Star Map

[Culture20]

The video game Star Control 2 had an interesting conceit for its star map: hyperspace was considered to be largely two-dimensional, stars of the known galaxy were repositioned into the 2D plane of hyperspace in a seemingly random manner, and apparently stars with planets seem to be predominantly accessible from hyperspace, so all the real-space stars without planets are just ignored. They renamed the star groups in hyperspace by old real space constellations, which is confusing.

[Flyndaran]

Originally Posted by ericbsmith

The carbon cycle is largely regulated by life itself. Assuming that life on such a planet reaches an equilibrium instead of going out of control and creating a hellish greenhouse or frozen iceball it could go on indefinitely. The liquid core, and resultant magnetic field and tectonic activity, is easily explainable with tidal forces of a planet in a 3:2 tide lock with it's star. Or, alternatively, by having an earthlike planet as a moon of a gas giant which happens to orbit in the habitable zone of the star.

That's probably true, though virtually any planet with an atmosphere is probably relatively easily terraformable by the time you reach TL 11 or 12 bioengineering. You are right about trying to colonize already flourishing worlds, though, unless you're using the fast-and-loose biology and physics usually seen in any science fiction that actually deals with setting foot on alien worlds.

Sure, you can bolster the carbon cycle with very unusual and strong tidal forces. But that just cuts down ever further on their prevalence.
I'm not saying they're impossible, but within hundreds of light years probably number in the single digits at most.

FTL is superscience, so could pop up at any TL. Though in low cinematic settings it probably requires TL 7+ with 9+ more likely. But I don't see why TL 11/12 is needed.
Unless using a "genesis" plot device, I can't imagine terraforming ever being "easy". That's the province of gods, not anything human, in my opinion.