Interested in what is coming in the next dlc.

[cryptkeeper]

I know the game isn't in the best place right now hopefully outstanding issues should be addressed before hand or at the very very least day 1 of the new dlc,

The psionic expansion getting much closer has got me thinking about the DLC. Especially sense we are already in Q3 which likely means the DLC is in a month or two time. A few things we are know are coming psionic hiveminds, machines too in some fashion due to the situation shown in the steam page. We are also getting a new enclave? End of the Cycle Revamped ?

I've noticed a pattern, that I am unsure will continue with these ascension reworks, but they seem to want to split the ascensions into 3, though this may not continue considering

Carve your path into the Shroud
Breaching the Shroud unfolds as a three-stage situation, where your decisions will determine your empire’s spiritual destiny and determine your attunement to specific Patrons in the Shroud.

After you breach into the Shroud, you will have access to a new Shroud Panel, where you can visually analyze your attunement to the Shroud. The more you attune to specific Patrons, the more benefits and bonuses you will unlock.

But maybe that is available to all 3 psionic ascensions, I hoping we get the normal psionic ascension enhance your mind, a new energy being ascension(changes not only your mind but body too), Unsure what the 3rd would be.

Stellaris: Shadows of the Shroud will also feature New Origins, Civics, Government types, events, portraits, ships… and more!

We are getting a lot of the normal features dlc features, but also a new shipset ( which has been confirmed to be mechanical) and portraits. The portraits I imagine will just be splits between the phenotypes. I speculate one of the new origins will be the one to allow machines to ascend psionically. I predict 2-3 origins for this dlc what will be the other, if one is for machines?

I'm curious if we will get more species traits, I would like some minor psionic like traits, that don't require you to ascend.

 

[Calvax]

It wouldn’t surprise me if psi ascension is like bio with variable traits based on how you develop it. Or it might be one tree with the customisation coming in the panel.

Personally I’m just hoping we’ll have non patron options that are just as valid and fleshed out. I’m wary that we won’t which will be a shame since it doesn’t make sense for every empire to sell their souls, and the souls of their descendants, to eldritch aliens.

 

[Thiend]

It wouldn’t surprise me if psi ascension is like bio with variable traits based on how you develop it. Or it might be one tree with the customisation coming in the panel.

Personally I’m just hoping we’ll have non patron options that are just as valid and fleshed out. I’m wary that we won’t which will be a shame since it doesn’t make sense for every empire to sell their souls, and the souls of their descendants, to eldritch aliens.

My thematic minimums are paths that avoid a patron (at least in the current sense of subordination) and that avoid the god-emperor event being necessary.

It must be possible to avoid both, simultaneously.

This splits relatively cleanly into a God-Emperor path, a Chaos God path, and a "make your own path" independent route.

In order to avoid being too thematically limited, there absolutely must be paths that aren't tied to any particular ethic. Current Psionic is 100% tied to Spiritualist/Authoritarian. Any individual path can be tied to an individual or even combination of ethics, but there also must be options that are not.

 

[Calvax]

My thematic minimums are paths that avoid a patron (at least in the current sense of subordination) and that avoid the god-emperor event being necessary.

It must be possible to avoid both, simultaneously.

This splits relatively cleanly into a God-Emperor path, a Chaos God path, and a "make your own path" independent route.

In order to avoid being too thematically limited, there absolutely must be paths that aren't tied to any particular ethic. Current Psionic is 100% tied to Spiritualist/Authoritarian. Any individual path can be tied to an individual or even combination of ethics, but there also must be options that are not.

Completely agreed. I’ve said several times in the past I’d rather have the chosen one split out to be a patron less option. That would represent an independent option where your power is focused on one person (which could be authoritarian or could be not).

Another option could be for your people to carve out their own domain through which they can share power in an ad-hoc fashion. Essentially being a more egalitarian option.

 

[cryptkeeper]

This splits relatively cleanly into a God-Emperor path, a Chaos God path, and a "make your own path" independent route.

I don't think we need three separate ascension trees to represent this. I would be more interested in having different psionic related ascensions, and have the way you interact with the shroud as chooses later.

Breaching the Shroud unfolds as a three-stage situation, where your decisions will determine your empire’s spiritual destiny and determine your attunement to specific Patrons in the Shroud.

You could have that choose here. I do agree you should be able to reject attuning to a patron, instead chart your own path or unite your people into the will of one God emperor.

