Ascension Paths are a set of unique, game-changing options that allow your empire to evolve and gain powerful bonuses. Ascension Paths were introduced in the Utopia expansion and provide players with long-term goals and specialized paths for their civilizations. There are three main Ascension Paths:
- Psionic Ascension: Choosing the Psionic Ascension Path allows your species to unlock latent psionic abilities, granting various bonuses related to psionics. Psionic empires can research psionic technologies, communicate with other psionic beings, and even manipulate the minds of other species. Psionic leaders, ships, and armies gain unique abilities, making this path a popular choice for players interested in psionics and mind-focused gameplay.
- Synthetic Ascension: With the Synthetic Ascension Path, your species embraces the integration of artificial intelligence, becoming fully synthetic beings. This transformation offers significant bonuses, such as immunity to biological threats, increased lifespans, and the ability to colonize and live on planets unsuitable for organic life. Synthetic empires focus on robotics, and their pops can be specialized into various robotic worker units to optimize resource production.
- Biological Ascension: The Biological Ascension Path allows your species to manipulate its own genetic code, embracing advanced biological modifications and enhancements. By embracing genetic engineering, you can create customized species tailored to specific tasks, such as producing more resources, adapting to different environments, or excelling in combat. Biological Ascension offers the flexibility to adapt your species to various challenges and environments, making it a versatile choice for players who want to shape their species’ traits according to their gameplay strategy.
To pursue an Ascension Path, your empire needs to research specific technologies related to that path. Once you have completed the necessary research, you can choose an Ascension Perk associated with the desired path. Each Ascension Path has unique Ascension Perks, which unlock further options and abilities as you progress along that path.