Thinking about it more following this thread I came up with another catastrophe idea for new players. I imagine that it would be likely to have a random starting scenario chosen from amongst several. While not mentioned, any and all of these catastrophes would have in-game alerts which keep the player updated as to the progress of the event, perhaps via mail? The concepts below hinge on the ability of planets and stars in Hazeron to be able to change based upon in-game triggers or otherwise according to a script. It would also (possibly?) require atmospheric density to change based upon triggers. None of this may be possible with current game code.
Stellar Evolution A - Maturing Star
The primary star in your solar system is about to cross the threshold into maturity causing it to expand in size and change spectral type becoming larger and while cooler overall, its diameter reaches farther into the solar system and is heating planets closer than the habitable zone as well as causing their atmospheres to become corrosive. Inferno worlds remain the same, inner becomes inferno, habitable becomes inner with corrosive atmosphere. Outer and frigid worlds remain the same. Large (titan/habitable) moons acquire corrosive atmosphere. Gas giant planets are unchanged. The progression of this catastrophe would be gradual enough to allow players to see the event coming and the completion of the event, while quite difficult, would not be insurmountable even for an inexperienced player. The evolution of planet types should move outward from the star, allowing players to witness the catastrophe's progress.
Stellar Evolution B - Flare Star
The primary star in your solar system is unbeknownst to you and your empire, a long-period variable also called a flare star. A new period of stellar instability is beginning and will gradually heat all planets in the solar system causing their habitability type to move toward heat as well as causing their atmospheres to move toward corrosive. Inferno worlds remain the same, inner becomes inferno, habitable becomes inner, outer becomes habitable, frigid becomes outer. The atmospheres of all planets evolve to be corrosive. Previously corrosive atmospheres evolve to become insidious, thus destroying vegetation and animal life and simulating the inability of life to adapt to such a rapid environmental change. Large (titan/habitable) moons evolve to become airless. Gas giant planets are unchanged. The progression of this catastrophe could be as rapid as the asteroid while still giving a player sufficient time on the surface of their failing planet if they are sufficiently prepared due to it not being outright annihilated. The evolution of planet types should move outward from the star, allowing players to witness the catastrophe's progress.
Stellar Evolution C - Cataclysmic Variable Star
Your solar system is at least a binary with the smaller secondary star accreting mass from the larger of the two. Over long periods of time this fresh hydrogen builds up and eventually causes instability leading to a stellar eruption smaller than a nova but larger than a flare. This outburst will turn all planets in the system into their hotter and more inhospitable counterparts while completely destroying inferno and inner worlds - habitable become inferno, outer become inner, frigid become inner. The atmospheres of all remaining planets evolve to be insidious, thus destroying vegetation and animal life and simulating the inability of life to adapt to such a rapid environmental change. Large (titan/habitable) moons evolve to become airless. Gas giant planets are unchanged unless they are closer to the star than habitable in which case they are destroyed. The progression of this catastrophe could be as rapid as the asteroid but is so unforgiving that they could merely watch as their planet fails, becoming utterly uninhabitable without fairly mature spaceship technology. The evolution of planet types should move outward from the star, allowing players to witness the catastrophe's progress. Visual effects used for black holes (potentially reduced in strength) could be repurposed to simulate the cataclysmic flare.
Stellar Evolution D - Nova
Your solar system is at least a binary with the smaller secondary star accreting mass from the larger of the two. The mass is building and will eventually cause a classical nova, a more rapid and destructive form of flare and not considered to be the "space explosion" of typical larger supernovas. The star does not detonate but the force of the nova will reshape the solar system. All planets closer to the star than outer are completely destroyed, moving outward from the star, while frigid planets become inferno worlds. Gas giant planets are destroyed. If the solar system started with no frigid planets, the solar system will have no planets left. Visual effects used for black holes could be used to simulate the nova.
Stellar Evolution E - Supernova
More immediately destructive than the Nova catastrophe, this one begins the same as the nova but the result is that everything in the solar system is destroyed including companion stars. The primary star is replaced with a white dwarf and nothing else remains from the destructive progress of nova, with each planet being destroyed moving outward from the star. Visual effects used for black holes could be used to simulate the supernova. The primary star left behind by the supernova could potentially be a new classification of star: remnant. It could retain the special effects used when orbiting a black hole to reflect its supernova-remnant origin. If possible this event could trigger propagation across the sector commensurate with the speed of light in Hazeron, affecting nearby solar systems within a set radius: planets in these nearby solar systems would have their atmospheres become corrosive. Obviously it would be unreasonable for a supernova to bring detriment to the entire sector so this radius of effect would only be a true hazard in extremely dense sectors of a galaxy.
Stellar Evolution F - Black Hole
This concept could be problematic but would otherwise be very easy to implement as it would only require one trigger: when time runs out all planets are destroyed and the primary star replaced with a black hole. The effects and destructive progress of the primary star becoming a black hole could be similar to that used for the Supernova catastrophe, with each planet being destroyed moving outward from the star.
