Colonising planets threshold

from Stardock Forums
I colonise planets of PQ 14 or above. This is totally unscientific although I *think* my belief in this cutoff was based on a post. I know the AI pretty much ignores the 14 PQ planets so maybe I am wrong here.

Does anybody have a scientific view?
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Reply #1 from Stardock Forums Top
After I grab up all the 15+ PQ planets I can, and have some money coming in, I usually colonize all the 13 and 14 PQ planets in my area as well. Within a fairly short time you can raise them up to atleast 15 with the early terraforming techs. And if I am really in need of planets, I'll colonize a 12 PQ planet or two. But that's the lowest I go.

I remember reading something about an economic cost for colonizing below 15 PQ, but I'm not sure about it. Also, I'm not sure if that cost disappears after you improve the PQ. Maybe someone can clarify that for us.
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
15 is considered habitable, techinically without
racial bonuses or special events, any 10 pq world
can get to 15 through normal world improvements.

As a general rule I colonize everything 12+ and will
colonize anything 9+ in an enemies sector if doing
a cultural bomb.
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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top
Brad (Frogboy) has said something to the effect that anything below PQ15 is a money-sink; there's probably some mathematical analysis that can back that up and that's probably why the AI doesn't colonize anything below a 15.

That said, I also stick to 14+ and if you're really looking to run up the score through population, you can go lower (as pointed out above) and raise the PQ pretty quickly.