tl;dr: Define each planet class by two features, hot vs. cold and wet vs. dry, with a neutral value for each. Species have preferences for the features, or lack thereof, of their homeworld. Base habitability on feature preference. Make it moddable - let modders make new planet features that affect habitability. This will greatly help out modders who want to create more habitable planet classes.
Long version:
The current planet class system has some problems. Why would a species adapted to a hot and humid jungle fare better in a desert than on an ocean world? If I'm from an arid world, why will a continental world be worse for me than an arctic world?
I propose we ditch the wheel, and make a table. Each planet class will be have two features, hot vs. cold, and wet vs. dry.
Desert - dry and hot
Arid - dry
Tundra - dry and cold
Tropical - wet and hot
Ocean - wet
Arctic - wet and cold
Continental - all neutral
Graphically, in the empire creation menu, the dry and wet planet groups could be set in columns on either side of continental in the middle.
There would also be a neutral value for each. As before, a species' preference will match their homeworld, but now the effects will be modular. You get a big boost to habitability for each feature you prefer, minor penalties for neutral features if you have a particular preference, moderate penalties for a feature if you have neutral preference for that feature, and significant penalties to habitability features opposite your preference.
Gameplay wise, this will make planet adaptability for each species make more sense. Desert species will do good in deserts and arid, alright in continentals (like everyone will), and poorly elsewhere. Continentals will do great on continental worlds, and somewhat poorly-to-alright on all other worlds. It will also make your choice of homeworld into more than just picking which slice of the random-distribution pie you can eat - depending on feature distribution, you will be trading off higher speciality (do really well on a few planet types) vs. generality (do ok on more planet types).
Finally, moving to a modular planet class system will help modders. Let them create new planet features, with or without opposite or neutral values, and add them to existing and new planet classes. This will be a great boost to modders who want to create new world types. If I create a new world type, all I need to do is define which features it has, instead of editing habitability values for every type of homeworld.
Long version:
The current planet class system has some problems. Why would a species adapted to a hot and humid jungle fare better in a desert than on an ocean world? If I'm from an arid world, why will a continental world be worse for me than an arctic world?
I propose we ditch the wheel, and make a table. Each planet class will be have two features, hot vs. cold, and wet vs. dry.
Desert - dry and hot
Arid - dry
Tundra - dry and cold
Tropical - wet and hot
Ocean - wet
Arctic - wet and cold
Continental - all neutral
Graphically, in the empire creation menu, the dry and wet planet groups could be set in columns on either side of continental in the middle.
There would also be a neutral value for each. As before, a species' preference will match their homeworld, but now the effects will be modular. You get a big boost to habitability for each feature you prefer, minor penalties for neutral features if you have a particular preference, moderate penalties for a feature if you have neutral preference for that feature, and significant penalties to habitability features opposite your preference.
Gameplay wise, this will make planet adaptability for each species make more sense. Desert species will do good in deserts and arid, alright in continentals (like everyone will), and poorly elsewhere. Continentals will do great on continental worlds, and somewhat poorly-to-alright on all other worlds. It will also make your choice of homeworld into more than just picking which slice of the random-distribution pie you can eat - depending on feature distribution, you will be trading off higher speciality (do really well on a few planet types) vs. generality (do ok on more planet types).
Finally, moving to a modular planet class system will help modders. Let them create new planet features, with or without opposite or neutral values, and add them to existing and new planet classes. This will be a great boost to modders who want to create new world types. If I create a new world type, all I need to do is define which features it has, instead of editing habitability values for every type of homeworld.
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