Now THAT is a good planet

[SpaceOWL]

Scouted in 2307. Just 3 parsecs south of Meklon.

   

[haphazard1]

Wow. That is a huge planet for a barren. An ultra rich that size, which can be settled early (assuming any luck at all with the planetology tree) is going to turn the game into a total curb stomp. And playing as the cyborgs? So many factories are going to be built so fast....

[Cyneheard]

Sounds like someone's taking Planetology before Propulsion techs this game.

[SpaceOWL]

The neighborhood is overall very promising:

   

• Our second colony is a Jungle 90. 
  
• There is a Steppe 45 at 3 parsecs west, and going north a Minimal 70 (minimal?) and another Jungle 90, at 4 parsecs from each other.
  
• The Ocean 3 parsec south of the UR is size 100. 
  
• The Tundra planet is size 50. The Dead one is size 45. The Inferno one is size 25 and Rich. The Radiated one is size 35.
  
• No scout encounters so far.
  

Wow. That is a huge planet for a barren. An ultra rich that size, which can be settled early (assuming any luck at all with the planetology tree) is going to turn the game into a total curb stomp. And playing as the cyborgs? So many factories are going to be built so fast....

Sounds like someone's taking Planetology before Propulsion techs this game.

Actually I already am: I was testing thrawn's strategy of early Planetology opening. I did it in 2301, and picked IT10 having all 3 techs available. I'm at 14% chance to pop in 2310.

I just finished scouting this turn (with the Ocean to the south) and will now open Propulsion with 1 RP. 

I was only thinking if it would be worth to skip Barren and go for Tundra / Dead if there's nothing else on tier 2. But Controlled Barren is so cheap that it isn't worth the delay. 

I think my poor-in-Planetology Meklars will end up researching all three Planetology techs in tier 1.(and depending on the picks, on tier 2 and 3 as well).   

I kept the 2300 save, we could even use the save for a new OSG if you can come up with a good variant.

[haphazard1]

If my eyes are not completely failing, that looks like 7 planets with just Barren/range4 techs? Wow. And one a very sizable ultra rich, plus three more very big habitables.

It would take quite a variant to make that start a competitive game.

[SpaceOWL]

What about this one from an old Small / Impossible game (again playing with the Meklars... coincidence?)
The downside is being in the nebula.
This shot is from 2350 and already with IT10. By 2450 near the end of game, with T30 and Soil enrichment it has grown to size 165.

   

Curiously enough, I remember I have sent the colony ship blindly to Rigel, which was a mid-size poor planet.
Luckily it was scouted after the UR, so I could refuse colonizing it and sent the colony ship all the way back.

[haphazard1]

A habitable class ultra-rich? I don't think I have ever encountered such a planet. How rare is such a combination?

[haphazard1]

Haphazard - follow the link above and you'll see exactly how rare.

Thanks! Lots of excellent info there. And I see that I even commented on that thread, back 3+ years ago. Time flies....

I had not realized that nebula worlds had improved chances of being mineral rich. Still so much to learn about this game.

[Ray F]

Haphazard - follow the link above and you'll see exactly how rare.

Thanks! Lots of excellent info there. And I see that I even commented on that thread, back 3+ years ago. Time flies....

I had not realized that nebula worlds had improved chances of being mineral rich. Still so much to learn about this game.

This was the best planet I've seen reported in ROTP (which uses the MOO1 tables from the OSG):

A rich steppe planet is pretty awesome!

[rgp151]

If my eyes are not completely failing, that looks like 7 planets with just Barren/range4 techs? Wow. And one a very sizable ultra rich, plus three more very big habitables.

It would take quite a variant to make that start a competitive game.

I recently played a Klackon - Impossible game where I had an awesome planetary start, but still got stomped by the Psilons due to a bad tech tree. I had a nearby Artifacts planet, then a Barren Rich and a Tundra Ultra Rich all close by, plus a huge Fertile planet as my first opening colony and a bunch of other reasonable planets around. I was able to colonize all of the good planets plus some, but it didn't help. 

But I got nothing but ECM Jammers until Battle Computer IV, no Class V Planetary Shield, no Scatter Pack V, didn't get RIW 80% or Eco Restoration or Controlled Barren or Tundra, though I did get Dead. Too boot I also didn't get Nuclear Engines or Neutron Pellet Gun nor did I get Fusion Bombs.

So in short, I wasn't able to do anything about the Psilons soon enough and by the time I was able to put together something I could try to attack them with, they had the most planets and every planet within range was stacked full with missile bases with Scatter Pack VIIs and Planetary Shields, plus they had huge fleets.

I tried taking on some weaker civs first, but even that was difficult as the only race close to me was Bulrathi, and I could barely take them in space, they were pretty powerful too. I ended up quitting when I saw the Psilons were had Advanced Computer Techs and High Energy focus when I was still at like Tech level 20.