Terraforming

Any time you get a planet that has tiles that can be terraformed, they will automatically be available, instead of the weeks or such for each tile to open up.

I did expect new areas to open up when I built it but no such luck.  That is why I was wondering if I missed something

You probably already "built" the soil enhancement, habitat improvement, and terraforming tiles on your planets before the orbital terraformer completed-particularly as auto-terraforming is on by default (you can change this via the planetary details screen, along with auto-upgrade of improvements).

You should certainly notice it in the future, though-try colonizing a class 4 planet and watch what happens to it.

If it were just me, the "silly" Orbital Terraformer would **accelerate** these processes rather than do it all at once as with the Neutral Ethics automated bonus. Blame the new terraforming system in X-Worlds 06-A for this remark.

You're slowing down...Reply number FOUR?  Really?  4?  You gotta be faster than that with the X-Worlds drop-ins.

I also assume that the terraforming capability does not open new planets for colonization.

I thought that would be one of the benefits that could alter game play

Arrrrgggghhh.

The Extreme Colonization tech opens up the research paths for the techs you need to colonize Aquatic, Radioactive, etc., worlds.

For this you need the "EXtremes Colonization" research paths (Aquatic, Toxic, etc)... but, it's true that the default GC2 Terraforming feature is a simple way to delay activation of three types of Y-O-R tiles into Green Prairies. (EDIT; ooops, GW Swicord was two minutes faster!)

And depending on what version you are playing, remember that while terraforming may give access to all the tiles on an extreme planet, you have to research the advanced extreme planet or your production is basically halved from that planet type.

Social and military production are halved, but income and research are 'normal' even without '100% production.'

The orbital terraformer greatly adds to the usefulness of planets since you don't have to build on each tile twice. One time being just to make it useful. You should notice that all tiles are green on every planet now. Colonize a PQ1 and see it turn into a PQ16 - 19.

PQ0 stay zero no matter what you do. Only a random event can change it.