Not Garbage Resource Mechanics

[The Judge]

So just a thought

Does anyone here like the needlessly complicated and tedious factory system in place at the moment? Probably not. There are simply too many raw resources and resource refining is a really big headache. I daresay the current state of the resource mechanics is why Starmade has so little active players. Because of the massive negative impact caused by the tedious nature of resource gathering and refining, I believe there should be some slight changes to resource gathering and refining.

The current number of resource types should be condensed to only a handful of resource types, with several basic resources and several strategic resources. Standard resources would be extremely common and could be found in most places, and could be refined into basic components used for the construction of ships. Strategic resources, on the other hand, would be relatively rare (in certain places, where players could fight for them, or NPCs could guard it idk) and include advanced materials for use in more advanced components. Raw materials would be manufactured into "components" like "Armor Plate" or "Electronics" in a factory.

Note: Components =/= System Blocks

Rather than the current system, I propose that ships and space stations would be constructed straight from "components" (or refined resources) rather than requiring every single block used on the construction to be in the blueprint. Each block on the construction would have a resource cost (eg. 4 units of resource A and 5 units of resource B). Starmade is already capable of detecting the amount of blocks on a ship and the type of block, and I'm kinda confident we can apply this function as directed above. Blocks could still individually be crafted at another type of factory if a player wishes to place them down.

Not sure this is the best way to portray it, but it's a visual aid.
The goal of this suggestion is to make ship construction more straightforward by lowering the number of resource types to <10 from >30.

Anyways I'm sure this will get shit on, but I view it as a nice compromise between the current system and buying ships with credits.

 

[NeonSturm]

But another way of simplyfing it would be to

1. separate paint into paint-plating = just 1 hull/armour/advanced + paints = 1/3 blocks
2. have a generic computer which transforms into specific depending on first slave modules = a lot less computers
3. putting chambers in a multi-slot like current hull shapes = a lot less inventory clutter.
4. having factories craft groups of blocks until x (for chamber multislots)
5. having a input box to automatically craft paint up to a certain value of paints

Both this and the op can go hand-in-hand

 

[jstenholt]

Recognized already.

Recognized - Raw Resources used in Shipyard BP Construction

 

[YamiHikari]

This is an interesting idea, but I think you should also come up with ways to balance it out. For example, resource price. Resources need to cost less than the things they're used to make for manufacturing to be of any value (currently pretty much every system, decorative, and utility block costs significantly less than the total materials used to manufacture them). You also need a significant amount of resources for manufacturing due to their easy attainability. Instead of requiring 4-5 of a raw resource, why not require 10? And why not make more complex/valuable blocks cost more resources? By giving an advantage to manufacturing and making it something that can neither be accomplished immediately nor tediously you can bring back players' reliance on it.

 

[Ithirahad]

As our entire faction has essentially been dragged down by the tedium of the current system (Making ships is a pain in the ass, so people tend to burn out quickly, and deploying is a pain in the ass, so I am hesitant to deploy us anywhere... so we never get anything done, so people lose interest and I have very low motivation to refit and maintain ships, so the entire faction is usually dormant) I support any system that might help to remedy the situation.

This gets a +1 from me.

 

[The Judge]

Recognized already.

Recognized - Raw Resources used in Shipyard BP Construction

oof okay

 

[Ithirahad]

Recognized already.

Recognized - Raw Resources used in Shipyard BP Construction

...two years ago, yes.

 

[rocketman221]

The crafting system used to be a lot more complex than it is now.
Everything is now pretty simple and easy to make. The most complex thing is advanced armor, which can be easily automated.
I don't think it needs to be simplified even more.

 

[Ithirahad]

The crafting system used to be a lot more complex than it is now.
Everything is now pretty simple and easy to make. The most complex thing is advanced armor, which can be easily automated.
I don't think it needs to be simplified even more.

