Possibly...
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New block: Catalog block - this block projects a field (much like the store field) around it, which allows people to use the catalog feature inside said field.
Mechanic change: Catalog block draws materials for the ship to be built either direct from the store (in the case of a catalog block combined with a store, which is going to be the case at each store station), or alternatively from storage bins connected to it.
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This means that you cannot transmute credits into unavailable blocks any longer, and additionally, you can no longer use the catalog in empty space (somehow throwing mass amounts of credits into the void magically generates a ship)
This does not address the factory issues which I am hearing about (have not reached the point of making a factory in my single-player game as of yet).
But really, the catalog issues are not a part of the factory issues...
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New block: Catalog block - this block projects a field (much like the store field) around it, which allows people to use the catalog feature inside said field.
Mechanic change: Catalog block draws materials for the ship to be built either direct from the store (in the case of a catalog block combined with a store, which is going to be the case at each store station), or alternatively from storage bins connected to it.
-----------------------
This means that you cannot transmute credits into unavailable blocks any longer, and additionally, you can no longer use the catalog in empty space (somehow throwing mass amounts of credits into the void magically generates a ship)
This does not address the factory issues which I am hearing about (have not reached the point of making a factory in my single-player game as of yet).
But really, the catalog issues are not a part of the factory issues...