Those DAMN class 0 planets - what to do with them!

[The Rusty Gamer]

I don't see the point of Class 0 planets. Why have an aspect of the game which is completely useless? They are a waste of space - literally! Why have them there using up processing speed, memory etc when they have absolutely no contribution to the game? Now, I only have the demo please excuse me if I am wrong and they are useful in a later part of the game or if some of the following ideas have already been implented:

I think in the latter stages of the game, there could be technolgies to enable you to terraform class 0 planets to class 1 or perhaps even more. These technologies could allow a "terraform" ship component (or even a starbase component). So you could then create a terraforming ship which would be dismantled after attempting to terraforming one class 0 planet to class 1 (there would be a risk of failure). Early technology on this terrforming could be rather shaky, bulky, and expensive, with a high risk of failure however, the odds would improve over time. It might also be nice as well to have a star base component which (say) raises the class of all the planets in its vincinty by 1 (including class 0 planets) and/or raise planet classes by a percentage - say 10%.

You could also further split these terraforming technologies to focus on specifc types of planets. For instance, to terraform an ice planet, you need ice planet terraforming technology and an ice planet terrforming component in your ship; and then similar for red planets etc.

What about individual races? Do some types of planets have a better class value for them than others? I think this is a good idea. What may be a class 0 to one race, may be a class 15 to another.

Some form of remote mining might be another possiblity for these otherwise useless planets too.

[Gufnork]

They do have a purpose, if there were no class 0 planets then everyone with Stellar Exploration would immediatly know where all inhabitable planets were. They also occasionally become habitable through special events.

[Trifna]

I don't want to see only lush green planets neither.

[Peets]

I find this a weird topic.
It's normal that there are no habitated planets.

[Usually Insane]

you should be able to plant a spy station or a hidden repair docks on them, then if you are fighting someone far away from your own planets, you can just dock and repair...
or something... they are mostly just in the way.

[Ray Radlein]

I agree that you should be able to place certain largely automated facilities on a Class 0 planet. Listening posts, fuel and ammo depots, small military facilities all make sense.

By the same token, not all Class 0-type planets are created equal: The logistic and engineering issues involved in placing a facility on Venus are quite different from those involved in placing one on Jupiter, or Neptune, or one of Jupiter's moons; and it is quite reasonable to assume that some such planets might simply not be useful for any purposes. Given that, I'm not sure that making the game differentiate between various types of Class 0 planets would be at all simple.

[tetley]

Other than mining, I see no benefit to class 0 planets that a starbase could not provide. I do, though, see mining as a significant benefit.

[Peets]

0 = zero = nothing

plz keep it that way.

[Mower]

Well what fun would it be if you knew that all the planets were useful before scouting them?

But I agree that you ought to be able to build *something* on them. Even like a sensor relay or automated spy station etc.

[Strategist83]

[SIZE=1] But I agree that you ought to be able to build *something* on them. Even like a sensor relay or automated spy station etc.

What if a planet is simply made up of extremely hot gasses? That would definitely be classified as class 0, and I doubt you could *anything* on them.

[The Rusty Gamer]

It would be nice, having discovered them as class 0 on the map, for them to disappear from the game thereafter. Having them on the planet list is clutter.

[Ray Radlein]

Originally posted by The Rusty Gamer
Having them on the planet list is clutter.

Amen! At the very least, there should be an option to not show them on the planet list. If they can't be used for anything, there really is no reason to list them there.

[AoA]

Maybe even a setting on the minimap to Show Only Habitable Palnets on systems that I've explored or even in systems that I own at least one world.

Mining would be interesting....however, I do not want a bunch of AI's dropping mines on Zero planets in my own system and I don't want to mine-spam to get dibs on all the Zero worlds.

[LDiCesare]

For me, the problem with class 0 planets is there are far too many of them even at abundant habitable planets settings.

[tetley]

Well I do like how class 0 planets makes Stellar Cartography kind of nebulous.