Colonizing Tips

Here are some basic tips when colonizing new worlds. Such as planets, titans, moon, or gas giants. These can be in the starting solar system or in uninhabited ones.

Habitable Worlds

Colonizing a new habitable world is the easiest to do. No advanced construction materials are required to construct buildings, and no supplies are needed aside from food.

It is always a good idea to found a city on a habitable world in any solar system that has one. They can manufacture supplies for other colonies in the solar system, the population will grow faster with indigenous population, and the world will yield an officer cadet.

Semi-habitable Worlds

Colonizing a semi-habitable world is equally as easy as a habitable world. No advanced construction materials are required to construct buildings, and no supplies are needed aside from food.

Warning: Not all inner and outer orbit zone worlds are semi-habitable. Some can have atmospheres that result in them being extremely dangerous, much like the types listed below. For these, you'll need the usual supplies (food, air, electricity) and blueprints will need to be HEV-suitable.

These worlds are normally only worth founding a city on if the solar system has no habitable world. Otherwise simply make basic colonies for harvesting operations on these worlds where needed.

Airless Worlds

An airless world is also fairly easy to colonize, mainly because landings and takeoffs of spacecraft is easy when there is no atmosphere to worry about. However, construction material requirements for buildings will now include electronic parts and its components. Blueprints on these worlds require life support, but don't require framework. The population will also require supplies in the form of food, air and electricity.

Moon colonies can be made self-sufficient through the use of ice. Ice can be converted to both water and air at a Treatment Plant, which can then be used for growing food.

Unless the airless world has resources worth harvesting there normally isn't a reason to colonize them. Airless worlds such as moons and planetoids are generally very small, so a full-fledged city is not normally required. It is more reasonable to construct a simple colony for harvesting operations.

Harsh Orbit Zone Worlds

Worlds in the inferno and frigid orbit zones are not difficult to colonize, assuming the atmosphere is not dangerous and there is enough land to place buildings on. Construction material requirements for buildings will include electronic parts and its components, and blueprints will need to have framework volume. The population will require supplies in the form of food, air and electricity.

Make sure to avoid the lava or supercooled oceans, as these will massively increase the construction cost of buildings and can easily rip through metal EV Suits. It is possible to build underwater within them if desired.

While it is possible to make both frigid and inferno worlds self-sufficient, inferno are much harder. This is because there is no ice to convert into water and air, which makes growing food much harder. Hence, it's recommended to colonize another world first as a supplier if possible.

The worlds in the inferno and frigid orbit zones will commonly have advanced resources, but are usually only colonized when they have new or better quality resources. A full-fledged city is not required on these worlds. It is perfectly reasonable to construct a simple colony for harvesting operations instead of a city.

Dangerous Atmosphere Worlds

Some worlds with have atmospheres that are not only inhospitable, but also dangerous to any craft and lifeform that enters them. These atmosphere types are called Corrosive and Insidious, the latter being much worse than the former. The atmosphere does not harm buildings, so any city or colony founded on these worlds will be safe.

A small spacecraft may not last more than a few minutes inside the atmosphere, but a space vehicle might last longer. An EV suit will also take extreme damage from being in the atmosphere, therefore it is recommended to seek shelter inside a pressure tent or buildings with interiors.

Aside from the added difficultly to colonizing, these worlds are much the same as other harsh worlds. Steps should however be taken to avoid having to land on the world more than necessary, so if it is the only colonized world in the solar system it might be a good idea to manufacture a space station.

Gas Giants

Colonizing a gas giant is different from most other worlds. It is recommended to manually pilot when landing and taking off from a gas giant, because the gravity of a gas giant is strong and a spacecraft might have a difficult time leaving the atmosphere.

A gas giant has two separate stages that can be colonized: the upper atmosphere and the core. Each has their own difficulties and resources to harvest.

Upper Layers

A colony on an aerial platform.

The upper layer of a gas giant can be colonized with aerial platforms. The aerial platform can be placed from orbit, and it is recommended to adjust the altitude (MouseWheel) of the aerial platform to as high as possible. Alternatively a sea platform can be used, but this means having to deal with even more gravity with taking off.

Buildings can be placed on a platform even while it is still under construction. This means that an airport terminal can be placed for a spacecraft to land on, this will protect it from potentially dangerous atmospheres.

In the upper layer of the gas giant it is only possible to harvest the atmospheric resources, such as with a refinery. The volume limits of a gas giant is usually low, so constructing a simple colony for harvesting operations is probably best.

Core

The core is deep down in the liquid ocean on the gas giant, the average ocean depth is around -30'000 kilometers and the trip can take up to half an hour at safe diving speed. A spacecraft has to have a submersible streamlining to be able to survive diving into the liquid ocean. Alternatively a submarine can be transported to the gas giant and used to make the dive.

The surface of the gas giant's core has extremely difficult terrain, it is jagged and hilly without any flat areas. On top of that there is very poor visibility at the core as it is extremely dark, and movement is difficult due to needing to swim everywhere. Further, the liquid corrodes spacecraft and EV Suits very quickly, including Vulcium EV suits, making it extremely dangerous to move around. It is recommended to bring a Pressure Tent and place it down immediately, as this will protect from the corrosion and make it easier to move. It is also recommended to construct an airport as soon as you arrive and land the spacecraft there to protect it from corrosion. Additionally, due to the extreme changes in terrain elevation, grading may not be possible for flattening, as it has a 100m change limit. Biodomes can instead be used to create flat areas for many buildings.

At the core of the gas giant it is only possible to harvest from the hydro and geo resources.