Lost Colonies
v3.0 adds a new starting option called Lost Colonies.
During a jump point exploration when the following conditions are true, there is a chance that a lost colony of the exploring race will be found:
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The Lost Colonies option is active.
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A new system is generated.
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The exploring race is a player race.
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The check for an NPR to be generated on a system body is passed.
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The NPR that would be generated is a minor race, industrial or pre-industrial.
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The body is suitable for the starting species of the exploring race.
If all of the above is true, there is a 40% chance that a lost colony will be discovered. It could be Trans-Newtonian, industrial or pre-industrial, depending on the original NPR generation check, and on average about 25% smaller than an equivalent NPR population of the same type.
Note that this is a different option than the existing ‘Human NPRs’ option, which allows for all types of NPRs, including multi-system, to be based on the human species (1/3rd chance if the environment allows). Either option can be used in a game or both in the same game. In general, ‘lost colonies’ represent populations that did not possess or maintain the necessary logistical infrastructure to support an active military or to declare and defend their independence. They welcome the return of their parent civilization.
None of the lost colonies will have any military forces, either in space or on the ground, nor any of the supporting military infrastructure, such as shipyards, fuel refineries, maintenance facilities, military academies, etc.. The Trans-Newtonian version will have about half of the construction factories, mines, financial centres expected for the population size, a small number of research facilities and tracking stations, probably one or two ground force construction facilities and a spaceport. Industrial lost colonies will have conventional industry, a tracking station and perhaps a spaceport. Pre-industrial will have nothing but the population itself.
If both the Human NPRs and Lost Colonies options are active in the same game, the former represents those colonies that became independent and forged their own path. They might not be hostile, but neither are they willing to give up their sovereignty. Human NPRs will be checked after the check for Lost Colonies.