I see your point, and that is true for people who are actually interested in making complicated factory systems. If anything, for that gameplay the current system is too simple and not in-depth enough. The problem is that the current state of factories needlessly gets in the way of people in survival wanting to just get resources, and then use those resources to make spaceships, who I strongly suspect (I could be wrong) are in the majority.

 

[NeonSturm]

What needs to be done is reduce the need for that many factories just because every one produces only 1 item.

Perhaps if a factory auto-produces to full-fill a storage's wish-list (item+amount drawn)

 

[The Judge]

probably a little obnoxious to say this but I think making resource mechanics into something that wasn't irritating and difficult to work with should've been a thing before the power overhaul, but that's just my opinion

 

[The Judge]

The crafting system used to be a lot more complex than it is now.
Everything is now pretty simple and easy to make. The most complex thing is advanced armor, which can be easily automated.
I don't think it needs to be simplified even more.

Do you play on multiplayer servers regularly?
If so, do you like spawning in Blueprints with all the finished blocks or would you rather do it with only a handful of resource types?
Starmade can't shine as a spaceship game if its needlessly complex Blueprint system hampers with the ability to spawn in ships.

 

[rocketman221]

If so, do you like spawning in Blueprints with all the finished blocks or would you rather do it with only a handful of resource types?

I build all of my stuff on a server, I don't use single player apart from messing with dev builds.
Spawning in blueprints is a bit inconvenient, but less resource types wouldn't make it less annoying. Working shipyards would make things easier.
All of my factories are automated and everything pulls into one storage, so it's not too bad to fill a blueprint.

 

[JinM]

The goal of this suggestion is to make ship construction more straightforward by lowering the number of resource types to <10 from >30.

This is so needed. Starmade has so many different ores and it's so tedious to farm them. First of all there should be less ore types, and secondly they should be distinguishable and unique instead of random. I want to tell their worth just by looking at them. Ofcourse scifi means no classical ressources like gold and diamonds, but something like aluminium, gold, crystals (maximum 4 types, not 16), iron and rare stuff to refine iron would do the trick imo...

 

[Batavium]

making complicated factory systems. If anything, for that gameplay the current system is too simple and not in-depth enough.

You can get pretty crazy with it... Full logic from basic ore to end product one punch every block in the game pooper. Shamelessly stolen offcourse before anyone asks since I never ever build anything with logic.

First of all there should be less ore types, and secondly they should be distinguishable and unique instead of random.

Ores are pretty well added to StarMade if you only get them from Asteroids. Every type or color of asteroid has his own unik two ores. And these Asteroids spawn in asteroid belts the yellow circles on the map. Different type Asteroid spawn at different distance from the systems central star so there is logic in the madness.

The size and amount of ores per Asteroid can all be configured via the server.cfg. So if you want then you can have a lot of control on how it is all setup in your game.

ASTEROID_RADIUS_MAX = 64 //Asteroid max radius in blocks (from -x to +x)
ASTEROID_RESOURCE_SIZE = 3.5 //Average diameter of resource veins in asteroids
ASTEROID_RESOURCE_CHANCE = 0.03 //Chance per block to place a new resource vein (1.0 = 100%)

The ores on planets are totally random two ores per planet plate. But no one in there right mind mines planets these days.

The trouble starts past the raw ores and refined capsules. There are just way to many blocks to hand fill or hand fabricate a complex Blueprint. But a Shipyard can draw from a central storage and suck up all the different block types needed to build the ship. Adding direct draw from raw ore to that would be very nice to make it more simple by removing the fabrication layer. People who like to create all the individual blocks can still do so offcourse.

 

[Nosajimiki]

STOP TRYING TO KILL LOGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Logic based systems are the advanced tech of this game. Yes, resource acquisition is tedious at the start of the game because you are not yet advanced, but good miner and factory design mitigate this a lot. This tedium is the incentive to become more advanced and treat you industry as an aspect of your space empire.

