Hello, I play starmade for a while now and I really like the game because of all the creation possibilities. After talking with my friends and other starmade players we all think its main problem is you have nothing to do once you built your ship (that's why 90% of the people stop playing), even in multiplayer mode you have no real reason to attack another player.
So before talking about balances and stuff why don't you fix this problem first ? We have to give players a real goal other than building a 3 million blocks capital ship. Here below you'll find a possible solution to fix this problem (which gives more sence to the whole game by the way), of course we're still able to improve/change it but here's the main idea :
Ever think of going on pirate raids. I admit the planetary fauna isn't challenging yet but I heard they are working in that. I think they ought to have yetis, and ice wolves and maybe even some sort of alien crustacean on ice planets as a player verses environment thing, with and option to tame or kill the creatures. Have you got any ideas on cridders they could put on the planets to make the game more fun. Don't complain unless you have an Idea to make things better.
Instead of appearing in the middle of nowhere when first joining you should begin the game on a empty planet (if you're playing multiplayer with a friend you could start in the same one, or you also could join an already inhabited planet with the planet's owner autorisation).
Of course planets will have to be improved a lot because actually they are not really interesting. First of all they should be double-faced (just add a indestructible layer in the middle so there's not any gravity problem), adding fauna to the planet is also important (agressive or passive civilisations and monsters), each planet should be different and have special things other don't have (unique flora, minerals, places to explore) but every planet should have the main minerals you'll use to craft main things (which I'll explain herebelow).
Once you spawned you'll be free to build your base so you can protect yourself from agressive monsters/civilisations. A diplomatic aspect could be very good, for example you would be able to choose between make peace with another civilisation on your planet (this way you're able to trade with them or ask for help) or destroy them (this way you steal all their ressources).
You won't be able to explore space from the beginning, you'll have to craft all the components to make your ship from your planet's ressources. Before you explore space you should be comfortable on your planet (you've explored most of your planet, your defences are good enough to keep monsters away, etc), we can imagine different tech-tiers in which you'll be able to progress, for example : At the beginning to defend yourself you'll have to use ballistic technology and later in the game you'll be able to use plasma weapons, etc..
[OPTIONAL] Power-managing should be added to the game, actually power comes from nowhere (SD HCT xm3.4) but you should have different types of energy. I understand everyone don't want to fill their ships with some kind of fuel, that's why we can keep solar energy as the infinite one, however its recharge rate will depend on the distance from the solar panels to the closer star (and not-infinite energies should be better (but not needed for all kind of ships) than solar one of course).
Other types of energies (fuel-like ones) should be found on planets, this way you'll have a reason to attack or to colonize other planets (energy-wars) and players will be able to trade fuels for money or whatever they want. Of course to extract or produce the type of energy you want you'll have to use the correct machines and power them.
[/OPTIONAL]
The energy aspect of the game (see above) would be very interesting because it would give players a real reason to attack or trade with other ones. Energy is optional but if you don't add this you must add something similar, something all players need but can't have that easily, because if everyone can have everything with no effort there is no reason to attack your neighboors or to trade with them (and having no interactions with other players in a online game is senceless and very boring).
I think you get the point, if you need some clarifications or you want to debate about this idea feel free to post below
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