I don't think anyone has recorded data like this. There are quite a few variables. Nine races each having 10 planets is really not all that many planets.  As sole soul said, a medium map might suit you, but then it may seem congested and wars will break out sooner, you'll also get a lot of AI colonies in your space. Of course that could be good if you don't want to travel far to conquor. And as he said no one will be far away in a corner.

To make up for the tight quarters you can bump up to a large galaxy and turn down the number of stars. Maybe occassional stars and planets with habitable set to abundant. There won't be too many planets but a bunch will be habitable. The setting for the type of clusters you want also changes the number of planets; not just their locations. I like tight clusters for economic star base use. But that also brings in the galaxy riff raff towards your space. Well that depends on the difficulty setting too.

Then it wouldn't be a random map and I would know where everything is. Or is it possible to make a map and then have the game randomize it? Would be nice if they had a feature where you just put how many habitable planets you want in the universe and then the program randomly spread them out.

Then, what you'd need is more altered options for planets amount which would, in fact, allow precision rather than general gaps.

True, that an 'abundant' figure may seem variable enough when a real number such as 155 planets may seem definitive... but tell me, what if anything can justify KNOWING from the start how many planets will be available to (say) 9 opponents plus you if all are still distributed in a random fashion?

Such patterns could still put you in a corner away from the thick of things and provide most potential to the AIs (again at random) whilst a custom map defines **everything** by choice.

Matter of perspective, i guess. Some like the challenge in mysterious situations while others might find the game easier if they had more control over multiple features. Where would that end?

Soon enough, the scenario principles (as found in a custom map) should become boring after a few games (and yet, conditions can happen in huge variety).

Thus, why i was suggesting that **ONE** certain way to obtain a fixed amount of planets for any given map sizes is to simply use a custom map. The other would be for coders to modify the selection fields of the appropriate options by adding an amount feature for things such as Stars & Planets to the usual verbose factors. Lotsa programming functions involved, as there is some min-max probabilities to account for (plus many more evaluations based on sector restrictions, resources, asteroids, etc) - though.

And yet, what is optimal gameplay? A dice roll or some constant?

IF the game answers me with MY choice of 125 planets on a Medium map by randomizing 10 only within 3 sectors of my Homeworld while giving the Drengins more than 50 near their area? Unfair or challenging?

Conclusion; Rare or_and_in_between Abundant has a similar emotional response to the gameplay offered. 5_25_100_250_425 is another indication. Still random, btw.

I suppose one option that could also be nice, is being able to create a custom map with only stars, and the game randomising the planets. That way you could have a star pattern you like, while still having the uncertainty of a random map.