Hi guys.



One feature i've always wanted to see in a 4x game is some sort of system that requires you to put effort if you want to terraform a planet.



Terraforming is a nice feature in a game because it allows players to do much more: From increasing building space and opening up land for people/farming to making a planet habitable in order to build a strategic position in a previously uncolonizable area. However, the penalty or effort that goes into terraforming a planet is often so little or the mechanics are so poor that it takes the fun out of the idea. I propose a system in game where terraforming a planet requires maintenance and vigil in order for the effort to be successful. Most 4x games sadly do not pay much attention to terraforming, and if it exists the option is to either sprinkle money on the planet or buy ships that crop dust fairy dust everywhere, and the air is suddenly breathable and the volcanism suddenly slowed. Either that, or there is no option at all.



I suggest that in order to terraform, you must keep pumping resources and money, build terraforming structures, and do other actions in order to slowly transform a planet into a more habitable environment. This could go from transforming a barren desert planet into a lush forest or grassland, to taking a volcanic or ice world and stabilizing the conditions so that the air is breathable and the temperature is settled. Terraforming a planet would be very expensive and time consuming, and not worth it in many cases, but late game or for tactical reasons terraforming could be a very useful and game changing action. Terraforming would not only affect the planet's stats; it would eventually change the appearance of planet to the player to represent the planet's status.



With these implimentations, a planet that is being terraformed would be something of value to defend because of the resources required to put into it, but it would also be a target of interest for enemies who want to deal a blow to an enemies resources or stop a person from terraforming a planet enough to create a base that could lead to their doom.

Teraforming is possible in Endless Space. However, it requires a significant amount of research though :P