RoM in Space!

[Hydromancerx]

Can't believe this escaped my attention for two weeks.

A question first: is this mod supposed to start from the ancient era with tech progression towards the space exploration/colonization part, or does it start from the modern/future era?

In any case, good ideas here and the basics sound realistic. However, since the plan is to have a bit of a random solar system I wonder why you would restrict yourself to the standard 'habitable planet with a moon in orbit'. How about the home planet's location depend on the mapsize? For instance tiny/small sized maps could be considered a home'moon' orbiting on a safe distance (radiationwise) from a gas giant near or in the habitable zone of a sun. And the larger the size of the map, the more chance for multiple and large moons orbiting the homeworld (planet in this case). And dependent on the kind of star(s) in the system, there could be more then one planet in the habitable zone(s).
I've seen some discussion on whether or not other civs could also establish colonies on an already inhabited planet/moon. Whether or not this is allowed could be tied in the game as a UN-council proposal. Let's say the proposal becomes viable once the first civ created the Apollo Program. Same with space stuff that let large chunks of matter like asteroids or ice-comets be diverted in orbit of the homeworld. There's always the risk of miscalculation or technical problem nudging such stuff in orbit and let the whole thing crash downwards.
Of course, defying a proposal is an option, but penalties from the other civs might become more severe the higher the risk for the whole homeworld.
Some other thing. The habitability of a planet is of course mostly determined by the distance from its sun. But size could also play a role. For instance, I've read somewhere that if Venus and Mars where in each other's orbits their hospitality towards life would be increased significantly.

I cannot speak for Civ Fuehrer but I will do my best to answer the reasoning for my suggestions.

1. Yes I would like to have it track astronomical science throughout history, be it stargazing, astrology or even as recent has lunar exploration. In addition I would like to add a new era after the trans-human era called the "Intergalactic Era" which would involve the colonization of space beyond our solar system. Basiclly ...

Modern Era = Moon Colonization
Trans-Human Era = Home Solar System Colonization
Intergalactic Era = Colonization of Other Star Systems.

2. The main reason for starting everyone off with an Earth-like planet with at least one moon is so history nd in turn the tech tree stays the same. Orbiting a huge Gas Giant would change human history, culture and religion. In addition other factors play a part. One is having a moon gives us tides and protects us from asteroids. Note we also would have at least one gas giant in the solar system to attract asteroids to. If we were orbiting a gas giant we would risk being hit by asteroids all the time since the planet would pull more towards us. In addition our sun would stay the same. In short all of these factors that make Earth, how it is today is staying the same since changing it could result in a much diffrent Earth, evolution and civilization then we currently have.

3. I do like your ideas of map size effecting things. Perhaps map size could effect the number of planets/moons in the solar system to discover.

4. As for inhabiting a planet that's already occupied. I would say it would be free to set up bases on until all slots were filled up. beyond that you would probably have to fight them for the currently filled up spots. Such as using asteroid weapons to bombard their cities. Or the old send in the troops to invade method. Or heck maybe even just buy the city through trade negotiations.

5. I think the UN should eventually become obsolete for a Star Trek-like Federation of Planets since it will not just be nations on Earth but nations on planets/moons in the solar systems and beyond.

6. That's a good point. Planet habitation should be worked out. Especially when teraforming tech comes around and you could change its "T Score" to a more hospitable climate.

 

[Galacticat42]

Now that I think about it, I'd have to agree with Hydro. However the map size could play a role in what size planets are more easily colonizeable due to gravity differentials like if the home world exerts 6.5m/s/s of gravity (Earth exerts 9.8) then planets with 6-7 would be ideal to those weak-legged citizens while home worlds that exert 12.8m/s/s would have an ideal gravity 8-13 since those people wouldn't want to lose muscle mass and work out 7 hours a day like the astronauts currently taking residency in the international space station.

 

[Hydromancerx]

Rather than having one menu/screen i think we should have 3; Moon, Solar System and Galaxy.

