There should be a way to use “Research Points” to develop and patent new colors not present in the game (except maybe on Exos). With a research patent, you could use a fabrication machine to convert any block of that material into that color. Research points would be created by jamming tech components into Research Generators (like spark generators). Once you have enough research points, you can create a Patent Token.
Examples Patent Token: Cold Berry Metamorphic Rock
You could then readily convert any metamorphic rock into cold berry using spark.
Patent Token: Black Gleam
You could then convert any unrefined gleam into black using spark.
You could patent colors already present in game as well for sake of converting un-useful colors into the colors you want. However, the research patent itself would be expensive to make, and only valid for one specific block type (Ancient Timber etc.)
Could at least work for the things you can’t spraypaint, or maybe you’d have to develop that color in a goo farm first. Or maybe the machine would run on goo.
Not having realistic access to all the colors doesn’t really help the game because only like 2 of the 500 players will look at your build and say, “Cool he’s using exo gleam!”
Yeah balancing is the main problem because on one hand some colors will simply never exist, and on the other some people look forward to exos for the colors. Me personally I don’t like the artistic limitations of colors being exo-locked or having a chance of never existing. I do not like the idea that some colors existed once but never will again, and the fact that limited time blocks will by nature keep that color from becoming a large build unless someone says up front, “Hey I should gather 40 smart stacks of those rocks so I can build something.”
Players should be collecting colors, not individual blocks. Players should have color libraries, not storage bins full of useless blocks they’re hoarding just in case.
Collecting colors would give people a reason to play the game, a way to make meaningful progress. Also bragging rights… "Hey girrl, I can make all gleam colors 1-115, wanna build something? "
I think the continued emphasis on making certain resources rare either due to the color or just the rarity of the resource itself is one reason players might move to a creative universe so they are not limited to the colors in the primary planets in the live universe or the chance that a desired color might eventually show up on an exo. Sure you can make an argument that it makes the item worth more for players that might sell it, but if the players that might buy it just do their main builds outside the public universe then the demand sure can take a hit.
Im fine with gleam being a rare resource BUT the algorithm needs to be tweaked and it doesn’t seem to be a priority for the devs. We get so many repeat colors that at this point something needs to be added to the game to get more colors
We already have tier 1/2/3 creative planets now, im sure its only a matter of time before some one figures out how to export something from the world building into the new test world
I’m thinking by making some colors ridiculously rare so that some people have the opportunity to farm and sell them for a high amount only hurts the game. Rather than pay exuberant amounts of coin, most people will just ‘meh ’ and forget about that build. Or go do creative.
Being able to make colors will ultimately promote trade, as all players will have some colors and no players will have all (for a very long time)
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’ and forget about that build. Or go do creative.