Stellaris Dev Diary #63: Synthetic and Biological Ascension

[Orinsul]

is it whole population
or whole primary species population??

also does your species survive outside of your borders?
can you delegate worlds or pops not to convert?

Do slaves convert? id assume yes, but it would be good if no

 

[Elfwind]

I'm sorry what, yeah I think we need to go no further than this if you thin that the idea of colonizing other planets is silly no serious discussion can be held from there. What you view as silly I view as essential to the survival of mankind. The notion that we could survive without colonizing other planets is what's silly.

Until Humans can defeat the great destroyers of civilization (hatred, fear, lust, apathy, greed, selfishness, pride) and create a stable culture and society that recognizes the values of adaptability and strength it will eventually self-destruct or be destroyed by another race. Yes we need to colonize another world, (hello trapper system!) but we also need to master ourselves.

I have to admit..? I'm a little shocked. I feel like after the initial teaser video for Utopia that the Synthetic path is off key. I'm not saying it's weak. I don't see a problem with it necessarily, I just figured ASCENSION to mean a little more than all android pops. I kinda figured what we saw in that teaser was a planet covered in servers housing the consciousness of all of your pops. I kinda figured that's what the Synthetic path would end in. Immortal computer pops that send out drones to do their bidding, rather than... well... synths. Which... are already in the game. I'm similarly surprised that synths aren't locked off to the ascension trait as Psyonics have been (unless I'm mistaken). I mean, sure, keep robots and droids open to anyone, but I feel like Synths should be locked behind the ascension if that's what they're going with for the final perk.

Similarly, I was hoping for a little more out of the Biological path. Genemodding is nice, but it still feels very restricted. I feel like you should be able to mod into your species more than to a specific planet type. I feel like the goal of a biological ascension would be to be without any negative traits and be exceedingly adaptive. Capable of living in any climate type. Including Tomb worlds... which... again is already a tech in the game. I also saw an earlier post mentioning Bioships, I think that would be a neat Ascension-perk only un-lockable tech.

In general I feel like that would fit the theme better of 'ascending to utopia' overall.

It would be absolutely amazing if Dyson Spheres had a special version for Synthetic ascension that was like the Geth in ME2. Then you're territory was defined by Dyson spheres as you start to abandon planets as outdated.

 

[Sinister2202]

"Delicious trait"... The species sole purpose is to be born and eaten thereafter... I like it.

Charbroiled human burger topped with sauteed blorg...

 

[Belaaron]

The synthetic path seems a little primitive. But I guess it's just a game anyway.

Still, one would expect such a supposedly advanced species to have progressed to pure nanotech...with bodies capable of assuming nearly any configuration imaginable or required...and capable of assimilating any variety of materials to automatically self-replicate as needed, and to fuel their individual energy needs on-demand.

In the grand scheme of things though...in reality the biological and synthetic paths would end exactly the same way...through nanotech.

Psionics still just needs to not exist. So tired of magic...

 

[SevenSerpents]

The synthetic path seems a little primitive. But I guess it's just a game anyway.

Still, one would expect such a supposedly advanced species to have progressed to pure nanotech...with bodies capable of assuming nearly any configuration imaginable or required...and capable of assimilating any variety of materials to automatically self-replicate as needed, and to fuel their individual energy needs on-demand.

In the grand scheme of things though...in reality the biological and synthetic paths would end exactly the same way...through nanotech.

Psionics still just needs to not exist. So tired of magic...

Space Magic's been here since day one, friend.

 

[Meneliki]

Your nerve-stapled sheep will mean nothing in the face of the psionic horrors I unleash upon your worlds.

Your words are as empty as your future, fungus. Your frail bodies will be liquefied to feed the Collective.

lol, in all seriousness - would be cool to see some lore-ish 'counters' to psionics and other things. Something they fear.

#RiftsPsyStalkers
#AntaranMindBlind

etc

 

[ThatRabidPotato]

Meh. I'm only ever going to play a Psionic Path anyway. And the haters that don't like Psionics can go get vaporized.

 

[Rubidium]

Your words are as empty as your future, fungus. Your frail bodies will be liquefied to feed the Collective.

lol, in all seriousness - would be cool to see some lore-ish 'counters' to psionics and other things. Something they fear.

#RiftsPsyStalkers
#AntaranMindBlind

etc

You mean aside from the danger of having their souls devoured by demons every time they make contact with the Shroud?

It may be necessary for a synthetic or genetically engineered race to regularly purge the psychic species just to prevent them from unleashing the Eye of Terror on the galaxy (or at least the Unbidden).

 

[Paulus Leto]

Psionics still just needs to not exist. So tired of magic...

As has been stated, your preference in sci-fi is not necessarily what the majority of players want, and we aren't beholden to eliminative materialism. Psionics also makes play interesting for those who prefer the spiritualist empires and RP.

 

[Magnificent Genius]

I would guess that when you go synth, your POPS don't become pure synths, they become synths with your species traits. So if you are an Industrious, Thrifty, Sedentary species, then you keep those traits when you go synth.

 

[Untrustedlife]

I would guess that when you go synth, your POPS don't become pure synths, they become synths with your species traits. So if you are an Industrious, Thrifty, Sedentary species, then you keep those traits when you go synth.

Wiz also said on twitter awhile back that their bodies will be "fully functional" (wink wink) likely meaning they will be capable of reproducing like any other species.

