A few days ago I posted a thread about some simple changes that I thought could improve the game, this thread is for much more complex changes that will require a lot more work to implement or probably a full universe reset. However not entirely new systems or reworks of entire mechanics.
Either add more options for getting HE3, or make TS a far more common resource in the galaxy for the future. It should be quite common on low pressure worlds, even if not necessarilly in large concentrations. Garunteed low pressure worlds in or nearby the starter systems with TS would also be good ways to get early access to FF and allow the FF mm buy to be raised to justify weak early production.
A lot more random planets should have trace amounts of common resources on them. Far too many worlds only have one or no resources on them, which doesn’t really make much sense. They need to be made up of something even if it’s very hard to extract. Planets that have trace resources in addition to the main resources makes them much more interesting to have bases on, even if 90% of the time you ignore the trace resources.
Increase the number of queue slots based on the number of buildings of that type you have. Without recurring orders, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep up queues as the building count goes up. Even with recurring orders, some buildings are needed to produce so many different resources that you can no longer fit all of them in 5 queue slots. My suggestion is to start with 3 and add 1 more for each building of that type so you never have fewer queue slots than buildings. If HQ upgrades are going to be the main way you get these, queue slots need to be given much more frequently (1 per level).
More non-cold gas giants. There are only two non-cold gas giant in this universe that are worth colonizing and hundreds of cold gas giants.
A liquid surface world type. It’s reasonable for this to be very rare, but it should exist. Another construction part similar to AEFs would be good to add for this world type.
Add more later tier goods which enable improved lower tier recipes. Similar to how the smelter benefits from flux and the food processor benefits from PG. Adding these to higher tier worker buildings means there’s more existing demand to incentivise players to get higher tier workers and buildings. Then once those goods are on the market, industries that must consume them can spring up. PG is an excellent example of a good that both improves low tier buildings and enables higher tier ones.
EX: A thermal control unit built at the electronics plant that enables a more efficient incinerator recipe (2 HCP + 1 MAI + 1 GRN + 1 thermal control unit >12 hours> 4 carbon).
Other good buildings to gain these: Resource extractors, glass furnace, polymer plant, refinery, and weaving plant.
Maybe change the alternative BMP recipes for overalls so they’re actually better than the RCO sometimes?
Needed population infrastructure already depends on population size. Each pioneer “consumes” a certain amount of life support and safety, so more pioneers means more safety is needed. Or did you mean something else?
Hah, I partially removed my stuff about population infrastructure since it was a full mechanic rework. I missed that one and didn’t mean to include it in this list.
I thought that the TS shortage this run around was accidental. The fact that HE-3 existed on somewhat easily obtainable Gas Giants meant that few-to-no players were pursuing a TS base or REF. Even if TS was an option, you would still need abundant H (which is again, a principally a Gas Giant resource).
I agree with this a ton. The way that current extraction works is a little too gamified for my tastes. An EXT should pull up a certain amount of cubic meters and the soil/rock distribution of elements should determine what you get. If you want to optionally “discard” everything that isn’t what you selected then I think that should be an option or a building property. To get even more “in depth” you could have the option of pulling out different planetary aggregates and having either a PIO, PIO/SET, SET chain of buildings for processing the aggregate. This would make your Resource Extraction expert line more meaningful.
It also opens up the market for selling Premium Dirt, which for some reason seems interesting. Maybe you don’t have a desire to prospect / wash / whatever the dirt / rocks… but if we have more of the weird “mass gaining” reactions (looking at you Carbon) then I can see a perfectly reasonable rationale behind why you would “ship dirt” to a planet that needs the principle outputs of what you wash.
Adding complexity gives more options. I understand that logistically this may be hard or cumbersome to program, but it would be cool.
Or make each building its own production line and give it a nominal (2-3 slots) queue.
Only if they are very close to the sun of the star system they inhabit. Here is the Wikipedia link to Hot Jupiters. Planets like this do exist, and would have their own challenges to inhabit. It seems like there is a case for having a liquid metal or vaporized metal atmosphere, which would be interesting. It also opens the door to these really hellish planets which could be very interesting to colonize.
Expanding on this, we could have orbital processing bases and have to send down ships to basically “scoop” up the liquid. Could be very interesting.
I would actually disagree with this. I think that refactoring how Population works and making the higher tier demands actually pay off through citizen consumption would fill this niche better than aiming for “tier 1.5” recipes.
Making the “building based consumables” is an interesting idea though. Could provide an OE boost and each building could require different / same types of consumables. Things like Smelters and Incinerators could both reliably use a “thermal control unit” and I could see Farmsteads and Hydroponics Farms both benefiting from “moisture recapture circuits” or somesuch.