Stellaris Machine Age Synthetic Ascension

Stellaris The Machine Age has reworked the Cybernetic & Synthetic Ascension Paths. In this video we are going to look at the reworked Synthetic Ascension and the Synthesization situation. We will also explore the new government authorities and how to get them!
Lets dive in!
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Chapters:
0:00 Synth Ascension Has Changed!
00:38 Starting Synthetic Ascension
01:25 Synthesization Situation
02:12 Synthesization Events
06:28 Synthetic Tradition
08:26 Virtual Authorities
12:23 Physical Authorities
15:08 How Strong Is Synthetic Ascension?
Stellaris Version 3.12
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[@MontuPlays]

GRAB 70% off Stellaris & up to 50% off Stellaris DLC in the Humble Bundle Stellaris SALE: www.humblebundle.com/store/stellaris?partner=montuplays This link will take you to the Stellaris humble bundle store home page where you can then find other DLC recommended below in 'Related Content' or search for 'Stellaris' (or whatever else you want).

[@PuppetMasterdaath144]

Never played this and it looks difficult

[@lazarus1272]

Individualistic Machines: "Look at what they need to mimic a fraction of our power!"

[@reeven1721]

Yeah, ngl this kinda sucks. Synthetic Ascension is the OG path to machine individualism and it feels like the devs just stole it to create a version that's better *on top* of being available straight from game start. The *journey* of a biological civilization ascending themselves into machine bodies *being one of the first to do so at galactic scale* was the entire point, and making it a default start option cheapens that roleplay and sucks the fun out of it.

[@AGuy-vq9qp]

​@@reeven1721They also ripped the flavour of progressing from cyborgs to full metal jhst so people could have le funny cyborg ascension.

[@MJ-dn4pb]

Think, Montu, think!

[@Jokie155]

@@reeven1721 Nah, I hated that individualist machines weren't a starting option. That really sucked out so much of what I wanted to see personally from story exploration. I'm glad it's finally been added in.

[@lite4998]

@@reeven1721 Speak for yourself. I always hated how you couldn't start as individualist machines. I do think they should buff synth ascension for biological empires though. Like, maybe make the advanced ascension paths available after it?

[@Rickus316]

Montu has assimilated his consciousness up to a Synth I’m 100% sure with all these videos dropping

[@MontuPlays]

Hello fellow organics, hows it going?

[@fluttershygirl6180]

@@MontuPlays it's going quite Emotion Emulators today? hmm? (You've been doing amazing on your videos! keep up the great work.}

[@blahmaster6k]

@@MontuPlays So many organic meatbags in the comments. They have so many fleshy bits, and all that water. How they can stand the constant sloshing, I have no idea.

[@spacegremlin9972]

Lets not forget the BANGER OSTs this dlc added, they best stellaris music has ever been

[@mohamedjear8917]

it is really sadening to see regular synthetic ascension fading to irrelevance.

[@filipwolffs]

Yeah... It's cool that machine has gotten some love, but for Synthetic Ascension lovers it's a bittersweet thing.

[@nt78stonewobble]

Well, if you play single player, you can still choose to play just for the fun of it and the way you want to, even if it's just for roleplay and immersion. :) I do agree, that it would have been nice to see all the things be fully integrated together, but sadly sometimes we have to settle for less.

[@mohamedjear8917]

@@nt78stonewobble I wish the custodians would balance them up in the next updates.

[@nt78stonewobble]

@@mohamedjear8917 I suspect there will be a lot of balancing going on in the future.

[@daniellundberg9225]

Under One Rule offers a path to making regular synth ascension still relevant on power level, unless that's been stealth nerfed I guess. TBH I'm struggling with synth ascension more for the fact that there's /still/ no portraits I like. Can't we get like human-looking synths looking at least as cool as the tech cards make them out to be, please? It's actually an issue, for me personally, overall. Most of the Stellaris portraits, while well made, lack depth and options that give variety to the leaders. I'd happily open my wallet for pure cosmetic DLCs is they could offer that, and maybe some bug fixes on the side. :P

[@sampfrost]

seems dumb that synthetic ascension can’t access the three machine ascension paths, and made me restart my run because of it

[@mohamedjear8917]

Spot on

[@pll3827]

Setting up Biological Enclaves, then having everyone in them forcefully 'harvested' to gain pops and remove a blocker. Peak Stellaris moment.

[@justinsinke2088]

Heh, virtual government type for imperial authority is pretty much becoming the Necrons from Warhammer 40K. Can you imagine how hard the empire would be to conquer if you turtle with that, subterranean, sovereign guardian, and vigilance? Your planets would be an absolute bear to conquer. Hmm...I wonder if you can also start with Reanimators so that there's not only a 1/3 chance of your defeated armies coming back, but a chance each attacking army being defeated adds zombie defenders to your side.

