Home systems with not all planets colonized

[Cheerio]

Hey.. so basically i've found a couple home systems (all in either 1,1 1,2, 2,1 and 2,2) where not all the homeworld planets are colonized.

is this because a) the aliens own these planets - but then why did my probe fly through unmolested?

b) because we can colonize unclaimed planets in unassigned homeworld systems?

c) other?

[zarkwizard]

The game that is running is designed for 100 people. The tutorial server spawns with home worlds "assigned" to locations. If someone new joined the server the location may be given to them. Since technically someone new can join the server at any time.

During a normal game once the head count is decided and the real game starts home worlds will be assigned to all the players. You won't see spare home world locations in a real game. Only on tutorial servers.

[Cheerio]

Ok but why am I finding half colonized systems that are designated as home world systems?
I suppose it doesn't matter, it's just an oddity

[Zerosignal]

I've been colonising planets in these systems, actually didn't think anything of it until I just read this thread.

[Cheerio]

huh - I just tried to do it myself and wasn't allowed to

[Spartanius]

Zerosignal also flies around Science stations so it doesn't surprise me :P

[Zerosignal]

Strange, I'm just selecting my colony ship and using the colonise planet button in the main menu?

Wish I could work out how to make my defense orbitals fly around :(

[Cheerio]

That would be scary

[Tsagoth]

Ok but why am I finding half colonized systems that are designated as home world systems?
I suppose it doesn't matter, it's just an oddity

Only the HW is marked when the game launches. I'm a bit surprised that any of the planets are marked. Normally planet sovereignty is set when that player actually joins. If you have colonized these planets, which I should disallow, you will lose everything when that system is assigned to the incoming player.