Moon Menu (Target Usage during the Modern Era)
It would statistics on the moon and a set number of "base" (aka city) slots depending upon the map size you picked. less for small maps and more or larger maps. Each "base" would have info on what buildings were built in it. It would also eventually have information on building more advanced spaceships in its low gravity manufacturing plant.

Solar System Menu (Target Usage during the Trans-Human Era)
This too would have more or less planets and moons depending upon the map you picked. Rather than having a tab for each "base" like on the moon menu you would have a tab for each planet, moon and even the asteroid belt. On these you would still build "bases" within a limited number of slots but you would not worry about the buildings within each base. Because by then you will have discovered how to make "colony arcologies" which have all the buildings in one. Note you can also plane other things like mining the asteroid belt or begin terraforming planets to be more habitable. You will be learning ow to harvest all available resources in the solar system. You might even find microscopic life within your solar system.

Galaxy Menu (Target Usage during the Galactic Era)
This will have star system tabs rather than planet or moon tabs. You will no longer set up individual colony bases but send out mass galactic colonization ships which colonize and terraform entire solar systems. You are nearly godlike by this stage and will make your way to colonize the entire galaxy. You will work on quicker methods to spread such as wormhole technology. You will learn how to harness all available resources in the galaxy be it the stars themselves to nebula gasses. You might even discover alien fauna and flora. However intelligent life will not be found since that would be too complex to simulate.

 

[GeoModder]

2. The main reason for starting everyone off with an Earth-like planet with at least one moon is so history nd in turn the tech tree stays the same. Orbiting a huge Gas Giant would change human history, culture and religion. In addition other factors play a part. One is having a moon gives us tides and protects us from asteroids. Note we also would have at least one gas giant in the solar system to attract asteroids to. If we were orbiting a gas giant we would risk being hit by asteroids all the time since the planet would pull more towards us. In addition our sun would stay the same. In short all of these factors that make Earth, how it is today is staying the same since changing it could result in a much diffrent Earth, evolution and civilization then we currently have.

You're too right that putting humanity on the moon of a gas giant would definitely change their outlook towards the universe from the beginning.
On your comment that the moon gives the Earth shelter for incoming 'roids, that's quite farflung. Almost all incoming meteors are on a course which never even crosses Lunar orbit, let alone that the moon happens to be on the right spot when one accidently does cross its orbit. Even gravity-wise the moon can't divert much meteors. So considering the moon as rockshelter isn't the best of ideas.

3. I do like your ideas of map size effecting things. Perhaps map size could effect the number of planets/moons in the solar system to discover.

To offer another swing at tiny/small planets (maps), you could always think of the homeworld orbiting a so-called "superearth" instead of a gas giant. If I remember correctly a superearth can have almost 10 times Earth's mass without becoming a gas giant in the inner parts of a solar system. It's simply a dense ball of rock then, perhaps a quarter larger then Earth. I suppose a mars-sized habitable 'moon' around a superearth isn't the likeliest of things, but as far as we know so is a moon orbiting a planet with barely 4 times its size (the Earth-moon situation). Of course, the Apollo program might be a little difficult then with a superearth involved.
But it does solve the smaller maps, you still have a big 'moon' in the sky for humanity to wonder about, and if the superearth is far enough from the homeworld tidal forces can resemble earth's as we know them. But it's your call of course.

4. As for inhabiting a planet that's already occupied. I would say it would be free to set up bases on until all slots were filled up. beyond that you would probably have to fight them for the currently filled up spots. Such as using asteroid weapons to bombard their cities. Or the old send in the troops to invade method. Or heck maybe even just buy the city through trade negotiations.

I brought this UN proposal in because of the real UN's Outer Space Treaty. I thought it could give the ingame UN Council a bit more to offer the player.

5. I think the UN should eventually become obsolete for a Star Trek-like Federation of Planets since it will not just be nations on Earth but nations on planets/moons in the solar systems and beyond.

