This will be adjusted in the future. Until then you could mod it.

Thanks, i might have to mod it.

I tried another game since making this post. This time i tried reducing the number of stars and planets but keeping habitable planets on abundant.

What was in range in my starting cluster was 15 star systems.

there was a total of 17 planets not including Sol.

14 of those 17 planets were dead,,, again leaving me with just 3 planets in my starting star cluster.

I wonder what the definition of the word 'abundant' is?

Usually i start a new game from the main menu?

I usually start a series of new games until i find a map with a layout that seems more interesting to try.

I usually save every game start that initially seems interesting.... so i have a pretty good record of exactly how consistently this game has been stiffing me on planets. I would say the ratio of game starts with few planets is about 5 to 1

So sometimes i do get good maps.... i got a good one last week, and played it through nicely up until 2 days ago when i discovered the Drengin have turned out weak even though they are one level higher difficulty than the rest. I guess they must have accidentally copped the stupid star cluster that was supposed to go to me?? lol

if you start in the centre of a spiral map you are likely to get lots of planets. Why don't you play the tournament or duel maps? They are more balanced if that's what you want.

there's a mega event like that, that gives a precursor artifact to a civ.  makes the civ more powerful over time. I wonder if it can be  modded as an increasing difficulty for all

I once got a start where I had 10+ Star systems with 3 earthlike planets in each. yeah. I just fainted from joy. Was an incredible start. And it also had five precursor worlds that I nabbed.

Needless to say my manufacturing was incredible in that game.

Its one thing having a single excellent small star cluster.

But that game, I expanded to three star clusters having 2-3 earths in almost every star system + expanded half of the fourth before I was stopped by AI colonization.

Dead planets is too useless in galciv3 currently, I only can hope they have some kind of purpose in further expansions other than being a possible planet spot for benevolent civilizations.After all, I'm pretty sure there is iron to mine on planet mars.. There's probably something to mine off Mercury + Venus if we can develop the machinery that laughs at heat + pressure and whatever.

Then there is gas + water on Jupiter and Saturn moons.Then recently confirmed that Pluto has ice on it. Europa + Enceladus has water + Ice.

Titan has gas. I only can wonder if I was to light a fire on titan, it would set off one hell of a fire or not. About Enceladus, if it has something like fishes, and they're edible to us.. And if any of the moons has metal for us to use. Then only issues left is the radioactivity + possible abrasive soil. If we can eliminate those issues then Saturn's moons could be a viable colonization target.

Back to Jupiter's moons.. Europa for obvious water. and possible fishes! Then metal might be mineable on Io, Ganymede, and Callisto. Again, same issues of abrasive soil + radioactivity.

It's clear that Gas Giant's moons will be harder to colonize due to radioactivity alone. But they have to be considered due to possible source of animals for us to hunt which can ease the burden of transporting goods. While Mars can't be considered like that. Saturn might be more preferable due to possible easy source of gas on Titan.

Because of all those factors, gas giants in other star systems should have closer look done on them because their moons could be a viable source of resources.

Even with all those possibilities, no one really wants to colonize a dead planet because it's a damn dead planet. So generally other than "FIRST!" there needs to be some kind of profit or gain motive to grab a dead planet and make it yours. Population on them would never likely be that big, a colony of miners + Scientists and maintenance Unless the general population of the future has a different mindset and is all cool with settling them.

Of course, all this is without mentioning the gravity problems.

The only way I know to do what you want is with the map editor.  Have someone who knows your preferences gen up a few arbitrary maps so you don't know where everything is. 

A friend and I talked about it and swapping maps, but I am actually quite happy with thegenerated maps, especially since they keep changing in nature with each patch release.  It's an interesting way to keep up the replayability factor.    And he is distracted by certain recent apocalyptic releases out there. 

It's a workaround and not an answer, but it's the best I got.

Update:

So that game i mentioned in my last post above... it has turned into the best game of galciv3 i have ever seen!!

The Kryn have been able to consistently apply pressure on me the whole game without weakening off.... even when the Alterian resistance came at them from behind!

I nearly thought the drengin were gonners at one point because they ended up at war with the iridium corporation who are the most powerful race in the game. But that war was short then the drengin hit me where i had mostly outdated fleets in retirement.... that was a masacre! They did allot of damage, wiping out starbases etc,,, hahaha but it was fun,, but not too long before i rallied some old ships together which i upgraded for swift revenge.

So i am still absolutely enjoying every minute of this game - thank you Stardock!