How to improve ascension paths

[Archael90]

First of all i would like to introduce additional ascension paths fo existing ones:
- Cybernetic path as alternative to synth ascension:
Enhanced pop modding, simmilar to bio ascension, but with cyber traits.

- Awakening as alternative to transcendence (and with swapped names so that Awakening will act like current trancendance and new transcendance as below):
Total minds freeing. Allows for creation of energy beings through assimilation, and gain shroud world habitability and ability to create shroud worlds that are uninvadable. Energy beings cannot grow, but can be assembled on shroud worlds. Synthetic species can also free their minds and become energy beings. Energy beings are cheaper to manage (-50% food and cg consumption, -10% housing usage and has 50% happiness all the time), and on shroud world they get -50% amenities usage, and 100% happiness. They are not joining factions. (also - energy ship set). Energy leaders has psychic trait.

- Bio integration as alternative to gene ascention:
Pops get hiveworld habitability with ability to create hive worlds using food. They get ability to assimilation hive pops and share hive world habitability with normal pops through assimilation, and create special "living enviroment" defensive armies on hive worlds with stats simmilar to cybrex warform.

Also little changes to existing psi and bio ascensions:
Bio ascension will be improved when special trait template tab will be created, despite of pop species, gene ascended empire will be able to put any biological trait into template, and tie that template to job/stratum, so every pop in this job will have this template applied through special assimilation that will cost 100 soc. research points/month, and each month 1-3 pops will be adjusted based on jobs. Also special "leader" job should be also available so that all leaders will be chosen from this template only.

Psi ascension just needs a little buff to RNGesus, or entire rng removal.
Shroud should allow for choosing your boon/tech/covenant etc. Choosing such should cost unity - more you put = better outcome you will get.

Edit: a little tweak fo awakening

 

[Lykus Cerebros]

I agree with less RNG for shroud interactions.

The splitting of ascension paths is interesting. Obtaining stronger cybernetic traits vs turning into full machines sounds cool and would offer more variety to the paths. Not sure how this could be done for all paths though.

But uninvaidable worlds sounds like an absolute nightmare. How would that work with multiple worlds in one system? The shared system ownership was removed it the past and I don't see it working with the current border system.
It would also either force you to take the colossus project or some other way to destroy a colony through bombardment.

 

[Archael90]

It would also either force you to take the colossus project or some other way to destroy a colony through bombardment.

Collosus or bombardment. There could be also a feature that shroud worlds are always bombard with armageddon efficiency regardless of empire or policy.

 

[MordridBlack]

I don't mind the RNG of the Shroud, what I mind is the fact that there is RNG within the RNG

If I choose to go for a Boon that is Green, I want that to be a guaranteed thing, not a "Oh The Shroud decided No and now you have a Corrupted Avatar in your system"


As for Unity being tied to Shroud interactions...no

That would be extremely detrimental to anyone who gets those two perks early on in the slots, as that is Unity you still need to get more traditions

 

[Archael90]

Okay, i have changed the most controvelsial thing here. What about now?