If any of the above concepts are possible, I imagine many more could be developed such as a rogue planet catastrophe (like the asteroid but its a whole planet or moon or even black hole).
Stellar Evolution A - Maturing Star
The primary star in your solar system is about to cross the threshold into maturity causing it to expand in size and change spectral type becoming larger and while cooler overall, its diameter reaches farther into the solar system and is heating planets closer than the habitable zone as well as causing their atmospheres to become corrosive. Inferno worlds remain the same, inner becomes inferno, habitable becomes inner with corrosive atmosphere. Outer and frigid worlds remain the same. Large (titan/habitable) moons acquire corrosive atmosphere. Gas giant planets are unchanged. The progression of this catastrophe would be gradual enough to allow players to see the event coming and the completion of the event, while quite difficult, would not be insurmountable even for an inexperienced player. The evolution of planet types should move outward from the star, allowing players to witness the catastrophe's progress.
Stellar Evolution B - Flare Star
The primary star in your solar system is unbeknownst to you and your empire, a long-period variable also called a flare star. A new period of stellar instability is beginning and will gradually heat all planets in the solar system causing their habitability type to move toward heat as well as causing their atmospheres to move toward corrosive. Inferno worlds remain the same, inner becomes inferno, habitable becomes inner, outer becomes habitable, frigid becomes outer. The atmospheres of all planets evolve to be corrosive. Previously corrosive atmospheres evolve to become insidious, thus destroying vegetation and animal life and simulating the inability of life to adapt to such a rapid environmental change. Large (titan/habitable) moons evolve to become airless. Gas giant planets are unchanged. The progression of this catastrophe could be as rapid as the asteroid while still giving a player sufficient time on the surface of their failing planet if they are sufficiently prepared due to it not being outright annihilated. The evolution of planet types should move outward from the star, allowing players to witness the catastrophe's progress.
Stellar Evolution C - Cataclysmic Variable Star
Your solar system is at least a binary with the smaller secondary star accreting mass from the larger of the two. Over long periods of time this fresh hydrogen builds up and eventually causes instability leading to a stellar eruption smaller than a nova but larger than a flare. This outburst will turn all planets in the system into their hotter and more inhospitable counterparts while completely destroying inferno and inner worlds - habitable become inferno, outer become inner, frigid become inner. The atmospheres of all remaining planets evolve to be insidious, thus destroying vegetation and animal life and simulating the inability of life to adapt to such a rapid environmental change. Large (titan/habitable) moons evolve to become airless. Gas giant planets are unchanged unless they are closer to the star than habitable in which case they are destroyed. The progression of this catastrophe could be as rapid as the asteroid but is so unforgiving that they could merely watch as their planet fails, becoming utterly uninhabitable without fairly mature spaceship technology. The evolution of planet types should move outward from the star, allowing players to witness the catastrophe's progress. Visual effects used for black holes (potentially reduced in strength) could be repurposed to simulate the cataclysmic flare.
Stellar Evolution D - Nova
Your solar system is at least a binary with the smaller secondary star accreting mass from the larger of the two. The mass is building and will eventually cause a classical nova, a more rapid and destructive form of flare and not considered to be the "space explosion" of typical larger supernovas. The star does not detonate but the force of the nova will reshape the solar system. All planets closer to the star than outer are completely destroyed, moving outward from the star, while frigid planets become inferno worlds. Gas giant planets are destroyed. If the solar system started with no frigid planets, the solar system will have no planets left. Visual effects used for black holes could be used to simulate the nova.
Stellar Evolution E - Supernova
More immediately destructive than the Nova catastrophe, this one begins the same as the nova but the result is that everything in the solar system is destroyed including companion stars. The primary star is replaced with a white dwarf and nothing else remains from the destructive progress of nova, with each planet being destroyed moving outward from the star. Visual effects used for black holes could be used to simulate the supernova. The primary star left behind by the supernova could potentially be a new classification of star: remnant. It could retain the special effects used when orbiting a black hole to reflect its supernova-remnant origin. If possible this event could trigger propagation across the sector commensurate with the speed of light in Hazeron, affecting nearby solar systems within a set radius: planets in these nearby solar systems would have their atmospheres become corrosive. Obviously it would be unreasonable for a supernova to bring detriment to the entire sector so this radius of effect would only be a true hazard in extremely dense sectors of a galaxy.
Stellar Evolution F - Black Hole
This concept could be problematic but would otherwise be very easy to implement as it would only require one trigger: when time runs out all planets are destroyed and the primary star replaced with a black hole. The effects and destructive progress of the primary star becoming a black hole could be similar to that used for the Supernova catastrophe, with each planet being destroyed moving outward from the star.
If any of the above concepts are possible, I imagine many more could be developed such as a rogue planet catastrophe (like the asteroid but its a whole planet or moon or even black hole).
![[Image: iluK937.png]](https://i.imgur.com/iluK937.png)