Unlocking purity?

[Phoenix]

How do I get to purity? At first I used a general empire, no genetic options one way or the other, and biogenesis didn't show up at all. Then I read up and it seemed only predators or wilderness can unlock biogenesis. But apparently predators only unlocks mutation. I have been playing this game for years and I have never encountered an update so confusing to adapt to, all across the board.

[WJJellO]

Normal empires get choices during the Biogenesis situation that align with cloning, mutation, and purity (these also affect empire bonuses and flexible traditions). Near the end of the situation, as long as you chose at least one "purity" choice, you can select the purity tradition.

You normally need at least two other ascension perks before you can select species ascensions (including Biogenesis). Some origins bypass this requirement and can begin sooner.

[Phoenix]

Biogenesis didn't show up as an option on the third perk, but I kept going. At no point during any tradition perk was I able to biogenesis.

[tempest.of.emptiness]

According to the game, the Biomorphosis ascension perk requires one previous ascension perk to have been picked (ie it can be your second pick but not the first). You also have to be a biological species (so not any form of machines), and you can't have taken any other ascension perk related to an ascension path (so not any form of psionic, machine, or cybernetic ascension).

If you have the Biogenesis DLC then you get access to the new version of the Genetics tradition tree and start the version of the Biomorphosis situation that is part of the Biogenesis DLC, which leads eventually to a point where, depending on your choices as you navigate the situation, you can choose Purity. If you don't have Biogenesis (I do not) then you get access to the old version of the Genetics tradition tree (updated for 4.0 without Biogenesis) and you can't choose Purity because you don't get the Biomorphosis situation and the choice of path because those are features of the Biogenesis DLC.

When you start a new game you should be able to open up the Traditions window, click on an empty (even though locked) ascension perk slot to open the ascension perks list, and then scroll through that list to see what options exist for your species based on your origin, nature, government, and other factors (just make sure you put a check in the box "show unavailable" so that you can see the full list). If a perk is not listed there at the start of the game, your empire will never be able to unlock it for whatever reason.

Checking this list at the start of a game may save you from a situation where you are playing a game planning to go for a particular ascension path but never unlocking it because you're actually not eligible for it for some reason.

Edit: Corrected error in which I was saying that you got a Biomorphosis situation without the Biogenesis DLC, which is incorrect.

[My Right Toe]

Originally posted by tempest.of.emptiness:

According to the game, the Biomorphosis ascension perk requires one previous ascension perk to have been picked (ie it can be your second pick but not the first).

that's only if you have the overtuned origin, if you don't then you need two other ascension perks selected before you can take it.

[Phoenix]

I do have the bio dlc. I have no idea why my first species didn't rate biogen but I'll use that method to try things out. Thanks.

[tempest.of.emptiness]

Originally posted by My Right Toe:

Originally posted by tempest.of.emptiness:

According to the game, the Biomorphosis ascension perk requires one previous ascension perk to have been picked (ie it can be your second pick but not the first).

that's only if you have the overtuned origin, if you don't then you need two other ascension perks selected before you can take it.

Oh, I see. Good catch; I loaded up a game to check before posting but I missed that the empire I happened to load had the Overtuned origin.