Implement ability to save generated planets and replay them dynamically

[Daza99]

Add the ability to be able to create an ideal planet manually customize things, choosing the variables and settings to cut down on have to re-roll or regenerate a planet over and over until they find one that looks really interesting. I know it has been asked before and it would be a bit of a time sync for Vic to create something like this, when he could use his time for QOL and bug fixing and new content in the pipeline. However I have an alternative suggestion were we just have the ability to save a planet that we like when we reach the very last stage of generation. And be able to access this save list of save planets from the choose a planet screen. It still means lots of re-rolling and generating but at least the best ones could be saved for replay AND also sharing with the community in the form of Steam workshop and/or just sharing files in the normal way online if not a steam user.

The sharing a generated planet alone could make things interesting where you can easily find interesting planets either for challenges. Also the other bonus is we could restart a planet after a new update which often adds new features which in order for them to work you have to start a new game, meaning you have to give up a really great planet you were playing on. I have witnessed that myself a few times.

On the screen listing your saved planets, there could be several filters on this saved generated planet lists/screen for things like planet size, type of planet, alien life, etc. There could be a folder you drop other players save planet into and you see the info in this list giving core details so you know, possibly even an option to view these in the ingame generator screens (but of course no generating but merely showing the data in detail) this screen could have large text or graphic above making it clear it is pre-generated to avoid confusion)

Random Starting points: The real benefit of this

When you choose a previously generated planet in your list, your starting location could be random, unless you lock it. I am guessing your starting location and that of the Ai is baked in when it is generated, but it could be implemented by default to regenerate this data (starting location and zones) each time you choose to play on the planet in the list of saved planets.

This means if you have a planet that is unique you could play it over and over, starting at different places and the Ai too, keeping it fresh or if you started in a really bad spot you can just start again and have a new location. There could be an option to lock in starting position (either when you go to save a planet or maybe in the list of planets you can toggle this on and off for each one in the list).

The benefit of locking the starting zone could be useful for something like community events using a saved planet, for a single player competition where everyone competing downloads the same planet save, and starts in the same zone with the same Ai zones locked in, and see who can win over a weekend or with x days (depending what is possible), post the win via screenshot. This could be something that could even find its way into the main game, where Vic or other appointed community members chooses really hard planets (and have a challenge of the month) players can access from the main menu and download it. And there could be a leaderboard for these perhaps in-game or managed on the forum initially.

For shorter challenges there could be moons and smaller planets for quicker games or even have some with turn limits and goals, see who gets the highest Recon score or whatever before the turn limit (ideal for shorter challenges and variety). Another variant of this idea is, for official challenges, is a game save that is played in a way you have to right the ship as it were, as if the previous leader did a very poor job and you have win or at least make it to turn x by digging yourself out of the hole as it were. This idea is not new as some strategy games have scenarios like this. But I think it could be a fun. Also educational if it is an official challenge that new players might watch seasoned players stream the challenge and learn from it and try to follow along in their own game. It could be a good learning tool.

This idea could also be used in MP too, you have several MP games going using the same generated planet. The winner could be out of the several games who has the highest score or a PVE variant where 2-3 players play against the Ai and the goal is to have the lowest turns when completed. Completed could mean total take over or just reaching the victory screen. Or it might be something different like maxing out all or as much of the tech tree first.

Something like this might draw back players and also engage the community more, especially if there could be official challenges in the game itself on the main menu, even if there is only one a month or every 3 months or whatever.