If your tech tree includes cheap interstellar transport -and communication, and continues a couple of centuries beyond the modern era I'd say go for it.
But I wonder if you'd considered the opposite: all those colonies getting tired of the motherworld's influence and going off on their own, especially when transport is relatively cheap/easy, and literally millionsor even billions of people live on other worlds. That is hard to emulate with just a few screens.

6. That's a good point. Planet habitation should be worked out. Especially when teraforming tech comes around and you could change its "T Score" to a more hospitable climate.

Also, if more then one nation establishes colonies on said terraformable world, I'd say an agreement between all participants must be reached before it starts. Again something that can be used as a UN proposal or on the diplomacy screen level.

Now that I think about it, I'd have to agree with Hydro. However the map size could play a role in what size planets are more easily colonizeable due to gravity differentials like if the home world exerts 6.5m/s/s of gravity (Earth exerts 9.8) then planets with 6-7 would be ideal to those weak-legged citizens while home worlds that exert 12.8m/s/s would have an ideal gravity 8-13 since those people wouldn't want to lose muscle mass and work out 7 hours a day like the astronauts currently taking residency in the international space station.

You guys are the mod's creators, I only put my thoughts about the matter here.
The general rule is that lower-g worlds might appeal better to would-be colonists, especially in the early beginning when colonists will mostly consist of people with proven abilities, which will likely be older people (from their forties onwards). Unfortunately our solar system doesn't have a higher-gravity world which we can walk upon so there's no example to make statistics about. In any case, lower-grav worlds would be prime targets for early manned space programs because of the significantly lower fuel costs.
On your comment about gravity health reasons, there's always the coriolis force solution for that. You could have 2 kinds of space/orbital bases: the sort like the ISS and the sort with a rotating section to simulate a gravity field to your liking. Heck, even coasting spaceships could have a rotating section.

 

[Dancing Hoskuld]

Rather than having one menu/screen i think we should have 3; Moon, Solar System and Galaxy.

Moon Menu (Target Usage during the Modern Era)
It would statistics on the moon and a set number of "base" (aka city) slots depending upon the map size you picked. less for small maps and more or larger maps. Each "base" would have info on what buildings were built in it. It would also eventually have information on building more advanced spaceships in its low gravity manufacturing plant.

Solar System Menu (Target Usage during the Trans-Human Era)
This too would have more or less planets and moons depending upon the map you picked. Rather than having a tab for each "base" like on the moon menu you would have a tab for each planet, moon and even the asteroid belt. On these you would still build "bases" within a limited number of slots but you would not worry about the buildings within each base. Because by then you will have discovered how to make "colony arcologies" which have all the buildings in one. Note you can also plane other things like mining the asteroid belt or begin terraforming planets to be more habitable. You will be learning ow to harvest all available resources in the solar system. You might even find microscopic life within your solar system.

Galaxy Menu (Target Usage during the Galactic Era)
This will have star system tabs rather than planet or moon tabs. You will no longer set up individual colony bases but send out mass galactic colonization ships which colonize and terraform entire solar systems. You are nearly godlike by this stage and will make your way to colonize the entire galaxy. You will work on quicker methods to spread such as wormhole technology. You will learn how to harness all available resources in the galaxy be it the stars themselves to nebula gasses. You might even discover alien fauna and flora. However intelligent life will not be found since that would be too complex to simulate.

I repeat my suggestion of a space screen that looks similar to the tech screen. Using logrythmetic scale means that the whole universe will fit

 

[Hydromancerx]

You're too right that putting humanity on the moon of a gas giant would definitely change their outlook towards the universe from the beginning.
On your comment that the moon gives the Earth shelter for incoming 'roids, that's quite farflung. Almost all incoming meteors are on a course which never even crosses Lunar orbit, let alone that the moon happens to be on the right spot when one accidently does cross its orbit. Even gravity-wise the moon can't divert much meteors. So considering the moon as rockshelter isn't the best of ideas.



