Suggestion - use of empty planets

[Anton1978]

Good day. Now the planets inaccessible for colonization are used extremely ineffectively. The most you can do is find an anomaly on them, build a mining station and, if you're lucky, theroform. But these are huge space objects. I suggest the developers introduce new game mechanics:
Depending on the type of planet - On a firm surface - the construction of military bases on the surface of the planets. There you can place rocket bases, let them inspect the enemy's fleet. And the soldier too, they can automatically land troops on a residential planet if it is invaded. Here is the improvement in ground combat that many are asking for. On any surface - ground scientific stations, what secrets are these planets hiding? Why are they lifeless? how did anomalies and archeological projects end up on them? You can learn a lot of useful things.
On any surface - ground scientific stations, what secrets are these planets hiding? Why are they lifeless? how did anomalies and archeological projects end up on them? You can learn a lot of useful things.
There are mining stations on any planets. Yes, you can't live there, but who will live in the mine? But you can dig, let the iron core of the planet serve as a source of resources.
At gaseous stations - stations for the extraction of rare resources. These gaseous planets probably contain exotic gases.
There are trading stations on any type of planet. And actually there are no resources, but what a beautiful view. This is the best place to make deals.
You can invent more.

it will be very useful for small empires

The mechanics themselves are as follows - an engineering ship is building not just a mining station (simple mining stations have not gone anywhere, if there are no resources, then you can simply build a station), but a space station with the possibility of expansion. New expansion slots are available after the discovery of new technologies.

Each block of the station requires upkeep.

Since people live at the stations (and only robots at especially unusable stations), this will give new quests and events. For example, all the robots at the station began to worship the main computer, or people at the station behave strangely because they sniffed local gas. etc.

 

[nat.hol]

I don't think mutliplying the population centers (even if small) is a good idea, as it will pollute the outliner and add micromanagement (and possibly bring down performance). I also feel like it adds too much economic potential to empty planets, which is very likely to break game balance.

I have a simpler counter-suggestion, if you don't mind.
Add an "Advanced spaceport" building (or "Space elevator", or similar) which can be built on inhabited planets (once per system ideally). It would have a high base cost (unless built on habitats), with added cost for each empty planet in the system (to represent the cost of the infrastructure needed on their surface and in space).
It would provide jobs depending on the empty planets in the system.

For example, it would provide 1 miner job for each telluric planet (up for discussion), plus jobs corresponding to resource deposits:

1. +1 miner job per mineral deposit
2. +1 technician job per energy deposit
3. +1 researcher per science deposit
4. +1 strategic resource extractor job for each str. resource deposit (for each type)
5. +1 clerk (or merchant?) job per trade value deposit

This way, there is no change in terms of population centers.
However, some systems, especially the ones with strategic ressources, would become extremely valuable.
Build an habitat, with an advanced spaceport, and the system's resources can be exploited from there. It would be a reason to spread out one's habitats to economically strategic systems.
It would also be a source of jobs for planets with low potential by themselves, or for new colonies.