Empire Size and Planet Ascension questions?

[warhammerfrpgm]

it says when you ascend a planet that it reduces its impact on empire size by 5%. but there are three things on a planet that impact empire size: the colony itself, the districts, and also the population. so does it affect just 1 or all 3? because I don't see it lowering empire size much if all it is doing is lowering the 10 point colony size by 5%. but a colony that has 50 population and twenty districts would be worth 70(10+50+10). lowering that by 5% each time is knocking off 3.5 empire size. this is the only way I can see ascension being worth it with taking the largest planets with the most population and ascending those as much as possible.

[CrUsHeR]

If you test things like this, you may have to advance 1 day or month for all the statistics to update.

Anyways, ascension is mainly done for its impact on the planetary designation. Ring Worlds are best for this.

[Elitewrecker PT]

More importantly - it buffs the designations.

[Mennan]

It effects all 3 and buffs whatever planetary designation bonuses the planet gives.

[adobo]

the designation buff is the most important one. the size reduction is just a bonus.

[warhammerfrpgm]

thanks everyone for all the input. I agree the designation buff matters the most, but using it on a planet with over 100 population has been fairly solid. its value is some where close to 130 before any discounts anywhere. i took harmony to buff the ascension buffs and empire size to test this out. my capital is on ascension level 5. i have probably dropped its impact to empire size just with it by about 25. it feels like a drop in the bucket. but i have kept my emprei size to stay within the same 5 to10 point range for 6 to 10 years. but the way planet ascension goes up for each time, not a set amount for each ascension level on a planet and not have it go up each time you ascend any planet cumulatively, all sorta makes my challenge be, what does my monthly unity output need to be to keep up with this? 5k, 10k, or higher.

[VulpesFulguralis]

Originally posted by warhammerfrpgm:

what does my monthly unity output need to be to keep up with this? 5k, 10k, or higher.

Ascension cost is(according to the wiki) [Empire size] * 10 * (1+.6*[Previous ascensions])
it goes up in price fast.

[warhammerfrpgm]

Originally posted by VulpesFulguralis:

Originally posted by warhammerfrpgm:

what does my monthly unity output need to be to keep up with this? 5k, 10k, or higher. [/we]
Ascension cost is(according to the wiki) [Empire size] * 10 * (1+.6*[Previous ascensions])
it goes up in price fast.

well then I guess challenge accepted.

[warhammerfrpgm]

update. I crunched the math and with a planet with 30 districts and 100 population with lvl 10 ascension if you take harmony tradition, cybernetic(psionic also works), expansion, and administratum, as well as docile for species trait, then you can ultimately take the planet impact down from 125 to 8.75. but that is specifically trying for it. the ascension though was the big factor. ascension was half of this. harmony tradition is second largest as it makes ascension 25% stronger and gives a -10% to population empire size. cybernetic came in third impacting both districts and letting me double down on lowering empire size from population(at a cost of more energy cost per person).

my homeworld will have 31 districts and 138 pops when completely full(122 right now). with 31 districts and being a planet makes my ultimate impact 11.9875. so essentially 12. if I had 20 planets like that its only 240+sytem cost with less than 30 systems should run at 22.5 or lower. so it is possible to get end game down close to the 100 level, but damn is it a ♥♥♥♥ ton of work, and not entirely sure its even worth it. the output is fantastic. my homeworld is a beast of output.

[Sk_orpion9]

Originally posted by warhammerfrpgm:

but the way planet ascension goes up for each time, not a set amount for each ascension level on a planet and not have it go up each time you ascend any planet cumulatively, all sorta makes my challenge be, what does my monthly unity output need to be to keep up with this? 5k, 10k, or higher.

Its probably impossible to "keep up" with ascension costs bc of how much it increases each time. I've had a single ascension tier upgrade cost me over 500000 before.
With say, a 5k unity income (which is probably where you should be in the very late game, if you play that long) it would still take 100 months or over 9 years to get that much unity, just for a single ascension tier. And remember it keeps getting more expensive.

[warhammerfrpgm]

Originally posted by Sk_orpion9:

Originally posted by warhammerfrpgm:

but the way planet ascension goes up for each time, not a set amount for each ascension level on a planet and not have it go up each time you ascend any planet cumulatively, all sorta makes my challenge be, what does my monthly unity output need to be to keep up with this? 5k, 10k, or higher.

Its probably impossible to "keep up" with ascension costs bc of how much it increases each time. I've had a single ascension tier upgrade cost me over 500000 before.
With say, a 5k unity income (which is probably where you should be in the very late game, if you play that long) it would still take 100 months or over 9 years to get that much unity, just for a single ascension tier. And remember it keeps getting more expensive.

I get that. you would have to go up by nearly 100% each time. not sure how you can keep doubling a not huge empire. I even converted a planet to be all about unity. I also had most others contributing pretty thoroughly as well. I get it to more or less stay flat at roughly 1100 for about 50 years. but the game would have ended before I got that number back down below a 1000. empire size doesn't look it is something you can ultimately control, just something you can attempt to manage. by the way, those ascended planets had otherwise great planets otherwise. I had ascended a mining world to level 10 and the mineral output would genuinely improve regardless of all other building and expenditures for industrial districts. it was quite beautiful to watch.

My final thoughts: the game double dings you for districts and population. sort of like city districts hurt more than anything else. I finished that playthrough. 8 empires kept me busy defending them that the last thing I was worried about was unity. In future I would consider playing as a docile extreme pacifist that goes psionic. take harmony. that gets population down to 0.4 per pop. use the others to impact other parts. but I see that as the only way to even get close.