Recommended mods?

[Dimwit Donald (very high IQ)]

So, for someone returning to Starbound after finishing it years ago, are there any mods that most people would agree make the game generally more rich and varied without screwing up the balance? I'm particularly interested in having a somewhat more useful crew and maybe RPG-like skill progression. It seems that the all-time top mods are a bit outdated and from a time when there were more players overall.

[Dimwit Donald (very high IQ)]

What's the general opinion on this one for example?

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=733139672&searchtext=

almost 6 years old though...

[Fractard]

There are many mods content adding, planets/biomes/dungeons/furnitures.
For a more RPG-like experience you have RPG Growth.

[Dimwit Donald (very high IQ)]

Yeah, I figured I will probably go with RPG growth and that Frackin mod. Not sure about Earth's finest... probably not.

I prefer fewer and larger mods, that are in themselves balanced and where everything fits together, so Frackin will probably be my best bet.

[soup]

Frackin' Universe adds basically a whole game's worth of content to explore, and it's my go-to. I'd go with that and add some quality of life mods like storage overhauls and perennial crops.

[Fractard]

Take more planet info, food stack, food info (don't remember the name), enhanced storage or/and digital storage, better platform falling, XS mech modulr edition.

[🦊 Hermit]

I like these two for crew mods - the first so I can dress them up to match their personality and give them good weapons and armour, the second to make them more useful and less derpy.

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2017503832
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2774848292

If you wanna go the full customisation route you can even install NPCSpawner+ and Job Offers and hand-pick your crew as you like.

A few other mods which I really like can be found in this post here: https://steamcommunity.com/app/211820/discussions/0/3773490215222311353/#c3773490215224973457

[ShortC1rcuit]

Any mod that improves crew, add as many races as you can find, especially ones that also have NPCs, like the Saturnian mod. Get a character extender as well so those mods work. Most of them are compatible with the biggest mod, Frackin' Universe, though they might not all be. Also make sure to get instant crafting, food stacking, and any other appealing quality of life mods. Good luck!

[Dimwit Donald (very high IQ)]

That Corbent's mod doesn't seem very popular...

Also, how come the Frackin mod is somewhere at the end of page 3 for top-rated all-time, if it offers the most new content (from what I gathered)?

[Fractard]

Originally posted by Argon:

That Corbent's mod doesn't seem very popular...

Also, how come the Frackin mod is somewhere at the end of page 3 for top-rated all-time, if it offers the most new content (from what I gathered)?

For two reasons. firstly it change a lot the game and add at least twice more content than base game. The second reason is that those content have an impact on game performances.

[🦊 Hermit]

Originally posted by Argon:

That Corbent's mod doesn't seem very popular...

It may be a bit of a niche one so hasn't gained as much of a following as some of the more mainstream stuff out there, but I find it really good.

[Dimwit Donald (very high IQ)]

Originally posted by 🦊 Hermit:

Originally posted by Argon:

That Corbent's mod doesn't seem very popular...

It may be a bit of a niche one so hasn't gained as much of a following as some of the more mainstream stuff out there, but I find it really good.

Well, if there isn't a more popular crew buff mod or, better yet, some rpg-like-crew-skill-advancements kind of mod, I guess I will try it.

But can / should I use "Earth's Finest" with these, too?

[Dimwit Donald (very high IQ)]

Is it generally possible to add and remove mods later into the game btw?

[kbrayaquar7]

Originally posted by Argon:

Is it generally possible to add and remove mods later into the game btw?

Some, but not all.

[serker31]

Originally posted by Argon:

That Corbent's mod doesn't seem very popular...

Also, how come the Frackin mod is somewhere at the end of page 3 for top-rated all-time, if it offers the most new content (from what I gathered)?

I'd say it is because it is:
1. Way more complicated in mechanics than vanilla and have way less handholding. You are supposed to read beginner quests (aka "the tutorial"), apply knowledge from it, experiment and explore. Still pretty simple to be honest, but some people are used to every game taking their hand and dragging them all the way through.
2. Extensive list of incompatible mods that scare people away. Despite the fact that most big mods are perfectly compatible or have compatibility patch, and many things are included in FU already anyway.
3. Performance problems... are not the reason. Because FU do not cause lay by itself, only if you wander into more exotic planets with falling blocks or liquids or lag your base into oblivion with dozens of lines of automated machinery, but that's your choice and your responsibility.

[Pop-Top Atlas]

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2754886445