Planet modding - Stellaris Wiki (2024)

This guide is for adding and modifying Celestial bodies to the game. For guidelines on how to use them in solar systems, including adding modifiers and inhabitants, see System modding.

Overview[edit | edit source]

Planet and star classes can be found in common/planet_classes. Note that "stars" and "star classes" are two different things: individual stars are considered the same as planets in the game code, while star classes (found in common/star_classes) refer to the classification of a solar system as a whole and will determine lighting, the system's icon in the galaxy map, and number of individual stars in a solar system. Information about modding star classes can be found here.

Creating a new planet class is easy: one simply chooses an internal name (ex: "pc_volcanic") and defines how the planet will work in the context of the game. Is it a colonizable world? A star? An inhabitable megastructure? Etc. The internal name doesn't need to reflect the planet's "real" name; using localisation, the name visible to players can be whatever you want it to be.

Planet variables[edit | edit source]

Planet rules[edit | edit source]

The following is a list of the different rules you can apply to a planet. The planet will not randomly spawn if these rules are not met, though they can sometimes be bypassed through system modding.

Examples[edit | edit source]

A desert world:

pc_desert = {entity = "desert_planet"icon = GFX_planet_type_desertclimate = "dry"initial = yesentity_scale = @planet_standard_scaleatmosphere_color= hsv { 0.50 0.2 0.8 }#DONEatmosphere_intensity= 1.0atmosphere_width= 0.5min_distance_from_sun = @habitable_min_distancemax_distance_from_sun = @habitable_max_distancespawn_odds = @habitable_spawn_oddscity_color_lut = "gfx/portraits/misc/colorcorrection_desert.dds"extra_orbit_size = 0extra_planet_count = 0chance_of_ring = 0.2planet_size = { min = @habitable_planet_min_size max = @habitable_planet_max_size }moon_size = { min = @habitable_moon_min_size max = @habitable_moon_max_size }production_spawn_chance = 0.4colonizable = yesdistrict_set = standarduses_alternative_skies_for_moons = nocarry_cap_per_free_district = @carry_cap_normal}

A toxic world:

pc_toxic = {entity = "toxic_planet"entity_scale = @planet_standard_scaleicon = GFX_planet_type_toxicatmosphere_color= hsv { 0.19 0.45 0.9 }#DONEatmosphere_intensity= 0.1atmosphere_width= 1.2min_distance_from_sun = 60max_distance_from_sun = 110spawn_odds = 10extra_orbit_size = 0extra_planet_count = 0chance_of_ring = 0.2planet_size = { min = 12 max = 25 }moon_size = { min = 6 max = 10 }colonizable = noshow_city = no}

A habitable ringworld section:

pc_ringworld_habitable = {ringworld = yesentity = "ringworld_habitable_entity"preview_entity = "ringworld_01_damaged_full_entity"picture = pc_ringworldicon = GFX_planet_type_ringworldentity_scale = 1.0enable_tilt = nofixed_entity_scale = yesatmosphere_color= hsv { 0.0 0.0 1.0 }#DONEatmosphere_intensity= 1.0atmosphere_width= 0.5show_city = yescity_color_lut = "gfx/portraits/misc/colorcorrection_continental.dds"extra_orbit_size = 0extra_planet_count = 0chance_of_ring = 0.0planet_size = 10moon_size = 1colonizable = yesdistrict_set = ring_worldideal = yesstarting_planet = noorbit_lines = nohas_colonization_influence_cost = no# applies when within own bordersis_artificial_planet = yesmodifier = {planet_max_buildings_add = 12}carry_cap_per_free_district = @carry_cap_normal}

A class-F star:

pc_f_star = {entity = "f_star_class_star_entity"entity_scale = 20.0picture = "pc_f_star"icon = GFX_planet_type_f_g_staratmosphere_color= hsv { 0.6 0.3 0.6 }atmosphere_intensity= 1.0atmosphere_width= 0.5star = yesmin_distance_from_sun = 0max_distance_from_sun = 0spawn_odds = 0extra_orbit_size = 0extra_planet_count = 0chance_of_ring = 0planet_size = { min = 20 max = 35 }colonizable = no}

Planet icons[edit | edit source]

Planet icons can be found in gfx/interface/icons/planet_type_icons.dds, and their sprites are documented in interface/planet.gfx. For reference, here is a list of which values to use for which icon:

Terraforming[edit | edit source]

Terraforming is defined separately from planets in files found in common/terraform. These are relatively straightforward definitions, but do need to be defined for each individual link between two planet types. That means, for example, if a modder wishes to add a new planet type that can be terraformed into anything and have anything terraformed into it they will have to define two links for each existing planet type, one to transform a given type into the new one, and one to transform the new one into each existing type. A basic example of a terraforming link definition can be seen below:

 terraform_link = { from = "pc_continental" to = "pc_tropical" energy = 2000 duration = 1800 condition = { has_technology = "tech_terrestrial_sculpting" } ai_weight = { weight = 0 } }

Each link definition starts with the header terraform_link and then is followed by arguments determining the starting and ending planet classes for the terraforming operation. After that it is followed by the cost of the terraforming operation as well as how long the operation will take to complete. Afterwards the link has a condition block. This is used to determine what requirements are needed before a terraforming operation can be performed, and is used to lock certain transformations behind technology or ascension perks. Lastly a terraforming link definition includes an ai_weight entry, which is used to determine whether or not an AI will perform a terraforming.

If desired there are some slightly modifications that can be performed on the basic format. One is to use a potential block. When used this will cause the terraforming option to only appear if the listed requirements are met. For example, this terraforming link definition

 terraform_link = { from = "pc_barren_cold" to = "pc_arctic" energy = 5000 duration = 3600 potential = { from = { has_modifier = terraforming_candidate } } condition = { has_technology = "tech_climate_restoration" } effect = { from = { remove_modifier = terraforming_candidate } } ai_weight = { weight = 5 } }

Will only show up in the menu if the pc_barren_cold planet also has the terraforming_candidate modifier, and will not be available otherwise.

A final note is that terraform_link's also support effect blocks as well. These are operations that are performed immediately upon completion of the terraforming operation. For example, adding this block:

 effect = { from = { remove_modifier = terraforming_candidate } }

Will cause the "terraforming_candidate" modifier to be removed from the terraformed planet upon completion.