To offer another swing at tiny/small planets (maps), you could always think of the homeworld orbiting a so-called "superearth" instead of a gas giant. If I remember correctly a superearth can have almost 10 times Earth's mass without becoming a gas giant in the inner parts of a solar system. It's simply a dense ball of rock then, perhaps a quarter larger then Earth. I suppose a mars-sized habitable 'moon' around a superearth isn't the likeliest of things, but as far as we know so is a moon orbiting a planet with barely 4 times its size (the Earth-moon situation). Of course, the Apollo program might be a little difficult then with a superearth involved.
But it does solve the smaller maps, you still have a big 'moon' in the sky for humanity to wonder about, and if the superearth is far enough from the homeworld tidal forces can resemble earth's as we know them. But it's your call of course.



I brought this UN proposal in because of the real UN's Outer Space Treaty. I thought it could give the ingame UN Council a bit more to offer the player.



If your tech tree includes cheap interstellar transport -and communication, and continues a couple of centuries beyond the modern era I'd say go for it.
But I wonder if you'd considered the opposite: all those colonies getting tired of the motherworld's influence and going off on their own, especially when transport is relatively cheap/easy, and literally millionsor even billions of people live on other worlds. That is hard to emulate with just a few screens.



Also, if more then one nation establishes colonies on said terraformable world, I'd say an agreement between all participants must be reached before it starts. Again something that can be used as a UN proposal or on the diplomacy screen level.



You guys are the mod's creators, I only put my thoughts about the matter here.
The general rule is that lower-g worlds might appeal better to would-be colonists, especially in the early beginning when colonists will mostly consist of people with proven abilities, which will likely be older people (from their forties onwards). Unfortunately our solar system doesn't have a higher-gravity world which we can walk upon so there's no example to make statistics about. In any case, lower-grav worlds would be prime targets for early manned space programs because of the significantly lower fuel costs.
On your comment about gravity health reasons, there's always the coriolis force solution for that. You could have 2 kinds of space/orbital bases: the sort like the ISS and the sort with a rotating section to simulate a gravity field to your liking. Heck, even coasting spaceships could have a rotating section.

1. Unlike other moons our moon is quite large incomparable to other planets. Which means its more likely to protect us for asteroids. However your right that it cann;t protect us from everything which is why gas giants like Jupiter are so important to bring in the big guys and our own atmosphere to burn up the little guys. Its the middle guys that we need to worry about.

2. Same answer as before that any nearby thing in the sky besides the sun and the moon would greatly change human culture, religion and how we view the cosmos. In short i would like to keep the homeworld as Earth-like as possible. Beyond that it can be much diffrent.

3. Cool!

4. Indeed it will be hard. But hopefully by then we will be using the "Powers of 10" to simulate large complex systems in relatively simple terms. For example me proposing that within our home solar system that you no longer micromanage buildings on colony bases. And then ones you spread to other stars you no longer micromanage bases but individual planets within the star system.

5. I agree and like those ideas.

 

[Galacticat42]

Hmm. A tech styled screen that would open up to solar system screens when you click on a button, ours be to the very left, galactic core at the very right. The only problem about this however is that there would have to be preset systems since I can't just have the game add entries, and if I could it would be one of the last things I'd be able to code yet the first things I would have to code as a base.
EDIT: I think I might actually be able to play this weekend!
EDIT2: Well it looks like my playtime was cut short since I was given the ultimate non-victory condition game ender and don't feel like starting another right now.

 

[Galacticat42]

To jumpstart this thing I need to talk about the screen layout. I've been giving this some thought. The screen originally proposed by Hydro would be unethical due to how much you would have to scroll for anything. The screen proposed by Dancing Hoskuld would be better however the game can't add new entries in that format so there would have to be preset systems and treat it like another tech screen. The bad thing about this is that the space stage would be very predictable in the way of discoveries. So instead, I was thinking of a Civilopedia format. The first column would be star systems / objects, the next column after selecting one is the planets and features of that system or object. Selecting a planet would show the info that you have gathered. This is a lot better since not only can a lot of stuff be shown in this format but so can info and the image of that planet(I can just use the python that is used to display the generic planet when selecting the size etc at game start but with different terrain dds's depending on info).

