Hey guys.

Does anyone know what the sets are for planet probabilities in the TWGS editor?

I'm running Subzero on a localhost and I CAN'T get a Striking Distance planet to form! It's the default *.twa, so I haven't changed any other options.

Is there a way to edit probabilities?

Thanks guys!

One of the tricks that I have found to get the more rare planets to generate is to fill a sector to its maximum of planets, and then destroy and recreate one at a time. The rarer ones seem to appear that way more than if you are doing one planet at a time. I might be wrong and it could just be RNG, but that doesn't stop me from doing it. Just like most baseball players have a ritual, this is mine for getting the good planets.

Overloading a Sector has always worked for me as well.

If you have several Level 4 planets, you can stack them in a sector (overloading it), and make new planets --minimizing NavHaz.

Thanks guys. I already knew about that tactic. It wasn't really working.

Since it's local host game, I just used the editor.

I could've sworn there was a way to edit probabilities though.

I believe the Class of a planet, ie those letters and dashes, that appear after a planets' name might have something to do with that. It's been a long while, but I'm sure I read that somewhere.

Yes, there are specific probabilities for the base planet classes, and they cannot be changed. I used to know what they were, but I can't find it now. If one of the base planet types was renamed, then it will inherit that probability, and you have a better chance of getting base planets if you do not overload. If the custom planet was just created as a new planet type (Most Likely), then you have a better chance of getting it if the sector is overloaded. I don't know if it matters how many extra planets are in the sector though.

Some notes on planet building probabilities for prosperity or what have you...

Why So Difficult?!?!
* Blowing all planets in sector should reset the probability if you're having trouble. Doesn't always work though, and you might save money and frustration just moving to a new sector if your luck seems to have soured.

Best Practices
* It is good policy to, from the first time you enter a sector, start building by creating 5 planets by hand (or whatever the game limit on maximum per sector per the V screen on command prompt).

* The next (first overload in sector) planet you create has a higher probability of being the rare type, will take a while but just keep creating and recreating in that same #6 (or whatever max planets +1 is) planet slot until you get your Valhalla.
- Lonestar's Planet Creation script is a great tool for this.

* Try to keep your build sector completely clear of <A> planets from CJ screen (typically Earth Type Class M), and <G> planets (typically Vaporous/Gaseous Class U-GJ) - i.e., the first and seventh planets listed on the CJ screen.
- Unless of course they are the ones you're trying for. See: additional trivia section.

Hate The Game, Not The Player aka Pimping Fuel etc
* Working the probabilities is a great way to create a "Fuel Depot Sector" as I call them... a sector with tons of planets of the same type that come with planet product. Steps below:

1. Fill a sector with good planets that come complete with ore on them, up to game maximum +1 using the method in Best Practices section.
2. Continue creating that planet type - with Lonestar's Planet Creation v1.0 you can create up to *100 planets at a time.
3. The more planets of the Unicorn or whatever type you put in the sector... the easier and cheaper the next one will be. And the higher the probability there will be of getting yet another. The more Edens you make, the easier Eden is to make again. Art imitating life I suppose.

Oops... I cornered the market!
* Note: Fuel Depot Sectors can be abused to create a de facto planet buyout by running it repeatedly until you can't make any more:
("I'm sorry, but not enough free matter exists.").
- So, watch the number you're making, total, versus game maximum number of planets on V screen on command prompt. Unless a buyout is what you're going for... in which case, good hunting; see pimping section step 2. I hope it helps, and that it isn't against the rules of the game you are in

Additional Trivia
* Once you've done a lot of building in a sector, probabilities start to get weird and unpredictable, imho. If you want to make a specific planet type cheaply and reliably (Unless the type you're going for is your Fuel Depot Planet type of course, which will come easily):
- I'd recommend once you've used a sector a lot, move on to a new sector that hasn't been built in before.

* You have a better chance of getting stock planets if you do not overload the sector.
- For whatever reason, Earth Type (typically Class M's) and Vaporous / Gaseous (typically U's) in particular seem to have a higher probability of being the next planet once there's already one in the sector. This is still the case even if sysop changes the name to, e.g. Terra Type T. The first and seventh slots on the CJ list, whatever they are called in that edit.
- This is of course no good usually; because typically those planets are useless.

* There are specific probabilities for the creation of planets <A> - <G> or if you prefer, 1-7 on the CJ list, and they cannot be changed.
- If a base planet type is renamed, it still has the same probability.
- E.G. if <A> Class M, Earth Type on CJ screen gets renamed to <A> Class T, Terra Incognita or whatever, it's still in same slot on CJ - Class <A>. and the game mechanics treat it as a base planet anyway. Same difference. Same odds of that one banging.
- This does not apply to *additional planets slotted in after the first 7 stock planets on CJ.

* If you already have L4s that are of the type you want, you can save a bit of money setting up any of these planet nurseries by moving them into your new building sector, stacking up to maximum then creating 1 extra of the same type.
- I like to dump 3 sectors worth of the rare L4s into a single sector to get a really high probability of making 1 more, any time I am pimping a single world, attempting to make a Fuel Depot sector, or just making a full sector worth of new planets.

Rumor Has It...

I don't typically include rumor in a guide, but this is from Lonestar, who created Planet Creation as well as many other quality scripts, so I'd put some stock in it:



Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor

Let me know in this thread, if there are any more facts, figures, methods, or even rumors if they work well for you that I should add to this guide.

Good hunting...or building, if that's your thing.

A little more information on Planet probabilities from JP:

Subject: Planet Probability

Subject: Gold planet gtorp probability

I still haven't found the actual planet probabilities for the base types, I might get bored and pop a few hundred planets to see what they are...