[@TheNarrator6020]

A friend of mine made a terrifying build with virtual. He went sovereign guardianship + citizen service. His soldiers started the game producing 3 unity each (the base for priests is 4) with no upkeep. He then immediately took unyielding so they became better than priests. And rushed virtual ascension and a commisioner admiral to level 8 in order to get the quartermaster destiny trait. Which made his soldiers produce minerals and energy so he could just spam out only soldiers and be entirely fine. At the end he had 100k armies.

[@lucjanl1262]

​@@TheNarrator6020 so, could soldiers be alternatively used in virtual ascention rush? If they are better than priests at cost of small upkeep while also providing other bonuses, could they be spammed to gain goatload of unity and unlock virtual ascention quickly (or any other ascention tbh)?

[@jakebhenry2228]

@@TheNarrator6020When you are so geared for war that your spirituality is eclipsed by a need that there is a battalion for every home.

[@TheNarrator6020]

@@lucjanl1262 Soldiers have literally no upkeep so with that build they're just entirely better than priests and it's silly. And yes you can use it with any militarist build to rush any ascension virtuality was just to make himself impossible to invade as any pops that died to collateral were instantly recreated.

[@dianabialaskahansen2972]

It is sad that synthetic ascension is so poor compared to the machine paths. Really think the end bonuses of the tradition should be nearly similar to Virtual or Modular.

[@caad5258]

The one advantage Synthetic Ascension has over Individual Machine starts, is that they can assimilate organic pops.

[@Vaprous]

I mean so can Individualistic Machines ....right into the Synaptic Lathe.

[@caad5258]

@@Vaprous true

[@tachyonrailgun]

I really think they just need to bring all the bio ascensions up to par with the new machine ones. Rebalance the new ones, then add to the bio ascensions to make them as interesting. I think more than strength the old ascensions need more flavor and story. Interesting mechanics and strength would come with it. Psionic is the closest but even that need a little love.

[@jakobknudsen6864]

I would be shocked if one or more future DLCs did not rework Biological & Psionic ascensions to bring them up to par with cybernetic and synthetic (flavor/option wise). Especially given how well-recieved this DLC was

[@kracsad6901]

Montu missed the part where machine's "durable" trait just reduses upkeep

[@Xcyiterr]

yeah I was wondering about that too

[@kracsad6901]

@@Vaprous Did you generate this comment by AI? Pop upkeep reduction doesn't affect amenities and almost useless in this game.

[@unholyxeras8182]

@@Vaprous Pop upkeep is literally just the food/minerals/energy each pop requires (At Base this is 1 of the relevant resource per pop) In the case of Robots, this means their energy upkeep. Honestly, the Durable trait is just not worth it for saving a tiny bit of energy per pop

[@Xcyiterr]

​@@Vaprous lol no that's just wrong

[@robguy8501]

He found that out on stream recently during a play through. Honestly it's really silly that they used the same name and icon when they added the cybernetic durability trait but made it completely different from the machine trait it looks like.

[@s0meb0dy78]

I just love feeling the excitement that this DLC has added again to Stellaris again. I think more Event Chains is the way forward for the game. Now I want more sci fi stuff to happen in my game...

[@PreciseGameplay]

I'm really grateful for these new ascension breakdown vids, thanks Montu.

[@amirali4428]

7:16 Hey montu. Did u miss that synth durable trait is the crappy one that machines get? 10% upkeep instead of 50% less ameneties

[@MontuPlays]

You know what, I did! That sucks!

[@fleischerkalle7198]

Now I can fully larp as necrons with imperial transmission

[@gggggg-jy7up]

Your audiovisual medium causes my emotion emulators to be stimulated with "joy"

[@papichulo7241]

Now we just need something like this for the other Ascension paths

[@jakobknudsen6864]

Indeed!

[@brycehunter3457]

I'm sure it is coming

[@johnquach8821]

Thank you so much for posting this video! I think the synthetic governments are interesting!

[@MrLunahalo]

they should, for thematic purposes, come up with an ascension path for robots to turn into a bio empire.

[@carlanderson5068]

Call it "More than Machine" and have a Robin Williams Bicentennial Man inspired pic.

[@iterationfackshet1990]

Honestly synthetic ascension seems best for under one rule with the bonuses you get from that and the advanced government authorities.

[@vladimiravich7260]

10:45 *The Necron have entered the chat*

[@ObiwanNekody]

So much great content in this DLC

[@denzeldenzel6377]

Thats it guys. Montu synthetic ascend to be able to put so much content in such a little time. My hero does not use a cape, he is a machine

[@regiliok]

i wonder how strong a bio hive mind can be with this new update and what paths are the best for that

[@nomoreweebs]

while the bonus for bio-synth empires are worse i wouldn't discount the fact that they get assimilation besides virtual empires they should have the most pop growth .