 

[Hydromancerx]

To jumpstart this thing I need to talk about the screen layout. I've been giving this some thought. The screen originally proposed by Hydro would be unethical due to how much you would have to scroll for anything. The screen proposed by Dancing Hoskuld would be better however the game can't add new entries in that format so there would have to be preset systems and treat it like another tech screen. The bad thing about this is that the space stage would be very predictable in the way of discoveries. So instead, I was thinking of a Civilopedia format. The first column would be star systems / objects, the next column after selecting one is the planets and features of that system or object. Selecting a planet would show the info that you have gathered. This is a lot better since not only can a lot of stuff be shown in this format but so can info and the image of that planet(I can just use the python that is used to display the generic planet when selecting the size etc at game start but with different terrain dds's depending on info).

So you don't like this idea?

Rather than having one menu/screen i think we should have 3; Moon, Solar System and Galaxy.

Moon Menu (Target Usage during the Modern Era)
It would statistics on the moon and a set number of "base" (aka city) slots depending upon the map size you picked. less for small maps and more or larger maps. Each "base" would have info on what buildings were built in it. It would also eventually have information on building more advanced spaceships in its low gravity manufacturing plant.

Solar System Menu (Target Usage during the Trans-Human Era)
This too would have more or less planets and moons depending upon the map you picked. Rather than having a tab for each "base" like on the moon menu you would have a tab for each planet, moon and even the asteroid belt. On these you would still build "bases" within a limited number of slots but you would not worry about the buildings within each base. Because by then you will have discovered how to make "colony arcologies" which have all the buildings in one. Note you can also plane other things like mining the asteroid belt or begin terraforming planets to be more habitable. You will be learning ow to harvest all available resources in the solar system. You might even find microscopic life within your solar system.

Galaxy Menu (Target Usage during the Galactic Era)
This will have star system tabs rather than planet or moon tabs. You will no longer set up individual colony bases but send out mass galactic colonization ships which colonize and terraform entire solar systems. You are nearly godlike by this stage and will make your way to colonize the entire galaxy. You will work on quicker methods to spread such as wormhole technology. You will learn how to harness all available resources in the galaxy be it the stars themselves to nebula gasses. You might even discover alien fauna and flora. However intelligent life will not be found since that would be too complex to simulate.

Also what is "unethical" about it?

 

[Hydromancerx]

@Civ Fuehrer

Here is what we could do for the moon menu. You separate the moon int 4 quadrants each with 8 base slots. When the slots are occupied you can click on them for more information. Like the manufacturing of the spaceship you would make "lunar modules" to launch into space and lad on the mood to add to each base. Eventually some buildings could produce things such as spaceships for colonizing other planets.

Note that only the Moon would have the buildings. When colonizing other planets you would have a similar menu but of the solar system. And you would be micromanaging bases rather than buildings like in this. Thus you would send up entire manufactured bases for other planets.

EDIT I added a Solar System Image too for an example.

 

[Galacticat42]

@ Hydromancerx
I like what you're doing but it's beginning to go beyond my coding abilities i.e. info pop-ups when hovering a mouse over it or slots on a terrain map. I'll put up a pic of what I'm talking about in a bit.
EDIT: Okay I finished the screen I was thinking of, just be warned this is a photoshop image not the real deal. Also I wanted to order the left side by discovery first but I was too lazy to change the blue highlights.

 

[Hydromancerx]

@ Hydromancerx
I like what you're doing but it's beginning to go beyond my coding abilities i.e. info pop-ups when hovering a mouse over it or slots on a terrain map. I'll put up a pic of what I'm talking about in a bit.
EDIT: Okay I finished the screen I was thinking of, just be warned this is a photoshop image not the real deal. Also I wanted to order the left side by discovery first but I was too lazy to change the blue highlights.