 

[Swarm lover]

It wouldn’t surprise me if psi ascension is like bio with variable traits based on how you develop it. Or it might be one tree with the customisation coming in the panel.

Personally I’m just hoping we’ll have non patron options that are just as valid and fleshed out. I’m wary that we won’t which will be a shame since it doesn’t make sense for every empire to sell their souls, and the souls of their descendants, to eldritch aliens.

The Zronni could do it why not us. Or at least "make" our own entity

 

[Swarm lover]

Personnally have a few things i hope get added:

1) Actual "levels" to psionic powers always felt weird that apart from the god emperor everyone was the exact same level of strength in psionics. Would probably focus on leaders but can imagine your population getting stronger psionically over time.

2) One theme i hope they add is a type of ascendance like the daemon princes from 40K or the ascended from league of legends. Basically a specific leader can try accumulating enough power to "ascend" shedding physical form and being incredibly powerful psionically to the point of being able to be considered nearly god like. (The actual god emperor could become a much stronger version of that).

3) Actual psionic strength. What i mean by that is if i got 1OOO psionic pops then the powers i can use and their effects should be much lower if i have 10000 psionic pops and a god emperor. The new enclave seems like its gonna be there to curb your power so got a bit of hope for it.

4) The "god emperor" event stops removing the fanatic purifier civic and have different government variants (and ethics) based off the patron or your own ethics if patronless.

5) Patrons actually interacting with you and potentially paying attention. So right now the patrons are kind of fire and forget outside of their costs and never get angry with you. What i would like is you patron having some kind of satisfaction bar showing how angry or upset they are with you, do well enough and they might shower you with goodies like a parent spoiling their favorite child, displease them and they might throw some punishement your way. (so there would need to be a passive way and active way to make them happy to avoid doom loops for example for the eater of worlds).

6) Being able to "pay" your patron with other species. Basically right now the eater of worlds is the one asking for the most while the instrument of desire the least but it is always your main species. What i would like is for example lets say i have a covenant with the eater of worlds and have a bunch of xenos in my empire i could set up a special building where they are forced to fight to the death for the patrons pleasure (so the pops would actually die after a while. If i dont got xenos i would have to use my own species.

EDIT: I would also love if consecrated worlds got a glow up with this dlc, like consecrated worlds can be dedicated to your patron or something, or heck they might decide this a specific planet interests them go get it. Also a glow up for the spiritualist collossus gun and maybe a collossus gun that temporarly turns the target into a shrouded world where your patron feasts on the souls of the population there and turns it back to a regular world after a while.
Also hoping shrouded worlds get some love too, shame you really cant do anything with them.
ALso hoping the shroud enclave gets a much needed upgraded or relavency cus they just dont make the cut. Was hoping they would react to you making a covenant or feeling your chosen one and react accordingly. (They could be the opposite of the new enclave who seems to be about curbing the use of psionics what if you get a chosen one and the enclave joins you or a portion sides with you.)

 

[Ikael]

I really, really, REALLY hope that we can explore psionic tropes other than "selling your soul to the discount Warhammer chaos gods". If everything revolves around those jerks in the new DLC I would be extremely disappointed. I want my psionic ascension to be one of liberation, not submission.

 

[Nyrael]

It doesn't seem to me like Psionic Ascension will have different paths in the same way as the Genetic Ascension. Instead, division will most likely be about what Covenant you chose (and hopefully choosing none will get proper support rather than just not having to deal with sacrifices). And if and how you interact with the End of the Cycle (which is also getting an overhaul and hopefully will return to being an Apocalyptic Crisis).

but they seem to want to split the ascensions into 3

Only Genetic and Machine Ascensions are spit into 3. Cybernetic and Synthetic are split into two. And even Machine and Genetic don't use the exact same pattern. So there is no real pattern, each Ascension does divisions in its own way.

 

[Swarm lover]

I really, really, REALLY hope that we can explore psionic tropes other than "selling your soul to the discount Warhammer chaos gods". If everything revolves around those jerks in the new DLC I would be extremely disappointed. I want my psionic ascension to be one of liberation, not submission.

I do agree that either a patronless choice or straight up making your own (even if less powerful) should be a must.

 

[Nerisande]

I think there would be no separate paths, but there will be a choice between Shroud Patrons during the Ascension situation. I really wish to see a "materialist" path without worshipping any gods and studying the psionics with scientific method, but it is highly unlikely to be introduced. I would be surprised if I'm wrong.
So just only the choice between Patrons and maybe some "collectivist vs individualist" options, that would determine advanced authority type. Going collectivist makes your pops connected into psionic network (like Protoss Khala from Starcraft) and focuses on pop bonuses, going into individualism boosts leaders (WH40K Daemon Princes and/or maybe God Emperor).
The new Origin would be available for Machines according to screenshots from Steam DLC page.
Also the End of the Cycle will be reworked into Crisis Path.

