Proto-Civilizations?

[Regularity]

So what exactly do these do; how does one make use of them?

Pre-sentient (animal) civilizations can be uplifted into pops that join your empire. Full civilizations can be "enlightened" into vassal states. But what about the proto-civilizations (caveman) planets? They don't have visible pops on the surface to act as an obstacle against colonization, they can't be uplifted -- as far as I know -- since they don't show up in the species list so there's no uplift button... so I'm at a loss as to what use they have in terms of gameplay.

Am I missing something here? Do I have to actually colonize the planet before they appear in the species list?

[DeadlyDanDaMan]

You need to build an Observation Outpost on their planet.

[gazomierz]

You can also colonize the planet. You'll be presented with options what to do with them based on your ethics.

[Vigo the Dudepathian]

You get research points as well.

[Regularity]

Originally posted by DeadlyDanDaMan:

You need to build an Observation Outpost on their planet.

Observation post require "post-neolithic civilizations to study," so can't be built above proto-civilization worlds.

Originally posted by gazomierz:

You can also colonize the planet. You'll be presented with options what to do with them based on your ethics.

Thanks, I'll try that. I just wish they still showed up on the species list. For post-neolithic and pre-sentient species, you just find them in the species list, and you can instantly jump to the planet. But since proto-civilizations have no pops, you have to manually click every single planet in your territory to find where they are, unless you manually write them down every time you get a popup for them.

Any chance there's a faster way to quickly find them that I'm missing? Or is this just a "feature" until a patch addresses it?

[Brakiros]

You have two choices, either you can wait for them to advance to the Bronze Age (found that out when I found an ice planet with stone age birdmen that later evolved while I wasn't looking) Or colonize the planet and either fortify your colony (greatly reduces living space) put them on a reserve, (gives +3 society adjacency research bonus) or enslave them.

[Navaji]

I found an new one and it kicks a**, I colonized a planet and shortly after I get a message that an subturanian (sp) civilization is tunnling up from the planet core to my city. I did a research project to learn to communicate with them. I made peace and now they are a whole new empire to talk to (limitedly of course). I now get the occational event with them! Its amazing this game...

[Brakiros]

Originally posted by Navaji:

I found an new one and it kicks a**, I colonized a planet and shortly after I get a message that an subturanian (sp) civilization is tunnling up from the planet core to my city. I did a research project to learn to communicate with them. I made peace and now they are a whole new empire to talk to (limitedly of course). I now get the occational event with them! Its amazing this game...

Indeed it is, I haven't seen that event yet but i've done the Terraform one and the Ancient Probes one.

[gazomierz]

Generally speaking you have to find a lot of things by hand as it is now. It's tedious as hell once you really start growing and cover a lot of space. Surely it will be addressed in a patch sooner or later.

[Regularity]

Originally posted by Navaji:

I found an new one and it kicks a**, I colonized a planet and shortly after I get a message that an subturanian (sp) civilization is tunnling up from the planet core to my city. I did a research project to learn to communicate with them. I made peace and now they are a whole new empire to talk to (limitedly of course). I now get the occational event with them! Its amazing this game...

There's also one for gas blobs (or energy beings? Something without physical form) that live inside a gas giant. You help them establish a new "colony" on a gas giant, then the colony becomes a radical people's revolutionary government and tries to "overthrow" the old planet's regime. The entire plot has a Douglas Adams tongue-in-cheek silly sort of feel to it, because the original colony was pretty jolly and nice to begin with so there's no reason to overthrow them, and because the new colony sends "commandos" despite them having no physical shape or ability to manipulate objects, and thus no ability to actually fight.

[ElanaAhova]

Originally posted by Navaji:

I found an new one and it kicks a**, I colonized a planet and shortly after I get a message that an subturanian (sp) civilization is tunnling up from the planet core to my city. I did a research project to learn to communicate with them. I made peace and now they are a whole new empire to talk to (limitedly of course). I now get the occational event with them! Its amazing this game...

Yes, they were fungoid in my last game. What fun. So scared I was until they began talking.