Change request

[Belrathius]

I would like to request a change to the mine and advanced mine. Please expand the list of mined material to include dirt, quartz, stone blocks, and ice - essentially anything you could mine on a planet. This would make stripping a planetoid of resources more efficient. Thanks in advance for considering my request.

[Ixia Irisborne]

+1 to this request

[Ready2produce]

Actually, the laser drill is a far more effective way to gather dirt, stone blocks and quartz.

[Belrathius]

Your comment indicates that you don't consistently strip a planet of all of its resources.
When you are stripping a planet of *ALL* available materials, your recommendation is not even the most efficient means currently available. The terrain tool (CTRL-6) allows you to strip away a planet layer by layer, much faster than the laser drill. The point of the original request is to achieve an automated means of doing this. Would it require a lot of mines or advanced mines to compete with doing it manually in terms of time? Sure, but so what. With enough mines, it becomes faster than doing it manually, not to mention that it frees you up to do less tedious and repetitive tasks. Also consider that some of us think bigger - for example, I typically have 7 planetoids docked at any given time, being mined of their resources by at least 1 robo-miner blueprint that includes 12 fully self-sufficient advanced mines each. And some planetoids require more than one of these robo-miner installations.

If you prefer to do tedious, repetitive tasks by hand, who am I to say how you should play the game the way you want. With that said, automation is a part of the game already and it is a perfectly reasonable request to expand it to include elements that are already in-line with the mechanisms in place.

[Ready2produce]

Interesting response, Belrathius.

I'haven't used Ctl-6 but I"ll try it out.

I mentioned the laser drill because it has made finding ore deposits and setting up drills inside hills and below the surface a lot easier.

I'm mainly acquiring dirt for the chain saw.

Creating my "Single player' guide is my current focus, creating it is challenging but fun.

I bypass a lot of tech to cut down on the required trial-and-error time.

Have yet to complete the game because I've reset play a number of times so that I can improve the guide's existing documentation.

I agree that developers can do a better job with automation options.

The thing is, developers do their game vision prep before Early Access: some code they are eager to write and other code not so much.

[Belrathius]

It seems that I am well beyond your point in the game. Drills are in fact far less efficient or effective at mining than mines and advanced mines, which rely on robo-miners to mine anywhere on the planetoid so you don't even have to survey for where the deposits are, they will find them.

You should also understand that part of the reason for Early Access is also to refine the feature set, not just find bugs or defray development costs. It is VERY common for software to change its plans during the development process (not just games, as my personal history in the software industry is not with games). Even during a beta cycle, which is nearing the release event, features can and do change based on user feedback. This is part of the point of Early Access, to get user feedback to help make the game better. So don't assume that the "vision prep" is in stone, and don't advocate for developers on issues that you don't even really know their stance. Never assume. Many developers listen to their community, and it is not uncommon for features to change or be added because of requests from the community - especially if the request is in alignment with existing mechanisms and therefore require very little extra work. Responding to community interests helps not only improve community relations, but it also helps the developers understand what their consumer base might be interested in and help make the game better for everyone. If this falls outside of their "vision", let them say (and commit) to that. Don't speak for them in a way that asserts decisions for them. Defend their decisions, sure, but none of the players (myself included) have the agency to assert decisions for them. If you want to disagree with me on some perspective, that is your right and I will fight for your right to do so, but keep it as your perspective vs. mine - don't speak for a dev (or any group) for which you have no authority.

Please understand that I say this with no malice or hostility. It is my hope that you can see that by shutting down such requests by using arguments that rely on the dev's position without the dev's input not only reflects on you, but it also could easily be in error - and more damaging, it could easily intimidate other members of the community from voicing their own requests that could have the potential to vastly improve the game. Part of the value of an active community for any game is a diverse array of perspectives and ideas. This is even more crucial for small studios and independent developers. The player base has the opportunity to contribute in a substantial way in the direction of a game, which can provide immense benefit for the developers without incurring tremendous costs. Do they need to wade through the ideas and decide which ones fit their vision? Absolutely, but that is their right and their jurisdiction, but only theirs.

I wish you great success with your guide.

[barbrady123]

It's like some people absolutely have to be ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ when expressing their opinion. Yikes.

[Ready2produce]

Belrathius, nothing more refreshing than a strong response to one's posting.

I actually think you and I are, mostly, on the same page.

I have a coding history back in the age of dinosaurs.

It takes me much longer to reach end game than most players because I write and rewrite the guide I'm creating while I'm playing.

Creating the guide is the challenge to keep me playing 'Astro colony' because it's writing that I like to do.

Currently, approaching my build of the second Stargate.

I'm hearing the game has two more universes to date.

[Belrathius]

Ready, I tend to agree that are mostly on the same page.

My "history in the age of the dinosaurs" was testing (when it was viewed as its own discipline) and then operations.

If it would be of value to you in writing your guide, I can provide a copy of my save game for you to check out. I have just entered the fourth universe and only have one technology (added in the fourth universe) left to research. It would be made available as a link on my AWS account, rather than something like Discord. If it won't help, feel free to say no - I won't be offended, as all creators' processes are different (document or otherwise), but if it would help, I would be glad to assist in this small way.

[Ready2produce]

Belrathius, I always welcome assistance, thank you.

[Belrathius]

Ready, I will post it in a different thread so as not to detract from the original effort of this thread (expanding the resources that mines can extract).

[Ready2produce]

Belrathius, with your permission (will always ask for it), I'd like like to include the contents of your "Blueprints and saved game" thread in a new 'Single player' guide division called STRATEGY.

I've done this with fellow player content in other guides.

The STRATEGY division will contain a Belrathius section containing your thread content.

That way your content will be directly available to future players who tap content in existing guides.

I have other content to add to my 'Single player' guide .

[Belrathius]

Apologies for not stating here, but I replied in the thread with the actual content being referenced.

[Belrathius]

Bumping this, as I would love to get the dev's opinion on this. Is it reasonable or even feasible?