It is my impression also that, since a few revisions back, the 'abundand habitable planets' setting no longer is connected to the map generator. I have tried different settings and map sizes but, on the whole, all maps seem to be pretty arid regardless -- typically I play on huge or large maps with rare starsystems, and I've had to build several starbases just to reach one habitable planet a couple of times. Seems odd.

Another thing I've noted is, that since the previous Galciv2 update the planet-square icons seem to be all scrambled for the bonuses, except the food symbol still seems associated with food bonuses, everything else has gone random here.

-Peter

While we breathe air with oxigen I guess some other race could find it poisonous and would prefer methane

Then I will ask a very stupid question: can intelligent life appear and live in an air with methane?

Then I will ask a very stupid question: can intelligent life appear and live in an air with methane?

Can you think of a reason why not?

If ANY life can appear in such atmosfere, why not an intelligent one in time? And we have environments on Earth teeming with life that aren't much different from such a planet.

I read a paper once that explained that it should be possible for Aliens to evolve on a planets without an Oxygen-Nitrogen based atmospehere. I guess in GC they are call Space Sharks

Not to mention that even though nature has sterilized earth a few times, life still came back when conditions were acceptable for it.

Has anyone ever figured out what "dextribopping" (-2 spelling) is? Mr. Smith wrote about it in the Lensman series.

W/R
Suralle

Well, if the PQ 0 worlds weren't on the map, then the Stellar cartography will be too powerful since it allows to show planets on the minimap. You will know then where nice stars are. And the only race that doesn't start with stellar cartography is the human.

But there is no reason in GalCiv for the humans to not start with Stellar cartography. Or for the aliens to start with it, when the humans don't. Not in GC2.

In GC1, it was a matter of honoring the first GC (OS/2) version, which had a back story to explain why the humans didn't know the local neighborhood, right? Well, we, like the aliens, have a good idea what nearby star systems have sizable planets, and even a few that have "earthish" planets. In the next ten years, we will know every earth and venus type planet within several hundred light-years of us. All thanks to one simple autonomous satellite (presuming it gets launched successfully as currently scheduled).

So... now that we are up to the Dread Lords part of the GC saga, shouldn't the humans know where all the useful planets are? Or just have everyone start off the same (no one knows) and be done with it. Brad has written about how he has so masterfully taught the AI to scout out the galaxy map and find the good worlds. So there isn't a game play reason to have the AI know where the worlds are (ie, start with Stellar Cartography) anymore. For fun, I would suggest that no race knows to start with. Exploring adds to the fun, so let's just have it so no race knows where the worlds are and be done with it. Sound good?

So... now that we are up to the Dread Lords part of the GC saga, shouldn't the humans know where all the useful planets are? Or just have everyone start off the same (no one knows) and be done with it. Brad has written about how he has so masterfully taught the AI to scout out the galaxy map and find the good worlds. So there isn't a game play reason to have the AI know where the worlds are (ie, start with Stellar Cartography) anymore. For fun, I would suggest that no race knows to start with. Exploring adds to the fun, so let's just have it so no race knows where the worlds are and be done with it. Sound good?

Actually, this has been addressed. Check out this thread where Draginol is discussing the AI:

https://www.galciv2.com/Forums.aspx?ForumID=164&AID=96325#751980

One theory i have about the galaxy is that some systems actually have a habitable planet but they show 0, because they are 'reserved' for a minor race/event. Isn't it odd that they just 'pop up' like that ?

I really think some kind of setting can be made besides (on/off) .. maybe like double/normal/half minor alien races and of course off. If I choose 3 AI enemys to play against and then having 6 or 7 minor races on top of that is just going to make you mad.

Well, I don't like the difference between "Major" and "minor" race. I always feel that if you are going to include them, let them go, and if they grab a good bit of empire, that will make them major, and otherwise, they are minor. I've played lots of GC1 games, and it wasn't that unusual on my medium and large map games to have some "major" race be weaker then an early appearing minor race. Seemed weird to have minors stronger then some of the majors, and only the fact that the minors don't invade worlds keeping those weak majors around.

