I noticed recently that the number of planets in the game went up. What criterea does the game use to add more worlds in?

The number of planets increases based on the number of players and planet saturation.

Would the number of planets decrease if the number of players decreased?

how can the number of players decrease?
Well, I hope it the number of planets does not decrease, more planets for us ^.^
More planets is a good sign though.

From a design perspective, I would think it's to maintain a certain ratio of colonized and free planets so there's room for ppl too grow and not always have to steal from others.

I disprove this, This game is like a war game, colonizing instead of fighting is kind of boring.

I would argue it would be more boring if all the higher level's held all the dysons in the universe giving the smaller levels no chance of ever catching up and taking them by force. At least this way theirs a chance that new very high quality planets will spawn and it's the race to find it first.

first come, first serve.

Is there a misconception here? I don't think planets should increase from ranking up, just the introduction of new players.

~D

Perhaps I was a bit unclear I wasn't trying to suggest that the quality of planets should improve as you rank up. But inevitably the better planets end up in the hands of the higher ranks as they can easily conquer the good quality worlds from lower ranked players who found them first.

If the number of planets didn't increase thier would come a point where all the planets of say for example all the 10x Mega rich or better would be unobtainable for newer players as they would already be owned by the lvl 400+'s. I would find this gamebreaking.

Hence my disagreement with ExSeaD's original comment. But each to their own I do like to conquer worlds but often fear the retribution

this is why you have legions

If the realm had a finite amount of players, then the number of planets should remain static. Both good and bad. (perceptions of course) But since new players are joining all the time, then I can understand why the galaxy would grow. I agree, the higher ranks would inevitably control the best planets, but not for ever. Conversely, if we wanted to compare more to reality, if per se the new players were like new captains being born, then inevitably, players that leave the game are like captains passing away. Its just that this game, gratz by the way, is obviously being affected by positive population, so I think the planet quantities going up is okay. So long as the ratios stay the same. More good, and more bad.

~ D

Be that as it may, it's a good idea to remember that just because there are lone players or small Legions out there that may not be able to resist your invasion, equally there are bigger Legions out there that can abuse you the same way you beat down on the players smaller than you. I call it the Law of Chicken$hit. You start flinging it around at other people, don't whine when you get a face full yourself.

I know all too well about this, not just in this game.

Think of it this way: As more people start to explore the galaxy, they look farther and farther into space. It's not that there is more planets, but that there are more planets capable of being discovered.

I see it the way zophah put it as more people come in the borders of known space expand people leaving is like leaders of government dying or society collapsing as eventually there planets get scanned and taken

Can the number of planets also decrease?

Ok Dan why after I just finished a planet scan on Monday the number of planets was 744299 and today 4 days later the number is 865953. Seems like I missed out on over 100,000 planets. Did some 10,000 players join the game?

And the planet saturation. So not 10,000 players joined it's that more joined and the rest ranked up and colonized more planets.

enough ranked up to justify 100,000+ planets?
is that even possible?