I have been a player of GalCiv since 1.  My computer recently died and I installed GalCiv3: Mercenaries on my new one yesterday morning (haven't played it since ~August).  I'm familiar with the changes that have happened between 2 and 3, and I know I need to mod the XML files to get the type of galaxy I want.  Unfortunately, with this new install there is nothing I can do to get a playable galaxy . 

Current behavior is about 2-3 habitable planets per 10 star systems.  Each Star System usually has a handful of dead planets and asteroids.  Red Giants seem to be way more common than in the past, representing about 6 of the 10 Systems every time I try to regenerate.  2 Yellow, 1 Blue, 1 Orange usually represent the next 4.  Resource Planets seem way more common than in the past as well on these Red Giants.

What I want/am trying to do is not complex: Huge galaxy, at least 1-2 habitable planets in each star system.  Some % of them can be extreme, don't really care what %.  To accomplish this in game options, I choose Huge Galaxy, Abundant Stars, Abundant Planets, Abundant Habitable Planets, Abundant Extreme Planets.  I have tried every setting for asteroids and I still always get a bunch of asteroids, no matter which one.  Some asteroids even appear on None (although far less common).  

I started by going into the MapSetupDefs file like in the past and going to the Abundant Section, since those are the Toggles I use in Game Options, and I must have updated this file 40 times by now with different numbers trying to get the above to occur like in the past.  Nothing generates meaningful differences in the game.

Frustrated by the above not working I also tried opening up the MapSizeDefs, going to the Huge section, and changing the Base & Habitable Planets values.  I tried upping both together by large numbers, nothing.  I tried making Habitable more than Base, nothing.

Further frustrated and having spent a couple hours trying to test all the above configs, I even tried modifying the StarSystemDefs file to change the MinPlanets in the Habitable Zone to 3-4 to try to force creation of habitable planets.  Nothing again.  Tried to also reduce Dead & Outer Zone planet min and maxes, Nothing.

I have read 15+ forums on Stardock/GalCiv/Steam from the past where folks were having this issue, but none recently.  The old fixes aren't working; almost like the game doesn't care about the XMLs.  Really would like to begin playing again, does anyone have any ideas??

Thanks a million in advance!

Excerpt from my MapSetupDefs file for Abundant:

<MapSetup>

<InternalName>Abundant</InternalName>

<Stars>1.00</Stars>  I have tried changing this to 2, 3, 4 doesn't change the planets (& shouldn't)

<PlanetFrequencyExp>0.50</PlanetFrequencyExp> I have tried changing this to 1, .99, .9, .4, .1, .01, nothing.

<HabitablePlanets>.99</HabitablePlanets> I have tried changing this to all the above values independent of the above changes to isolate cause.  nothing.

<ExtremePlanets>0.5</ExtremePlanets> I have tried moving this around from .35 and .7, but kind of irrelevant as the game won't generate habitable planets for it to decide whether to make extreme or not.  again, don't really care about which % are/arent.

<Asteroids>0.15</Asteroids>  I have tried .001, .01, .05, .15, .2, still getting large amounts of asteroids instead of planets on most systems, again most systems are oddly red giants now...

<MinAsteroidGroup>0</MinAsteroidGroup>

<MaxAsteroidGroup>2</MaxAsteroidGroup> I have tried limiting the max # of asteroid groups, not honored.

<PrecursorRelics>0.15</PrecursorRelics>

<AscensionGates>0.05</AscensionGates>

<MinAscensionGates>3</MinAscensionGates>

<Nebula>0.35</Nebula>

<BlackHoles>0.05</BlackHoles>

<Rifts>0.50</Rifts>

<Anomalies>1.5</Anomalies>

    <PirateBases>0.2</PirateBases>

<ResourceFrequency>

<MinablePlanetChance>0.45</MinablePlanetChance> I have tried to reduce this down to .15, not really changing much w/r/t habitable planets, more just if a system is full of dead planets or asteroids.

      <MinableAsteroidChance>1.0</MinableAsteroidChance>

      <MinableNebulaRate>10</MinableNebulaRate>

<MinableBlackholeChance>

<Weight>50</Weight>

<Count>1</Count>

</MinableBlackholeChance>

<MinableBlackholeChance>

<Weight>40</Weight>

<Count>2</Count>

</MinableBlackholeChance>

<MinableBlackholeChance>

<Weight>10</Weight>

<Count>3</Count>

</MinableBlackholeChance>

</ResourceFrequency>

</MapSetup>

Help please!