 

[Calvax]

I really wish to see a "materialist" path without worshipping any gods and studying the psionics with scientific method, but it is highly unlikely to be introduced

I could take that or leave it. On the one hand the idea of a metaphysical realm that reacts to conscious interaction in a way that isn't amenable to empirical study is a cool idea. On the other having a path where a society develops their powers into reliable psychic technology rather than innate capabilities is also very cool.

 

[Alfray Stryke]

Only Genetic and Machine Ascensions are spit into 3. Cybernetic and Synthetic are split into two. And even Machine and Genetic don't use the exact same pattern. So there is no real pattern, each Ascension does divisions in its own way.

We tried to make the revamped ascension paths "rhyme" without being mechanically identical.

 

[DiscoRay]

We tried to make the revamped ascension paths "rhyme" without being mechanically identical.

Now we can have bugs in stanzas!

 

[Calvax]

We tried to make the revamped ascension paths "rhyme" without being mechanically identical.

On the off chance you're ok to answer this question: do we have to pick a patron to get the most out of psionic ascension? I know technically we don't need a patron with the ascension now but if you don't pick it you're just leaving out on the top benefits of psionic.

 

[Swarm lover]

Also hoping we get to see what the toxic god wants to slay with the horizon needle. It mentioned it threaten the entire galaxy and was the legacy of those that were once divine.

 

[Zaacplot300]

Also hoping we get to see what the toxic god wants to slay with the horizon needle. It mentioned it threaten the entire galaxy and was the legacy of those that were once divine.

I assumed it wanted to go after the End of the Cycle, since “those that were once divine” probably refers to the Divine faction of the Zroni

 

[ShandoKhan]

I thought about something more Jedi-like:
A more leader focussed path, where certain people in your empire devellop stronger "force" like abilities, depending on decisions, they might take over gouverment, or help maintaining peace. Where your leaders with the psionic trait will change their leader class and having psionic based traits.
An admiral could have battle meditation, buffing your ships in the system, foresight to dodge, or better hit, officials could see parts of the future and reduce storm dmg, etc.
This could be a path where you dont need to be a spiritualist, as materialists could argue they are using a natural energy, like energy credits, just with a slightly different "battery"".

Another path I could imagine is becoming a (semi) hivemind. All these people telepathically connected could them slowly loosing their sense of self, acting more like an ant colony on the more extreme version, where "the chorus of the people in the hive" is more important than a single voice, while on the more individualist path, people would be really linked together like the protoss and celebrate this connection as something deeply spiritual and holy.

Both would be less about the shroud and the chaos gods, so I guess its highly unlikely we get something like that.

 

[Swarm lover]

I assumed it wanted to go after the End of the Cycle, since “those that were once divine” probably refers to the Divine faction of the Zroni

True but i dont feel like it really threatens the galaxy. Like it eats yes inhabited planets but doesnt destroy stars or anything.

Edit: speaking of one thing i hope they do is give the galactic nemesis crisis some love. Its kinda the "psionic crisis" but in terms of look and identity its the most lacking in my opinion and def needs some spice.

 

[Swarm lover]

I thought about something more Jedi-like:
A more leader focussed path, where certain people in your empire devellop stronger "force" like abilities, depending on decisions, they might take over gouverment, or help maintaining peace. Where your leaders with the psionic trait will change their leader class and having psionic based traits.
An admiral could have battle meditation, buffing your ships in the system, foresight to dodge, or better hit, officials could see parts of the future and reduce storm dmg, etc.
This could be a path where you dont need to be a spiritualist, as materialists could argue they are using a natural energy, like energy credits, just with a slightly different "battery"".

Another path I could imagine is becoming a (semi) hivemind. All these people telepathically connected could them slowly loosing their sense of self, acting more like an ant colony on the more extreme version, where "the chorus of the people in the hive" is more important than a single voice, while on the more individualist path, people would be really linked together like the protoss and celebrate this connection as something deeply spiritual and holy.

Both would be less about the shroud and the chaos gods, so I guess its highly unlikely we get something like that.

Honestly would love if you could build "enclaves" for your psionics to focus completely on mastery of the shroud.