 

[Anaris]

Well, the biological path is the only one who have no immortality (for chosen ones or for all). Sad irony.
And what biological path have? Gene-modded warriors, who already in game (sic!), replaceable positive traits, and "advanced perks" like additional +10% habitability. No advanced bioconstruct (like Xenomorph army), who we can build/grow and use like robots, no special events to interact with flora and fauna on the planets, no immortality, and ofc no bioships or someone like that (its just a dream, not expectation). So dissapointed.
@Wiz, Im sorry, but biological path dont look like ascention path. Its look like little mod from Steam Workshop.

 

[Anaris]

Wiz also said on twitter awhile back that their bodies will be "fully functional" (wink wink) likely meaning they will be capable of reproducing like any other species.

Was ist das? A pregnant robot?

 

[TheShah]

Well, the biological path is the only one who have no immortality (for chosen ones or for all). Sad irony.
And what biological path have? Gene-modded warriors, who already in game (sic!), replaceable positive traits, and "advanced perks" like additional +10% habitability. No advanced bioconstruct (like Xenomorph army), who we can build/grow and use like robots, no special events to interact with flora and fauna on the planets, no immortality, and ofc no bioships or someone like that (its just a dream, not expectation). So dissapointed.
@Wiz, Im sorry, but biological path dont look like ascention path. Its look like little mod from Steam Workshop.

they'll flesh it out in time. that's a lot to ask for at once.

 

[Noomie]

Interesting decision to just improve on existing mechanics for their ascensions, i'm really happy that was explained because it totally makes sense since psi things didn't really have any interesting mechanics beforehand.

That aside, I hope Bio and Synths have events related to them, I know events are bad bang for your buck as far as replay-ability but it would be nice.

 

[tkamin]

Will planetary captials (and related building) produce Energy instead of unused Food for species after Synthetic Evolution?

 

[Princess Stabbity]

Will planetary captials (and related building) produce Energy instead of unused Food for species after Synthetic Evolution?

In Banks everyone's capitals produce energy and unity.

 

[TheDungen]

Until Humans can defeat the great destroyers of civilization (hatred, fear, lust, apathy, greed, selfishness, pride) and create a stable culture and society that recognizes the values of adaptability and strength it will eventually self-destruct or be destroyed by another race. Yes we need to colonize another world, (hello trapper system!) but we also need to master ourselves.

All those emotions serve a purpose, hatred gives you the drive to destroy your enemies before they destroy you. fear keeps you alive. Lust keeps the planet populated. apathy helps you deal with hos absurd the universe really is, selfishness is self interest and the enlightened form of it is probably the best morality principle that mankind had produced to date, also altruism is a myth, pride? what is that word even supposed to mean? And stability is the opposite of change, in an ever changing universe there can be no stability. Also we have plenty of cultures and that's awesome. Adaptability is the only really good point you make. And strength is a nonsense word, unless you mean physical strength because then you're just plan wrong. Symbolic strength is like willpower, or being pure of heart, or any such meaningless phrase.
Most of that is a religious breakdown of the so called vices. Well turns out the vices are things evolution gave us to keep us alive.

 

[BlackUmbrellas]

The synthetic path seems a little primitive. But I guess it's just a game anyway.

Still, one would expect such a supposedly advanced species to have progressed to pure nanotech...with bodies capable of assuming nearly any configuration imaginable or required...and capable of assimilating any variety of materials to automatically self-replicate as needed, and to fuel their individual energy needs on-demand.

In the grand scheme of things though...in reality the biological and synthetic paths would end exactly the same way...through nanotech.

"In reality", nanotech has become a meme and there are serious doubts within the scientific community that something like grey goo could actually be physically possible.

Really, you've answered your own question- the Synthetic Ascension path doesn't use nanotech as super-biology because that'd just make it the same as the Genetic Ascension path, only chrome. Boring. Varied game mechanics and flavour are good, and there's no real reason why "pure nanotech" would be superior to more conventional robotics (it's not actually hard to draw up weaknesses of nanotech, even in fiction).

Well, the biological path is the only one who have no immortality (for chosen ones or for all). Sad irony.
And what biological path have? Gene-modded warriors, who already in game (sic!), replaceable positive traits, and "advanced perks" like additional +10% habitability. No advanced bioconstruct (like Xenomorph army), who we can build/grow and use like robots, no special events to interact with flora and fauna on the planets, no immortality, and ofc no bioships or someone like that (its just a dream, not expectation). So dissapointed.
@Wiz, Im sorry, but biological path dont look like ascention path. Its look like little mod from Steam Workshop.

Remember that the Utopia DLC locks all the psi-techs already in the game behind the Psionic Ascension Path perks- making Gene Warriors be a perk-specific thing isn't exactly a strange move. Additionally, its tied into the brand-new Hive Mind government to some degree, and the combination of new Traits and the ability to finally add negative traits and remove positive ones is something people have been wanted for a long time.

 

[Vanhal]

For a such huge and important concept like the ASCENSION (really, it's friggin everywhere in sci-fi), those paths looks somewhat underwhelming and uninspired.

And the same synth portait for all don't even have sense for most species out there. I would think PDX already learned from CK2 that portaits, while being small part of the game, have disproportionally huge impact on immersion and fun. But apparently this isn't the case.