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 3
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 3
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 20 (-2)

Psionic ascension is annoying with the roulette, and you have ethic drift. Voidborne is just generally good. There's few playstyles that don't benefit from more planets.

 

[Hertzila]

Things have gotten to the point where it's hard to pick what deserves to drop next. I have my favourites, but aside from one perk that's too high to drop it, all the other perks are things I'd pick depending on playstyle.

One thing about the "It doesn't give much of a bonus in the end-game!" argument that has popped up regarding Galactic Force Projection and Technological Ascendancy: Yes, but their whole point is to give you an advantage now, so that you can leverage that to gain an early leg-up on others and use that to "snowball" harder. Sure, 80 fleet cap won't be much in 100 years, but it can be a lot now and you can use that to beat others harder and gain more early territory.

All that said...

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 24
Galactic Force Projection: -1 (-2) CONTENDER ELIMINATED!
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 5 (+1)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 3
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 20

Colossus Project+: The colossus itself is still very meh to me, but you guys have convinced me that the Total War CB is actually good for territorial gobbling. In one of my games, that would have come in handy.

Galactic Force Projection-: Despite my spiel earlier, I honestly do not like Galactic Force Projection that much. I tend to go ultra-wide if I can and the bonus from GFP is just not enough.

 

[Vynlanesh]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 24
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 3 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 3
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 21 (+1)

Colossus Project cause I want to see it be totally wiped out. And Psionic Ascension because the Shroud is the best

 

[Mastikator]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 24
Master Builders: 17
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 4 (+1)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 1 (-2)
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 21

 

[y1kdcb5au9rqw]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 24
Master Builders: 18 (+1)
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 2 (-2)
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 1
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 21

 

[GloatingSwine]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 22
Master Builders: 18
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 3
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 1
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 21

To achieve the goals laid out for this thread, all megastructures are a waste of minerals that should be spent on a larger fleet to conquer territory. 200 influence and 10000 minerals should be used to get two to four planets at a time, fully built, from someone else, not to build a half assed planet that you then also need to populate and build on.

Colossus Project takes the brakes off the conquest train, for the rules specified in this thread it is a definitive benefit.

 

[Yross]

Executive Vigor 17
Interstellar Dominion: 25
Technological Ascendancy: 23
Voidborne: 22
Master Builders: 18
World Shaper: 14
Colossus Project: 1
Galactic Wonders: 21
Biological Ascension (Engineered Evolution + Evolutionary Mastery): 2
Synthetic Ascension (The Flesh is Weak + Synthetic Evolution): 18
Psionic Ascension (Mind over Matter + Transcendence): 21

As a main devouring swarm, the biological ascension is the best

 

[C.N.]

EDIT: Nevermind, I see the another inconsistency.

EDIT 2: It would be a bit easier to follow if everyone would mention when they correct other's mistakes.

 

[Badesumofu]

As a main devouring swarm, the biological ascension is the best

Strange that you don't see the value of total war, though.

In general the main conclusion that I take from this thread is that a lot of players just have no sort of clue about how to asses the values of different bonuses.