Well, the new recipe system went out and I can't say I like it, unfortunately.
I think it would be better if a recipe would always take the same materials (Or maybe slightly varied things of each) but in varying number. A bad hull recipe might take 5 ore and 10 stone. A really great one might only take 1 and 1 to get 2 hull. This brings me to part 2:
Similar to how you can buy recipies now, you should also be able to level them up, through focused R&D. Enter: The Research Block. Put a recipe in the Research Block, apply power, and put in either the raw materials or the finished product of the recipe. The recipe will slowly improve. Maybe after 1000 stone is put in, that 5 ore 10 stone will only need 7 stone from now on. ETC.
I think it would be better if a recipe would always take the same materials (Or maybe slightly varied things of each) but in varying number. A bad hull recipe might take 5 ore and 10 stone. A really great one might only take 1 and 1 to get 2 hull. This brings me to part 2:
Similar to how you can buy recipies now, you should also be able to level them up, through focused R&D. Enter: The Research Block. Put a recipe in the Research Block, apply power, and put in either the raw materials or the finished product of the recipe. The recipe will slowly improve. Maybe after 1000 stone is put in, that 5 ore 10 stone will only need 7 stone from now on. ETC.