I would say that 23 ascension as it is now is good as it is...I mean you can`t ascend forever and basically even though it`s harder and harder everytime you ascend again, it`s still a stereotyp....
Now if you would want to help the new guys to even try and make an effort then I would suggest making ascension to LG a little bit easier to give the newcomers a chance to catch up with others....
LG is basically nothing today if we consider that many people are above that, in these days AG is the new LG because 5 ascensions compared to 23 is only 1/4 of the way and that`s basically nothing....
I would suggest for the newcomers which want to ascend to get instead of 1 point per turn 2...
for example:
ascension from normal plane to prophet 2 points
from prophet to incarnate 1,5 points
from incarnate to LG and on 1 point
in every other game that I played before the admins made an update to help the newcomers to catch up, at least a little bit because if you play for 3 years and the conditions for the newcomers are the exact same as when you began, well if the guy takes that into consideration 3 years of playing just to get where you are, well that ain`t much of a heads up is it???
personally I came back to the game after 2 years and I started from scratch, I want to see where I can get on my own...I don`t really mind that the conditions didn`t change but it`s a challenge for me and who knows how long will I stick around...
You simply have to give the newcomers something they can catch on to, because seriously...3 years is a long long time...
You simply can`t compete with someone who is playing 3+ more years than you are....
That is why many people eventually give up playing because with todays random massings from omega, DDE or whoever else simply doesn`t allow them to rise when they get repeatedly massed to dust....
Hate to be a negativist in this but personally I aint seing it going anywhere unless admin gives the newcomers at least some "advantage" to even build up to a fighting range....
Rather than make more ascensions, I would suggest the use of G&R points somehow differently, let`s say a new tech for the mothership (carrior for the fighters which would add more firepower for the mothership or some kinda new shield which would increase the defense)
To make it even more difficult, if you would want any of these new techs, you would have to meet certain minimum requirements ie:
1. you would have to reach a certain ascension level to be able to unlock research for every new tech which could consist of few levels, like 3 levels per each tech (this would motivate players to continue ascension and those that are in the top ranks wouldn`t use their stocked thousands of G&R points so easily because after ascension they would loose them and start gathering them from 0 again to be able to get that tech)
Of course the techs would be very very expensive but hey, if you want new toys then you have to start saving up a little bit more then you are used to
each new level from a current tech would cost a high amount of G&R points
level 1 5000 points
level 2 10000 points
level 3 15000 points
techs would become available only every 2 ascensions from the top ascensions
18 ascensions level 1
20 ascensions level 2
22 or 23 ascension level 3
this would make people work harder for resources and of course motivate them to keep ascending, of course the ascenions would a lot more expensive to make it even harder...
anyone that would want to compete the big guns would be eventually forced to continue to get the necessary techs, I suppose this would also improve various alliance projects, make people work more together to get there etc etc etc...
just bouncing some ideas of my mind, don`t really think anyone will take this seriously
keep the ideas coming guys
EDIT:
if not new techs then maybe at level 20 or 21 you could a get new superweapon considering that through so many ascension you became so evolved that you prefected a new weapon bla bla bla
nitro