Colonization Question

[actrade]

I understand that as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't colonize planets that are less than 20 suitability to the particular race. However, the advisor keeps trying to get me to colonize independent colonies with different races nearby that are 0-5 suitability. My question is, am I better off colonizing them anyway, taking the financial hit, then using that colony to colonize other places that also have that race? I guess my other alternatives are to a) leave them be and develop relations to the point of getting a free trade agreement and simply ignore the advisor and/or turn off that portion of the advisor or b) conquering them.

[gravyten]

You can colonize and then set the planet to resettle your own race off the planet

[maggiecow]

I understand that as a rule of thumb, you shouldn't colonize planets that are less than 20 suitability to the particular race. However, the advisor keeps trying to get me to colonize independent colonies with different races nearby that are 0-5 suitability. My question is, am I better off colonizing them anyway, taking the financial hit, then using that colony to colonize other places that also have that race? I guess my other alternatives are to a) leave them be and develop relations to the point of getting a free trade agreement and simply ignore the advisor and/or turn off that portion of the advisor or b) conquering them.

You can take over an independent colony with a colony ship then set the colony population policy to exclude everyone but the native race. Need to set population control on the colony to manual first. Population policy is under the white symbol at the end of the population line on a colony.

[actrade]

ah ok thanks. I knew I was missing something.

[actrade]

Ok, I've set the population policy to "actively resettle" for non-native species, but my invading species is still growing? Do I have to do something to get them off world (like build a colony ship) or should it happen automatically. Also, I assume do not accept means don't take any more of the species than what is already on the planet?

EDIT: Do not accept isn't working either as my non-native species continues to grow.

[MatBailie]

Ok, I've set the population policy to "actively resettle" for non-native species, but my invading species is still growing? Do I have to do something to get them off world (like build a colony ship) or should it happen automatically. Also, I assume do not accept means don't take any more of the species than what is already on the planet?

EDIT: Do not accept isn't working either as my non-native species continues to grow.

They will indeed continue to grow. The resettlement mode basically prioritises them for passenger ship transport to other locations.

This passenger transportation still only happens if there's a preferred location that accepts that population. That preference certainly takes in to account the diffent world's happiness. Whether preferred location takes in to account suitability, I don't know. Turn on the migration view to see if there's any migration happening (or look as the civilian ships view and filter to passenger ships, to see what populations are moving and where from/to).

Also, take in to account the size of the passenger ships. They are MUCH smaller than the coloniser capacities, so this migration process takes time and can be slower than the natural growth rate. What I've tended to see is that by having active migration the other populations grow faster, but the 'unwanted' population still grows. Later in the game, that improves for at least three reasons.
1. When you reach max population, taking away unwanted population allows the preferred population to grow and fill the space
2. As the game progresses your transports get bigger and faster, and more numerous
3. With larger population, that planet naturally becomes less happy, and other targets with lower population/taxes being more preferrable

One option, which requires planning Before you colonise the planet, is to micro-manage the coloniser. Instead of allowing the coloniser to load a full ship of pops (30M for the smallest coloniser), click STOP when there are just 1M colonists aboard, then send the coloniser to claim the world. Depending on your perspective, you might consider this an exploit (it's something the AI can't/won't do).

[actrade]

Good suggestion on using a minimally population colony ship. Also, after quite a while, my non-natives did finally start to relocate.