Ascended Races

Occurrence
Whenever there are fewer than the maximum number of empires selected for a game, any 'missing' races (not played as player or non-player empires) will be Ascended Races.

Ascended Races exist in their normal Homeworld system (Humans on Sol, for example), but do not develop any planets or resources there, and do not expand out of that system, or attack outside that system.

Characteristics
The Ascended aggressively defend their home systems, using what is typically superior technology and firepower - usually a Battleship class ship. On the first contact with any Ascended race, the contacting fleet is allowed to flee back to the nearest friendly base. On any subsequent contact with that race or any other Ascended race, the Ascended will attack. Diplomacy with the Ascended is not possible.

The technology level of the Ascended appears to be dynamic: if encountered later in the game, they will often have more advanced technology than if they are encountered early in the game.

Effect on Gameplay
Ascended systems can act as obstacles to expansion in the early game, because of their superior firepower and unrelenting aggression. Equally, they can act as barriers to protect the player empire from non-player empires, as the non-player empires rarely if ever attack the Ascended and rarely if ever succeed in taking their systems.

If the player empire is sufficiently strong to attack an Ascended world, this can produce easier gains than attacking a non-player empire. This is because non-player empires use resources and respond dynamically, but taking an Ascended system only requires defeating a single (though powerful) ship. It is very common for a world in Ascended system to have the Friendly Race exploration discovery.