Ever since I started testing a very, very long time ago, the materials of planets in US2 has always been very basic. I thought a bit more complex materials would make terraforming a lot more fun and interesting. I am unsure of how some of these things will make it to the planetary cut-out stage. Therefore I understand not all of these things are going to appear in US2 any time soon. I am especially excited about number 1 and 8.
1. Radioactives
Radioactives will slowly decay (I mean VERY SLOWLY, some elements and their isotopes take longer than the age of the universe to decay) and generate radiation & heat. Excessive radiation will kill plant life, among other things.
2. Salt (or other minerals)
Minerals that are water-soluble, like salt, can change water's evaporating and melting temperatures. (speaking of, shouldn't changing the atmospheric pressure affect the evaporation point of liquid water in US2? I say this because it is possible to boil water at room temperature, only if you remove all (or most) the air surrounding it. Try going to the top of a very high mountain, where the atmospheric pressure is 0.80 of sea level, and your kettle will boil at about 80-90 degrees Celsius.)
3. Methane (gaseous hydrocarbons)
Found in abundance on Uranus and Neptune, Methane is an extremely powerful natural greenhouse gas. It is several times more powerful than Carbon Dioxide, and is flammable with the right ratio of methane to oxygen
4. Oxygen
It starts with an O, and ends with N. More noteworthy, all animals breathe it. When there is enough oxygen in an atmosphere, (with enough water in oceans) organics can grow. Oxygen is flammable with the right ratio of oxygen to methane, and oxygen to hydrogen. (Hydrogen already in US2.)
5. Carbon
Needed for life, produces green trees and city lights.
6. Silicon (Not too sure about this one since there is already Silica in US2)
Theoretically a replacement for Carbon in life, perhaps silicon based plants will be purple (seeing purple vegetation from space. Just really cool idea.)
7. Bioluminescent Organics
When enough Bioluminescent materials are around, and life has developed, you will start to see things like glowing clouds, or glowing oceans.
8. Acid/Acidity control
Acidic oceans will kill some life. Acidic materials are: CO2, (perhaps add some caustic gasses or acids here)
Alkaline or Acid Absorbing materials are: Calcium Carbonate (limestone) [perhaps add something else here, but I think the main thing is Calcium Carbonate.]
9. Natural Thermite
Can be formed in minute amounts when there is Iron, Oxygen and Aluminium in the environment. Thermite burns with extreme heat when a significantly large planet smashes into it.
10. Aluminium
For thermite, (I think thermite is really cool, but I dont know how realistic it is for a whole planet just saying) other than that, Aluminium is just some useless metal.
11. Helium
Formed gradually as Hydrogen fuses in a star, adding too much degenerate helium to a star causes it to expand as hydrogen fusion starts fusing in an outer shell around its core.
12.
?? Lead?
Something that absorbs radiation, perhaps? Too much lead poisons aquatic life.
13. Opaque Gasses
Creates fogs, mists and even completely opaque atmospheres.
There you go. That's all I could think of for now.
Topic: [IDEA] Electrody's Material Ideas for Planets (Read 2933 times)