Oooo! I love the concept image!

So are we going to have real planets like shown or have made up ones? If so will they be randomly named like cities and can they be named by the player too?

Also if you are doing it like this will everything be micromanaged or re you going use my expending out idea?

Micromanage Idea
You build "bases" just like cities and must also build buildings in each base. This is how it is forever in the game no matter how many planets you find beyond your own solar system.

Expanding Idea
The Moon of your planet starts out like the Micromanage Idea, but once you get to colonizing other planets in your solar system you no longer worry about making individual buildings and each base is made with everything pre-made in it. And when you expand beyond your solar system you no longer worry about each base but only worry about individual planets where whole star systems are colonized at once with pre-made bases that colonize every inhabitable planet in the solar system.

 

[Galacticat42]

Oooo! I love the concept image!

So are we going to have real planets like shown or have made up ones? If so will they be randomly named like cities and can they be named by the player too?

Also if you are doing it like this will everything be micromanaged or re you going use my expending out idea?

Micromanage Idea
You build "bases" just like cities and must also build buildings in each base. This is how it is forever in the game no matter how many planets you find beyond your own solar system.

Expanding Idea
The Moon of your planet starts out like the Micromanage Idea, but once you get to colonizing other planets in your solar system you no longer worry about making individual buildings and each base is made with everything pre-made in it. And when you expand beyond your solar system you no longer worry about each base but only worry about individual planets where whole star systems are colonized at once with pre-made bases that colonize every inhabitable planet in the solar system.

1. Thank you, I take it that's the go-ahead on that screen.

2. Made up ones with generically colored planets depending on water level, temp etc but those weren't shown since it's only the concept image. I was going to use BUG's random name engine for planets, stars etc with a few preset names like Alpha Centauri, Sirius, etc. and renaming will be possible.

3. Expanding, even for the moon. Send the settler, it'll be on auto pilot to expand, using your resources. The moon is a special case since normally the colonies would automatically expand itself across a foreign planet, but it will stay one colony for the other nations for a chance but you're able to settle more than one colony for any planet/moon too. Later on when planetary colonizing packs tech comes about and the civ has enough money for it you can 'build' the resource shuttle to send to the moon which will trigger your colony's factory to build the colony pack rocket.

EDIT: One thing I still can't figure out how to go about doing without making it look extremely cheesy is for example you finish making a terraforming rover, send it to Mars, and wait a couple dozen turns for it to completely turn Mars into a water rich planet. The generic planet in the 3d pane would then change from a red ball to a green and blue ball, but the landmasses would be completely different than what the previous image was.

 

[Hydromancerx]

@ Civ Fuehrer

So wait they are autonomous? Most planets would not have enough resources to expand on its own. You would have to supplement them with shipments of resources. Be it mined ore or water from the asteroid belt or resources directly from your homeworld.

As for terraforming I think a terraforming rover would be much too small. You would need an enitre building complex. Like huge machines in "Total Recall" or "Sim Earth". Here are some ideas for terraforming buildings based on "Sim Earth" and "Spore".

Sim Earth
- Biome Factory - Creates plants.
- Oxygenator - Takes CO2 out and puts O2 in. Helps cool off hot planets.
- N2 Generator - Helps increase the planets atmosphere, thus help warming up a planet too with a thicker atmosphere.
- Vaporator - Spewes water vapor (aka H2O) into the atmosphere, thus increasing the humidity of the planet.
- CO2 Generator - Put CO2 in the atmosphere thus creating more of a greenhouse effect.

Spore on the other hand is based off you riding around in a UFO and have various tools of ranging levels to either add or subtract atmosphere and either make it hotter or colder. These range from beam weapons to even generators like in Sim Earth. They even have summoning asteroids, ice comets and volcanoes.

