Stellaris: Biological Ascension Guide
Of the three Ascension paths in Stellaris, Biological Ascension is the least flashy but the most versatile. It doesn't unlock any new mechanics or create civilization-wide changes overnight, but it allows an unmatched ability to modify and enhance your empire's species through genetic engineering. It also doesn't lean heavily on any particular Ethos, so any empire can easily pursue the Biological path if they wish.
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If you're the sort of player who likes highly-specialized planets with optimal output, Biological Ascension is a great way to make it happen. It's also great for multi-species empires, which allow a diverse pool of existing traits to enhance.
Even though genetic engineering can benefit any non-robotic empire, some builds will have an easier time attaining it than others. Biological Ascension requires a considerable amount of Society Research, especially once you start heavily modifying species, so a starting species with the Natural Sociologists trait has a distinct advantage.
Don't be afraid to take negative traits when designing your founding species - you can remove them later, or keep them for the extra trait points if they aren't impacting you significantly. The Syncretic Evolution Origin can be useful for empires pursuing this Ascension path, as it gives them a second species right off the bat that can be modified later. Common Ground or Hegemon are also strong picks, since your Federation members will provide new species via immigration.
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Any species, organic or robotic, can be modified if you have the correct Technology. Robotic pops require Machine Template System from the Engineering tree, while biological
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