I don't notice much of a difference. It might have been the game as I see about the same amount as what I had prior to DA with 1.5 patch. I do not know what algorithm they use to determine the tiles but being a fan of Control N for a decent start position it seem pretty random.

it seems pretty random to me. some people have said they seem to occur less frequently, but i've played a couple games with plenty bonus tiles. i used to think it was related to your luck bonus, but tiles are placed on planets during the map creation. the only factors i think might affect it are the options you pick during map setup, but i don't know in what ways or how to increase the number of bonus tiles (it'd be a nice slider to add).

It still seems pretty random to me too. However, whenever I begin a game with the accelerated start option there is never bonus tiles on my starting homeworld, though they are present on other planets in the galaxy. I assume that's a new DA feature.

Yes, the Planet Quality bonus ability inreases the planet quality number, and likewise the number of usable tiles on every planet that you colonise. This includes a bump for any planets that you conquer from any race that is not using PQ Bonus. I'm not sure what happens when a civ with no PQ bonus takes over a planet from a race that has the bonus -- I suspect they lose a usable tile, though possibly they retain it if all tiles are already developed.

Note that planets of PQ11 and above get a significant approval bonus, from being especially nice places to live. So the PQ Bonus ability is a double whammy for the majority of races that start with PQ10 homeworlds.

Invasions. You will note, on the Invasion Mode selection screen, that every enhanced mode of invasion except Information Warfare does 2 things: it makes the invasion easier to some degree, and it damages the planet environment in some way. Sometimes a loss of PQ and tiles is part and parcel of that damage to the planetary environment.

drrider

I, for instance, seem to find specials at a 'normal' rate. Most commonly about 1 planet in 3 with none, a third with maybe 1-2 low levels, about a third with something nice. That's with the DA 1.6b1 beta.

drrider

IMO specials should be uncommon perhaps, not rare.

The point and the core of the problem, however, is that when you play game after game after game after game and repeat this 50-times and still do not find any specials anywere in any universe, then it is like a whole aspect and dimension of the game is locked out of reach for that particular player witch is very frustrating.

Many of us particulary play this game for the pure joy of discovering theese precious, special worlds.

I totally agree. Bonus tiles are what gives this game some spice. I would like to see more variety in the kinds of bonus tiles you get, more so than I care how often the ones that show up now, do. Like if you could have 100%, 200%, 300%, 400%, ... 700% tiles, and not just 100/300/700. Or let's see some 200% approval and influence bonus tiles. Or 100% economic tiles (if you build a market on them), or 100% planetary defense tiles--make some planets very hard to invade, unless you're Korath--but you would have to tie up a tile to make it so. Or starship bonus tiles, if you build a Starport on it.