I'm not exactly pleased with how Terraforming works in GC3, so I thought I try my hand and modify it and see if can make something better.
My main gripes with terraforming are:
- it takes too long for any noticeable payout, until you get Omega Terraforming you don't really achieve anything
- because the early terraforming improvements can be used on tiles that are also terraformed by Omega Terraforming most people decide to wait until they have all terraforming techs researched
What I plan to do is remove the <IsColonyUnique> tags from all improvements, except Biospheres. After testing the first values I decided to change the <LandPercentageMin> and <ManufacturingCost>, because I felt that it was too OP, also I made Biosphere Manipulator cheaper because it was next to useless.
Things I would like to do but I have no idea how:
- after a terraforming improvement can no longer be used it should not appear in the improvements' tab
- I would have liked to make them increase in cost after one is build.
Also I have made an ImprovementDefs.xml that fixes a few things.
Original values
SoilEnhancement
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0.3</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>30</Value></Stats>
TerraformingPlant
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0.25</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>45</Value></Stats>
HabitatImprovementPlant
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0.2</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>67</Value></Stats>
ResequencingStation
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0.15</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>101</Value>
OmegaTerraforming
<LandPercentageMin>0.3</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>227</Value></Stats>
Biospheres
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>151</Value></Stats>
BiosphereManipulator [Specific to Altarians]
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0.35</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>360</Value>
My modifications
SoilEnhancement
<LandPercentageMin>0.35</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>50</Value></Stats>
TerraformingPlant
<LandPercentageMin>0.3</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>100</Value></Stats>
HabitatImprovementPlant
<LandPercentageMin>0.25</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>150</Value></Stats>
ResequencingStation
<LandPercentageMin>0.2</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>200</Value>
OmegaTerraforming
<LandPercentageMin>0.15</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>250</Value></Stats>
Biospheres
<IsColonyUnique>true</IsColonyUnique>
<LandPercentageMin>0</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>300</Value></Stats>
BiosphereManipulator [Specific to Altarians]
<LandPercentageMin>0.4</LandPercentageMin>
<Stats><EffectType>ManufacturingCost</EffectType><Scope>Queue</Scope><Target><TargetType>Improvement</TargetType></Target><BonusType>Flat</BonusType><Value>40</Value>
Files
ImprovementDefs_Original.xml - original version
ImprovementDefs_Fixed.xml - fixed improvements not upgrading, not using new icons, and the Innovation Complex producing influence instead of research
ImprovementDefs_TF.xml - my terraforming modifications, also contains the above fixes
How to use: replace the ImprovementDefs.xml in Steam\steamapps\common\Galactic Civilizations III\data\Game with the one you want, DO NOT keep more copies of it in the same folder otherwise you will have duplicate improvements in the list, even if the files have different names. A new game must be started for the changes to take effect.