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.

These worlds are normally only wroth 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 fairly easy to colonize, mainly because landings and takeoffs of spacecraft is easy when there is no atmosphere to worry about. Construction material requirements for buildings will include electronic parts and its components. The population will require supplies in the form of food, air and electricity.

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 not difficult to colonize, assuming the atmosphere is not dangerous. Construction material requirements for buildings will include electronic parts and its components. The population will require supplies in the form of food, air and electricity.

The worlds in the inferno and frigid orbit zones will commonly have advanced resources, but there is no need colonize them unless they have new or better quality resources. A full-fledged city is not required on these worlds, worlds are however bigger so there is less to worry about overpopulation. 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 that enter in them. These atmosphere types are called: Corrosive and Insidious, the later 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 might not last more than a few minutes inside the atmosphere, but a space vehicle might last longer. An EV suit will also take 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 a little 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

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 is has very difficult terrain, it is jagged and hilly without any flat areas. The easiest solution is to construct biodomes or using grading to flatten some terrain. On top of that there is very poor visibility at the core, as it is extremely dark and movement might be hard.

At the core of the gas giant it is only possible to harvest from the hydro and geo resources. The volume limits of a gas giant is usually low, so constructing a simple colony for harvesting operations is probably best.