If no PQ 0 worlds were included/shown on the world, then I wouldnt' be upset if an AI minor race was spawned and had a new world added to a star that way. After all, what's the point of picking now? In GC2 Beta5, it turns an empty star system into a starting star system for the minors now (ie, a home world and 1 or more "secondary" worlds). So what's the difference? I didn't expect to do anything with those PQ 0 worlds anyways. It's not like you can build orbital science facilities or deploy mining or anything. Again, if you cannot use them, then they don't serve a purpose. What do they do? Decorate the map? Isn't that what the atrocious background is for already?

Again, if you cannot use them, then they don't serve a purpose. What do they do? Decorate the map? Isn't that what the atrocious background is for already?

Well, PQ 0 worlds have no direct use. But events can target them and make them useful:
- artifact that raises PQ of uncolonized world
- being home for new minor (in which case they become a nice PQ 15)

And if you have stellar cartography and display planets on the minimap, you aren't sure that the star surrounded by 5 planets is more useful than a star with one planet.

Look, removing PQ 0 planets is silly, full stop. The map would look silly, it puts holes gameplay, the proposition doesn't follow in the footsteps of reality, and the only reason given for removing them is because "they're not useful" (which is a questionable statement anyway). Pretty weak basis for an argument touting their removal.

Pardon? What use do they serve? Eye candy is the only thing I've seen so far. It's silly to say the game would look silly without them.

Second, random events do not target PQ 0 worlds. They target low PQ worlds. Especially Wisp. Oh, most especially Wisp. Indeed, I've yet to see a random event that improves PQ to target any world OTHER then Wisp until after Wisp has been improved. And that includes in the lastest Gamma build, 90b just published to the gamma testers. After that, all the other low PQ worlds are targeted. But at no times is a PQ 0 world ever been used in a random event that I've seen.

Now, if you aren't for having lone stars, I am fine with them not being on the map. Again, Brad has already stated that all but the Terran players knows where all the planets are anyways. So only put "interesting" systems on the planet, and save some data place. If a random world even pops up like "birth of new race" or "Planet suddenly becomes habitable", simply add a new system to the map, and be done with it. This would make a cleaner map, and stop the silliness of having starships be blocked by "mercury" worlds or having them blocked from star tiles (truly silly, as even a tile of star is mostly empty space). As it is now, it's just silly, full stop.

If we are going to do eye candy, then let's do it right. This thing of having 4 little specks of PQ 0 around a star, and some minor PQ2 world at common doesn't really dress up the map nor "look pretty". So again, what purpose is there in it? None. It serves neither ascetics (eye candy) or a real game purpose (usable in the future). As it is, the less useless worlds in the game, the better the AI probably do. Less data structures to be checked for its plans.

But, hey, I suppose I'm a bit of a minimalist. If it doesn't add options to the game (ie, nothing opens up to use those in the game, and the random events do not use them), and it doesn't add to its experience (ie, beauty, feeling like you are playing in a big, highly detailed arm of the galaxy), then what's the point? Just my opinion. Your flight path may vary, etc etc etc.

Yah well, it's all in the eye of the beholder eh? Nice spin btw. You can find a use for most things, if you care to think about it. In any case leaving the system as is requires no change, a modification of questionable benefit, naturally does. Path of least resistence will probably win out.

Second, random events do not target PQ 0 worlds. They target low PQ worlds. Especially Wisp. Oh, most especially Wisp. Indeed, I've yet to see a random event that improves PQ to target any world OTHER then Wisp until after Wisp has been improved.

Well, I got the event with Wisp. But it is an United Planet event. But I have witnessed a random event that have increased the PQ of uncolonized planets in the Dratha system. I was lucky to colonize these 3 worlds before the Drath that were already in this system.

And late minors appear on PQ 0 planet and transform them into PQ 15.