Ascension perks
Ascension perks grant powerful, empire-wide benefits that can shape the course of a civilization's development, opening paths to greater strength, resilience, or transcendence. They are unlocked by finishing an entire tradition tree or acquiring the Ascension Theory technology. An empire can have up to 8 ascension perks.
List of ascension perks[edit | edit source]
Some perks require a number of other ascension perks to be taken first. Tier 0 ascension perks can be taken from the start. Tier 1 perks require 1 previous ascension perk to be taken, tier 2 perks require 2 previous ascension perks, and tier 3 perks require 3 previous ascension perks. The higher the AI weight, the more likely an AI empire will select that ascension perk.
Ascension perk | Tier | Effects | Prerequisites | AI weight | DLC | |
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Executive Vigor There will be no half-measures or compromises when implementing the edicts decided upon by our government. We go all the way, or not at all.
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0 | 30 | |||
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Interstellar Dominion The stars beckon and we follow. May nothing stand between us and them.
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0 | 10 | |||
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Technological Ascendancy Technologies that would have been indistinguishable from magic mere generations ago are now within our reach. A new age of technology has begun.
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0 | 30 | |||
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Transcendent Learning Our society must change its approach towards learning, and by doing so, our best and brightest will be able to reach a completely new level of achievements.
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0 | 10 | |||
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Imperial Prerogative As our civilization continues to grow, so its beating heart must also expand. More systems will be placed under our direct control.
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0 | 15
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Mastery of Nature Although we mastered the nature of our homeworld long ago, the alien biomes we have since encountered present new challenges. They too shall be overcome.
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0 |
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10 | |
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One Vision True unity is achieved only when the ultimate goals of a nation and its people are one and the same. After all, a house divided against itself cannot stand.
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0 | ![]() ![]() |
10 | ||
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Shared Destiny As we reach for ever greater heights, we must not leave behind those who have loyally served us. The glorious future of our empire was always meant to be a shared destiny.
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0 | 5 | |||
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Consecrated Worlds The galaxy is home to many holy places, some more obvious than others. As mortals, we still struggle to divine the true nature of the universe.
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0 | ![]() |
Spiritualist | 10 | |
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Eternal Vigilance To display weakness is to invite attack. The price of invading our space must be so high that as few as possible are prepared to meet it.
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0 | ![]() |
10 | ||
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Universal Transactions We shall extend our brand and our business to every solar system in the galaxy. Greed is eternal!
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0 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() | |
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Nihilistic Acquisition The notion of self-determination cannot be a moral absolute. Holistic goals clearly outweigh individual concerns.
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0 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() | |
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Lord of War Some say war is bad for business, but war is our business. Our mercenaries thrive in an embattled galaxy, and through them, so will we.
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0 | ![]() |
5 | ![]() | |
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Mechromancy Biologicals are merely a different kind of machine. We can stimulate the appropriate synapses and reanimate these creatures, for our own benefit.
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0 |
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10 | ![]() |
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Archaeo-Engineers Combining proven archaic technology with contemporary engineering will give us a timeless advantage.
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0 | ![]() |
4.5 | ![]() | |
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Xeno-Compatibility The invention of universal sexual biology has revolutionized society. Even if it sometimes requires awkward rotations to make a connection.
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0 | 10 | ![]() | ||
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Hydrocentric No longer shall we settle for 'good enough' replacements for our oceanic abodes: no planet shall be deemed fit for colonization until it has been thoroughly inundated.
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0 | 40 | ![]() | ||
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Detox Our newest advancements in terraforming allow us to breath new life into a class of planets formally considered irrevocably deadly and beyond salvation.
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0 | ![]() |
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20
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Voidborne We have adapted to permanent habitation in the depths of space, reducing our infrastructure needs and yielding more room on our habitats for other functions.
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0 | 10 | ![]() | ||
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Galactic Wonders Megastructures are rightfully regarded as the wonders of our time. The scope of such a project would have been unimaginable mere generations ago.
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0 | 10 | |||
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Grasp the Void The vast expanse of the galaxy holds limitless riches for those empires that understand how to maintain their grasp on the void.
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1 | 3 | |||
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World Shaper To carefully shape and alter the ecosystem of an entire planet into something else is not so very different from an artist sculpting a statue out of clay.
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1 | 5 | |||
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Enigmatic Engineering Technology is simply not a way to solve a problem, but it is a language by which we ascend beyond the mundane. Lesser minds simply fail to understand our advances.
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1 | 2 | ![]() | ||
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Galactic Weather Control Our latest advances in astrometeorology grant us the ability to manifest Cosmic Storms on command. With the right technology, we can even choose the type of storm to create.
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1 | ![]() |
0 | ![]() | |
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Galactic Force Projection The fleet is the instrument by which the will of our empire is made manifest - we live or die depending on its strength.
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2 | 10 | |||
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Arcology Project Thus shall we make a world of the city, and a city of the world.
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2 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() | |
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Hive Worlds We shall create living worlds that are every bit as much a part of the Hive as the drones that inhabit them.
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2 | ![]() |
20 | ![]() | |
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Machine Worlds We shall shape our worlds into a mirror image of ourselves, replacing the frailty of biology with the immutable perfection of metal.
