Ascension
Ascensions are challenge runs for players who have bought the Ascension node in the prestige tree. Each ascension is a run with a handicap and a fixed preset in the prestige tree. Your Mebuli collection counts.
Unlock
The menu entry Ascension (Empire group) appears once you have bought the Ascension node at the bottom centre of the prestige tree. It costs 500 million PP and requires all three modules (Empire, Comfort, Time).
Flow
- Pick an ascension and start the next stage.
- Starting triggers a prestige. The prestige points of the old run are credited as usual, even if the normal minimum gain is not reached yet.
- In the new run the ascension rules apply until the gold goal is reached.
- Claim: the reward is credited, then your own progress applies again and the run continues normally.
Each ascension has 3 stages with rising gold goals. A stage can only be started once the previous one is done. Only one ascension can run at a time.
Replay: Completed stages can be played again. There is no reward then, only the best time counts.
Abort is possible at any time. There is no reward, your own progress applies immediately and the run continues normally.
Normal prestige is locked during an ascension.
Conditions in a run
Until the goal, a preset replaces your own gold nodes:
| Area | In an ascension run |
|---|---|
| Gold nodes of the prestige tree | fixed preset per ascension, your own gold nodes rest |
| Energy, comfort and module nodes | your own tree, as usual |
| Gem skills | none |
| Prestige multiplier | ×1 |
| Mebuli collection | counts as in normal play |
| Guild, VIP | off |
| Gold Rush, Gold Hour | locked |
| Offline income | at most 8 h, without skill and VIP hours |
Only building gold counts toward the goal. Gold from quests, story or other sources does not count.
In the Empire, a bar shows the progress and a card breaks down the gold production. In the prestige tree, preset nodes are marked with V and resting gold nodes are grey.
The ascensions
| Ascension | Handicap | Preset (gold nodes) |
|---|---|---|
| Cornerstone | Tree tiers 1-3 only | Foundation, Economy, Mass Production, Trading Posts |
| Handcraft | No auto-builder, no build advisor | Economy branch up to Industrialization |
| Costly Walls | Buildings cost ×3 | Economy branch up to Economy Omega |
| Lowly Buildings | First 6 buildings only | Economy branch up to Metropolis |
| No Empire Bonus | Empire milestones have no effect | Economy branch up to Golden Exchange and Tycoon |
| No Super Milestones | Super milestones have no effect | Economy branch up to Gold Torrent |
| Stay Awake | No offline income | Economy branch up to Industrialization |
"Economy branch up to Industrialization" means: Foundation, Economy, Mass Production, Trading Posts, Trade Routes, Guild Offices, Guildmaster, Industrialization. The deeper presets build on it.
Gold goals
The goals are the same for everyone. How fast you reach them depends on your collection: double the collection bonus means half the time.
| Ascension | Stage I | Stage II | Stage III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cornerstone | 2.3e17 | 1.5e18 | 6.2e18 |
| Handcraft | 9.0e17 | 4.2e18 | 2.8e19 |
| Costly Walls | 1.9e18 | 1.0e19 | 5.1e19 |
| Lowly Buildings | 4.2e14 | 1.3e15 | 8.2e15 |
| No Empire Bonus | 2.2e17 | 1.0e18 | 3.5e18 |
| No Super Milestones | 1.2e18 | 3.8e18 | 1.6e19 |
| Stay Awake | 9.0e17 | 4.2e18 | 2.8e19 |
Best times
Each ascension and stage has a best-time list, in the Ascension menu and in the leaderboard under Ascension. The time runs from the start until claiming, offline time included.