Comets, how do they work?

Comets in Galaxy 1 are weird. Very weird. They are NOT random, and are actually quite predictable once you understand the pattern.

For this document for now, I am assuming the run is single segment any%. Segmentation affects the comets, and I haven’t tested how purple comets factor in yet.

I don’t fully understand the pattern though, especially for the later domes. It’d help if I could run Dolphin at more than 10 fps. If you understand something I don’t, PLEASE let me know. These comets are starting to drive me mad.

Also, I’m not the best at explaining things like this, so feel free to yell at me if something here isn’t clear.

- ping

Some definitions:

“main galaxy” - One of the 15 galaxies with 6 or 7 stars, only these can have comets
“unlocked comet” - A comet whose prerequisite star has been completed and is able to appear (and has not been completed itself, of course).
“step” - An advancement of the comet pattern. Getting a star (new or old) and feeding the purple Luma advance the pattern one step.
“even step” - Assuming the player has only collected new stars, the even step is when he has an even number of stars.
“odd step” - Assuming the player has only collected new stars, the odd step is when he has an odd number of stars.

I use this notation for comet patterns:

HH-GE-HH-GE-HH-HH-GE-GE-repeat

The - represents a step where there is no comet in the dome. I hope the abbreviations are self-explanatory.

What we know:

13 stars must be collected before comets start appearing.

One comet can appear in a dome at a time. Again, I’m not including purple comets yet.

The comet that appears in a dome is determined independently. The comet in the Fountain, for instance, has no bearing on what appears in the Bedroom.

On odd steps, there will be a comet in the Terrace, if any are available. On even steps, there will be a comet in every other dome that has an unlocked comet.

So how does the game determine what comet appears?

If there is 1 unlocked comet in the dome:

Then that will be the comet that appears. Duh.

If there are 2 unlocked comets in a dome with 2 main galaxies (Terrace, Fountain, Kitchen):

The pattern looks like this: 2-1-2-1-2-2-1-1-repeat

HH-GE-HH-GE-HH-HH-GE-GE-repeat

BR-SJ-BR-SJ-BR-BR-SJ-SJ-repeat

BB-Gh-BB-Gh-BB-BB-Gh-Gh-repeat

What we might know (this stuff needs verification):

If there are 2 unlocked comets in a dome with 3 main galaxies (Bedroom, Engine, Garden):

I’ve only tested this in the Bedroom, and it needs confirmation because I’m not sure it’s correct. But it seems to depend on WHICH 2 comets are unlocked.

When Gusty Garden and Freezeflame comets were unlocked:

It followed the regular 2-comet pattern.

FF-GG-FF-GG-FF-FF-GG-GG-repeat

When Gusty Garden and Dusty Dune comets were unlocked:

The comets simply alternated.

GG-DD-repeat

When Freezeflame and Dusty Dune comets were unlocked:

The comet only ever appeared at Freezeflame. The Dusty Dune comet did not show up.

If there are 3 unlocked comets:

Again, I only tested this in the Bedroom and it needs confirmation, but I saw a pattern looking like this:

DD-GG-DD-GG-FF-DD-FF-GG-FF-DD-GG-FF-DD-GG-DD-GG-FF-DD-FF-GG-repeat

Yes, that is long. I would love to sit down with one of the Tokyo SDG1 guys and ask what the heck they were doing.

What we don’t know:

I’ve shown the PATTERNS for the comets after they are unlocked. However I don’t know exactly where that pattern BEGINS. Once I unlock the second comet in a galaxy, how can I tell which comet will come immediately afterwards? If I delay unlocking the second comet a few more steps, how will that affect where the pattern starts?

In routing, all of this ultimately doesn’t matter much. In the latter part of the run you can guarantee which comet appears by only having 1 unlocked at a time. This is only an issue in the Terrace and Fountain, really, and the best way to test that is simply to play through the route and see if it works.

I still want to understand to understand the comet patterns in all cases though, if only for its own sake. I hope you will help me if you have any information to give!