Going into Skyforge's Ascension, we have reviewed the impact Invasions have on the game world - Aura Attack will strongly influence the lives of the residents of Aelion, the planet's defense systems will be upgraded, and Invaders will not be able to launch full-fledged invasions simultaneously. Although, it will also not be possible to completely end their Invasions. After the start of an attack, one of the enemy armies will send new ships to the planet virtually every week, bringing not just dangerous enemies, but also artifacts required for effective combat.

Invasions will be longer and will not overlap with each other. The method for repelling Invasions and increasing character efficiency in battle will be different for each specific army. Eight weeks is a rather long time. Won't we get too bored? No, and let us explain why.

Each invasion will last 8 weeks (this period is called a season) which will now not only give you the chance to obtain an avatar trophy to unlock a Specialization (similar to a Divine Revelation), it will also determine the level of the best equipment in the game. While the current Invasion is active, the maximum level of equipment is limited. To obtain better equipment, you will have to fight against many monsters from very different adventures.
During an invasion, there will be special adventures on the regional map and the Aelion Globe.

Distortions

Distortions in the Ascension will be available to all players that have received their Divine Form. That is to say, you will no longer have to join a Pantheon and construct a special building to participate! Distortions are unlocked gradually: you can enter the first Distortion season soon after the start of an invasion, the second is unlocked in around two weeks and the third and fourth become available after another two weeks or so. You will be able to see the exact dates on the interface of the Distortion portal in the capital and on the enemy flagship interface on the Aelion Globe.

Remember the Invasion bosses are ruthless and merciless warriors. Only a united and well-knit group of players with all the necessary equipment will be able to defeat them.

You will receive epic equipment - valuables, weapons or artifacts - as a reward for defeating these monsters. The type of item will depend on what Distortion form the series you undertake. As Distortions are unlocked gradually, there will be plenty of time to gather the necessary strength by completing the quests of the Flavius Laboratory. 

Great God Avatars

Avatars will still have two incarnations: Training and Champion.

Training incarnation (Coming of Tol-Monter adventure) - this is a simplified version of the Avatar. Available straight after you obtain Divine Form. As a reward for completing this raid adventure, you can receive a unique mode of transport.

Champion incarnation (Tol-Monter adventure) - a very difficult opponent, a real challenge for groups of 10. Any character that has unlocked their Divine Form can fight this Avatar, but only those with the right equipment and bonuses (who have upgraded their strongholds) will be able to defeat them. If you are victorious, you will receive an Avatar Trophy - an item that you need to unlock a Divine Specialization.

On the invasion interface you will be able to see what events are taking place in each of the 8 weeks of the Invasion (for example, when there is an additional difficulty level for an Invasion adventure and when new Distortions become available, for it is here that you can get maximum level and quality of equipment). You can also find out about the long-term plans for repelling the enemy. If you place your cursor over the globe icon on the bottom part of the Invasion progress scale, you can see what threats you need to prepare to eliminate. If you complete Laboratory quests on time, the level of character development will always correspond to the threat you are faced with.

Note, during the Invasions, there may be special directives on the Aelion Globe containing missions to complete active Invasion army adventures, including fighting the training Avatar of a great god. In the latter case, victory over the training Avatar will earn players a significantly increased reward!

Equipment and its level

In Ascension, the level of the best equipment in the game is directly linked to the current Invasion. With the arrival of each army, the maximum possible level for weapons, artifacts, and valuables will increase. This will affect both equipment obtained in Distortions and those obtained in other adventures, even if they are not linked to Invasions. Thus, within one Invasion season everyone who actively develops their character and unlocks army bonuses without delays gets the chance to obtain the best items in the game. When new invaders arrive, they'll receive the ability to upgrade them. This system will mean the server will no longer have players that are significantly behind the leaders without a chance to ever catch them up. You can determine which equipment is the best according to the indicator of Might required to use it.

Flavius's Laboratory

The Flavius Laboratory, which you can find on the capital's interface, is now responsible for character efficiency in battle against the invading armies. Access to the laboratory is unlocked after you obtain the Divine Form and actually replaces both the existing Laboratory and Invasion atlases. You can accept quests from the Laboratory several times a week. As you complete these, you will increase character efficiency in battle against the invading armies.

The Laboratory interface has several tabs, each of which is assigned to the study of one of six armies. Here you will see a chain of bonuses, consisting of 30 slots, which are unlocked successively one after the other. Unlocking the bonuses requires a special resource called Army Samples and the completion of several special quests.

This material focuses on content that is in development. When the Ascension is live, elements of the Invasion's may change..

The changes to the invasion system will open up new development opportunities. All invasion adventures will be in demand and diversify the game process. You can defeat an avatar without taking part in operations, using your own abilities and development of the invasion army laboratory. In Ascension, everyone can feel like a defender of Aelion, participating in battles against key members of the enemy armies.