[@covilderagnaros1028]

I like Overturned Genetic Ascension. You can get both Auto-Mod Traits (Vocational Genomics and Fleeeting Excellence)

[@johnbauman4168]

Pop growth is irrelevant for virtual machines. Have jobs available? Instantly filled. I really don't see any reason to begin as an organic with the goal of synthetic ascension, other than just for roleplay

[@radeksilar543]

With Virtuality Oligarchy, Cutthroat Politics civic and leader skills lovering Edict fund, I was able to reduce Edict cost to -90%. From then while all Edicts active, nothing could stop me, even with my obsolete ships.

[@noragrey7016]

I can not pick the virituality while i am Synthetic Fertility Origin and also I didn´t get the advanced Goverment with SF.

[@user-qz5hj6ex3t]

3:10 АААА - NECRONS!!!!!!!!!

[@Nooctae]

What would be the current power order of ascensions ? I feel like it's something like S- Virtual A- Nanite, Psionic, Modularity B- Synthetic, Cyborg, Biological I'm not sure though, it's hard to have enough experience on all of them. It's rather interesting that Machines have their own 3 ascensions now though, even if they powercreep the organic ascensions hard.

[@MANoob100]

Psionic isn't as good as Modularity. Modularity is borderline S, I think it can actually give Vitrual a run for its money in the right circumstances. Psionic may be slightly weaker than the new Cyborgs and Synths, even if they're not on par with machine ascensions. My current ranking, which may be wrong and needs more testing: Virtual Modlarity Nanotech Synthetic Cyborg Psionic Bio I actally disagree with Montu that Synth is weaker than Cyber, while it does feel like bootleg Modularity it still gets way more pop growth than Cyber/Psi with similar levels of pop efficiency now thanks to things like exotic fuel engines and takes about the same time to get (slightly longer but only very slightly so). The one I'm least sure of is Nanotech, it does feel powerful but it takes time to take off and I haven't really optimised a Nanotech rush build yet.

[@artam8609]

It's between Virtuality and Modularity but it really comes down to how you define power. Virtuality hits such a hard power spike 30-40 years in that you're easily able to just snowball the rest of the way to victory. However if Modularity is left to it's own devices in the long run it becomes everything Virtuality is and more, we're talking +60% resources from jobs and enough pop assembly to make Virtuals instant pops more of a QoL thing than anything else, ontop of being able to have as many planets as you'd like.

[@Nooctae]

@@MANoob100 Interesting. Sounds like I need to do another Modularity run, I'm probably not remembering everything it gives. I think people tend to undervalue psionic, but I also tend to value it higher than most too. A very quick Eater of World Covenant is a really scary timing that other ascensions don't hit.

[@MANoob100]

@@Nooctae Modularity is pretty simple, it just gets +75% output from traits with easy to pay strategic resource upkeep (dark matter engines and exotic fuel), plus ti gets insane assembly, around 20 with all the normal bonuses, though right after ascending it will be more like 10. And you can go beyound 20 if you find scavenger bot or go cosmogenesis as cosmogenesis gives you a spammable roboticist building. So you can go wide and get very strong pop output + tons of pop assembly, genesis guides is a pretty strong civic for this style as it allows you to rush asension with its big unity rewards every time you uplift and even more pops, just need to have a decent number of planets around to colonise. Psionic i would say was the best non gestalt ascension in 3.11, in 3.12 though everyone got substantial buffs so I'm not sure it holds up to Cyber & Synth now (It may still) Cyber and Synth got their ascension rush origins now, and Synth got easier to get. They also got more pop output across the board, including access to automodding and Synth gets a lot of pop assembly. Psy can outproduce them on the sanctum world (which you can make into an ecu and resettle everyone there), but a lot of things need to align to make it happen.

[@Teyloune]

Highly interesting! Do you think this Ascension Path should be buffed in power to the level of what individualistic machines can achieve?

[@derpidius6306]

I think it should given how much later you get Synth ascension as a bio empire versus a machine empire, Synthetics is a late game tech whereas machines ascending just need to reach the third ascension perk

[@michamirowski4673]

I wonder when bio will get their own version of this

[@kgptzac]

There are new toys made for machine empires on top of giving previously synth ascension toys to machines. Sure, but there aren't new toys made for bios ascending to be machines even compare to the cybernetic ascension.

[@ma3dhr0s44]

An unrelated question but if you are individualistic machines, what do you do with regular pops you have conquered? Can you assimilate them like synthetic path?

