Do you colonize uninhabitable planets?

from GalCiv2 Forums
Just wondering how many of you out there deal with the uninhabitable planets, the heavy gravity, toxic etc. planets that are available in DA. (Seems like a good subject for a poll but I don't know how to set one up, or whether the forum allows that.)

Do you usually, sometimes, or almost never, research the techs to make unihabitable planets habitable and then colonize them?

Your answer probably depends a lot on what size galaxy you play and how frequently habitable planets occur in your galaxy, so you might want to qualify your answer by telling what options you usually play in this regard.

In one game with a huge galaxy and lots of planets I went right after the techs to colonize the best uninhabitable planets, some of them Class 12 and 10, and got maybe 8 of them. But the time it took away from researching military techs threw me too far behind, and before I could upgrade them and build up production from them I was killed by the AI...probably because I looked too weak. So I have never colonized an uninhabitable planet since. Anyway, I think it would be interesting to hear what others have to say.

Thanks for your replies.



strategies
19,919 views 19 replies
Reply #1 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I usually wait to find extreme planets worth colonizing before researching anything. If I see 2 or more planets with a decent PQ, usually 8 or higher, I will spend the time to research the basic techs just to colonize the world. I won't usually build anything unless I have cash reserves, I'll just let the population grow until I can research the advanced tech for 100% production. If its a PQ 18 or higher, I'll go out of my way to get the advanced tech.
Reply #2 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I find that you get some time to focus on your military before the AI even tries to proceed in researching the colonization techs. Just gotta time it right so that you get it before them.

As for my games, I don't really care much about the planets until I go to war. Then I look at the uninhabitable planets my enemy has, and if worth pursuing, I might research or trade for the techs.
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Like the others, I wait until things develop a bit before considering such colonizations. It takes way too many "weeks" to get the appropriate techs in the beginning stages of the game, less time the further on in the game you get. And, once I get the first half of the tech, I immediately get the second so that those worlds are not limping along at 50%.
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
On smaller maps I sometimes try to be the first to research the extreme enviro. techs cause it will usually give me the edge by grabbing those planets against the AI's Maso(or above) bonuses.
For larger maps I'll have them researched while colonizing, cause I just can't let all those planets sit there I must have them :) . Note: During a long colony rush I build nothing on them and let them sit there being minor econ planets till after the rush.
Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Who was it who posted about how he wins masochist or suicidal tiny maps because he gets a military lead while the AI gets distracted with extreme colonization techs?

I don't often research the techs, although I will usually trade for them. I do research advanced toxic for Korath, though, or if I'm fighting Korath.
Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
It's situational. If there's a high-PQ extreme planet out on the frontier of my empire that would serve to push my influence, or would sit inside an economic starbase zone with other planets of mine, then I might try to grab it before the AI's do.

If there is an extreme planet deep inside my influence zone, I'd rather let the AI's try to grab it, and then flip it with influence. The AI isn't very smart about avoiding that trap. They colonize without any regard to influence, and that's a big advantage the player has over the AI (at least, the current AI build).

Reply #7 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
agreeing with much that's been said while throwing in whether or not I plan to use influence to attain victory
Reply #8 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The only time I made a concentrated effort to grab an advanced colonization tech was when there were 3 PQ-13+ planets all right near the rest of my colonies, all with Toxic Atmosphere flaw.
Reply #9 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Interesting discussion, thanks.
Reply #10 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I went right after the techs to colonize the best uninhabitable planets, some of them Class 12 and 10, and got maybe 8 of them.
End of quote

Well, it may be strange to heard, but did you know that some very nice uninhabitable planets are class 1 or 2 initially. Terraforming can be very incredible on those planets ....

