Mastering Colonies for Maximum Growth & Economic Power

Introduction

Colonization is the backbone of your empire in Distant Worlds 2. Your colonies determine your economic strength, research output, and overall expansion success. A poorly managed colony can be a drain on resources, while a well-planned one will fuel your empire’s growth and dominance.

This guide covers:
✅ How Colony Suitability Works
✅ Choosing the Best Planets to Colonize
✅ Researching the Right Colonization Tech
✅ Terraforming & Improving Colony Quality
✅ Managing Migration for Efficient Growth

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1. Understanding Colony Suitability & Planet Quality

Not every planet is suitable for colonization. Planets have different environmental conditions, and each species in Distant Worlds 2 has specific planet types they prefer.

How Suitability is Calculated

Suitability = Planet’s Quality – Minimum Quality Requirement + Species Bonus

Planet Type	Quality Range (%)	Colonization Suitability
Continental	60 – 90	Suitable for most species
Ocean	50 – 80	Good for aquatic or amphibious species
Marshy Swamp	40 – 70	Suitable for swamp-dwelling species
Desert	30 – 60	Requires terraforming or special species bonuses
Ice Tundra	30 – 60	Requires terraforming or special species bonuses
Volcanic	20 – 50	Extremely low suitability for most species

👉 Planets with Suitability Below 20% have high support costs and are not ideal for colonization.
👉 Planets with Suitability Above 20% are viable long-term colonies with proper infrastructure.
👉 Planets with Suitability Below 0% cannot be colonized without research or other species.

Key Considerations Before Colonizing a Planet

✔ Suitability – The higher, the better. Aim for 20%+ before colonizing.
✔ Planet Size – Larger planets support higher populations, leading to stronger economies.
✔ Resource Availability – Some planets generate extra resources, making them more valuable.
✔ Colony Maintenance Costs – Avoid colonizing low-quality planets early, as they will drain your economy.

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2. How to Choose the Best Planets for Colonization

Not all planets are equally valuable. Prioritize colonization based on:

Best Planets to Colonize First

1️⃣ Continental / Ocean Planets (60%+ Quality)
✔ Ideal for early colonies.
✔ Large population growth potential.
✔ Low support costs, making them economically beneficial.

2️⃣ Independent Colonies
✔ Found naturally on habitable planets.
✔ Instant population boost when annexed.
✔ Can provide new species, increasing your colonization range.

3️⃣ Planets Near Your Homeworld
✔ Reduces travel time for colonization ships.
✔ Easier to defend in case of war.

Planets to Avoid Early On

🚫 Volcanic & Ice Worlds (Below 30% Quality)

• Extremely high upkeep costs until terraformed.
• Slow population growth leads to weak economies.
• Not worth colonizing until you research better colonization tech.

🚫 Planets Far from Your Core Systems

• Takes too long to send colonists & defend against enemy attacks.
• Can’t be reinforced quickly if invaded.

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3. Key Technologies for Colonization

Essential Early-Game Techs

To colonize new worlds, research these techs ASAP:

Tech Name	What It Unlocks
Expanded Civilian Ships	Enables Colony Ships for colonization.
Basic Colonization	Unlocks default colonization abilities for your species’ home planet type.
Basic Transport Systems	Unlocks migration & passenger ships to help population growth.

💡 Pro Tip: Research these when your scouts find a viable independent colony so you can colonize it immediately.

Advanced Colonization Techs (For Expanding to More Planet Types)

These expand the types of planets you can colonize:

Tech Name	Unlocks
Desert Colonization	Allows colonizing Desert Worlds.
Ice Colonization	Allows colonizing Ice & Tundra Worlds.
Volcanic Colonization	Allows colonizing Volcanic Worlds.

✔ These techs are only useful if you actually find these planet types near your empire.
✔ If you don’t have many desert or volcanic planets nearby, research other priorities first.

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4. Terraforming: How to Improve Planet Quality

Terraforming is a late-game strategy that permanently improves a planet’s quality.

How Terraforming Works

1️⃣ Research Terraforming Techs in the Colonization Tree.
2️⃣ Build Terraforming Facilities on your colonies.
3️⃣ Each level of Terraforming increases planet quality and reduces support costs.

Pros & Cons of Terraforming

✅ Pros:
✔ Increases population growth & economic output.
✔ Turns bad planets into good ones over time.
✔ Once fully terraformed, you can dismantle the facility to remove upkeep costs.

❌ Cons:

• Expensive Upkeep (High maintenance costs).
• Takes a long time to improve planet quality.
• Not worth it for low-priority colonies.

💡 Terraforming Tip: Only invest in terraforming on large, high-potential colonies where the long-term benefits outweigh the costs.

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5. Managing Migration for Faster Growth

Migration allows your population to move freely between colonies, increasing growth rates where needed.

How Migration Works

✔ Migration Requires These Techs:

• Basic Transport Systems
• Expanded Civilian Ships ✔ Once unlocked, passenger ships will automatically transport people between colonies. ✔ Larger colonies with high taxes will send people to lower-taxed, less crowded worlds.

How to Optimize Migration

✅ Set Low Taxes on New Colonies – Encourages faster population growth.
✅ Enable Migration to Newly Colonized Planets – Helps jumpstart weak colonies.
✅ Use Migration Controls to Prevent Overpopulation Issues – Stops species from taking over planets they’re not suited for.

Preventing Migration Problems

🚫 Problem: Wrong species colonizing the wrong planets.
✔ Solution: Use Migration Controls to limit specific species from moving.

🚫 Problem: Overcrowded planets losing population to smaller ones.
✔ Solution: Manage taxes carefully so only the right people migrate.

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6. Automating Colonization for Efficiency

The Colony Automation Menu lets the AI manage colonization based on suitability & location.

✔ How to Use Colony Automation:
1️⃣ Open the “Colonization” List in the Empire Manager.
2️⃣ Sort by Suitability to see best planets first.
3️⃣ Enable “Automate Colonization” for easy expansion.

💡 Manual vs. Automated Colonization

• Manual: Better for choosing optimal planets & ensuring correct species placement.
• Automated: Useful for large empires where micromanagement is difficult.

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7. Summary & Final Tips

✔ Only colonize planets with 20%+ Suitability for best economic returns.
✔ Prioritize Continental, Ocean, and Large Planets for early colonies.
✔ Research Desert, Ice, and Volcanic Colonization if your species needs them.
✔ Use Terraforming on key colonies but avoid unnecessary maintenance costs.
✔ Manage migration to prevent wrong species from settling on bad planets.
✔ Use automation for large empires but manual control for optimal growth.

With proper colonization planning, you’ll build a thriving empire that will dominate the galaxy! 🚀✨