Fabricated planet type is a parameter which means little to nothing. Employed by sci-fi writers who know better, it is abused as a cheap explanation of why heroes win. In some stories, planet type describes the level of hostility to human life, in others - the color of water. Some writers go as far as to use types 2, 4, 7 and 8 interchangeably, at times as a homage to Sanitary Projections, at times due to high salaries of proofreaders.

In the epic setting of Ahldorae, the planet is described as type 9.

Many authors mistakenly think Type 3 is common, but in reality Type 3 fabricated planets are few and far between.

A typical use of the parameter is in cheap sci-fi novels, when the planet type is invoked as a plot device to resolve a difficult situation.

Kaurden pointed the phaser at the captain and fired. But all we could hear was a sad fizzling out of plasma, which promptly created an embarrassing purple cloud around Kaurden's hand.
"What is this?" he shrieked.
"Ah", Geormi said, pointing at his panel-pad. "I think I know what's going on, Captain. Since this is a type 6 planet, the speed of the chemical reactions between brollium and xelollium is slowed down. Quite considerably."
"Of course!" said Captain Mallard. "And phaser technology relies on that chemical reaction!"
Kaurden realized that his cards did not amount to a straight flush after all...
"More like a pair of twos!" said the Doctor.

In 1995 a guy named Nick was fired from his job as lead engineer, having been told by his supervisor that Earth is a type 2 planet. How exactly does planet type connect to the whole situation Nick had not been told, but he was walked out of the building that same day, with his sorry personal belongings, consisting of an overused coffee cup and a plush ostrich toy from last year's tech conference.