Ideas: 4 (Four) Ways to Increase The Fun in the Exploration Stage

1. More variation in Planet Traits
Can it be modded: Yes


There are about 15-18 Planetary Traits including Breadbasket World and Ghost World.
We can take a Sins of a Solar Empire approach and have a large diversity of planetary traits.

Example:

1. Industrial Wasteland
“A bombarded planet that is occupied by massive ship graveyards and forgotten factories of an extinct civilization.”

Production +25%
Research + 25%
Planetary Defense: +25%
Food: - 25%
Tourism -25%

2. Subterranean Caverns
“Most of the planet has massive underground caves that make this planet easily to mine for rare minerals and provides great defense from the skies.”

Production +50%
Planetary Defense: +50%
Food: -50%

3. Prospector Mountains
“Extreme amounts of rare minerals are found in massive mountains ranges but there is very little arable land to build a civilization.”

Production +150%
Food: -50%
Growth: - 25%

4. Aphrodisiac Atmosphere
“The atmosphere is filled with an unknown pheromone that seems to accelerate the birth rate of most organic life”.
Food: +100%
Growth: +100%


2. Add an Explore Planet Feature

Can it be modded: No

Have a sensor module for scouts and survey ships that allow them to scan a planet. 
The scout or survey ship has to be less than 2 tiles from a planet.
The planet class increases the random percentage chance.
Random selection between Production, Research, Tourism, Approval,etc.
Players have to choose between equipping a sector scanner or resource scanner (give it lots of weight).


 Resource Scanner Modules:

"Has a random percentage chance to find a tiny planetary bonus when exploring a planet". [Chance = X% Bonus = +5% random bonus to colony] 

 "Has a random percentage chance to find a small planetary bonus when exploring a planet". [Chance = X% Bonus = +10% random bonus to colony]

 "Has a random percentage chance to find a medium planetary bonus when exploring a planet". [Chance = X% Bonus = +15% random bonus to colony] 

"Has a random percentage chance to find a large planetary bonus when exploring a planet". [Chance = X% Bonus = +25% random bonus to colony]  

 "Has a random percentage chance to find a huge planetary bonus when exploring a planet". [Chance = X% Bonus = +50% random bonus to colony]   


3. Add Planetary Precursors 
Can it be modded:No
 
Basically overpowered trade planetary tiles like Geothermal Springs or Snuggler Colony that you cannot trade from the Precursor Era. Similar to the +300% and +700% Bonus Tiles from Galciv 2. 

In Gal Civ 3 terms:
Rare: they add +5 to tile, and +5 to surrounding tiles. (5% chance)
Super Rare: +7 to tile, and +7 to surrounding tiles. (1% chance)

Make the tile glow blue for Rare, and glow gold for Super Rare. 

Developer needs to add a %modifier in PlanetFeatureDefs.xml to get it to work.
 

4. Missions
Have a mission screen that allows you to accept high value missions from the United Planets .
You have to explore the galaxy and bounty hunter a pirate admiral, colonize a specific planet, or build a trade station in a Star System.

The first missions can be about Exploration and Colonization.

Example: Exploration
Find the location of the Sol System 
Intelligence: Estimated to be located 50 sectors from your homeworld.
Reward: 250 Credits.

Example: Colonize
Find and colonize a Lush Planet in the Sol System.
Intelligence: Estimated to be located 50 sectors from your homeworld.
Reward: 5 Benevolent Points or 1500 Credits.

Example: Law Enforcement
Destroy the capital ship Jolly Roger located at the Sol System Starbase.
Intelligence: 1500/ 1500 HP Weapons: ??? 
Reward: 500 Credits.
 
Example: Trader
Build a starbase with a Trade Station in the distant Sol System.
Reward: 5 Pragmatic Points or 1500 Credits

 Example: Builder
Build a prototype antimatter missile warship with at least 24 Missile Offensive Strength.
Reward: 5 Malevolent Points or 1500 Credits.