Also, 95% of the blocks in the game aren't used in bulk. If you spend a couple seconds cranking out 10-20k of each, you're set for life. The other 5% of blocks you can mass produce using logic systems.

As our entire faction has essentially been dragged down by the tedium of the current system (Making ships is a pain in the ass, so people tend to burn out quickly, and deploying is a pain in the ass, so I am hesitant to deploy us anywhere... so we never get anything done, so people lose interest and I have very low motivation to refit and maintain ships, so the entire faction is usually dormant) I support any system that might help to remedy the situation.

This gets a +1 from me.

If this is not your cup of tea, there are plenty of factions with more resources than they know what to do with. If you just want to fight, I would personally welcome you and your whole fraction into MercDragon, give you each a 300k warship, and tell you to go fuck up my enemies... just saying.

 

[Batavium]

STOP TRYING TO KILL LOGIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ehm who is saying kill logic?

We just want an EXTRA more simple option to fill blueprints or complete ship yard designs from raw ore.

Just like spawn with credits is a server option.

Logic based systems are the advanced tech of this game.

Totally agree so no worries logic away as usual.

Just don't fret if some extra more simpler ways exists for the rest of us low lives.

 

[Nosajimiki]

If you go straight from raw to ship, then you eliminate all the logical design & complexities of manufacturing facilities. Basically what this proposes is that building a ship should be as easy as dropping ore into a really big capsule refinery and a fully formed starship drops out the other side. With a well designed factory, it can be that easy right now, but only after you've invested the time into designing an exceptional factory floor. The complexity is the goal for people to aspire to. It gives people a reason keep innovating even after playing the game for a while. And most importantly (IMO) it does not define the single best way of doing things in a simple way; so, it encourages experimentation and diversity.

I feel the real choke point is lack of passive income. If the game gave you a way to automate getting ore to the point you could eventually not have to worry about it past protecting your logistical chains, then you could feed that into automated factories, and eventually (with a lot of work and planning) create a self sufficient system. If you could do something like build mines on planets for infinite but gradual sources of offline income, then you'd be able to force factions to make themselves a little bit vulnerable if they want the resources to engage in serious PvP.

 

[The Judge]

If you go straight from raw to ship, then you eliminate all the logical design & complexities of manufacturing facilities. Basically what this proposes is that building a ship should be as easy as dropping ore into a really big capsule refinery and a fully formed starship drops out the other side. With a well designed factory, it can be that easy right now, but only after you've invested the time into designing an exceptional factory floor. The complexity is the goal for people to aspire to. It gives people a reason keep innovating even after playing the game for a while. And most importantly (IMO) it does not define the single best way of doing things in a simple way; so, it encourages experimentation and diversity.

I feel the real choke point is lack of passive income. If the game gave you a way to automate getting ore to the point you could eventually not have to worry about it past protecting your logistical chains, then you could feed that into automated factories, and eventually (with a lot of work and planning) create a self sufficient system. If you could do something like build mines on planets for infinite but gradual sources of offline income, then you'd be able to force factions to make themselves a little bit vulnerable if they want the resources to engage in serious PvP.

The complexity that doesn't involve ship design is probably the biggest reason why the game is dead.

 

[Dire Venom]

Personaly I quite liked the orginal system XD
It had it's flaws, but creating a giant factory creating infinate blocks using looping recipies was extremly satisfying :3

The current system just feels meh.
You can always do cool logic stuff, but I just can't be bothered. It would take more time than it would save for me.

Using it doesn't feel fun or engaging, just a Chore.
A far more intergrated system for factories would be appreciated.

Also we are still waiting for paint cans!!!!! Creating 20 Different FULL Sets of armour just so you can have different colours is a downright pain :/
Simply just integrate it into the toolbar/storage, you can select a colour, all hull blocks placed are that colour, changeable with 2 mouse clicks/hotkey etc.
That alone would simplify crafting by 20 times.