I was playing spore ( this game is also across planets ) and I unlocked these terraforming tools. The planets in spore are very similar in size to the planets in PA, so I'm hoping we'll get to see some terraforming. Ex: Say you hit a planet with a moon or asteroid and it becomes a lava planet, you could send in a unit to build a special base to make the planet habitable again. This base would be VERY expensive, since your changing an entire planet, but it could bring back resources in the planet. The more of these special bases you build the faster the planet is terraformed, and the more resources will be available. When done, the planet would be self sustainable again and you could scrap the base for more military oriented bases.
I don't think this'll really be a problem, as these are very resilient robots, that won't be affected by the atmospheric conditions. I thought planets wouldn't change their biomes? Lava planets are just a separate kind.
If hit with big enough force/mass should melt into lava biome. Part should escape (like when water drops split during collisions) if enough force/mass, Metal production things (like in Total Annihilation) move around (even sink into the planet) and planet later reform (solidify). Go from lava, to solid crusted to erode into another biome. Metal spots (like in TA) able to be melted into “jelly bubbles” that keep its metal production property. Have metal producing spots linkable. In the case of lava have metal producing spots rise to the surface. Water evaporated from old ‘earth like’ planet reform as a water planetoid away from the star. More Here