I think we can do terraforming a number of ways. You can either terraform before they colonize or after. If you terraform before then you can use tools like pushing ice comets to the planet in order add water to the planet. However its side effect would be lowering the temperature and loosing some atmosphere.

We could also introduce volcanology tech and eventually use it not only for studying volcanoes on your homeworld but for terraforming. By making artificial volcanoes on the planet it will increase it atmosphere and temperature. We should also maybe add a seismology tech if we are going to be introducing volcanology.

So basically early terraforming would use asteroids, ice comets and volcanoes along with seeding microbes, fauna and flora from your homeworld. Then more advanced techs could be added as terraforming improves. Such as making a "terraforming factory" which can do all these things automatically.

Anywho back to your question I would say if there were already bases on the planet that they would risk being flooded with sea level rise or even possibly invent a way for Underwater Cities. I would hope that we can eventually develop self sustaining "Colony Arcologies" which can exist no matter what the planet is like.

 

[GeoModder]

EDIT: Okay I finished the screen I was thinking of, just be warned this is a photoshop image not the real deal. Also I wanted to order the left side by discovery first but I was too lazy to change the blue highlights.

Beautiful concept screen, Civ Fueher.

2. Made up ones with generically colored planets depending on water level, temp etc but those weren't shown since it's only the concept image. I was going to use BUG's random name engine for planets, stars etc with a few preset names like Alpha Centauri, Sirius, etc. and renaming will be possible.

Is it possible to let the engine choose between a list of generic pictures? Also for before and after terraformation if that happens?

EDIT: One thing I still can't figure out how to go about doing without making it look extremely cheesy is for example you finish making a terraforming rover, send it to Mars, and wait a couple dozen turns for it to completely turn Mars into a water rich planet. The generic planet in the 3d pane would then change from a red ball to a green and blue ball, but the landmasses would be completely different than what the previous image was.

I think we can do terraforming a number of ways. You can either terraform before they colonize or after. If you terraform before then you can use tools like pushing ice comets to the planet in order add water to the planet. However its side effect would be lowering the temperature and loosing some atmosphere.

I'd say that usually terraformation happens after a fair amount of colonies are established. After all, you'd need supervision on-site for alot of the efforts. Also you could say that the more people/colonies on a planet, the faster terraformation goes. Or even put up a slider on how much resources the various colonies/civs pour into terraforming the planet, again determining how quick progress it. On ice comets: if you break them up in smaller pieces upon entry in the atmosphere there's no harm to the surface. At least, in Kim Robinson's Mars trilogy they use this way of thickening the atmosphere.

We could also introduce volcanology tech and eventually use it not only for studying volcanoes on your homeworld but for terraforming. By making artificial volcanoes on the planet it will increase it atmosphere and temperature. We should also maybe add a seismology tech if we are going to be introducing volcanology.

This depends on whether the target planet has plate tectonics. In our system, only Earth (and perhaps still Venus) meets these criteria. Mars for instance has been tectonically dead for billions of years. Size and age of the planet are the things to look at here.

Anywho back to your question I would say if there were already bases on the planet that they would risk being flooded with sea level rise or even possibly invent a way for Underwater Cities. I would hope that we can eventually develop self sustaining "Colony Arcologies" which can exist no matter what the planet is like.

Welcome to Thalassia. Please show your Reef Visa before entering the Scuba Vehicle.

 

[Galacticat42]

@ Civ Fuehrer

So wait they are autonomous? Most planets would not have enough resources to expand on its own. You would have to supplement them with shipments of resources. Be it mined ore or water from the asteroid belt or resources directly from your homeworld.

As for terraforming I think a terraforming rover would be much too small. You would need an enitre building complex. Like huge machines in "Total Recall" or "Sim Earth". Here are some ideas for terraforming buildings based on "Sim Earth" and "Spore".

