I wonder if it is reliant on active player base or % of plotted lands. Quick, everyone dump $5k into cubits/plots so we can test which factor dictates new planet generation.
I dunno. I feel like it might be of a manual thing, but they said it was built in to the system/algorithm 
I think some players are attempting to do this.
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^this also that’s another thing too its a bit better now but they really pushed the box’s/store like its a mobile game i get the devs need $$$ to keep the lights on but i think even still they push the store too hard too early for a game that is still in early access just cuz they ran a curtain down the middle of the store des not mean they are still not pushing it on you almost right at the starting gate
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Yeah, I get that teaching the players how to do these things at the beginning is important, but I feep it can do more harm than good to do it so early.
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Alright to put in my two cents. I have no issues with the crates at all. I don’t like spending the time to watch the animation most of the time, so I quick loot, but do like it once in a while.
One thing having th box DOES do, is it does show WHAT you are getting before looting it. I can see what my reward is, before having a quick screen pop up and disappear, saying I got something. Usually I am in the middle of doing something else and not paying full attention, thus missing what the actual reward was. That is what would happen if we were to just have a shiny ding and “you instantly got rewarded” more often than not. I like having it there and knowing I achieved something and get to open that reward.
It does have a title, which I never actually look up, so there is something that can be improved there that has been mentioned.
I do also love to save them up and open a butt-load at once. Seeing a huge XP chunk and coin all at once is a very satisfying feeling for me. I will do that especially on new characters. I will intentionally go for achievements, build a bunch up, then jump from level 10 to 17 (yes, a little exaggerated).
And last, I have never felt a relation to the stigma of lootboxes as in more recent games. There is no option to purchase them, they do not hold any special items that you can only obtain by purchasing from a cash-only store, etc. It is a reward for an accomplishment, as has been tradition for … However long there have been rewards in gaming :p. Something was mentioned about Zelda and opening chests. This is essentially the same thing, and has that feel for me. Not a cash-shop loot box.
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I agree it’s good to have something to go check out and open up later, having the title of it (though I wish it would say what I did under the title)
My idea is to remove the option to watch the open animation, so that players who have “lootbox ptsd” won’t screech and refund the game instantly.
I’m sure there isn’t many people that would uninstall from seeing it, but I feel the amount of work to make these changes would equal the amount of people keeping the game quite nicely.
People also see this animation before seeing that “plots can be bought with premium currency” These two ideas alone might be harmless, but put them together, and put them infront of a new player who just threw a bunch of money at the intial purchase, then they start to feel sick to thier stomach and rethink thier purchase before the two hours refund time is up on Steam. (Not sure of PS4’s policy)
I think it’s a small tweak that will make a small difference, but I think the details are what make things tick.
Yeah you know that would make sense. If one or a few see it that way, there are bound to be more that don’t bother to vocalize it. I would certainly like to keep new players in than have them be turned away from that perception.
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Another thought, is how you can still obtain cubits by leveling past 50. I was not sure, and thinking it was going to really suck to have to pay to get more plots as I grow my baby empire. I was VERY glad to see that if I don’t want to spend more real cash, I can obtain in-game. Especially with the clothing and tattoos. I did not like the idea that I might have to pay money if I wanted to get something to cloth my naked Oortian, or sacrifice plots. I think this would be a good thing to make clear for new players.
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Simply changing the crate icons to the appropriate reward graphic on both in-game crates and in the platform stores would go a long way to get new players since the mere appearance makes new players think lootboxes (or surprise mechanics/mystery boxes to some) and p2w.