I've been engaged in exobiology since Odyssey's launch and I think I've gathered just over 500 samples. Here's an observation I've made regarding bacterium.
Bacterium prefer smooth terrain. Not flat, as I often find it on slopes, but it won't grow on rough or rocky terrain. When a planet has only one biological signal, it seems there is a 95% + probability it will be bacterium (because it's generally believed that life starts with bacterium?).
Here's the issue: I'm encountering a growing number of one biological signal planets which are not able to support bacterium due to the roughness of the terrain.
Here's my theory: the simulation generates the planet, then checks for biologicals. If yes, how many? If one, then which one? Randomly pick one with bacterium having at least a 95% probability. Then it gives you a blue scan map showing how almost the entire surface could have bacterium. But the system isn't checking to see if the planet actually has the proper terrain. I've come down in areas "with bacterium" where even the auto-land feature can't find a spot to touch down. Please understand, I've given several of these planets a fair chance at showing me the bacterium, spending up to an hour coming down, searching, going back into orbit, back down to a different area, repeat three or four times. But the terrain has consistently been too rough for bacterium.
Suggestion: (two actually). 1) pick the single biological first then generate terrain suitable to it or 2) when the species is selected, check the terrain type, if not suitable, pick a different species. I suspect option 2 would be the easier and more logical.
Bacterium prefer smooth terrain. Not flat, as I often find it on slopes, but it won't grow on rough or rocky terrain. When a planet has only one biological signal, it seems there is a 95% + probability it will be bacterium (because it's generally believed that life starts with bacterium?).
Here's the issue: I'm encountering a growing number of one biological signal planets which are not able to support bacterium due to the roughness of the terrain.
Here's my theory: the simulation generates the planet, then checks for biologicals. If yes, how many? If one, then which one? Randomly pick one with bacterium having at least a 95% probability. Then it gives you a blue scan map showing how almost the entire surface could have bacterium. But the system isn't checking to see if the planet actually has the proper terrain. I've come down in areas "with bacterium" where even the auto-land feature can't find a spot to touch down. Please understand, I've given several of these planets a fair chance at showing me the bacterium, spending up to an hour coming down, searching, going back into orbit, back down to a different area, repeat three or four times. But the terrain has consistently been too rough for bacterium.
Suggestion: (two actually). 1) pick the single biological first then generate terrain suitable to it or 2) when the species is selected, check the terrain type, if not suitable, pick a different species. I suspect option 2 would be the easier and more logical.
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