Bonus Tiles

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.

I guess its just luck.

Sometimes I start a game and there are many in my planet, while other times there are none.

I wonder if that Lucky atribute has something to do with it.

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).

Hmm. Well, thanks folks. Didn't think they'd changed it, but I thought I'd check. Better luck next game, I suppose.

And it would be a nice slider to add, I agree.

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.

Btw, I never understood the planet quality bonus. What does it do, increase the number of the planet?

Does it has anything to do with the bonus?

Also, if you use a diferent way of invasion on a planet, there is a significant chance of the planet quality drop. What exactly does that means?

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

There actually is an entire thread about this phenomena.
Actually, you are quite lucky that you have even found any planets at all having specials.

Some people have not had any specials at all in any game after the installation of the first patch to DL even after extensive playing.
Some others only ever have specials on their starting world etc..
Others report that they see specials occassionally but far less often than earlier.

As for me, in most of my games, no specials show up at all.
I suspect some kind of a bug while the universe is beeing generated.

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

I usually see a few planets with one or two, usually low end stuff, occasionally one with a biggie, and on rare occasions with a couple biggies. But then again, they're "bonus" tiles, so they should be rare, that's the point. I play the last patch before the 1.6 beta.

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.

Wouldn't this be easier and more logical if the bonus was say equal to the PQ of the planet? Why is unmodded Earth NOT a nice place to live, but with some soil enhancement it gets that bonus?!




Wouldn't it be great if the bigger ones, the Precursor related ones, be found only in those special environment planets, like if the Precursors had intentionally "camouflaged" them so that civs had to actually do some digging to get them?

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.