For this journal, I’m going to, in story form, give you a guided tour of Escalation.
Background..
Escalation is the first expansion pack to Stardock’s massive-scale RTS, Ashes of the Singularity. It is sold as a stand-alone expansion with its pricing determined based on whether you already have Ashes of the Singularity or not. To learn more, visit www.ashesofthesingularity.com.
The year is 2180…
The human race is at an inflection point. The technological singularity has given humans capabilities that a person form the 21st century could scarcely imagine. A handful of humans have made the transition to becoming “Post-Humans”, beings whose very consciousness is spread across multiple worlds thanks to the breakthrough technology of “Quantum Streaming” which allows for instant communication across great distances.
The largest group of these Post-Humans have formed a group called the Post-Human Coalition, PHC. Its goal is to map out suitable worlds to expand to ensure that no individual Post-Human comes to dominate the rest. Unfortunately, some of the Post-Humans have taken a different path. These renegades, still ostensibly PHC members, look to claim worlds for themselves. They fight each other and they fight the PHC itself.
Into this turmoil has come a new enemy: The Substrate. The strong AI that has evolved along side the Post-Humans has determined that the PHC and its members must be annihilated before their recklessness jeopardizes all.
The planet, Elysium
Escalation doubles the number of playable slots from 6 to 12. Today on the planet Elysium, 12 factions will battle against each other for control of the world. Elysium is a crystaline world, a planet class new to Escalation.
Setting up with 12 players.
Crystaline worlds have a violet hue to them.
Escalation adds some new very low-tier defenses that can be upgraded.
and further out
and further
Meanwhile on Pollux
The new PHC Instigator is constructed at the Nexus. It is expensive but is quite effective at taking lightly defended regions.
late game, it remains easy to manage vast forces across the world thanks to the strategic zoom.
From up here it seems peaceful. Sure, I’m red but having an enemy army in my base is so less scary from space. 
Deneb Revisited
Weather
More to come..