Enhanced Terraforming Mod for GalCiv 2

I thought that might get some of you to look :)

from GalCiv2 Forums
For those of you that played the first GalCiv, you may remember my nickname. To the rest, I'll dispense with the pleasantries and get right to the point.

Seeing as how my original Enhanced Terraforming mod for GalCiv 1 was so popular, I thought I would try my hand at reincarnating it for GalCiv2. However, during my many varied attempts at getting it to work I've come to the following conclussions...

1. It is IMPOSSIBLE to colonize crap planets (Class 0). I guess from a game-play point of view, this forces players to use more statedgy as planets are much more valuable. However, from a realistic point of view, this makes no damned sense. Any planet can be "colonized" in one way or another with an advanced enough level of technology. Even Gas Giants can be mined for resources. There appears to be no way to make a modified version of the colony ship module that will allow for Class 0 colonization.

2. It's also impossible to increase a planet's quality in game, besides an event or anomaly. I attempted 2 variations of buildings that would allow you to increase the planet's rating and/or increase the available spaces that you can use to build improvements. Both of these failed miserably.

3. I then learned that you cannot set the game to generate galaxies with planets no lower than PQ1. This I tried through the PlanetDescriptions.xml file, so I'm not even sure if that would make a difference.

The buildings I made were available in game. They were built without incident, but upon completion, there was no change to anything. The PQ didn't increase or decrease. Availble spaces didn't increase or decrease. The only thing that happens is you lose 1 improvement space on the planet, and gain a useless PQ bonus.

If anybody has any info that might help, please feel free to send it in my direction. Otherwise, I may be limited to turning it into a series of events and anomalies that will only slightly increase the PQ.

Jesus of Borg
modding
10,265 views 11 replies
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
2. Hmm. What should be happening is that when you colonize a planet you'll see green squares which can be used right away, and then various yellow/orange/etc. squares.

When you research Soil Enhancement, you'll be able to "build" the Soil Enhancement in the appropriate non-green square. Once the building is finished, it will "vanish" and the square will become green and useable. Ditto for Habitat Improvement and Terraforming. Also, if you choose the Neutral alignment, then all the non-green squares will become instantly useable.

If that's not all happening for you, you may have a bug.

Peace & Luv, Liz
Object Desktop - Get all of our enhancement utilities in one suite
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
You mistunderstand what I was trying. The planet improvements I made were regular buildings designed to increase the Planet Quality without having to take over one of the Yellow, Orange or Red squares.

The regular enhancement buildings work fine, the problem is with trying to make a mod that will increase PQ beyond what those 3 buildings do.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Oops. (sheepish look) Sorry!

I wonder if this is related to your problem? : https://forums.galciv2.com/?ForumID=162&AID=102424

Peace & Luv, Liz
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Yes, that seems similar to the problem I've encountered. Glad to know it's possibly a bug and not the way they intended it to be.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I really think it's a bug, since with or without the PQ race modifier, you get the same number of tiles. The "magical" trait only works on the homeworld planet. On colonized planet, you don't get any tiles. I'm also searching to mod that, if u find anything, tell me
For what i've tested so far, the only thing that can change ingame the number of tiles is hardcoded events. Also, if you look at English.str, you'll see a :
Ability18 : Planet Quality
Ability30 : Home Planet Quality

Two different abilities ? And the second isn't described (there's no Description30)
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, that seems to answer the "Not Being Able to Increase PQ" question. Now for the Colonizing Class 0 Planets question, and the problem of not being able to get the game to generate no Class 0 Planets at galaxy creation.

Anybody got any info on those? I know Colonizing Class 0 Planets is pointless until they fix the PQ bug, but if I could find a way to make the game not generate Class 0's during galaxy creation, that would atleast be a start to the new Enhanced Terraforming Mod.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I didn't find anything to mod galaxy creation. However, you can make your own map (pretty hard and long ). I'm working on a little mod tool, but it's gonna take me at least a week.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The only way to increase a planets quality besides taraforming are events. Meabee You could generate a special planet improvement event when you build a certain building or reseach a certain technology
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Well, that seems to answer the "Not Being Able to Increase PQ" question. Now for the Colonizing Class 0 Planets question, and the problem of not being able to get the game to generate no Class 0 Planets at galaxy creation.

Anybody got any info on those? I know Colonizing Class 0 Planets is pointless until they fix the PQ bug, but if I could find a way to make the game not generate Class 0's during galaxy creation, that would atleast be a start to the new Enhanced Terraforming Mod.


I would like to do this as well. Start a galaxy with at least class 1 planets so everything even crap planets are usable. Maybe if we beg Stardock?
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Would have to be at least class 2 as the first tile is taken by the initial colony, unless you intend on modding the game so that you get to choose the initial building that is placed?? (DG shudders at the thought of trying to mod that)