Reply #11 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
The best real estate in my corner of the galaxy always seems to require extreme colonization but I wait until I can research the tech in less than 10 weeks before going after it. By this time my economy is solidly in the green and I have enough military tech to keep the AI off my back. Once I have extreme colonization I evaluate all the planets in my region to decide which type to do first. If the Iconians or Yor are next door they will often scoop the planets they have a native ability to colonize but I can usually preempt them if they are farther away. Once I have the basic ability to colonize I will focus on my economy and military for a while before researching the advanced tech to obtain full use of the planets. You don't need the advanced tech for research or economic output but you'll need to purchase the buildings that create that output. It takes years to build anything without the advanced tech!
Reply #12 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
Along with what DA said, in a smaller galaxy, those planets tend to be more important, so I might look at them and see if I can get them faster. Also, if you find a good one with any research tiles or you just want it to be a research planet, the 50 percent penalty doesn't apply. Thats only on manufacturing points. So if you can just buy the labs, go for it.
Reply #13 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I try not to stick with one specific strategy, and instead attempt to customize my responses to whatever the A.I. is up to. For instance, if I notice a uninhabitable world at the edge of my empire and discover that if the A.I. colonizes it then it will split my boarders, or isolate one of my worlds, then I race develop the necessary techs to settle that planet. If this occurs and my opponent is one of the races that has super adapter or access to the relevant techs, I usually dispatch a fast military unit to screen those worlds and prevent colonization, at this stage in the game the A.I. usually doesn't have a very threatening military, and the loss to a colony ship will usually cause enough of a downturn in their resources that they will quickly sue for peace or allow me to "pay" them for the lost ship in exchange for a cease fire.

Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I went right after the techs to colonize the best uninhabitable planets, some of them Class 12 and 10, and got maybe 8 of them.


Well, it may be strange to heard, but did you know that some very nice uninhabitable planets are class 1 or 2 initially. Terraforming can be very incredible on those planets ....

End of quote


I haven't seen so many of these since I started playing TA - there seem to be fewer extreme worlds on most maps of all sizes than in DA, and far fewer of these little beauties. A real shame for me, as much of my strategy was based on researching the appropriate colonisation tech (if required) and terraforming level 3, going neutral, and then colonising for an instant PQ15-19 planet, usually conveniently near enemy territory. The AI seems to put really low priority on these except on the smallest or scarcest maps, and very late game I often spot one in just the right location and, with auto-terraforming and a good economy, turn it into a highly productive forward base after only a few turns of buying factories.
Reply #15 from GalCiv2 Forums Top


I haven't seen so many of these since I started playing TA - there seem to be fewer extreme worlds on most maps of all sizes than in DA, and far fewer of these little beauties.
End of quote



I suspect that they have started giving bonus PQ to extreme planets. I base that on the fact that I found an uninhabited class 29 toxic world in one of my games under the latest Beta. If I understand this correctly, then normally planets are only suppose to go up to PQ 26 before being colonized. So a 29 PQ toxic world would imply they added a +3 bonus to extreme worlds, meaning you shouldn't find an extreme world that is under 4 PQ under the latest patch. Has anyone actually found a 1-3 PQ extreme planet that would disprove my theory?
Reply #16 from GalCiv2 Forums Top



I haven't seen so many of these since I started playing TA - there seem to be fewer extreme worlds on most maps of all sizes than in DA, and far fewer of these little beauties.



I suspect that they have started giving bonus PQ to extreme planets. I base that on the fact that I found an uninhabited class 29 toxic world in one of my games under the latest Beta. If I understand this correctly, then normally planets are only suppose to go up to PQ 26 before being colonized. So a 29 PQ toxic world would imply they added a +3 bonus to extreme worlds, meaning you shouldn't find an extreme world that is under 4 PQ under the latest patch. Has anyone actually found a 1-3 PQ extreme planet that would disprove my theory?
End of quote


I haven't actually found a planet under PQ4 period. In DA one of the most annoying things was that, for a while at least, like 50% of planets were under PQ4, and therefore worthless for a long time. I've yet to find a planet under PQ4 in TA. (Actually I *MIGHT* have found a PQ3 once... but I'm not sure)
Reply #17 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I usually see which type of untinhabutable planets is most numerous and then researh the respective technology. If there are 6 toxic planects near me it's clear what I should research.
Reply #18 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
In DA one of the most annoying things was that, for a while at least, like 50% of planets were under PQ4, and therefore worthless for a long time.
End of quote


Yes, I also noticed it. But I usually go neutral and if I have 1 or 2 terraformong techs researched I suddenly get a planet with a quality like 8 or 12... While it was only 1 when it was colonized...