[@pepito4131]

Hii thx for the vidéo. Question : what is the advantage to take synthétique or cybernique , mechanist ,whereas we can take / be à robot directly ? Thx

[@argeorunter9009]

Now thwy have to do something with genética to make it somewhat more powerfu. Is a shame that un the end they does not do the mechanic of alternating betwen gestalt and individualitic.

[@Vaprous]

11:53 - Its also absolutely *terrible* when you actually do the pop math, even if you just kept them clerks and had them keep their trade value boosting bonus.

[@mfwiseesomeonet-posing7395]

how come i cant choose a new government with the synthetic fertility origin?

[@CyberspaceEnt]

do individualistic machines get the new governing types? or are my mods conflicting and messing with the DLC? it the new governments only a Biological thing?

[@Jman0163]

excellent intro choice. im the machine and i [ASSIMILATE] cats.

[@xeanderman6688]

Do you assimilate cats or do the cats assimilate you

[@seanmcandrews9514]

I think we're gonna see weird builds with overtuned and the ruler deaths perks

[@paulcatindig2260]

Day 22 of asking for a renowned and legendary paragons tier list! Also I saw 10 million power dimensional fleet in my game yesterday???!!! It’s possible to get fleets of that size???

[@carlanderson5068]

10 million??? Man, I stink at this game, though I do like it.

[@erixperience4050]

So does the new situation break the "keep a few bio pops" trick?

[@mister_enemy]

Dya 10 of asking for a new Megacorp Civic tierlist

[@tylerpetersen6226]

Which ascension would you say is strongest for biological pops?

[@sylvie_v2939]

So we know bio-synths suck, but is there any point in bio empires at all versus the new virtual meta?

[@Kommerzman]

Bro is pumping out content like... a machine...

[@shinkicker404]

Was super disappointed to find out that Synthetic Fertility didn’t have the option to Virtually ascend. Why you can’t is beyond me, the new options should not be just limited to empires that start as a machine. It should be an incentive to go towards it.

[@user-iq5fw6fr3r]

You can.. kind of. You miss on all the quirks that make virtual ascension unique, but i guess you do get virtual trait. Why paradox give organics butchered version of modularity and virtual ascension instead of.. actual modularity and virtual ascension is beyond me tho. They didn't even crack numbers for it to be comparable, which would still be freaking lame, but would be something

[@ciphermk7408]

Montu has an enslaved a virtual species to publish this many videos

[@aquaregia3928]

Wow I’d like the job of Chief Scam Bro from my boy Steve

[@user-iq5fw6fr3r]

It's a huge bummer that paradox essentially made synth ascension slower and worse modularity instead of.. replacing it with modularity for organics as well.

[@mister_enemy]

Day 10 of asking for a new Megacorp Civic tierlist

[@adalbertojunior9836]

Speed

[@machixius]

F for synths. I hate to say it but machines probably need a nerf.

[@frankieortiz1490]

What's the best machine origin?

[@Bede__]

Arc welders + Astro mining drones civic, Virtual ascension, Cybrex precursor ringworld, Cybrex mining bay, Warforms, and relic. Potentially also catalytic processing, unyielding tradition rush for 33% more alloys from jobs and popless hydroponic bay spam.

[@frankieortiz1490]

Can we to top 10?

[@s0meb0dy78]

Stream. I want Stream.

[@Tyrownious]

Become Mr House

[@confreeknor1]

pls have the music less loud

[@johnmcclane5561]

Durable and Loyalty Circuits are one of the worst traits to pick as synths btw.

[@nothuman3319]

are robots just the best?

[@jakebhenry2228]

I wish they could have a civil war feature with this. I mean, if I was being uploaded into a machine I’d 100% fight back and also everyone would fear government oversight

[@ThelordHayden34]

This is why I don’t get individualist machines. Gameplay wise it invalidates synth ascension .

[@alanna_weiss]

I hope psionic ascension will be reworked like this too - situation, new government types (depending on the patron maybe?), less "omg I don't need ship repair give me the shields/chosen one" rng frustration, that kind of stuff.

[@elliothobbs1469]

I know it's spelled 'clerk' but you pronounce it 'clark'

[@MontuPlays]

Interestingly, only in modern British English. In the US and other colonies the original pronunciation never changed from (klĕrk) to (klärk). So, both are fine, and if you want to discuss 'correct' pronunciation I suspect the original that has carried on in the majority of English speakers is better!

[@TinaxThePossessedArmor]

there's some issues on your Voice, check on your microphone or your recording software, good day.

[@sambalzan2561]

First comment 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@inzyniertv9305]

Last comment

[@orgashi4932]

God damn mate get some sleep.

[@dank42069]

80 views in 3 minutes, fell off (jk, just commenting for the algorithm)

[@joshua-ov4ne]

you do not need to have 3 ascensions synthetic ar cybernetic can be the second ascension