I can't get started . . .

from Stardock Forums
I just don't understand the interplay of planet type and morale. People say only colonize 15 or above, but there sure aren't many of those. I was colonizing anything above 10, but morale went to hell, and I couldn't even get any population growth - my graph was going negative.

I'd really like to be able to colonize these less desireable planets. One of the fun thing about MOO's tech tree was the tech that enabled you to colonize "bad" worlds. It was always one of the things I raced to, along with automated factories, that often won or lost a game for me. Maybe this exists and I've just missed it so far.

I'd also like to construct outposts ala MOO to extend my range to allow me to colonize better systems.

Grifman
218 views 7 replies
Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
There are some improvements that increases the planet-class, for example:

Soil Enhancement (from start)
Habitat improvement (early)
Terraforming

Terraforming is the best of these but it's quite long down the tech tree.

The reason you have a morale/population/production problem with the lowerclass planets is that ppl arent that confortable living and working in deserts, planets with +500 degrees celcius, and such - even if you force them to build a colony there. Rather logic. I wouldnt enjoy my stay there..
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
As for outposts, thats what Spacestations do, increase your range plus other good stuff!
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Researching and changing to higher forms of government also aids in being able to colonize the less desirale planets.

Building star bases on the yellow ("happy gas") resources increases morale and planet class.

There are many techs that, when researched, give an immediate improvement in morale, letting you colonize lower class planets than at the start of the game.

While the planet class and morale improvement projects help (tremendously), you have to be able to colonize the planet with a viable workforce to build them, but I have been seeing the population of my planets with a morale below 40% DEcreasing on build 3D.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
On the starting screen for a new game, you can select the number of habitable planets. With "everywhere", there are many more than "common". Have you tried this?
Reply #5 from Stardock Forums Top
Yeah, I know about the screen with a higher probability of better planets, but I kind of think of that as cheating . . . they just seem rarer than other games I've played.

Grifman
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top
It's not really cheating. Having many vs. few good planets requires a very different strategy, so it adds variety to the game. It's not like YOU have the good planets and the AI has fewer good planets. Everyone has the same chance to get to the good planets, depending on the starting position (which is random).
Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top
Yes, it's not cheating at all. Once you get used to the game, you can start tweaking the settings to make it more challenging.