Colonization lets you expand your empire with additional planets. You need a Colony Ship and a free position in the galaxy. Before launching the mission, check the target coordinates and decide whether you want to send resources to help the new colony get started.
How do you colonize a planet?
- Find a free position in the galaxy.
- Select a Colony Ship and the colonization mission.
- Optionally load metal, crystal and deuterium.
- When the mission succeeds, a new planet is created.
On success, one Colony Ship is consumed. Any remaining ships and transported resources are placed on the new planet. If the position is occupied or you have reached your planet limit, the fleet returns.
What determines the planet limit?
Your maximum number of planets depends on Colonization Technology and any active bonuses that increase the limit.
Exact rules and formulas
The size of a new colony depends on its system position. The table below shows the base field ranges stored in the game mechanics. If a universe uses a planet-size multiplier other than 1, the rolled value is scaled by that multiplier.
| Position | Min fields | Avg fields | Max fields | Energy / sat. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 96 | 134 | 172 | 60–66 |
| 2 | 104 | 140 | 176 | 51–58 |
| 3 | 112 | 147 | 182 | 43–50 |
| 4 | 118 | 163 | 208 | 35–41 |
| 5 | 133 | 182 | 232 | 33–40 |
| 6 | 146 | 194 | 242 | 31–38 |
| 7 | 152 | 200 | 248 | 30–36 |
| 8 | 156 | 204 | 252 | 28–35 |
| 9 | 150 | 198 | 246 | 26–33 |
| 10 | 142 | 187 | 232 | 25–31 |
| 11 | 136 | 173 | 210 | 23–30 |
| 12 | 125 | 156 | 186 | 21–28 |
| 13 | 114 | 143 | 172 | 15–21 |
| 14 | 100 | 134 | 168 | 8–15 |
| 15 | 90 | 127 | 164 | 1–8 |
The statistically largest planets are in the middle of a system, especially positions 6–9. Position 8 has the highest base average at 204 fields. Inner positions, however, provide more solar-satellite energy, so choosing a slot is a trade-off between size and energy.
Planet limit: 9 + Colonization Technology level + extra planet slots. Outbound colonization missions that have not finished yet also reserve a slot against this limit.
The colony ship requires Shipyard 4 and Impulse Drive 3. It costs 10,000 metal, 20,000 crystal and 10,000 deuterium. Exactly one colony ship is consumed on a successful colonization.
Example: Colonization Technology 4 with no extra bonuses gives 9 + 4 = 13 planets.
How do position, temperature and energy interact?
Colonization also rolls the planet's maximum temperature, while minimum temperature is set exactly 40°C lower. For example, position 1 rolls Tmax between 220–260°C, position 8 between 30–70°C, and position 15 between -130 and -90°C.
In Inter-War, solar-satellite energy depends on system position. Production uses the configured average energy for that slot and then applies universe speed and active energy bonuses. Inner positions therefore provide much stronger satellite energy, but usually offer fewer fields than the middle positions.
Which positions are best for colonization?
If your priority is planet size, positions 6–9 are statistically strongest. Their base averages are 194, 200, 204 and 198 fields. If satellite energy matters more, positions 1–5 are better. Positions 13–15 are both smaller and colder, so they are best chosen for a specific purpose rather than simply because they are free.
The colony result is not rerolled when the fleet arrives. When a new colonization mission is launched, the game stores an immutable snapshot containing fields, planet type and temperature. A later change to the universe planet-size multiplier therefore does not alter a colony already in flight.
Position-choice example
Two free slots — 2 and 8 — have very different profiles. Position 2 averages 140 fields and 51–58 base satellite energy, while position 8 averages 204 fields and 28–35 energy. For a long-term developed planet, position 8 gives roughly 64 extra fields on average, at the cost of weaker satellites.
FAQ — colonization
Does the Colony Ship return after a successful mission?
No. One Colony Ship is consumed when the new planet is created.
Can I send resources with the Colony Ship?
Yes. Cargo carried by the fleet is transferred to the new colony after a successful mission.