Terraforming as a project is a massive undertaking, on the level of small megatructures like Habitats in terms of the scale, and required resources. So why is the only cost for it energy? I want to change Terraforming to be more like a small megastructure, not a simple energy charge, but other costs as well.
Here's how: I would change it to 2 tiers: The first is the "infrastructure" which will have an alloy/energy cost, and energy upkeep. This prepares the planet for actual terraforming. Alloy costs could be comparable to a Battleship.
The 2nd tier is a cost of energy/food, and possibly a food upkeep (I'm imagining it as a general biomass resource here), which is where the actual terraforming happens.
The times taken could be comparable to now, and planets in the process of terraforming will stay in the outliner until complete.
I would also change the way terraforming candidates are spawned to make them more common.
So what's the gene modding part of this? Imagine the portrait as the planet, the traits as planetary modifiers, and the planet preference as what you want to change the planet into; that's what I'm thinking of here. If we're able to terraform, surely we're able to craft the biosphere to our wishes, no? A screen like this would pop up when you click the "terraform" button on a planet, and the apply template would include the cost/time. But after that, it works the same as now, you pay the cost, and a timer sets.
The only "free" modifier I'm thinking of (there could be more) is an "Engineered biosphere" modifier, which is standard for any terraforming done. It adds +5/10% habitability, and +10/15% growth rate.
Tech changes
There's a pretty limited number of modifiers, so this would be a good reason to add many more.
Here's how: I would change it to 2 tiers: The first is the "infrastructure" which will have an alloy/energy cost, and energy upkeep. This prepares the planet for actual terraforming. Alloy costs could be comparable to a Battleship.
The 2nd tier is a cost of energy/food, and possibly a food upkeep (I'm imagining it as a general biomass resource here), which is where the actual terraforming happens.
The times taken could be comparable to now, and planets in the process of terraforming will stay in the outliner until complete.
I would also change the way terraforming candidates are spawned to make them more common.
So what's the gene modding part of this? Imagine the portrait as the planet, the traits as planetary modifiers, and the planet preference as what you want to change the planet into; that's what I'm thinking of here. If we're able to terraform, surely we're able to craft the biosphere to our wishes, no? A screen like this would pop up when you click the "terraform" button on a planet, and the apply template would include the cost/time. But after that, it works the same as now, you pay the cost, and a timer sets.
The only "free" modifier I'm thinking of (there could be more) is an "Engineered biosphere" modifier, which is standard for any terraforming done. It adds +5/10% habitability, and +10/15% growth rate.
Tech changes
- Terrestrial sculpting: All terraformed planets get the unique modifer, and you gain the ability to add a modifier(s?) to the planet.
- Ecological adaptation: Add the ability to add an additional modifier to the planet, and allows you to terraform inhabited planets.
- Climate restoration: Allows you to terraform Hive/Machine/Tomb worlds, and candidates. Adds another potential modifier you can add, and gives the ability to "terraform" planets without changing their type. So if you have ocean preference, and have colonized regular ocean worlds, you can modify these planets for an energy/food cost, and keep them as the same type.
There's a pretty limited number of modifiers, so this would be a good reason to add many more.
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