Matrix Games Forums

I am playing Extended AI Improvement Mod 1.05, trying to start an all prewarp game with all harsh start systems and 512k research for all and extreme difficulty for me, with sparse colony and indy settings for a slow burn start with long bubble drive phase as I find it entertaining to try to work around the limits of the 2000 speed warp drive.

This attempt to create a balanced slow burn start has twice now been thrown into disarray by the galaxy gen adding extra very lush continental planets with a bevy of developmental resources to Keskudon start systems. The result both times was Keskudon sprouting a huge empire in record time presumably because they got a dev bonus from the resources. When they dont get an extra lush planet in their start system they develope at the same rate as other AI so I am pretty sure its that.

Why is it happening? Can I avoid it somehow without ruining the surprise of map gen RND ?

Is it because the Keskudon have been modded for a better home system in Extended? Or is it a gal gen flaw of random dumb luck due to the RND for colonisable worlds happening after and overwriting the harsh start systems?

OK , I have tested this and its not just extended, its vanilla DW as well.

Every race which is not continental planet type gets a free high value 80%+ continental planet in their home system, which always has the key resources of carbon fibre and polymer and often chrome, nekros or osalia as well as occasionally relatively higher value luxuries like Bifurian Silk etc.

Continental races dont get a free planet of this kind because they are occupying it.

Its apparent that the start system generator simply adds a non continental planet or moon if a race requires it instead of replacing the colony planet and leaves the default continental planet in situ.

So the non continental races get an extra high quality colonisable planet in their start system. This is quite a big advantage for the start conditions in prewarp particularly when you try harsh and sparse conditions and might be one reason why balancing the game start conditions is nearly impossible using these options, sorry to say.