Multiple ascension paths

[CompactDisc]

I'm a sort of perfectionist and would love to tap into the advantages of all 3 ascension paths.
Why not genetically improve your psionic powers by enhancing your brain and body? What about cybernetic brain implants to increase psionic powers?

Or why not incorporate all 3 and use cybernetics to shoot lasers at a building from your one arm, while telekinetically crushing an enemy mech and also absorbing or deflecting enemy fire with your genetically armored skin?

Why can my species not be the most awesome thing ever? Please tell me it's possible

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Nope. The three Ascension Paths are mutually exclusive to one another- partly because Wiz feels that Stellaris should give each Ethos a distinct playstyle.

EDIT: Of course, it'll be modable.

 

[Azuraal]

I'd say they are mutually exclusive becouse they represent different mindsets.
Psionic path is about perfecting your mind and spirit,
Biological path is about perfecting your body
and Synthetic path is about replacing your mind and body.

Gameplay wise it's to provide more play styles and limit existence of objectively best builds.

 

[Qoff]

They're like specializations, if you choose one you exclude the others, but what you want is something like multiclass in D&D: The guy wants to do everything, end up that he can't do anything well and does everything in a mediocre way.

 

[Occursus Morini]

They're like specializations, if you choose one you exclude the others, but what you want is something like multiclass in D&D: The guy wants to do everything, end up that he can't do anything well and does everything in a mediocre way.

I do not know ; it seems to me like some bad case of Mary Sue.

 

[CompactDisc]

Yeah, I would like only one main path, but with aspects of the others. I don't want to be excluded from cybernetics or psionics because I went for gene modding.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Yeah, I would like only one main path, but with aspects of the others. I don't want to be excluded from cybernetics or psionics because I went for gene modding.

You can gene mod without going for the Genetic Ascension Path.

 

[CompactDisc]

You can gene mod without going for the Genetic Ascension Path.

Ah I was under the impression that you would be locked out of that, psionics and/or cybernetics if you went another path.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

Ah I was under the impression that you would be locked out of that, psionics and/or cybernetics if you went another path.

While it's possible they intend to gate it the same way that they gated Psionics techs, I find it unlikely given we were specifically shown that the first level of Genetic Ascension Perk reduces the cost and time of genetic engineering- which clearly implies you can do it beforehand.

 

[CompactDisc]

While it's possible they intend to gate it the same way that they gated Psionics techs, I find it unlikely given we were specifically shown that the first level of Genetic Ascension Perk reduces the cost and time of genetic engineering- which clearly implies you can do it beforehand.

Well that would imply that Glad to hear! Must have missed that detail, thanks for the info.

 

[Aphil]

From what I understand you'll still be able to genetically modify your species without issue but you'll never be as good or have as many trait points as someone who specializes in the biological tree.

Take for instance this: http://i.imgur.com/l9ZCDPC.png Specializing in the Biological Path gives you +3 Trait Points (And presumably more from the first perk, this one is the second) as well as reduced time.

I think it's great that every path has its own twist to it and that you have to choose for yourself which one to go down. Strictly speaking you don't actually need to go down any ascension path, and you can instead use the two perks for something else that could potentially be more useful. Maybe you don't go down an ascension path but you get all of the megastructure perks as well as their cost and time reduction ones.

Maybe you don't need to ascend to Psionic Godhood, you can just build a lot of Ring Worlds and become master engineers.