How to Rush Droids and Synthetic Ascension in Stellaris
The robot techs for organic empires are important for unlocking the powerful Synthetic Ascension path. They are also important for certain strategies involving making all robot colonies for the advantage to habitability. This brief guide will show the fastest way to get all the techs in the robot tech tree.
Click here for the even briefer TL;DR guide at the end.
A Detailed Path Down the Robots Tree
The robot tech tree is in order:
Tier 1 Powered Exoskeletons -> Tier 1 Robotic Workers -> Tier 2 Droids -> Tier 4 Synthetics -> Tier 4 Synthetic Personality Matrix
They are all Engineering technologies.
Powered Exoskeletons
Powered Exoskeletons is a Tier 0 tech and the only prerequisite to Robotic Workers. It can be drawn from game start and is x1.25 times more likely to come up with an Industry specialist in charge of research.
Robotic Workers
Robotic Workers allows the assembly of robots. These robots can only take worker jobs though. This tech comes free with the Mechanist origin.
As a tier 1 tech it will not come up unless 6 tier 0 techs have been researched first. It also has Powered Exoskeletons as a prerequisite and the policy for outlawing Robotic Workers must not be enabled.
Once you have the prerequisites it is more likely to be drawn by empires with Materialist ethics and an Industry specialist in charge of research.
Spiritualist Ethics will reduce the chances.
Droids
If you only want the ability to make robot colonies and give robots specialist jobs then you only need to go as far as Droids. For robot colonies you also have to grant them colonisation rights under the Species tab.
The prerequisites for Droids are Robotic Workers but also Colonial Centralisation from Society research. Colonial Centralisation is also a tier 2 tech is more likely to come up for New Worlds researchers. Colonial Centralisation requires the tier 1 Society tech Planetary Unification.
Once you have the prerequisites, Droids is more likely to be drawn by Industry specialists (skill level 3 and above) and Materialist ethics. Additionally it is more likely to come up for Mechanist origins too.
Droids also unlocks the first perk of the Synthetic Ascension, Flesh is Weak.
Synthetics
Synthetics is a dangerous tech which will increase the likelyhood of the Contingency Crisis happening. It will enable robots to take ruler jobs and is one of the prerequisites for Synthetic Evolution which is the second perk of the Synthetic Ascension.
The prerequisites for Synthetics are the techs: Droids, Galactic Administration and Positronic AI.
Galactic Administration is a tier 4 society tech with Colonial Centralisation as a prerequisite. It is more likely to come up with a State Craft researcher.
Positronic AI is a tier 4 Physics tech which has the tier 2 Self-Evolving Logic and tier 1 Administrative AI as prerequisites. All three are favourable to Computing specialists.
Once you have the prerequisites for Synthetics it is more likely to come up:
- x4 Flesh is Weak perk taken
- x2 Mechanist
- x2 Materialist
- x1.5 Technological Ascendancy perk taken
Synthetic Personality Matrix
Synthetic Personality Matrix enables robot pops to be leaders. It is also a prerequisite for the Synthetic Evolution perk alongside Synthetics.
Synthetics is its only prerequisite beside the policy Outlaw Artificial Intelligence not being enable.
It is more likely to be drawn by level 3 or better Industry specialists.
TL;DR
How to get Droids for Robot Colonies and Robot Specialists Fast
Be Mechanist or at least Materialist. Industry specialist in Engineering. New Worlds researcher in Society. Make sure robot workers policy is allowed.
Grab Exoskeletons (unless mechanists) while grinding tier zero Engineering.
Grab Robot Workers (unless mechanist, you have it already), while grinding tier 1 Engineering.
Grab Planetary Unification (Society tree). Grind tier 1 Society, then grab Colonial Centralisation.
Grind tier 2 until Droids appear.
How to get Synthetic Ascension Path Fast
As above for getting Droids. But also take Technological Ascendancy as first ascension perk and have a Computing specialist in Physics.
While grinding for Droids, grab Administrative AI in physics when it pops up. Grind tier 1 Physics until Self Evolving Logic appears and grab that.
Take Flesh is Weak perk after getting Droids (preferably as second perk).
Do the Flesh is Weak special project.
Switch Society Researcher to State Craft specialism.
Grind through any six techs of tier 3 for each of Physics, Society and Engineering.
Now that tier 4 techs will start appearing look out for Galactic Administration in Society and Positronic AI in Physics. Once you have them Synthetics can appear, grab it up. When you have Synthetics look out for Synthetic Personality Matrix and grab it up.
Now you can take Synthetic Evolution for your 3rd perk.
Alternatively you can read about how to use robots in a species stratification strategy.
So that is how to rush Droid Colonies and the Synthetic Ascension path.
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