I figure planets should be weighted somehow during scans. Planets with certain characteristics would get a bonus chance to get scanned, and others might reduce the number of chances (but not below the normal 1). Ideas include:

* The largest planets (Massive+ perhaps) should be easier to scan, since they're easier to see from a distance. (+1 chance for Massive+)

* Richer planets could show up more often, since scanners would be tuned to look for these; this may not be added to keep things balanced.

* Planet type should NOT have an effect (except for special planets like aphotics that would naturally be, and already are harder to find and would remove a chance)

* High production would increase the chances of being scanned, since all the cargo ships going back and forth would tip off someone to the planet. (+1 chance for every 100 units produced)

* Certain valuable buildings would give an extra chance to be found, and other buildings (like cloak buildings and dark pylons) would remove chances.

Details of how the mechanism works: Normally each planet has one equal chance to be found. But if it has an effect that adds a chance, it is as if there was an extra copy of the planet to be found. Or, if I pick one number between 1 and 1000, each number is a different planet except 455 and 456 are actually the same planet.

I feel the most important would be that the high production and therefore high trade/traffic planets would be easier to find, as well as the bigger planets. This makes sense in an in-character way, and would improve most planet scans. Mitigation strategies would still include massive cloaking, as it still reduces the ability for any particular scan to lock on, but also include buildings designed to hide the planet's valuables.

This also naturally leads to a possible building (whether buildmenu or artifact drop) that one would put on an unwanted planet; it boosts the chances of being found, and gives a reward when demolished. This would not only say, "I don't want this planet", but also "Please take it for a green badge (and whatever reward the building gives when destroyed)". Of course the reward would have to be properly balanced.

TL;DR: Big and productive planets get scanned more often. Cloak still works. Some buildings draw attention; others make them look away. New building encourages others to take your bad planets by giving a reward and increasing scan chance.

If only that was the case.

Usually on scan blitz of more than 400 planets you will be lucky to get a mega rich x 3 and above. I know its frustrating. But imagine yourself having a mega rich x 17 planet but everyday its under attack because its being found constantly. Now that will be something to consider

But that's why there's mitigation methods. There's already cloak, and I figure that would be overhauled. But cloaking buildings and special buildings that help hide your planet would remove chances, so you can take measures to prevent your planet being found excessively often.

We have petitioned dan to change cloaking modules for a long time. But no luck. Its very hard to persuade dan about the cloaking modules for planet.

I doubt he would be changing the size of cloaking modules just to make the changes you suggested.

Your suggestion has a higher chance of getting implemented than cloaking being changed. At least that's from the way thing have been for a while. But only dan knows.

Dan usually makes a good balancing of the game.

I have long suspected some % of scans directed at enemy planets, the # of enemies to unoc compared to what I think is a relatively empty universe in terms of planets occupied... I don't think it's purely random anyway. The truth is that most planets by chance, aren't all that good. I find about 2% of natural planets that meet my spec (VL/rich AP).

IMO, planet size and total produciton amount should increase chance of the planet being "found on radar(pre-lock)", as they are easier to "find"
and higher aviliability bonus, starting at 3x mega or 5x mega etc, increase the chance of a lock, as it would be harder to hide the "signature"

Ofc, to not mess with the current "safe cloak" value, the lock chance increase should be based on the orginal chance. For example, if it was 50% chance before, it becomes say 55% on a 10x mega, if it was 60% before, it becomes 66%. But it will stay 0% for a planet that is "safe cloaked"
a 15x mega might make 50% into 60% and 60% into 72% etc~ the exact values can be decided later.


But this defintely makes sense.

In addition those who have many mega 17s are likely a rank in which the defense of the planet is far more reasonable. this would seem like a logical change all round how ever unpopular for the "old ones"

Following that train of thought natural dysons should be as commonly found as tiny extremely sparse toxics are now. Since they are big, rich and have high production. O.o As for defense of the planet being better at higher ranks I'll just say that ships got so strong that no matter how much defense you got on a planet you'll lose it if a top 5 legion found it. Best rely on cloak.

The current scan system sucks big time, at least for me, at my rank, but what you're proposing is ludicrous, to say the least.

Well, natural dysons could be "very rare" in term of data pool. Like there is 1 dyson to each 10000 planets. It would just have its chance bumped up to about 1 in 1000 from 1 in 10000~
Well, the current chance is probably higher.. but dan can tweak with the planet database~

All in all it's an extremely bad. Basically the planets you care the most about, given the time and possibly money invested would be the most prone to be found. That's just moronic.

Like i said most realistic though likely unpopular.

actually this would just encourage people to use a certain number of defense structures instead of just pouring on production. essentially you would have to 'balance' your planets.

and realistically what do you do with the planets you wanna keep anyways? you brick them up to a certain extent.

what do you do with planets that arent tthat good and if taken will save you the trouble of abandoning them? well you simply pour on as much production as you can.

so those planets which are more common anyways are likely to leave a decent size 'signal'.

all in all. i dont see it changing much just making the game more realistic and dynamic.

Best reason why your suggestion will not be implemented would be GP

Mega colossal planets are not natural, they are made from very large icy that used 2 spacial expander (100GP) in order to become mega colossal. Colossal gaias are also made this way sine there are no very massive terras found naturally.

If dan will make big planets easier to be scanned and found then his customers will feel screwed and will boycott buying gp and in turn lose income for dan.

Your suggestion is not only unpopular its also counter productive both to players who want to improve their game and for Dan's bottomline.

so .... free natural dysons to all from this idea?

a hurt-no-one realization of this would be this:
Add a bunch of crappy to "decent" planet (up to Massive Ultra Rich/VL VR/L R) to the data base.
Implement this weighted chance system
Desired result: the bigger planet pretty much stay the same chance of being scanned, but smaller planets(or "worse" planets) get a lower chance of being scanned.
This allow the lesser planets to have a smaller chance of being attacked, and hence can afford pure-production build more safely, make them somewhat worthwhile.

This would mostly benefit low to mid range player who can't hope to hold planet against higher players and be realistic at the same time.

Well if there's 1000 horrible planets and 1 nice planet, the nice planet has a .1% chance of being found on any scan. But if the nice planet has an extra chance, it's as if it's there twice, so it has a .2% chance of being found on any scan. And if it has more cloak than you have scan, the scan would fail either way.

it will simply lead to top 5 legions unreachable corner, thats all.
so anybody who is lower have no chance to advance in the game.
so conclusion top legions will have huge income on artis which will lead to enormously strong ships, while lower ranked legions players will sit on planets with average size and income and build theyr ships for ages, which will simply eliminate the game it self cuz it will be boring and too long to play...
so -1m!

-1

Bad idea! Maybe we should make things cost less for the advanced guys as well?

Making scanning for good planets more of a luck thing helps bring balance to the Galaxy. If it was pure statistics, why even start playing after alot of others started ahead of you? Everytime you get a good planet, someone more advanced would scan it and steal it from you. The rich get richer, the poor quit the game.