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2 | 20 | ![]() | ||
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Master Builders Building a Megastructure requires an unprecedented amount of resources and planning. We are breaking new ground in the field of macro-engineering.
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2 | 10 | ![]() | ||
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Defender of the Galaxy As star nations vie with one another in petty disputes, sinister forces of unimaginable power are arraying themselves against all sapient life. Who will protect us?
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3 | 20
×0 if no crisis appeared and neither:
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Galactic Contender The Fallen Empires cling to the ruins of their decrepit civilizations, ever fearful of the younger and more dynamic races that surround them. Their time has long since passed.
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3 | ![]() |
4
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Colossus Project The Colossus Project is where fevered dreams of terror and deterrence meet. A vision of the biggest ship, carrying a weapon capable of devastating entire worlds.
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3 | ![]() |
10 | ![]() |
Ascension paths[edit | edit source]
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Available only with the Utopia, Synthetic Dawn, The Machine Age, or BioGenesis DLC enabled. |
Ascension paths are special ascension perks that unlock a tradition tree, as well as an agenda with the same name that unlocks technologies required to advance through the tradition tree. Each empire can only take one of these perks, and only if they have already selected two ascension perks and have an empty tradition slot available.
- Certain origins lock the empire into a specific ascension path. Empires with those origins cannot pick any of these perks, but can adopt the relevant ascension tradition tree without it.
- Empires with the civic cannot pursue ascension and therefore cannot pick any of these perks.
- Empires with the
Augmentation Bazaars civic cannot pick any of these perks except
The Flesh is Weak.
- Empires with the
Clone Army origin cannot pick the
Biomorphosis ascension perk until they complete the Genetic Crossroads event chain. If they complete the event chain, they can pick the
Biomorphosis ascension perk as their first ascension perk.
- Empires with the
Hard Reset origin can initially only pick the
The Flesh is Weak. If the founder species gains the
De-Cyberized trait it can no longer pick
The Flesh is Weak but unlocks the other ascension paths. A cyberized hard reset empire can take the Cybernetics tradition tree without the Flesh is Weak perk.
- Empires with the
Overtuned origin can pick
Biomorphosis as their second ascension perk.
Ascension perk | Tradition tree | Situation | Requirements | Ascension origins | AI weight | DLC | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Mind over Matter Only a fraction of the potential contained within our minds has been unlocked. The latent psionic abilities of our species are only now beginning to manifest in certain individuals.
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100 | ![]() | ||
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Synthetic Evolution It is time to abandon the flawed organic vessels that imprison our minds. By transferring our neural patterns into synthetic bodies, we will achieve a higher state of being.
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100 | ![]() ![]() | ||
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![]() ![]() The limits and constraints imposed on us by our feeble organic bodies are simply unacceptable. To reach our full potential, we must turn to cybernetic implants. |
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Either: | 100 | ![]() ![]() | ||
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Biomorphosis To leave our genetic destiny in the hands of nature is an inefficient and excruciatingly slow process. Why not jump-start the future of our species?
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100 | ![]() ![]() | ||
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Synthetic Age The age of organics has come and gone, the future of the galaxy belongs to the machines. This is the dawn of a synthetic age.
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100 | ![]() ![]() |
Crisis perks[edit | edit source]
Crisis perks are special ascension perks that unlock a player crisis progression. Each empire can only take one of these perks, and only if they have already selected 3 ascension perks. They cannot be taken if the empire is a Subject,
Galactic Custodian,
Galactic Emperor, or has the
Defender of the Galaxy ascension perk. They also cannot be taken by the
Minamar Specialized Industries. Crisis perks are not inherited by sectors released as vassals but the technologies unlocked by them are.
References[edit | edit source]
Exploration | Exploration • FTL • Unique systems • L-Cluster • Pre-FTL species • Fallen empire • Spaceborne aliens • Enclaves • Guardians • Marauders • Caravaneers |
Celestial bodies | Celestial body • Colonization • Planetary features • Planet modifiers |
Discovery | Discovery • Anomaly • Archaeological site • Astral rift • Relics • Collection |
Species | Species • Pop modification • Biological traits • Machine traits • Population • Species rights • Ethics |
Leaders | Leader • Common leader traits • Commander traits • Official traits • Scientist traits • Paragons |
Governance | Empire • Origin • Government • Civics • Council • Agendas • Policies • Edicts • Factions • Traditions • Ascension perks • Situations |
Economy | Resources • Planetary management • Districts • Jobs • Designation • Trade • Megastructures |
Buildings | Planet capital • Common buildings • Unique buildings • Holdings |
Ships | Ship • Ship designer • Core components • Weapon components • Utility components • Mutations • Offensive mutations |
Technology | Technology • Physics research • Society research • Engineering research |
Diplomacy | Diplomacy • Relations • Galactic community • Federations • Subject empires • Intelligence • AI personalities |
Warfare | Warfare • Space warfare • Land warfare • Starbase • Crisis |
Others | Events • The Shroud • Preset empires • AI players • Stat modifiers • Console commands • Easter eggs |