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[Fotsvamp]

I think it would be neat if colonized worlds with ruins got a discount or construction time decrease, reflecting the colonists repurposing existing buildings or reusing scrap material. I think this would be a neat way to increase the variety of worlds that are attractive to colonize while fitting in the general feel of the setting, trying to make a living amongst the remains of what was before.

Currently the only way ruins interact with colonies is through tech-mining which is a bit underwhelming. If this were to change, and tech mining became something really strong, the opposite of my suggestion could be implemented, I.E. An increase in time or money required for construction, simulating the need to clear land or demolish rubble before new construction can start.

[Bungee_man]

I do think that tech mining should offer some small, permanent bonus. Aside from adding build diversity (Luddic Majority was great for this reason), it'd justify the ratings of planets with ruins on them. At present, vast ruins just make sorting by planet type less useful.

Maybe something like, as tech mining depletes, it generates fewer resources, but adds a random small bonus from a list of them to the planet while the industry is active, with one bonus applied for every level of ruins:

- Pre-collapse industrial facilities: +1 to a randomly-chosen specific industry, which may or may not be aligned with the planet's current state (e.g. light industry on a world that was never fully terraformed)

 - Domain-era bastions: x1.2 ground defenses

 - Partially-repaired mass-driver array: +10% access

...

And so on. Thus, a planet with scattered ruins will get a small bonus from tech mining after it depletes (and can sell the industry off if it's not useful, building up their planet as usual), while a planet with vast ruins will get a total of four small bonuses every 25 percent of the way towards depletion, which is likely to yield at least one or two things that makes the planet as desirable as an alternative that has better resources or less hazard.

[Killer of Fate]

nooooooo, i always hated those goofy "pre-Domain" bonuses. Solar Array and artefacts are meant to fulfil this role. Ruins are literally ruins. In fact, the only thing I could imagine them doing is adding or subtracting hazard rating, cause I could imagine complicated pre-Domain cities having swarming automated defences. And minor ruins being something like hideouts and bunkers which could be used to like... Understand the climate and would have data that would cut lots of costs needed for research...
But even that is kinda too much.

The point is that in the game there already issues with the fact that some planets are just clearly way too good to be passed. And the rest of them are crap. And by making ruins stronger, you are benefitting the already strong planets, making them even stronger and more mandatory to colonise... Making colonising something like a volcanic world or a toxic one even more unlikely. Cause why bother.

[Bungee_man]

I don't think all planets are meant to be equal. The time to find a habitable world, ideally with a gas giant and a barren world in the same system, was always a factor - you could colonize a worse planet around the core, put some basic industries on it, and have a colony right off the bat, but that wouldn't get you results on par with exploring first and finding a more promising candidate.

What I would like to see is a more broad definition of 'ideal'. Luddic Majority means that you have a good alternative to the old mining+farming+LI+commerce setup on your habitable world, so you might want another colony for organics mining. If tech mining had some kind of benefit as a permanent industry, that would further expand the possibilities. For example, if it's on your barren mining+refining+HI+commerce planet, you might move heavy industry over to your gas giant, or to another barren planet in the system.

[Siffrin]

Making colonising something like a volcanic world or a toxic one even more unlikely. Cause why bother.

Volcanic worlds can have ultrarich ore deposits and Toxic worlds are compatible with Mantle Bore for increased organics production. Don't write them off as useless just yet as they do have a niche.

[BigBrainEnergy]

Volcanic worlds are typically the richest in ore and rare ores, and not being habitable makes them perfect for a mantle bore and nanoforge. Being extreme heat also makes them good for a military base. The last slot can be commerce to take advantage of the extra stability from the military base, or you can put a refinery to reduce the vulnerability to trade disruptions.

Toxic worlds tend to be less useful, but sometimes you will find one with all 4 types of resources you can extract from mines, and 3 of those get boosted by a mantle bore (which is, as far as I know, the only time a mantle can boost organics production).

[Megas]

Toxic worlds tend to be less useful, but sometimes you will find one with all 4 types of resources you can extract from mines, and 3 of those get boosted by a mantle bore (which is, as far as I know, the only time a mantle can boost organics production).

I had such a world in the previous release, and combined with cryosleeper, I would have had 10 organics and the full +50 from Cryosleeper.  Would have because I had Pristine Nanoforge as my item, and adding Mantle Borer would have spawned Pather Cell, which I absolutely wanted to avoid, so I did not use the borer because the nanoforge was more important.

I could have sold the borer to the League world in Yma.  They have a toxic world with organics.


P.S.  As for the topic, it would be nice if ruins are useful.  Taking an industry slot, but there is no guarantee of getting anything useful, not enough to justify the opportunity cost.

[Nettle]

nooooooo, i always hated those goofy "pre-Domain" bonuses. Solar Array and artefacts are meant to fulfil this role. Ruins are literally ruins. In fact, the only thing I could imagine them doing is adding or subtracting hazard rating, cause I could imagine complicated pre-Domain cities having swarming automated defences. And minor ruins being something like hideouts and bunkers which could be used to like... Understand the climate and would have data that would cut lots of costs needed for research...

How Domain bonuses are goofy? They are the gameplay manifestation of Starsector's narrative centerpiece. As for ruins usefulness and purpose, they are literally colonies that didn't make it, and you are trying to build one too. Evidently, they are not just junk, since you can find intact treasured Domain tech, or at least usable raw materials.

The point is that in the game there already issues with the fact that some planets are just clearly way too good to be passed. And the rest of them are crap. And by making ruins stronger, you are benefitting the already strong planets, making them even stronger and more mandatory to colonise... Making colonising something like a volcanic world or a toxic one even more unlikely. Cause why bother.

Maybe, but right now, ruins are not a factor when considering potential colony sites. Aside from your initial survey loot, they are nigh pointless. Also, there is nothing particularly wrong with lots of planets being undesirable for colonization.

[BigBrainEnergy]

I think the ruins reducing the cost/build time for the colony by some percentage is a neat idea, with the percentage scaling with the size of the ruins. Maybe something like 10/15/20/25% it doesn't have to be anything crazy.