Sim Earth
- Biome Factory - Creates plants.
- Oxygenator - Takes CO2 out and puts O2 in. Helps cool off hot planets.
- N2 Generator - Helps increase the planets atmosphere, thus help warming up a planet too with a thicker atmosphere.
- Vaporator - Spewes water vapor (aka H2O) into the atmosphere, thus increasing the humidity of the planet.
- CO2 Generator - Put CO2 in the atmosphere thus creating more of a greenhouse effect.

I think we can do terraforming a number of ways. You can either terraform before they colonize or after. If you terraform before then you can use tools like pushing ice comets to the planet in order add water to the planet. However its side effect would be lowering the temperature and loosing some atmosphere.

We could also introduce volcanology tech and eventually use it not only for studying volcanoes on your homeworld but for terraforming. By making artificial volcanoes on the planet it will increase it atmosphere and temperature. We should also maybe add a seismology tech if we are going to be introducing volcanology.

So basically early terraforming would use asteroids, ice comets and volcanoes along with seeding microbes, fauna and flora from your homeworld. Then more advanced techs could be added as terraforming improves. Such as making a "terraforming factory" which can do all these things automatically.

Anywho back to your question I would say if there were already bases on the planet that they would risk being flooded with sea level rise or even possibly invent a way for Underwater Cities. I would hope that we can eventually develop self sustaining "Colony Arcologies" which can exist no matter what the planet is like.

1. Yup, but if a planet does, then they can get their own.

2. Who said a rover is limited in how big it can be? I'm thinking of the big-ass terraforming rover platforms like shown at the beginning of the movie Serenity.

3. Those are just about spot-on

4. I'd go with what Geo said

5. again Geo

6. Sounds right

7. I don't see any question marks in my last post but I would think it would be protocol to settle on higher land if the planet was to be terraformed later.

here's the rover platform, you can't really see the size in this screen shot but it pans out and this thing is half the size of a mountain, and it moves.

 

[Galacticat42]

I just had a thought: if there was micromanaging for anything other than the main planet, that's already too much for any person to handle in the way of making turns take a half hour just to get to the end of that turn. Also if I put anything (with the exception of the moon since you will be controlling it's colony's production directly through building resource shuttles) on auto it will be extremely repetitive. So I thought of having a hybrid system. In the first slot where 'galactic core' is in the concept image you will have 'Building Queues' and this page is dedicated to 5 different building queue concepts each able to be renamed. Under each building queue you will be able to make for example "factory queue" which will then allow you to assign all your colonies on a specific planet/object to build buildings in a specific order which then on each planet page you can assign that planet one out of the five building queues for all of your colonies to autopilot itself on that planet/object or entire solar system if selected through the system's sun(s) page. For example on the concept image you press Sol instead of earth you can set the specific building queue for all of the colony planets of the Sol solar system.

 

[Hydromancerx]

@Civ Fuehrer

Yeah I have no idea what to do about production. Unlike the building of th spaceship these colonies would be able to make things as well, not just sending things up into space.

 

[Galacticat42]

Okay, so I think I have it figured out for the most part but I'm going to have to have it as a display tab on the Civilopedia screen instead of it's own screen for two reasons:
a. I still don't know where to put in the UI button
b. I'm pretty sure that the UI button falls into the bug discovered by GeneralStaff's early buildings.

Also some python parts of this modmod will not be modular since it will have to delete the ship tab in the victory conditions screen in order to make a new space race victory.

 

[Hydromancerx]

Okay, so I think I have it figured out for the most part but I'm going to have to have it as a display tab on the Civilopedia screen instead of it's own screen for two reasons:
a. I still don't know where to put in the UI button
b. I'm pretty sure that the UI button falls into the bug discovered by GeneralStaff's early buildings.

Also some python parts of this modmod will not be modular since it will have to delete the ship tab in the victory conditions screen in order to make a new space race victory.

Ok sounds reasonable. Thanks for the update and keep letting us know how you are doing. I am resistant to post any more ideas until I see how you basic design works.