What's up with Stellar Cartography?

from GalCiv2 Forums
I am a veteran of GalCiv I, and I recall that stellar cartography allowed one to view which planets are/are not habitable via the mini-map...is this not the case with GalCiv II? I cant seem to find a way to tell what class a planet is via the mini-map..??
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Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In GC2, Stellar Cartography simply make all planets appear on the minimap. Without it, you can only see stars (I think you can see planets you've explored also, but I could be mistaken).

You (and the AI) still have to scout planets to know which ones are usable, but Stellar Cartography lets you know which stars have many planets and which have few (or none), so you hopefully aim your scouts better.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In other words, its only very very very marginally useful.

It does lead up the tree to the Sensor techs tho.
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I just turn off stars on the mini-map, and then flash planets on and off. That doesn't always work, though--sometimes I've found habitable planets that do not appear on the mini-map. This tends to happen to planets in sectors adjacent to my homeworld.
Reply #4 from Stardock Forums Top
Thanks.. I was under the impression that is was more than 'marginall useful' lol. Oh well, cant win 'em all
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
zoom out, stellar cartography shows which planet class each planet is, based on the density of it's ring, the thinner the ring, the lower the class. you have to zoom out to the iconic representation of the 3d map. I wish the mini map were more useful, but simple fact is that I dont even use it any more.
a helpful hint. only yellow suns have habitable planets, and it seems to me that a yellow sun always has at least 1. any other color seems to be devoid. I've only played human, so this could possibly be wrong in general, but I'm sure there are patterns to all of the races.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually, on certain types of maps Stellar Cartography is extraordinarily useful. Rare Habitability, Rare Planets, Abundant Stars? Or something with fewer planets and more stars, anyway.
Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
only yellow suns have habitable planets, and it seems to me that a yellow sun always has at least 1. any other color seems to be devoid.


I have to disagree with the first part. The second part I find exact though.
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Actually yellow stars are the only ones that have habitable planets. Any other color will not. But there have been plenty of yellow stars without any habitable planets in the games I've played to say that just because it's yellow doesn't mean it's habitable.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
On larger maps I find SC very useful. Scout/colonizer aiming, anomaly hunting* and lest one forgets about trade route targets. See an isolated star grouping 5-6 sectors away? My new bestest friends....
Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I've had orange stars with habitable planets.


Was it a minor race planet which 'appeared' mid-game?
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In GC2, Stellar Cartography simply make all planets appear on the minimap. Without it, you can only see stars


What do you mean? I can see all the planets on the minimap on the first turn. Just press the option for "Planets" to the right of the minimap. On the minimap, does Stellar Cartography show more information than their location?

(I saw the post about icons on main map when zoomed out)