Mechanical Differences of Biomes

[Umbral Reaver]

We know arid has more worms. What else is different about the biomes?

 

[Jacozilla]

I didn't even know biomes was an option that affected anything other than cosmetics of what the terrain looks like.

Does arid really produce more worms? (ala Dune?)

I thought worms were result of you attacking the aliens. Don't attack and very few appear. Attack, and you get the worm quest plus appearance of more and more worms?

 

[Fabio1701]

I was under the impression that biomes is just a graphical choice and doesn't affect gameplay or the map scripts.

Can someone confirm if this is the case or if it affect other variables?

 

[Kutuzov]

Attack, and you get the worm quest plus appearance of more and more worms?

I don't think that's 100% true. In my first game, I went full harmony and didn't touch the little blighters but I still got the 'kill a sandworm' quest early in the game and thought 'nah! Not going to do that!'

 

[Umbral Reaver]

You get the kill a worm quest the first time you see a worm.

 

[Mustakrakish]

More desert?

 

[HandyVac]

I'm pretty sure the arid/fungal/ biomes are purely graphical, no mechanical changes whatsoever.

I thought worms were result of you attacking the aliens. Don't attack and very few appear.

This, but it's a result of all factions attacking the aliens. If one or more AI factions goes on a bug-hunting rampage you'll see plenty of worms appear, even if you're being nice to them yourself.

 

[oakdragon]

It was mentioned in pre-release LPs that biomes had other differences, including more worms in the desert biome. I don't remember which LPs unfortunately. Whether that made it into the final game or not is another question.

 

[ZHONN]

I've somehow got the feeling that the fungal biome has more miasma and aliens, but I haven't done any thorough testing on the subject.

 

[edingess]

I'd always seen it as
Arid: More sandworms and a slight bit more floatstone
Lush: Much more Xenomass and non-worm aliens
Fungal: Balanced aliens, a tad bit more firaxite

 

[kipwheeler]

Pre-release a few months back the designers did state specifically that with desert biomes you got more worms generated, and with archipeligo maps (rather than biomes) you did get more krakens, but they made no statements about any other maps or biomes beyond those.

 

[Umbral Reaver]

Is there any way to dig something out of the XML about this?

 

[sprang]

I'd always seen it as
Arid: More sandworms and a slight bit more floatstone
Lush: Much more Xenomass and non-worm aliens
Fungal: Balanced aliens, a tad bit more firaxite

Arid = Arrakis.