Screenshot Analysis

[GeoModder]

They're right next to the ocean; if the rock was porous, the canyons would be flooded with subterranean water seeping in from the ocean.

Well, both the Mediterranean and Black Sea once were separated by an ocean and sea with a relatively small land bridge. And AFAIK they weren't filled by ground water.

 

[poom3619]

Although I like the reference, Nitrogen-based life would probably be more plausible.

Yes, not all of them breathe, but all the COMPLEX ones do.


A large planet may not lack oxygen (many planets have a small amount of oxygen), but it would lack a life-sustaining atmosphere.

EDIT: The planets don't necessarily have to sustain life as man's purpose is to terraform it. However, there couldn't be any realistic alien life if this was the case. Seeing as how Firaxis wants aliens as numerous as barbarians, I doubt there will be a world without them, hence what I said about the requirements for a life-sustaining atmosphere.

I think you assume that "life-sustaining atmosphere" is Earth-like atmosphere. I heard that Archaea, which live in "harsh" environment, was thriving before Great Oxygenation Event of Earth. Assume that most of it didn't die away, there are potentially evolve into eukariotic and more advanced lifeform.

If my assumption wrong. I am very sorry.

 

[AriochIV]

Well, both the Mediterranean and Black Sea once were separated by an ocean and sea with a relatively small land bridge. And AFAIK they weren't filled by ground water.

Both Gibraltar and the Bosporus are essentially mountain ranges, with impermeable rock and the altitude to separate bodies of water (and possibly, tall enough to block the rain that would otherwise fill the basin). If there was mountainous terrain between these canyons and the coast, that would look more plausible... but then you'd have to explain why there's water filling the crater right next to it but not the canyon. I'm just pointing out that there's a reason why you don't see these deep low-altitude features on Earth; they fill with water.

And yeah, I know it's not important to the game. I'm just sayin'.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

A large planet may not lack oxygen (many planets have a small amount of oxygen), but it would lack a life-sustaining atmosphere.

No it wouldn't. A large planet (say 2x earth) would have a nitrogen oxygen atmosphere similar to ours .... It might have some high levels of other things and the pressure might be high, but you could probably find some photosynthsizers that would add oxygen to it.

 

[SamBC]

No it wouldn't. A large planet (say 2x earth) would have a nitrogen oxygen atmosphere similar to ours .... It might have some high levels of other things and the pressure might be high, but you could probably find some photosynthsizers that would add oxygen to it.

It won't have oxygen in its atmosphere unless there are already photosynthesisers. CO2 is more stable, and is that the direction things will tend. There's all sorts of inorganic processes ready to gobble up free oxygen.

 

[KrikkitTwo]

It won't have oxygen in its atmosphere unless there are already photosynthesisers. CO2 is more stable, and is that the direction things will tend. There's all sorts of inorganic processes ready to gobble up free oxygen.

I know the oxygen comes from photosynthesizers, (who can also remove the co2). A larger planet than Earth would have essentially the same atmosphere as Earth... Assuming the right orbit for liquid water, and the evolution of life, and photosynthesizers you should end up with a decent amount of oxygen in the atmosphere (or possibly nox)...(not that it wouldn't be toxic for humans for other reasons...)

Small planets have the problem of losing an atmosphere.. And reallly massive planets will become/be gas giants. But you have a lot of room between those, where the atmosphere is basically the same
1. Outgas
2. Rain (right temp needed)
3. Photosynthesis (assume life evolves)

So possible problems are
1. Small size (atm lost)/ supper massive (gas giant from hydrogen capture)
2. Bad temperature
3.life evolves in Really weird chemistry direction

 

[rhoanna]

If we were really going to be realistic, every single planet could be no larger than Earth because a planet must be about the size of Earth to sustain a livable atmosphere. Mars was just a bit too small and all its water dried up. Anything bigger than Earth would most likely sustain an atmosphere, but one that is hostile to life.

You realize that those are just 2 data points? The ability to draw conclusions from them is highly suspect. We don't know whether Mars ever had life, nor do we know that any planet it's size can never sustain a life-conducive atmosphere (for long enough for complex life to form).

 

[Gori the Grey]

The hexes to the SE of the ship and the SW of the unit to its W seem to block line of sight, like a hill or a forest in CiV.

I wonder if there will be a pretty 1-to-1 correspondence between the yields of some kind of tiles in this game and the yields in CiV, in other words an alien equivalent to plains, to grasslands, to hills, to forests, etc.

The purple thing looks like it can grow/exist among the mid-level grasses or not.

It looks like there's the equivalent of rivers and mountains. Duh. But milking what we can out of these screenshots might start with getting the obvious laid down.

 

[Cyon]

About non breathable atmosphere, it could be an intresting chalange for an expansion to include more hostile planets that needs even more extreme terraforming/dna adaptaion/robot bodies, to have a selection from icy, desert, jungle, water and mushrom, and more or less habitable in the beginning.